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Isport - Glossary of swimming Category: Sport and Leisure > Swimming Date & country: 02/12/2013, USA Words: 370

developmental meet
A USA Swimming term for an early-season meet in which all swimmers can compete.

deck entries
Meet entries submitted on the day of a meet. Not all meets allow deck entries.

deck seeding
In deck seeded meets, swimmers are assigned to their heat and lane only after they have reported to a staging area (sometimes called the bull pen) prior to their event.

dehydration
When water leaves the body faster than it can be replenished.

cut
See qualifying time.

cut
See warm-down.

cycle
See repeat(s).

deck
The area surrounding a pool. The deck (or a roped off portion of the deck) is reserved for swimmers, officials, and coaches at the vast majority of USA Swimming meets. In order to access the deck at elite-level competitions even swimmers, coaches and officials must show a valid credential issued by meet organizers.

course
The length of a pool. Long course pools are 50 meters (or occasionally 50 yards), while short course pools are 25 yards or 25 meters. There are two seasons for competitive swimming: long course season and short course season.

crazy stroke
A fun, creative stroke with absolutely no rules. Often incorporated into practice for young swimmers to let them get out their energy and fulfill their need to just splash around.

cruise
See cruise interval.

cruise interval
A practice term used to describe the pace of a lane. An interval which a swimmer can maintain for a long time. Most often heard at Masters workouts.

consolation finals
The next fastest swimmers in an event at a prelims/finals meet will often race in consolation finals. This heat is raced just before the finals (or championship) heat, and, depending on the number of lanes in the pool, is made up of the swimmers who finished 7th through 12th or 9th through 18th in the preliminary races.

Colorado timing
One brand of electronic timing often used at swim meets.

coach
Person responsible for running practices and managing teams. Coaches are responsible for writing workouts, helping swimmers identify and train for specific long-range and short-range goals, and ensuring safety during practices.

code of conduct
Written set of expectations for appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

code of ethics
USA Swimming sometimes asks coaches and swimmers to sign this at certain meets and events, as acknowledgment that they agree to some common sense behaviors.

club records
See team records.

clinic
A meeting of swimmers, officials or coaches for the purpose of education, training, or instruction.

closed competition
A competition or meet that is only open to members of a certain team or league. Most summer league meets are closed competitions.

club
Another common way to refer to a swimming team. USA Swimming clubs are teams that are registered with (and paying dues to) USA Swimming and their LSC.

circle swimming
Swimming down one side of the lane, and back on the other side of the lane. This is the only way to swim safely when there are more than two people in a lane. In most countries, swimmers will go counter-clockwise (that is, always on the right side of the line down the center of the lane).

clerk of the course
An official at swim meets. Responsibilities vary, but can include: making sure all swimmers are in the correct heat/lane prior to their race, seeding all heats, processing scratches, and posting heat/lane assignments.

chlorine
Chemical most pools use to keep the water clean and free of bacteria.

choice
Term used at practice to indicate that the swimmer may choose to swim any of the 4 competition strokes.

circle seeding
A method of seeding preliminary heats in which the fastest swimmers race in the middle of the pool and in separate heats. For example, the three fastest swimmers are typically assigned to swim in lane 4 of the last three heats of an event. Seeding method varies according to the number of lanes in the pool.

check-in
What a swimmer must do when they arrive at a meet to verify with meet officials that they are present. (This is often called a positive check-in at USA Swimming meets.) If swimmers do not check-in at a deck-seeded meet, they will not be able to race. Check-in should be the very first thing swimmers do when they arrive at a meet.

catch-up
A common freestyle drill, in which one hand always remains in front of the head, just under the surface of the water. The left hand does not begin its stroke until the right hand taps it, and vice versa.

championship meet
End-of-season meet. For most championship meets, swimmers must have achieved qualifying times in the events they wish to swim.

carbohydrates
A major energy source for the human body, carbohydrates are essential fuels for any athlete, including swimmers. Foods high in carbohydrates include breads, pastas, rice, cereals, beans and potatoes.

catch
The moment when the hand enters the water and begins to pull the body forward. Also called the anchor or catch point.

catch phase
The first part of the arm stroke, when the hand and arm first catch the water.

button
Part of a computerized, electronic timing system. Every lane has buttons used by timing officials for manual timing of races.

carbo loading
A strategy developed in the late 1960s to increase the amount of glycogen stored in an endurance athlete's muscles on the day of an important race. Although there are now several carbo loading strategies employed by athletes, all involve eating large amounts of carbohydrates (usually pasta) the night before the event. Today, carbo loading is generally only used by athletes competing in events that last more than an hour and a half.

bull pen
USA Swimming's term for the staging area at a meet where swimmers gather to receive their heat and lane assignments. The bull pen is used at a deck-seeded meet.

burn out
Physiological and mental result of a swimmer training too much or taking the sport too seriously. Burnout is often thought of as a mental challenge, but there are physical and physiological attributes of burnout as well.

break out
The moment when a swimmers breaks the surface of the water after pushing off the wall or after their start. Generally refers to the transition from underwater kicking to swimming full strokes.

