Coaches
Head Coach
Coach Katie is our Head Coach this season. She oversees everything that has to do with coaching, program development, training, mentoring, and the swimmers. She will be the main coach for Seniors and Juniors in the big pool and will be at every swim meet.
Assistant Coaches
Coach Kayla will be overseeing the leisure pool and Coach Spencer will be assisting in the main pool. Our assistant coaches will be working closely with the Head Coach and helping to oversee our junior coaches, as well as coach the swimmer.
Coaches
Coach Megumi, Coach Baani, Coach Liam, and Coach Finley are our coaches who will be directed and guided by the Head Coach and Assistant Coach. Majority of the time you will find them working in the water with swimmers in the leisure pool.
Junior Coach
This position is for new and developing coaches. Their role as a junior coach is to assist the other coaches and gain first hand coaching experience. This will be done under the supervision of either the Assistant Coach or the Head Coach. This position tends to be filled with younger swimmers who are interested in working their way towards coaching with autonomy.
*Please refrain from communication during practice with Coaches and Swimmers so they can all focus on the swim.
Practices
Our practices are offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We know some weeks of the season are more difficult to attend all days, however, we challenge you to evaluate your goals going into the season; learning a sport requires time and effort so the more you are able to attend the stronger your development will be.
Swimmer’s Gear
Required at every practice:
- Water Bottle
- Cap – we have Orange silicone caps available for $12
Each Competitive Swimmer will be issued 1 Club Logo cap to be worn at all swim practices and meets. This year each Competitive Swimmer will also be given a club shirt. This is to be worn at swim meets and can be worn at practices as well. This helps boost team spirit!
- Proper goggles
- Swimsuit
Any one-piece suit for girls & any jammers or briefs for boys. Having one suit for practice and one suit for meets will help with keeping the racing suit in the best shape.
- Racing suits
A link to our club one-piece suit for girls.
A link to our club jammers for boys.
Amazon carries these brands as well if you prefer that service.
This is not mandatory but preferred as this brings team spirit and unity to the swimmers.
Your racing suit needs to be quite tight. Usually, it’s recommended to be 1 size smaller than your practice suit or just able to put 2 fingers under the straps for the girls’ suits.
*100% polyester suits tend to last longer. TYR is a common brand with a comfortable fit for many body types. Nike suits can be sized a little more on the petite size.
*Aldergrove Sea Monkeys gear is available through “*Entripy*” and we encourage you to purchase one of our reasonably priced iconic orange shirts, as well as other fun team merchandise! https://aldergroveseamonkey.entripyshops.com
You can choose the product brands you prefer and shipping comes directly to your home.
Parent Code of Conduct
Parents are an essential part of the Aldergrove Sea Monkeys Aquatic Club. We ask you to actively participate in our club as it is not possible to run the club without your dedication.
- Let the coach Coach
All of our club’s coaches are appropriately certified and are up to date on the current swimming techniques and theories. It is the coach’s job to provide feedback to your swimmer, not yours. We ask that you refrain from trying to give your swimmer advice or feedback about their swims as it may contradict what their coach is currently working on with them.
- Your child is swimming, NOT you
Be supportive of your swimmer and encourage them, whether it is for a good time, having good sportsmanship, or even just for showing up to practice and working hard. We recognize that it may be frustrating if your swimmer is not getting a best time, gets disqualified at a meet, or is not moving up to the next group. Swimming with the proper technique takes a lot of time, practice, and dedication. Just because your swimmer is not getting a best time or moving up in groups does not mean that they are not working hard or not improving. It is okay to allow your swimmer to feel frustrated but please remain positive and encourage them to continue trying their best, going to practice, and listening to their coach.
- Contribute to the team
Do your part and contribute to the team. Fundraising, timing at meets, becoming an official, or becoming a board member are ways that you can support and strengthen the club while letting your child know that you care about their swimming.
- Be supportive
Be excited about your child’s swimming! We ask that you remain positive and supportive about both your child’s swimming performance and the team’s performance. Encourage good sportsmanship and respect amongst the swimmers at all practices, competitions and team functions. Talking negatively about other swimmers, coaches, teams, officials, or volunteers is not tolerated at any time.
- Stay off the pool deck
Unless you have made other arrangements with your coach, please stay off the pool deck during practice times and swim meets. There are many designated seating areas where you can watch from and remaining in these areas will allow your swimmer to more easily focus on the task at hand. Please let our coaches do their jobs and allow them to focus their attention on the swimmers during practice time and at swim meets. If you have questions please discuss them with your coach before or after practice (provided they do not have any other groups at those times). Feel free to contact your coach via email at any time!
