Gator Bytes 6/4/23
Hello Gator Families!
We had an interesting first meet at Grant Ranch this weekend! Despite the downpour, it was so great to see so many of our swimmers working so hard. We were truly impressed with their willingness to brave the cold and rain, and jump in the water and work hard! We had numerous kids set PR's and earn State qualifying times, and several kids completed their first race ever in a meet!
Meet Make-up: We know many of our swimmers were disappointed that they were unable to swim all of their events at our first meet. Many swimmers are working toward Ironman, as well as State and Ken Caryl Invite qualifications. We will be offering an opportunity for any swimmer who was entered in an IM, the 8 & under 100 free, or the 400 free on Saturday the opportunity to complete these races during practice on Monday, June 5th at 8am. If you have a swimmer who was entered in one of these events and they would like the chance to swim it for an official time, please email Coach Meagan at [email protected].
Meet Results: Once the meet results are official, results for individual swimmers will be posted on our SwimTopia website under the "Meets" tab. Results for the whole meet may be found on the homepage of the website on the bottom left. Please note, because both Grant Ranch and Governor's Ranch will be offering make-up swims for the missed events this weekend, the meet results for this week will be delayed, as will the ribbons. Thank you for your patience.
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.
Next Meet: Our second meet is this Saturday, June 10th. We will be hosting Grant Ranch and Woodbourne at home! The meet sign up is open, please make sure you submit the races your swimmer will be competing in by 7 am on Thursday in order to participate. To sign up: Go to "Schedule/Signup" tab and click on "Meet Sign-up Instructions" and follow the directions. If you will not be attending, please make sure to mark that.
Warmups: The warm-up schedule for dual meets will be 6:00 -6:20 for senior and silver groups, 6:20-6:35 for the green group, and 6:35-6:50 for the purple group. Warm-up sessions are short but very important. They help familiarize the swimmers with the pool, allow them to check their backstroke count so they don't hit the wall, and get their bodies ready to race. Thank you for helping your athlete get to warm-up on time!
Volunteering: We have a large number of volunteers this weekend since it's a home meet. It is critical that you check in on time so we can run our meet efficiently. Make sure you find Kirsten Suazo to check in so she can give you credit for your shift. 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.
Swimtopia: As the season gets going, we suggest you download the Swimtopia App on your phone. This will keep you updated on urgent announcements like practice cancelations, as well as keep you updated during meets. You will need to turn your notifications on to get immediate alerts (otherwise it will come as an email). I have outlined the features for the free and upgraded versions here:
Free features
- Team alerts for urgent issues
- Sign up for meets and/or jobs Swimmer’s race results - current and past seasons
- Calendar of upcoming meets & events
- Family's meet overview [swimmer's events & parent's volunteer jobs]
- Post meet swimmer results Live Event/Heat Bar during meet.
SwimTopia Pro
Upgraded features Free 7 day trial, then $2.49/mo or $9.99/yr
- Heat Sheets Heat/lane assignments & start times for favorite swimmers
- Estimated start times that update as meet progresses
- Upcoming swim reminders for favorite swimmers
- Swimmer results during the meet (as soon as entered in computer)
- Live results for all swimmers Team scores
You can find more detailed info by clicking on this link: https://help.swimtopia.
Team Pictures: Our team pictures this year will be on Thursday, June 8th. Group 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://docs.google.com/forms/d/10FSYEs15uC03U1uC...
or to find the link on the website, click on "Team Pictures" under the "Home" tab. Please make sure everyone is at the pool by 8am for the team photo. Individual photos will happen after the group photo.
We will still hold practice on this day with some slight modifications: The Senior and Silver groups will end practice at 8am for the group photo. The Green group will begin practice immediately following the group photo and do their individual pictures after practice. The purple group will do individual photos following the group photo, and then practice at their normal time
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 swimmers 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.
Below are a few reminders that we wanted to highlight again:
- Every family needs to sign up for 4 volunteer shifts. You can sign up and find more information about what each role involves on the website.
- If you would like to purchase a swim cap they are $5 for latex and $15 for silicone. You can do that during practice this week.
Coaches Corner:
Habit As we begin a new season, it is a good time to consider habits and habit formation. A habit is a propensity to respond to a given situation in a certain way. Habits are like the railroad tracks of life. Much of your way of thinking, speaking, acting, and even swimming is determined by habit. In terms of swimming, the way you choose to practice is the way that you will compete in a meet. When you practice a skill such as streamlining off the wall, it becomes habitual. Then, when you are racing at a meet, you streamline off the wall without really thinking about it. When you practice good habits, you take away the effort of decision. When it is your habit to streamline, you don't have to decide if you are going to do it when you push off a wall. This frees your mind to focus on other things. Consider your habits. Do you allow yourself to get sloppy when you are tired, or do you strive to keep good form? Do you practice your flipturns at every wall, or allow yourself to skip them? Do you push through a hard set, or skip parts of it when it gets hard? Do you complain or try to keep a positive attitude? These are all habits that shape your swimming and ultimately, your character. Habits can form without you even realizing it, but they can also be intentionally cultivated. What habits do you wish to cultivate?