Week of 6/14

 New this week:
- Wednesday, June 16: Tie-Dye & Ice Cream Party from 5-6:30pm
- Upper Division Night Practice has been moved a half hour to 7:30-8:30pm (Tue/Thur)
- Saturday, June 19th: Dual Meet against Wheatridge

Details:

Tie-Dye & Ice Cream Party:
Join us on Wednesday 6/16 @ 5:00pm for some creative team spirited fun.  We will be selling our white Gator t-shirts and tank tops for $5 and the whole family is welcome to join in to tie-dye their gear. We re low on certain sizes, so be aware that we might sell out of your size. We will have expert creative consultants onsite to help out. Ice cream will be served around 6:00pm.  You are also welcome to bring your own shirt, shorts or tank to dye. You'll want to make sure that your item is cotton or it won't dy. You do not have to buy our gear in order to participate. 
Note: this is NOT a pool party. We will only be using the grounds of the swim club for our creative fun, but please do not plan to swim. (The pool will not be staffed up to handle that).

Saturday's Meet: We are scheduled to swim against Wheatridge at the Anderson Pool. Warm up will be at 6:30 am with a start time of 7:00 am. Swimmers can sign up for races at the pool and parents can sign up to volunteer by using the link under "Parent Volunteers". We only need timers and officials for away meets. We hope to see you at the Anderson Pool.

Swimmer Folders:  Each family has a swimmer folder that will have ribbons from the meets or any other small items that we want to pass on to the families. Many Gator families still have items from 2019 to pick up. Please check your folders this week. The coaches will put the swimmer folder box out at practice.

Photos: If you are interested, you can like us on Facebook and see photos from our meets, as well as see some team updates. 

Team Awards:  We wanted to remind our families and swimmers about two special awards that can be earned with the Gators.  The Iron Gator and the Golden Gator award.  In order to be an Iron Gator, you must swim in every event in your age division and receive a time (not DQ).  If you want to be a Golden Gator, you'll need to earn a State time in every event in your age division. For some swimmers, this is a great way to challenge yourself throughout the swim season. 

Upcoming Events of Note...

- Wednesday 6/30: Team Pictures & Pancake Breakfast from 7:30-9:30 am
- Saturday 7/3:  BYE weekend - No Meet
- Sunday 7/11: Last Chance Meet (for those swimmers with "B" times that are trying to make League, they get one last shot to swim fast.
- Friday 7/16-Sunday 7/18:  League Championships  -- we are still trying to find a pool to host League. Currently the Gators are scheduled to host the Upper Division 400s on Friday 7/16. Golden is trying to get the city to agree to 1 day of League and Wheatridge is trying to get the other day. Nothing has been confirmed. Please know that our entire FSA League is working hard behind the scenes to make this happen.  The current plan is to have the 400s on Friday / Lower Division only (12 and under) on Saturday / Upper Division only (13 and older) on Sunday.
- State Meet: This is still TBD. The current rumor is the Ken Caryl is trying to get approval to host State, but nothing has been confirmed.

Night Practice - Update

 For the remainder of June night practice will move from 7pm to 7:30-8:30 pm.
For the month of July, night practice will be at 8:00-9:00pm.
Tuesdays / Thursdays only

NOTE: this practice is for upper division only.  If your upper division child would like to attend night practice they MUST communicate with Coach Emma. If she does not have enough people, then we will skip night practice that evening. 

Join our Lifeguarding Team today @ GMSC

 Green Mountain Swim Club is looking for Lifeguards! If you are 15 years or older and have a current lifeguard certification, you can start immediately! If you are 15 years or older and able to get a certification ASAP, you can start as soon as you are certified. Please contact staffing.gmsc@gmail.com.  Head down to the pool and start the best summer job you'll ever have.

Week of June 7th

Practice: the usual laps. Swim fast gators.

Dual Meet:  Saturday 6-12 @ GMSC vs. 5 Parks. - warm up for GMST @ 6:00 am. Yep 6am!
5Parks is a big team. Please prepare to be in a crowd. If you are unvaccinated, the CDC recommends wearing a mask outside in this type of situation.  You can certainly plant yourself on the hill and watch from a distance or grab a free mask from the concession area. 

A few swim meet reminders:
- Relays: If your swimmer signs up for the meet and checks the boxes to do a relay, they are expected to stay for their relays. If they can't make the relay, it is the swimmers responsibility to let their Coach know ASAP so that the Coach can try to find a replacement. This puts everyone in a tricky spot, so please tell your swimmers to only sign up for a relay if they know they will be there. Also, not all swimmers will get a relay. You need four kids and sometimes the number of swimmers in an age group just don't work out for everyone to get a relay. The coaches will do their best.
- The parent volunteer link is posted for our Saturday meet.
- Virtual Meet Results: We have posted the GMST only virtual results. As soon as we receive the combined results from Golden and AAC we will post those as well. 

Tie-Dye & Ice Cream Party:
We had to delay our tie-dye party and we now have a date!  Join us on Wednesday 6/16 @ 5:00pm for some creative team spirited fun.  We will be selling our white Gator t-shirts and tank tops for $5 and the whole family is welcome to join in to tie-dye their gear. We will have expert creative consultants onsite to help out. Ice cream will be served around 6:00pm.  You are also welcome to bring your own shirt or tank to dye. You do not have to buy our gear in order to participate. 
Note: this is NOT a pool party. We will only be using the grounds of the swim club for our creative fun, but please do not plan to swim. (The pool will not be staffed up to handle that).

MEET CHANGE FOR SATURDAY 6-5-21!! PLEASE READ

 Details for Saturday:  The meet will be held at our pool and will be a "virtual" meet. This means that we will swim with our team only and will then combine our times with Golden and possibly AAC since they too are doing virtual meets as well. We will have relays and all the standard dual meet events.  We will need to create a new volunteer sign up sheet for our home meet. This will be done by Friday. Please check in Friday to sign up.  THANK YOU. 

Need Volunteers for Wednesday Intrasquad

 Calling all Gator Families! We are in need of A LOT MORE help to run the meet on Wednesday night.  Please go to the blog and click on the "Parent Volunteer" section. There are currently sign-ups for the first two meets. More will be posted soon. It takes a lot of help to run a meet and we actually can't do it without the help. For all new families, just pick a random volunteer spot and we'll teach you how to do it. For all our returning families, you know the drill... get signed up.  Thanks. 

Week of May 31st

Morning practices start Tuesday 6/1:
6:30 am - 8:00 am:  13 and older
8:00 am - 9:00 am:  10-12 year olds
9:00 am - 9:50 am:  9 and younger

Optional practices: 
8:00 am - 9:00 am: 13 and older dryland practice M/W only
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: 13 and older only- Night Practice

INTRASQUAD Meet #1 + PARENT MEETING
This is our first meet and we will have a brief parent meeting to level set and answer any questions.  The coaches will work with your swimmers to get signed up for their races. There is a physical sign up sheet at the pool. All swimmers can swim in a maximum of 3 events.  Please allow your swimmers to choose their races and do the sign-up themselves. 
Note: all race sign-ups for Intrasquad meets are due by Tuesday (end of practice)

Wednesday, June 2nd @ GMSC
warmup:  5:00pm
parent meeting:  5:15pm
meet start:  5:30pm

We will have pizza by the slice for purchase, as well as Gator Gear (swim caps, shirts, tank tops, hoodies, etc) for sale. 

AWAY MEET #1:
We have our first in-person dual meet on Saturday, June 5th. We are still waiting for the schedule to be finalized to know who we are swimming, but we do know that it is an AWAY meet. Please check the "Next Event" for details regarding location, warm up times, etc. 
Note: all race sign-ups for Dual meets (home or away) are due by Thursday (end of practice)

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS ONLY:
We are working on an electronic sign-up for the HS boys only to use while they are still in season. You will not need to sign up at the pool (although you can.)  Same cut off dates above apply.  Do not expect to deck enter each meet. We need you to sign up if you want to swim.

