Gator Families!

Thank you for a great night of time trials, even though it was cut a little short due to the weather! We appreciate everyone who volunteered! Hopefully, this was a learning experience for both swimmers and families to understand how meets work and how all the volunteer roles work.

Reminders:

• Pictures are Friday (6/9) at 8:00 A.M., no practices will occur after. The current plan is for the team picture to happen first thing followed by individual pictures by youngest to oldest age groups.
• Declare for the Miamisburg meet by NOON on Monday (6/12) and West Carrollton by NOON on Wednesday (6/14). Entire season of meets are open for declarations.
• Pool passes need to be purchased by Saturday, June 10, 2023. Follow the link on the Weekly Gator Bulletin or your confirmation email to purchase Gator passes at our special rate.
  • We have had a lot of success with pass purchases, so thank you all very much! An email will be sent later today to the few families who are not listed as purchasing Gator pool passes so far. If you believe you have purchased a pass and receive the email, please reach out so we can touch base with the city.
  • Once the city gets us the passes, we will get them distributed.

Additional Information:

• Gators swim caps were handed out at the meet during stretching last night; if your swimmer did not get one, we will have them at pictures on Friday morning.
• There is a “Suit Swap” post on our Facebook page. If you have Gators suits that no longer fit your swimmer, feel free to post to the pinned post to see if another family has interest in a suit with some life left in it.
• Every meet for the season is open to declare your swimmer. Feel free to declare (attending or not attending) your swimmer for the entire season. You are able to change events once declared up until the declaration deadline.
• Volunteer shifts are still being evaluated. We are waiting on responses to the volunteer survey that was sent on June 4 to families with no volunteer shifts to ensure everyone hoping to help out for the season has the opportunity. If you received the survey and have not completed it yet, we would greatly appreciate you doing so.
• At the end of this message, you will find the notes that we went over in the parent meeting last night.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! Again, thank you so much to everyone for making time trials a success last night!!!

Go Gators!

~ The Gator Board

Time Trials Parent Meet Information

• General Announcements
  • We’ll continue to communicate via email, Facebook, Instagram, and SwimTopia. We have sent several SwimTopia alerts. If you did not receive it, please let a Board member know, and we’ll try to help you out 🙂
  • Website
  • Can be used to manage volunteer shifts, sign swimmers up for individual meets, view results after meets
  • The “News” section will have a record of most email communication
  • The Facebook Feed is also posted on the Team Home Page
  • Download the swimtopia app to view the schedule, your volunteer shifts and swimmers’ events and results
  • Follow the Gators on Facebook and Instagram
  • For home meets, our seating area is inside the pool area toward the shallow end of the pool (left side as you are walking into the pool area) and we have use of Veteran’s Park for setting up during meets
  • We will have a small concession stand to sell drinks during the meets; food trucks will be available for home meets.
  • Most importantly, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE- Make sure you declare attendance (either Going or Not Going) by the deadline
    • The team receives fines from the league if our entries are not submitted on time; multiple infractions means we pay more as the penalty increases each time
    • All events are open for declarations- you also choose your swimmers event at that time, but can change their events within the deadline or you can leave the event selection blank and the coaches will choose their events for them.
    • If you do not Declare, you will not be entered in events
    • If you are a declared swimmer and will no longer be attending the event, please let the coaches or a member of the board know as soon as possible so back up plans for relays can be made.
    • Only coaches are permitted to change events, relays, and complete deck entries

• Volunteer announcements
  • Required shifts - 4 standard, 1 championships (Total of 5 shifts as Champs may not have enough slots);
  • As mentioned in this week’s email, we are looking at this and have sent out a survey to help us determine the best course of action in shift number
  • We can’t run a swim meet or have a team without parent volunteers, and the more we have, the more smoothly the meets will go. The more smoothly the meets go, the better an experience it is for the swimmers and the parents.
  • What to do if you can’t fulfill a shift- try to trade; release the shifts so others can pick up; please contact [email protected] so we aren’t surprised when we arrive at the meet
  • Work deposit - we do not capture Credit Card funds for families who complete the requirement
  • It is very important that you check-in by 5:30 for 1st half shifts and by event 30 or sooner for 2nd half shifts, otherwise we will have to assign our stand-by and those who are signed up for the shift may not get credit
    • Home Shifts Check-in at the pool office
    • Away Meets- Please find the Gator Volunteer Sign Tent and head there
  • Volunteering - if you have any questions, we’re happy to answer them for you!

• New Parent Information
  • Most of this information has been sent in the early season emails
  • You can also find all the information about these topics under the “Resources” tab on the Website, then select “Other Information/How To’s”
  • The FAQ section and Team Handbook are also under the “Resource” tab and may be helpful
  • Please reach out if you have any questions about:
    • Register your kids for the meets online- Everyone declares as going/not going & selects events
    • Log on to the webpage and click on “Swim meets and events”
    • Click on “meet entry” for each meet
    • Click “edit” to change your swimmer’s status
    • Must be done 24 hours prior to the event (NOON) with the exception of champs, which has a quicker deadline than the day before
    • If your child gets sick or is unable to attend the meet, contact Amanda asap at [email protected]
    • What to bring to a meet - complete list in the handbook & sent with Time Trial Info
    • Meet Organization
      • Email goes out the day of the meet with final information, including heat sheets (if possible)
      • Stretching begins at 4:45 for home meets and in water begins at 5:00 for home meets and for away meets stretching is 5:15 and in water 5:30
      • After warm ups, kids get ready for relays
      • Assisted swim- swimmers who are events 81 & 82 swim first (these events have a trainee in the water to help kids get across) and are non-scoring; in order to swim at champs must swim 1 meet unassisted
      • Relays occur at the beginning and end of the meet
      • Medley Relays [beginning of the meet]: (Stroke Order- Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle)- 4 swimmers participate and each swimmer swims the stroke that corresponds to their position in the relay
      • Freestyle Relay [end of the meet]: 4 swimmers participate and all swim freestyle
      • Relay members will line up at the relay signs when called by coaches
      • Please check the Gator Athlete Entries file that will be sent the day of to see if your child is entered in a relay. Additionally, do not leave the meet unless checking with a coach that your child is not on a late relay (freestyle).
      • Clerk of course
        • Volunteer will announce event numbers (first call, second call, etc)
        • Event board, located by the slides (at home), will show which event is swimming/on the block and which is in the clerk of course. Also, on the SwimTopia app you are able to get live updates on events and what is being seated in the clerk.
        • Send child to clerk of course area, located on the far side of the pool building (at home)
        • Volunteers will line up swimmers in order of their events, heats and lanes (this is why it’s helpful to have those things written on their arms or backs)
      • Between events, kids can play and hang out together or even cheer on teammates poolside.
      • Volunteer shift change at event 41 - make sure to check in by event 30 (or earlier)