Swim Buddies

We are very lucky to have such wonderful swimmers and their families join the swim team for a short two months.  It is amazing to see what kind of friendships are formed from our summer swim team.  It is wonderful for the kids to have support from not only their families but also other swimmers while they participate in an activity they enjoy.

We find the swim buddy program a wonderful tool in helping strengthen the relationships between our swimmers.  It is fun to watch the younger and older swimmers cheer each other on during meets as this is the easiest thing a buddy can do.  This program helps support what values the Gators believe in.

Listed below are Male and Female swim buddies.  If you have questions or need to be introduced to your buddy please ask a coach or a board member.

Male Swim Buddies
Little Buddy	Big Buddy
Jack Donati	Alex Granquist
Conor Sharpe	Nathan Whittenburg
Jonas Belcher	Kaden Fuller
Nick Langan	Brett Edwards
Jake Swanson	Ben Hofstra
Charles Wahlberg	Isaac Perez-Williams
Jakey Skimel	Jaimen Whittenburg
Elias Hutchison	Marc Felton and Carder Berridge
Owen Berg	Spencer Coffey
Everett Tompkins	Jackson Voss
Dominic Anderson	Evan Neuroth
Kai Langan	Connor Brauch
Michael Skimel	Harry Wahleberg
David Neuroth	Mason Friedrichs
Ben Swanson	Ethan Ballard
Sonny Donati	John Neuroth
Justin Collins	Beck Nicholson
Patrick Davis	Eli Sammon

Female Swim Buddies
Little Buddy	Big Buddy
Teagan Fuller	Anastasia Davis
Lucy Bell	Katy Haerbig
Whitney Price	Lucielle Wright
Lexi Ballard	Kati Livingood
Delaney Lucero	Opal Perez-Williams
Anisa Valdez	Alex Gibbons
Lily Strong	Lexi Merrill
Leah Felton	Kayli Langan
McKinley Longley	Elisa Pickett
Norah Belcher	Kylie Knutson
Sophia Coffey	Taryn McGraw
Scarlett Baker	Rachel Warren
Alex Strong	Madison Merrill
Taetum Fuller	Lexie Lamping
Addy Berg	Sammy Skrzekut
Maddie Friedrichs	Emma Neuroth
Taylor Guenther	Megan Cooper
Kiana Good	Emma Forney
Rachel Bakkum	Megan Snelling
Mia Slowey	Emily Ballard
Tenley Fuller	Anna Granquist
Brooke Tompkins	Sidney Tonkin
Isabel Ballard	Ianna Debrunner
Makenna Maloch	Emma Berg
Lucy Voss	Emma Phillips
Jensen Wehri	Marie Handy
Lily Bell	Taylor Haerbig
Allison Duong	Elsa Debrunner

Schedule June 12th-June 17th

The Gators swim season is off to a great start and they are having great swims.  We just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the schedule for this week.

Saturday, June 17th:  swim meet at Green Mountain  Swim Club against Golden.  Swimmers should be at the pool ready for warm-ups at 6:00am with the meet starting at 7:00am.  Swimmers will sign-up at the pool by the end of practice on Thursday.  Swimmers can swim 3 individual events and need to indicate if they can participate in relays.  Parents need to volunteer their time helping with this meet.  

Butterfly stroke clinic:  Tuesday and Wednesday 9:45-10:15am.  Swimmers must be signed-up to participate in this clinic.  The coaches will work with kids needing additional help on this stroke.

Tuesday and Thursday 8:00-9:00pm:  upper division practice.  Please don't forget to text Porter if you plan on attending so a coach doesn't show up if there aren't any swimmers.  Parents are welcome to participate.

Please also watch for the swimmer buddies to be posted as well as the swimmer of the week

Have a great week!  

Thanks for a fun Gator Freestyle Frenzy meet

Thank you to all the swimmers who swam in our first annual Gator Freestyle Frenzy meet. There were lots of great swims today. Thank you to the parents who came out and volunteered their time to help make this meet successful. A special thanks to the few parents who came and volunteered today and didn't even have a swimmer participating. This is what being part of the Gators is all about.

Practice times reminder

Parents, please adhere to the practice times policy for the specific age groups. We do not have sufficient lane space for the kids to swim up in practice on a regular basis. Your cooperation is necessary to make practice time effective for the swimmers and coaches. Thank you and please see me if you have any questions.

Gator Freestyle Frenzy meet

This Sunday we are hosting a new meet and inviting other teams in our league.  This meet will used as a fundraising event to help support the Gators and the swim club.  Since this a new meet we are asking for volunteers to help make this event successful.  If your child is swimming in this meet please make sure you sign-up to volunteer your time.  Even if your swimmer isn't swimming we are happy to have you come watch this fun meet and lend a hand in making this run smoothly.  This meet will run differently than normal meets so families will be here from the start of the meet to the end (to watch the awards).  Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Tie-Dye washing instructions

It was great to see all the Gators tie-dying their items.  Thank you for all your support in this fun swim team event.  Here are the tie-dye washing instructions in case you forgot to pick these up last night.

Tie-Dye washing instructions:

Please wait 24 hours to wash. Leave the item in the bag until you are ready to wash.  While the shirt is still tied, it needs to be rinsed under cold running water.  When you see very little dye running off the item, start to gradually remove the rubber bands while still rinsing.  Get as much dye out as possible this way.  Immediately after rinsing wash the item ( by itself ) with cold water and soap in the washing machine.  Once this item has been washed and dried you are good to wear. 

