Some Information About League

Hi Gators! This will not be my only post with information regarding the League meet, but I have a few very important notes for you as we get closer to the big day. This year, we have a real shot of WINNING League. This isn't based on my being overly confident; I have looked at the results from our meets so far and I know we can do it! A win at League would be HUGE for our team, and we can't wait to see you all swim fast next weekend!

In order to win, however, we need something from you. We are asking that everyone who has qualified please be at as many practices as possible leading up to the meet, and that you come ready to do your best at practice. This week has been harder during practice, but that is because we need to build up as much endurance and strength as possible for when we taper for our big meets. Next week will get easier as we approach the meet.

The most important thing that we need to win League is for all of our swimmers to be at the meet ready to swim fast. I know everyone has lots of things going on during the summer, but we really need as many swimmers as possible to be at this meet. If it is possible at all to get swimmers to the meet, we ask that you do. Swimmers who can be there for relays even if they don't have individual qualifying times can make all the difference.

Sign ups for League are on the blog. If you have already qualified, please try to sign up by this Friday. If you qualify this weekend, we will add you to our list as we go. The coaches will be doing the entries on Sunday after the Last Chance meet, so we must know by then if you will be able to make it to the meet. If for some reason you have to miss PART of League, but not ALL of it, please sign up as a 'yes' and talk to me before Sunday so I can get you in events that don't conflict.

Lastly, please know that although the coaches will be choosing your events for this meet, we will make sure to pick events that we know you will be successful in, so don't worry. The League meet is about the team as a whole. You will be able to choose your own events for State.

Thank you! Please let me know if you have any questions :)

Parent volunteers at League

Parents-
      Here is the post everyone has been waiting for.  You ask how can you help at the League meet?  Well I am here to show you :)  Attached are two sign up links.  One link is specific to selling t-shirts and programs during the meet and the other sign-up is for miscellaneous jobs during this event.  As we stated at the parent meeting we are going to need everyone's help in some way, big or small.  Please sign-up to help make this event successful.  Please don't hesitate to ask questions to find out more about a specific task.  I will be in contact with the "lead" people for each task to provide them with more detail about the responsibilities.  Thanks in advance for your time and support. 
League meet misc. jobs
T-Shirt and Program sales

Swimming in the rain

We are planning on swimming the Intrasquad meet tomorrow (even in the rain with no lightening).  It might be a wet and cold night so please plan accordingly for you and your swimmers.  We will have dinner available for purchase from the GMSC snack shack, entertainment from the swimmers going to audition for the National Anthem and a nail biting relay race by the coaches and parents.  See you tomorrow and do the rain dance so hopefully it waits to rain until after the Intrasquad. 

Advertising in the League program

Parents-
     Is your swimmer going to League in a specific event?  Do you know of a business that wants to advertise in the 2015 League program?  Attached are two forms in which allow you to write a message to your swimmer in their event and/or advertise on a page in the meet program.  This is a great way to cheer your swimmer on or get your business recognized by others.  Please note the deadline to participate in either of these sponsorships is Wednesday, July 8th.  Please see Jennifer with any questions or to turn in these forms.
Program Advertising
Swimmer/Event Sponsorship

Last week of regular season practice

It is hard to believe we are approaching our last regular swim season week.  This week is the last full week of practice unless the swimmer has a league and/or state qualifying time.  Although it is the last week of regular season it will be a busy one.  Practice times will be the same for all age groups this week. 

• Tuesday-sign up for Intrasquad meet by 7pm
• Wednesday-Intrasquad meet (warm-ups at 5pm; meet starts at 5:30pm)
• Wednesday-sign up for Saturdays meet by 9pm
• Saturday-meet @ 5Parks (warm-ups at 6:30am; meet starts at 7am)
• Sunday-Last Chance meet @ Mount Vernon Country Club.  This meet is for swimmers who are close to League qualifying times. More information coming soon 

Please watch the blog in the next few days with details about the League meet.  There will be important information for swimmers as well as for parents.

Intrasquad meet-Wednesday, July 8th

Our last Gator Intrasquad meet will be held on Wednesday, July 8th.  The meet will begin at 5:30pm with warm-ups starting at 5pm.  Please make sure to sign up for 2 events by Tuesday @ 7pm.  This will be an action-filled evening that you don't want to miss.

Green Mountain Swim Club will be grilling on the barbeque and have the snack shack open for items to be purchased.  They accept cash and credit cards so come have dinner at the pool. 

Sale on Gator apparel.  Our remaining Gator apparel (not including swim caps) will be 50% off regular prices for this night only.  This will help us make room for new Gator apparel next season.  We accept cash or checks.
                 T-Shirts (blue, gray and/or white) and tanks        $6.00/each
                 Hoodies                                                             $12.00/each
                 Zip-up Jackets                                                   $14.50/each

The night will be finished off with our coaches relay.  We will keep with tradition and our coaches will race against a parent relay and other age groups.
This will be a fun night for all!

Age Group photos

Thanks for everyone who came to pictures and pancakes on Wednesday.  It was fun for all!
The photographer was able to take age group photos during this session which provides a picture of the kids that swam together.  These pictures will be provided if you purchased a package or can be purchased for $10.00.  If you would like to purchase an age group photo please find Jennifer this week during practice or at the Intrasquad meet on Wednesday.  You will need to provide payment at this time (cash or check payable to Mardell Studios).  The last day to order these will be Friday, July 10th.

Attention Dads-Beer and Brat night at the pool

The Green Mountain Swim Club is hosting "Beer and Brat" night at the pool on July 11th at 8-10pm.  Please see below for more details.  They would love to see you there.

Join GMSC for a guys night out! Bring a six pack of your favorite brew for an exchange - walk away with a 6 pack of all different beers! ..glass bottles are allowed for this event but we do need to drink out of plastic cups. Brat dinner will be provided. 

Bring a neighbor! Bring a friend!  

$15 suggested donation - Funds raised will go to GMSC. 

Members and Non-Members invited to attend. 
21+, of course.

Interested in singing the National Anthem at League?

We are looking for a Green Mountain Gator that is interested in singing the National Anthem at the League meet on Sunday, July 19th.  If this is something you are interested in please email Jennifer at cjmfriedrichs@aol.com by July 6th.  We will hold auditions once we have a list of interested singers.

Pictures, Pancakes and Water World--Wednesday

Pictures, pancakes and Water World (oh my!)

We will be having a fun day on JULY 1st.  This day will begin at the pool at 7:30 for pictures followed by a pancake breakfast and (if you bought tickets) then it will end at Water World.

We will be starting pictures promptly at 7:30 at the pool.  If you are planning on having individual pictures taken please be here at 7:30.  If you are getting individual pictures taken you will need an order form (one per swimmer).  These order forms are in the family swimmer folders or can be completed in the morning.  Please bring your completed order form with you along with your payment.  If you are not doing individual pictures we would like you at the pool at 8:00 so we can begin lining up for the team photo.  If you are just purchasing a team photo you will not need to complete a form we will just have a list for this.

We will be having “gator pancakes” after all the pictures are done.  Parents we will be looking for volunteers to help make pancakes and also some fruit to be donated.  Please sign-up on this link to help before, during and/or after.  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054caba822a75-pancake2

Then if you have purchased tickets to Water World you will be off to spend the day there.  You can purchase Water World tickets for $30.99/ticket through the link provided.  https://calypsoclub.waterworldcolorado.com (and enter this personalized Store Name: GMST).  You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from Water World.  

This will be a fun day!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Important Announcements for This Weekend!!

Hi Gators! I'm getting really excited to see you all swim fast at the meet this weekend :) I have a couple of notes for you all so that you're prepared for the meet:

Upper Division:

Tomorrow's practice will start at 7am and go until 8am like normal. We will do a longer meet warm up and pace work for those of you swimming tomorrow afternoon. It is extremely important to get a good warm up in for big meets like this, and I am expecting all upper division swimmers who are swimming tomorrow to attend practice. I promise that you will not be too tired to race in the afternoon.