6 Don’t bother the officials
Please refrain from disturbing the officials at swim meets as they are very busy and need to focus in order to help keep swim meets running in a timely manner. Discuss any issues that you may have with officials with your coach. Coaches are trained to deal with issues, such as disqualifications and protests, and will do so as needed.
Swimmers Code of Conduct
- Have fun!
Swim for the fun of it and because you enjoy it! Get to know your teammates, take part in team events and bring your team spirit to swim meets!
- Treat others the way you want to be treated
Respect each other. Any form of bullying, harassment or interfering with other swimmers is not tolerated. Talking negatively about other swimmers, coaches, teams, officials, volunteers or other members of the community is not tolerated at any time.
- Be supportive of your teammates, coaches and opponents
Be a positive role model that is encouraging and supportive.
- You represent the club
Wear your club gear at meets to show your team spirit!
- Don’t argue with the officials
Never argue with the officials. Discuss any issues or questions that you may have regarding the officials with your coach. Coaches are trained to deal with issues, such as disqualifications and protests, and will do so as needed.
- Your coach has your best interest at heart
Your coach is there to help you and your teammates achieve your goals. All practices are planned with the intent of helping you to succeed in all areas of swimming. Practices are meant to challenge you and help improve your technique.
- Work hard
Great swimmers are not made overnight. Attend as many practices and swim meets as you can. Come to practice prepared, on time, ready to work hard and with a positive mindset. If you are going to be absent or late please make an effort to notify your coach.
Swim Strokes
Freestyle:
The most common stroke to use during freestyle events is front crawl. However, during freestyle events any stroke, style of stroke, or combination of strokes may be used. At the start and at the turn, any part of the swimmer’s body must touch the wall.
Backstroke:
During backstroke events swimmers start by holding onto the blocks (or wall) and with their toes on the wall (not in the gutter). It is mandatory for swimmers to touch the wall with some part of their body at each turn and at the finish. Swimmers must remain on their backs for the duration of the race and at the end of the race. Swimmers may only turn over to their front in order to immediately initiate a turn or perform one continuous arm pull motion, in order to initiate a flip turn. Upon leaving the wall swimmers must be on their backs.
Breaststroke:
During breaststroke races, swimmers start from the block. After diving in and after each turn, swimmers may do one dolphin kick, one breaststroke pull and one breaststroke kick under the water. The head of the swimmer must break the surface of the water before a second pull is performed. The head of the swimmer must break the flat surface of the water during each stroke, with the exception of the start and the turn. Both sides of the body must remain symmetrical throughout the swim. Whip kick must be done with toes pointed out; no other kick is permitted during breaststroke. At each wall, the hands of the swimmer must simultaneously touch the wall.
Butterfly (fly):
During butterfly races, swimmers start from the block. Swimmers may dolphin kick under the water off of the start and the turns. Swimmers must simultaneously bring their arms forward over the water and backward through the water simultaneously. Swimmers can use dolphin kick or whip kick during butterfly races and may switch from one to the other at will. Flutter kick is not permitted at any point during the race. At each wall, the hands of the swimmer must simultaneously touch the wall.
Individual Medley (IM):
During individual medley races, swimmers do all four of the strokes during one race. Strokes must be done in the following order: BUTTERFLY, BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE, and FREESTYLE. (As four different strokes must be done during IM, front crawl must be done during the freestyle portion of the race.) Swimmers must abide by the rules of the separate strokes during the race.
Race Procedure
Before your race begins:
Swimmers must report to marshalling once their event number has been called. In the marshalling area swimmers will be organized into separate heats. Once it is time for their heat to swim, swimmers in that heat will go to the pool deck, give their names to the timers seated behind their lane, and must then wait behind the timers and recorders until their heat is ready to start. You must give your name to the timers to ensure that you are in the correct heat and lane. Swimmers will then be called to the blocks and directed to take their marks. When all swimmers have taken their marks the buzzer will go off, which signals the start of a race.
False Starts:
Starting in division 1 no false starts are allowed in BCSSA events. If a false start occurs swimmers will still be allowed to swim their race; however, they will be disqualified. There are three types of false starts:
- Introduction of movement after taking their marks.
- Leaving the mark early (jumping in before the buzzer goes off).
- Toes curled into the gutter on a backstroke start.
Disqualifications:
Although they are never planned, disqualifications do happen. Disqualifications are put in place to ensure that no swimmer holds an advantage over their competitors. If your swimmer happens to get disqualified please do not look at it as a negative. Try to view it as a learning experience.