PARENT VOLUNTEER - SIGN UPS:
Please go to the section of the blog titled "Parent Volunteers". You will find sign up genius links for each meet and you can choose how you want to volunteer. Don't worry if you don't know how to do any of the jobs. We'll teach you and they are all very straight forward. 

Practice Week of 5/24

 Afterschool practices start Monday. 

Monday:  We are waiting for the pool to warm up and it will be close on Monday. We will either have the kids in the pool OR have dryland practice. Please send your kids with both swim gear AND sneakers so they are prepared for either option. 
Tuesday - Friday:  We are feeling confident that the pool temp will be where we need it by Tuesday. Swim suits and goggles needed.

Practice times this week:
4:00-5:00 pm:  10 and under
5:00-6:00 pm: 11 and older

Note: If your child is coming to practice this week to see if they are ready for swim team, please wait until Tuesday. They may not have a chance to get in the water on Monday. 

Announcing GMST Coaching Staff

 Head Coach:  Emma Berg
Assistant Coach 9 - 12 year olds:  Ali Ouelette
Assistant Coach 8 & Unders:  Kati Livingood
Junior Coach/Team Manager:  Kayli Langan
Junior Coach/Dryland Training:  Beck Nicholson

All of our coaches have been swimming with the Gators since they were 8 & Unders and we are proud to see them all step into these coaching roles. We are excited to have Emma's passion and coaching skillset as she steps up to the Head Coach position. Kati is an experienced swimmer with a love for the sport and is looking forward to engaging our youngest division.  Ali comes to us via Alabama where she coached summer club and then moved to a CARA coaching position in Lakewood.  Beck has been an in-water coach for the past few years and will step out of the pool to work with our upper division with dryland training.  Finally, Kayli will serve as both our Team Manager (a position I didn't know we needed until she said she could help!) and as our in-water coach with the 8 & Unders. 

We are excited to welcome all of our coaches for the 2021 season. 

Swim Team Start Date: Monday 5/24

 Our first week of after school practice will be Monday - Friday 5/24-5/28. Practice times are below...

 4:00 - 5:00pm  12 and under
 5:00 - 6:00 pm  13 and older

Morning practices will start on Tuesday 6/1.

 6:30 - 8:00 am  13 and older
 8:00 - 9:00 am  10-12 years
 9:00 - 9:55 am  9 and under

Night Practices 

7:00-8:00 pm  upper division only (no exceptions due to COVID)

Dryland Training

Mondays and Wednesdays 8:00-9:00 am  upper division

Swim Meet Officials Needed

 Parents- We need 2 more Officials.  It doesn't matter if you've never done this or have no idea how to officiate. We will train you!  You get a front row seat to all the action and the more Officials we have, the less you have to do. Please consider this EXTRA fun volunteer opportunity to help the swim team.  Thanks.

Guidelines for Summer vs. Year-Round Swimming

 I have been getting a lot of questions regarding this topic. Here are the rules for clarification:

From Article VI: Section H (2.) of the CSSCSA Bylaws: On or after May 16, a swimmer may practice only with their summer club swim team and compete only in their summer club swim team’s meets in order to be eligible. To clarify, a swimmer may NOT practice or compete for another summer club team, a year-round team, etc. on or after May 16. Notwithstanding the above, a swimmer may practice or compete on or after May 16 interscholastically or inter-collegiately without losing eligibility.

Pool Clean Up Day - MAY 1ST - 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Attention Swim Team!  We need help getting the grounds ready for swim season.  Any and all help from kids 11 years of age and older is appreciated.  

Please come to the pool on Saturday, 5/1, to help the all-volunteer GMSC Board members prepare the grounds for our 2021 season. There is a lot of work to do! Come prepared to work hard, get dirty and to meet other members of the pool. Typical tasks include pulling weeds, washing chairs, cleaning the bathrooms, putting together playground equipment, and so on. 

Items you can bring with you:  gardening gloves, garden weeding tools, rubber cleaning gloves, tree branch clippers, rakes, brooms, cleaning sponges, trash bags, and anything else you think might be useful for grounds maintenance and locker room cleaning. 

Note: GMSC Members who volunteer two full hours will receive 3 guest passes on their account, which is a $30 value. (Limit: One per family.)

We will provide coffee and light snacks.

Thank you, in advance, for your time!

Summer Season Registration is Open

Hello Gators!

Summer swim team registration is now open.  We have a lot of funky issues this season because of COVID, so please keep reading to get the full picture of what this season will look like (and know that it could change at any minute).

Start Date:

We will start after school practices the week of 5/17 or 5/24 depending on when the pool is ready to go.  Morning practices will start Tuesday, June 1.

Practices:

Practice times will remain the same, but we may need to shift age groups based on numbers.

6:30 am - 8:00 am ages 13+

8:00 am - 9:00 am ages 10 - 12

9:00 am - 10:00 am 9 and unders

Meets:

Due to COVID restrictions, we may be limited by the number of people allowed on the grounds during a meet.

If Jeffco is at Level Blue:  All meets will be at our pool with our team only. A majority of the FSA teams in our league are following this model. We will have a dual meet against a different team each week, but we will all be at our respective pools. We will then combine the times for scoring.

If Jeffco is at Level Clear:  We will return to in-person dual meets. We will still have safety guidelines to protect our team and parents and those will be disseminating as we get closer to the meets. 

Parent Volunteers:

We absolutely still need parent volunteers for all swim meets. We expect each family to volunteer for approximately 5 volunteer shifts throughout the season. It may be more. It may be less. It takes a lot of hands to run a swim meet and we can't function without the help. Plus, you get a front row seat to all the swimming action!

State and League Championship Meets:  

League is a go and is planned for the weekend of July 16th.

State is up in the air. It is tentatively planned for the weekend of July 23rd, but no pool has been found to host State because of COVID restrictions. 

General COVID Restrictions:

Until restrictions are lifted we will continue to work with the team to keep everyone safe. All swimmers will need to arrive at the pool with a mask on. Masks can be taken off once the swimmer is at their assigned lane. Parents will be allowed on deck with a mask to watch the swim meets, but we will spread everyone out and ask that you quickly vacate the deck if your child is not swimming. 

High School Boys:

The boys CHSSA season is in direct conflict with summer swim club this season. We plan to offer an evening boys practice time each week. The practice will be non-conditioning and will focus on relays, starts, turns, dryland and socialization to keep our boys steeped in Gator spirit. 

Team Swim Suits:

You are not required to have a team suit, but it does give the swimmers a sense of belonging to the team. DEADLINE TO ORDER A TEAM SUIT IS 5/14. We will not have suit fittings this year due to covid. Please go to our team store online and order directly.

www.coloradoswimshop.com

Click on Teams Store

At the top, click on Teams store again to pull down the list

Choose Green Mountain

Password is: GREENmtn21 (case sensitive).

We are so excited to get all our swimmers back in the pool! This summer will be weird AND fun and we look forward to experiencing it with our wonderful swim family.

click here to register

Reminder: Swim Club Membership Sale Ends 4/18

 Swim Club Memberships are on SALE until 4/18.

The price for a family membership will be $495 for families who join by April 18th, and then it will increase to the standard price of $550. 

Go to the GMSC website to join. 

Swim Club Membership is Open

 Swim Club Memberships are open NOW and are on SALE until 4/18.

Family Membership Price: The price for a family membership will be $495 for families who join by April 18th, and then it will increase to the standard price of $550. 

