Hello Gators Families!

We had a wonderful first meet at Platte Canyon! It was so great to see so many of our swimmers working so hard! We did not win this week, our team score was PC: 719/GVR: 622, but we had a lot of kids set PR's, earn State and Ken Caryl Invitational qualifying times, and several kids completed their first race ever in a meet! You received an email yesterday with information on how to see the meet results if you want to check it out! 

Folders: Each week we will set out a box of folders at practice and every swimmer has one. This is where you will find the ribbons your swimmer earned at the meets. Also, if you haven't picked up gear yet, it will be there. Anything else we need to get to you, will be in the folders. 

Practice Times: We know a lot of people have been traveling so we wanted to remind everyone that our practice times changed slightly and the Green group will now end at 8:55 instead of 9:00. Purple session 1 will start at 8:55 and end at 9:35 and Purple session 2 will start at 9:35 and end at 10:15.

Buddy Forms and Team Shirts: It was so much fun to see so many of you at the Season Kick-Off Picnic! We loved seeing all of the purple and green tie-dye at the meet! If you were unable to attend, some of the junior coaches made your team shirt and it will be in your folders by Tuesday's practice. If you didn't complete the Getting to Know your Buddy Form at the picnic or you still have it, please bring it to practice this week and we will get it to your buddy's folder. We will have extra forms out at practice this week if you don't have it.

Next Meet: Our next meet is this Saturday, June 11th, against the Columbine Knolls Blue Dolphins at their pool: 6191 W Plymouth Drive. The meet sign up is open, please make sure you submit the races your swimmer will be competing in by 11 am on Wednesday in order to participate. To sign up: Go to the "Schedule/Signup" tab and click on "Meet Sign-up Instructions". If you will not be attending, please make sure to mark that. Warmup starts at 6:00am for the upper division (Silver, Junior, Senior) and 6:30am for lower division (Green & Purple). If you are volunteering, make sure you find Kirsten Suazo to check in. If you are on the second shift, please listen for the announcement for volunteers to meet before the break, which happens after event number 48. If you are wondering what you should bring and what to expect, please check the website under Meets-Prep for Meets.

Team Pictures: Team pictures will be on Tuesday, June 14th. Pictures begin at 8 am so please make sure you are there and ready before then. If you want to pre-order pictures you can use this link: https://forms.gle/GWFqsnUp6DAG2DDN9 or to find the link on the website, click on "Team Pictures" under the "Home" tab. The team photo will be at 8am. Individual photos will happen after the group photo. We will still hold practice on this day with some slight modifications. The Senior, Junior and Silver groups will end at 8 for the group photo. The Green group will begin practice immediately following the group photo and do their individual pictures after practice. The two purple groups will do individual photos following the group photo, and then practice at their normal time.

Meet/Event Photos: Many pictures are taken at every meet and most of the other team events. To access these, go to the "Meet/Event Photos" page under the "Home" tab and click on the "Governor's Ranch Shutterfly" link. If you are already a member of the GvR Gators group, you will only need to click on the link and then input your ID and password to access the pictures. If you have not yet been invited into the group, you will need to send an invitation request by clicking on the link and then clicking on "sign up".

Water World Tickets: Later this summer, we will have our team event at Water World. We are part of the Calypso Club, which means you can get discounted tickets for your family anytime this summer. You can find this information under the "Resources" tab on our website. You can order and use these any time on your own and on the team day.

Coaches’ Corner

Our idea for the week is: always compete to win, but remember that winning is not the most important thing. You train to win and you give it your all when you race. But the flip side of that coin is winning is not the most important thing. More important than winning is how you treat those with whom you are competing, how you handle your victories and your losses, and how you grow from your experiences. Your character is far more important than your win/loss record. As coaches (and parents) we love to see our athletes be successful and win, but what makes us even more proud is to see our athletes demonstrate values like humility, putting others before themselves, and striving for excellence. I think you will find that if you focus on these character traits, you will find yourself winning more often than not.  

-Coach Meagan, Coach Avery, Coach Jackie and your Junior Coaches

Relay Entries Explained: There are many elements that go into the building of relay teams for the meets. It’s not always a simple process. Some of the considerations include:

• A swimmer’s time for a certain stroke
• The ability to complete a particular stroke legally
• How many swimmers are available to swim from that age group 
• Practice attendance, particularly if there are more swimmers than there are relay spots

We are a competitive, recreational team. This sounds contradictory, but we work to balance competition with learning and fun. We believe everyone who wishes to swim in relays should have the opportunity to do so. That does not necessarily mean an athlete will swim in a relay at every meet, but we do strive to enter as many relays as possible to allow the most athletes to participate. It is also important to understand that choosing not to swim in relays or backing out of relays in which you are already entered has an impact on your teammates. Relays can be one of the most enjoyable parts of swim team. They provide the chance to compete together toward one goal.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA): Every Monday morning from 6:45-7 am athletes from our team meet for a time of devotion, discussion, and prayer. Anyone is welcome to join the FCA group at any time. Please feel free to reach out to Coach Meagan if you have any questions.

Ongoing reminders: 

• Sign up for volunteer shifts if you haven't yet, every family must choose 3.
• Download the Swimtopia App to your phone and turn on your notifications.
• If you would like to purchase a swim cap they are $5 for latex and $15 for silicone. Please email Jillian if you want one, and we'll arrange a way to get it to you. 
• Every swimmer must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted by the coaches, in order to participate in the meets. Our coaches will assess this each week and Coach Meagan will email you if your child is in this category to let you know what their progress is and what skills they are working on.

Our season is off to a great start! Please reach out if you have any questions!