Dear Swim Parent,

I would like to welcome you to the 2026 swim season! We are glad to have your family as part of the team. The Swimming Indians have a rich history spanning nearly 50 years. We regularly compete at a high level within the Southern Illinois Swim League, and won our league championship last season! That said, we welcome swimmers of all abilities and backgrounds - as long as they can already swim freestyle. We have a great coaching staff, led by Coach Ike Minton, who will support your swimmer and help them improve other strokes throughout the season.

Please review this packet in its entirety, but I will call out a few quick pieces of information up front:

●Team website: dqsind.swimtopia.com Please become acquainted with this site. This is where you will RSVP for meets, pay for invite fees, see meet results, and get up-to-date team information.

●Practice times:

○Swimmers 9-12 years old: Monday - Friday 8:45 - 9:30

○Swimmers 8 and under: Monday - Friday 9:30 - 10:15

○Swimmers 13-18 years old: Monday - Friday 10:15 - 11:30

○Afternoon practice (Open to all swimmers): Monday & Wednesday 3:00 - 4:00

○(Swimmers are required to attend 3 practices per week to attend meets)

●Fundraising: We strive to keep our registration fees low to make swimming as accessible as possible. That said, we supplement our swimmer fees with sponsorships, an annual fundraiser, and concession sales. Your participation is vitally important to maintain our equipment and retain our coaches. This year we will again raffle off a side of beef from Heartland Longhorns!

●Parent Involvement: Running our team is an all-hands endeavor. We cannot have a meet without workers. You will be asked to help fill some of our jobs at meets. If you’re new to the team, don’t be intimidated - being poolside gives you the best seat in the house!

●Questions: If you have any questions or concerns at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or another member of the board. You can find all of our information toward the end of this packet.

Good luck to all swimmers - we look forward to a fun and exciting 2026 season!

Jeremey Helmer, Board President

GENERAL INFORMATION

Mission Statement

The goal of the Du Quoin Swimming Indians is to give all eligible swimmers the opportunity to swim competitively, to achieve their own personal goals as swimmers, and to participate positively as a member of the team. It is hoped that by doing so, each swimmer will benefit in matters of pride, confidence, sportsmanship and health. Finally, it is desired that the members of the Du Quoin Swimming Indians accomplish all of their endeavors in a manner that will reflect positively on the community of Du Quoin.

Parent’s Corner

Worker information for each meet will be emailed to you the day before the meet. It will also be available online or in the SwimTopia App. We will also send out emails and text messages periodically with information that you will want to know. Make sure we have your email address and cell number(s).

Fundraisers

We raise funds through our annual fundraiser and concession sales. This year, we’ll ask two things of you: 1) each family will have a small number of raffle tickets for our beef raffle to sell. We’ll communicate more information on this, but please make best effort to sell those tickets. 2) We also ask for a donation to our concession stand. Please contribute if you are able.

Sponsors

Sponsorships are the lifeline of our Swim Team. Each year we seek sponsorships of all amounts from area businesses, churches, and families. Sponsor requests were mailed to the Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce businesses as well as some former donors. We have enclosed a sponsor form in this packet. If you or someone you know (grandparents, friends, etc.) might be interested in helping us with the cost of our annual swim efforts, please let us know. We Thank You!! For more information on Sponsorships, contact Tiffanie Beard (618) 694-7735.

Team Pictures

We will be taking a Team Picture and for interested persons you may also purchase individual picture packages of your swimmer. This is a wonderful opportunity to get pictures of your favorite swimmer. Information on time and place will be available later.   

SWIMMING INFORMATION

Swim Suits

If you don’t want to purchase the team suit, you must purchase a plain black suit. The boys wear jammers, tight suits that come down to just above the knees. Traditional Speedos are not necessary. Suit fittings and purchase will be available at the in-person sign ups. We also have a team store set up at Swim Outlet. You can access our team store by going to swimoutlet.com/collections/dqsind.

Practice Schedule

Please remember that all swimmers need to arrive 15 minutes before entering the pool for proper stretches. Swimmers are required to attend at least 3 practices per week in order to swim in that week’s meets. The practice schedule will be finalized after registration. General practice times are 9 a.m.-10 a.m. for swimmers 10 and under, and 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. for swimmers 11 and up. We have traditionally offered a couple of afternoon practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m. for swimmers unable to attend a morning practice or swimmers who desire additional practice.

Records

Under the supervision of the Swimming Indian Board and the Team Scorer, records will be kept for all SISL events. As of 2024 and beyond, the DQ Swim Team will follow SISL record guidelines, and record-breaking swimmers must have three times to set a DQ and/or SISL record. Swimmers should work with their coaches and meet referee to ensure their times are appropriately recorded when attempting to break a record.

AWARDS & END OF SEASON CELEBRATION

The following Awards are given out to the team each year:

NEW TEAM RECORDS: Certificate for any swimmer breaking a team record during the season

PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATE: To all swimmers up to and including those entering 8th grade Du Quoin DIST. 300 

SCHOOL RECOGNITION: Awarded to swimmers entering grades 9-12 based on the school’s criteria located in the team by-laws

Other awards are given at the coaches’ discretion.

Registration Tip:

If there is another adult that will be working a meet for your child, then please add them as an extra parent/guardian when you are filling out your online registration form. 

The registration fee and the pool pass are both required to swim on the Du Quoin Swim Team. The registration price includes the swim team registration fee and pool pass fee.