Welcome to the Breakers Swim Team!

If you're new to competitive swimming, you may quickly discover that swimming has its own language, equipment, rules and traditions.

25s, 50s, 100s, IM, DQs, splits, heats, scratches... What does it all mean?!

Don't worry. You don't need to know everything on day one.

This guide is here to help new swimmers and parents understand what to expect as your swimmer begins their competitive swimming journey with Breakers.

Our goal is simple: help swimmers become confident, hardworking and respectful athletes while having fun along the way.

• Starting Competitive Swimming
• Swim Equipment
• Swim Practices
• Swim Lingo
• Swim Meets
• Phones & Photography
• Parent Expectations​​​​​​​

Starting Competitive Swimming

When your swimmer first joins Breakers, the biggest adjustment is often not the swimming itself, it's learning how competitive swimming works.

Your swimmer will gradually learn how to:

• Train as part of a team
• Follow a coach's instructions
• Use the pace clock
• Read a swim set
• Circle swim
• Share a lane
• Use equipment properly
• Prepare for a swim meet
• Race against the clock
• Handle both good and challenging races
• Be a supportive teammate

At first, your swimmer may not understand everything the coach says.

That's completely normal.

Swimming has a lot of terminology, routines and expectations that become second nature with time and experience.​​​​​​

What Swim Equipment does my Swimmer Need?

You don't need to buy everything on day one.

Your swimmer will gradually build their swim bag as they progress through the program. Start with the basics and add equipment as their coach introduces it.

What's in a Swimmer's Swim Bag?

A well-stocked swim bag can look like a small sporting-goods store! As swimmers progress, a typical competition swim bag may include:

Click here for a more detailed List

Parent Tip: Label Everything!

Swim meets can have dozens, sometimes hundreds, of swimmers carrying very similar equipment.

A Sharpie and a few labels can save you from losing half your child's swim gear.

What Does a Typical Practice Look Like?

A swim practice usually has several parts. The exact workout will vary depending on the swimmer's program and the coach's goals.

Warm-Up

Swimmers begin by getting their bodies moving and preparing for the workout.

Drill

Swimmers work on specific parts of a stroke, such as:

• Catch
• Body position
• Breathing
• Kick
• Arm recovery
• Turns

Main Set

This is usually the major part of the workout.

The coach may give swimmers a specific number of distances, times and rest periods.

For example:

8 × 100 Freestyle @ 2:00

This means:

• Swim 100 metres
• Repeat it 8 times
• Leave every 2 minutes

Cool Down

Swimmers finish with easier swimming to help bring their heart rate down and recover.

Learning to Read a Swim Set

You'll quickly notice that coaches communicate workouts using numbers and abbreviations.

For example:

4 × 100 Freestyle @ 2:00

This means:

• Swim 100 metres
• Freestyle
• Repeat it 4 times
• Start each 100 on a 2-minute interval

Don't worry if this looks like another language at first. Your swimmer will learn how to read swim sets as they become more experienced.

Competitive Swimming Slang

This is where things can get confusing!

Click here for a list of common terms you'll hear around the pool and swim meets

What Is a DQ?

A DQ means a swimmer has broken one of the rules of the race.

Don't panic!

DQ's are part of learning competitive swimming. Even experienced swimmers occasionally get disqualified.

The important thing is to learn from it and move on.

New to Swim Meets?

Your first swim meet can feel like a lot to take in. From understanding events and heat sheets to knowing what to pack, where your swimmer needs to be and what to expect on race day, we've got you covered.

Head to our Swim Meet Guide for everything you need to know to feel prepared and confident at your first Breakers meet.

Swim Meet Guide

Growing Independence - Let Them Learn

One of the biggest things we want swimmers to develop is independence.

As swimmers get older, we expect them to gradually take responsibility for:

• Packing their swim bag
• Remembering their equipment
• Knowing their events
• Getting to the marshal area
• Listening to coaches
• Keeping track of their belongings
• Getting ready for races
• Understanding their race schedule

Parents can help — but they don't have to do everything for them.

Let them learn.

Sometimes watching your child forget something is painful.

But watching them eventually become completely independent is pretty awesome.

Phones & Photography

Swimmers should follow the facility and team rules regarding phones and photography.

At Pryde Aquatic & Wellness Centre, swimmers should not use cell phones on deck. Phones should remain safely stored in a bag or pocket.

Photography and video should only take place where permitted by the facility and applicable Swim Ontario and club policies.

When in doubt, ask a coach.

What We Expect From Breakers Parents

We ask our families to help create a positive team culture.

We expect parents to:

• Support their swimmer
• Respect coaches
• Respect officials
• Respect other families
• Follow facility rules
• Volunteer when possible
• Encourage sportsmanship
• Communicate concerns appropriately
• Help their swimmer develop independence

Our swimmers watch what the adults around them do.

Be the example.

The Most Important Thing

Your swimmer will have amazing races.

They will also have terrible races.

They will get PBs.

They will get DQs.

They will win.

They will lose.

They will sometimes leave the pool absolutely thrilled.

And sometimes they will leave wondering why they swim at all.

That's competitive sport.

Our job as coaches, parents and teammates is to help them keep learning, keep improving and keep enjoying the process.

Swimming teaches much more than swimming.

It teaches:

Discipline.
Resilience.
Confidence.
Independence.
Goal setting.
Teamwork.
How to handle success.
How to handle disappointment.

And, occasionally, how to find one missing black swim cap in a bag containing approximately 47 identical black swim caps.

Welcome to the Breakers Family.

Whether your swimmer is just starting their competitive swimming journey or eventually finds themselves racing at provincials, nationals or beyond, we're excited to have them on the team.

If you're ever confused by something at practice or a swim meet, ask!

Every experienced swim parent was once the person standing on the pool deck wondering:

“What exactly is a 4 × 100 IM, and why does my kid need three towels?”

You'll get there.

Welcome to the Breakers!