Wear your Gator gear around the pool

Go Gators!!!!

Upper Division night practice begins next week

I would like to take a minute and thank all the Gator families who showed up last night to attend the parent meeting, purchase Gator gear, tie-dye items to wear all summer long and also eat some ice cream.  It was a great night and I can't wait to see the tie-dye items around the pool.

Our upper division (13-18 year olds) night practice will begin next week.  This practice will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00-9:00pm.  These night practices are to be used for swimmers who are looking for an additional workout.  This practice is not to be used in lieu of attending morning practice.  A coach will be willing to hold these practices as long as this practice is well attended.  Please text Porter (720-999-6725) if you intend on coming to practice as if no one is planning on swimming Porter (or another coach) will take this opportunity to go to bed early :)  Parents are also invited to attend this practice.

Please ask if you have any questions about this

Stroke clinics begin the week of June 13th

We are excited to be able to provide stroke clinics to assist swimmers with specific stroke technique.  Our coaches will hold stoke clinics on Tuesday and Wednesdays for kids (that have signed up) needing additional stroke work.  Each week will offer a different stroke.  These clinics will be held from 9:45-10:15am.  You may sign your child(ren) up for 2 of these stroke clinics as we would like to make this opportunity available to as many swimmers as possible.  You can see the stroke clinic sign-up here and it will show the dates and the stroke that will be worked on.

Also the coaches are available for private lessons if needed.  You can talk to a coach to discuss scheduling this lesson outside of swim team practice.  These lessons are $35.00 per half an hour ($25.00 will be paid to the coach and $10.00 will be paid to the swim club).

Please discuss any questions you may have about this with a coach or board member

Gator Freestyle Frenzy

We are excited to host a new meet called the Gator Freestyle Frenzy.  This meet will be held at Green Mountain Swim Club on Sunday, June 11th.  This meet is used as a fundraiser for our team and swim club.

The format of this meet will be each swimmer swimming 3 distances of freestyle, with the longest distance being swam first. The times from this meet will be used to help swimmers qualify for the Ken Caryl Invitational as well as League and State.  This meet will finish with a fun freestyle swim and some mini plastic gators swimming across the pool.

A swimmer is eligible to participate in this meet if they have swam any distance of freestyle and has a "B" Qualifying time or better.  If you would like to participate in the event and haven't already qualified, please plan on swimming some freestyle in the swim meet this Saturday.  If you have already qualified, we will send an email asking if you can participate on Sunday.

Go Gators!!!!!!!!

Swim Buddies

For the last few years our Gator swimmers have participated in the swim buddy program (Big Buddy/Little Buddy).  This program was created by a previous swim coach in an effort to help the Junior Gators transition into becoming the sport of swimming and to help them navigate swim meets.  This also provides our older Gators some responsibility by helping assist and support the younger swimmers. The program also fosters team spirit, family and camaraderie by connecting the older swimmers with the younger ones.  Big buddies are generally 13&older while Little buddies are 12&under.  This partnership should focus on team unity, spirit and sportsmanship.  The buddy program is not about elaborate gifts-it is about being a supportive teammate! 

There is no requirement that swimmers participate in the buddy program but we strongly encourage everyone to participate.  The coaching staff will organize the buddy program and pair swimmers together.  Once buddies are assigned we expect the Big buddies to introduce themselves and get to know their buddy.
Responsibilities of buddies include but are not limited to:

• meeting your buddy and introducing yourself
• greet your buddy at each meet
• Big buddies help Little buddies at meets with event numbers
• Create something for your buddy:  write a note, draw a picture, make a friendship bracelet
• CHEER, CHEER, CHEER, CHEER and CHEER!!!
• Congratulate your buddy after their swim

We would love to see 100% participation in this program but this is completely voluntary.  We need to know by the end of the week if you would like to be a Big/Little swim buddy.  Please tell the coaches during practice this week if you want to participate (or if you don't).  Once we get all these names we will get swimmers matched up and these will be posted.
Please let us know if you have any questions about this.

Swimmer of the week-begins next week

Last year we implemented the swimmer of the week.  This was started to recognize swimmers for their hard work in and out of the water.  We are going to start this again as we feel it is important to show the swimmers we appreciate their effort and team work.  Below are the factors that are included when considering at swimmer of the week.  The coaches will be watching swimmers throughout the week (starting this Monday) and the swimmer of the week will be announced on Monday mornings.

Swimmer of the Week

During the summer swim season the coaches will be recognizing one female and one male swimmer each week.  Swimmers can be chosen from any age group.  Upon being chosen for the swimmer of the week the swimmer will be recognized on the blog and on the bulletin board at the swimming pool as well as receiving a mini Gator.

Swimmer of the Week criteria

• Behavior and Attitude:  highest standards for behavior and manners at all swim team functions; positive attitude in regards to all swimming related programs
• Effort:  demonstrate a resilient, consistent, hard-work ethic both in and out of the pool
• Attendance:  attends practice regularly; participates in meets consistently
• Learning:  demonstrates excellent listening skills; responsiveness to instruction; improve skill development
• Organization:  demonstrates independence; self motivator; arrives on time; has all "equipment"
• Performance:  applies skills and techniques acquired/developed during practice in meets; demonstrates proper form; drops time in events
• Team Work:  demonstrates excellent team work helping all team mates; cheers for other swimmers during events; participates in buddy program
• Gator Factor:  All the above and a little something extra!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, June 7th: Mandatory parent meeting and tie-dye and ice cream social

On Wednesday, June 7th we will have our annual tie-dye and ice cream social.  This is a tradition of  tie-dying apparel with the Gator team colors that had been carried on for years .  We are going to incorporate a mandatory parent meeting into this event.

