FAQ



Upcoming Events:
Registration and Spirit Clothing Sale* - Briarcliff School Lobby

  • Saturday, March 29 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
    (Team suit fittings this date only)

  • Saturday, April 12 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
*Please note that all Spirit Clothing must be ordered at registration;
Additional orders are not taken once the order is submitted in April.

Please click here for the latest newsletter
of the 2008 Swim and Dive season

2008 * Welcome to our Fifty-Third Season * 2008
Tradition Pride Excellence

Swimming:

Introducing our new head coach…The MLSA Board is pleased to announce Matt Elko as our new head swim coach. Matt, a Denville native, comes to us from George Mason University where he graduated in December of 2007 with a degree in physical education. Matt has extensive coaching experience, having worked with a variety of swim teams as well as swim camps (including the National Distance Camp in Colorado and the Auburn University Swim Camp). He has experience coaching swimmers of all ages, from beginners to senior National Swimmers, and teams of all sizes. He is looking forward to continuing the Mountain Lakes tradition of excellence in summer swimming and continuing to build the program for year’s to come.

Stroke Technique - Fun - Team Unity

Stroke technique continues to be the cornerstone of our approach to creating competent and confident swimmers. Speed will follow. Great swim teams are composed of swimmers proficient in all four main strokes (fly, free, back, breast) and Individual Medley (IM). Although some athletes will prefer one or more over others, our team will possess depth when our swimmers can swim all stokes well.

Fun is needed for success at all levels of sport. The keys to success through Fun are:

  • sacrificing in practice with your teammates;
  • learning and improving together;
  • encouraging others;
  • sharing time as part of a team;
  • participating in the team’s success.
Team unity builds character and confidence in the athletes and the team. Once forged, these qualities of champions cannot be broken.

Diving:

The MLSA is pleased to welcome Brooke Ficara back for her second season as Coach of the diving program. Brooke, a senior at MLHS, has done a great job for us in the past and we look forward to another successful year.

The focus of our Diving program is on front, back, and inward dives. Additional dives are taught upon mastery of these.


Practice Schedule:

After School Swim Practice Schedule:
(Monday, June 16th through Friday, June 20th)
3:30 - 5:00 pm for all swimmers ‘13 and over’, and those under age 13 who have passed the Borough Beach Test

Regular Season M-F Practice Schedule:
(Begins Monday, June 23rd for Swimming and Diving)

Swimming: 11 and overs  10:00 am - 12:00 noon*
                   9 / 10s             12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
                   8 and unders   1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
* ‘11 and over’ swimmers who have morning commitments are welcome to practice from 12:30 – 2:00.

Diving:     Open coaching   11:00 am - 1:30 pm


Introduction to Competitive Swimming ‘Clinic’: This program is for children 5 years and over who have a background in swimming and a strong desire to become a member of the summer swim team. Once children master the necessary skills to pass the borough beach test, they will be encouraged to join the swim team for the remainder of the season.

First two weeks      9:00 - 10:00 at the Mountain Lakes Club
Second two weeks  2:00 - 3:00 at the Birchwood Lake
Meet Schedule :
(Divers participate in Hub Lakes League; Swimmers in Hub Lakes and Lakeland Leagues.)

  • Hub Lakes Diving League
    5 Thursday evening meets
    Warm-ups 6:00 pm; Meets start 6:30 pm
  • Hub Lakes Swimming League
    6 Monday evening dual meets
    Warm-ups 6:00 pm; Meets start 6:45 pm. Compete in three strokes and IM.
  • Lakeland Swimming League
    6 Wednesday evening dual meets
    Warm-ups 6:00 pm; Meets start 7:00 pm. Compete in four strokes.

Championship Meet Dates:
(Full Schedule of Meets and Social Activities on Team Calendar)

  • Diving Championship
    Saturday, July 26
  • Hub Lakes Swim Conference Championship @ Indian Lake
    Friday evening, August 1 (400s only, timed finals)
    Saturday, August 2 Prelims. for all other events
    Sunday, August 3 Finals and Parade of Champions
  • Lakeland Swim Conference ‘A’ Championship @ Pequannock
    Saturday, August 9 (Rain date Sunday, August 10)
    Timed finals. Qualifying times apply. Early A.M. warm-up.

Weekend Swim Meets:
Both leagues sponsor specialty meets to provide varied opportunities. While these often are called ‘invitationals’, no invitation is necessary!

  • Sunday, June 29 Rock Ridge Relay Meet Tentative warm-up time 12:00 noon; meet projected to be 1:00 – 4:00 pm.

