PASSPORT POLICY

The York YMCA swimming team participates in many high level championship and national meets around the country.  Being a member of our travel teams is both a privilege and a responsibility.  It is very important that every swimmer we take to an important meet is properly prepared to race well and to represent the York YMCA well; we do not attend big meets “for the experience,” but to swim fast.

To that end, in order to travel as a member of our team, there are four requirements:

Financial requirements:

The swimmer’s family’s team dues payments, including meet entry fee payments, must be current.

Attendance requirements:

Senior A:  average at least 7 practices per week during the school year, and at least 8 during the summer

(Note:  if you are training with a high school team, you must still attend at least 3 of our practices per week in addition to your daily high school practices)

(Note:  13 year olds must average at least 6 practices per week during the school year, and at least 8 during the summer).

Senior B:  6 practices per week

Please note that under unusual circumstances, including illness or injury, coaches will work out individual accommodations to these standards.

Also, please note that these are MINIMUM standards; they represent the minimum work necessary to ensure that a swimmer at this level is moving forward, not the ideal amount of work to ensure that a swimmer is flying forward and upward.

Qualifying standard requirements:

Short Course YMCA Nationals:  make at least two short course Y Nationals qualifying standards.

Grand Prix Series:  between two & four Grand Prix qualifying standards, depending upon the meet (Missouri is considerably easier than Santa Clara).

Junior Nationals:  at least two qualifying standards; or, at least one qualifying standard and two bonus standards.

Senior Nationals:  at least one qualifying standard.

Long Course Far Westerns:  at least two qualifying standards.

Program support requirements:

Senior swimmers attending high level team meets must also have shown by their behavior that they are supportive members of the York Y swimming team.  In addition to the above requirements,

-- They will attend a minimum number of meets as determined by the coaching staff – in particular, the more important invitational meets and “closed Y” meets when necessary to meet YMCA Nationals requirements.

-- They will help out at meets we host when they are not racing (e.g., organizing younger swimmers, timing, etc.)

-- They will help out with fundraising efforts.

-- They will help out at any clinics or camps run by the program.

-- They will act as positive and excellence-valuing role models for our younger swimmers.

Note that final determination of meet participation and choice of meets is in the hands of the coaches.