FAQ

Q1. What to bring to practice?

A1. Water bottle, swimsuit, goggles, jacket, and a good attitude!

 

Q2. Where are practices?

A2. The Morris Union Jointure Commission in Warren, address is 217 Mountainview Rd, Warren, NJ 07059. Do not mistake this for the New Providence location as there are two Morris Union Jointure Commissions.

Q3. What experience should I have in swimming before trying out?

A3. You must be able to swim eight lengths (200 yards) of the pool consecutively without stopping while doing either Freestyle, Breaststroke, or Backstroke. You do not need to know all four strokes but you do need to have a basic understanding of Freestyle (Front Crawl), Racing Backstroke, and Racing Breaststroke. When swimming Freestyle you should be comfortable with side breathing and having your head under the water while swimming. If you would like tips or ideas on proper swim technique to prepare you for tryouts you and/or your parents may contact either coach through the WHRHS email.

 

Q4. What will tryouts be like?

A4. The first two days of tryouts will be a general practice consisting of around 1500-2000 yards where coaches will see and evaluate the swimmers. The following days will consist of time trials to gauge everyone's starting place for the season. Simply put, to make it through the first week or five days of practice means you are on the team! If you are highly struggling however you may be asked to wait a year and practice for safety reasons but there are other places to help the team out so don’t fret just yet! And one big thing, REMEMBER TO BRING GOGGLES! Coach Hauck did not bring goggles to his first day of High School Swim Team tryouts, and that was a rather painful mistake!

 

Q5. How long are practices and meets?

A5. Practices start at 3:15 M-F, will end at 4:45, and we get back on the bus at 5:00 to get back to the school at 5:05-5:15. Meets generally will last 2 hours and arrival/departure time can vary dependent on the location and time of the meet. Home meets will usually be done right around 4:45-5:00. Championship/Conference meets are early in the morning or early afternoon and will last a good deal longer, around 3 hours as an estimate.

 

Q6. What should I eat before practice and meets?

A6. What you should eat always depends on the timing of when you eat. The night before a meet it is fine to have a dinner with a good deal of carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables such as pasta or chicken and rice. HOWEVER “carboloading” is generally a bad idea, my advice is to eat a normal meal or until you are full, not until you feel bloated! If three hours before swimming you should have a decent meal with carbohydrates and protein. A good idea could be a sandwich or sub with some fruits and veggies. If thirty minutes to an hour before you shouldn’t eat much more than an energy bar or an apple, something light. If you feel light headed before an event or practice you should eat or drink something or think about sitting out for a bit with your snack until you feel more together. Gatorade or Vitamin water are good choices for energy drinks to get your body ready but beware the sugar! Excessive sugar is bad for your body, brain, and your teeth!

 

Q7. Can I bring extra equipment?

A7. Currently the only equipment you need to bring are the snorkels that we may give out for you to keep at the beginning of the year, But otherwise you do not need to bring extra equipment such as fins, paddles, or parachutes. If you cannot kick for a specific practice, bringing a pull buoy is fine as well! Just no sharing of snorkels!!!

 

Q8. What equipment will be provided?

A8. On site we will use the facilities kickboards and pull buoys (As available). Coaches may have extra goggles on hand but that will not always be the case so be responsible! Year to year we hope to have more equipment to give out and/or utilize.

 

Q9. When does the season start and end?

A9. We will have our first meeting a few weeks before the season and tryouts are the start of the season. The official start date for the season is November 21st by the NJSIAA requirements. The last day of practice is dependent on how far we get in the state tournament. The last possible date of the season is March 5th.

 

Q10. What is the difference between State playoff meets and normal dual meets?

A10. We begin the season with normal dual meets but after the conference and county meets we begin playoffs. State playoffs are similar to baseball where teams are bracketed and then face off in dual meets and if you win you move to the next meet but if you lose you are eliminated.

 

Q11. I'm a club swimmer, will I be able to balance practices between the club and high school?

A11. No matter what other extra-curricular activity you may be a part of, coaches will do their best to work with you to ensure that if it is possible for you based on your current commitments that you will be able to join and be a part of this team. This does not mean that if you are on a club team and you're in a strict music/theater program and you tutor during the week that it would be a great idea to attempt juggling the high school swim team on top of all of that. Be sensible when thinking about the responsibilities you already have and write everything out in front of you and really think about it. Be sure to talk to your parents or coaches if you are not sure. If you are a club swimmer you are 100% encouraged to try out and join us here, you will have to attend a practice every day M-F but club practices do count towards this, we would like to see you here one to two times a week if possible of course. See the Policies/Expectations page for more specifics on this issue.