Late June/ Early July Update! (Swimming at Watauga, Sign Up Changes, Coaches, and T-Shirt News)

Good afternoon, Torpedo Family!

It is hard to believe, but the middle of the season and Independence Day are upon us! We have been in the water for over a month, and the swimmers have come a long way in a short time. We're excited to see what the second half of the season holds. 

To that end, I wanted to remind everyone that WE WILL NOT PRACTICE ON JULY 4. We don't practice on Fridays anyway, so that will be an off day, as well. We will host Granite Falls on Saturday, July 6th. 

Thursday we head to Boone to swim a fun meet with Watauga. This will be their first time hosting a summer league meet, and we will be assisting them with making sure it goes smoothly. There are still some volunteer spots open: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084CABAE2AAAF58-50164353-valdese#/

Their coaches are experienced swimmers and knowledgeable coaches, but, as a team, they are hoping to learn from our logistical experience, so please be patient with them. The pool is indoors. Families can set up outside of the building in front of the pool area, and they can enter clerk of course through doors that will lead on the deck of the instructional pool/slide run out. When ready to race, swimmers will then progress to the blocks in the competition pool. There is a viewing gallery above the deck area for spectators. 

Top Image: Clerk of Course will be on the deck area in the left of the image. Families can set up outside in the area beyond glass wall.

 Bottom Image: Gallery area overlooking competition pool. Clerk of course area is to the right with this orientation.

This Saturday we host Black Mountain. Warmups will be at 8am. There will be a lot of swimmers, and this should be a good meet. Please have your swimmers signed up by Thursday morning. Again, please be prepared to time/volunteer. If each family has one volunteer for the meet, we will not have any issues finding timers or other workers. Volunteer sign up is here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084CABAE2AAAF58-50119554-black#/

After this Saturday, we will have one more home meet (7/6 against Granite Falls) and two more regular away meets (Thursday, 7/11 in Granite and Friday, 7/19 in Shelby). The 11 and Over swimmers will have the Sprint/Distance meet on Saturday, July 13 in Forest City. 

Due to some circumstances I'll discuss below, I need to have the entries for the 7/6 meet by the end of the meet on Saturday here on 6/29 against Black Mountain. Please have the 7/11, 7/19, and Sprint /Distance entries done by the end of the meet on 7/6. It's easier to remove/scratch swimmers than to add them in, so if you think you will attend, please sign up!

Again, it is going to be critical that we have people volunteer to time and perform other duties. I will have the other SignUpGenius sign ups for the meets scheduled to go out via Remind for the remaining meets, and anyone able to assist at Sprint/Distance will be needed to help. If swimming the mile at Sprint/Distance, swimmers will need to provide a volunteer timer and lap counter for their race (this can be parent, sibling, friend).  

It is my hope that we will have our T-Shirts here for the meet this Saturday. They can be picked up at the concession stand on deck. All swimmers were provided an opportunity to order a shirt when you registered, and those are the sizes we ordered. We did order some additional stock in primarily adult sizes for any parents or other family members wanting a shirt, but those numbers are limited and available first come, first serve. They will be $15 per shirt. 

As many of you know, I underwent surgery this past August. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with the same situation again, and due to some other things coming up later this year (Footrace/Festival, anticipated pool structure decisions, other staffing considerations), I'm going to be undergoing surgery again on Tuesday, July 2. It is outpatient, but I will likely be out for two weeks. There is never a good time for a prolonged absence, but this is the least bad option for me to take care of this. I will be in communication with the coaches, but I have full faith in them to guide the team during my absence. This is the reason for the shift in sign up dates for meets. I want to be sure to give myself and the coaches a good amount of time to get entries in. 

 Thank you all for your help and making this a great season! Let's finish strong!

Volunteering! You can do it!

Good morning, Torpedo Family!

One of the biggest things that makes our team a success is volunteering! We can't run meets, at home or away, without your assistance, and every role is vital. Some positions certainly require more training and experience than others, but some postitions, like handing out heat winner ribbons, are incredibly fun and rewarding. We utilize SignUpGenius for our volunteer sign ups, so be on the lookout for those sign ups as the season progresses.

Here is a quick rundown of ways you can be involved: 

Heat Winner Ribbon "Giver Outer"- Yes, it's exactly what the name suggests. At the end of each race, you give heat winner ribbons to the winner! A great way to get familiar with the running of meets. If we do a "Hot Heat," then you may give the special prize away, too.

Runner- Everyone knows to walk on a pool deck, so this is not an entirely accurate description of the role. The runner helps the scoring and timing table to collect DQ slips and back up times during the course of a meet. Another easy way to get in to volunteering.

Concessions- At home swim meets, we run a small concession stand on the pool deck. These folks help keep everyone sugared and hydrated, and when caps and shirts arrive, they assist with dispensing them, as well. Shade included in this role.