For returning members from 2019 and 2020: For prior members from recent years, the primary account holder will receive an email invoice for renewing your membership this weekend. Simply follow the instructions in the email in order to renew your membership. Please note that you will be able to add a "Plus One" to your account for your babysitter or nanny, if needed. If a previous member and not renewing this year, you can ignore the email invoice(s) and your account will expire before the start of the 2021 season. 

For new members: Our new, updated website will be live by this Sunday, April 11th. You will be able to complete your membership application and pay dues via the website. If you do need to add a nanny or babysitter, please add the Plus One to your Family Membership. We do anticipate increased demand this year so please join early.

Click here for more details from the Swim Club.

Pool Manager/Lead Lifeguard Wanted!

 Green Mountain Swim Club is looking for a Pool Manager/Lead Lifeguard to handle the following responsibilities:

1. Staff scheduling

2. Supervising pool and grounds maintenance

3. Working guard shifts

4. Holding bi-monthly in-service training with all guards

5. Closing bank drawer and counting closing cash

6. Communicating with pool board members about any pool or staff issues

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

· Have a current Lifeguard Certification including CPR from the American Red Cross, YMCA, City of Lakewood or similar organization.

· Willing and able to conduct swimming lessons for a variety of ages and skill levels

· LOVE working with and spending time with kids!

· Available 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays

· Mature, punctual, responsible, self-motivated, and a good work ethic

Lifeguards Wanted!

The Green Mountain Swim Club is hiring Lifeguards for the summer. If you are interested, please read below for details and contact Shannon Baker at staffing.gmsc@gmail.com

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

· Be at least 15 years old

· Have a current Lifeguard Certification including CPR from the American Red Cross, YMCA, City of Lakewood or similar organization.

· Willing and able to conduct swimming lessons for a variety of ages and skill levels

· LOVE working with and spending time with kids!

· Available at least 20-25 hours per week, including weekends and holidays

· Mature, punctual, responsible, self-motivated, and a good work ethic

Lifeguard Responsibilities:

Overseeing activities at an aquatic facility.

Assisting with swimming lessons if necessary

Explaining and enforcing rules, regulations, and policies to ensure the safety of patrons.

Monitoring designated areas to recognize signs of danger.

Maintaining order in swimming areas.

Responding to emergencies and rescuing swimmers in danger of drowning.

Performing first aid procedures.

Maintaining cleanliness and orderliness of all areas.

Reminder: SWIM CLINIC STARTS 4/3

 Just a reminder to register for Swim Clinic before you head out for Spring Break.

REGISTER HERE

Green Mountain Rec Center
$70 clinic fee
Saturdays 4/3 - 5/8
3:00-4:00 pm  12 and under
4:00-5:00 pm   13 and older
(If you have a child between the ages of 11-14, you may be asked to switch times to even out the number of swimmers at each session. )

*Note: The GMRC is closed on Sundays due to budget cuts, hence the Saturday schedule.

We'll see you in the pool. Hooray!!

SPRING SWIM CLINIC AND MORE GATOR NEWS!

 SPRING SWIM CLINIC

    Registration link: https://form.jotform.com/210715843722150

AND MORE GATOR NEWS.....

Here's a brief list of what we know about our summer swim season:

- Summer swim season is a go!
- Dates for League and State are being set and all FSA teams (our swim league) are moving forward with their swim seasons as well.
- 19 year-olds will be eligible to swim this summer to help make up for the lack of summer swim in 2020.
- The boys High School season will directly overlap with our summer season. The boys are allowed to compete for high school AND their summer swim club. We hope to work with all our high school boys to find a solution for them to join us this summer. 
- COVID restrictions are unknown at this time. We will follow all guidelines to keep all kids and parents safe. 

SWIM CLUB NEWS...

- GMSC is in the process of updating their website, and it will support more automation of the annual membership process, member check-in/check-out, a member portal, a mobile app, and other features. 

- GMSC is  investing in a new chlorination system that will better support the continued safety and cleanliness of our highly-utilized pool. This investment is due both to a nationwide chlorine tablet shortage and best practice recommendations from a local pool maintenance company. 

- Once the new website goes live (target early April), we will start accepting 2021 membership applications.

- The price for a family membership will be $495 for families who join within two weeks of our website launch, and then it will increase to the standard price of $550. New members: We do not have initiation fees!

We are EXCITED for the 2021 season. We will keep you posted as we know more. Tell a friend and join us in our SUPER EXTRA JOY that our kids will be back in the water very soon. 

Swim Team Updates 2/2021

Hello Gator Family!

I wanted to take a minute to give some quick updates regarding the 2021 Summer Swim Season.

Green Mountain Swim Club: The pool is planning to open this summer and will be doing everything in their power to make that happen. We will need help! I will keep you posted with volunteer opportunities. Please also keep in mind that becoming a member of the pool (although not required for swim team) is also a solid way to help the pool.

Foothills Swim Association:  I have a meeting in late-February with our league members to determine the feasibility of a 2021 season due to COVID, potential scheduling of meets, determining how CHSAA schedules will impact our summer schedule, and more!

To be clear... I am hopeful that we will swim as a team this summer. However, I do not have any concrete answers yet.  I will keep everyone posted.  Please reach out if you have questions.

Danielle. 

Keeping You Updated

Even though our Gator Swim Team is taking a break, it doesn't mean the Gator Board hasn't been busy.  There is still a lot happening and we want to keep you updated so that you know what the options are for your family.

State of Colorado:
Governor Polis has extended the Safer at Home order through July 31, 2020. Although there is an amendment to the order that allows outdoor pools to open, it still states that a social distance of 6 feet must be maintained and no more than 1 swimmer per lane at any given time. This doesn't lend itself to swim team functionality.

Colorado Summer Swim Club Association:
- The State Meet has been cancelled
- The League Meet has been cancelled

Foothills Swim Association:
FSA is the swim league that our Gator team falls under. Here's what's going on with the other teams:
- Green Mountain:  no team, pool closed
- Stingrays: no team, pool closed
- Mount Vernon: no team, unknown on pool
- Golden Marlins:  no team, unknown on pool
- Wheatridge:  no decisions have been made
- Columbine Knolls: no decisions have been made
- Applewood Knolls: no team, possibly small swim camps only, pool open
- Applewood Athletic: no team, possibly small swim camps, pool not open yet
- 5 Parks: trying to have a team, pool open

Gator Camps??
If at some point the State orders allow more than one person per lane .....and the Green Mountain Rec Center opens it's indoor pool .....and they allow us to rent lanes, we will try to have a couple swim camps or just start clinic early. There are A LOT of "ifs" in this statement. Just know that we are working hard behind the scenes and trying to figure out a way to get your kids in the pool and keep swimming in their hearts (and very strong bodies!)

We Miss our Swim Family!
We may attempt a team picnic or some kind of gathering this summer if more restrictions are lifted. As always, we will do our best to keep you informed.

This hurts to type.  Genuinely hurts.

After multiple discussions with Summer Club teams across the league and state, and the Green Mountain Swim Club, the health and financial implications of COVID-19 give us no option but to cancel the 2020 Gator season.  The Swim Club itself will also be closed for the season.  Both the team and the club plan to resume as normal for the Summer of 2021.

We put this decision off as long as possible as we searched for any feasible solution.  But nothing that met health and safety criteria made any financial sense, and vice versa.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and will host the Fall Clinic if at all possible.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, and have an enjoyable rest of your summer.  Go Gators!

Update on Summer Swim Season

Hello Gator families,

Here is a brief update on the summer swim season.

We are in discussions with other summer club teams League- and State-wide, as well as the Green Mountain Swim Club board, regarding the summer season.  We are also monitoring communications and guidelines from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Jefferson County Public Health.  Currently the guidance is ambiguous, but we expect to receive clarification in the next week or two.

