newcomer

LCAT NEWCOMER INFORMATION

Welcome to The Las Cruces Aquatic Team! The Las Cruces Aquatic Team (LCAT) is a year-round swimming program affiliated with USA Swimming, the governing body of competitive swimming in the United States. LCAT attempts to give children of all ages and abilities the skills required to succeed in competitive swimming. Many of the current LCAT swimmers not only have LCAT club records, but several New Mexico State records as well. LCAT won the Long Course State Championship in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 and Short Course State Championship in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Since you are new to LCAT, and likely new to competitive swimming, the following information is provided as part of our registration packet to assist you and welcome you to our team. This packet should also include a form outlining registration procedures, an LCAT Registration Form, USA Swimming Form and a medical form.

Tryouts and Registration

Tryouts are conducted during practice times. New swimmers may try out for two weeks for FREE. LCAT and USA Swimming registration forms should be submitted to the coach or registrar prior to beginning the tryout but no funds are due for the first two weeks. Forms are available from a coach or Cari Garcia the team registrar.

After the tryout period, to join LCAT, the registration is completed by submitting 1) a copy of the swimmer's state ID, or birth certificate, or driver's license, or baptismal record, or passport for proof of name, age, and gender and 2) a check payable to LCAT for the sign-up payment (see following paragraphs).

The sign-up payment for swimmers registering year-round is $120. These swimmers are registered as 2009 USA Swimming Year-round swimmers. The Year-round registration expires Dec 31, 2009.

The sign-up payment for swimmers registering as seasonal is $95. These swimmers are registered as 2009 USA Swimming Seasonal swimmers. The seasonal registration is for April 2009 - August 31, 2009. For seasonal swimmers to continue swimming after August 2009, they must submit a 2010 year-round registration with fees in September 2009 which will expire Dec 31, 2010.

The sign-up payment includes the LCAT registration fee, the USA Swimming registration fee, and $55 dues deposit. The LCAT registration fee is $10 for Year-round swimmers and $5 for Seasonal swimmers. The USA Swimming registration fee is $55 for Year-round swimmers, and $35 for Seasonal swimmers. Thus,
Year-round signup fee is $10 LCAT + $55 USA + $55 dues deposit = $120.
Seasonal signup fee is $5 LCAT + $35 USA + $55 dues deposit = $95.

Please note that the $55 dues deposit is applied to the first month bill. So the very first bill you receive will be the monthly rate for the swimmer minus $55. If you sign up after the first of the month any deposit amount left over will carry over to the next month.

In order to practice and compete with LCAT, your child must be registered with USA Swimming. The USA Swimming registration also gives LCAT the required insurance coverage needed for participation in USA Swimming sanctioned events. This will cover your child in case of accident or injury while attending LCAT events (practice and meets). Please be sure to fill out the forms properly as outlined in the registration procedures accompanying the forms. Incomplete forms will result in a delay in a swimmers registration that will prevent them from participating in practice and competing in swim meets

Any questions about registration should be directed to Coach Muncie at 496-8259 or coachmuncie@yahoo.com or the team registrar Cari Garcia at 541-8600 or carigarc@comcast.net .

Club Dues

Dues are based on the group your child is swimming with. For families with more than one team member, full dues are required of the highest level swimmer and a 20% discount is given for each additional swimmer.

Currently the club dues for the groups are:

Bronze (beginners) - $55 per month

A beginning practice group for young swimmers new to the sport of swimming. There are no minimum qualifications for this group. Pre_Team is a pre-competitive group designed to teach new swimmers the basic skills of competitive strokes, and to prepare them for placement on the competitive team.

Bronze currently practices five days a week at Frenger pool during the winter and at the NMSU Natatorium during the summer. There is no limit on the number of practices your child attends during the week.

Silver - $65 per month

This is a beginning level for swimmers who have learned the basics of competitive swimming and who have begun to master stroke technique and proper skill. Competition is highly recommended in this group.

Silver currently practices five days a week in the indoor pool at the NMSU Natatorium. There is no limit on the number of practices your child attends during the week.

Gold - $70 per month

A practice group for those swimmers who have begun to achieve National Motivational time standards and NMS state time standards ("BB" times). Movement skills are still highly emphasized, and more complex drills are introduced. Swimmers begin to learn about goal setting, and the importance it plays in competitive swimming. Proper technique, start and turn proficiency, as well as positive attitude are reinforced in this group.

Gold currently practices six days a week in the outdoor pool at the NMSU Natatorium. There is no limit on the number of practices your child attends during the week.

Senior - $85 per month

The highest level within the LCAT program. Athletes at this level are motivated to become competitive at Regional and National levels. These swimmers are expected to be mature, responsible, dedicated and well disciplined.

Senior currently practices six days a week in the outdoor pool at the NMSU Natatorium. There is no limit on the number of practices your child attends during the week.

High School Elite Swimmer - $65.00 a month (11 Month billing Cycle (September-July))

LCAT is proud to announce its newest addition to the program, The High School Elite Group. Perfect for the seasonal swimmer, for those wishing to stay in shape or get in shape for the High School season or for those athletes who just want to swim for fun.

Masters - $35.00 per month

LCAT has acquired new practice times for its Masters swimmers. Please see Coach Sean Muncie for times.

