Hello Gator Families! 

We had two great meets this week! Congratulations to all of our athletes on their incredible performances at the KCI and the Gator Open! You can see the meet results on the website for the Gator Open and KCI results will be there soon! 

This next weekend we do not have a meet. We will have practice this week, Monday through Friday, but will not have practice on Monday the 4th, please enjoy your holiday weekend!

Our team Movie Night is this Tuesday, June 28th. We invite you to bring the whole family to Grant (Ladybug) Park. Please bring blankets or lawn chairs and movie snacks and drinks to watch a movie under the stars! The movie will start at sunset (approx 8:15pm). 

Swim Across America: Our Endurance Challenge and SAA fundraiser event is quickly approaching on July 6th! We have all of our swimmers complete as many laps as they can in a set amount of time. This is a really fun day and parents are welcome to come watch. Our parents have always provided breakfast on this morning as a fun team event.

Please fill out this sign up genius to bring something: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080844aead23aafe...

Please RSVP on the website for your swimmers if they will be participating in the breakfast. We hope all of our swimmers will participate in the Endurance Challenge, even if they choose not to fundraise. To learn more about SAA and our team’s participation in the fight against pediatric cancer you can go to the Gator’s SAA website:  https://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/SPageServe... If you would like to, you can make a donation to our team, or you can create your own page to send out to friends and family so they may donate under your swimmer’s name. To create a page click the “Register” button and then “Join a Team” and type Governor’s Ranch Gators. 

You can also bring change to practice for the penny jars! Pennies count as points toward your group, silver coins count as points against a group. The group with the most positive points on the 6th will earn a game day! 

Fundraising is totally optional, but if you want to participate, it gives our kids another purpose for swimming and provides service to others, which is one of our team values. 

Our practice schedule on July 6th will be: 

7 - 8 am Senior, Junior, Silver swim

8-9 am Green swim, upper division breakfast 

9-9:30 am Purple swim

9-10 am green and purple breakfast

10-10:15 am clean up 

Coaches Corner

Service Before Self

The term service before self is part of the U.S. Air Force core values. While we are not putting our lives on the line for our country and fellow citizens, I do believe that we can apply this value to our team and our own lives. It simply means taking care of other people; considering the needs of others before we think about what we want. Within the context of our team it may look like taking the time to offer help to someone, writing an encouraging note to your buddy, or making sure others have had a donut before you take one. These are often small gestures, but they help set a culture within our team of selflessness, kindness, and respect. Service before self does not mean we do not take care of ourselves. In fact, when we practice considering others first, we often find that we also benefit. Service before self reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Ongoing reminders:

• 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. 
• 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.
• To access meet/event photos taken for the team, go to the "Meet/Event Photos" page under the "Home" tab and click on the "Governor's Ranch Shutterfly" link.
• You can get discounted tickets to Water World anytime this summer. You can find this information under the "Resources" tab on our website.
• Each week we will set out a box of folders at practice where you will find the ribbons your swimmer earned at the meet as well as anything else we need to get to you.
• We have a growing collection of goggles and clothing that have been left behind at practices and meets. We put this out on the picnic table every day at practice. Please come check it out, especially if you know you are missing something! 
• In the SwimTopia app there is a section where you can view all of your swimmer(s) prior swim times. However, the default is for the times to be for 25 yard pools, not 25 meter pools. All of the pools we swim in are meters, not yards, which shows faster swim times that are not accurate. To change to the correct size of pools just follow these steps: Click on your swimmer's name > "Swim History" > "Converted" > "Course" > Select "Short Course Meters (SCM)" > "Done" > "Done" 
• Please complete your Gator Buddy Form by filling out this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdB6U2y4... The results are posted under resources on the website so you can always find it!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions!