Hellllooooooo Hammerheads!   

Just 33 hours until we're all together for our first "real" meet in 23 months!  Whooo hoooo!!!  Lots of important info here so please read through.   We are swimming against the SouthHampton Hurricanes and the Shearwater Sharks (new team). They will be at their pools and we will merge all of our times afterwards to see how we placed!

Swim Meets 101 and Heat Sheets 102:  New swim parents may want to go back and search your inbox/trash and re-read these important emails.       

Arrival Time:  I need our 9-12 year old Hammerhead families to be at the pool BEFORE 7 to check in and start warm ups AT 7:00.  The rest of the Hammerheads should arrive at 7 so they can start warming up at 7:20.   

Parking:  We need any Hammerheads that live close to drive to the pool, drop off your swimmer and gear, then park your car at home!  Get in a morning jog or bike ride to head back to the pool!  Please, please, please, leave the parking for swimmers from outside the neighborhood or the board members hauling in ribbon boxes, speakers, and such.  We also want to stay in good graces with the amenity center!  

Sportsmanship:  Before your swimmers come in the gate, please remind them of Coach Susan's #1, top of the list, most important, we got nothing without it and Hammerheads are famous in the league for it, rule:  good sportsmanship!   There are nice ways to say, "I beat you" (aka. wow you almost caught me!  I had to work hard to stay in front of you, etc.).   Please remind your swimmer to congratulate the swimmer next to them (air high five, elbow bump, thumbs up, etc.)

Family Spaces:  you can bring chairs, tents, bug spray, (see swim meets 101 email) and find a spot for your family outside the fence, around the sand volleyball, around the firepit, etc.  We'll have speakers set up so you know what event is running.  No family seating on the pool deck please!   We need our volunteers who are running the meet to have clear spaces.  When your swimmer's event is up, feel free to come down on deck and yell, cheer, take photos (NEVER from behind the blocks please!), and congratulate them when they're done!   Then head out so the next group of families can come cheer.  

Rec pool:  No Hammerheads are allowed in the rec pool... Period, no way, nada!  Save your energy for getting new PRs!   Also, please no family members swimming in the rec pool during the meet.  That pool needs to be left available for other families while we take the whole lap pool.      

Volunteers:  you will need to check in with John Gleason by 7:45 at the volunteer check in table, he'll make sure you know where to go and what to do.   

Ready Bench: please listen for announcements and make sure your swimmer gets to ready bench to get lined up.  We don't want to have to come searching, or worse, them miss an event.  

Psych Sheet:  (Attached)  This is NOT your heat or lane.  Since we are virtual against the other teams., this helps our swimmers get psyched up for the meet!   Find your name on the events.  Do NOT worry about what number you are!   Look at the couple of names above you and see how many you think you can knock off!  LOL. If you are near the top, remember to swim fast because those just behind you will be wanting to knock you off!  

Entry by Name:  (attached) you do NOT need to print this list.  Just find your swimmers (abc order) and you'll see their events, heat/lane listed.   *go back to Heat Sheets 102 class/email. 

Grab your Sharpies:   last name, first initial on back shoulder and E/H/L (event, heat, lane) on swimmers forearm (and yours too if you want to keep track of your swimmers events).   Hammerhead sharks are always welcome!   

Heat Sheet:  (Attached)  This will show you all the swimmers in your heat.  Because there are some events where we don't have full heats, you'll see some red boxes on the heat sheet where our amazing computer operator has combined heats.   You may see a heat of girls in lanes 1-2-3 and a heat of boys in lanes 4-5-6 with a red box around them.  That means those girls and boys will all swim at the same time.

Finish time: We are expecting (if all goes smoothly) to be done about 10:40 a.m. After the meet, PLEASE clean up your area!!! 

Checking times:  Once all the teams are done, we'll send our times to be "merged" and then we'll get results!   Once we do that we'll upload to Swimtopia so you can see your new times!  Swimmers - please ask the timers when you swim if you beat the time on the heat sheet!   

Goal:  This weekend, we're shooting for 42% new best times!   Come on Hammerheads, you can do this!! That's 2 new best times each and we'll easily make the goal!    Just imagine that Shearwater Shark is right beside you! 

**Scratches & Illnesses: If your swimmer becomes sick or you have an emergency and can't make the meet, please text Coach Susan at 904-945-6564 asap.  Almost every swimmer is in a relay and we will need to find subs for the relay teams!  We don't want to leave them stranded!  If you are not sure if your swimmer will be there, you can let me know to put them in individual events only and not relays.  It's easier to scratch the individuals than it is to find a last minute relay sub.   

Ribbons:  After the meet, it takes a few days for the volunteers to enter all the results, merge them, and then get the ribbon labels printed. Then we have another volunteer to get them all ready in our filing boxes!    So be patient, and in a few days we'll announce when they're ready to pick up!  

Soooooooo excited for Saturday!!!   After you swim, stop to see the coaches for feedback and if you beat your time, a PR dance!  

Gooooooooooooooooooooo Hammerheads! 

Coach Susan

904-945-6564