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    deck reminders, RSVP, lots of meet information

    May 30th

    05.30.24

    It has been a great week back in the pool! We have 116 Sharks this season and are excited about our upcoming meets.

    Thanks to the parents for remaining outside the fence or on the upper deck during practices. We see you and appreciate your following the request. It helps swimmers better focus on the coaches and keeps the area clear for the team to move around. If you have been standing on deck, please find a more appropriate spot to watch the fun. The picnic tables are a lovely spot to rest in the shade.

    Some swimmers may be contacted about switching practice groups. This is to ensure everyone has the best fit for what they need to advance and not necessarily based on age.

    Calendar:

    • Regular practice Monday - Friday
    • Monday, June 3 - Ooltewah TWSA at StH
      • Wear your 2024 RED Shark Swag
      • Warm-up at 4:30 PM
      • America Runs on Pizza and Wally’s Fro-Yo Food Trucks
    • Thursday, June 6 - Signal Mountain at StH
      • Wear GREY Shark Swag
      • Warm-up: 4:30 PM
    • Ms. Griffin’s Foot Long Hot Dogs and Kona Ice Food Trucks
    • Friday, June 7 - Doughnuts Friday

    Has your swimmer declared their meet attendance? A yes or no RSVP for each meet is critical and needed at least a day ahead but the sooner the better!

    • Log into our SwimTopia website
    • Click on EVENT/MEETS CALENDAR tab
    • Scroll down to each meet (yes, it will take a little time)
    • Click the green MEET ENTRY button and EDIT your swimmer(s)
    • Pick a volunteer job shift (We will have training before the first meet!)
    • Remember to SAVE before leaving the page
    • Repeat for each event & meet.

    The final heat sheet will be posted after 1 pm on the day of the meet. Changes and updates are made before that time and our StH swimmers are merged with the other team's swimmers for the full meet info. The SwimTopia app is free but to see the heat sheets, you will need a subscription, just $2.99/month. There is usually one copy of the heat sheet printed and posted at the pool but the most convenient method is to download the app. It is really worth the cost.

    Volunteers need to report by 5:00. If you have not signed up to help, please do! We literally cannot have a swim meet without these positions filled:

    • Volunteer Sign-In - please arrive by 4:45. Check with a board member to get your sign in information. You will be in charge of organizing the other volunteers for this meet.
    • Deck Parent - arrive by 5:00 to sign in. You will have a printed heat sheet and will organize our littles and get them to the correct lane on time. A perfect job for a parent with a younger swimmer.
    • Place Judge - arrive by 5:00 to sign in. You will watch the finish of each heat and determine the order in which the swimmers finished. A great job for a fast-paced, front-row seat.
    • Lane Timer - arrive by 5:00 to sign in. You will stand behind the block and record the swimmer’s time. Each timer is provided a stopwatch, heat sheet, and assigned a lane. A great job to stay cool with the spray of pool water.
    • Scorekeeper - arrive by 5:00 to sign in. You will work with the other team’s scorekeeper to enter the scores immediately after each event.

    Timeline of a meet:

    • Day of /pre-meet prep:
      • Hydrate and eat healthy food
      • EHL (see below) written on arm (or leg) with Sharpie (*Sunscreen will smear Sharpie ink)
      • Littles need first initial, last name, and age written on the back, right shoulder blade
      • Pack a towel, team suit & cap, goggles, healthy and hydrating snacks, and water
    • The pool is open for members until 4:00 on meet days.  Do not arrive before that time.
    • Parking at Stuart Heights can be interesting. Carpooling is always recommended. There will be spots reserved for officials and the food truck. Please be respectful of the neighborhood and not block driveways. We are allowed to park at the church next door, again, please be respectful of this gift of space.
    • Parents - bring your chairs, shade, and water bottles. The pool deck can become brutally hot as summer progresses.
    • Five minutes before warmup - swimmers need to be on deck, behind the blocks, and fully ready to get in the water with goggles and StH cap on (no other team cap is allowed)
    • WarmUp with coaches will be 30 minutes (or less for the younger swimmers)
    • Summer swim meets will take approximately four hours from beginning to end
      • If there is a weather delay, please go to your vehicle or into a building but do not leave. If the meet is canceled/or to be rescheduled, we will let you know via our Remind app. If you have not joined, please do with class code @e7eh68

    General meet info:

    • The Swim Team Board will be wearing bright pink on purpose so you can locate us to ask questions. If we don’t know the answer, we will find out!
    • Swimmers must wear StH team caps to every meet. These were handed out at practice.
    • Please wear your StH swimsuit. There are more suits available at Front Runner if you need to purchase one.
    • During the meet, our 8 & unders should sit together so it is easy for our Deck Parent to find them and get them to the blocks on time. Big Sharks will be managing themselves.
    • It is so important that parents & swimmers listen to the announcer and be ready to report to the appropriate lane at least one event before. Summer swim meets go pretty fast, so it is critical that everyone pay attention.
    • Every swimmer has the chance to earn points for our team and every point counts!. The team with the most points at the end of the meet wins. And Sharks always want to win!
    • If something happens and a swimmer misses an event, go directly to the head official (wearing white, usually with a whistle/microphone). If you are lucky, you may be able to get into another heat. This is not always possible so it is very important for swimmers (and their parents) to pay attention to the event numbers to be in the pool at the right times.
    • Points are awarded to the team for swimmers placing 1 through 8 in individual meets, plus first and second in relays. Relay points are huge! We always have tough competition in our division and want to be the team that works the hardest and has the most fun!
    • The reasons are complicated, but sometimes coaches will enter an athlete as an exhibition swimmer. This means the swimmer cannot earn points but can still swim for practice and sportsmanship.
    • A DQ is a disqualification from an event due to a mistake in a start, stroke, turn, or finish. If you are disqualified in a race, the judge will raise their arm, fill out a DQ slip, and your time will not be counted. This will happen. It is part of the learning process and no reason to scold a swimmer. We are all out there to have fun. Yes, we want to win, but developing a love of the sport and enjoying the team comradery is so much more important.
    • Good sportsmanship is essential. Stay in the pool until everyone from the heat is finished. Shake hands with the swimmers on either side of you. We are the team with the best integrity and will remain so.
    • If you don’t make it until the very end of the meet, we will post the final points on Facebook & Instagram.
    • We are a TEAM. Please encourage your swimmer to cheer on the other Sharks. The atmosphere of a summer swim meet can be so much fun with full participation.
    • So on that note, the team cheer kicks off each meet. The cheer is repeated three times: soft, loud, then screamy, and a ”GO SHARKS!” finale.

    Thanks for making it to the end of this message!  We always want parents & swimmers to be comfortable and ready. There is even more info to be found on our Team Handbook and Tips page on the website (links below). Please reach out if you have any questions and let’s take a bite out of those Tidal Waves and Greenies!

    #sharks4life #swimfasthavefun #sharksera #summerswim2024

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