FAQ
Listed below are some items of interest to all of our swim teams.
1. Who supplies the labels and ribbons for the ribbons at the meets?
Answer - The home team is responsible for supplying the labels and the ribbons for BOTH teams at each home meet. The League purchases and distributes ribbons to each of the teams, which dues fund. Teams can purchase additional ribbons for the season via the League.
2. How many meets does my child have to compete in for medal-meet qualification?
Answer - 3 meets.
3. My team has an away meet this weekend and I'm not sure of where the pool is. How can I find directions?
Answer - You can use the Google Maps link on this website (Team Locations).
You can always contact your team's League Representatives. Their email addresses are located on the Teams page.
4. How do I contact someone in ESPL?
Answer - Go to the Teams page for key points of contact for each swim team.
5. How does the League manage swim records given the fact that there are varying pool lengths?
Answer - There are currently 8 pools in the East Severna Park Swim League. They have varying lengths (from 20 yards to 27.66 yards), as follows:
Berrywood - 25 yards (4 lanes)
Chartwell - 25 meters (6 lanes)
Chesterfield - 25 meters (6 lanes)
Fair Oaks - 25 meters (4 lanes)
Fairwood - 25 yards (4 lanes)
North Cape Arthur - 25 yards (4 lanes)
Oakleigh Forest - 20 yards (4 lanes)
Whitehurst - 25 yards (4 lanes)
While the computer software attempts to correct for these differences in pool length, the corrections that are applied are only approximate. The League uses conversion factors to adjust the time to 25 yards. The League recognizes the fact that these conversion factors are not 100% accurate. The software system used to run accounts for records management.
Because of these pool differences, the League does not attempt to compare record times from one pool to another - except for the Gold meet. The Gold meet is always held in a 25 Yard pool (Berrywood, Fairwood, North Cape Arthur, or Whitehurst). League records are determined solely via the Gold meet.
There are several types of records within the League, which vary by pool/team.
- Pool records: Pool records are broken when a swimmer swims a race at that specific pool (not all pools have pool records).
- Team records: A team record is when a member of the team swims faster than a former or current member of the team. This can be at a home or away meet.
- League records: League records can only be set at a Gold meet due to the pool length differences and conversion factors used. Typically, the fastest swimmers of the League participate in the Gold meet; this is where records are broken. The League does not govern pool or team records. The Silver and Bronze meets are held at pools with varying lengths and as a result, the League cannot establish true records for these pools.
Pool and team records are maintained by each team.
Note: League records cannot be broken throughout the season because it gives an unfair advantage to those swimmers swimming at a 25 yard pool. Technically, a swimmer swimming a 20-25 yard pool, only has a maximum of 3 chances of breaking a League record. A swimmer from one of the five 25 yard pools has over 3 chances to break a League record. Many times a swimmer has a seed time and does not swim that fast in a race. The League does not go back in history to research a swimmer's fastest times during the season and then award a record breaking award on that merit.
