Please read through ALL INFO.
1) OUR FIRST MEET IS TOMORROW. This means a lot of things, including:
a) morning practice is still on! Show up for last minute meet prep and tips.
b) the pool will close at 3PM for set up.
c) the team should show up by 4:15PM.
-please park in the grass, PERPENDICULARLY, as to maximize space. Please allow the standard parking spots to be for our guest swim team, Broadway.
-use a permanent marker to write your swimmer numbers on the upper right arm, vertically (or on the back of the R hand if swim shirts are worn). Bring chairs, caps, goggles, food, drinks, etc... please see the list on the website for more information on how to prepare.
-on the back of the left hand, please write their event numbers (also in permanent marker).
-use the swimmingly app to see which events we have signed your swimmers up for. PLEASE NOTE: if there is a problem, these are all easily changed. We want everyone to be successful, in their own individual space. We will work to care for every swimmer during the meet. Please encourage your swimmers to give it a shot and do their best! My favorite part about swimming is tracking individual growth and progress. Participating in the meet is part of that growth! Tomorrow's goal: JUST FINISH!
d) The meet begins at 6PM. Junior Dolphins will swim at 5:35PM (while Broadway is warming up). Each will receive a ribbon for swimming across the shallow end of the pool!
f) The meet will end around 8:15-30PM, at which time, we will host night swimming and a post meet pizza party (cost is $5 per person up to $20, and can be paid by venmo or cash). The club will have the bar open as per usual. Alcohol cannot be consumed until the last Broadway swimmer is off the deck.
d) Meet Volunteers. we cannot run a meet without people signing up. In the past, I have had time to hunt people down to volunteer for the meets, etc.. I simply cannot do that anymore, and so I will just be sending texts out every hour tomorrow until the volunteer spaces are filled! Sign up here, please: (copy and paste the link if clicking does not work):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094eafa623a6fc1-meet2
2) Swimsuits: if you ordered swimsuits or goggles from the store, they arrived at my house in one box! I am working on obtaining a packing list to know what belongs to who, but it would help if you can arrive knowing that information. I will do my best to text people with confirmations tomorrow (as I cannot be at AM practice due to my work schedule).
3) Heads up: we are a VERY small team this year with approximately 60 swimmers total (for perspective, pre covid we had 130). For example, Broadway has 160. This means a few things:
a) every family will have to serve at every single meet, sometimes in multiple roles at the same meet! Between small numbers, siblings and vacations, it will difficult to fill the roles required to make a meet happen. Please know that serving the team is one of those things that feels annoying when you have to sign up, but is fulfilling upon completion.
b) our chances of winning this season are almost non-existen given our size. Please remind to your swimmers that this is as much an individual sport as it is a team sport. Every swimmer has the chance to do his or her best, every time. Encouragement can come from shifting focus to individual growth instead of the overall team win. Our goal has ALWAYS been for our swimmers to get what they desire out of summer win; to gain confidence; to meet friends; to connect to the club; to build strength, endurance, fitness; and to develop life long swimming skills.
4) Going forward, there is a large list of things that need to be assumed by other volunteers in order to exist this year. Amy & I are simply at capacity in our individual lives, and need many people to step up to help run this team for this year. I will save the list for a post meet communication, but I want to be clear and steadfast in communicating that I can no longer run this team alone. This coming season, I will personally be out of town for 3 of the next 5 weeks, which means that everything from meet director position to end of season celebration will require the help of the team to execute.
Hilary :-)
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