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.