Parent Handbook 2007-2008

Parent Commitment -- Parent Obligations

Thank you for being part of the BAC Family. We welcome all your help as we work together to ensure the smooth running of our club for the benefit of all our swimmers. As you can appreciate, we need to be fiscally responsible in order to ensure that we maintain our coaching standards, our pool, as well as minimize fee increases across swimming groups. Please read this document and sign and return page 3 along with your first fee installment payment before October 1st. More detailed information can be found in the Parent Handbook or in the "Parents' Section" of the BAC website www.berkeleyaquatic.org .

[Click here] to download a complete copy of the 2007-2008 Parent Commitment,
including the section to sign and return.

BAC's and BSA's Parent Obligations are split into five key areas:

1. Fees
2. Points
3. Fundraising
4. Away Meet timing
5. Dual Meet Work

Once your child is enrolled in a BAC swimming group, you are responsible for the total annual fees, points and fundraising for that group, even if your child does not complete the program or changes training groups. Membership fees are prorated if a child moves up a group but not if they move down.

NOTE to TYM parents only: Your obligations are different. You are responsible for the following; fees for each ten week segment in which your child participates, USA Swimming registration for your swimmer(s) and a meet entry fee escrow account. While you do not have Point or Fundraising requirements you are required to volunteer at Dual Meets and help with Away Meet Timing.

A. Fees

These are billed at the beginning of the season. There are two types of club fees- membership fees and meet fees. There is al so an annual USA Swimming registration fee for each swimmer of $50.

*Our swimmers compete in meets which charge fees per each event entered. A meet entry fee escrow account is established for each swimmer to cover the costs of these fees. Fees will be deducted from your escrow for each event that your child is entered in. When your escrow falls too low, you will be billed to bring the account up to the above listed amounts.

Billing cycles:

•  TYM is billed on a 10 week cycle, if your child drops out you will not be billed for additional cycles.

•  All other groups are billed for the full 12 months payable in two payments, 60% in September and the remaining 40% in January. After October 1, if your child drops out of the program or changes training groups you are still responsible for the entire fees of the original program. If your child joins part-way through the season, your fees will be pro-rated by the month. If your child is promoted to a higher level program part-way through the season, you will be billed for the additional fees, pro-rated by the month.

•  If your child joins the club after October 1: If your child joins part-way through the season, your fees, points and fundraising will be pro-rated from the month you join.

•  If your child leaves the club or changes groups after October 1: You are responsible for all fees, points and fundraising obligations. If your child is promoted to a higher level program, you will be billed the additional fees and responsible for increases in points & fundraising, pro-rated by month.

•  If your swimmer is transferring to another club : You must meet all financial obligations as well as pay for outstanding points and fundraising obligations before you will be released from BAC in order to swim at the other club. Once your financial obligations have been settled, any remaining meet escrow money will be returned to you. If you plan to work to fulfill your point obligation, a signed "points earning plan" will be sufficient to affect your release. Details on how points are prorated can be found in the BAC Handbook and under the Parents' Section of the BAC website (www.berkeleyaquatic.org).

•  A $200 nonrefundable deposit is billed each summer to hold each swimmer's place for the fall. This amount is then applied to your first bill for membership fees. TYM's are not billed this $200.

B. Points

All families with children participating in the BAC team program are required to assist in the running of the club.  A point-dollar system is used to promote participation in Club related jobs and Major Meet related jobs. Unearned points will be billed at a rate of $240 per point for the 2007-08 season. There are plenty of opportunities to earn points and no one has ever had to pay for points when they wanted to work. We prefer your time, not your money, when it comes to job volunteering. We will work with you to help you find ways to meet your point obligations. Please contact any board member or your age group rep if you need help meeting your obligation.

The following point requirements are per family, not per swimmer. You are required to satisfy the point allocation associated with the highest swim group your family member(s) participate in. (If you have a Senior and a Blues swimmer, your point requirement is that of your Senior swimmer).

*If you have signed up for a Major Meet job and fail to report to that session, without prior communication with the team leader, a $100 fee will be assessed. Contact numbers will be provided in case of an emergency.

Major meets are the 3 USA Swimming sanctioned swim meets run by Berkeley Aquatic Club at Rutgers University: Burgdorff Invitational in Januar y, New Jersey Short Course Junior Olympics in March and the Memorial Day Invitational in May . These meets provide significant income to the club. Even if your swimmer(s) are not eligible to participate in these meets, you still have an obligation to work at them to earn your "Major Meet Points."

C. Fundraising

All families (with the exception of TYM's) are required to participate in fundraising. Families who have Junior or Senior swimmers must raise a minimum of $400 per year. Families that have swimmers on Streaks, Snappers, or Blues developmental teams are required to raise at least $175 per year. The fund raising requirements are calculated per family, not per swimmer. Your requirement is equal to your highest requirement for any family member.

D. Away Meet Timing

All parents have an obligation to time at away meets, i.e. meets sponsored by other clubs. This is an expectation amongst all swim clubs in New Jersey and we try to make this easier for our members by awarding1/4 point for each session timed, which counts towards your club point commitment.

E. Dual Meet Work

Coaches will notify swimmers if they are assigned to a Dual Meet team; Red, White or Green. Those swimmers are expected to participate in as many of the dual meets for their team as possible. High School Blues swimmers who swim on their high school teams will be exempt if they clear their obligation with Tristan Formon, the head age group coach. Parents of swimmers assigned to (on) Dual Meet teams are expected to work at least one Dual Meet, either home or away, whether or not their swimmer(s) participate. You will earn a ¼ point for each additional dual meet for which you volunteer, once you have fulfilled your one meet requirement. Families of non-assigned swimmers can also receive 1/4 point for any dual meet they work.