Everyone hopes that we can find a way to have a season, but the health and safety of our swimmers and families must be our first priority.

We will update everyone as we learn more.  Thank you for your patience as we navigate these very unusual circumstances.  Stay well!

Swim Team Updates

Spring Swim Clinic:  swim clinic is cancelled through the remainder of the dates. We owe many of you refunds and will be working on that as soon as possible.

Summer Swim Team:  We are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. See below for the official statement from the Colorado State Summer Swim Club Association:

The CSSCSA board is aware that the coronavirus may impact swimming during the summer of 2020. The state meet dates of July 24 – 26 CANNOT be changed. As of now, the board is monitoring the situation and realizes that some schedule changes, particularly in the early part of the season (June) may need to happen.  As the situation changes almost daily, NO decisions have yet to be made.  Likely no decisions will be made until we are much closer to the summer season. We will try to let everyone know what our plans are when more information is available.

We will keep everyone updated. We are as eager as you. Stay safe and stay active. 

Swim Clinic Postponed Due to Rec Center Closure

The City of Lakewood announced today that the Rec Center would be closed March 14 - March 29.  We hope to resume swim clinic on Sunday 4/5.  If the Rec Center is open, we will be there!
Stay tuned....

Swim Clinic Update 3-12-19

1- We plan to have clinic as long as the Green Mountain Rec Center stays open and our coaches stay healthy.

2- That's it. Pretty simple.

If anything changes, we will alert you immediately. Short of that, we hope to see everyone on Sunday.

 

The City of Lakewood has released the following statement in regards to the rec centers:

 

Our facilities are currently open, with minimal activity cancellations.

All recreation centers, arts and cultural facilities, family services facilities and parks are open and most programming is continuing as scheduled. We are taking extra precautions to protect residents and visitors from COVID-19 by disinfecting hard surfaces more frequently throughout our facilities.

REMINDER: CLINIC STARTS 2/23

Gator Spring Swim Clinic will start on Sunday 2/23.
Ages 11 and under; 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Ages 12 and up: 6:00 -7:00 pm
** note: we are moving the 12 year olds to the 2nd hour of clinic to spread out the number of swimmers more evenly. If your 12 year old needs to stay at the 5:00 pm time frame, that is OK.

Revised Clinic Dates

There has been a slight date change.  Jeffco Schools have a 4-day weekend on our first Sunday of spring clinic. Many families have indicated that they will be out of town and I wanted to be make sure that we started out strong.  The revised dates are as follows:

start week 1:  2/16 

start week 1:  2/23

week 2:  3/1

week 3:  3/8

week 4:  3/15

skip 3/22 due to spring break

week 5: 3/29

week 6:  4/5

skip 4/12 due to Easter

week 7: 4/19

week 8:  4/26

week 9:  5/3

last week 10: 5/10

Gators 2020 Spring Clinic

It's here.... Spring Swim Clinic!  The registration link is active and ready to go.

Registration link:  CLICK HERE
Cost:  $100 per swimmer for 10 weeks

Dates:

start week 1:  2/16

week 2:  2/23

week 3:  3/1

week 4:  3/8

week 5:  3/15

skip 3/22 due to spring break

week 6: 3/29

week 7:  4/5

skip 4/12 due to Easter

week 8: 4/19

week 9:  4/26

last week 10:  5/3

Location: Green Mountain Rec Center
Details:  Join us for our 10-week session this spring. You do not have to be a current Gator to join the Spring Clinic.  Invite a friend and get those swim legs ready for summer fun in the pool 

Green Mountain Swim Club Black Friday Sale

The Green Mountain Swim Club's first sale for the 2020 pool season is near!  They will run a Black Friday Blowout Sale which will be limited in time and quantity.  Any purchased Black Friday Sale memberships will need to be paid via PayPal when signing up.  Please remember the price will never go down for a pool membership, so don’t miss the bargain price of the year, $395.00.   The membership prices will NOT be lower, and will only move up to full price as opening day approaches.

Only 4 days until the Fall Swim Clinic starts!

Sunday evening swims start this weekend, going through November 17th.  5:00-6:00pm at the
Green Mountain Rec Center.  Cost is $100.  Click here to register!

GMST FALL SWIM CLINIC

The Fall swim clinic dates have been set! Please join us on Sundays for some indoor pool time. Keep your stroke in line and your swimmer legs kicking.

Sunday 9/15 - Sunday 11/17
Sundays only from 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Green Mountain Rec Center
Cost: $100
Registration:  click here
** Note all ages will swim from 5-6pm. If we have more than 35 swimmers register, we will add an upper division specific session from 6-7pm.

Swimmer Files are Full and Waiting to be Picked Up!

Gator Families -- I have moved the swimmer file box into the Guards Office at the pool. Please stop by any time the pool is open to get your items from the box.  The box includes: awards from State, awards and ribbons from the Banquet, awards from Ken Caryl Invite (we just got these for some reason), Swimmer Profile of all races this season and any/all ribbons that weren't picked up this season. 

Thank you for a successful (and fast!) 2019 summer swim session. We look forward to seeing you at Clinic in the off-season or for the 2020 summer season.

We need 2 more timers for the 400;s tonight

Please volunteer if you can. thank you.

Friday practice news

For practice on Friday, tomorrow, swimmers can wear socks in the pool. Also, if you are a 400 swimmer, your practice will start at 9:00. The 400 swimmer breakfast will be at Denny's and we will be getting there sometime between 10:00 and 10:30. Anyone is welcome, though only 400 swimmers will get their breakfast paid for.

Warm up Times + Parent Volunteers for State

They kept us waiting but warm up times and parent volunteer slots were finally released.  Please see the side of the blog.  Note:  they are splitting up the 8&unders to their very own warm up time.  If you are a Saturday swimmer, please make sure you pick the correct warm up time. We have two different slots based on age.  See you at State. SWIM FAST GATORS!

TEAM BANQUET- GATOR STYLE - WEDNESDAY NIGHT

We will get together to recognize our swimmers and coaches for an outstanding season, share our thank yous and hand out some awards. We would like to invite all swimmers and their families to our end of the season banquet.  This will be at the Green Mountain Swim Club (which will be closed for our event). The team will provide pizza and water/lemonade.  We are asking families to bring a side dish and/or dessert based on your Last Name to share in our potluck style dinner. 

Time:  5:30 pm - 8:30 pm (or early or later. Hard to say exactly)

Date:  Wednesday, July 24

Place:  GMSC

Bring:  last name begins with A-L: side dish //  last name begins with M-Z: dessert

Also, you may want to bring a camp chair to sit in, a camera to take pics, and cocktails for the board members :)

We look forward to seeing all of our Gator families on Wednesday!

BANQUET, PHOTOS, AND STATE OH MY!

Congratulations to all our League swimmers and all our non-League swimmers that helped the whole team swim faster! We took 3rd in League and had some amazing record breaking swims.  Good night do we have some fast kids!!

