Sherborn Snappers

SHERBORN SNAPPERS SWIM TEAM HANDBOOK
2025 SEASON

TEAM WEBSITE: The team website is www.sherbornsnappers.com. This is the central mechanism of communication for the team. On this website, you'll find everything you need to know about being a Snapper.  Access to the entire site is by permission only for team and family members. Once a swimmer is registered, you will be invited via email to fully access the website.

JOINING THE TEAM

Prerequisite: In order to join the Snappers Swim Team, a participant must be able to swim 25 yards (ages 6-10) and 50 yards (ages 11-18) in a real stroke without stopping or touching the bottom. Swimmers unable to do this will be asked to wait a year before joining the team. Lessons will be recommended for these swimmers.

Registration: ALL REGISTRATIONS WILL BE DONE ONLINE. Registration will open March 10th and the price per swimmer is $250 for the season. Registration will close on JULY 1st. In addition to registering through this website, you must also REGISTER and PAY at SHERBORNREC.COM to complete your swimmer's registration. In order to successfully register for the team you must complete both steps. The deadline for registration is the last day of the first week of practice. Fees are non-refundable.

Farm Pond Parking Pass: 

Farm Pond is our home pool! We don't have an exact address, but it is located between 180-220 Lake Street in Sherborn, MA. We practice in a 6 lane, 25 yard pool in the pond.

Everyone must obtain a pass to park at the pond. These are issued at Town Hall in Sherborn. Car registration must be current.

For Dover residents two options exist for passes:

• 1st Year in Program: families may get a pass for swim team hours only for $75
• 2nd year in Program and Beyond: families have two options, $75 for swim team hours only pass or paying a $300 non-resident fee for a pass that can be used any time of day.

Volunteering: The Snappers is a team organized and administered entirely by parents and young adult coaches. In order for the team to have a successful season, it is essential for family members to contribute their time, effort and expertise. There will be tons of opportunity to volunteer and assist in making this season great! Parents will be expected to sign-up to volunteer at meets and special events; for each meet, we need 10-12 parent volunteers to conduct the meet. Please sign up to volunteer at meets under the “Swim Meets/Job Sign-Up” tab on the website. Job assignments will be organized by the Meet Coordinator. 

Questions: Questions regarding registration and fees, parent volunteer opportunities, or other administrative issues should be directed to the respective Parent Coordinators listed each year. Most of this information is also listed on the team website, but if you have additional questions please feel free to email them to [email protected].

Questions and concerns regarding swimmers, practices, and meets should be directed to the Head Coach/Assistant Head Coaches. Parents are asked not to approach the coaches for discussion of their children’s event placement during swim meets. Discussions regarding swimmers’ progress should take place before or after practices. The coaching staff makes decisions based on their expertise. Please help your child to prepare to swim the events they are scheduled to swim. It is the coach's decision whether a child swims in a meet – swimmers that do not come to practice may not be allowed to swim in the meet. However, most swimmers will swim two events per meet, and some will participate in a relay, as long as they have signed up to attend the meet.

No Food Policy: There is a “no food” policy on the beach at Farm Pond. Be sure swimmers are well-nourished before attending practices and meets. Bottled water is allowed on the beach, but all trash must be removed and taken with you. This is how we keep Farm Pond looking as beautiful as it does.

Team Suits/ Snappers Gear: Team suits are mandatory for all swimmers. They can be purchased at the Annual Swim Suit Sale or on-line through the Swim Shop. Please visit our Team Gear Page. Typically suit styles change every two years; we ARE NOT  switching to a new suit for 2025. 

*It is recommended that all swimmers wear goggles. For girls, swim caps are strongly suggested for practices and are required for all swim meets. It really does make it much easier to swim for those with long hair.

Snappers team gear is available for sale at the beginning of the season through the Swim Shop website; merchandise is available at the annual Swim Suit Sale held the first week of the season or through the gear coordinator. The Gear coordinator will have caps for sale all summer!

Lost & Found: Swimmers are responsible for their own belongings. The team assumes no responsibility for lost articles.

CODE OF CONDUCT

*Snappers Swim Team will not tolerate bullying or harassment of any sort, or the use of profanity, negative comments or taunting at any time.

*Snappers Swim Team encourages an atmosphere of open-mindedness and camaraderie within the team.

*Swimmers are expected to be punctual for practices and meets, to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times, and to cooperate with coaches, teammates and parent volunteers.

*Swimmers must sign-up for meets they plan to attend within the designated time frame.

