Team Uniform Policy
Mandatory Uniform Requirements for Practice
Regardless of the program, all MSSAC swimmers are expected to come to practice with the following: bathing suit (aka practice suit), goggles and official MSSAC swim cap. Each swimmer will be provided with one MSSAC cap and t-shirt at the beginning of the season. Your coach will provide a list of required training equipment (e.g., pull buoys, fins, paddles, etc.). Practice suits and training equipment may be purchased anywhere you choose.
Official Supplier
Our team wear provider is Team Aquatic Supplies (TAS)(www.team-aquatic.com). Their address is 4155 Fairview St., Burlington, ON L7L 2A4. Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Saturday 10:00am - 3:00pm. A series of three on-site visits by TAS will be arranged each swim season. When on-site sales are held, payment can be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), debit card or cash. No cheques please. Practice suits and training equipment will be available as well.
When we order as a group, we receive a discount of 35% off of swim suits, track suits & parkas with a reduction of approximately 25% off of equipment. We suggest that you plan ahead and order with the team to receive the best price possible.
Updated Regulations from Swim Ontario and FINA
Both organizations have introduced new regulations regarding suits worn in competition. Swim Ontario's position was announced in the spring and pertains to swimmers age 14 and under and is effective September 1, 2009. FINA, the international regulatory body, issued similar regulations in July that apply to ALL competitive swimmers and takes effect January 1, 2010. Consequently, some of the expensive high performance suits are no longer allowed in meets. If you're not sure if the suit is allowed, please check with your coach, and we suggest that you bring a back-up suit that definitely complies with the new rules as a contingency.
Highlights of the changes are:
- For men, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel nor below the knee.
- For women, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below knee.
- Furthermore, no zippers or other fastening system is allowed.
- The swimmer can only wear one swimsuit and no taping is allowed.
For details, please refer to the bulletins posted on Swim Ontario's website.
On-site sales at UTM
On-site sales visits are planned at key points during the year (season kick-off when order volumes are high, in January prior to short course championships and in April, prior to long course championships. The sales sessions for 2009-2010 are as follows:
| Date | Time | Location |
| October 3, 2009 | 8:00am to 2:30pm | UTM, lobby |
| January 2010 | TBD | UTM, lobby |
| March 27, 2010 during Swim-a-Thon) | 7:30am to 11:00am | UTM, lobby |
Mandatory Uniform Requirements at Competitions
Provided below is an outline of the uniform requirements per group.
|
Program |
BLUE Competition Suit |
MSSAC
Cap |
BLACK High Perf. Suit |
Hooded Sweat Shirt |
T-shirt |
Shorts |
Track Suit |
Blue
Back Pack |
Parka |
|
Wave 3 |
M |
M |
NA |
O |
M |
M |
O |
O |
O |
|
Bronze III |
M |
M |
NA |
O |
M |
M |
O |
O |
O |
|
Silver III |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
M |
O |
O |
O |
|
Bronze II |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
|
Silver II |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
|
Gold II |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
|
Bronze I |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
|
Silver I |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
|
Gold I |
M |
M |
O ≥C+ |
O |
M |
O |
M |
M |
O |
Additional Details
-
Wave 3, Bronze III and Gold III may purchase a track suit in lieu of or in addition to shorts. In other words, if you buy the track suit, you don’t have to purchase shorts.
-
MSSAC t-shirts and silicone MSSAC caps were provided to each swimmer at the group kick-off meetings. We recommend that you keep a spare cap on hand as they do wear out. Caps are available in either silicone or latex, the former being the most popular.
-
There are two options for blue competition suits: Polyester Endurance or Lycra Aquablade.
You must have one of these suits for meets as practice suits (e.g., flower patterns) are not permitted at meets.
-
You must be a regional qualifier (Swim Ontario ‘C’ time or higher) to purchase a high performance suit. Your coach will let you know what meets are appropriate to wear these suits.
-
Track suits, hooded sweat shirts, backpacks and coats will be embroidered with the swimmer’s name and club logo. All of these items are supplied in the Club’s royal blue. These items cannot be returned or exchanged. Please note that backpacks must be in the Club's colour, royal blue. Other colours such as pink, orange and green are not permitted on deck at meets.
-
You must purchase team wear from Team Aquatics Supplies.
Interim Sales
Team Aquatics and MSSAC recognize that you may require items between on-site sales sessions and that you may not always be able to make it to their store. As a result, TAS has appointed a team representative for MSSAC who can take orders via email. Our TAS representative is Sandie Sehn and her email address is sandie@team-aquatic.com. You may email requests to Sandie, and please note the following: Ensure that you request includes the product description and size. If you’re unsure please visit the TAS website at www.team-aquatic.com You must provide your swim group, swimmer’s name, your name and your DAYTIME phone number. Sandie will contact you to confirm your credit card information, so having the correct phone number is key. Keep in mind that any items that are embroidered cannot be returned or exchanged, so the onus is on you, the buyer, to ensure that you are selecting the correct size. Sandie will group orders and make delivery to UTM approximately twice a month and the date and time will be provided to you when your order arrives. UTM is our home pool and will continue to be our Mississauga uniform exchange location. Any orders that are not picked-up at UTM will be delivered to the Club Office.
Equipment Bags (with MSSAC Logo)
We have a supply of equipment bags leftover from our previous supplier. If you would like to order one, please email the details to Susanne. The amount due will be invoiced to your account & delivery/pick-up will be arranged. The price (including tax) is $19.21.
MSSAC T-Shirts & Caps
T-shirts and caps are provided to each swimmer at the beginning of the season as part of the group kick-off meetings. If you did not receive your cap & t-shirt, please contact Susanne.
Silicone caps can be ordered via Susanne. You can either pick-up the cap at the Club Office or Susanne can mail it to you (posted fees will be charged to your account). We will also have caps available at our on-site sales sessions at UTM. The price (including tax) is $10.45.
Questions
- If you have a question about a specific product (e.g., sizing information for high performance suits, warranty information), please email our team uniform coordinator, Sandie Sehn or call Team Aquatics at 1-905-632-2590 or 1-888-259-7946, extension 102.
- If you don't know what training equipment is required, please contact your Coach.
- If you have questions about the Club's team wear policy, please email our Head Coach
You are welcome to visit the TAS store in Burlington any time. When you order individually through their store you will receive discount of $25% off of swim suits & track suits and 10% off of practice equipment. Please ensure that you tell the TAS staff that you're from Mississauga Swimming.
Sizing Tips
Many newcomers assume that a swim suit should allow room from growth. Actually, it's best that the suit fit snugly and be aware that the fabric will stretch a bit in the water. A loose fitting suit isn't comfortable and will create a dragging sensation during races. The suit is too loose when:
- For girls suits, you can pull the shoulder straps up the swimmer's ears
- For girls suits, the based on the straps in the centre of the back can be pulled out more than 1 inch
- For boys jammers, watch for bagginess around the knees and waste.
High performance suits must be tight and are usually purchased one-to-two sizes smaller than the practice suits. Don't be surprised if your swimmer is asked if they can breathe ok!
Remember: Rinse swim suits in cold water after each use and lay flat to dry.
Fins are generally fins are fitted one size smaller than the shoe size.
Goggles: TAS offers tips on how to fit
goggles.
Please click
here for more information. It's best not to guess, so if
you are re-ordering goggles that you have used before, that's fine,
but if your swimmer has never tried them on, please do so before
placing an order.