Hi Team,

Thanks to everyone who attended the informational kick off meeting yesterday. It was great to see familiar and new faces!

If you weren't able to attend or need a refresher, below is a summary of what we covered:

• Coaching Staff: check out the website
• Parent volunteers:
  • Casey Cash - Team President
  • Melissa Willey - Volunteer coordinator, meet entry, and all-around Swiss army knife
  • John Cloudman - SwimTopia expert
• Team Philosophy:

1. Have Fun
2. Work Hard
3. Be Good People
4. Enjoy the Moment

• Practice:
  • First day of practice is Monday, June 3rd
  • Please note: The below times are "in the water" times. That means swimmers need to arrive early to get ready and start right at their respective times. 
  • Ages 13 & Up: 6:30 - 7:45 am
  • Ages 9 - 12: 7:45 - 8:45 am
  • Ages 8 & U: 8:45 - 9:30 am
  • Coaches reserve the right to move swimmers up depending on ability and numbers. Please do not ask to move up in a session. We want kids to swim with their age group for relay and team bonding purposes. Only in a small number of situations will swimmers get moved up. We'll use the first week to survey the landscape and make practice assignments. As such, during the first week of practice, please attend your respective age group practice and continue to do so unless you hear otherwise from Coach Kyle.
  • Don't ever assume practice is canceled -- not unless you receive a SwimTopia message from Coach Kyle. 
  • If swimmers won’t be at a practice, you need to let Coach Kyle know via email or text ahead of time. 13 & up - swimmers are responsible for communication. 12 & younger - parents can communicate absences.
• Swim Meets:
  • Our meet schedule is posted on the team website.
  • Please mark your calendars for the City Meet. July 12th (ages 11 & up) and July 13th (10 & under). I want everyone to attend City so we can bring the championship back to Nelson Farm!
• Volunteering:
  • Parent sign up to work off your volunteer deposit is done through SwimTopia. Please reach out to Melissa Willey if you have any questions.
• 25 yard swim rule/requirement:
  • Everybody wants to be part of the Nelson Farm swim team this summer – and with good reason! As a result, our team is massive this year — which is a good problem to have. 
  • But this means that for safety reasons, logistical reasons, and coach sanity reasons - we need to enforce (more strictly than in previous seasons) the “25 yard” rule/requirement.
  • Swimmers must be able to swim one length of the pool (25 yards) in a recognizable stroke without touching the bottom or holding on to the wall/lane line.
  • We'll use the first couple days of practice as "try outs" for our new, young swimmers who might be on the cusp. 
  • It's important to remember, this is swim team, not swim lessons. If a young swimmer is not quite there yet, we can help get swim lessons set up for the summer, then they come back ready to roll next year! 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

See you soon.

GO GATORS!

Coach Kyle