This event will be from 6:00-8:00pm

• Mandatory Parent meeting will begin at 6:00pm.  Please plan on having one parent attend this meeting.  We will discuss some summer season information and introduce all of the coaches and board members.
• Tie-Dye can be completed anytime between 6:00-7:30pm (this will allow them to finish by 8:00pm when the pool closes).  Each person is responsible for bringing an item if they would like to tie-dye.  The swim team will supply the dye (and the fun).  It would be helpful if the item you were going to tie-dye was already prepared with rubber bands.
• Ice Cream will be served around 6:30pm and will be available until this is all eaten.
• We will also have our Gator apparel (shirts, sweatshirts, hats and swim caps) available for purchase.  These items can be purchase with cash, check or credit card.  We will have white tank tops available for purchase as an option of something Gator to tie-dye.  

NOTE:  The pool will be open and kids will be able to swim.  

We hope to see lots of swimmers on this evening (and remind Mother Nature that we have a swim team event so she will cooperate and give us good weather).

Information for 5 Parks meet

Here is some information for this Saturdays swim meet
First, the Individual events have been entered.  I apologize we didn't communicate that swimmers can swim (3) individual events.  If swimmers only signed up for (2) events and they want to swim (3) we can make these changes at practice on Friday morning.  Please have your swimmers talk to a coach or to Jennifer to get this additional event added.  (Jennifer will be easy to spot sitting behind the computer).  We will get the relays put together tomorrow morning and all of this information will be posted tomorrow afternoon.

We will not have a team tent set-up at 5 Parks because they have turf.  The Gators will gather outside of the pool area on the turf grass (to the East of the pool).  If your family is planning on bringing a tent/umbrella please make sure you have weights or sand bags for this.  There is NO STAKING into the ground.  Also parents don't forget to sign-up to volunteer to time at this meet.

We are excited to swim in our first dual meet.  See you all at 6:30am.
Swim Fast!!

Swim Practice Times--please read

It is always hard to know the number of kids swimming in each age division when we set practice times. It is always a risk when we set these times on if session will balance out. Well this year is one of those times where it isn't very even.  In our upper division practice we have about 10 kids to a lane and that is not very productive for the swimmers.

We are going to enforce the specific age group practice times as well as change the 13 year old practice times. If you are swimming up in practice we need you to attend your regular age group practice. Also the 13 year olds will begin to practice from 8:00-9:00am. 

This change will be beneficial to all the swimmers involved. It will give each swimmer more space in their lanes and provide them more swim time.

If arrangements were not already made to participate in a different practice we appreciate your cooperation in adhering this.  These changes will take effect immediatly. 

Wednesday night fun

What could make a swim meet on a Wednesday night even better than it already is?  PIZZA!!!!

We wanted to let you know we will be serving pizza meals tomorrow night at the Intrasquad meet.  This will make getting to the pool by 5:00pm for warm-ups that much easier.  You don't need to worry about dinner, just eat with the family at the pool.  In between your swimmers events and/or before/after you have volunteered, stop by to purchase dinner.

We will be selling pizza meals (slice of pizza, chips and a drink) as well as these items individually.

See you all tomorrow

And parents don't forget to sign-up to volunteer timing.  

Intrasquad meet: Wednesday, May 31st

Swim team has officially started!  Let's hope we can keep the rain out of the forecast.  Our first important event will be Wednesday, May 31st.  The Gators will have our first Intrasquad meet.  This meet will be held at Green Mountain Swim Club. Warm-up for the swimmers will begin at 5:00pm and the meet will start at 5:30pm.

For our new swimmer families here is an insight of what an Intrasquad meet is:
Intrasquad meets are meets that are just for GMST.  They give the swimmers a good idea of what to expect at a real meet as well as the ability to try out a new stoke in competition without the pressure of another team's opponents.  There will be no relays at Intrasquad meets.  The times for these meets count just as they would in a dual meet.

Each swimmer is allowed to swim in two individual events.  We limit the events the swimmers can swim because this meet runs fast (since there are no relays and less swimmers participating). Because of these reasons there is not a lot of rest/recover time and we try to prevent injuries.  Swimmers will be able to sign-up for the events they want to swim on Tuesday and Wednesday at practice.  They will sign-up with the coaches so make sure your swimmer knows if they are able to participate in this meet.  If your swimmer won't be at practice but is able to participate in the Intrasquad please send the events they want to swim to gmstgators@aol.com.

We will also need parent volunteers to help this night happen.  Please help volunteer your time while you watch your kid(s) swim.  Please don't be shy, if you have never volunteered for a specific task before, we have wonderful parents who are always willing to share their knowledge.

We will see you at practice this week and on Wednesday night

Next Week information (May 30th-June 3rd)

Happy Memorial Weekend to our Gator families!  This weekend officially kicks off our summer and we are excited to have our swimmers back in the water.
Here are a few important reminders for next week (Tuesday, May 30th-June 3rd)

• If you haven't signed up for swim team yet please do so to ensure you can swim in our meets
• If you haven't submitted your payment and/or forms please do this as soon as possible (you can hand them to any coach and/or board member)
• We will begin morning practices on Tuesday, May 30th.  These will be at the Green Mountain Swim Club
• 13&up practice 6:30-8:00am
• 10-12 year olds practice 8:00-9:00am
• 9&under practice 9:00-9:50am
• Our first Intrasquad meet is Wednesday, May 30th.  There will be another post with more information about this night.
• Saturday, June 3rd will be our first meet of the season.  Swimmer event sign-up for this meet will be available Wednesday.  Parent volunteer and pool location information is on the right hand side of the blog. 

We are glad summer is here and we are ready to be at the pool.
Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

After school practice starts Tuesday

I hope Mother Nature realizes that we are starting summer swim team and the sun decides to come out and stay for awhile.  There has been a few changes to the after school swim practice schedule as mentioned earlier but we just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of these.

Mark your calendars for the following:

After school practice Tuesday, May 23rd-Friday, May 26th

All practices will be held at Green Mountain Rec Center

3:00-4:15pm practice for 13&up

4:15-5:15pm practice for 12&under

Morning practices are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 30th

6:30-8:00am practice for 13&up

8:00-9:00am practice for 10-12 year olds

9:00-9:50am practice for 9&unders

Also note that our first Intrasquad meet is scheduled for Wednesday, May 31st with warm-ups beginning at 5:00pm and the meet starts at 5:30pm.  More information about the Intrasquad will be posted on the Gator Blog soon.  This information will include how swimmers should sign-up for the events they are going to swim and also how to volunteer to help during the meet.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions about practice or anything swim team related.

Need a team swimming suit?

This message is for swimmers who still need a team swimming suit.  If you missed the swimming suit fitting you still have time to order.  You can order online or by calling Colorado Swim Shop.  If you know what size suit your swimmer needs you can order online.  If you are unsure about sizing you also can call Colorado Swim Shop and they can assist you with placing your order with.

https://www.coloradoswimshop.store/green-mountain/
Then click on TEAMS STORE
Then from the drop down menu under TEAM STORE (top menu) select Green Mountain
Password is:   greenM17 (case sensitive)

Colorado Swim Shop
303-545-2090
2525 Arapahoe Ave., C-4
Boulder, CO 80302

If you already ordered your team suit these will be available at practice starting next week.
Let's hope summer decides to show up and stay awhile.

IMPORTANT: change to after school practices

Here is an important message regarding after school practices.  This message affects ALL swimmers.
New Location:  Green Mountain Rec Center (13198 W. Green Mountain Dr.)
New Practice Times:  Upper division (13&up) will practice from 3:00-4:14pm
                                    Younger division (12&under) will practice from 4:15-5:15pm
After school practice will be held Tuesday, May 23rd through Friday, May 26th 
(no practice on Monday, May 22nd)


The swim club is working hard to get the pool ready for us to start after Memorial Day
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this change

Green Mountain Swim Club---Splash Sale....ONE WEEK ONLY

Hello Swim Team Families-

     There is a splash sale!! Swim Club membership is only $395.00 until May 14th.  

Here is a friendly reminder that if you haven't already signed up and/or renewed your swim club membership please do so now, don't hesitate.  There is a sale going on now through Sunday for ALL memberships at an unbelievable rate of $395.00 (that means that you spend less than $5.00 per day for your whole family to enjoy a great pool).  If you haven't been a member in the past please consider joining.  The success of the swim team and the swim club are united. 

Please help support the swimming pool our kids enjoy every morning! 

Please visit the Green Mountain Swim Club page to complete your swim club membership.

Last swim clinic--this Sunday

Attention swim clinic families:
I wanted to thank you for participating in the Spring swim clinics.  We had great swimmers and we hope your child(ren) left these 10 weeks with some new knowledge.  I wanted to remind you all that this Sunday is the last swim clinic.  We hope to see you in the summer.  Please let us know if you have any questions about clinics or summer swim team.

Reminder: Officials Clinic Tomorrow!

We need some parents to step up and help with officiating at swim meets this summer. Returning and new officials need to attend one of the following clinics. New officials also need to attend the in-water demo on 24 May.

Sunday, April 30th at 4:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

Sunday, May 21st at  4:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

Wednesday, May 24th 6:00pm lecture, 7:00pm in water demo at Applewood Knolls (this lecture is only for returning officials. However, all new officials need to attend the in water demo.)

Sunday, June 4th at 2:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

If you have questions, please contact Jim Fernald directly, jimfswim@comcast.net

Introducing our coaches for this summer

We are excited for the coaches that will be leading the Gators this summer!

We are very fortunate that Porter Bennett will be returning as Head Coach and working with the 13-18 age group.  Porter has been a part of the coaching staff for 3 years, he coached the 9-12 year olds and transitioned to head coach last year and will lead the team again this year.  Porter gets to know each swimmer to help them reach their individual goals; while also supporting them to work together as a team.  During the years he has been coaching, our little team has upset the bigger teams at State to place 2nd place in 2015 and again in 2016.  Porter is finishing his junior year in college and he's majoring in Economics.

