Best wishes to everyone as the 2017 season begins. Below are a couple of items to review. 2017 Season Information: Updates during the regular season will be placed on the IGHSAU website and also on Twitter. It is recommended that coaches and administrators check the swimming section every day on the website. COACHES: Many swim-related items can be found by going to the home page of our website (www.ighsau.org) and clicking on the “Coaches” link at the top right of the page. Scroll down to “swimming and diving” and you wlll find rule updates and points of emphasis, memos, QuikStats instructions, Dive verification forms, etc. 2017 Swimming and Diving Rules Meeting: The 2017 rules meeting is now available to view on the IGHSAU website. You can view it by clicking here. Head coaches and all swimming and diving officials are required to view the meeting. Assistant coaches are also encouraged to view the meeting. The deadline to view the meeting is Tuesday, September 5.2017 Important DatesMonday, August 7: First Practice Date (Note: The IGHSAU does not have a policy that prohibits two-a-day practices. Practice times and lengths are determined at the local level.) Monday, August 21: First competition date Thursday, October 26: Regional Diving Saturday, October 28: Regional Swimming Meets November 3-4: State Diving (Nov. 3) and State Swimming Meet (Nov. 4), Marshalltown DIVING COACHES: The IGHSAU will permit diving coaches to work with all of the divers from the schools they have been hired to coach simultaneously. Diving coaches will not need to have separate diving practices for each school. Please note that is for diving only. I am interested in knowing how many schools do share a diving coach. Please e-mail me if your school shares a diving coach. Season Limitations: A swimmer/diver is allowed to participate in 12 meets against varsity competition during a season, but shall never be charged with more than one meet on a calendar day. If the athlete swims junior varsity and varsity on the same day they are charged with one meet. Schools can host diving-only meets in order for divers to participate in 12 meets. Concussion Reminder: ALL coaches must view the online concussion video, “Concussion in Sports: What You Need to Know” before the first day of practice. Please see your AD if you or your coaching staff have not yet viewed the video. NFHS Rule Book: 2017 is the skip year for swimming and diving rule books. Please refer to your 2016 rule book for rule clarifications. Rule changes for the 2017 season can be viewed by clicking here. 11-Dive Meets: 11-dive meets are allowed at dual meets. The host school must contact and have mutual consent from the opposing school prior to the date of the meet. The host school is also responsible for contacting officials prior to the dual meet. Hosting Regional Swimming and Diving Meets: Schools interested in hosting regional swimming and diving need to fill out the site availability form that is part of the IGHSAU online forms. NOTE TO SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN HOSTING: The IGHSAU will give precedence to facilities that have eight lane pools, but we cannot guarantee that all regions will compete in eight-lane pools every year. QuikStats: QuikStats must be updated every week. Schools must have meet results updated by the end of the day every Tuesday during the regular season. QuikStats will be used as verification for regional seed times. Failure to have statistics updated every week will result in sanctions against your school. Officials Registration: Officials, please be sure you are registered as a girls official for the 2017 season. A reminder – officials must also pass the swimming exam (located on the IHSAA website) AND a 20 question diving quiz (located in the Officials’ Central Hub section in the IGHSAU website.) IF YOU DO NOT PLAN ON OFFICIATING ANY DIVING, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE THE DIVING EXAM. However, please be sure the meets you are assigned to work do not have diving competitions. Officials working only as girls swimming and diving officials must contact Sherry Tegtmeier at the IGHSAU to receive both tests. Officials Uniforms: Officials working girls regional and state swimming and diving meets will be required to wear a white shirt with khaki pants. The white shirt and khakis are not required during the regular season, however, if two or more officials are working, they need to wear the same uniform. Officials may wear the all-white uniforms during the regular season. Rule 9-4-6 Rotating Dive Schedule: In an effort to reflect the needs of developing divers, the rotating dive schedule has expanded to allow two weeks for the first group of forward dives. This is the dive schedule for the 2016 season: Weeks 1-2 (August 21-Sept. 3) - Forward Group Week 3 (Sept. 4-10) – Back Group Week 4 (Sept. 11-17) – Inward Group Week 5 (Sept. 18-24) – Twisting Group Week 6 (Sept. 25-Oct. 1) – Reverse Group At the end of the sixth week, roll back to the forward group in week 7, the back group in week 8, etc. Diving Reminders: The Iowa Department of Health made a ruling that diving boards may be replaced on pools with water depth of 10-12 feet. However, the replacement of a complete diving stand will not be permitted unless the water depth is 12 feet. This would be a violation of Iowa Code (641 IAC Chapter 15). Iowa Administrative Code does not allow the following sites to replace the diving stand due to having less than 12 feet of water. Therefore, diving will not be held and no points awarded at the following sites: Des Moines East Des Moines Hoover Des Moines North Lewis Central Newton Perry Spencer Storm Lake Tipton Vinton-Shellsburg At all other schools, diving will be held and points will be scored accordingly. If the diving situation has changed at your school, please contact the IGHSAU immediately. REMINDER: The schools listed above may still have diving competitions if the competition is held at a site that has the required water depth. I am only a phone call or e-mail away. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions during the season. Best wishes to everyone on a successful 2017 swimming and diving season. Jason Eslinger Assistant Director/Swimming & Diving Administrator