Timer/Head Timer- These roles are likely the ones that most people experience for their first time volunteering at a swim meet. Whether home or away, this is the one that requires the most bodies. But don't get scared off by keeping time! If you can write numbers to the hundredth of a second from the stop watch, you can do this job. What makes it even better, is that you get to work with a partner. Most teams use the Dolphin wireless timing system, and we use a wired system, but everyone uses back-up stop watches. The head timer provides a back up watch should a timer have a malfunction or missed start, and is one of the easiest roles we have. It does require attention to the races.

Stroke/Turn Judge- This role is for more experienced volunteers who have been around the sport some. These officials observe the meet to make sure the swimmers are following the rules when competing. If a swimmer doesn't follow the rules, they raise their hand to signal an infraction, and then fill out a DQ slip for the scoring computer operator. This position requires some online education provided for free by USA Swimming, a brief test for the league, and some time shadowing other officials. It's not a hard job, but sometimes people don't like it because they are responsible for DQing swimmers. If you think of a DQ as a way of teaching and learning, it is a crucial and helpful position for the growth and improvement of our swimmers. Officials should never be out to get anyone, and the benefit of a doubt always goes to the swimmer. For more information on this role, check out USA Swimming's free, 90 minute online course about Stroke and Turn officiating here: https://university.usaswimming.org/landing. Click on the "Officials" icon at the top of the page and find the "Stroke and Turn Certification Course." Create a login, take the course, and take a quick league specific test, and you're good to start your apprenticeship role in the league.

 

Clerk of Course- At home meets, and for the patient and logistically minded. These folks help get swimmers in order for their races before sending them behind the block or to the shallow end in the case of 8 and Under 25s. This job can be a little chaotic at times, hence the need for some patience. Works closely with the Starter to keep the meet moving. We usually will have a coach or two to assist with getting all of our little swimmers where they need to be.

Starter- At home meets, this is among my favorite roles to fill. The starter sets the pace for the meets, keeping races rolling along with the help of the Clerk of Course and Timing Console Operator team. Starting is an easy job. It does require some training, but one can be taught quickly to do it well. Depending on the races, may also keep track of the order of finish. Feel free to speak with me if interested in this role! Not much stroke-specific knowledge required here!

Timing Console Operator- At home meets, this person works with the starter to keep the races moving and to make sure we get times for each race to import in to the computer. The basics of this role are fairly simple, using three or four buttons on the console throughout a meet, but occasionally technology or timer errors throw a curve ball in to things. Works closely with the Scoring Computer Operator to keep track of race results. We have some great timing operators, but it never hurts to cross-train and broaden your knowledge base!

Scoring Computer Operator- At home meets, this role works to import race results from the timing console in to the scoring software. This person may also have to change relay names and input DQ codes when a swimmer is disqualified by an official. This requires some training, and we are very fortunate to have several folks who have been doing this role for many years. From time to time, a time may not come across correctly, and the operator and runners work together to retrieve and calculate the back up times. Similar to the timing operators, though, it never hurts to learn more about different ways to be involved!

We are excited that you all are a part of our team family, and volunteering is one way you can help our family out. There is something for everyone, and we'd love to be able to count on each family filling a role for each meet. This isn't always possible, but every bit helps, and it is a fun way to be a part of the meets. If you have any questions about any of the roles, please don't hesitate to reach out!

School is Out!

 Good afternoon, Torpedo Family!

Congratulations are in order for our swimmers on recent graduations! We have several high school graduates with us, and we also have several others transitioning from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school! We wish you the best as you prepare for the upcoming chapters in  your lives.

As a reminder, we split practices up starting tomorrow. As a reminder, here is the schedule:

9-10, 11-12 year olds: Mon.-Thurs. 8am-9am

13-14, 15-18 year olds: Mon. - Thurs. 9-10am

8 and Under: Mon., Tues., and Thurs. 5-5:45pm

Make-Up Evening Practice for Older Swimmers: Mon., Tues., and Thurs. 5-5:45pm

Also, as a reminder, we will have our first away meet in Forest City on Tuesday, June 11 and first home meet on Saturday, June 15. The meet book is at the fitness counter, and you can sign up any time we are open, not just during practice time. I need to have everyone participating in the Forest City meet signed up by this Friday afternoon, June 7. You can sign up for Saturday's home meet until Thursday evening, June 13. 

We will need to have parent volunteers for timing and officiating, among other duties at home meets such as on-deck concessions. Please be on the lookout for a SignUpGenius later this week for both meets. The more we have help, the easier it is on everyone. We'd love to have every family assist for at least one shift each meet they attend. 

Our June 15 meet is our Jersey Meet, so wear a jersey of your favorite player or team at the meet! 

We're looking forward to a great week! Don't hesitate to reach out via remind with any questions!