Ethan Schick will be returning this season after some traveling at the beginning of the summer.  Ethan will be responsible for coaching the 9-12 year olds.  Ethan has swam with the Gators since he was an 8 & under.  His first leadership role with the team was helping with the 8 & unders and he did a great job with this.  We are excited for him to move up with this age group so he can continue to help them succeed.  Ethan is finishing his second year at Colorado College and is continues to break records in his butterfly.

We are thrilled to welcome Kaylyn Schull to the Gators as a coach.  Kaylyn swam as a Gator for 6 years and was a key part of our dominant upper division.  Kaylyn is finishing her freshman year at Biola University in Southern California where she is studying accounting and continues to swim.  We are excited to have a strong backstroke coach on the team and welcome the skills she can pass along to the kids.  Kaylyn will be working the 8 & under age group.

You will also see Dylan Jacob and Emma Berg working with the swimmers and coaches.
Dylan will be coaching the 9-12 year olds at the beginning of the season; filling in for Ethan.  Dylan has also been a Gator since he was an 8 & under and exemplifies good sportsmanship in swimming, football, basketball and baseball.  He has helped coach our swim clinics and the 8 & unders for the past few years.  Dylan is a high energy coach with a great sense of humor.  Dylan is great with the kids, so we are glad we get to have his help before he goes off to college.
The younger swimmers will get the privilege of working with Emma Berg. Emma has taken the initiative to work with the beginning swimmers during our clinics and has shown great responsibility.  Emma will be in the water with the little Gators helping them get comfortable and stronger at swimming.  Emma has a positive and patient nature, demonstrates amazing abilities, and the kids love her!

We welcome all our coaches to a wonderful summer swim season!

How can you help?

Our swim team is supported by parent volunteers.  It is important that all families volunteer to help to make the swim team successful for all swimmers.  The swim team board is looking for people who will be responsible for some specific few jobs.  Please let us know if you are interested in helping with one of these tasks.  The following tasks listed below are what we are in immediate need of filling

• Help shop for concession items.  This task includes grocery shopping at Sams or Costco and King Soopers for home meets.  You would also be responsible for setting up the concession area the morning of home meets.
• Help data enter at home meets.  Are you good with computers and entering numbers?  Your time would be used to enter results for home meets.
• Do you have an oven and can assist with heating burritos?  We are looking for a few volunteers who can help warm up burritos the mornings of home meets.
• Are you a party planner?  We would love your assistance with getting the special team events set up.  This includes purchasing the necessary items as well as helping set up the day of the event.
• Do you understand the strokes of swimming or are willing to be trained?  We are in urgent need of more Gator officials.  This volunteer position comes with great benefits as you get a front row spot at swim meets.  You must attend a training session for this job.  

Please email gmstgators@aol.com if you are interest in helping with one of these specific tasks. There will be additional volunteer opportunities available throughout the season but these are specific and immediate needs we are looking for.  

Less than 30 days to the first swim team practice

Can you believe we are 29 days away from our first summer swim team practice?
Here are a few important reminders as we prepare for swim team

1. If you have not signed your swimmer up for the summer swim team please complete the registration.
• Register online
• Complete the Emergency contact form, Liability form and Code of Conduct
• Mail payment and forms to Jennifer Friedrichs (address is on the blog)
2. Please plan on attending the swimming suit fitting on Sunday, April 30th.  This event will be held at Green Mountain Rec Center from 4:30-6:30pm.  This is an opportunity for your swimmer to try on different size swimming suits to find the perfect fit.
3. Mark your calendars for afternoon swim practice.  This begins on Monday, May 22nd.  See age group start times below
• 9&unders:  4:30-5:30pm
• 10-12 year olds:  5:30-6:30pm
• 13&up:  6:30-8:00pm
4. Mark your calendars for the start of morning swim practices.  This begins on Tuesday, May 30th.  See age group start times below
• 13&up:  6:30-8:00am
• 10-12 year olds:  8:00-9:00am
• 9&under:  9:00-9:50am (please note the end time has changed)

We will pass along additional important information as it gets closer.

Go Gators!

Important documents updated

I just wanted to let you know that the Parent Handbook and the FAQ documents have been updated to reflect the 2017 summer season.  Please let us know if you have questions on any of this information or if there is something we didn't answer.  This is a great resource for new swim team families and we hope you find it helpful.

You can visit the Gator Blog for these resources and more.

Green Mountain Swim Club clean up day

The Green Mountain Swim Club is busy getting the pool ready for the summer.  If you are a member of the swim club and a member of swim team we would appreciate your help on Saturday, April 29th to help clean up around the pool.  Any time you can volunteer to help is greatly appreciated.  You can earn a guest pass if you volunteer 2+ hours.  This clean-up will be 8am-12pm at the pool.  For more information about this day please click on the following link for more details.

Happy Easter Gator families

On behalf of the Green Mountain Swim Team Board, we would like to wish all the Gator families a Happy Easter and happy egg finding.  We hope you all enjoy your Sunday.

Please remember there will be NO swim clinic this weekend due to the Holiday.
We will see you all on April 23rd if you are participating in clinics
We will see more of you on April 30th if you are in need of a team swimming suit.