Warm ups for the 400s will be at 12 noon. The 400 session will start at 1:00pm.

Warm ups for the rest of the 13-18 events will be from 3-3:25pm, with that session starting at 4pm.

Lower Division:

Please come to your normal practice times tomorrow. We will be working on starts, turns, and other things specific to your races this weekend.

Warm ups for 9-10 boys and ALL 11-12s will be from 6-6:25am on Saturday morning, with the session starting at 7am.

Warm ups for 9-10 girls and ALL 8&unders will be from 12:25-12:50pm with the session starting at 1pm.

All Swimmers:

Last year we got SECOND place at this meet, which was amazing for our team!! We would love to place this well again, so come ready to swim FAST!! There is also a Spirit Award at this meet. We have won the past few years--make sure to show your Gator spirit while you are there by cheering everyone on.

The weather is often unpredictable for this meet. I know last year we had a 2 hour delay on Saturday for rain and lightning. Please make sure to bring warm clothes and extra towels just in case! Please also make sure you're drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, especially if it's super hot out.

For parents: the host team has asked that we remind you that parking rules are in effect. Last year, cars that were parked too close to hydrants, street corners, and driveways were ticketed. Please get there early to allow yourself time to find a legal parking spot!!

Ken Caryl Invitational meet

Please note that the parent volunteer sign-up for the Ken Caryl meet is now posted. 
Parent Volunteer Sign-up
Also the warm up times have been modified to show our teams scheduled time.
Please let us or a coach know if you have questions.

Next Weeks Schedule (06.29-07.03)

Please be aware of our schedule for next week.
Monday 06.29--No practice
Tuesday 06.30--morning practice
Wednesday 07.01--pictures, pancakes and Water World (another message on this later)
Thursday 07.02--morning practice
Friday 07.03--No practice


Then we will be back to our regularly scheduled swim practice the week of 07.06

Notes from Intrasquad

Thank you to the parents and swimmers that waited out the storm with us.  Mother Nature didn't cooperate very well tonight and the Intrasquad meet didn't go as planned.  We are glad some swimmers got their swims in that they needed and appreciate the parents that stayed and helped with timing so this could happen.
Notes from Parent Meeting:  We will be needing your help with the League meet July 18th and 19th.  We will have some responsibilities posted soon and would appreciate parents taking these and with additional volunteers getting these completed.  Please keep an eye on the Blog as we will be posting this important information in the next few days.
We have a busy swim weekend......Go Get 'em Gators!

Intrasquad meet postponed

The Intrasquad meet is still on. We are delaying due to the weather. We are hoping to start around 6pm. Do the rain dance and see you soon!

Intrasquad-June 24th

Gators get ready to swim!  Tomorrow (Wednesday) night is our 2nd Intrasquad.

• Warm-ups begin at 5:00pm and the meet begins at 5:30pm
• Parents remember there is a mandatory parent meeting at 5:00pm to discuss GMST hosting League
• Gator apparel will be on sale
• Green Mountain Swim Club will have the snack shack open and will also be barbequing hot dogs and hamburgers.  They accept cash and credit cards.
• Also don't forget to check your swimmer folders for picture order forms and directions on how to purchase water world tickets.

See you all tomorrow! Swim fast!

Green Mountain Swim Club needs your help

The Green Mountain Swim Club is your community pool and it needs your help.  View this email in your browser

The Green Mountain Swim Club is your community pool and it needs your help. The primary source of income for our pool is from our membership fees. Because of lowered membership, pool repairs, and a significant amount of unpaid federal payroll taxes (from prior years, that the current board inherited), the club is struggling. For over four years we have been trying to get our property taxes waived due to our non-profit status and we hope to have it resolved soon. Throughout this process, we set aside the money to pay the county should we need to, but last season we had to use some of it to keep the pool open through the end of the season (i.e. payroll, taxes, and utilities.) To see a generalized breakdown of where your membership fee currently goes, visit our website at greenmountainswimclub.org/members. GMSC financials are available via Nicole Koenig at treasurer@greenmountainswimclub.org. The strength of our pool is in its members. We want to make you, our membership, aware of these issues and ask for your help. Things you can do: Tell all of your friends why you enjoy this pool and encourage them to become members. Our membership fees are significantly lower than other clubs in the Lakewood area. Any questions, contact Danielle Nicholson at membership@greenmountainswimclub.org. Do you know of a business that could benefit from our sponsorship program? Contact Heidi Hafner atmarketing@greenmountainswimclub.org or find information at greenmountainswimclub.org/sponsorship. If you have any ideas for events or fundraising, contact Kristy Patterson at events@greenmountainswimclub.org. Use our King Soopers cards! They don't cost you a thing but are benefit to you and the pool. To get started, emailfundraising@greenmountainswimclub.org. Are you able to make a tax-deductible donation? Contact Ann Felton at secretary@greenmountainswimclub.org. Want to take on a more active role at GMSC? Consider becoming a board member. We are still looking to fill some positions starting next year.  If interested, email Ann Felton atsecretary@greenmountainswimclub.org. Is there project at the pool that you would like to solve? Contact Ben Brauch at maintenance@greenmountainswimclub.org. What are your ideas? Please feel free to contact Todd Bellot atpresident@greenmountainswimclub.org or JT Gaietto atvicepresident@greenmountainswimclub.org. The Green Mountain Swim Club is a non-profit organization that helps the community by providing a fun and safe environment for our families. There is still much to be celebrated, including the continued success of our mighty Gators Swim Team and our new sponsorship program that is bringing in much needed income. Our special events (i.e. Teen Nights, July 4th Celebration, etc.) are fun for all who come. We also provide employment for our local youth as lifeguards and snack shack attendants. The all-volunteer board wants this to continue long into the future.   Please join us at our upcoming Community and Board Meetings starting at 6:30 pm at GMSC...Thursday, June 25th, Sunday, June 28th, and Wednesday, July 8th.   We know the pool can count on you! Thank you. Green Mountain Swim Club Board

Busy Gator week

I wanted to remind you of all the events happening for the Gators this coming week. 

• The entries are posted for the Ken Caryl Invitational meet.  All swimmers should review this to see if they are swimming in an event.  If you are signed up to swim, please verbally confirm with Jaimie that you will be there, so we can ensure your attendance.
• Tuesday night, June 23rd by 8pm is the deadline to sign-up for the Intrasquad meet.  Each swimmer is allowed to sign-up for two events.
• Wednesday night, June 24th we will have our Intrasquad meet @ 5:30pm with warm-ups at 5pm.  We will also be having a MANDATORY parent meeting to discuss GM Gators hosting the Foothills Swim Association League meet on July 18th-19th.
• Thursday night, June 25th will be the deadline to sign-up for the swim meets on Sunday (June 28th). Please sign up no later than 7pm.  On Sunday there will be two optional swim meets if your swimmer wishes to take part in them.  First, is the AAC Pentathlon meet in which the swimmer must have a B or better time in 3 of the 4 strokes.  Next, is the C/D meet @ Mt. Vernon.  This meet is for swimmers who currently have a C or D time in an event and are trying to better this time.  The sign ups for these meets are on the right hand side of the blog. 
• Friday, June 26th is the Ken Caryl Invitational for 13+ swimmers.  The warm-up and start times are posted under important dates.
• Saturday, June 27th is the Ken Caryl Invitational for 12&Unders.  The warm-up and age group start times are posted under important dates.

Here's to a fun week!  Swim Fast!

Thank you parents

Thank you parents for coming together and helping with the swim meet today.  It takes many people to make this event successful.  We appreciate your commitment to the swim team.  It was a long and hot day today,  so thank you for spending it with us.

