Hello Piranha Family,

Here we go! In the next couple of weeks we will be opening registration for the 2019 swim season. We will email you and update the Facebook page when registration goes live. Ahead of that, I want to share some updates and requests with you.

Practice Schedule

There are some changes to our practice schedule this season. Morning practice times have been tweaked slightly, and they no longer start with extensive dry lands. Swimmers should be ready to enter the water at the start of their practice session. Please note that the age groups have flip-flopped for evening practices with older swimmers practicing first. Finally, in an effort to address the influx of large numbers of young swimmers, all first year "rookie" 10 & under swimmers will begin the season in the 11:30 practice, while 8 & under swimmers who are in at least their 3rd season or who swim year round will practice at 10:45 with the returning 9-10s. During the first two weeks of the summer, Breanna and her staff will evaluate swimmers to make sure they are in the practice that best suits their abilities. By the third week of practice, if not before, all swimmers should be in their permanent practice session.

Optional Swim Clinic - May 20-23, refresher on stroke techniques

Morning swim practice – Monday thru Friday throughout the season:

8:45 am – 10:00 am Seniors and Advanced Swimmers

10:00 am – 10:45 am 11-14 year olds

10:45 am – 11:30 am 9-10s in at least their 2nd season AND 8 & unders in at least their 3rd season or are year-round swimmers

11:30 am - 12:00 am 1st year 9-10s AND 1st & 2nd year 8 & unders

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Jr. Piranhas (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thur)

Afternoon swim practice – May 28th to June 20th, Monday thru Thursday, June 24th to July 24th, Monday and Wednesday only; While swimmers are welcome to come to both practices each day, on the rare occasion that evening practice is too crowded, priority will be given to those who were not able to make that day's morning practice.

4:45 pm – 5:30 pm 11 & Over

5:30 pm - 6:15 pm 10 & Under (excluding Junior Piranhas)

Jr. Piranhas

We are emphasizing that this program is a "Pre-swim team training program" meant for our youngest swimmers, generally ages 4-5, who are at least comfortable in the water. The goal of the Jr. Piranhas is to be able to swim a full lap independently by the end of the summer. The siblings of team members will be given priority if the program begins to fill up. During pre-season swim clinic, Breanna will provide a time to evaluate prospective Jrs. if there is any question as to their readiness for the program. Redefining our focus will allow our coaches to to better accommodate a larger group of Jr. Piranhas who will hopefully move up in to the ranks of full team members. Private lessons with coaches will still be available for those who are not ready for Jr. Piranhas and whose families are members of the team or the pool.

City Meet Schedule Change

Due to the USA Diving Junior National Championships being held at UT, the GKAISA City Meet will be held THURSDAY, July 25th - Saturday, July 27th. 10 & Under swimmers will compete Thursday afternoon and evening, 11 & older swimmers will compete all day Friday, and finals will be held on Saturday.

Dual Meet Schedule

For the inquiring minds who have already asked, the meet schedules for all of GKAISA are established in early to mid April. We will update the website when we have a schedule. This year we will remain in league 2, which includes Concord Hills, Fox Den, Gettysvue, Gulf Park, Jefferson City, and Sugarwood.

Swim Suits

We are already receiving questions about this year's team suit. While it used to be standard that team suits would be available for two years, it is now rare for a manufacturer to carry a print suit more than one year. That is the case with the 2018 suit. We are looking at our options and will let you know as soon as a new suit is finalized. Purchasing a team suit is encouraged but never required.  We can tell you that after a great experience with Elsmore Swim Shop as our supplier tin 2018 we will continue that relationship for 2019.

Team T-shirt Design

If you have an idea for this year's T-shirt, we want to know! Last year's concept was suggested by Becca Doerr and designed by Christy Davis. We would love to have a team member or parent create a design this year as well. Let us know ASAP if you have an idea or if you would like to work on the design, and we can give you more info on the process.

Lifeguards

Calling senior swimmers wanting to make a little summer money!  Alton Alexander has served as a lifeguard for our young swimmer practices for two seasons and is ready to step down. We would love to have another senior swimmer take on this role. Lifeguard certification is required. The YMCA is one of several local options for training, and you can find more info here: YMCA Lifeguard Training.  If interested, email us at [email protected] to let us know.

Team Sponsorship

Several team parents and friends with local businesses have asked about becoming a team sponsor in recent years. We are considering establishing a sponsorship program that would include acknowledgment of our sponsors on a banner hung at home meets, on our website, and possibly on the back of our t-shirt. If you might be interested in participating, please contact the board soon at [email protected].

Social Activities

Robin Anderson has graciously agreed to be our social coordinator this year. We hope to have a full social calendar in place for all to see before the season starts so you can make plans to attend. We are also working to reduce your cost to make it easier to participate. Robin will need help to collect money and oversee these events, so please be ready to pitch in. For now, please share your feedback about your favorite socials and new ideas for activities you would like to do with your teammates by Emailing us or commenting on the Facebook page with your thoughts on what activities we should include.

I think that's it for now. The next message we send out should announce the opening of registration and include dates for suit fittings and a registration kick-off event. As always, you can email or post on Facebook if you have any questions. I hope you are as excited as I am to jump into the 2019 season!

Sincerely,

Ginny Herrick