First meet week!

You’ll receive several emails this week: all packed with information. They are the primary way that we communicate with our 80+ families, so we encourage you to read them to the end. This one is a long one & full of information!

Monday Emails: Team Managers send an email with information specific to this week’s meet and other reminders & info.

Tuesday/Wednesday Email: This email comes from Head Coach Eric Brown and will include the week’s heat sheet (he’ll send the heat sheet as soon as it’s ready; sometimes that depends on the other team) and meet-specific information.

Thursday Email: This meet-day email has final reminders for the evening’s big event and any day-of changes or information.

Volunteer Time & Skills
Every season the team benefits from the time and skills of parent volunteers. It’s one reason we have a thriving community and full team. Here are two recent examples:

Concessions Coordinator Scott Shackelford has stepped into this big, time-consuming volunteer role this season. He’s using his numerous years of experience in the restaurant industry – and love of food – to feed all of us this Thursday and next. Take a look at the attached “tentative” menu he’s provided to get a taste of what will be offered at meet concessions this week! Thank you Scott!

Team Managers’ husbands get recruited to help with team projects all year long. This season, when we removed the carpeted block tops and saw the rust they were causing to the frames (and rot to the wood underneath the carpet), Chris Raffield, husband of Team Manager Patricia Heys, offered to use his time and skills to come up with new tops. The block frames were powder coated and then Chris got to work – researching, ordering, cutting, sanding, reassembling them. The cost of new swim blocks start around $1,600. Thanks to Chris’ time (many hours!) and skills we have 5 rebuilt blocks for the cost of one new one. Thank you Chris! (see attached before & after photos)

All the parents you see for both the swim team and Club are volunteers (only coaches & lifeguards are paid). If you have skills either could use, please reach out and let us know! And if you’ve ever thought about a leadership role with the Dolphins, chat with us this season and go ahead and get a glimpse of what those roles involve. Each year, we have leaders rotate on and off.

Team Leadership Roles: Team Managers, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator/Assistant, Bullpen & Staging Coordinator/Assistant, Ribbons Coordinator/Assistant, Computer Coordinator/Assistant, Officials Coordinator/Assistant, Concessions Coordinator/Assistant, Timers Coordinator, Socials Coordinator/Assistant, County Meet Coordinator

TUESDAY
Evening Practices Begin!
Our first evening practice of the season begins Tuesday. These practices, led by Assistant Head Coach Ethan Kruger and held on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, are for swimmers who can’t attend morning practices. The team uses 2 lanes of the pool while the pool is open for Club members. If your swimmer is 6U or is still struggling to swim full laps, please reach out to Coach Ethan before attending evening practices.

WEDNESDAY
Prepare for Thursday!
For swimmers: Get some rest! Go to bed early! For swimmers, pack several towels (one to sit on), water bottles, healthy snacks, plus your team swim cap and goggles. We recommend small waterproof toys, card games or other small activities.

For parents: Go ahead and review the info for the next day’s meet. If you are volunteering, know your assignments and what time you need to arrive. Pack folding chairs, water, cash for concessions, sunglasses and hats, etc. This is an outdoor event, so sunscreen, bug spray and small fans are recommended.

Congrats to the Mayhew Family! Winners of our parking raffle, the Mayhew Family gets a reserved space in our parking lot for home meets!

THURSDAY
Dolphins host Hanarry Hurricanes!
Our first meet of the season starts at 6 p.m. at Hanarry West. Swimmers should plan to arrive by 4:45 p.m. and check in (there will be a big “swimmer check in” sign) as soon as they arrive. The Dolphins warm-up time is from 5-5:25 p.m. There is a lot of information on our website about what to bring, how to label your swimmer with their name, age and events, a schedule of the events, and more.

FRIDAY
Fun Friday & Summer Book Swap!
Our first Fun Friday will kick off summer with our second annual Summer Book Swap! Clean off those bookshelves (or closets or basements) and bring your used books all week long. Give books to the coaches or place them in front of the swim team shed. We’ll store them until Friday – and then volunteers will set up tables with all the books near our Free Little Library. Adult and kid books are welcomed!

Thank you to the Nelson-Valera family for sponsoring this week’s Fun Friday. We’ll have some recognitions, a free swim and yummy treats for swimmers.

SATURDAY
First Saturday Stroke Clinic!
Our weekly stroke clinic has moved to Saturdays this season and is now free for all members. PLEASE RSVP on the Calendar page so we can adequately plan for coaches. This week’s clinic focuses on dives & starts and is divided into two groups: 10 & under and 11 & up.

Go Dolphins! See you at the pool!
Patricia Heys
HW Team Manager