Monday 7/22: practice for State swimmers only (see time details below)
Tuesday 7/23: practice for State swimmers only
Wednesday 7/24:  TEAM BANQUET @ 5:30 pm!!!
Thursday 7/25: practice for State swimmers only / State T-Shirt-Making Party @ 5:30-6:30pm
Friday 7/26: practice for State swimmers only / State 400's
Saturday 7/27:  STATE - Lower Division
Sunday 7/28:  STATE - Upper Division

- Photos:  I will have all the team photos that were ordered on picture day at the Banquet. If you miss the Banquet, your photos will be in your swimmer file in the Guards Office at the pool.
- Practices:  Upper Division(age 13+) practice will be from 7:00 am - 8:00 am ALL WEEK / Lower Division(all age 12 and under)  practice will be from 8:00 am - 9:00 am ALL WEEK
- Team Banquet: We will get together to recognize our swimmers and coaches for an outstanding season, share our thank yous and hand out some awards. We would like to invite all swimmers and their families to our end of the season banquet.  This will be at the Green Mountain Swim Club (which will be closed for our event). The team will provide pizza and water/lemonade.  We are asking families to bring a side dish and/or dessert based on your Last Name to share in our potluck style dinner. 
Time:  5:30 pm - 8:30 pm (or early or later. Hard to say exactly)
Date:  Wednesday, July 24
Place:  GMSC
Bring:  last name begins with A-L: side dish //  last name begins with M-Z: dessert
Also, you may want to bring a camp chair to sit in, a camera to take pics, and cocktails for the board members :)
- State T-shirt Party:  Every year we like to spray paint t-shirts to pump up for State! Please bring a white t-shirt/tank top and $5. We will supply the spray paint and stencils.  We will be at the pool from 5:30 - 6:30 pm on Thursday night.
- State Meet:  The State Meet is at Stapleton this year. I will have volunteer opportunities posted as soon as they assign our team the responsibilities. We will have a few pop-up tents, so feel free to add to the tent village when you show up. We love having all our swimmers and parents in the same area :)

WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS AT LEAGUE!

We have open spots for Deck Marshall at every single shift for League!  We don't exactly know what this position does, but they'll tell us when we get there. You'll probably just get to boss people around and tell them to get back to the parent side of the pool. Could be fun :) If your child is swimming, you are expected to help in some way.  The Board has been working overtime filling in missing volunteer spots and we can't do it alone.  Thank you in advance for stepping up.

LEAGUE REMINDERS

Friday 7/19:  400's are at the Stingrays pool
Saturday 7/20: Events 7-64 @ Splash
Sunday 7/21:  Events 65-110 @ Splash
** see blog for warm up and start time details **

We are not allowed to have our circus tent at League.  We will bring all 4 of our pop-up tents to make a team area. It will be HOT so please bring your own pop up tent to add to the team village if you can.

Night Practices - Done

Night practices will not be held during League and State week.

Pool is Open (and other fun things this week)!

We normally start League swimming on Monday, however all swimmers are welcome to Monday practice since we have an Intrasquad on Monday night.

Monday:  all swimmer practice / INTRASQUD #3 @ 6:00pm
Tuesday:  start of League practice - only athletes swimming at League should attend practice
Wednesday: TEAM MOVIE NIGHT @ 8:30 pm (weather permitting)
Friday: practice a.m. / League 400's
Saturday:  League
Sunday:  League
Wednesday 7/24:  TEAM BANQUET @ 5:30pm

Details:
- Practices:  League practice will be @ GMSC at the standard times they have been all season.  State practices (starting Monday 7/22) will shift a bit.  All Upper Division 6:30 am - 8: am / All Lower Division (12 and under)  8:00 am - 9:00 am
- Intrasquad:  Yes, your times count towards League and State. Swim Fast!  We will be serving pizza and snacks. Bring your cash :)
- Movie Night: All swim team families/kids are welcome. The pool closes at 8pm and we will start getting settled into movie time starting at 8:30pm. We will be movie watching only, no swimming. Kids are welcome to bring blankets, pillows and come dressed in pajamas. This is our end of year treat for our swimmers.  We will be showing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Intrsquad - Rescheduled to Monday 7/15

The Intrasquad has been rescheduled to Monday night. Warm up at 6:00 pm, start 6:30 pm.
Note: We are asking all athletes to swim only 2 events, unless they are trying to qualify for League/State. Thanks.

Reminder: We still need volunteers for all meets. Thanks.

Meet Sign up + Volunteers Needed

Meet Sign up Sheets:  Coach Ben has the sign up sheets for the Saturday meet in Golden and the Sunday Last Chance meet at Stingrays.  Please have your swimmers check in with their coaches to sign up.

Volunteers Needed:  We need 24 timers for Saturday (3 shifts of 8) and 10 timers (2 shifts of 5) for this weekend. Thank you in advance for volunteering.

PS. We have no update on the pool as of Wednesday night. 

No Night Practice Tonight, Tuesday 7/9

due to the pool being closed, there will be no night practice tonight

Pool Closure + Updates on Practices and Meets

The pool will be closed for a few days. We do not have a date for re-opening.

PRACTICES:  all practices will be held at Green Mountain Rec the remainder of the week. The times have changed. Please see below for your age group.

Wednesday 7/10 & Thursday 7/11 @ Green Mountain Rec (Night Practices- all age groups) Please meet outside the rec center on the lawn between the pickle ball courts and the pool.  Please come dressed in your swim suits with shoes and dry land training clothes on top of your suits. These will tight practices with quick turn-around times and we don't want to see kids waste 20 minutes in the locker rooms between transitions.
-6:30 pm - 7:30 pm:  8 & Unders:  dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes
-7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: 9 - 12 yr olds: dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes
-7:30 pm - 8:30 pm: Upper Division: dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes

Friday 7/12 @ Green Mountain Rec (Morning Practices- all age groups)
-7:00 am - 8:00 am: Upper Division:  dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes
-7:30 am  -8:30 am:  9 - 12 yr olds:  dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes
-8:00 am - 9:00 am: 8 & Unders: dryland first 30 minutes, swimming last 30 minutes

INTRASQUAD:  The Wednesday meet has been cancelled.  However, we are trying to re-schedule for Monday night. This is TBD, so stay tuned.

SATURDAY MEET v. GENESSE:   Our meet has been moved to Golden for a Tri-meet with Golden and AAC.  Genesse will be going to Wheatridge for a tri-meet with other teams. I will update the sign up genius once we know our responsibilities.  Warm up time is TBD.

Dry land Practice on Tuesday

The pool was temporarily closed tonight due to the cloudy nature of the water.  We will not be allowed to swim until further notice. 

It's Gator week, so we got this!  We will be doing dry land training at practice.  Same practice times, same location, different shoes. (as in, wear shoes, along with your workout clothes).

Intrasquad - Coaches & Parent Relay

Hey Parents! It's your time to show off your swimming skills to our gator-athletes. Or flop around, look silly, and give the gator kids a good laugh.  --- We are looking for 4 to 8 parents that are willing to be on a relay team to race the coaches at the end of our last Intrasquad Meet (this Wednesday 7/10).  Bring your suit and check in with Danielle when you get to the meet.  THANKS!!

Gator Week Update

Hey all, we have gator week ahead of us, which means practices will be more difficult. As a result, there will be a no tolerance policy for tardiness at practice. Hopping in the pool late has been an issue this whole season, and so starting Monday, those who are late to warm up will be asked to head home and make up the practice time Tuesday and Thursday night. I'm implementing this policy to prevent injuries, as warm up and cool down are important when it comes to alleviating strain on joints and muscles. Spread the word, I would hate to have to send swimmers home. Let's all have a great gator week!

The Final Push to League and State!

IT'S GATOR WEEK!! This is the last big push to qualify for League and State and practice gets a little exciting this week. Plan for your kids to be tired :)

Monday 7/8: Gator Week practices start.
Tuesday 7/9: upper division night practice 8:00 pm
Wednesday 7/10:  Instrasquad Meet - starts at 5:30 pm
Thursday 7/11:  upper division night practice 8:00 pm
Friday: End of Gator Week!
Saturday:  GMST vs. GEN at our pool
Sunday: Last Chance Meet at Stingrays
Wednesday 7/25: Team Banquet @ GMSC.