In the Fraser Valley Region, beginning during the first meet, disqualifications are allowed to occur, in both individual events and relays, from Division 1 and up (those in 6 & under events are not eligible to be disqualified at any meet in the Fraser Valley Region). Swimmers tend to be disqualified for not turning properly, not touching the end wall, or for not abiding by the rules of a stroke. You may also be disqualified at a swim meet if you are deemed to be displaying inappropriate behavior.
If your swimmer is disqualified from a race, the event referee will ensure that all reasonable efforts are made to explain the disqualification to the coach of the athlete, within 15 minutes. The swimmer’s coach will then explain the reason for the disqualification to the swimmer. The swimmer’s name will appear on the race results with no time indicated and the initials DQ.
Protests:
Protests will only occur if it is deemed by the coach that a disqualification that occurred is incorrect. A verbal protest will then be made by the coach to the Referee. If the protest is not approved immediately by the referee then a written protest must be submitted to the Referee within thirty minutes of the Referee’s verbal decision. Video evidence is not allowed to be used as grounds for appeal during a disqualification.
Swim Meets
Swim meets are a great experience and we recommend going to as many as you can! They are so much fun and a great way to show your team spirit! It cannot be predicted how fast or slow a swim meet is going to run so you should plan on being there for an entire day.
Registering for Swim Meets
It is the Parent/Guardian’s responsibility to register their swimmer for meets. Our Coaches will ensure you have all the info you need to accomplish this online. When it is time to register for a meet, an email will be sent out with a registration link for each individual meet. You will need to open the link and select whether your swimmer will or will not be attending the meet. If your swimmer will not be attending a meet it is important that you select that they will not be attending the meet so that we can ensure your swimmer has been accounted for.
The registration link is only open for a limited amount, usually, it will be open for 4-7 days. It is your responsibility to sign up for meets on time. Once the registration link closes we will no longer be able to sign your swimmer up for the meet. At most meets there is an option to deck enter if you do not sign your swimmer up on time. However, there is a fee associated with every race that you sign up for via deck entry. The fee varies depending on who is hosting the meet. Deck entry is STRONGLY discouraged so please do your best to sign up for the meets on time.
Types of Meets:
Timed Finals:
Athletes only swim once for a time. The final placing of athletes is determined based on times.
Preliminary Heats and Finals:
In meets that include heats and finals, all athletes swim in the preliminary heats. A specified number of athletes (determined by the host club) will advance to compete in finals where they will have the chance to swim against the fastest swimmers in that event again. When a swimmer scratches from a final event, the top seeded athlete who did not qualify for the final may swim in the lane left vacant.
Divisions
Swimmers are split up based on their division. The division a swimmer is in is based on their birthday. There are a total of eight divisions. Swimmers compete only against those that are in the same division as them. During some meets, the racing order of swimmers will be based on their times up to that point; however, the final results will still be sorted by division.
Here is the link to BCSSA’s website Age Locator for more information on how divisions are split up.
‘O’ Swimmer vs ‘S’ Swimmer:
S swimmer = a swimmer who participates in unlimited organized aquatic activity during the summer season. In the winter season the swimmer does not accumulate more than two hours of organized sport in the water during a calendar week in the winter season (October 1 – April 30).
The category you are in determines the lengths that you do per stroke in races:
O swimmer = a swimmer who participated in organized aquatic activity during the winter season (October 1 – April 30) for more than two hours in a calendar week.
There are three different categories: O-1, O-2, and O-8. Division O-1 is equivalent to Div 1-3. Division O-2 is equivalent to Div 4-6. Division O-8 is equivalent to Div 7-8.
The category you are in determines the lengths that you do per stroke in races:
| 6 & U swimmers are eligible to swim: 25 free, 25 back, 25 breast, and 25 fly |
| Div 1-3 are eligible to swim: 50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, and 100 IM |
| Div 4 are eligible to swim: 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 50 fly, and 200 IM |
| Div 5-7 are eligible to swim: 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 50 fly, 100 fly, and 200 IM |
| O-1 swimmers are eligible to swim: 50 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 100 freestyle, and 100 IM |
| O-2 and O-8 swimmers are eligible to swim: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly, and 200 IM |
Relays:
Relays are a fun and exciting race where you get to swim alongside your friends. A relay team is composed of four swimmers. There are two different types of relays: the Freestyle Relay (where all swimmers swim freestyle) and the Medley Relay (where each swimmer does a different stroke- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle). Registering for a swim meet entitles each swim to be able to compete in relays.
