Hellooooo Hammerheads!   There will be a lot of information in this email so please save it and take some time to read it before Saturday. 

We are supposed to have a parent meeting but with all the end of the year school activities, this is extremely difficult for me, and your busy families.  I'll try to cover it all here.  

Practices:  we're off to a great start.  Please remember to come in the side gate if you are coming just for practice.  If families are coming to the pool, please use the regular sign in procedure.  Swimmers under 16 must leave the pool after practice, unless family is there. On Mondays, there is no one  allowed in the water except swimmers in the current practice, due to the pool being closed.  We only have an hour for practice so we encourage swimmers to get in some extra laps on the weekends to build endurance and watching videos online are helpful. 

RSVPing for Meets:  This is VERY important!  We have opened up on the website the RSVP feature for each meet.  If your swimmer is going to miss a meet, please RSVP "not attending".  For next Monday's mock meet, please RSVP by Saturday at noon.  For regular Saturday meets, I ask that you RSVP by Monday mornings prior to the meet.  I have to do entries on Monday night and Tuesday and they have to be sent to the computer operators by Wednesday.  This gives them time to set up the meet and get heat sheets out on Friday.  If a swimmer has not RSVP'd no, I've probably put them in a relay and the rest of the team will be stuck! 

After logging onto Hammerhead site: https://heritagelandinghammerheads.swimtopia.com/

1. Select Swim Meets from the Schedule tab pull down menu. (“Meet Entry”can also be found on the home page for upcoming meets
2. Select Meet Entry for the desired meet.
3. Below the name(s) of your swimmer select Edit.
4. Select Not Attending from the pull down beside each swimmer.
5. Select Save

Mock Meet - Monday May 14th:  This is a chance for the coaches to get a base time for swimmers in the various strokes.  Please come to your regular age group practice (even if you've been coming to a different one) as that is how we'll have you entered.  Swimmers will warm up and then we'll have you swim each stroke and get a base time.  PLEASE if your swimmer won't be there on Monday, RSVP on the website following the info listed above. 

Contacting Coach Susan:  My cell/text number is 904-945-6564.  This is also under the Contact Us tab on the webpage.  You can text me any time (my phone is on do not disturb at night).  If the Monday deadline for RSVP'ing has passed, and your swimmer will NOT be at the meet, please text me ASAP.  I try to put all swimmers in at least one relay but finding subs on meet mornings is crazy.   If your swimmer wakes up Friday night or Sat. morning sick, just text me and I'll start looking for a sub right away.  

Goggles:  Most swimmers have their goggles by now but I do have a box of various types for sale.  It's often easier if they can try them on.  I also have bungee cords (they replace the regular straps) for $3.  Remind your swimmer to keep track of their goggles!

Suits:  If you haven't yet ordered your team suit from the online store, please do so SOON so it will arrive before the first meet. Some swimmers are still wearing our previous team suit while we make the transition, and that is fine.   Wash suits in cold water only (no soap) and hang to dry (no dryer). 

Caps: Caps for new swimmers are ordered.  I encourage all swimmers to wear their caps at each meet.   No other team caps (high school or club team) are allowed, but other solid colored caps are fine if your swimmer has misplaced their Hammerhead cap.  

Lost & Found: Swimmers - we're picking up a lot of clothes and goggles after practices. Coach Sandra and I will hold items if we know it came from one of our swimmers. Parents - if your child does not tuck their goggles into suit strap and loses them, I encourage you to get some house cleaning, car washing, lawn mowing done in exchange for new goggles!

Volunteers:  Our team can only operate with the help of a small army of volunteers.  From parking, to gate keepers, to timers, to our ready bench rockstars.... it takes a lot to pull off a meet for 250+ swimmers!  Our wonderful volunteer coordinator will be working hard to make sure all of our slots are filled, for home and away meets.   If you are unable to fill your slot, please find another swim parent to swap with you.  Please also email the team email to let us know.   

Sportsmanship:  Before we head into our meet season, please talk to your swimmer about good sportsmanship.  The Hammerheads are known in our league as the team with the best sportsmanship and I get compliments every year!  :)   Every swimmers is working hard and sometimes the one in the lane next you had a great day and out-touched you at the wall.  They deserve a thumbs-up, high five, or a 'good job' for their efforts.   The coaches will be talking to the swimmers about this as well.  **The good sportsmanship reminder goes out to parents as well!

PR's (Personal Records):  When you get the heat sheets (usually the Friday afternoon before the meet), the time listed is the swimmer's best time on record in our team history.  This may be from last year Champs meet or from 2 seasons ago!  This is the time to beat.  Remind your swimmer to ask for his/her new time after they race.  Hopefully it is better than the old time!  If so, come get your PR lollipop from the coaches table!  If a swimmer has an NT, that means we don't have an official time on record yet.  

DQs (Disqualifications): We work hard to teach swimmers the correct technique for each stroke but there is always a lot to think about when you're swimming (breathing, kicking, 1 or 2 hand touches, dolphin kicking off the wall, flip turns, etc. etc.)  It's a lot harder than it looks!  Sometimes a swimmer forgets and is disqualified.  We use that to work on at next week's practice.  Remind them that even top level swimmers sometimes get disqualified.  The first regular meet, there will be no DQs, the 2nd meet will be starts/turns/finishes only, and the 3rd meet they will be judged on their strokes as well.   

Parking:  On practice days, please do not leave your car unattended in the road outside the amenity center, park on the grass, or block another car in.  We want to keep on good terms with the amenity center.  On meet Saturdays - it is VERY IMPORTANT that we have each of our Hammerhead families drive to the pool, drop off their stuff, then go back and park your car at home and walk, bike, or skateboard (wear your helmet!  ha ha ) back to the pool.  We are one of the smaller teams in the league and parking is always an issue.  If you know someone who lives closer, ask to use their driveway.  We need to leave our parking spots for visiting teams.  Overflow parking will be on the grass under the power lines.  I can't emphasize this enough as it's a problem every year.  

Coaches:  A quick shout out to our fantastic coaching staff: 

• Coach Sandra, assistant coach with many hats, for her hard work on deck, as a swim parent, and as a board member!  
• Coach L (Susan LaJeunuese) for her time on deck after her other practices in town
• Coach Danielle - a former Hammerhead, a former coach, and now filling in for a few weeks to help us with coverage
• Coach Parker - a former Hammerhead, a former Jr. Coach, and will be back from college next week as our assistant coach
• Coach Greg - Our longtime coach who (I know many of you are sad) is only volunteering as his work allows this year
• Our Jr. Coaches who are earning service hours and learning to coach younger swimmers

Hammerhead Board Members:  You are awesome and have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work to get us rolling this year.  You are greatly appreciated!  If you have any problems, questions, or have talents to lend (planning the banquet, setting up sound equipment on Saturday mornings, etc.), please use the Contact Us tab to email the board.  

Sponsors:  We have several wonderful sponsors for the team and their logos will be on our shirts, website, and banner.   If you visit their business, please tell them you're a Hammerhead and thank them for their sponsorship!

Please excuse any typos, I started this in the wee hours of the morning with no contacts in and still working on my coffee.  I'm sure I forgot some things but hope this will get you up to speed as of now!  Thank you for allowing us to work with your swimmers!  We love our Hammerhead family!

Gooooooooooo Hammerheads!

Coach Susan