Happy Sunday, Tiger Sharks families!

Thank you all for coming out to the parent meetings this week - Ms. Shayna and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with you all! We are especially thankful for your time and support during this transition, and are looking forward to a great rest of the season! As promised, this email serves as just a quick recap of the main topics discussed during the meeting.

1. Coaching Staff & Team Moms

I am excited to announce our coaching staff for the remainder of the season! Welcome back Coach Ryan and Coach Isaiah to the team, and a special welcome to Coach Kelly, who brings with her a wealth of knowledge I am confident will be an asset to our team. I am looking forward to you all getting to know each of these three wonderful coaches!

I am also so happy to have the support of our Team Moms (Ms. Hannah, Ms. Laura, Ms. Cat, and Ms. Khanh) again this season. These ladies are without a doubt an invaluable team who help keep things running smoothly behind the scenes, both on and off the pool deck, and I'm incredibly grateful for each of them and their extra support and guidance as we prepare for our first swim meet!

2. Volunteering

Each swim season comes with a wealth of opportunities for parents to support the team at each swim meet. This year, we are fortunate to be hosting three of our meets at home, so the need for volunteers will be even greater than in previous seasons. Each family is required to volunteer for three (3) shifts per season. That means, one parent may volunteer for a job position for one half of each swim meet, three times. Both parents can volunteer, or just one parent - we are flexible in this regard! Sign-ups for volunteer positions will go live the week of each meet on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm. All volunteers will check-in upon arrival at the meets; I will gather all volunteers and have a quick meeting as a group before the meet gets started. Please keep in mind that these volunteer positions are available on a first-come, first-serve basis - once they are full, they are full. If something comes up and you are no longer able to fulfill your selected volunteer position, please let me know as soon as possible so we can fill the slot with another parent. It is crucial that we have all positions filled to ensure the meet runs as smoothly as possible.

I strongly encourage you all to not wait until the end of the season to start knocking these out, as failure to meet this requirement results in a $50 fine (per family).

3. Location/Times of Meets

The meet schedule can be found on our website page, located under the "Swim Meet Schedule" tab. For all three home meets - warm-ups will begin promptly at 12:00 pm, with the meet itself starting at 1:00 pm. I will send out these timelines again prior to each meet as a reminder. All swim meets will be held in the Fort Mill Aquatics Center pool (FMAC).

When arriving for the meets, please park in the back parking lot behind the Aquatics Center and enter through the main doors on that side only. Please do not enter through the main Complex as you would for swim practice - there is no need to scan in at the desk for these meets. We do not have a spectator limit for our home meets, however please keep in mind that seating on the bleachers is limited and only available on a first-come first-serve basis. You are welcome to bring folding chairs to sit on deck if you would like.

We will have concessions available at each home meet, typically consisting of light snacks (chips, candies, etc.), as well as pizzas and a selection of beverages. You are welcome to bring your own snacks if you like, however please understand that we are a nut-free facility and ask all snacks brought from home be nut-free as well. Please note our concessions stand is cash only, no Venmo or other electronic payments will be able to be accepted. 

4. Heat Sheets will not be for sale this year, but will be available on the SwimTopia app. These will be posted to the app Friday afternoon-evening and available for viewing. Once the heat sheets are posted, they are fully locked, no changes are able to be made. Parents will not be able to request or select events for their swimmer(s); the events selected for each swimmer are at the Coach's discretion. We understand not all swimmers like each stroke, but encourage everyone to try their best and be open-minded in order to gain the experience of swimming in different events. Each swimmer will swim in a maximum of three (3) individual events, with the opportunity to swim in a relay team as well.

5. What to Bring

I highly encourage each swimmer bring at LEAST two towels, one for sitting on in between events, one for drying off with after each event. Swimmers will need their team suit (or a solid color if one was not purchased), team shirts, and team cap. They should bring a water bottle to stay hydrated during the meet. Please make sure all of your swimmer's belongings are labeled with their name! We find a LOT of items left behind after each meet and want to be able to return everyone's belongings back to them as soon as possible.

I appreciate your time and attention to these matters! As always, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and look forward to seeing you all on deck tomorrow afternoon!

Respectfully,

Coach Taryn