Dive Team

Teams

The dive team generally consists of 20 to 30 divers, ranging in age from 8 to 18.

Minimum Skill Level Requirement

All divers in the program must meet the minimum requirements for safety in the diving area of the pool which includes being able to swim one lap (25 yards) and tread water for 5 minutes. Although there is no minimum age requirement, most divers are at least 8 years old.

Practices

The dive team practices five days a week in the mornings from 8:30am to 10:00am.

Meets

The Dive Team participates in four to six dual meets throughout the season as well as a Championship Meet. Dive meets are on Monday or Thursday evenings, generally starting around 5 or 6 p.m. The Championship Meet is usually held on a Thursday evening. The specific dates and start times are announced at the beginning of the season.

Swim Team

Teams

The swim program has two teams that consist of about 60-100 swimmers each, ranging in age from 6 to 18.

Minimum Skill Level Requirement

In order to provide for a safe environment for all swimmers, any youngster wishing to join the team must be able to swim one lap (25 yards) of the pool in one of the four recognized strokes -- front-crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, or backstroke. "Doggie-paddling" is not considered a recognized stroke.

The swimmer must complete the lap on their own without stopping or resting. They may not touch the bottom of the pool at any time during the lap. Although there is no minimum age requirement for the program, most first-time participants meeting the minimum skill level have had formal swim lessons and are six years or older.

Time trials are held usually after one week of practice in order to establish the skill levels of all swimmers. Youngsters not meeting the minimum skill level at that time will not be permitted to participate.

Practices

The swim season generally runs from the first week in June until the first week in August when championships are held. Practices are held Mondays through Fridays from 4pm to 6pm until the Metuchen Public Schools close for the summer.  At that time, practices are held on from 8am to 10am. Practices are broken into different age groups and generally run from 45 minutes to 1 hour for each age group.

Meets

Swim meets for both teams are held every Wednesday evening and every Saturday morning. One team is always at home and one team is away. When one team is having a home meet at the pool, the other team travels to another pool for an away meet and visa-versa. Bus transportation is provided for weekday away meets.

Swim meets generally take about two and one-half hours to complete. There are thirty-two events comprised of one or more heats. Swimmers compete against other swimmers of similar age groups. There are five age groups - 8 & Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. Swimmers participate in age groups depending on their age as of June 30.

Coaching Staff

The coaching staff has the critical job of running the program. Each swim team has a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach.  The dive team has two Head Coaches. The role of the coach and staff is four-fold:

1. to provide instruction in swimming and diving techniques
2. to help in training by designing workouts that develop the athlete physically
3. to be a resource for the athletes in preparing for competition
4. and as a source of motivation and guidance in helping the athlete gain a perspective on achieving their goals

In addition the coach and staff are responsible for organizing the teams, running practices, preparing for meets, and for maintaining order. The head coaches, in particular, are responsible for ensuring that the philosophy and values of the program are communicated and maintained.

Parents Association

There are usually 150 to 200 youngsters that participate in the swim and dive team program. This means that it requires many people to make it work. The Metuchen Municipal Pool Swim and Dive Team Parents Association (MMPSDTPA) is an active participant in the program by providing a number of important services. The Parents Association, for example, provides officials, timers, and helpers to run the meets. It raises funds for trophies, team gifts and equipment, and organizes the end-of-season team party.

The Parents Association is open to all parents of team members and meets regularly to discuss and plan program activities. Parents of swim team members are encouraged to attend meetings and to volunteer their services in any way they can.

Whether a child's parents are active in the association or not, all parents will be asked to participate as timers, judges, or helpers -- and no experience is necessary! Individuals are usually scheduled to help at several meets during the season in order to share the load with others.