Good Evening People of The Pool,

First, a Happy Father's Day to all who celebrate. Kids, grab your dad a cold refreshing drink and tell him you actually like watching golf with him today. Now we can move on to our first full week of swim team is upon us. There is plenty to get through so I won't waste any time:

Meet Etiquette

Thank you to all of those who helped with the meet on Friday and made sure we got our Blue-Gold time trials meet in. It was long, but all your work was appreciated. I look forward to seeing many new faces on deck this week. With two meets this week I wanted to go over a few small things to make sure we are set up for a great season:

Meet Sign Ups - I am very stern on swimmers who enter meets and then do not show up. We are a very large team and the coaching staff works very hard to provide as many swim opportunities for our swimmers as possible. Any no-show is a spot that could have been taken by another swimmer. Please be sure you are sure to swim if you sign up.

Team Area - Please impress upon your swimmer the importance of keeping our team area clean. When we are at home, our swimmers should be sure to respect the beautiful new digs we had to wait through a whole summer for. When we are away, the way we leave our area is a direct reflection on our club wherever we happen to find ourselves. Our team area on Friday evening was not in a condition that was acceptable and I would like to thank those who stuck around to help clean up afterward. 

Quiet for the start! - We have a very large squad this year and that means a lot of people around the pool. Please be aware of meet even when your swimmer is not up. When you hear the whistle try to bring the conversation level down so that all our swimmers can hear the starter and get off to good clean starts. 

Spectator Areas vs. Team Areas - During meets (especially at Army Navy) the only adults on deck should be coaches and volunteers. Parents should remain off deck and in the spectator areas. This helps the coaches in getting the team area under control and making sure all swimmers get where they need to be. This will not always be the case. For example, this Thursday at Bethesda there really is no separation between spectating and team areas, so we ask that you use your best judgement as to when to approach your swimmer or the coaches while the meet is running. 

Leaving The Meet - Our meets do run long and it is okay for little ones to leave before the end in order to make it to bed time. We would obviously love to have all swimmers stay for the end of meets and the social time afterward. If you are planning to take your swimmer home before the end of the meet please make sure that they are not entered in any other events (including relays) and that your swimmer speaks to a coach about leaving prior to exiting the team area. This will ensure that we do not have any holes when it comes time for the free relays at the end of the meet

Regular Practice Schedule Starts

We will begin our regular practice schedule this week (yes, including practice tomorrow on Juneteenth). Here is the full schedule from now through the end of the season:

Monday-Thursday

8:30-10:00AM -- 13&Over practice (11-12 year-round club swimmers should also join)

10:00-11:00AM -- 9-12 year old practice (8&U swimmers who are legal in all four strokes should join)

11:00-11:45AM -- 8&Under practice

Mondays and Wednesdays

4:00-5:00PM -- Afternoon practice option for camp/summer school swimmers

Fridays

8:45-10:00AM -- Fun Friday Practice for all Swim Team members followed by Fun Friday Activity from 10-11AM

Please try to bring your swimmer at the correct practice time so that they are receiving the best possible coaching and training. Our team is very large and while it may be more convenient to have your swimmer at a different time than listed above, that is not what is going to be best for your swimmer or the team at large. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out or ask Coach Ian.

'A' Swim Meet vs. Congressional CC

Tuesday, June 20th -- Warm Ups: 5:15PM, Meet Start: 6:10PM, Theme: 80's/Neon

This will be our first meet and first 'A' meet of the season. Congressional managed to edge us out in our dual meet last year before we avenged them at Champs, but everyone should come in ready to race and start the season off with a win. 

All swimmers who have been marked as attending will be entered in at least freestyle. The lineup will be finalized and posted by tomorrow afternoon. Swimmers should arrive at 5PM ready to get in the water for warm up at 5:15PM.  There will be a buffet following the meet. Please sign up here: Congressional Meet Buffet

The theme will be 80's night. Raid your parents' closets for the leg warmers and shoulder pads or if high school bad boy is more your vibe, bring back the popped collar polo.

Bethesda Meet Entry Deadline

The entry deadline for Thursday's Bethesda meet will be Tuesday night at the conclusion of the Congressional meet so that the coaches can turn around the lineup to be ready for Wednesday. 

'A' Swim Meet @ Bethesda CC

Thursday, June 22nd -- Warm Up: 5:30PM, 6:00PM Start, Theme: Tropical

*We are still in need of 4 timers for this meet. Please log in and sign up so that we can fill our volunteer positions prior to the meet.*

This will be our first away meet of the season. Please plan accordingly and make sure to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of our warm up time. Bethesda is a 6-lane pool so this meet may be a little bit longer than, but Bethesda has maybe the nicest pool bar setup (after us of course) so hopefully everyone will be able to keep themselves occupied as we swim into the night. In addition to beverage service there will be a buffet available to swimmers and parents starting halfway through the meet. We will pass along details when Bethesda lets us know any on that front.

For the theme we will be channeling the island life with a tropical motif. Grab your grass skirts and best Hawaiian shirts and show up ready to bring the beach to Bethesda!

Friday Is Picture Day!

In place of our Friday practice we will be taking our team picture. With so many people to organize, please have your swimmer on deck well before the picture so that we can get them lined up and on to the fun as quickly as possible. Here is the schedule of events:

8:45AM -- Jr Team Photo

9:15AM -- Swim Team Photo

Additional Information from our proprietor:

Great American Photo is pleased to have the opportunity to provide portraits for our swim and dive team this year. Team members are not required to pay for any pictures before they are taken. All members will be photographed individually or in sibling groups. Families will be able to review proofs through an online portrait gallery before selecting which photos to purchase. Parents can choose multiple images to create a customized package. You can purchase an 8 x 10 as a single item, or a Memorymate with a team and individual photo together. Your child’s team photos are something that you will enjoy for years to come. The photo day experience will be an enjoyable one for everyone and we look forward to a great day.

Following the photos we will head up to the Dive Inn Deck for some treats and cap decorating. Make sure your swimmer brings their Army Navy cap to decorate for the season. Decorating materials will be provided.

Kenwood Meet Entry Deadline

Please have your swimmer marked as Attending or Not Attending for next Tuesday's 'A' meet vs. Kenwood by the end of day on Friday. 

We are looking forward to a great week. After Friday night the ball is officially rolling down hill...very fast. So try to keep up!

From the Deck,

Coach Ian