Mark your calendars for the swimming suit fitting

Mark your calendars:  Sunday, April 30th 4:30-6:30pm for the Gator team swimming suit fitting
This is the date that our swimming suit vendor will be taking orders for the team swimming suit.  They will have different sizes on hand for swimmers to try on so that correct size suit can be ordered.  If your swimmer is swimming in the clinics on this night please arrive early so they can try these suits on while they are dry.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this gmstgators@aol.com

Start dates for swim team practice

We are happy to tell you that we will be back in the pool in just 48 days!
The Gators will begin after school practice beginning May 22nd. Please see below for age groups and practice times
9&under practice 4:30-5:30pm
10-12 year olds practice 5:30-6:30pm
13&up practice 6:30-8:00pm
After school practice will be May 22nd-May 26th.  These practices will be at Green Mountain Swim Club.

We will then begin our regular morning swim practice times beginning Tuesday, May 30th.  Please see below for age groups and practice times
13&up practice 6:30-8:00am
10-12 year olds 8:00-9:00am
9&under 9:00-9:50am*
*please note the end time for the 9&under practice has changed to 9:50am.  This is to allow the pool to begin swimming lessons on time.  Thanks for understanding
Morning practice will be held Monday-Friday unless otherwise mentioned.  All practices will be at Green Mountain Swim Club.

Spring Break swim clinic schedule

I just wanted to send out a reminder of our schedule for the spring swim clinics during Spring Break.  We will have swim clinics this Sunday, March 26th at the regular scheduled times.  There will be NO swim clinic next Sunday, April 2nd. We hope you enjoy your break.

No evening swim team offered this summer

We are sorry to announce that we will not be offering an evening swim team session this summer.  Last summer, for the first time, we attempted an evening swim team practice for swimmers that had scheduling conflicts which prohibited them from attending the morning sessions.  We were excited that we got great swimmers from this test session and wonderful families added to the team.  After reviewing how the summer went we decided that there wasn't enough benefits to continue this.  It was hard with the evening weather that we had to keep a consistent practice schedule and the evening swimmers didn't get to experience the true team environment that is important to us.  Please let us know if you have any questions about this.  Again we apologize to the families that won't be able to make the morning session work.

Official Clinics--training dates

Have you ever wondered where the best spot at a swim meet is?  Do you want to be right at the edge of the pool to watch your swimmers?  Well the solution to both of these questions is to become an official.  

The Foothills Swim Association will train any and all parents who would like to volunteer their time as an official.  We would love to have our existing and any new parents attend one of the following training sessions.

Officials Clinics have been scheduled for the following dates:  

All officials need to attend one of the following trainings. 

Sunday, April 30th at 4:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

Sunday, May 21st at  4:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

Wednesday, May 24th 6:00pm lecture, 7:00pm in water demo at Applewood Knolls (this lecture is only for returning officials. However, all new officials need to attend the in water demo.)

Sunday, June 4th at 2:30pm at Green Mountain Recreation Center

If you have questions, please contact Jim Fernald directly, jimfswim@comcast.net

Summer swim team registration

With the warm weather it makes us realize how close summer swim team is.  We are excited to start registration for the summer swim team season.   Please start watching the blog for updates as we pass along information about things starting this summer  It is easy to be notified of updates if you like Green Mountain Swim Team on Facebook or subscribe on the Gator blog.  

If you plan on swimming with the Green Mountain Gators this summer please complete the following registration.  Use the following link to sign your swimmer up.  Upon completing the registration you will mail in your payment along with the completed emergency contact form, liability waiver and code of conduct.

We will publish the summer swim practice times as soon as they are finalized.  This will include the start dates and the start times.

We are excited to start thinking swim team.  Please let us know if you have any questions about swim team or the registration process.

Spring Swim Clinic practice time changes

We are excited for our Spring Clinic to begin this Sunday.  We have made a few changes to the age groups and their practice times to help balance out the number of swimmers per lane.  Please see the changes below.
If your child was born in or after 2007 they will attend the 5:00-6:00pm session
If your child was born in or before 2006 they will attend the 6:00-7:00pm session

We understand that there are some siblings that this change may affect.  If it is easier to bring both of them to the same session please have them attend the session of the younger sibling.

Also if your swimmer is in the water from 6:00-7:00pm please remind them to get in and out of the locker room as quickly as possible so the Rec Center can close in a timely manner.

Please plan on bringing your payment of $90 per swimmer to the first swim clinic (thank you!)

Swim meet sign-up survey

We would like your input about how swimmers sign-up for swim meets.  We have created a survey for parents to complete to share their thought on what the best way for swimmers to pick their events is.  This is for families who have been swimming with the Gators for 2+ years as we are comparing the different ways it was done in the past.  Please share your thoughts so we can make improvements for the 2017 summer swim season.
Please complete the swim meet sign-up survey
Thanks for your time as we appreciate your input

2017 important dates

We are excited to have our schedule for the 2017 summer swim season.  Please add the following dates to your calendar and start thinking summer (it will be here before we know it).

We will update the blog with information about after school and morning swim team practice as soon as we have this information.  Below are important dates for swim meets and swim team events.