Relay races are typically done after the individual events. It is your responsibility to inform the coach in advance if you are unavailable to take part in the relays. If you do not inform the coach we will assume that you want to/are available to take part in the relays for that day. Our coaches will form relay teams in the morning of each meet day and will inform the teams at the beginning of each meet day, usually during our morning team meeting.
The division of the oldest swimmer on the relay determines which division the relay will be competing in. We will try our best to place swimmers on a relay team corresponding with their division; however, our ability to do this depends on how many swimmers come to swim meets. We try our best to give all swimmers an opportunity to compete on relay teams. If you have any questions about how relay teams are formed please contact the Head Coach.
Fraser Valley Swim Meet Schedule 2025
| Fraser Valley Meets 2025 | |
| Mission | May 24 & 25 |
| Haney | May 31 & June 1 |
| Aldergrove | June 7 & 8 |
| Hope | June 14 & 15 |
| NO MEET | June 21 & 22 |
| Langley | June 28 & 29 |
| Chilliwack | July 5 & 6 |
| Agassiz | July 12 & 13 |
| NO MEET | July 19 & 20 |
| NO MEET | July 26 & 27 |
| Regionals: Abbotsford Hosting | August 1, 2, & 3 |
| Provincials in Prince George | Polo – Aug 12/13/14 |
| Diving – Aug 13/14/15 | |
| Synchro – Aug 14/15 | |
| Swimming – Aug 16/17/18 | |
| *Average Meet = 300 Swimmers | |
What to bring to a Swim Meet
Something to be entertained by: Swim meets can be very long days so make sure that you bring a book, homework, or card games to entertain you when you are not swimming or cheering on your teammates!
Swimsuit
Multiple towels as swimmers will be in and out of the water
ASM swim cap. It is mandatory to wear an ASM swim cap at swim meets. This makes it much easier to spot the swimmers and helps to increase team spirit.
Googles
Snacks. Please make sure that you bring lots of healthy snack options!
Lots of water
Comfortable clothes
Be prepared for the weather:
Sunny: lots of sunscreen and a hat
Rainy: bring warm clothes
A chair or blanket to sit on
Volunteer Bond
We require each family to participate in running the club. This takes volunteer hours which you commit to when you register your child with the club as we are volunteer-run.
Micro – 3 hours Intro – 3 hours Developmental – 3 hours
Junior – 10 hours Seniors -10 hours.
We will be offering volunteer spots that you can sign up for HERE
You can record your hours HERE
There is a $350 volunteer fee if you choose not to participate. This fee will be charged to the card you have on file in the Active Program at the end of the season. Please let us know if you would prefer to pay the $350 and we will remove you from the volunteer requirements.
Volunteering at Swim Meets Is Mandatory
This is expected if you would like your child to swim at meets.
Each club plays a crucial role in our swim meets by providing timers at the poolside. This volunteer position is vital to our events and offers an incredible view, making it the “best seat in the house” for all the action! To facilitate this, there will be a volunteer sign-up sheet distributed before each meet, allowing you to select a timeslot that suits your schedule. Please be aware that if you do not willingly sign up, we will assign you a time.
It’s important to understand that participation in your mandatory volunteer position is necessary for your child to attend the next swim meet. If you choose not to volunteer, your child will be scratched from the next swim meet. We recognize that life can be unpredictable; if you have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Remember, you can also have friends or family step in to fulfill your volunteer shifts if you are unable to commit.
A minimum of two hours of timing volunteering is mandatory, but any additional hours you complete will count toward your required volunteer commitment.
Additionally, we are seeking officials and help at the crash desk on deck. This is a fantastic way to fulfill your recorded volunteer hours without having to take on the mandatory timing role. Your support is vital for our swim community, and we appreciate your involvement!
President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Registrar are exempt from the Volunteer Bond.
Coordinators, Members at large, and the Secretary are exempt from required volunteer hours, except for the mandatory swim meet timing.
Fundraising
It costs more than the fees each swimmer pays to run our Club. To qualify for grants we have to show we are fundraising. Please participate as you are able and interested in a fundraiser, we aim to minimize the number we are doing.
Any other ideas that you’d like to help put into place are welcome!
We are also interested in looking for business and community group sponsors. If you have any contacts or are interested in approaching potential sponsors please let the Club Executive know. We have prepared a Sponsorship/donation letter and can provide it to you.
Team Activities
We will strive to have fun opportunities to get to know each other and have fun together. Please participate in everything you are able to!