Practice Schedule:  If your athlete does not qualify for league or state, then this will be their last week of practice. 
- Practice for League Athletes:  Monday 7/15 - Friday 7/19
- Practice for State Athletes: Monday 7/22 - 7/26 (practices times may change. Stay tuned)

Last Chance Meet:  This meet is a last ditch effort to qualify for League or State.  You must have a B time or better or have a reasonable chance of getting close to a league time to sign up for this meet. There are no relays and the meet runs pretty fast.

Team Banquet:  The team banquet is in two weeks, but I wanted to make sure that it was on your calendar. This is a fun night to celebrate your athletes, hand out some awards and eat awesome food from all the families!

No tents at AAC

I received N update from AAC today. Probably best to leave tents at home (see below):
We’re looking forward to our meet tomorrow.  I wanted to give you a heads up about our grounds.  I understand from speaking with our pool management that our grounds are a bit of a mess with the foot traffic from the 4^th and the rain and hail that came in late yesterday.  As a result, the grass may not be available for the meet tomorrow.  If that happens we should have more than enough space for both teams within the confines of our pool deck and pavilions.

July 5th Upper Division practice late start

Hey all, to ensure that we can all enjoy the 4th to the fullest, upper division practice will start at 7:00 instead of 6:30. Try to spread the word to those who might not see this post, as I don't want anyone to show up at 6:30 to find no one there. So enjoy your 4th knowing that you won't have to wake up quite as early.

Volunteers Needed for AAC Meet

We are still in need of 9 timers for the meet on Saturday.  AAC a smaller than normal team this weekend because of the July 4th holiday and we will only be having 2 timing shifts.  Please sign up. We plan to be done with the meet around 11 am.  Thanks.

Reminders for Week of 7/1

Tuesday:  Upper Division Night Practice - 8-9pm
Thursday:  NO PRACTICES - JULY 4TH
Saturday:  Away meet @ Applewood Athletic

Volunteers for AAC Meet: Timers are still needed! Please sign up.
Team Photos- you can still order team photos or Age Group Photos from our awesome Photographer, Alex Hearn. Orders forms and her contact info is on the right side of the blog.
WaterWorld:  you can purchase discounted tickets all season long with our swim team link. Details on the right side of the blog.

Reminders for Week of 6/24

Monday 6/24:  No practice
Wednesday 6/26:  no practice - team/individual picture day / pancake breakfast / WaterWorld
Saturday 6/28: BYE weekend, no meets

Details:
- Please find the order form for pictures on the blog, as well as the link to buy discounted tickets to Waterworld.
- We still need volunteers for the pancake breakfast. Click here to sign up.

Pentathlon and C/D meet cancelled

Due to poor weather this weekend, the Pentathlon and C/D meet, which were scheduled for this Sunday, have been cancelled. We will still be taking Monday off from practice, so I'm looking forward to us all being rested up and ready to go on Tuesday. Have a good extended weekend!

Friday 6/20/19 Upper division practice update

Tomorrow's upper division practice will be optional for those swimming at the Ken Caryl meet that night. The later sessions, held by Lexie and Emma, will be mandatory as usual. I'm looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow, whether at the meet or at practice.

Please pick up your trash

Several people approached me after the intrasquad tonight and told me that the area near the shelter was left in a mess that they cleaned up.  Swimmers - please make sure to pick up your trash before you leave from practices or meets!

REMINDER: INTRASQUAD ON WEDNESDAY

Intrasquad Meet on 6/19 @ GMSC -- Warm up @5:00 pm / start @ 5:30pm -- Concessions and Gator gear will be sold at the meet. Get your hoodies and tank tops. You never know which one you'll need this season!

No night practice tonight, 6/18/19

Because I'm really not feeling well, I'd like to focus my energies on morning practices. Sorry for the inconvenience, I'll do my best to get better ASAP.

Swimmers of the Week

The swimmers of the week are Everett Tompkins and Lily Bell. Both of these swimmers were chosen not only for their great swims this weekend, but also because of their amazing attitudes at practice and at meets. Everett is always active at meets, cheering for his friends and giving advice to anyone who needs it. Lily is always a champ at practice, pushing herself every day in order to improve while also leading her lane and doing her best to keep them on task.

Congratulations to both of you swimmers, for your hard work both in the pool and as leaders among your peers. Come see me tomorrow for your prizes.

Week of 6/17: Another Big Week!!

We have an exciting swim week with lots happening!

Monday:    practice
Tuesday:    practice
Wednesday: practice a.m. // Intrasquad 5pm
Thursday:    practice (entries due to Coach Ben for Pentathlon)
Friday:       practice a.m. // KC Invite upper division
Saturday:   KC Invite lower divisions
Sunday:     C/D Meet @ Splash // Pentathlon @ AAC
Monday     6/24:  NO PRACTICE!

Details:-- Intrasquad Meet:  All swimmers can swim up to 3 events. No relays.  Warm up @ 5:00, start @ 5:30pm
We will be selling Gator gear at the Intrasquad meet :)

-- Ken Caryl Invite:Friday, June 21, 2019
Ages 13-14 and 15-18
Events: 1-4 (400’s)
Warm-Up: 12:30 PM
Start 1:00 PM
Events: 5-40
Warm-Up: 3:00 PM
Start: 4:00 PM

Saturday, June 22, 2019
Ages 9-10 Boys, 11-12 ALL
Events: 42-67
Warm-Up: 6:00 AM
Start: 7:00 AM

Ages 9-10 Girls, 8 & Unders All
Events: 68-94
Warm-Up: 12:00 PM
Start: 1:00 PM

-- C/D Meet:
This meet is for athletes who have NO Time in an event or have C or D times in their events.  This is a fun meet for swimmers that are still building their strength and want to compete against athletes at their same level. This meet is generally over by 10-10:30 am.  If you plan to attend this meet, we will need you to help time. Thank you!
warm up time:  TBD, we have not received yet / start: 7:00 am

-- Pentathlon:
This is an I.M. meet. Athletes will swim in all 5 events at the meet. Swimmers must have a B time or better in 3 of the 5 events.
- 8 and unders (i) 25 Fly; (ii) 25 Back; (iii) 25 Breast; (iv) 25 Free; and (v) 100 IM
- 9-12 (i) 50 Fly; (ii) 50 Back; (iii) 50 Breast; (iv) 50 Free; and (v) 100 IM
- 13-18 (i) 100 Fly; (ii) 100 Back; (iii) 100 Breast; (iv) 100 Free; and (v) 200 IM
warm up time:  6:40 am - 7:00 am / start 7:00 am

Evening practice is cancelled tomorrow night

The club is hosting movie night Thursday, June 13th.  After hours swimming will be allowed, which means that we'll have to cancel evening practice.  It will resume next Tuesday.

Pictures, Pancakes & WaterWorld

It's only 2 weeks away, so start planning!

I wanted to give all the swimmer families (new and old) an idea of what our Pictures, Pancakes  and Water World day will look like.  These fun activities are scheduled for Wednesday, June 26th. 
Please note there is no regular morning swim practice on this day.

Starting at 7:30am we will begin taking individual/buddy swimmer pictures.  There will be an order form on the right side of blog, as well as some copies at picture day. Please have this form completed when you arrive.

At 8:00am we will begin our BIG team picture. If you aren't getting individual pictures taken we ask you arrive no later than 8:00am so you can be included in the team picture.  Please make sure you wear your team swimming suit. 

While the pictures are being taken we will have people preparing Gatorcakes (green pancakes).  There is a volunteer sign-up on the right side of the blog for parents to help cook and also bring some food. 

After the pictures have been taken and Gatorcakes have been eaten, it is off to WaterWorld.  Please know this is not a required event.  Also know that there is no adult supervision so you will need to plan accordingly.  Below is a link and instructions on how to purchase discounted WaterWorld tickets.  Our team receives discounted tickets which can be purchased and printed online.