May 31st:  Intrasquad I meet begins at 5:30pm with warm-ups at 5:00pm
June 3rd:  GMST vs 5 Parks meet begins at 7:00am with warm-ups at 6:30am
June 7th:  Tie-Dye and Ice Cream social from 6:00-8:00pm
June 10th:  MVCC vs GMST meet begins at 7:00am with warm-ups at 6:00am
June 11th:  Gator Freestyle Frenzy @ GMST meet begins at 7:00am *more information to come
June 17th:  Golden vs GMST meet begins at 7:00am with warm-ups at 6:00am
June 21st:  Intrasquad II meet begins at 5:30pm with warm-ups at 5:00pm
June 23rd and 24th:  Ken Caryl Invite
June 25th: C/D meet at Golden
June 25th:  Pentathlon @ Applewood Athletic Club
June 28th:  Pictures, Pancakes and Water World
July 8th:  GMST vs Applewood Knolls
July 12th:  Intrasquad III meet begins at 5:30pm with warm-ups at 5:00pm
July 15th:  WheatRidge vs GMST meet begins at 7:00am with warm-ups at 6:30am
July 16th:  Last Chance @ GMST
July 19th:  Movie Night
July 21st-23rd:  League @ Anderson Pool
July 28th-30th:  State Meet @ Splash

Open board positions

Do your kids love summer swim team? Would you like to become more involved in the swim team family? Think about joining the swim team board. We would love to have you as part of our board.  Speaking from personal experience (this is Jennifer) there is no swim team background needed.

We currently have an open board position and two more available after this summer (Jennifer and Dave will be leaving after the 2017 summer season). This is a wonderful opportunity to become involved and understand how all the parts of the swim team work. The job responsibilities are flexible and we are confident there will be a task that you can help with and enjoy doing.

Please email gmstgators@aol.com if you would consider joining the board this year and/or shadowing for the next year. We can discuss the roles you are interested in and what responsibilities would work best for you.  If you are planning on possibly joining the board after this summer we would welcome you to shadow some this summer so you can gain some knowledge of these positions.  We would love to have your support.

Thank you for considering volunteering and we look forward to working with new board members this summer.

Spring swim clinics

Now that is it a new year guess what we are doing?  We are starting to think about summer swim team.  

To help prepare the swimmers for the summer season we encourage them to participate in the Spring swim clinics on Sunday night.  These clinics will be held on Sunday evenings at Green Mountain Recreation Center.  Swimmers who are 12 and under will swim from 5:00-6:00pm and swimmers 13 and up will swim from 6:00-7:00pm.  

Please click on the following link to register.

The dates for the clinic are listed below

February 12th

February 26th

March 5th

March 12th

March 19th

March 26th

April 9th

April 23rd

April 30th

May 7th

Please email gmstgators@aol.com with any questions.

See you in February at the pool

Holiday Lights at Adventure Golf and Raceway

Are you looking for something to do this winter break with the kids or family that is visiting?  You can purchase discounted tickets to the Holiday Lights at Adventure Gold and Raceway.  We are able to enjoy these discounted tickets since we are Water World club members.

It's the most wonderful time of year when Adventure Golf and Raceway transforms the park to Holiday Lights Mini Golf.  It is a fantastical journey through 54 holes of miniature golf, with over 100,000 twinkling colorful lights and beautifully decorated features throughout including Woody, the giant talking tree, an erupting volcano, and a booming fireball from our very own temple god. Light holiday treats and beverages will be available for purchase at the park, including hot chocolate, s'mores and select adult spirits.

Brighten up your season at Holiday Lights at Adventure Golf and Raceway with a Elf Pack.  This includes 4 admissions and 4 non-alcoholic drinks for $30.00 per pack.  Please click on the following link and enter GMST, then click submit.  After you click 'submit' you will select Adventure Golf and Raceway to purchase your tickets.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays

It is hard to think it is now December. It seems just like last weeks ago we were swimming outside. We hope all the Gator families had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are getting ready for Christmas.

I want to remind families participating in the Sunday night swim clinics that the last clinic will be December 11th.
We will have the Spring clinic registration posted at the beginning of January. We hope to see some familiar faces in the pool preparing for summer.

Do you need an idea for Christmas presents? You can visit the swim outlet link to purchase Gator apparel.  Please follow this link to start shopping.

Thank you all for your continued support
We wish all of you and your families Happy Holidays

No swim clinics 11/20 or 11/27

Attention Sunday night swim clinic swimmers:
Please remember there is NO swim clinic the next two Sundays due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
We wish all of the Gator families a thankful holiday. We are thankful for our wonderful swim families.

Sign-up for swim clinics

Just a reminder that the Fall swim clinics start this Sunday, September 25th.  This is a 10 week session that helps swimmers work on their techniques for swim team strokes.  Please click the following link to sign your swimmer up.

Thanks and see you at the Rec Center on Sunday.  Please bring your payment and forms if necessary.

Why do we pay for our kids to play sports?

I was reading an article about why we invest so much money into our kids sports.  I found this article to explain a lot of what sports teaches our kids and how it helps them learn things we can't always teach them.

Please read if you like :)

One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do all their sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kids to to do sports. Personally, I couldn't care less about what sport they do.

So, if I am not paying for sports what am I paying for?

- I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don't.

- I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go to their training but they go anyway.

- I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.

- I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body and equipment.

- I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat and humble in success.

- I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that placing or title they'd hoped for, but still they go back week after week giving it their best shot.

- I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.

- I pay for my kids to respect, not only themselves, but other athletes, officials and coaches.

- I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.

- I pay for my kids to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.

- I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of their achievements as I am.

- I pay so that my kids can be out on the field or in the gym instead of in front of a screen...

...I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for sports; I pay for the opportunities that sports provides my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!

