Coaches Information
The following is the advanced information for the 2009 Pennsylvania YMCA East-West Championships to be held Saturday, March 21st and Sunday, March 22nd. Please refer to http://www.aqualions.org/states.php for detailed up-to-date information.
Once again this year the championships will be held at the McCoy Natatorium on the Penn State campus. The sessions will be by individual age groups; girls and boys within each age group will be swimming during the same sessions. The schedule of sessions and events can be found on the website.
The YMCA Pennsylvania State Championship Meet will be considered an "Approved Meet" by the USA Swimming's Middle Atlantic and other Local Swim Clubs. As such, the event results for registered USS swimmers with valid ID numbers will be uploaded into the SWIMS and will be available for use for National and Local Swim Club records and rankings." If you have not already, please make the effort to confirm your USS swimmers registrations are current for 2009 and be prepared to submit the listing to the District Meet Registration Coordinators, if you have not already done so for your district entries.
Because Nationals entries are due after states (March 24th), National Time Trials will be run SUNDAY evening after the team awards at 7:30PM. Some things to know: A 15 minute warm-up period will be allowed before time trials begin on Sunday (7:15-7:30PM). Swimmers wishing to compete in the National Time Trials must register with the Meet Director (Ida O'Donald) or the Past Meet Director (Cathy Dufour) prior to the end of the Senior breaststroke events on Sunday. The fee is ten dollars ($ 10) per individual entry/forty dollars ($ 40) per relay and must be paid when registering for the time trials. Make checks payable to "SCAY Aqualions".
PLEASE NOTE: We MUST have officals for time trials to take place. Any team/swimmer signing up for time trials MUST provide an official.
I would like to emphasize the following rules and procedures. Note that there have been some changes. Please go over these rules with your coaches and swimmers prior to the meet.
Picture ID's (drivers license or other) will be required along with YMCA coaches credentials (i.e. Deck Passes that are registered with the East Field) at check-in FOR ALL COACHES. These credentials must also be carried at all times while on deck.
Swimmers will be issued session specific wristbands at the time of check-in. Anyone without the correct wristband will not be permitted on deck. Any swimmer or coach caught removing a wristband, or passing a wristband to another individual will be disqualified from the meet and will not be permitted on deck. This rule will be strictly enforced.
Each of the two male and two female public locker rooms will be fully and simultaneously used. Teams from the East will use locker rooms A & C, and teams from the West will use locker rooms B & D. The faculty locker rooms will be available for use by coaches and officials.
To avoid transmission of blood borne pathogens, shaving is strictly prohibited anywhere on site. Please impress this upon your swimmers. Anyone found in violation will be denied deck access for the duration of the meet.
Glass containers are strictly forbidden in the natatorium. Anyone found in possession of a glass container will be disqualified and denied deck access for the duration of the meet.
Food and beverages are not permitted on deck. There are vending machines on the lower level near the locker rooms and concessions will be available in the front lobby.
Access to the hospitality area will be limited to coaches and officials. Lunch, snacks, and drinks will be free for coaches.
Please note that the meet registration on Friday evening (3/20) will be held at the Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau. Directions and a map can be accessed from their website homepage http://www.centralpacvb.org/.
Please be advised that the University charges for parking on both Saturday and Sunday. Parking will be in the East parking deck on Bigler Road approximately one block from to the Natatorium. Signs will direct traffic to the parking area. University parking attendants will be stationed at all lots to collect the fee.
A professional photographer will be on pool deck to take photographs of the awards ceremonies. We request that you refrain from taking photographs on deck during the awards presentation as it interferes with the professional photographer’s shots.
Meet results will be posted on http://www.aqualions.org/states.php by the Monday after the meet concludes.
Should you have any questions concerning any aspect of the meet, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at imo1@psu.edu.
Thank you,
Ida O'Donald
Meet Director