Helllooooooo Hammerheads!

It's Coach Susan Lucas here - and I'm so excited to get back on the Hammerhead pool deck! This will be my 19th year with the Hammerheads and it’s the 20th year for the Hammerheads! I’m hoping we can have some homecoming activities and former swimmers come back to visit! We are so appreciative of all the hard work the volunteer board has put in to get us up and running for the season! It takes a lot of behind the scenes work to get going!

So here we go with my 'lots of info' emails! (I heard you rolling your eyes!) New families: I try to cram a lot into one email per week. Please read through all of this - or ask Siri to read it to you!

Registration closing soon: If you have friends who want to join the Hammerheads, have them do so quickly. We still have some spots available!We really need some more 6&under boys and 9-10 girls so talk to your neighbors and friends!

Coaching Staff: Coach Sandra Matthews and her endless patience will be back on deck, Coach L (Susan LaJeuneuse) will be teaching us new drills, Coach Ella Johnson will be back from college soon and Coach Caitlyn Zielinski will also be returning when her college finals are over! Coach Ella and Coach Caitlyn have grown up with the team!

Jr. Coaches: We have some wonderful high school students who are earning service hours by helping out the team! We love our Jr. Coaches and with so many great personalities, your swimmer is sure to find a favorite! 

Swim Equipment: Swimmers need one, or two (or three if your swimmer often loses things) pairs of good fitting goggles. Got to the Parent Info tab on the Hammerhead website – Parent Info – Swim Meets 101 (this is an important page) to see the link on how to fit, and put on, swim goggles: https://heritagelandinghammerheads.swimtopia.com/instructional-videos

and how to put on a cap). Please use a sharpie and write your swimmer's name on the strap or inside the cap. If you go to a sporting goods store for the first pair of goggles, see if the goggles suction to your swimmer's face... that's the key to leak free goggles.

Suits should be washed in cold water with no soap and hung to dry. This will help them last longer. Competition suits should be snug so they don’t fill with water when you dive in. Practice caps are a good idea so you can save team caps for meets. Swimmers do not need to order any equipment for Hammerheads practices.

First Practice Date: Our first practice will be Thursday, April 16th. The practice times are on the Hammerhead web site under schedule - then look near the top and click on ‘schedule’. Practices are not required and we know that many end of year school activities are still going on. You do NOT need to let us know if your swimmer will miss practice. The more practice, the better for faster times, but we know life is sometimes busy! It will take us a couple of practices to get everyone sorted out but we are soooo excited to see all of our returning, and new, Hammerheads!

SwimTopia app: Go ahead and download the SwimTopia app on your phone (blue wave with orange'ish sun with dots) and please allow notifications. That way you can get notifications if we have weather delays and check your swimmer's times.

Weather: If it is raining only, we can still swim. If there is lightning, we'll need to wait 30 minutes. If storms are nearby, please don't let your swimmer walk/ride to practice. We may need you to come get them. We will send announcements via the SwimTopia app (remember I said please allow notifications)/emails if there are weather issues. We typically do NOT cancel all practices at once... we'll wait to see if it blows over.

Going to Practice: wear shorts, shirt, and shoes to practice (we don't want injured feet). Don't forget your towel and goggles!! Bring a water bottle with your name on it also! Please talk to your swimmer about safety guidelines, no spitting water on lanemates, etc. If your swimmer isn’t feeling well, please keep them home. Runny noses are no fun in the pool! Ewwww!!!

Gates: Please come in the front gate only... We'll have a Jr. Coach helping with the gate or a bell on the gate. Parents are allowed on the patio area, but not on deck during practice. Swimmers must leave the pool immediately after practice, no staying and playing. If HL residents want to continue playing in the rec pool, they must exit, then sign in through the front gate. Non resident siblings are not allowed to play in the rec pool during practices. We know this is sometimes hard when there are non-swimmer siblings but it's due to insurance reasons.

Emergencies: The coaches will have a list of all swimmers with family contact info. If you drop your swimmer off and there is something the coaches can't handle (we are certified for CPR and first aid), we'll call you immediately. If your swimmer has a special medical condition, I ask that you let one of the coaches know (you can see us on deck, text me, or email me)

Photography: If you ever want to take pictures of your swimmer, or video them so they can practice later, that is fine but please know that pictures from behind the starting area (the deep end of the pool) is NEVER allowed. If your swimmer wants to see their dive, it must be taken from the SIDE of the pool, never from behind. This goes for all practices AND swim meets.

Our big three: Before we start the season, please talk to your swimmer about our BIG 3: sportsmanship, hard work, and fun! The Hammerheads are known throughout the league as the team with the best sportsmanship.. we want to keep it that way! Even amongst ourselves! Hard work is how we earn PRs (personal records) and that's what we're going for every week... is to beat your time from before. We don't care about place but strive for every swimmer to get a new personal best. Don't forget the FUN! Coaches who dance on deck, swim in a dress, and wear a shark on their head? Now that's FUN!

It's been an off season full of medical issues for both my husband and myself. We are blessed with good care but we’re both tired of seeing doctors! I’m ready to see some swimmers! I’m excited to get back to my oh so crazy, fun life with the Hammerheads!

Goooooooooooo Hammerheads!

Coach Susan Lucas

904-945-6564 (save to your contacts.  My phone is on do not disturb from 9 pm to 4 am so text anytime)

[email protected] (I only check email early a.m. and late night so text is best)