Billing

LCAT bills monthly. A check, payable to LCAT, should be mailed to the address on the invoice. Please do not send cash, and it is preferred that you do not give payment to the coaches. It is not their responsibility to take dues payments. Contact Carolyn Clayshulte, our accountant, by email at clayshulte@msn.com for any billing questions. Please pay your LCAT bills promptly so that LCAT is able to meet expenses.

Late Fees

There is a late fee of $10.00 for dues not paid within 14 days after the date of the invoice. An additional $5.00 per month is charged for unpaid dues. Accounts that are delinquent over two months will result in the swimmer not being allowed to swim with LCAT in practice or swim meets.

LCAT Termination Notification

A formal letter of termination must be received by the head coach before a swimmer is no longer an LCAT member. The date the written letter of termination is received by the head coach will be considered the last day the swimmer is a LCAT member. If a swimmer is a member of LCAT on the first date of the month, they will be responsible for that month's dues payment.

Fundraising

It is necessary to conduct fundraisers to meet expenses not covered by dues. LCAT hosts two swim meets a year that serve as our primary fundraiser. The funds are generated from meet entries, concessions, dry goods and ad sales placed in the meet program (in swimming this is called a heat sheet). The ads run from $50 to $250 and are sold to businesses in the community that wish to support LCAT. Prizes are also awarded to the top three sellers of ads for each meet. LCAT members are asked to sell two ads per meet to meet fundraising goals.

Volunteering

We also need volunteers to help with running the meets. It is meets like ours manned by volunteers that every Olympic caliber swimmer participated in on their way to the top. It is at the heart of what USA Swimming is all about. Help is needed at the concession stand, in our hospitality room, at the dry goods store, setting up and taking down the equipment, timing and other technical areas. Signup sheets are circulated several weeks prior to each meet. LCAT is known throughout the region for the excellent meets we host, and for the quality of people running the meets. Please help us carry on this tradition of excellence and volunteer to help out.

Other Expenses

Swim Meet Fees

There are a number of swim meets held throughout the year. Besides our two meets, most are held in El Paso. LCAT also participates in the two New Mexico Championship meets, and a few other meets within the region. Entry fees for the meets are usually $2 to $3 dollars per event, plus the meet fee of $5 to $10. This generally will cost $15 to $30 per meet. There are also additional costs involved in travel to the championship meets for food and lodging. The team usually obtains a preferred hotel with a block of rooms available, but it is up to the swimmers family to make reservations and pay for the room.

Team Suits

At least twice a year, the coach will place an order for team swim suits. The prices are quite reasonable. Girls suits are typically $30 - $40, boys are typically $20 - $30. It is not required that the swimmers buy the team suits. Expect to buy caps, goggles, and swim suits several times a year. A great place to buy suits is at swim meets where high quality suits can often be purchased for a 30-50% discount. With the amount of time the swimmers are in the water, the gear will wear out!

Banquets

LCAT holds two awards banquets per year. The spring banquet, after short-course season ends, and the fall banquet, after long-course season ends. Tickets for the banquets are approximately $10.

Communication

Check this web site frequently to keep informed about upcoming events and to see the practice schedule and dates for upcoming swim meets and entry forms.
If your email address is supplied on the registration form, you will be notified of events from time to time.
If you do not watch your swimmer on a regular basis, it is important to check with the coach at least once a week for upcoming events, schedule changes and meet information. It is also helpful to get to know other parents.

Attending Meets

Attending a meet for the first time can be a confusing experience. Meet information and directions to the pool are distributed well ahead of time. The first time it is best to give yourself plenty of time and arrive early. This will give you time to find your fellow teammates, and find seating before it gets crowded. It will also give you time to locate the pool in the event you get lost. Bleacher seating is limited, and many people find them uncomfortable. It is always a good idea to bring folding chairs (the cloth camping type), and for the younger kids an old quilt or sleeping bag to throw on the floor. Food generally consists of hot dogs, ramen noodles, chips, bagels, donuts, candy and the like. Sometimes there might be breakfast burritos or a little fruit. Many people opt to bring much of their own food. Some suggestions are fruit, yogurt, energy bars, Gatorade and water. Over the course of 3-4 hours a swimmer should consume at least a quart and a half of fluid. You may want to bring some games for the younger kids, or a book for yourself. After a couple of meets you will decide what works best for you.

It is also important that both you and your swimmer know what events they are competing in, about when to expect them to start, and where the swimmer needs to be. The first thing you will need to purchase is a heat sheet. You will also notice that most kids under the age of 10 will have writing on an arm or a hand. This is how many swimmers keep track of what event number they are swimming in, what heat they are in, what lane they are in, and what stroke they are swimming. This is especially helpful for the younger swimmer when they get to the starting area. Ask a parent who is familiar to explain the process to you.

You are sure to have many questions that are not addressed here. Please feel free to contact a board member or a coach if you need assistance.

Contacts

Head Coach: - Sean Muncie 496-8259 coachmuncie@yahoo.com
Accountant: - Carolyn Clayshulte - clayshulte@msn.com
Team Registrar: -Cari Garcia - 541-8600 carigarc@comcast.net

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