build
To increase intensity and speed over the course of a swim. Can refer to one repeat or an entire set.

bulkhead
A movable platform used to divide a large pool into two sections. Most commonly used to convert a long course pool into a short course pool.

blue zone
Term used by some coaches to describe a set that is of low aerobic intensity, such as warm-up or warm-down. See also green zone and red zone.

body position
General term that describes how a swimmer floats in the water. Proficient swimmers have learned how to maintain a balanced body position at the surface of the water.

bow waves
The waves that a swimmer pushes ahead of him/her, similar to the waves that come off the bow of a boat.

block(s)
The platform(s) at the end of each lane used to dive from at the start of a race. Blocks come in a variety of shapes and styles, some permanent and some movable. Most have either a horizontal bar or a cutout to use as a handhold on the backstroke start.

bilateral breathing
Breathing to both the left and the right in freestyle. Breathing every 3, 5, or 7 strokes.

beep
The sound that signals the start of a race with an electronic timing system.

base
Also called aerobic base, this refers to the aerobic training done early in the season. Base training usually is characterized by a long period (6 to 12 weeks) of mostly low-intensity (low heart-rate), endurance-building workouts. Base training, as the name indicates, prepares a swimmer's body for the rest of the season's training.

BB
USA Swimming classification for Age Group Swimmers. Time standards for this classification are .01 seconds faster than the B time standard, and .01 seconds slower than the A time standard. See USA Swimming's National Age Group Time Standards chart for current standards in specific events. See also: NAGTS.

backstroke flags
See flags.

backstroke start
Swimmers in a backstroke event begin in the water, with two feet on the wall (toes below the waterline) and holding onto the block. Some pools with gutters will allow younger swimmers to hold the gutter. If the meet uses touch pads, swimmers may be required to use the blocks.

bands
See stretch cords.

backstroke
One of the 4 swimming strokes contested in meets. The primary rule is that swimmers must remain on their back for the entire race, with the exception of the last stroke before a flip turn. Backstroke is the 3rd stroke in the Individual Medley (IM) order, and it is the first leg of the Medley Relay. While the only distances contested at the Olympics are the 100 and 200 meters, swimmers of most ages and levels can compete in the 25 and 50 meters/yards as well.

ASCA
Abbreviation for American Swimming Coaches Association. An organization of swimming coaches that provides certification courses, education, and other services for coaches in the United States. ASCA also hosts an annual conference that is open to coaches from around the world.

ascend(ing)
Type of set where speed becomes slower as the set progresses, and the interval becomes longer.

approved meet
USA Swimming's term for a non-sanctioned meet run in accordance with USA swimming rules. Certain USA Swimming officials must be present. Swimmers who are not USA Swimming members can compete.

anaerobic interval training
Interval training that strengthens the anaerobic system. See anaerobic training.

anaerobic training
Workouts or sets designed to stress/strengthen the body's anaerobic system. This training is characterized by short work intervals (typically less than two minutes) of maximum effort.

anti-doping
The name given to national and international organizations that oversee the fight against doping in sports. These organizations test athletes in and out of competition to ensure they are not using prohibited, performance-enhancing substances. See banned substance.

alternate(s)
At a prelims/finals meet, the swimmer(s) who are next-fastest after the finalists. If a finalist scratches or cannot race, the first alternate will take that swimmer's place. If a second swimmer scratches, the second alternate will be allowed to race. Relays also have alternate slots.

Amplitude kick
The range of motion in the kick that moves in a waveform. This term is most often used in reference to the size of the dolphin kick.

aerobic base
See base.

age group swimming
Aged-based competitive categories for youth racing. USA Swimming's National Age Group categories are: 10&under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. Other age group categories often used are: 8&under, 13&under, Pre-senior, Junior, and Senior.

alternate breathing
See bilateral breathing.

admission
Fee charged for spectator entry into the meet.

adapted swimming
See disability swimming.

adaptive swimming
See disability swimming.

add up
Refers to a relay team's entry time. Created by adding up the times of the four swimmers in their corresponding individual events.

AAAA
The fastest USA Swimming classification for Age Group Swimmers. Time standards for this classification are .01 seconds faster than the AAA time standard. Any swimmer finishing in times faster than this class is nearing National cuts. See USA Swimming's National Age Group Time Standards chart for current standards in specific events. See also: NAGTS.

Achiever Card
A card that proves a swimmers has achieved a certain time in their events. The card shows the swimmer's name, date and location of event, distance, stroke and the swimmer's time. The card must be signed by the meet referee.

AAA
USA Swimming classification for Age Group Swimmers. Time standards for this classification are .01 seconds faster than the AA time standard, and .01 seconds slower than the AAAA time standard. See USA Swimming's National Age Group Time Standards chart for current standards in specific events. See also: NAGTS.

AA
USA Swimming classification for Age Group Swimmers. Time standards for this classification are .01 seconds faster than the A time standard, and .01 seconds slower than the AAA time standard. See USA Swimming's National Age Group Time Standards chart for current standards in specific events. See also: NAGTS.