For all of the swim families who have not yet experienced Team Travel, here is a little information on it. There are only a couple of meets a year that are considered team travel. These meets will be listed on the meet schedule on the WAC website. When permission forms come out, the other way to know if a meet is team travel is that the team surcharge will seem higher than for a local meet. The team surcharge covers the cost of the rental vehicle that your swimmer will travel in with the team, the cost of the hotel room that your swimmer will share with 2-3 other swimmers, and a portion of the coaches’ and chaperone’s costs to attend an out of town meet.

If the meet is team travel, there is at least one chaperone that attends for every ten swimmers. The chaperones are parent volunteers, who have obtained a police clearance. The chaperones are responsible for these swimmers while away from home. Their duties are to ensure that each swimmer is at the meet at the right time, eats healthy meals, and is in bed at an appropriate time to ensure a good meet. This is merely a brief explanation of the chaperone’s duties.

For swimmers who are younger than 13 years of age, team travel is not mandatory. However, it is a great experience for them, and it encourages team spirit. If your swimmer, age 12 or younger, travels with you and stays in your hotel room, you will be asked to pay the team surcharge up front and then your account will be credited for the portion of the vehicle and room costs that your swimmer didn’t use.

For more information on this matter please visit the WAC website at www.windsoraquatic.com . Go to the section entitled Club information, scroll down to the section entitled Parents Handbook and scroll down and read pages 28 – 31 inclusive.