Happy Sunday Hammerheads!

WHAT A WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!! So good to be back with you all again. And happy last week of school to so many of our swimmers! We know you are as excited as we are to jump into summer festivities. We hope this first week was a great one for all! As we head into Week #2, we've got lots of information for you. Please read over our weekly update below. As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

1. Schedule for Week #2
2. Update on Fin/Bathing suit orders
3. How to send in absences for swim meets!
4. First swim meet
5. Volunteer sign-ups open tomorrow at 6 PM!
6. First Time Trials on Thursday (No dinner)
7. Schedule for Week #3
8. PICTURE DAY on Wednesday
9. Thank you to our sponsors!

1. Schedule for Week #2

Monday: Afternoon practices as normal
Tuesday: Afternoon practices as normal/No junior shark practice
Wednesday: Picture Day beginning at 4PM/Group picture beginning at 5PM
Thursday: First Time Trials (practice schedule as normal)
Friday: NO Friday afternoon practices for the rest of the season

2. Update on Fin/Bathing suit orders

We are still awaiting the arrival on some of the fins/bathing suit orders. We appreciate your patience with these orders as it is completely out of our control. The company we are using is used by lots of teams in our league. However, we understand what a pain has been this year (for some reason) and are taking notes for next year. We're always trying to streamline the experience (pun intended)! 

3. How to send in absences for swim meets!

YOU MUST SEND IN ABSENCES FOR SWIM MEETS ONLY! We do not need to know you are coming - we only need to know if you are NOT coming to a swim meet. This is very important as we are planning our first meet this upcoming Thursday night (last day of school). ALL ABSENCES FOR OUR FIRST MEET ARE DUE BY THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT MAY 22ND! You can also go ahead and include the other absences you may have for the rest of the season.

Here is how to report swim meet absences:
1. Create email with the subject line saying the LAST NAME of your family.
Example: The Fry Family
2. For the text, please list the dates and swimmers who will be absent.
Example: These swimmers will be absent on the following days....
Wednesday, May 29th - Johnny and Robert
Tuesday, June 4 - Kelly
Tuesday, June 11 - Johnny
Tuesday, June 18 - Robert and Kelly
Monday, June 24 - Johnny
** Feel free to copy and paste these dates into the email.
3. Address the email to [email protected] and hit SEND!

4. First swim meet

Date: Wednesday, May 29th
Where: Riverside Pool
Arrival Time: 4:15 PM
Meet Start Time: 5:30 PM
**More information to come on this in Weekly Update #3

5. Volunteer sign-ups open tomorrow at 6 PM!
Mary Dodd will be sending out the sign-up genius tomorrow at 6PM for volunteer sign-ups and details. All families are required to volunteer or they will subject to $250 fine. Doesn't mean to sound harsh - we can just literally not do this without your help! Families with junior sharks only are exempt due to not participating in swim meets. If you have a junior shark and swimmer on regular swim team, you are required to meet the minimum volunteer requirements. Thank you so much for your support and help - we are so grateful!

6. First Time Trials on Thursday (No dinner)

First time trials are this Thursday. Swimmers do not need fins for this practice - but they do need goggles (and swim caps - if you have one). This practice is SUPER important as we will be timing each swimmer in their strokes to help us plan the upcoming meet. Without these times, we can't plan/strategize for the meet. Please make sure all swimmers are on time and ready to go! :)

In the past, we have done time trial dinners where we sell food at the pool for families to eat after practice. Unfortunately, we will not be holding these dinners this season. If you're interested in running/planning these dinners in the future as a volunteer position for the team, please reach out!

7. Schedule for Week #3

Monday 5/27: No practice - Memorial Day
Tuesday 5/28: First Morning Practice of the Season // Afternoon practice as normal // Junior Sharks DO have practice on this day (5/28)
Wednesday 5/29: No morning practice // Swim Meet @ Riverside Pool in the afternoon
Thursday 5/30: Game Day in the morning starting at 10AM for EVERYONE at the same time // Time Trials in the afternoon
Friday 5/31: Friday morning practice // No afternoon practice

8. PICTURE DAY on Wednesday
Picture Day is this upcoming Wednesday (5/22) starting at 4PM. Individual photos will begin at 4PM. Team picture will start at 5PM. Additional overflow for individual pictures will resume after the team photo. After the team photo, there will be no practice! All families may leave after the team photo. When you arrive, our photo company (CLIX!) will have table with samples and forms. You will take the form to them when you take your individual photos. The forms will not be needed during the team photo.

9. Thank you to our sponsors!
A special thank you to our amazing sponsors: Shep Lawrence from Allstate, Roxanne Ponds Photography, Northwest Exterminating (Bryan Nau), Clix! Photography, and EDGE (Rick Duerr)! We are so lucky to have you be a part of our Hammond Hills community. Your donations and resources go towards making our pool a safe, fun, happy place and we are so grateful! If you see them around the pool, please be sure give them a shoutout! 

As always, we are here to make this summer league experience the best one yet. Our motto is "if it's not fun, we'll fix it" so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything! We appreciate you all beyond words and are so honored to coach your kids. Hammond Hills is our home and it's made undeniably incredible because of each and every one of you. Thank you for making our jobs the best jobs ever!

Sincerely and gratefully,

Your 2019 HH Swim Coaching Staff

Laney, Ian, James, Kateleigh, Alyssa
Olivia, Nina, Kate, Griffin, and Andy