Gator Families,

Even if you are not attending time trials, please make sure to check out the "Parent Meet Information 2026" attached to this email as these will be the general announcements and information passes along tonight, as well as "Swim Meet 101," "What to Pack" for a swim meet list, and how to write your swimmer's events on their arm. I also have a few passes that were bought early in the season and sent to the pool, if you have purchased yours within the last week they will be mailed to your home address. If you have not purchased your pass yet, here is the link to purchase your pass. Gators Pool Pass Purchase

We will have picture packets to hand out at time trials, as well as on Friday morning at pictures for those who can’t make time trials. Your swimmer will get their team shirt that they will wear for pictures tomorrow, as well as their Gator cap for the season. For pictures, we will take the group picture in team shirts, followed by individual pictures. Your swimmer may take their individual picture in their shirt or a swimsuit of your choosing.

Don’t forget to Declare for next week’s meets by Monday and Wednesday at NOON respectively for each meet. Additionally, spiritwear sales close Sunday. Here is the link: https://g-town-gators26.alleycatstore.com/default.aspx

If you are not attending time trials, you can stop reading here.

Time Trials Info Below

Today is the big day! Time trials! Our first major event of the season.

Some things to note:

1. We are running this meet backwards by age. Typically the little swim first, but we want to use this as a learning experience. So the littles are encouraged to watch how the bigger swimmers do things before their events, especially how clerk of course (some teams call it the bullpen) works.
2. Heat sheets are attached to this email, as well as published in the SwimTopia app. Swimmers who are ages 12 and under will be swimming freestyle and backstroke; 6 and unders will only be doing freestyle. Swimmers who are 13 and over will be swimming all strokes. "Athlete entries" is a way to see all events your swimmer is entered in so you know where to look on the heat sheets. Additionally 11 and over events will be swam mixed gender to reduce the need to run smaller heats.
3. Swimmers 13 and over will report to clerk for the individual freestyle events so the younger swimmers can watch how “Clerk” works from expert swimmers :-) During regular season meets, swimmers who are 13 and over do not need to go to clerk of course as they are expected to get themselves behind the block at the time of their event.
4. There will be no relays for time trials.
5. Remember, all hands will be needed to learn how to do the various jobs at the meet. Even if you did not sign up for a job at trials, we will need a lot of help to help the swimmers learn how swim meets work and dust our own adult cobwebs off of how we do different jobs during the meets. I have attached the job sign up to this email as well.
6. Please arrive around 5:45 P.M. Stretching will start at 5:50 P.M. followed by in-water warm ups at 5:55 P.M. The 11 and overs will have in-water warm ups for the first 15 minutes (6:00-6:10) followed by the 10 and unders from 6:15-6:25. The pool is open until 6:00 P.M., so our time line may shift slightly. Once in water warm-ups begin for the 10 and unders, we will have a short parent meeting and make sure everyone knows what job they will be helping with for the mock meet.
7. There is a long list of items below the body of this email that are just housekeeping things that will be discussed at time trials. However, to keep things short and moving quickly, we would like to provide the bulk of the information in the email and we will just highlight important information at the parent meeting before the meet starts.

Also, attached to this email you will find a Swim Meet 101 Guide to help new families know a little about what to expect before and during a swim meet, as well as a “checklist” of items to bring (this is taken from our winter meet, so you may not need everything on the list).

Go Gators! Swim FAST!!!

~ The Germantown Gator Board

Time Trials Parent Meet Information

• General Announcements
  • We’ll continue to communicate via email, Facebook, 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
  • 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 waters during the meets; food trucks will be available for home meets.
  • During practices, please do NOT hang out near the pool as it is distracting to swimmers and coaches. This is their time to teach and learn.
  • We also would appreciate no pictures from behind the blocks during swim meets as this is league policy.
  • 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 - 6 total shifts
  • If all families do not sign up for their six shifts, we may need some of our wonderful families to help us out if we get in a pinch.
  • Reminder: there will be a rotating basis of families serving as standby for meets.
  • 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. Volunteer jobs do close the night before the meet so we can plan accordingly for the meets.
  • Please know that if you are volunteering you can absolutely step away to watch your child swim (unless you are a timer or an official ;-), just communicate with others who are working at your area to make sure there is coverage, board members will also be checking periodically
  • Work deposit - we do not capture Credit Card funds for families who complete the requirement (6 shifts)
  • 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 with Alissa Eshbaugh at the front 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 Coach Andrew 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 5:00 for home meets and in water begins at 5:10 for home meets and for away meets stretching is 5:15 and in water 5:30
      • After warm ups, kids get ready for medley 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. The goal is for Events 81/82 to start slightly before 6:00 P.M.
      • 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 one stroke
      • 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)