So sorry - couple of corrections! My mind was in May when looking at the calendar for swim meets. Please see correct swim meet dates below - my apologies! 

Tuesday, May 2th @ HOME (Virtual)

Tuesday, June 1st @ HOME (Riverside)

*Tuesday, June 8th @ AWAY (Huntley Hills)

*Tuesday, June 15th @ AWAY (Mountaire)

Monday, June 21st @ AWAY (Gainesbourgh)

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Hey all!!

We are officially less than a week away from our first practice!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

Below, we have included some calendar & practice changes for our season ahead. These minor changes only affect 9 year olds & up! We knew this season was going to require to a lot flexibility! However, we deeply appreciate your effort to follow our updates (as I’m sure we will have pivot again in the weeks ahead!) We are so grateful for each of you & look forward to seeing you all very soon.

1. UPDATED MEET SCHEDULE & INFORMATION

Tuesday, May 25th @ HOME (Virtual - all parents and swimmers welcome)

This meet will take place during your swimmer’s normal practice times (very close to how we have run time trials in past years!) We plan to have a pizza truck there too if you wish to cater in! More information on this meet to come next week. We ask that only parents and siblings attend home meets - no extended family or friends due COVID. Thanks in advance!

Tuesday, June 1st @ HOME (Riverside - all parents and swimmers welcome)

For this meet, we are going to ask you to arrive between 4-4:20 PM. Swimmers will not be in a bullpen area like years past in light of COVID. Instead, swimmers will be sitting with their parents and report to our “waiting area” when they hear their event/heat called over the loud speakers. If you wish to sit near friends on the deck, that is completely up to you!

We ask that only parents and siblings attend home meets - no extended family or friends due COVID. Thanks in advance! More information on this meet in the next couple of weeks so please don’t stress! We will walk you through everything!

Tuesday, June 8th @ AWAY (Huntley Hills - Meet Type is TBD)

Due to every pool deck and club being a little bit different, we are not sure at this time what all of our opponents will want to do (virtual, hybrid, in person). While we hope to have everyone in person for our last four meets, we will be sure to let you know as their final decisions roll in!

Tuesday, June 15th @ AWAY (Mountaire - Meet Type is mostly likely in person but TBD)

Monday, June 21st @ AWAY (Gainesbourgh - Meet Type is TBD)

Swim Meet Volunteers: While we are sure there will be opportunities to volunteer, we are not 100% sure what these opportunities will be week to week. Be on the lookout for an email about volunteering from Mary Dodd in the next two weeks for our first two meets! Once again, thank you so much for your flexibility & patience as we navigate these “new waters” together.

2. UPDATED PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Please note the majority of practice changes will only affect 9 year olds & up! These changes are very minor - only shifting most practice times by fifteen minutes. Thanks again for going with the flow on this one! One last reminder - we do not need to know if your child will be absent from practices. We only need to know if they will be absent from swim meets. Each week we will send out a reminder to send in your absences for meets.

AFTERNOON PRACTICE SCHEDULE
*Monday, May 10th - Thursday, June 3rd
*There will be Friday practices on May 14th and May 21st
*No Friday Practice on Friday, May 28th & No practice Monday, May 31st (Memorial Day)

4:00 - 4:30 Junior Sharks Feeder Team (M, W, TH)

4:30 - 5:00 6&Unders

5:00 - 5:30 7&8s

5:30 - 6:15 9&10s

6:00 - 7:00 11-14s

7:00 - 7:45 15&Ups (Two to Three Lanes)

MORNING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
*Friday, June 4th to Thursday, June 24th
*No more afternoon practices; there will be morning practices before swim meets!

8:30 - 9:00: 6&Unders

9:00 - 9:30: 7&8s

9:30 - 10:15: 9&10s

10:00 - 11:00: 11&12s and 13&14s

11:00 - 11:45: 15&Ups (Two to Three lanes)

11:00 - 11:30: Junior Sharks Feeder Team (Shallow End - M, W, TH)

3. TBD/Most Likely Dates

*Game Day will most likely take place Tuesday, June 22nd (9-10 AM)

*Picture Day will most likely take place Wednesday, June 23rd - no practice will be held that day

*End of Season Party will most likely take place Thursday, June 24th (4:30 - 7:30)

*ASA Championship All-Star Meet will most likely take place Friday, June 25th

4. Swim Practice Reminders & Information

Please do not forget to buy your swimmer’s goggles, flippers and kickboard before Monday’s practice!! We will use them daily so it’s important swimmers bring them every single time!! (Comparison - bringing a helmet, bat and glove to baseball practice!) Side note - we highly recommend the speedo three pack goggles from Costco for 8&Unders! Costco for the win!

What to Expect on the First Day of Practice: Introductions, Rules, Procedures, a little bit of fun and little bit of swimming!

What to Expect throughout the First Week: We will mostly be focusing on technique while increasing the number of laps each day. We will start out slow and build our way up! Many of our teammates haven't been practicing in the water since 2019! Therefore, our number one goal the first week is to establish a safe, fun environment where the kids are comfortable and are excited to come to practice every day. Please know practices will increase in difficulty over the course of the season as our team builds stamina. If you have a child who swims on a year round team and is under 10 years old, it may be a good idea to have them participate in two age groups' practices for an extended challenge during the beginning of the season.

What To Bring:

• Goggles (and an extra pair if you have them!)
• Kickboard (write their first/last name on it in sharpie)
• Flippers (write their first/last name on both fins in sharpie)
• Towel (or two!)
• Boys: Jammer Swim Suit for boys (swim trunks work but will slow them down & make swimming laps less fun for them)
• Girls: One piece swim suit (tighter so it does not take on water) and pony tail to pull back hair
• Older Kids: Swim Cap and Water Bottle (younger kids can bring these too!)
• Payment for swim team if you haven't already mailed or sent in your check!

5. Final Note

As soon as we receive finalized information from the ASA Swimming League, we will know more about the last week of practice! Until then, our “most likely” dates listed above will be our road map. As I said before, we are so thankful for each of you and your “can-do” attitude! Our number one goal is to make sure your kids have the best summer between our fences. No matter the practice or meet schedule or possible changes to come - fun is our number one goal & we are doing everything we can to make it happen.

Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Sincerely,

Coach Laney