  • Saturday, July 12 Odd Age Invitational: Swimmers swim all four strokes in age groups: 7 and under, 8/9, 10/11, 12/13, 14/15, and 16/over. High point team trophy. Individual medals and ribbons. Family relays. Early A.M. warm-up.

  • Saturday, July 19 Mountain Lakes (Hub) and Pequannock (Lakeland) ‘12 and Under’ Age Group Invitationals: Swimmers swim all four strokes with others of the same age only. Trophy for high point girl and boy of each age. Early A.M. warm-up.

Essential Gear:
(Remember your Mountain Lakes Beach Tags which can be purchased at Borough Hall or pre-season by mail. You will not be permitted to practice without one!)

Bring to Workouts: Beach tag and test badge; water bottle labeled with last name; practice suit and shirt; goggles (dark or mirrored more comfortable in bright sun); swim cap; towels; and fins (required for 11 and overs optional for 9/10s)

Bring to Evening Meets: team suit, cap, and t-shirt; ball-point pen in zip lock bag; goggles (preferably clear for better night vision); water bottle; towels; warm clothes; and footwear to protect feet on beaches; Beach tag and test badge for home meets

Bring to Day Meets: same as evening meets, plus: additional food and drink; sunscreen; dark or mirrored goggles; games and seating; Beach tag and test badge for home meets

Dependable Volunteers and Communication of Vacation Absences:

Parent Volunteers Run Our Meets:
We are proud of our tradition of running efficient and enjoyable swimming and diving meets. To continue this tradition, it is essential that parents of all swimmers and divers fulfill their meet volunteer assignments. Volunteers will sign up at the June Parent Meeting. A volunteer schedule of dates and tasks for weeknight meets will be distributed in mid-June. It is your duty to organize a replacement in advance if you are unable to fulfill an assignment. Parents will also be required to volunteer at weekend swimming invitational meets. Those sign-ups will generally be handled during the week prior to the meet. Aside from ensuring the best views, volunteering fosters team spirit among parents, and between parents and swimmers!

Good Communication with Coaches allows them to plan the best meets:
Did you know that there are a maximum number of swimmers whom coaches can enter in scoring lanes at each weeknight meet? Did you know that the swim team pays an entry fee for each swimmer, for each event, at all weekend invitationals?

At the start of the season, vacation schedules will be requested from all swimmers. To provide the best opportunities to swimmers and divers, and to eliminate unnecessary costs to our team, it is important to communicate additional absences to the coaching staff within 2 days of the meet. Various means will be provided to do so.

Social Traditions
(Refer to team calendar for dates and times)

  • Wine and Cheese Party for Parents and Coaches to kick off the season
  • Rafting for 11 and over swimmers and divers
  • Pizza nights
  • Diving Awards’ Ceremony and Ice Cream Social following final Thursday evening meet
  • Family Pasta Party to kickoff Hub Lakes Swim Championship Weekend
  • Special Activity for 10 and under swimmers and divers
  • Team Fun Night on Birchwood Beach
  • Swimming Awards’ Ceremony and Ice Social following Lakeland ‘A’ Championship

Enjoy a summer of fun, fitness, and friendship !




* Borough Swim Test @ Birchwood Lake *

All children, until age 13, must pass the swim test in order to:

1.      Swim in deep water (generally, over a child’s head)

2.     Use rafts, kick boards, etc., even in shallow water

3.      Use the diving boards

4.      Swim in the lanes

5.      Swim on the swim team, or dive on the diving team

6.      When 10 or older, come to the beach alone.

Swim test procedure:

These are general guidelines for your reference. The swim test administrator will describe the test to the children when they are on the beach, so the procedures are clear and fresh in their minds.

A.      A child must swim the front crawl, starting at the long dock parallel to the beach, to the far perimeter rope. This must be accomplished with rotary breathing, and without stopping.

B.      Once the child reaches the perimeter rope, he/she must turn over and head back to the starting point, using the back crawl.

C.      Halfway back, the child will be instructed to stop and tread water for up to one minute.

D.      When the lifeguard signals, the child must resume swimming the back crawl to return to the starting point.

Upon successful completion, a swim badge will be given to the child to be worn on the bathing suit.

It is imperative that our children have good water safety skills. Our lakes do not afford the clarity of a pool.
There are many areas in which to swim, and most of these involve deep water.
Please support this swim test procedure and the lifeguards on duty.

 The Board welcomes you to another season of fun, good sportsmanship, competition, and team spirit. Working together, we seek to provide a wholesome and rewarding summer experience for your family.

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