To purchase WaterWorld tickets please visit:
 https://calypsoclub.waterworldcolorado.com/affiliate.asp?ID=50F8949F-61B1-4EE7-8F31-52797430F005  Once on this page you will be prompted for a Password. 
The password to purchase tickets is GMGators.

You can purchase tickets for your family and friends to go on this day or any day in the 2019 season.

This link will also allow you to purchase discounted for Adventure Golf and Raceway, in case you
need something to do during the summer.

Find Your Buddy

If you do not see your name on the list, then talk to Emma. She has been taking names and assigning buddies trying to make sure everyone is included and a good fit.

Boys
big buddy     -----     little buddy(ies)     
Beck Nicholson   ---   Beckett Holcomb Patrick Davis
Ben Rommel   ---   Jack Donati
Bradley Hall   ---   John Neuroth
Cesar Rosales   ---   David Neuroth Calvin Jones
Charles Wahlberg   ---   Justin Collins
Coleton Carroll   ---   Dean Christensen
Evan Neuroth   ---   Aaron Davis
Evan Walls   ---   Jack Hutchison
Everett Tomkins   ---   Luke Jones
Harry Wahlberg   ---   Benjamin Holcomb    Dominic Anderson
Jacob Swanson   ---   Bryce Elsner
Kaden Fuller   ---   Hunter Biezychudek
Kai Langan   ---   Ian Guenther
Noah Slowey   ---   Connor Burgin
Owen Berg ---   Elijah Polgar
Spencer Coffey   ---   Caleb Eggebeen
William Klein   ---   Benjamin Swanson Dean Christensen

Girls
big buddy     -----     little buddy(ies)
Anisa Valdez   ---   Madison Nash
Anna Sullivan   ---   Sarah Reither    Taetum Fuller
Ayden Fearn   ---   Allison Ives  Olive Petrash
Eden Kuipoff   ---   Isabel Ballard
Elsa Debrunner   ---   Lucy Voss Delilah Adams
Emma Neuroth   ---   Sophie Oliver Amelie Dillon
Jensen Wehri   ---   Teagan Fuller
Jessa Wehri   ---   Alison Barrett
Alexis Ballard   ---   Sloane Gesick
Kati Livingood   ---   Lynae Rivers   Tenley Fuller
Kayli Langan   ---   Phoebe Petrash
Lea Gorter   ---   Allison Polgar
Leah Felton   ---   Giulianna Biezychdek
Lexi Merrill   ---   Lily Bell  Althea Adams
Lucille Wright    ---   Charlize Smith Addy Berg
Lucy Klein   ---   Gianna Murray
Madison Friedrichs    ---   Allie Reither   Rachel Bakkum
Madison Merrill   ---   Raymee Mitchell Chloe Phair
Makenna Maloch   ---   Scarlett Baker
Marie Handy   ---   Lucy Bell Mystic Craig
Marisabel Santistevan   ---   Sevi Gesick
Megan Cooper   ---   Fiona Oliver Tegan Moore
Mia Slowey   ---   Ava Dolan-Stevens
Neva Nicholson   ---   Taylor Guenther
Olivia Kuipoff   ---   Kaelyn McNeilly  Hallie Johns
Sammy Skrzekut   ---   Beth Guenther  Vivianna Mino
Whitney Price   ---   Mbili Boyd

Need Volunteers for Saturday 6/15

Hi Gators. We will be swimming against Mount Vernon this weekend at our pool. They reached out to say that they have a very small team this year (about 35 kids), so I adjusted the sign up genius to reflect what volunteers we need. We will only have two shifts and should be done with the meet much quicker than normal. However, we need lots of timers from our team for those two shifts! Thanks in advance for your help.

Swimmers of the Week

After some tough consideration, the first two swimmers of the week have been decided! This decision is based on performance in both practices and meets, and an overall positive attitude. The choice was difficult to say the least, as so many of our swimmers are starting off strong and with smiles on their faces. But without further ado, the two swimmers of the week are Tenley Fuller and Dominic Anderson. Come find me at practice for a toy gator and a $5 Dairy Queen gift card.
Tenley has been trying extra hard in practice this week with the goal to move up to the top lane with all her friends, and that effort has not gone unnoticed. On top of that, she swam in both the 5 Parks meet and the freestyle frenzy this weekend, and worked interactively with her coaches to perform "swimingly." As the cherry on top, she was one of the five winners of the gator toss at the end of the freestyle frenzy. Good job Tenley!
Dominic has also been exceeding in practice, and he swam both meets this weekend. He swam out of his mind at 5 Parks, and got first place in his age group at the freestyle frenzy. Dominic, if you keep up the good work you are sure to improve faster than your dad can start a race. Good job Dominic!

FREESTYLE FRENZY - WARM UP TIME HAS CHANGED!

Warm up for the Frenzy has moved to 7:00 am. More sleep, maybe a few extra degrees on the thermometer and we got ourselves some fast swimmers!  Start time for the meet is 8:00 am.

BIG BUDDY / LITTLE BUDDY PROGRAM

We are excited to continue our Big/Little buddy program.  The purpose of the Big/Little buddy swim program is to help younger swimmers transition into becoming Gators and to help them navigate swim meets.  The program also fosters team spirit, family and camaraderie by connecting the older swimmers with the younger ones.  Big buddies are generally 11&older while Little buddies are 10&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

All kids under the age of 11 will be assigned a big buddy. ALL KIDS OVER 11 YEARS OF AGE NEED TO TELL COACH EMMA IF THEY WANT TO BE A BIG BUDDY.  Please let Emma know by this weekend (Sunday 6/9).

WEEK OF JUNE 3RD

Night Practices: will start for "real" this week as long as the weather holds. Between bad weather and the instrasquad rescheduling, we never got off the ground last week.  8:00pm-9:00pm for Upper Divison swimmers.  Lower Division swimmers can attend only with the approval of Coach Ben.

Results and Qual Times:  We had a slight technical screw up last week. We had 2018 Qual Times in our system to start this season. We will get them changed this week and post updated Top Times.  Please note that there will be a few of you that qualified for League or State but didn't actually make it based on the 2019 standards.  Updated results coming soon. (So Sorry!!)

Saturday 6/8 Meet at 5Parks  See the "Next Event" section on the right side of the blog for more information.

Sunday 6/9 FREESTYLE FRENZY:  This is an optional meet (hosted by GMST + our competitors in the Foothills Swim Association) for swimmers that have a "B" time or better in any freestyle race.  Swimmers will swim in all 4 events at the meet which include: 
Upper Divison:  200 free, 100 free, 50 free, 25 fun free
9-12 year olds: 200 free, 100 free, 50 free, 25 fun free
8 and unders:  100 free, 50 free, 25 free, 25 fun free
Swimmers must tell their Coach if they want to swim on Sunday. There is no paper sign up on the board. They must talk to the coach.

REMINDER: TURN IN ALL REGISTRATION FORMS

There are 3 registration forms that need to be printed and turned in for the summer season. If you turned in these forms during the clinic, you still need to do these. Please click here to be taken to the online forms, Print them and bring to the next practice. Thanks!
1- Emergency Contact Form
2- Code of Conduct
3- Liability Waiver

INTRASQUAD MOVED TO THURSDAY EVENING

Given the weather forecast, the decision has been made to move the Intrasquad from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening.

Some swimmers, families, and volunteers probably cannot make the meet now.  Others who couldn't on Wednesday, can attend now.  We apologize for the short notice, but this seems to give us our best chance to actually let the swimmers swim.

Volunteers, if this affects your availability, please visit the Signup Genius and modify as needed: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4DABAC28A1FF2-intrasquad6

Now let's hope for some normal summer weather!