Parent Volunteers for tomorrows meet

Attention swimmer parents: 
We are still in need of volunteers for tomorrow meet.  Please see the sign-up genius link to fill in vacant spots.  Thank you in advance for your time and support in your child's swimming.
Parent Volunteer AAC@GM 

Rescheduled Intrasquad--next Wednesday

Please mark your calendars for our rescheduled Intrasquad meet.  We will have this meet next Wednesday, June 24th @ 5:30pm (warm-ups at 5pm).  We will not be participating in the AAC relays this day as we think the Intrasquad is more beneficial to our swimmers.  The forms to sign-up for events and parent volunteers is coming soon.
Thank you for your patience and we appreciate your cooperation in the canceling and rescheduling of our 2nd Intrasquad. 

Donut Day tomorrow

Tomorrow we will have donuts after each practice session.  See you bright and early!

Ken Caryl Invitational Meet-June 26th and June 27th

Next weekend is the Ken Caryl Invitational Meet (Friday night and all day Saturday).  This swim meet is for swimmers who have specific qualifying times for this meet.  We are asking EVERY swimmer to complete the following sign-ups to let the coaches know if you are available to swim on these dates.  This meet does not follow the regular order of events so the schedule looks like the following:
06.26.15 @ 12:30pm all 400 swimmers
06.26.15 @ 3:00pm all 13-18 swimmers
06.27.15 @ 6:00am all 11-12 and Boys 9-10
06.27.15 @ 12:00pm Girls 9-10 and all 8&Unders
If the swimmer has qualified for an event we are expecting them to swim in this event.  If a swimmer has qualified for more than 3 events the coaches will be determining what events will be swam.

All swimmers are asked to complete this form even if they don't have qualifying times, because they maybe needed for a relay.  Also, just by stating you can participate does not guarantee you to swim. It is imperative that once entries are posted that they are reviewed to make sure all swimmers are aware and able to participate.

It is important that you or your swimmer completes this form by Friday night due to entries being completed Saturday.  If you have any questions and/or concerns please let me or a coach know.


 

TONIGHT'S INTRASQUAD MEET CANCELED

Hi Gators! I received a call from the pool that a swimmer had an accident this afternoon, so the pool will be closed for 13 hours while it is being sanitized. Therefore, we will be unable to have our intrasquad meet tonight. I know that some swimmers were hoping to qualify for the Ken Caryl Invite tonight. If that's the case, please sign up to swim those events this Saturday instead. We will be sending in Ken Caryl entries Saturday evening, so the times that you get on Saturday will count!! 

We will still have practice tomorrow morning, as the pool will be clean and ready for use by then.

Please watch the blog this afternoon and tomorrow for more information about Ken Caryl sign ups!

Thank you, and I sincerely apologize that the meet had to be canceled tonight. I know it's a bummer! See you all in the morning.

Jaimie

Intrasquad tomorrow night

Just a reminder that tomorrow night is our 2nd Intrasquad meet.  Swimmers need to be to the pool by 5pm for warm-ups and the meet starts at 5:30pm.  If you haven't already signed up for your two events please do so by tonight.
During the Intrasquad, the snack shack will be open selling all the snack bar food as well as cooking hamburgers and hotdogs.  GMSC also accepts credit cards so you can eat dinner at the pool without remembering your cash:)
See you tomorrow and let's swim fast!

Few Notes

This message includes a few random notes on many topics.

• First, we want to thank everyone for being patient with us while we waited for Wheat Ridge to send us the meet file for the meet program.  We were aware that swimmers were swimming with NT (no time) for events they swam at that meet.  We appreciate you parents and swimmers being understanding and this issue has been resolved.
• Second, we are starting our strokes and starts/turns clinic this week.  These clinics will be held on Tuesday/Thursday from 9:45-10:15.  These clinics will focus on one stroke or starts/turns per session.  Please sign up for the clinic that will be most beneficial to your swimmer.  Each swimmer is allowed to sign-up for up to two clinics.  This will allow many swimmers to participate.  Please see the attached sign-up genius which lists what will be worked on for these dates.  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054caba822a75-stroke
• Next, we are going to make all entries for dual meets (Saturday meets) due by 9:00pm on Wednesday nights.  So please add or change your reminder so that you will get a notification to make sure you signed up by Wednesday.  This allows us to get our entries in and relays organized.  
• Lastly, thank you to all the parents who have volunteered so far this season.  Our swim team is run completely on by volunteers and we couldn't do it without all of you.  We appreciate you!
• Go Gators!  Swim Fast!

Water World tickets

To all Green Mountain Swim Team members:

We are excited to announce that Green Mountain Swim Team has signed up for The Calypso Club Discount Ticket Program (through Water World).  As a member of this program, you are now able to buy discounted tickets for Water World with the added convenience of printing your admission tickets from your computer and presenting them at the entrance turnstiles bypassing ticket booth lines. Purchasing admission tickets has never been easier!

You may purchase tickets immediately by visiting our exclusive Calypso Club Discount Ticket Store in the following way:

Go direct to our online store 24/7 at https://calypsoclub.waterworldcolorado.com and enter this personalized Store Name: GMST

These tickets can be used on July 1^st for Gator day at Water World or any day during the season.  You are also able to purchase as many tickets as you need.

We hope you and your family are able to enjoy a day at Water World this summer season!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Applewood Knolls Meet Entries are Posted

Since there's no practice Friday, be sure to check out the meet entries and relays posted on the blog. Go Gators!

Practice tomorrow=CANCELLED

Practice is cancelled for tomorrow (Friday) morning.  Due to the weather and temperatures we have decided to cancel practice.  Enjoy sleeping in. 
Please be at Applewood Knolls on Saturday by 6:30am for warm-ups.
Let's be ready to swim fast!

Directions for washing tie-dye

Thank you everyone who was there tonight to tie-dye their Gator apparel.  I am glad Mother Nature decided to agree with us.  Here are important instructions on how to wash your newly tie-dyed items.

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!!!!

Tie-Dye and Ice Cream party--this Wednesday

Please don't forget that this Wednesday is our Tie-Dye and Ice Cream party.  All the details from before are the same.  This will start at 6:30pm, t-shirts and tank tops will still be $10.00, we will provide the tie-dye and ice cream, and have lots of fun! 
Hope the weather cooperates with us!  If the weather doesn't look great please check the blog before heading here. 


Also Big/Little swim buddies are posted at the pool.  If you haven't already looked at this please do so.  If you are not sure who your big/little buddy is please ask a coach and we will get you introduced.

Meet tomorrow

Tomorrow is our first home meet.  Swimmers will arrive by 6am for warm-up and the meet will start at 7am.  With all first meets of the season, there are always some issues and our first issue is that we didn't receive the meet file from WheatRidge. This means our swimmers are swimming with NT (no time).  We apologize that the meet isn't heated in the most productive way, but we will do our best to heat swimmers so they are competitively matched.  We appreciate your patience with this. 
Also parents we still have a few opportunities for you to volunteer.  If you are going to be at the swim meet tomorrow please help volunteer your time and watch your swimmers up close and personal.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054caba822a75-gmvsmount1
See you bright and early.

Tie-Dye postponed

Due to the weather and possibility of more storms we are postponing the Tie-Dye and Ice Cream party. We are going to move this to next Wednesday, June 10th, same time, same place.
Hope to see you then. Thanks for understanding.

Gator t-shirt and tank sale

Gator T-Shirt and Tank sale!!!! We will be selling Gator t-shirts and tanks for $10 each tonight only. You can get your shirt to wear around the pool or use them to tie-dye. See you for tie-dye and ice cream at 6:30.

