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Greetings Swim Fans!!

It has been a quick winter season and we are just over one week away from the Polar Bear Championships. Attached is the meet event file for Team Manager/Meet Manager. It is set up to convert meters to yards times for the meet. PLEASE HAVE ALL ENTRIES TO ME NO LATER THAN 12PM NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23. If next week ends up being anything like this week, I am going to be stretched for time in trying to put this meet together. We have upwards of 490 swimmers on the rosters this year, so each session may be fairly sizable.

Two separate Championship topics for this email. The first set is for coaches and parents. The second set of topics is housekeeping items that I need to insure EVERY parent is aware of before the meet.

Section 1, Meet information and logistics:

1.All 11 & Over Swimmers: Their session is Friday evening, February 24. We are closing the pools at 5PM. We will open the door to meet participants no earlier than 5:15PM. We will start letting teams warm up as they arrive starting at 5:30. Let’s all plan to try and stay in the water for no more than 10 minutes when we warm up. I want to be out of the pool by 6:20 and start the meet as soon after that as we can. I do not foresee us running much later than 8PM.

2.All 8 & Under Swimmers: Their session of the meet is the first of two Saturday afternoon sessions. We are closing the Aquatics Center at noon (we have swim lessons and lap swimming till then). We will open the Aquatics Center to participants no earlier than 12:15. We will start warm ups as soon after that as we can. We will look to start the relays at 1PM. I will work out a warm up schedule for teams next week once I have the numbers for the meet. I do not foresee this session running much longer than 2:30-2:45.

3.All 9 & 10 Swimmers: We will plan to allow swimmers entry to the Aquatics Center between 2:30 and 2:45. We will get warm ups running promptly and begin the meet around 3:20 is we can. I do not foresee this session going much past 4:45. As this is a smaller group, we may take a few minutes between each stroke so that we can get a little rest and readjusted. Especially around relay time.

4.No write-ins at the meet. All entries submitted by noon next Thursday should be final.

5.I will need 2 timers from each team for each session. Please bring stopwatches, I only have 7 working watches.

6.Teams will set up team areas on the far side of the pool from the lap pool. We will not have a formal clerk of course. Coaches will get their swimmers behind the blocks.

7.Swimmers must have a time in an event they are entered. Each team may only send A relays, no B relays in the championship. All swimmers must have swum in at least 1 meet during the regular season.

8.I may possibly need someone to enter times at the Saturday sessions. I will have Friday night covered. Coaches will remain after the meet on Saturday for the ribbon and medal labeling party!! If we have all of our ducks in a row, this should only take about 20 minutes once I have all of the labels printed. I will have the 11 & over and the 8 & under ready to go already.