Hello Gator Families! 

We hope you enjoyed your bye weekend and were able to do something fun, or just relax! We are ready to get back to work, and we have another home meet this weekend against the Ken Caryl Lightning and the Columbine Knolls Dolphins! Make sure to sign up by Wednesday at 11am!

Please remember there is no practice tomorrow July 4th, enjoy your holiday! 

Swim Across America: Our Endurance Challenge and SAA fundraiser event is this Wednesday 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. We will also need some parent help to count laps so if you are willing to help out please let us know! 

We still need volunteers to bring food for our hungry swimmers, please fill out this sign up genius if you are able to contribute: 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. 

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 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 

Water World: Next Tuesday, July 12th, is our team day at Water World! Senior, Junior and Silver groups will practice in the morning, but there will be no practice for Green or Purple groups. You can purchase your tickets through the website, under resources. Feel free to bring siblings, friends or family members!

Coaches Corner

Endurance

Happy 4th of July! This time of year marks the midpoint of our swim season. We have two regular season meets remaining, as well as two championship meets. It is hard to believe how quickly summer swimming passes. This week is our endurance challenge. It is an opportunity to see how many laps each athlete can complete within a given time. But what is endurance? One dictionary definition states it as “the ability to keep doing something for a long time” - like swim laps! But the word has more meaning than that. Often it involves working against some sort of resistance. As swimmers that resistance may be the physical water or it may be our own mental attitude. Endurance involves continual effort, a building of strength and resilience over time. The key is time. We build endurance over time by training our bodies with workouts. We build our mental endurance by choosing positive thoughts and not allowing ourselves to give in to the negative. Maybe you have a goal you are working toward this summer. You are building endurance each day as you work hard in practice and never give up. This endurance will help you reach your goal.

Be safe and have fun with your family and friends tomorrow. God bless America!

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

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!