Evening Practices for Upper Division

Hi Gators! Evening practices for the Upper Division swimmers will start tomorrow. Evening practices will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-9pm. Evening practices are not required, but are available to Upper Division swimmers who need extra work on strokes, turns, etc. They are not meant to be a substitution to coming in the mornings, unless something other than sleep requires that you miss a morning practice. 

Since there were several times last year where a coach showed up and no swimmers showed up, this year I am asking if you are planning on coming to an evening practice, that you text me by 3pm that day so that Porter or I can plan on being there. If I do not receive a text by 3pm, we will assume no one is coming and we won't make the drive over.

Thank you, and let me know if you have any questions :)

Tie-Dye and Ice Cream

We will have our annual Gator tie-dye and ice cream party on Wednesday, June 3rd.  We will start the tie-dye at 6:30 pm and ice cream will be served shortly after.  We would appreciate a few parent volunteers that would help serve ice cream and monitor toppings.
Here are a few helpful hints for tie-dye:

• You will need to bring your own item to tie-dye (shirt, socks, towel, etc.)
• We will have white Gator t-shirts and tank tops available for purchase if you want to tie-dye these.  They are $12.00 each (we accept cash or checks)
• If possible please bring your item you are tie-dying already rubber banded in the patter you want
• We will be supplying the dye (green, yellow and blue), directions on how to care for these items and baggies to take these home in
• Have fun!!!!!!

We encourage you all to wear your new tie-dye gator items the rest of the season to show our Gator team spirit.

The announcement of swimming buddies will be announced and posted at this event too!

Also if the weather cooperates the pool will be open for the kids to swim.

Are you swimming this summer? Make sure you are completely registered

Attention Swimmers (and Parents):
The final day to sign up for the Gator summer swim team is JUNE 4TH.  Each swimmer MUST be signed up (through the Blog), payment received, emergency consent form and release of liability forms must be turned in if you want to swim on Saturday.  We need to ensure all of these pieces to registration are completed by Thursday.  You will not be allowed to swim in the meet on Saturday if all of these items are not completed.
Please let us know if you have questions regarding this.

Reminders

Awesome job at the intrasquad meet tonight everyone! The whole team is looking great so early in the season :)

Just a reminder that entries for Saturday's meet against Wheat Ridge are due by tomorrow evening. Please get signed up before then! If you are having any issues with the online sign up, please email me with your entries and I can help you get entered. My email address is jaimiestevens27@gmail.com. I make the relays Thursday night based on the entries I have, so if you aren't entered, I won't know if you'll be there, and you may not be on the relays.

I also just added quite a few swimmers to the list who told me that they want a buddy. If you do not see your name (don't worry about it if I didn't put your age down), but still want a buddy, go ahead and add your name to the list! I will be figuring them out so I can announce them at the ice cream party next Wednesday! Here is the link to sign up:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PS_AK6SSCXAVsatHHSH1hta4wYsz71UC5BZyCYGMIGg/edit?usp=sharing

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

See you tonight

Let's hope the sunshine continues and we can have warm weather for swimming tonight.
I just wanted to let you know 2 things:

• We will be selling Gator apparel tonight at the Intrasquad.  You can get your gator tanks, shirts, sweatshirts and caps tonight.

• Also the Swim Club will be serving Burger and Hot Dog meals tonight during Intrasquad (cash or checks are accepted). 
• Burger Meal with chips and soda $5.00
• Hot Dog Meal with chips and soda: $4.50
• They will also have a reasonably stocked Snack Shack full of candy to power up your swimmers

Intrasquad-Wedensday, May 27th

Let's kick off our first Intrasquad tomorrow with a lot of FUN!  To make this swim meet successful we need many parent volunteers.  If you have not signed up to help during this meet please don't be shy and sign-up on the link on the right hand side.  This is a busy week so we don't have a lot of swimmers and parents attending due to scheduling conflicts so we need help from everyone here.
Also members of the Green Mountain Swim Club will be barbecuing tomorrow night and selling hamburgers and hot dogs during the meet.  Please come hunger and purchase some dinner at the pool.
See a lot of you tomorrow at 5

Week 2 Updates

Hi Gators! I wanted to remind you that there will be no practice today for Memorial Day. 

Our first intrasquad meet will be this Wednesday! Sign ups are on the blog (in the right-hand column), so please try to sign up by Tuesday. We will take deck entries at the pool before the meet starts on Wednesday, but all of the wonderful parents who are organizing the meet would greatly appreciate it if you're able to sign up in advance. Intrasquad meets are a great way for me, Porter, and Ethan to see where all the swimmers are at at this point in the season.

Our first dual meet is also coming up fast! This Saturday we will take on the Wheat Ridge team. Sign ups for this meet are also on the blog, so go ahead and sign up for that meet too! While the host teams usually do take entries at the pool the morning of the meet, the relays are made up prior to the meet. Signing up online in advance saves a lot of confusion, and gives me a chance to get your swimmer on a relay if possible. 

The last announcement of the day is that I have (finally!) created a sign-up sheet for buddies. I have gotten a lot of feedback from the swimmers that they would like to have Big/Little Buddies again this summer. Buddies can cheer each other on at meets, leave good luck notes in each others' folders at the pool, and maybe leave some treats or small prizes in each others' folders before meets. This is a great way for our older and younger swimmers to get to know each other and to show our team spirit at meets! Last summer, the swimmers really enjoyed it.

If you are interested in having a Big or Little Buddy this season, please sign up on the attached google doc and I will let you know who your buddy is once I have enough names. Here's the link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PS_AK6SSCXAVsatHHSH1hta4wYsz71UC5BZyCYGMIGg/edit?usp=sharing

Sorry for the long post! Please feel free to email me with any questions :) jaimiestevens27@gmail.com

Practice Canceled Wednesday (Please warm up soon!!!!)

Hello again Gators! There will be no practice again today. The outside temperature is 45 degrees, with the pool temperature being 78 degrees, which is just too cold to have swimmers in the water. There is also a pretty good chance of rain and lightning again this evening. I was really hoping we'd be able to swim today!!

It's looking like it is supposed to start warming up tomorrow (fingers crossed!), so tomorrow we will have full-length practices either in the water or out. We might be doing some dryland tomorrow, so please come with tennis shoes and warm clothes! See you tomorrow!

Please help out around the club during practice

The Swim Club Board has been working overtime in the rain and snow to get the actual pool ready to go (on time) for the swim team. In doing so, we have fallen behind on all of our grounds, locker room and general maintenance of the rest of the pool area. If parents are waiting around for their kids to get done with swim practice, we are kindly asking if they would pick up a broom, or rake, or pool skimmer and help us get ready for the season.

We need:

- grass racked and bag. The grass is so long (because of the crazy weather) that when they mow it is leaving behind a lot of clippings.

- locker rooms swept and wiped down.

- pool decked swept

- pool skimmed daily to get the leaves out

- weeds to be pulled (dandelions, thistles, etc).

The success of the Club directly effects the success of the Swim Team and we are hoping that with a few extra hands that we can be up and running by the weekend!

Practice is Canceled for Tuesday!

Hi Gators! Because of the cold weather, continuing rain, and possible thunderstorm, I'm canceling practice for today. I don't want any blue gators! Hopefully we'll get some sunshine tomorrow. See you then!

Tie Die and Ice Cream Social-June 3rd @ 6:30

Please mark your calendars for our Gator tie die and ice cream party.  This will be held at the Green Mountain Swim Club at 6:30pm.  We have made the decision to change this event to the beginning of the season.  This will allow our swimmers (and Gator fans) to get their tie die gator gear for the season and for swimmers and families to meet each other.  There will be more information posted as this event as we get closer to this date but please plan on attending.