PRACTICES/PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

Practices and meets will be held unless the pond or pool has been closed due to thunder or rain. In the case of inclement weather, updates regarding the status of the practice or meet will be posted via email and on the team website. FYI – occasionally, we may agree to start a meet and then have to reschedule due to changes in the weather.

Practice times are from 3:45 - 4:30pm for 8 and unders, 4:15 - 5:15 pm for 9 and 10s and 5:00 - 6:15pm 11 and 12s, 13 and ups. Practice will be held every week day until the start of the meet schedule. After that, practices will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (unless there is a scheduled meet). The first 10minutes of practice will be an organized warm-up. Everyone must stretch and warm up before swimming. Practice will start promptly so punctuality is appreciated. If a swimmer desires to attend a practice for an age group other than his/her assigned practice time due to a schedule conflict, this will be at the coach's discretion, based on a swimmer’s ability and space availability.

Additional stroke clinics: will be offered per age group as the coaching staff assesses the need.

Private swim instruction: Please contact any member of the coaching staff directly if you are interested in scheduling mutually convenient private lessons for your swimmer.

Missing Practice: It is not necessary to notify the coach if a swimmer is going to miss an occasional practice. It is helpful to let the coach know if he/she will be gone for a long period of time due to illness or vacation!!

MEET ATTENDANCE

Parents must indicate FOR EACH MEET if a swimmer can/can not attend the meet. It is essential that parents have indicated this via the team website at least 48 hours in advance so coaches can include/omit the swimmer on the meet roster. The roster and event assignments for swim meets must be made 1-2 days before the meet. Please indicate which swim meets your swimmer can/cannot attend in the “Swim Meet/Meet Entry” tab on the team website. Swimmers who do not indicate their meet attendance on the website, and then attend a meet, may be unable to swim at the meet.

All meets (typically held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings) begin at 6:00 p.m. except for meets at Natick, Needham and Westwood which start at 5:30 p.m. For all home meets, all swimmers must be at the pond no later than 4:45 p.m. for warm-ups. For away meets, swimmers should drive directly to the meet location arriving by 5:15 p.m. unless an alternate time is posted via email. Everyone warms up prior to swim meets and practices. This is a good way to prevent injuries and to get bodies ready for racing.

Transportation to and from all swim meets is the responsibility of each individual family.

Swimmers should check in with their respective coaches immediately upon arrival at a meet. Swimmers are expected to sit with the team, and to know what events they have been assigned to swim once informed by the coaches. The assistant coaches and coaches in training supervise the beach/pool deck during meets and will be calling out the events as they occur, and lining swimmers up for their events. Please be sure you assist your swimmer in listening for their events so that they do not miss their swim. Parents may be asked to help supervise swimmers during meets as well.

When swimmers are not in an event, they should be watching the meet and cheering for their teammates. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO SWIM OR PLAY IN THE WATER BETWEEN EVENTS AT A SWIM MEET. We need reinforcement of this rule from parents during swim meets, especially for the younger swimmers – thank you!

League rules stipulate that no swimmer shall wear any article of clothing with a team logo on it other than the town swim team to which the swimmer belongs. Therefore, only gear with Snappers Swim Team logos are allowed during meets.

Effective 2009, the league is banning Speedo LZR Racing suits, TYR’s Tracer Light, Blue Seventy’s Nero, or similar suits that make swimmers more buoyant and have ultra- smooth exterior that glides through the water far more easily than skin.

The swim meet is not over until the final event has been swum and the team cheer has been completed. All swimmers need to stay for the entire meet unless arrangements with the coaching staff have been made prior to the meet. This is VERY important since a team is only a team when all members are together! This is also the time when the coaches give out awards to 4 deserving swimmers for each swim meet! Snapper swimmers are also gracious in victory, and dignified in defeat, ending with a team cheer for the opposing team at each swim meet!

REGIONAL SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

The Suburban Summer League Regional Championship is held on the second Saturday in August. ALL SWIMMERS who’ve competed in 4 Dual League Meets are eligible to attend. Coaches will determine events, relays (one per age group) and individual races, based on performance and team needs.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Team Banquet: This is a family event held a the Sunday after the A Regionals. It typically includes a recap of the season by the Head Coach(es) and staff. Different awards are given out to the various age groups of the Snappers team. Ribbons and medals from Regionals are handed out as well. It is a fun celebration of the season... Not to be missed!

Mile Relay: 10 swimmers (5 male, 5 female) from each team in the league will swim a mile course at Natick on a designated Friday afternoon. Swimmers must be 11-18 yrs. old and have participated in 3 meets to compete in the Mile Swim race. Coaches will begin to identify potential Mile Swim candidates early in the season in order to start training.