Happy first week of practice. I hope your preseason training is off to a great start. With the start of the new season, there are a number of reminders and information that I want to pass along and bring to your attention.
2019 Rules Meeting: The 2019 Swimming and Diving Rules meeting has been posted since August 5. All head coaches are required to view the meeting and it is recommended that all assistant coaches also view the meeting. It can be viewed by clicking here. Coaches must have the rules meeting completed by Monday, September 9.
2019 Season Information: I have included a number of materials produced by the NFHS to help you with your season. This information can be accessed through the IGHSAU website. Please go to the header “Coaches and Information” When you click on coaches and information, look for the swimming and diving link (which is found under fall sports). When you click on the swimming and diving information (you can click here), you will see important dates and guidelines, 2019 qualifying times and, most importantly, documents and forms. The documents and forms section will have information for the 2019-20 season along with power point charts, rules interpretations, regional meet information and many, many other items. Consider this your “one stop shop” for all things swimming and diving. Please bookmark the page and check it regularly during the season. I will also continue to send email information to coaches during the regular season. If you are a new coach or have an email address that has changed from last season, please send me an update at [email protected].
QuikStats/Varsity Bound: QuikStats/Varsity Bound is now open for schools to update their rosters and schedules. To begin this process, go to www.quikstatsiowa.com. Click on School Login located in the blue header at the top of the webpage. Then near the bottom of the page click Quik Stats Legacy Login. Now you can choose your school and use your schools Quik Stats Password to Login.
After logging in, now click on Girls Swimming and Diving.
Adding a hosted meet
Meet host are responsible for adding all teams that are coming to the meet. Here’s how to add a hosted meet.
- Click on schedule in the upper left
- Add Event
- You should see your school as the host
- In the Event Name field give the event a name
- In the Category field leave it as Regular Season
- Add the date and time
- Choose the location (if the pool your hosting at is not listed, hit save and then go to Venues and add it)
- Add all participating teams
- Click Save
Once you’ve done this the event you just created will now be added to all participating teams. Likewise other meets your meet is part of will be added to your schedule by other meet hosts. ONLY ADD MEETS THAT YOUR SCHOOL IS HOSTING TO YOUR SCHEDULE.
Adding/Editing your Roster
Your roster from last year has been rolled over removing the seniors. Here’s how you edit and add new athletes to the roster.
- Find the Roster heading next to schedule and click Roster
- Click the Edit icon to edit current roster. Here you can make any edit you see fit
- If you have additions go to Roster>Add Athlete
- If the athlete has been in any other sport previously you can search for them. If they are new (Freshman for example) click the + on the add them to the roster
- Add First Name, Last Name and Graduation year and click Add Student
Schools must update QuikStats every week. We will check the QuikStats database every Tuesday. With State Time Standards, all schools that host meets MUST import meet results into QuikStats. The meet results will serve as the verification for swimmers that achieve the time standards during the regular season. State qualifying times will not be recognized unless it is verified on QuikStats.
Qualifying Time Standards: A qualifying standard will be set in each individual swimming event. The time standard will be the average of the 16th place time (the last scoring position) from the last five State Swimming and Diving Meets in each event. Swimmers can qualify for the state meet if this standard is achieved at an official IGHSAU-sanctioned meet in a fully-automatic timed (FAT) yard pool in the regular season. All times must be verified in QuikStats. Times from lead-off legs in relays are eligible as long as the time is a FAT time.
Reporting A State Qualifying Time: I will have a listing of individuals that have reached state standards posted on the IGHSAU website. In addition to posting times to QuikStats, please email me at [email protected] if you have a swimmer that has reached a time standard. I will try to post Twitter updates of athletes reaching state standards at least once a week, if not more.
Important Dates:
Monday, August 12: 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 26: First competition date
Thursday, October 31: Regional Diving
Saturday, November 2: Regional Swimming Meets
November 8: State Diving Meet (Tentative Start: 11:00 a.m.)
State Prelim Meet (Tentative Start: 6:00 p.m.)
November 9: State Swimming Finals (Noon)
DIVING COACHES: The IGHSAU permits 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. 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: 2019 is the off-year for swimming and diving rule books. Please access your 2018 rule books for references. To view 2019-20 rule changes, click 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.
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 2018 season:
Weeks 1-2 (August 26-Sept. 8) - Forward Group
Week 3 (Sept. 9-15) – Back Group
Week 4 (Sept. 26-22) – Inward Group
Week 5 (Sept. 23-29) – Twisting Group
Week 6 (Sept. 30-Oct. 6-) – 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 take place and no points awarded at the following sites:
Atlantic
Des Moines East
Des Moines Hoover
Lewis Central
Newton
Perry
Spencer
Storm Lake
Tipton
Vinton-Shellsburg
At all other schools, diving will take place 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 2019 swimming and diving season.
Jason Eslinger