Congratulations Dolphins!
Hanarry West finished 8^th at the Gwinnett County Swim League Championship meet at Georgia Tech this past weekend. This is the first time in a long time – 20 years – the Dolphins have placed in the top 10. The top 30 finishers in each event earn points for their teams (see the attached list for our top 30). And the Dolphins had TWO County Champions: Emersyn Olojo in the 7-8 girls backstroke and Grant Fennell in the 9-10 boys breaststroke. These are just a few of the highlights from the weekend. Results are available in SwimTopia and should be posted to the league site this week.

During the County Meet, our team was also awarded the Margaret Gilbert Award for Best Team Sportsmanship in our division this season! Voted on by leaders from other teams, this is the first time the Dolphins have received this award. The award recognizes teams that create fun and encouraging atmospheres in the midst of competition. Everyone involved with the Dolphins should feel proud – our swimmers and our coaches who compete alongside visiting teams; our leadership team in all areas: computer, concessions, starters, etc., who work to create a welcoming environment; and our parents who volunteer alongside visiting parents in so many roles and help to make sure the meet runs smoothly, which includes everything from herding kids to emptying trash cans.

More information and photos from the Championship Meet are on our team Facebook Group: HW Dolphins Swim Team

Thank You
A huge, heartfelt thank you to Coach Eric Brown and Assistant Coach Ethan Kruger. They worked tirelessly throughout the season and ALL weekend at the County Meet to help our kids become better swimmers, do their best in competition, have fun and create an encouraging team atmosphere. We heard endless good things about our Junior Coaches and Assistant Coaches this season – how much our swimmers loved them and how well they led the team.

And thank you to all our parents for their time and energy and enthusiasm for the team. Summer swim is unlike any other sport – it requires parent involvement to function. Again and again, parents stepped in when we said the team needed something – everything from kickboards to extra hands at setup. You all are part of that 8^th place finish and a huge part of the Sportsmanship Award. And, all the Dolphin families make this such a wonderful summer community to be a part of.

End of the Season Parent Survey
Please help your leadership team (who are very tired but also thrilled about the season) begin planning for next year! Our end of the season survey will be available through the end of the week – until July 15. We would really appreciate your feedback. So far less than half of our families have submitted responses. The survey is anonymous, but if you have specific items you’d like us to follow up with you on, please provide your email.

2024 Tentative Dates
We know spring and summer schedules get planned early, so here are TENTATIVE dates for next season. Most of these are based on what the league decides, so they can of course change.

Registration opens for HW returning swimmers: Monday, March 4
Practice begins: Monday, May 13
Swim meets: May 23, May 30, June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27
County Championship: July 12-14

50^th Anniversary
Next season is the team’s 50^th Anniversary and the leadership team is already planning ways to celebrate. You might start getting information from the team a little earlier than normal. Not only are we looking at fun ways to celebrate, but also fundraisers – to help prepare the team for the next 50 years.

A few items that the team needs for next season – and that will hopefully last us for decades into the future:

Second shed: If you’ve helped with setup or breakdown for meets – or concessions or special events – you know the team shed requires a master puzzle builder’s skills to get everything to fit. Plus, it doesn’t fit all our items – leadership team members are using space in their attics, basements and even cars (during the season) to store team items.

New blocks: We’ve heard a rumor that the HW Club is planning to get the pool resurfaced during the offseason, which means we’ll need to evaluate if our blocks will work for the new surface. We’ve begun pricing new ones and found a local builder who will do them for us at cost. The new ones will also be similar to the ones used at the County Meet and year-round swim programs.

Backstroke flags: One of our flags broke at the end of the season, and we have already started researching replacement costs. If anyone has expert sewing skills, we might be able to repair them. If not, we’ll be in the market for new ones.