After school swim practice is on

We got confirmation that the Green Mountain Swim Club pool is filled and ready for us to start after school swim practice.  Please see the age division swim times on the right hand side of the Blog.  Hope to see you this week.
IMPORTANT:  Please check the Blog before heading to swim practice as the weather is not showing favorable for us.  We will keep this updated if we cancel due to weather.
Also if you purchased a team suit we will have these available for pick up at practice this week.  Also please bring payment and the required forms to practice.

Team suits

If you ordered a team suit already these will be available for pick up at practice next week.  If you haven't ordered a swimming suit and still need to you will need to do this by May 16th for free shipping.  They will still take orders after this date you will just have to pay shipping costs.
Christine with Colorado Swim Shop @ 303-545-2090
Let's hope the weather warms up soon.

Important reminders (next few weeks)

Here are some important reminders for the next few weeks as we prepare for our summer swim season.

• Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!
• Check the Blog frequently for important updates
• Tonight is our last swim clinic at Green Mountain Rec Center. Thanks to everyone who participated
• We are planning on beginning outdoor after school swim practice the week of May 18th.  Please see the practice times on the right hand side of the Blog.
• Also like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/greenmountaingators as we post information here too

See you in a few weeks.  Don't forget to register and mail this or bring the upcoming practices.

Swimming Suit Vendor Contact

If you missed the swimming suit fitting you can still call and order the team suit.  Here is the contact information for the vendor.  You will need to knew your child's swimming suit size and provide her with this information. 
Colorado Swim Shop
Christine Cortvriendt
303-545-2090
christine@coloradoswimshop.com

Welcome back coaches

We excited to announce that our coaches will be returning for another season of swimming.  We are glad to have Jaimie, Porter, Ethan (and maybe a little of Josh) back this summer.

Join Green Mountain Swim Club

Gator Nation,

The Green Mtn. Swim Club could really use more members this season.

So, if you have thought about joining, this is the year to take the plunge.

Fees are as follows: family $395, adult couple $295, single adult $220.

Membership forms are available at http://www.greenmountainswimclub.org/jointoday.html

Likewise, if you have friends or neighbors who might be interested, please direct them to the website.

Many thanks,

Al Hofstra

GMST Board President

Attention all officials-new and old

Have you ever wondered how you can get up close and personal to watch your kids swim?  The best way is to become an official.  These people are the closest to the pool and can see everything.  Please consider volunteering your time as an official.  If you are a returning official or would like to become one you must attend one of the following trainings:

Officials Clinics-new and returning may attend April 26^th, May 17^th or May 27^th.

Sunday April 26th - 4:30pm Green Mountain Rec. Center
Sunday May 17^th – 4:30pm Green Mountain Rec. Center
Wednesday May 27^th – at Applewood Knolls. Lecture 6pm, in water demonstration 7pm.
*All new officials need to attend the in water demonstration.
Sunday May 31st- reserved for returning officials only

Are you ready for summer swim team?

Please note we are accepting registration for summer swim team.  Please see the link on the right hand side to sign-up.  After completing this registration please mail the Emergency Consent Form (one per swimmer), Liability Release (one per swimmer) and payment to the following:
Jennifer Friedrichs
12724 W. Iliff Ave.
Lakewood, CO 80228

2015 summer swim schedule

The weather is starting to get warm and that means that swim team will be here soon.  Please note the dates for our 2015 summer swim season are posted.  Hope this helps with planning your summer vacations.  We will also have the summer swim team registration available soon. 
Please continue to check the Blog.

Swimming Suit fitting

Attention new and old Gators,
     If you are going to need a Green Mountain Gators team suit we will have a representative at our swim clinic on April 26th to help you find the correct size and get these ordered.  The representative will be at Green Mountain Rec Center from 4:45-6:30 on April 26th.  Please plan on coming to clinics early that day so these suits can be tried on when the swimmer is dry.  If you have any questions please let us know.

Spring swim clinic

Have you signed up for Spring swim clinics? We will be starting Spring swim clinics on Sunday nights starting February 22nd. This will be a 10 week session with no class on March 22nd or April 5th. Please sign up through the link on the right hand side.

Last Winter swim clinic--December 14th

This is just a reminder that our last swim clinic for the Winter session is this Sunday, Decmeber 14th. We hope to see you there.
Wishing all our Gator families Happy Holidays.
Please check back soon for Spring clinic registration.

Need a Christmas gift for your swimmer?

Do you need a Christmas gift for your swimmer?  We will be selling Gator apparel during swim clinics on December 7th and December 14th from 5-7pm.  We will have Adult size zip-up jackets ($25.00/ea) and Adult and Kid size pull-over hoodies ($20.00/ea).  Please stop buy and purchase one for your swimmer.
Happy Holidays!

No swim clinic Sunday, November 30th

Please remember that there is NO swim clinic on Sunday, November 30th due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving.
We have two sessions in December.  Clinics will be held December 7th and December 14th.
Our Spring Clinic will start again in February.  Please watch the blog for those details.

Winter Swim Clinics-new schedule

We have added an additional week to our Winter swim clinics.  As many of you know there was a miscommunication by the recreation center which didn't allow us to have swim clinics last Sunday evening.  I have confirmed and we are on for this Sunday, October 5th.  We will now have swim clinics October 5th-December 14th (with no practice November 30th).  We hope to see you all on Sunday.

Swim clinic canceled

We are sorry for the inconvience but practice is canceled due to no pool staff. We are on for next week.
Thanks

Winter swim clinics

Hello Gator Families,
      Hope the school year is going well for everyone.  I just wanted to let you know we have our dates for the Winter swim clinics scheduled.  We will get our registration up soon for you to complete but you can start planning around these Sunday evenings.
Swim clinics will begin on Sunday, September 28th.  They will be held September 28th-December 7th.  No clinic on November 30th due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Winter swim clinics will be held from 5-6 pm for swimmers 12&under and from 6-7 pm for swimmers 13-18.  These will be held at the Green Mountain Recreation Center.
Each swimmer that participates the cost will be $80 for the winter session (10 weeks).
If you didn't swim for the Gators over the summer we will need the Emergency Consent Form and the Liability Release completed for each swimmer.  These forms can be found on the right side of the blog and we will also have copies at the first session. 
See you soon!

State Ribbons

Hi Gators! I hope you all are enjoying sleeping in! I just made it over to Green Mountain today to put the State medals and ribbons in your folders. You can stop by the pool anytime and ask the lifeguards if you can get them.

I had such a fun season with you all, and I hope you have a great school year!

Nothing to do? Go to Water World

Gators,
Now that swim team is over and you don't know what to do with your time think about going to Water World.  We still have discounted Water World tickets for sale.  These can be used any day of the 2014 Water World Season.  These tickets are just $30.00 each.  Please spread the word to your family and friends.  Once these tickets are gone they are gone, don't miss out!
Please contact Jennifer Friedrichs at 303-358-8721 or cjmfriedrichs@aol.com to make arrangements to get these. 

Un-Believable

Gators,

I just wanted to take a moment this morning to congratulate everybody on a fantastic season.  But this wasn't just your typical season at Green Mountain.  We've accomplished one of the biggest feats in team history

In case you missed the big news - your Green Mountain Gators took home the 3rd place trophy for Division 1 at state yesterday.  I can't state in words how HUGE this is.

Historically, I don't know if the Gators have ever placed this well, but the coaches couldn't be any more proud of you all. When I first began swimming for this club we would take a handful of swimmers to the state meet. I've been on and with the swim team for 10 years now; it's unbelievable to see that we have become one of the big titans at the state meet.

We had some outstanding swims all three days and there are simply too many of you to mention individually, but I applaud all of you that did swim at this meet.

