Hello Dolphin Families,

Time trials are this weekend, May 30th! We will be the only team at our pool and we will have every swimmer swim all the events for their age group. This way we have a time for all events.

If you can not attend this weekend, please mark your swimmer as not attending. We will record times for your swimmer at the next meet that he or she is able to attend.

All families need to register swimmers and sign up for a job. No matter what your status is for the meets, please register your swimmer(s).

This email has a lot of detail in it (seriously, it’s a doozy!), but it will help you and your swimmer have a great first meet, especially if you are a new swim team family.

Time trials will run much like other swim meets, except we will not be hosting a team.

LEARN TO SWIM PARENTS - Your swimmers are welcome to participate in time trials if they are comfortable swimming in the deep end. We will have them do one freestyle race only, called Event 0. There will be a coach in each lane to make sure they have help. If your swimmer is still struggling to swim independently, please do not sign them up. They do not need to be able to swim the full length without a break, but we also don’t want them stopping every few seconds if possible. Please just use your best judgement. If you aren’t sure, ask a coach at practice today or tomorrow.

HOW TO REGISTER YOUR SWIMMER

We still have many swimmers who have not registered for the meet. We need every family to register, even if your swimmer is not attending.

Register your swimmer here; then click on “meet entry”.

Important notes on registering your swimmer:

1. You will need to register using an internet browser, not the Swimtopia App.
2. You will need to login with the same login you used to register for the team.
3. When you register, select "Attending" or "Not Attending" for each swimmer in the family.
4. We encourage the 6 and unders to come swim at time trials and see what a smaller meet will be like!

Registration will close at 3 p.m. Thursday, 5/28. After 3 p.m., swim team reps will seek you out at practice. Please save us that work and register before 3 p.m. Thanks so much.

REGISTER FOR A JOB WHEN YOU REGISTER YOUR SWIMMER

When you sign up, please sign up for a volunteer shift. If you have questions about your job, just ask!

Sign up to volunteer here.; then click on Job Signup. (Like swimmer registration, you will need to be in a browser and signed in to Swimtopia to sign up to volunteer.)

HOW WILL THE TIME TRIALS WORK (AKA - ALL THE DEETS)

You will want to arrive at the pool with your swimmer at 8:15 a.m. At that time, there should be coaches close to the diving area of the pool with check-in sheets.

1st - Check in! Make sure to check in so that the coaches know you are here.

2nd - A list of each swimmer's events will be posted in the pavilion area. There is one list for boys and one for girls. Find your swimmer, and then see what events he/she is in. Use a Sharpie to write the events on your swimmer's arm--it's also good to write it on your own arm so you can ensure your child is lined up at the right time.

To mark your swimmer:

• Make four (4) column headings - E, H, L, S. These stand for Event, Heat, Lane and Stroke
• Go through the heat sheet and find your swimmer's name which you highlighted.
• For each event, write the event number, heat number, lane number and stroke in the corresponding column.

At 8:30 a.m., the swimmers will warm up.

At 8:50 a.m. the Dolphins will do the team cheer. You can find the cheer here if you need a refresher! Volunteers will take their places to begin the meet.

At 9:00 a.m., the time trials will start. Clerks will help the kids get into the correct lane staging areas. The first event is the freestyle, which usually takes the longest amount of time because nearly all swimmers compete in this event. The lanes will be staged continuously so that each heat and race run immediately after the next. Be aware of when your swimmer is lining up--for example, if your child is in event 15, then he or she should be ready to line up by event 10 or 11.

Once your swimmers have completed all of their events, they are free to go. (In a regular meet, most 6 & Under swimmers are done by the mid-meet break.)

Ribbons and speeding tickets

Ribbons will be distributed at practices following the meets. There will be no "speeding tickets” this week. Speeding tickets are what we give each swimmer who has a personal best time in an event. The speeding tickets are put into a drawing at the end-of-the-year party.

This meet will provide seeding times for future meets and also give your swimmer times to beat in future meets for speeding tickets.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE MEET

One of our reps from 2015 put together a great, detailed guide for what goes on at a meet and what to bring to a meet. You can find it here.

• Bring normal swim gear: towels, swim caps, goggles and sunscreen.
• Bring money for the concession stand. We will accept cash or zelle.
• Bring folding chairs for everyone. If you have a good ground cover, bring that too--many kids like to sit on beach blankets and play card games. If you have a pop-up shade structure, you will want that too.

Remember, do not park in the Villas private streets. They will have your car towed. Also be aware of the fire lanes.

Thanks for reading all the details about our first swim meet. Let us know if you have any questions!

And remember, register your swimmer and volunteer for a job by 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Sincerely,

The Westchester Swim Reps