This season the Hanarry West Swim Team has 29 6 & under swimmers registered! This is exciting for the future of the team and encouraging that so many kids want to try the sport.

Because this is a larger number than normal for the Dolphins, we’ve adjusted our practices and number of coaches this season. We’ve hired more coaches – ones that will specifically work with the 6 & under swimmers all season long. And we’ve reserved a practice time that is just for our team’s youngest swimmers.

First practice:

In order to help our coaches learn the names of these 29 swimmers quickly and gauge each swimmer's skill level, we are going to divide into two groups for ONLY the first two practices. This is ONLY for 6 & unders – all other age groups come both days.

Monday, May 8 – Swimmers with last names A-L attend practice

Tuesday, May 9 – Swimmer with last names M-Z attend practice

*If you need to switch days, that is okay. Just reply to this email and let us know.

** The driveway to the pool is being repaved this week and will not be available early next week for vehicle use. You may want to plan to arrive earlier than normal to have time to park along the street and walk the driveway to the pool.

What to bring:

Our website lists some basic information about swim team, including what to bring and wear to practice. The first few weeks can be chilly, so make sure your swimmer has something warm to put on afterwards. “Dryland warmups” are stretches and exercises swimmers do with coaches before getting in the water – for the first few weeks, please have your swimmer wear athletic shoes with their swimsuit.

Refunds:

The coaches will continually monitor swimmer's progress through the first week of practice. If a swimmer is not making progress towards swimming independently, we will offer a refund after the first week of practice. We hope all the 6 & unders are ready to be part of the team, but also understand some swimmers may need one more summer of swim lessons before doing swim team. Several of our coaches will be offering private, individual lessons once school is out.

Guppy Swim:

Not all 6 & under swimmers are ready to swim in a meet – swim a length of the pool on their own in a race. Some swimmers might go through the whole season without swimming in a meet. Others might be ready toward the end of the season. Young swimmers who might not be ready to swim an official race can swim with the assistance of a coach in an event known as a the Guppy (or Bubble) Swim. It’s usually held at the start of Fun Friday.

Fun Friday:

All swimmers are invited to participate in the team’s Fun Friday, which occurs at 10 a.m. on the morning after a swim meet. Swimmers will receive a sweet treat and play games with teammates. Some games will be designed for the whole team to do together – with older kids helping younger kids. Other games will be divided by ages, with the younger swimmers having their own space to play/swim. There is not a lifeguard present at Fun Fridays, so parents with younger or newer swimmers should keep an eye on their children in the pool.

Baby pool closed:
All baby pools throughout the league are closed during practices. The team’s insurance, provided through Gwinnett County Swim League, only covers team members in the lap pool. This rule is standard for summer swim teams in the county. Please remind your swimmers of this rule and keep them out of the baby pool – it’s a distraction for coaches to constantly remind kids. The team has acquired a water table for toddler siblings to use during practice – we hope this helps parents of little ones.

Facebook Group:

If you haven’t had a chance, please join the team’s Facebook Group – HW Dolphins Swim Team. It’s a good way to connect with other families and learn more about the team.