To all swimmers - thank you for your efforts at the pool this year.  I've been so lucky to be a part of this team as long as I have and every single one of you makes it worth coming back each year.  The amount of pride I have being a coach of the Green Mountain Gators is something I simply cannot put in words.  On average, my summers are almost always the most chaotic part of my year.  It would be easy in theory to hang up the stopwatch and eliminate early mornings and long Saturdays in order to find some down time.  The truth is, coaching is one of the most rewarding parts of my life.  Getting to watch all of you swimmers conquer yourself and grow up gives me all the incentive I need to keep coming back.  Point in fact below:

Dylan, Brady, Hannah, Inez & Coaches 2014

Dylan & Coach Josh - 2009

Hannah & Not-Yet-Coach Josh 2007

A moment for some special thank you's:

• Parents - You are perhaps the most under-recognized group that makes this swim team what it is.  Your dedication to getting your kids to the pool, motivating them, timing at meets, working alongside the coaching staff, helping set up the pool on meet days, running the heating shed, and all of the various other roles you take on, make our season flow as smoothly as it does.  So thank you, for all that you do for your kids and for our team - we are unbelievable lucky to have you.
• Board Members - These people are who make the season possible. A lot of people don't realize how much effort goes into planning the summer season alone, let alone planning activities like fall/winter clinics (more on that later). More importantly they are the coaching staff's support net and gave us all the opportunity to be here this summer.  It's an indescribable feeling to be able to share our knowledge of a sport we're passionate about with these athletes, and you all make that possible.
• My Fellow Coaches - Porter, Jaimie and Ethan deserve a standing ovation for their efforts this season.  I've been so fortunate to share this pool deck with some great minds and phenomenal coaches including Rich, Shelby, and now these three. 
•  I first got to meet Porter in an on-the-job interview of sorts over the spring while finishing up winter-clinics.  It was admittedly a sink-or-swim scenario when I let him take the reins with minimal guidance, just to see how he would do.  He took the opportunity and ran with it. His amount of knowledge in this sport has made a significant impact on this team and I'm lucky to be able to have him as a colleague. I want to wish him the best in this coming year as a freshman at CU (Go Buffs!)
• Jaimie - I don't even know where to begin. Jaimie has dedicated an incredible amount of time and effort this season and is undoubtedly responsible for much of the success we've had.  Not only did she take on an incredible amount of responsibility with this team, but she also had another job to tend to this summer. She managed her time wonderfully and never once showed up to practice with anything but a smile.  Her ambitions to see this team succeed drove us to being able to hold that 3rd place trophy.  While Porter will be just starting his college career, Jaimie's is drawing to a close this year as she finishes up her nursing degree.  I want to wish her an expedient yet fun-filled final year.  Best of luck in what will surely be a challenging year.
• Ethan - I look at Ethan and it's hard to believe he's only going to be a senior in high school.  He is one of the most well put together 17 year old's I have ever met.  I look at myself when I was his age and he is eon's ahead of where I was in cognizance and composure.  As a swimmer there's not enough I can say about Ethan. To watch him progress from when I first started coaching to the remarkable athlete he is now makes me immensely proud.  Perhaps the more outstanding feature of this season though is watching Ethan develop as a coach.  He has a natural confidence in coaching the lower division and was crucial in taking on the 8 & under division this year. Thank you for your dedication this year and I hope your senior year is nothing but amazing.

Best of luck to you all in this coming year!  Keep in touch with the Gator Blog.  We will be posting information about the Fall/Winter Clinics sometime soon.  I hope to see you there!

-Coach Josh

State Meet

The time has come, Gators! I hope you're all ready to swim fast at State this weekend!! I just had a couple notes for you all about the meet:

Friday: 400 swimmers should still come to practice at 8am to do a wake up swim and some pacing. It won't be anything hard, but it is important to get a warm up in. Warm ups for the 400s on Friday will start at 2:00pm, and the meet will start at 3:00pm. 

There is still practice for all the State swimmers on Friday morning. 

Saturday: 12 and Unders Since there will be limited lane space at Splash, we have decided to hold warm ups at Green Mountain again this weekend (it worked well for League!). We will be warming up at GMSC from 7:00-7:30am, then we will head over to Splash to do some starts. The meet will start at 9am.

Sunday: 13 and Up We will also be doing our warm up at Green Mountain so the lanes aren't as crowded. Warm up will be from 7:00-7:30am, then we will head to Splash to do some starts. The meet will start at 9:00am. 

There will be NO PARKING in the parking lot, but there is plenty of parking in the parking lots across the street!

Will they win?

To keep with tradition, the coaches have agreed to a relay swim tonight.  If there is time after the awards are completed tonight the coaches will challenge other age groups as well as parents to a relay swim.  So swimmers and parents bring your swimming suits and be ready to swim fast. Hope we can all witness this event.  We can't wait to see if the coaches have what it takes to swim with the Gators!

End of year banquet

As we bring our swim season to a close we would like everyone to join us for our end of the season banquet on Wednesday evening.  We will be having a "pot luck" dinner at the pool beginning at 5:30 p.m.  We will begin dinner at 5:30 p.m. and awards will follow shortly after.  We ask that each family bring a side dish or dessert to share (depending on your last name).  Please make sure you bring a serving utensil for your dish if necessary.  We will be serving pizza and water.
If your last name begins with A-P please bring a side dish to share
If your last name begins with Q-Z please provide a dessert

Weekly Update

AWESOME JOB GATORS!!! We won SECOND PLACE at League, which is very exciting! We had some unbelievable time drops, best times, broken records, and new State cuts. I could not be more proud of any of you!

Even though you already got to push the coaches in, I would also like to reward you by letting you sleep in tomorrow, so there will be NO PRACTICE Monday morning!

Practices this week will be for State swimmers and will be held from 8-10am. Swimmers ages 13&up will practice from 8-9, and swimmers ages 12&under will practice from 9-10.

The coaches will be making State entries tomorrow morning, and I will be sending in the final entries before I go to work tomorrow morning at 10am. There will be NO late entries accepted, so if you have not signed up online or on the papers I had today, you need to sign up this afternoon. I would also appreciate it if you could let me know if you will not be at State so I know not to put you in a relay.

We still need swimmers who are willing to swim on relays at State, so if you are available, PLEASE sign up!!

State Entries

The links for State entries are up!! I will let the swimmers choose whatever they want to swim at State since I chose what they swam at League. Please make sure to sign up by Sunday night so the coaches can check times and make relays before the entries are due on Monday morning. The host team will not accept late entries for the State meet.

If you have not qualified for State, but are available for relays, please make sure to sign up as well!

Thanks!

Important Information About This Weekend

Hi Gators! I have a few important announcements about practice this week, warm up times, and parking for League:

• This Friday, Upper Division swimmers will start at 7am instead of 6:30am. Swimmers who will be competing in the 400 at League will be expected to show up to the pool at 9am to do a wake up swim and some pace work. All other practices will be at the normal times. 
• On Friday, 400 swimmers will need to arrive to the Stingrays' pool at 4pm. Positive check-in and warm up will start at 4:15pm, and the meet will start at 5pm. 
• Saturday and Sunday's warm ups will be held at Green Mountain from 6:15-6:45am. At 6:45 we will get out of the water and head over to Columbine Knolls. All swimmers will need to arrive at Columbine Knolls by 7:30am at the latest in order to do a few starts before the meet begins. The meet will start at 8am. 
• The reason for this is that at Columbine Knolls, we would only have 3 lanes and 20 minutes for our 79 swimmers to warm up. We will get a much better warm up in at Green Mountain.
• On Saturday and Sunday there will be no parking in the parking lot at Columbine Knolls. The parking lot is only for coaches. There will be parking just north of the pool at Normandy Elementary School. There is also neighborhood parking, but I have been asked to let you all know that they will be ticketing any cars that are blocking driveways. 