Tuesday Practice Cancelled

Due to poor conditions, the Tuesday morning practices have been cancelled. Get some rest and be ready to start strong tomorrow!

Big Week! Please Read Through

We are starting off the Gator summer season with a BIG WEEK!
Monday (5/27):  Memorial Day - no practice
Tuesday (5/28): Register by Tuesday if you want to participate in the Intrasquad / Night Practices Start
Wednesday (5/29): Intrasquad Meet at 5:30 pm / We need volunteers for every meet! Please sign up on the blog under the Parent Volunteer section.  MOVED TO THURSDAY!
Thursday (5/30): LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR THE SUMMER SEASON. Please tell your Gator friends to get it together if they want to join the team :)

Intrasquad Meet at 5:30 pm / We need volunteers for every meet! Please sign up on the blog under the Parent Volunteer section.

Friday (5/31): Tie-Dye/Ice-cream Social + Parent Meeting - starts at 5pm
Saturday (6/1): First home meet @7am, warm up at 6am -- Jolyn Trunk show / We need volunteers for every meet! Please sign up on the blog under the Parent Volunteer section.
Sunday (6/2): rest

Details:
Practice Times:We may have to shift the age groups around for practice times based on the number of swimmers in each age group. We want your swimmer to have the best experience possible. Please do your best to bring your swimmer at the time allotted for their age group. STAY TUNED FOR ANY CHANGES.

Registration: If you have not registered for team yet, you need to do it ASAP. All swimmers must be registered and in our computer system before they can race in a meet. The absolute last day cutoff is Thursday, May 30th. Please register before then if possible. We need time to import your swimmers into our system and do 20 things behind the scenes to make them eligible. Thanks!!

Intrasquad Meet:  This is our first meet at the pool and it is against our team only.  The times your swimmer receives are qualifying times for League and State.

Tie-Dye /Ice cream Social / Parent Meeting: Please bring a white colored item (shirt, socks, towel, pillow case, etc) to tie-dye in team colors or you can purchase a gator shirt / tank top to tie dye so your swimmers can represent the team all season.  Event starts at 5pm / Ice Cream at 5:30 pm and Parent Meeting at 6:00 pm.  All swim team families are welcome.

Parent Volunteers:  The Gator team is one of the last remaining teams that does not charge you $$ or keep meticulous notes on volunteer hours per family.  We would really love to keep it that way!!!  All families are expected to volunteer at the meets. If you don't know how to do something, don't worry. It's both simple and the veteran Gators will show you how to do it!  There is a sign up genius created for every event this season. Please sign up.

Night Practices: Night practices will be held on Tuesdays / Thursdays from 8:00pm - 9:00pm starting on 6/4. These practices are for upper division swimmers (13 years and older) or for younger swimmers at the discretion of the coach.  If your swimmer is younger than 13, you will need to get approval from Coach Ben to attend the night sessions.  ** All night sessions will be dependent on the weather and attendance. **  Please contact Coach Ben if you have any questions.

Team Swim Suits:  If you would like to get a team suit for your swimmer (not required) you should order it this week at the latest. They do take 1-2 weeks to get delivered and our swim season is only 10 weeks in total.

REMINDER: RAIN OR SHINE

Practice will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - Rain or Shine this week.   Athletes will perform dryland training with the coaches if the weather/pool temperature does not allow them to swim. We are excited to get started!

Practice Cancelled Today & Tuesday

Gator practice is cancelled today and Tuesday due to weather. Practices will run Wednesday - Friday this week rain or shine.

If it's too cold to get in the pool once practices start on Wednesday, the athletes will meet the coaches and do dry land training to kick off the season. Please bring your normal swim gear, as well as athletic clothing and sneakers to practice so you are fully prepared.

Reminder: Swim Team Registration

Just a quick reminder to get your registration done for summer swim team.  https://form.jotform.com/90816187272159

The deadline is Thursday, May 30th. However, if you plan to swim at the Intrasquad on Wednesday 5/29, you will need to be registered to swim in the event.

Swim Team Practices Start Next Week!

Oh my!!! The summer swim season is almost here and we couldn't be more excited! The Swim Club Board is working hard on the pool and it will be ready for us on Monday.

May 20th: After School Practices Start -- Monday 5/20 - Thursday 5/24 (No Friday practice)
- 4:00 - 5:00 pm 12 and unders
- 5:00 - 6:00 pm 13 and older

May 28th: Morning Practices Start
- 6:30-8:00 AM - Upper Division 13+ practice
- 8:00-9:00 AM - 10-12 year olds practice
- 9:00-9:50 AM - 9 & under practice

Did you miss the Swim Suit Fitting/Ordering Night?

No Problem. You can order your suit directly from Colorado Swim Shop. See details below.

Colorado Swim Shop
303-545-2090
coloradoswimshop.com
Click on Teams Store,
Click on teams store again to pull down the list, chose Green Mountain.
team password is: Greenmtn19 (case sensitive)

Order before 5/21 and receive free shipping:
choose "in store pickup" and the suits will be delivered to you at practice.

Orders after 5/21 will need to be shipped directly to your house.

POOL CLEAN UP DAY MAY 4

SATURDAY 5/4 FROM 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

It's pool clean up day. Whether you are a member of the pool or not, please consider pitching in to clean up the pool and get it ready for swim season.  The GMSC Board is already working hard to have the pool ready on May 20th for the start of our swim season. They need help cleaning, weeding, raking, sweeping, hauling, etc so they can also focus on making needed repairs to the pool.

If you volunteer for 2 hours, you will receive 10 guest passes for the summer. If you tell them you are from the Swim Team, you'll also get a big hug (or a handshake if that's your jam)!

We hope to see you there!

Green Mountain Swim Club Membership Deal

GMSC is having a sale on memberships through the end of the month ($450 for a family membership, discounted from the regular price of $495).

Remember, Swim Team fees are $60 less per child for pool members!

The sale can be found on the GMSC website here: https://www.greenmountainswimclub.org/neighbors/

We are excited to announce our 2019 Summer Coaching Staff! We searched high and low and discovered a whole bunch a great talent right in our midst!

Head Coach:  BEN HOFSTRA will lead the team this summer.  He has coached with the Gators for the last two years as an Assistant Coach and a Clinic coach.  Ben has great relationships with our current swimmers and brings a multitude of swimming knowledge to the pool.

Assistant Coach:  LEXIE LAMPING will coach our 9-12 Division.  She is currently assisting with the GMHS Boys Swim and Dive Team and is passionate about all things swimming-related. Lexie is full of Gator spirit and takes a hands-on approach that will help our swimmers succeed this summer.

Assistant Coach:  EMMA BERG will coach our 8 & Under Division.  Emma was a Junior Coach last season and has been an in-water clinic coach for the last two years. Emma has a strong background in coaching the technical side of swimming and connecting with our youngest swimmers. She is excited to cultivate our youngest group into proud Gator swimmers.

Junior Coach: AVA ANDERSON will be our in-water coach for our 8 & Under swimmers, working with Emma.  Ava has been our in-water coach at clinics for 2 sessions and has been fantastic with our newest swimmers.  She is a top-level competitive swimmer, so she is very familiar with proper stroke technique.  She is a great teacher and makes it a lot of fun for the kids.

Mark Your Calendars for the Summer Swimsuit Ordering/Fitting Night

Mark your calendars: Sunday, April 28th, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm for the Gator team swimming suit fitting

We will be at the Green Mountain Rec Center with the Colorado Swim Shop on this date to start our countdown to summer swim season! 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 the correct size suit can be ordered.

If you can't make this date, we will post information for ordering at a later date. You will not have the option to try suits on in advance of your order if you miss the 4/28 fitting. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this gmstgators@aol.com