2018 Preseason Swimming and Diving Memo
The 2018 Swimming and Diving season is upon us. This year begins what I hope is an exciting new era of girls swimming and diving in Iowa with the introduction of a prelim/final state meet and having state-qualifying standards during the regular season. I am excited about these changes and I hope you are as well. Here are some items to help you gear up for the season.
2018 Season Information: The IGHSAU revamped its website last March, so things may look a little different if you haven’t been on our site since last season. To help you navigate things, I recommend you start at our home page (www.ighsau.org). Looking at the top of home page, there is a black tab that says “Coaches and Administrators”. When you click on this, all of the IGHSAU sports are listed with swimming listed in the fall. Click on swimming and diving. This takes you to the Season Information page that lists important dates and at the bottom of the page there is a section that says documents and forms. All memos, manuals and forms will be posted in the documents and forms section. Please try to check this page daily. I will continue to send out emails to coaches on a regular basis as well. If you have any questions or can’t find what you are looking for, please contact me.
2018 Swimming and Diving Rules Meeting: The 2018 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 10, 2018.
Important Dates:
Monday, August 6: 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 20: First competition date
Thursday, October 25: Regional Diving
Saturday, October 27: Regional Swimming Meets
November 2: State Preliminary Swim Meet (5:30 p.m.)
November 3: State Diving Meet (9:00 a.m.); State Swimming Finals (4:00 p.m.)
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: Coaches should receive new rule books for the 2018 season. Rule changes for the 2018 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: The QuikStats database for the 2018 season is scheduled to be open Monday, August 6. Schools must enter their entire schedule along with updating the 2018 swimming and diving roster.
Schools must update QuikStats every week. We will check the QuikStats database every Tuesday. With the new 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 can be verified on QuikStats.
State Meet Time Standards: Information on the new time standards can be viewed by clicking here. More information regarding the 2018 Prelim/Final meet will be forthcoming.
Officials Registration: Officials, please be sure you are registered as a girls’ official for the 2018 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 2018 season:
Weeks 1-2 (August 20-Sept. 2) - Forward Group
Week 3 (Sept. 3-9) – Back Group
Week 4 (Sept. 10-16) – Inward Group
Week 5 (Sept. 17-23) – Twisting Group
Week 6 (Sept. 24-3-) – 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:
Atlantic
Des Moines East
Des Moines Hoover
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 2018 swimming and diving season.
Jason Eslinger Assistant Director/Swimming & Diving Administrator