Here is the League psych sheet. I hope all you swimmers are getting excited! It's going to be a great meet and I can't wait to see all of you swim fast :) 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_AXeYFOZE3xVExwb1NMTWZZX3BaZGYzT1ROYUtEc3hSVXcw/edit?usp=sharing

No Night Practices This Week

There will be no night practices this week leading up to League, or next week leading up to State. Upper division swimmers will be able to work on their strokes at morning practice with Josh, Porter, or me since there are less swimmers at practice now. See you all in the morning and tomorrow night for the tye dye party!

Tie-Dye Party

Tomorrow we will be having our Gator tie-dye and ice cream party. We will begin at 5:30. You will need to bring your own item to tie-dye. We will also have white Green Mountain Gator swim team t-shirts and tank tops available for purchase($12.00 each) to be dyed. We ask that you bring your items already rubber banded in the design you would like. We will have yellow, green and blue dye.
We will also be serving ice cream. We would like a few parents help to help scoop ice cream and monitor the ice cream toppings.
If the weather cooperates the kids will be allowed to swim in the pool.
And last, there was a note in each swimmers folder regarding collecting new/unopened school supplies.  Please consider donating new school supplies tomorrow. These will be collected and donated to less privileged families.

Weekly Update- IMPORTANT LEAGUE INFORMATION

Awesome job this season Gators! After yesterday's dual meet against AAC, we are UNDEFEATED in dual meets for the summer! We also had some swimmers make new League and State times today at the Last Chance meet, which is great.

Practices this week will only be for swimmers who have League qualifying times or are swimming in relays at League. Everyone else gets to sleep in and I will see you all for the tye dye party this Wednesday and the banquet next Wednesday!

The revised League entries will be available on Tuesday. Please make sure to look at them. Thank you!

Deadline for photos 7/14

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  We had a lot of swimming going on this weekend.  I just wanted to remind you that if you would like to purchase an age group photo or any additional photos from the photographer I will need all orders and money by tomorrow (Monday 7/14).  If you would like to see what these pictures look like they are posted on our photo board at the pool.  Please let me know if you have any questions.
You can also contact me at 303-358-8721 or cjmfriedrichs@aol.com if you have questions.

Last chance to volunteer

Here is your last chance to volunteer.  Parents we need your help!  We are hosting the last chance meet at our pool tomorrow.  We are in need of some volunteers to help run this meet.  If you child is swimming in this meet we would like you to volunteer your time.  And if you can't think of anything better to do on a Sunday morning you are welcome to stop by the pool, we could always use your help too.  Below is the link to the sign up for the positions we are responsible for.  We may also have additional timer slots available depending on the other teams turn outs.


http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054caba822a75-last1




Thanks so much for your help on this meet and in previous meets.

League Meet Information

Hi Gators! I can't believe that next weekend is already League weekend! Since it is only a week and a half away, and since the coaches will be sending in the entries for the meet this Sunday afternoon, I have a couple notes for all you swimmers and parents:

• Most importantly, I expect everyone who is available next weekend to swim at the League meet. We have very high goals as a team, and in order to do as well as we would like to, we need as many swimmers as possible. Everyone with League qualifying times should be swimming, even if you already have your State times. There will be plenty of time to rest in between the two meets.
• Josh, Ethan, Porter, and I will be deciding on entries, and we would like to have a swimmer in every event. This means that swimmers may not be swimming their favorite events. We want all of our swimmers to do really well, and we will choose events that you will do well in. 
• Every swimmer needs to use the sign-up link to indicate 'yes' or 'no' to swimming at the meet by Saturday evening. There is also an option for swimmers who have not made the qualifying times yet to swim on relays. Relays are worth double points, so I would love to bring as many relays as possible. If you do not have qualifying times, but are available to swim, please say yes to relays.

On Friday, July 18th, the Upper Division swimmers will swim their 400s at the Stingray's pool. Warm-up will start at 4:15pm, and the meet will start at 5:00pm. Upper division swimmers need to talk to me at practice if they are unable to make it to the meet on Friday so I know not to sign them up for the 400. If you do not talk to me, I will assume you are available on Friday if I need 400 swimmers.

Saturday, July 19th will be events 7-64. 

Sunday, July 20th will be events 65-110.

Both Saturday and Sunday, the meet will be held at Columbine Knolls. We will have warm up from 6:20am-6:40am, with the meet starting at 8:00am. 

We will have more information about volunteer duties by early next week.

If there are any questions, do not hesitate to email me at jaimiestevens27@gmail.com or text me at (612) 810-7879. :)

Tuesday's Night Practice Canceled!

Since no coaches are able to make it back to the pool tonight, night practice has been canceled. See you in the morning!

Water World tickets still available

We still have Water World tickets available.  These tickets can by used by anyone for any day in the 2014 Water World season.  These tickets are sold at a discount price of $30.00 per ticket.  Please spread the word to your family and friends.  Please see Jennifer Friedrichs to purchase these tickets.  Once they are gone they are gone! 

Age group photos

Last week when we had our team photos taken the photographer also took age group pictures.  If you purchased a package this age group photo will be provided to you as a gift.  If you would like to purchase your child's age group picture you still can do this.  These pictures are each $7.00.  Please let Jennifer Friedrichs know by Friday, July 11th if you would like to purchase one.  You will need to have the money turned in before the order will be placed (if you are writing a check please make this payable to Mardell Studios).  We apologize for the delay in information about ordering these, but we were not sure if the time would allow the photographer to take separate age group photos.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

This Week's Clinics

Clinics this week will be breaststroke on Tuesday, and starts and turns on Thursday. Please remember each swimmer is limited to 2 clinics for the summer so that everyone gets a chance to work on their strokes. Here is the link to sign up:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PgHoEdCkC-85qkJ5bksL0Buuy0VyFwquK9FsCljDtXA/edit?usp=sharing

Fourth of July

Just a reminder there is no practice tonight or tomorrow morning, and no meet on Saturday. I hope everyone is doing something fun this weekend! See you on Monday!!

Stroke Clinic Sign Ups

Here is the link to sign up for Tuesday's butterfly clinic, and Thursday's starts and turns clinic.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ND5dyPuwrJckTEZgaBatPcPq4JsCQhk5OGecIM-LCjY/edit?usp=sharing

Weekly Update

Hi Gators! This week there will only be practice Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Wednesday we will take our team picture, have some pancakes, and then head over to WaterWorld! Friday is the Fourth of July, so there will be no practice. Hopefully everyone gets to do something fun! I know all of you are tired coming off of Gator Week and all four meets we had this week, but we had some great swims this weekend.We did win our dual meet on Saturday, so we have won all of our dual meets so far. Keep up the good work!!
Clinics this week will be butterfly on Tuesday, and starts and turns on Thursday. Sign ups will be posted tomorrow morning.

AAC Relay Meet

There have been several questions about the AAC Relay Meet that will take place this Wednesday, June 25th, and I just got more information about the meet. Relay meets are super fun meets to go to, and swimmers have a lot of fun competing in different relay events! For this meet, each relay will consist of two girls and two boys, and each swimmer can compete in up to four relays. The entries for this meet are due tomorrow night, so I will be making relays and turning in the entries some time later tonight or in the morning. Please sign up tonight so that I know you will be there!

On Wednesday, the meet will be at the Applewood Athletic Club pool. Our warm-up will be from 2-2:30pm, and the meet will start at 3pm. 

Some examples of events for this meet are a medley relay, back/breast relay, fly relay, back relay, IM relay (where each swimmer swims a 100IM), fly/free relay, etc. 

GO GATORS!!

Awesome job this weekend Gators!! We had lots of best times, new cuts, and lots of team spirit. Because of all your hard work, Green Mountain placed SECOND overall, and because of all your cheering and excitement, we also won the SPIRIT AWARD! At the end of the meet, a couple coaches from other teams came up to me to congratulate our team on really stepping it up this year. I could not be more happy or more proud of every single one of you who swam this weekend!

