We are working on a list of common questions….if you don’t see a question/answer you are looking for be sure to let us know so we can add it to our list.
Fees vary with practice level. They will be posted before registration opens.
It is required that all MACS swimmers have a current USA Swimming membership. This annual membership not only supports swimming throughout the country, it also provides accident and medical insurance for every swimmer and every club. Each swimmer is covered at any organized practice of MACS and at every competition that is USA Swimming sanctioned. To sign up for a USA Swimming membership, it must be done though Pacific swimming here.
What forms of payment can I use?
Cash/Check. You can hand deliver cash or checks made payable to: MACS Aquatics
How well does my child have to swim to join MACS?
Because MACS is not “swimming lessons” we ask that a child can “swim” one length of our 25-yard pool safely and without assistance. The stroke does not have to be perfect or even pretty. We will fix that! If you need “swimming lessons” we offer our Seal Pup Swim School in the spring, summer and fall.
Do I have to “try out” for the team?
No. MACS holds in-the-water evaluations for level placement to ensure swimmers are put in a practice group that best suits their age and ability.
How long is the swim season?
MACS swimmers swim all year.
How many days a week does my child have to practice?
MACS understands that families are busy. We offer practices for each level as shown below. Coaches encourage swimmers to attend as many practices as possible in order to make the most progress throughout the season. Practice calendars are posted on the website.
Novice: 5 nights for 1 hour
Age Group: 5 nights for 1 hour to 1.5 hours
Senior: 5 nights for 2 hours, 1 morning 2 hours
What volunteer opportunities are there for me as a parent?
The MACS counts on its members to volunteer their time to promote unity and to enable our club to thrive. It is important for every parent to be involved with the club and their children’s activities. USA Swimming is one of the most volunteer intensive sport on the planet. It takes every parent to prepare, run and recover from a big meet. To ensure the continued success of your MACS Team, we rely on the support of our members to fill our many jobs specifically at our hosted meets. We use an online signup system that lists meet jobs and time slots to make working the meets as easy as possible.
At away meets we are required to provide timers and officials. Each family is expected to time or officiate. Additionally, we rely on families to participate in our fundraising activities throughout the season. We host dine & donates and need parent help obtaining sponsorships and auction items from area businesses.
What equipment will I need for swim practice?
You will need a swim suit. We recommend a one-piece suit for girls and tight swimming shorts (jammers) or Speedo for the boys. You will also need a pair of goggles and a swim cap. After the season starts, coaches may ask swimmers to purchase a set of fins, gear bag and a kick board.
Are swim meets required?
Swim meets are not required, but they are strongly encouraged. They are the best way to measure your improvement, and they are lots of fun.
How do I know what swim meets are coming up?
The season meet schedule is posted on our website.
How do I sign up for a swim meet?
It’s a bit confusing at first, so here are the steps. Let us know if you need additional help.
1. Go to ome.swimconnection.com
2. Create an account — they will send you a confirmation email–confirm your account per email instructions.
3. Go to the My Swimmer’s tab and select Add Swimmer
4. Enter your swimmers athlete ID, which is on your USA Swimming card.
Note: The ID is a combination of the swimmers birthdate, the first three letters of their first name, an asterisk and the first four letters of their last name. For example, 070599TIM*TEET.
5. Click the Enter Meets tab and select Pacific Swimming in from the associations dropdown.
6. Select the Meet you want to enter.
7. Select your swimmer.
8. Enter times for the events you want to enter. If your swimmer does not have any times to enter, then put NT in the time field. If they do have times you can click get best times button.
9. Save the entry form and go to the payment page.
10. Enter credit card information for payment.
11. Watch your email for verification of entry and print this out and bring it to the meet with you as it will help you remember what events your swimmer is swimming.
What do Time Standards Mean?
The letters C/B/A+ refer to the first three divisions of swimming. C division is the beginning, B division is next up and A division is at the top.
After your first swim meet, you can see what category your swimmer’s times fall into. Each group of swimmers are ranked according to their time and given awards by their division. A new swimmer in the C division will be ranked by time against other C division swimmers.
These divisions create incentives for each swimmer to shoot for the next division standard.
Beyond C/B/A+ times are the “PRT times” and “Junior Olympic (JO)” and “FarWestern (FW)” times. These time standards are a bit more challenging. PRT stands for Pacific Reportable Time and signifies that the time achieved is considered among the top of the Pacific Region and is submitted to Pacific Swimming for a ranking.
Confused? For those just getting started, all you need to remember is the C/B/A+ info.
Do swim meets cost extra?
Yes. Fees vary by meet. Posted meet information includes meet fees. Swimmers are usually charged per race a fee of $2.00-$5.00.
How do I know my child is ready to participate in a swim meet?
Your coach will let you and your child know when he is ready to swim at a meet. Meets are a learning experience and kids are encouraged to participate as soon as they feel comfortable.
Do I get to choose the events my child swims at a meet?
Check with your child’s coach for which events they should swim.
What is the required team uniform?
MACS requires a team cap, a team suit, and a team warm-up jacket.