Hi Wavemakers!

I hope you all are enjoying this long weekend! Lots of important info here, so please read carefully. Also, if your child is missing a suit (size 22, female suit), please let me know.  BIG CHANGE- our meet will be at Mark Trail on Tuesday.  The Garden Hills' pool pump broke and cannot be fixed in time for the meet, so they asked to have it at our pool.  This is super last minute and I need some help to make this happen.  

First, if anyone is at the pool this weekend, please check the pump room to make sure we have parking signs...and text me (770-289-6626) to let me know.  I thought I had all this week to check on this, but if the past 2 years has taught me anything, it is that we should always be ready to be flexible and adjust, haha!

NEEDED FOR TUESDAY: 

We need volunteers for before/during/after.  Please sign up for the during the meet jobs by going to mtps.swimtopia.com and click on calendar and then job signup. Here is what we need the most (like we can't have the meet unless we get these covered):

1. Place judges - both shifts

2. Ribbons - both shifts

3. Computer person - 2nd shift

4. Bullpen all age groups - 2nd shift

If you can help before, please get to the pool by 4 and I'll direct you with what we need (roping off area for the official, putting up parking signs, moving furniture).  We will need a few dads to remove the diving boards.

I will need help cleaning up after the meet as well...please check in with me after the meet if you can stay for a minute to help.  We will need a few dads to put the diving boards back on.

In this email:

• Schedule
• Practice morning after meets
• Evening Practice info
• Morning vs. Evening Practices
• RSVP Meet 2
• What to expect/bring to a meet
• Team t-shirts
• Swimmer's ear

SCHEDULE

Morning practice times:

8:30-9:30: 7-10 year olds

9:30-10: 6&unders

10-11: 11 and older

Evening practice times at Princeton Square (7476 Princeton Trace NE)

5:30-5:55PM: 6&unders

6-6:40PM: 7-10 year olds

6:45-7:30PM: 11 and older

Week of 5/30

Monday-NO practice-Memorial Day

Tuesday-morning practice at Mark Trail, first meet- now at Mark Trail (see info below) -arrive by 4:15 for warm-ups

Wednesday-morning practice at Mark Trail (see note below about different times), evening practice at Princeton Square

Thursday-morning practice at Mark Trail, evening practice at Princeton Square

Friday- morning practice at Mark Trail

Week of 6/6

Monday-morning practice at Mark Trail, evening practice at Princeton Square

Tuesday-morning practice at Mark Trail, meet- at Mark Trail

Wednesday-morning practice at Mark Trail (10 and younger, 9-10; 11&older 10-11), evening practice at Princeton Square

Thursday-morning practice at Mark Trail, evening practice at Princeton Square

Friday- morning practice at Mark Trail

PRACTICE THE MORNING AFTER A MEET

On Wednesdays after a meet we have “fun” practice. We give out ribbons and donuts, and the kids get free play time. All kids 10 and younger are from 9-10AM and 11&up are 10-11AM, at Mark Trail.

EVENING PRACTICE AT PRINCETON SQUARE

Evening practices will be at Princeton Square (7476 Princeton Trace NE) from now on, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We will NOT have it this Monday due to Memorial Day. Please park only on the same side of the road that the pool is on.

MORNING VS EVENING PRACTICES

A quick note about practices, morning practices are the ones to come to if at all possible. We have more coaches there, more lanes available, starting blocks/kick boards/flags. If you cannot attend morning practices, please come in the evening, but if you can, please come in the morning. And please be on time! Many of you have asked if we teach diving, and we definitely do, but mostly in the mornings as we don’t have the space in the evenings. Thanks!

RSVP FOR MEET

The deadline to RSVP for the 2nd meet is this Tuesday (always 1 week prior). Please make sure to RSVP only if you will NOT be at the meet. Entering kids in a meet is a huge puzzle, and when one piece is taken out, it is very difficult to complete the puzzle…especially when the puzzle is already done. Thanks in advance.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A MEET/WHAT TO BRING

At a normal meet, swimmers are allowed to do a maximum of 4 events, 2 individual and 2 relays. I do my best to get everyone in 4 events at every meet, although sometimes I cannot get 2 relays for everyone if there is an odd number of kids at the meet. The medley relay is the first event (free relay for 6&unders), and then we go through freestyle, backstroke, IM, breast, and fly, and the last event is the free relay. 6&unders are usually done by 7:00ish and all others by 9ish.

I recommend bringing multiple towels to a meet, warm clothes (as it can get cool at night), a water bottle, and everything you need to swim. We do have concessions at every meet as well (usually cash only).

I do not recommend wearing a swim shirt in races. In practice that is totally fine, but it really weighs the swimmer down, so please have your child take it off just for the race (and then they can put it right back on!).

Lastly, we really need all kids to be safe during the meet. We want everyone to have fun, but we also do not want kids to get hurt. We are asking that during meets, swimmers are not playing with other sports equipment (baseball bats, soccer balls, etc.). Thanks!

TEAM T-SHIRTS

Our team t-shirts are in!  We will have them at the meet for pick up.

SWIMMER'S EAR

At this time last year, we had a few swimmers get swimmers' ear, and I want to try to avoid it this year. There are some things you can do to avoid getting swimmer's ear. First, encourage your kids to dry their ears (the outside) when done swimming and tip their heads to the side to drain any water still in their ears. There are drops that you can use to dry up any remaining water as well. There are natural mixtures you can use (just google it) and also drops you can buy at the store.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Coach Julie