~Unknown

Fall Swim Clinic (starts September 25th)

We are excited to get the kids back into the water and swimming again.  The Gators will be starting our fall swim clinics on Sunday, September 25th.  These clinics will be held at the Green Mountain Rec Center (13198 W. Green Mountain Dr.) from 5:00-6:00pm for all swimmers.  The cost for this 10 week swim clinic session is $90.00 (this can't be prorated).  Please complete the registration to get your swimmer signed up.  If your swimmer is new to the Gators swim team please complete the liability and emergency contact forms.  Please bring payment (cash or check made payable to GMST) to the first swim clinic as well as the forms if your child is a new Gator swimmer.

We look forward to seeing the kids in the water again and working on their stroke techniques.
Sunday swim clinic dates MARK YOUR CALENDARS
(5:00-6:00pm)
September 25th
October 2nd
October 9th
October 16th
October 23rd
October 30th
November 6th
November 13th
December 4th
December 11th

Final thank you

I believe I speak on behalf of the board and the coaches of the Gator summer swim team when I say THANK YOU!

Thank you for  a wonderful summer
Thank you for your support to a sport your kid(s) love
Thank you for the laughs throughout the season
Thank you for your patience as we tried new processes
Thank you for the early mornings
Thank you for spending 6 days a week with us
Thank you swimmers for your dedication to work hard
Thank you volunteers
Thank you to the new families and swimmers who took a risk to try swimming with the Gators
Thank you for showing up ready to work hard
Thank you for always (or most of the time) sharing a smile
Thank you to the buddy family swimmers that helped support each other in and out of the water
Thank you to a successful summer swim season

And thank you for advance for helping provide us feedback on the season and any suggestions for improvement for next season.  We would appreciate you completing the following survey to help us know how to continue to make a successful swim team.
Please complete the following Gator Swim Team survey

Please continue to check the Blog as we set dates for the Fall swim clinic session.  You can subscribe to the blog (see the top left to enter your email) and also like Green Mountain Swim Team on Facebook to keep informed on Gator news.

CANCEL: Olympic night

I guess we weren't meant to watch Michael Phelps from the pool.  I can't complain too much about Mother Nature because she had cooperated throughout the season.  I can't compete with the weather and the pre-season Bronco game.  You will all have to tune in to the Olympics from the comfort of your couch to see the United States take home another Gold medal.

Go for the Gold!  Go Broncos!

Plans for Olympic swimming night

Sorry to be getting this information out so late.  We hope you can make it tonight.

We will plan on watching the Olympic swimming events tonight starting at 7pm at the pool.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Members get in free and non-members are $5.00 for admission.  Please arrive whenever works best for you.  The pool will be open for swimming until 8pm at which time the guards will close the pool.  We will continue to watch the Olympics until 10:30pm so you are welcome to stay.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Schedule August 8th-August 13th

We are slowly starting to switch our gears from summer swim team to the the upcoming school year.  We wish all the Gators a great 2016-17 school year.

But summer isn't over yet!
If you were not able to attend the banquet and/or swam at State all the ribbons, medals and certificates are in the swimmer folders.  The swimmer folders will be in the Guard Shack at the pool.  Please stop by this week to collect anything that is still in your folder.

Thursday, August 11th we will be watching the Olympics swimming events live from the pool.  It is amazing to see the talented swimmer compete for their country.  The details are still being worked out but the Olympic swimming will be start at 7pm.  Please bring your family and friends to enjoy dinner, swimming and watching swimming at the pool.  More details will be posted but pencil this in on your calendar.  All are welcome as members get in free and guests will pay $5.00 admission.

Thanks for all your team support and we look forward to seeing you one more time.

Starting 
at  7PM MT

Starting 
at  7PM MT

Schedule for week of August 3rd-August 6th

Even though swim team is over we would like to remind you of two upcoming events this week.

On Wednesday, August 3rd we are having a movie night at Green Mountain Swim Club. The movie playing will be SURF'S UP. This event is for swim team swimmers only. 

Please plan on arriving to the pool around 8:15pm as the movie will begin at 8:30pm.  

The swim team will provide some snacks and water but feel free to bring something of your own to snack on. 

Come in your pajamas and bring your blanket and pillow (or something to sit on).  Parents you can drop your swimmer off and return at 10pm to pick them up.

There will be NO swimming on this night.  Parental guidance will be provided.  

On Saturday, August 6th from 10am-8pm the Swim Club will be hosting their swim/dive-a-thon fundraiser.  Please help the pool raise money for facility improvements/repairs.

Each participating swimmer will have 60 minutes to complete as many laps and/or dives as possible.  Each participate will need to bring along a person to count their laps/dives. 
Please help the swim club that we swam at everyday!
Here is a link to sign-up for the time that you want to attend
Here is the Swim/Dive-a-thon pledge form.  Please start collecting pledges and turn after completing your laps/dives.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this fundraiser.  You are also welcome to make a donation to the pool.

Hope to see all the swimmers on Wednesday night to celebrate a wonderful summer swim season.

Gators place 2nd in State

What an amazing way to end the summer swim season!  The Green Mountain Gators placed 2nd in the Colorado Summer Swim Club State meet.  It was amazing to see the energy and determination all the swimmer brought to this meet.  The Gators showed up ready to swim and that is what they did.  Way to go Gators and we are excited for next summer already!