Keep up the good work! :)

Friday Practice

Hi Gators, there is still practice tomorrow! We will be doing some warm up sets for the meet. Upper division practice will start at 7am instead of 6:30am, but all other practices will be the same.

I really want to win the Spirit Award again this year, so I would love it if all swimmers could come up with something fun to show our team spirit!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRACTICE CANCELLED!!

I wanted to give you all plenty of notice that practice tonight will be cancelled due to the thunder and lightning. We will try again tomorrow night!

Gator Week:

The time has come.  Time to lift the shroud of mystery that surrounds what has infamously become known as "Gator Week".  

Undoubtedly you have by now come to know the phrase "Gator Week"; either from your fellow swimmers or even directly from one of the coaches.  And I'm also sure by now that you have gathered, to a small degree, what this week will entail.  The coaches have been dropping hints and writing menacing messages on the white board at practice for a couple of weeks. Perhaps by now, you may even be slightly afraid.  You may be thinking to yourself, "Maybe this will be the week I take an unexpected vacation".  But you shouldn't....and you won't. The magnitude of "Gator Week" is truly incomprehensible to all of you....At least it was, until now.

"Gator Week" is coming and it's time you got the 411 on what it is, when it is, and how to prepare - so here it is.

"Gator Week" begins next Monday and will persist through the whole week of practice.  You may feel nervous about it, and that's exactly how us coaches want you to feel.  But the reasons why we want you to feel this way are different than what you may expect.  "Gator Week" (I'm considering getting the phrase trade-marked) is more than just a week of hard practice.  It is more than the coaches laying down the hammer for seemingly no reason at all.  "Gator Week" is an obstacle or better yet, a challenge.  One which we hope all of you strive to conquer.  Practices during this week are going to be exceedingly difficult, but not a single one of them will be impossible.  

"Gator Week" isn't simply a week of physical punishment.  It's more importantly about a mind-set.  Our hope for you as coaches is that you will come to practice during "Gator Week" and approach each day with the confidence that you can accomplish something great by just putting your mind to it.  This is the week where that voice in your head that whispers "I can't do it" is put to rest.  We challenge every single one of you to make every practice possible during this week and approach each one of them with the attitude that you are unbeatable.  More importantly,we would like to see all of you walk away from this week with a new sense of confidence that every goal you set is achievable - if you decide to work at it.

The coaches are getting creative with the workouts and each day will have a particular "flavor" to it.  Not every day is going to consist of a soul-crushing amount of yards or an over-abundance of sprint, but every day will be a challenge that we want to see you overcome.

A couple quick notes:

• Asthma - Swimmers with asthma; please be sure to bring your inhalers this week!  There will be some days that may trigger an asthma attack due to the nature of the practice.  While our goal is not to give anybody an asthma attack we would like you to be prepared.
• Breakfast - If you wish to get the most out of these practices it would be wise to eat a light breakfast beforehand. Banana's, granola, yogurt,and whole-grain cereals are good options.
• Hydration - Try to bring a water bottle or better yet a bottle of Gatorade to every practice.

More tips will follow in the days to come.

Sincerely,

Josh, Jaimie, Porter.  

Weekly Update

Hi Gators! I sent in Ken Caryl entries this morning, and will have them at practice tomorrow. A couple of you who do not have individual qualifying times may be on relays, so make sure to check with me!

Swim clinics this week will be breaststroke on Tuesday, June 17, and starts and turns on Thursday, June 19. The link to sign up is below. Please remember there is a limit of 8 swimmers per clinic, and each swimmer gets 2 clinics for the summer. Clinics are held from 9:45am-10:30am. I think they have really been helping so far!

See you all at the pool :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BuI4OFLiCIu458r3JTNG5T159jGox4TEo6e8GGD20bE/edit?usp=sharing

Ken Caryl Invite

Great job this morning Gators! 

Next weekend we will be swimming at Ken Caryl Ranch for the Ken Caryl Invite. I am doing the entries tonight for those who have qualified (there will be NO ONLINE entries for this meet). Please TEXT me at (612) 810-7879 by 8am Sunday morning (tomorrow) if you have qualified but DO NOT plan to attend.

On Friday June 20th, the 13-18 400 frees start at 1pm. All other events for upper division start at 4pm on Friday.

On Saturday June 21st, the 9-10 boys and 11-12 boys and girls start at 7am. 

Also on Saturday June 21st, 9-10 girls and all 8&unders start at noon.

I will let everyone know at practice what time warm ups will be.

This is a big meet where lots of League or State cuts can be made, so please try your best to come and swim fast! Last year we won the Team Spirit award at this meet, and I would love to win it again! Come ready to cheer :)

Email me or text me with any questions!

Stop by to see me...

I have been doing the computer work for the Gators for many years. I don't even know how many! My swimmer is getting older and it is time to start training someone to take over.

Stop by the computer table on Saturday during the meet if you are interested in learning about this job. If you like data and running pretty decent software + doing some work on The Swamp (blog web site) this is fun. At meets you get to see who wins (officially) first! It is easy to watch your child swim because you are right there, and can hop up to watch any race. You get to be in the shade and everyone thinks you are important!

See me to learn more. If you aren't at the meet Saturday, feel free to contact me another time.
Carol

Night Practice Canceled

Happy Thursday gators! Awesome job at the meet last night. I was impressed with how well you all swam even with the cold weather.

Night practice tonight is canceled--Porter and Ethan are out of town, Josh is working tonight, and I'm not feeling well. I'm really sorry, and I hope you enjoy the rest!

Have a Hamburger!

During the intrasquad meet on Wednesday evening enjoy a hamburger or hot dog (and all the other goodies they sell) from the Snack Shack at the pool. The grill will be up and running so you won't have to go hungry.

Weekly Update

AWESOME JOB THIS WEEKEND GATORS!! We had some unbelievable time drops, and we won our second meet!

This Wednesday we will have our second Intrasquad meet. Warm up will start at 5pm, and the meet will start at 5:30. Please sign up online by Tuesday at 5pm so we can start getting everything together. If you do not get signed up on time, please show up to Green Mountain around 4:45 on Wednesday to deck enter by the heating shed.

Swim clinics this week will be backstroke on Tuesday, and another starts and turns clinic on Thursday. The clinics will run from 9:45-10:30am and there is an 8 swimmer limit in each clinic. Please remember each swimmer is only allowed 2 clinics so that everyone has a chance to come to one. There is a link to sign up for this week below.

Let's have another great week Gators!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V-MnKSNwEL7jIYutxg-UiN2g1PZTz2piMvMBzy4NZvA/edit?usp=sharing

Water World Tickets

Tickets now available. See the "Important Information" section on the right for complete information.

Heat Shed Training Friday Morning

Volunteer where the action is!

We are in need of heating shed volunteers. We are going to hold an informal training session led by experienced parents this Friday (June 6th) at 9:00 am at the pool.

We would like to shoot for having 10 parents there. We encourage all families to be involved and we can't run meets without these important people.

What happens in the heating shed? (No, it's not a place to get warm when it's a cold morning!)
Volunteers sort entry cards and help swimmers get to their correct lanes. The little kids especially need help, particularly on the 8 & under relays.
Hope to see you there!

Weekly Update

Great job at the meet Gators!! We had some great swims, and all that hard work helped us win our first dual meet. We're off to a great start!

This week, we will start swim clinics for 12 and under swimmers. Tuesday's swim clinic will focus on freestyle, and Thursday's swim clinic will focus on starts and turns. There is a limit of 8 swimmers per clinic, and it will be first come, first served. The sign up is available through this link. If you sign up and realize you cannot make it, please remove your name so someone else can have a chance. 

See you tomorrow!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/169uxAJn4b4WhHQKvg6i1xdPpvPFumI1dugKiUXSUjjE/edit?usp=sharing