2008 Wrap-up

I want to thank everyone for your support at this year's championship meet. The volunteers this year were the best ever!

Congratulations to this year's record breakers:

Maxwell 8 & Under Girls 100 Medley Relay Team

Hayden Tipton (Wynlakes)

Reggie Patterson (Southeast Y)

Mary Stuart Tipton (Wynlakes)

Colton Smith (Maxwell)

Theresa Smith (Maxwell)

Ryan Mangum (Maxwell)

Anna Sedlak (Bell Road)

Perry Ann Copeland (Bell Road)

Winston Morgan (Southeast)

Morgan Lee (Bell Road)

Southeast Y 9-10 Boys 100 Medley Relay Team

Bell Road 11-12 Girls 200 Medley Relay Team

Bell Road 13-14 Boys 200 Medley Relay Team

Bell Road 15-18 Girls 200 Medley Relay Team

Amaris Smith (Maxwell)

Josiah Smith (Maxwell)

Bell Road 9-10 Girls 100 Freestyle Relay Team

Southeast Y 9-10 Boys 100 Freestyle Relay Team

The Montgomery YMCA Barracudas, Montgomery's only year-round swim team, will be hosting a stroke clinic and team tryout Monday through Thursday, August 18-21, 2008. The cost of the clinic is $40. For more information, call the MYB hotline at 273-8351.

If you haven't done so already, please join our Google Groups email list. This list will be the first to receive information concerning next year's season.

Finally, I wanted to let everyone know how much I enjoyed getting to know your families this summer. Seeing their faces when they win a close race or get a trophy or simply improve their time makes all the hard work worth it. I will be in Germany for the next couple weeks, so Terry Joye will be getting the last of the ribbons out to the coaches. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me and I will get back with you upon my return.

Once I'm back from my trip, I will be job hunting, so if anyone knows of an available position that I may be right for, please send me an email.

And again, thank you to all the swimmers, coaches, and parents for making this such a wonderful season!

emily

ememlu@gmail.com

Volunteer Schedule & Warm-up Lane Assignments

Championship Volunteers

Thank you in advance!

Warm-up Schedule

Championship Information

MYSSL 2008 Championship Meet Invitation

East Y Meet rescheduled for Tuesday 7/15/08

Due to multiple storms, the meet originally scheduled for Friday, July 11 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 15 @ the East Y, except for Greenville, who will swim Saturday the 12th (check with Coach Becky.) If you are unable to swim Tuesday, please let your coach know ASAP! I apologize to the inconvenience this caused our out of town teams.

Join our mailing list!

If you haven't done so already, please join our email list. On the left you will see a link under Google Groups, type your email address in the text box and click "Subscribe to MYSSL," then follow the directions.

This list will only be used to send information of interest to Montgomery area swim families, such as meet schedules, meet information, and upcoming stroke clinics or major competitions that are in the area that you may want to attend. Plus, you will be the first to know the details for next season!

THANK YOU volunteers! and some notes...

Phew! We've gotten through the first round of meets! Everything is running smoothly so far, and a large part of that is due to you, the parents who volunteer. As you may have noticed, swim competitions require a large number of workers in order to make them a success. If every parent in the league pitches in, you shouldn't have to work more than once or twice. There are many parents who work almost every meet--they need your help! If you haven't volunteered yet, please talk to your coach. No experience necessary!

I also wanted to inform the swimmers and parents that as the season progresses, we will get stricter in our observance of the rules of swimming. This is to make the competition fair, but also to prepare them for the City Championship! We are still being lenient with the younger and less experienced swimmers, but will become less lenient in the next few weeks. Please support our stroke judges in their decisions as this is one of the most difficult, but necessary, jobs at a meet. We always need more stroke judges so if you are interested in being trained for this (it is not as hard as it sounds) please see your coach!

Also parents, if you know you are not going to be attending a swim meet, please let your coach know ahead of time. It takes a lot of time, energy and supplies to set up your child's races, so please let us know if they are not going to swim. Since everyone has now had the chance to swim at at least one meet, we are going to expect fewer errors in the meet entry process. This means that if your coach requires you to opt in for a meet, and you do not and your child isn't entered, your child cannot be entered late. The only changes we will make to entries at the meet are those that resulted from coaches or entry error. Parents, it is your responsibility to let your coach know which meets you will or will not attend. Especially if your child is on a large team! Please check with your coach if you have any questions about this.

Finally, I just wanted to let everyone know that since we are using meet programs this year, it is crucial that events/heats not be combined. The only exceptions are when they are already combined prior to the meet and listed as such in the meet program OR if only one swimmer is in a race ALONE. A lone swimmer may be moved to another race, provided his/her card is marked accordingly AND the starter is informed. I know it seems like combining heats will move things along faster, but it actually takes longer to get the cards corrected, and is confusing to the stroke and place judges. Also, if the cards are not corrected properly, moving swimmers makes it very hard to determine the results. We expect that swimmers will occasionally swim in the wrong heat/lane, but please don't add to the confusion by combining races unless absolutely necessary.

thanks,

emily...who apologizes to the parents who help her again and again and she still can't remember their names...i promise i'll know all your kid's names, age, best stroke, and maybe even some of their times by the end of the summer :) but for some reason it takes me longer to remember YOUR names, so please be patient with me!

Swim Meets - What to Bring

Having the right equipment can make swim competitions less stressful. If you have any specific questions, any experienced swimmer, parent or coach can help. Here is a list of the basics:

Competition swimwear - you don't need to invest in expensive suits, but it is important that your suit fits well and doesn't create drag

Swim cap(s) - this is a matter of personal preference, but is helpful for girls or boys with longer hair

Goggles - always have an extra pair handy, and make sure that they have both been worn at practice so that they are properly fitted and don't come off when you dive in

Towels - more than one

Sunscreen - be sure to apply before you leave home so it has time to sink in before warm-ups

Refreshments - lots and lots of water and/or sports drinks and a few snacks as well (some pools have concession stands, but it is best to come prepared with healthy choices as well)

Lawn chairs - spectator seating is usually limited

Canopy - there is never enough shade

Sharpie marker - to mark events on the body (or body art)

Fun stuff - to pass the time between events

Miscellaneous - camera, money, comfortable shoes/sandals, umbrella

I hope this list helps. Feel free to comment if there is anything I forgot!

Meet Schedule - Revised

In order to accomodate pool schedules, the meet schedule has been revised slightly. Please make a note of the changes. Also, all Bell Road meets (varsity & jr varsity) will be held at the Bell Road Y pool.

Meet Schedule

To the left you will find the meet schedule for each individual team. Coaches will receive individual instruction about what is expected when hosting, co-hosting, or attending meets.

It is advisable to arrive about 15 minutes early to check in with coaches, etc. Please give your coach advance notice of any meets that your family will miss. In order to compete in the championships, swimmers must compete in at least one MYSSL meet this season.

Morning meets: 1st Warm-up @ 7:30 am, Competition @ 8:30 am

Evening meets: 1st Warm-up @ 5:00 pm, Competition @ 6:00 pm

Swim Gear

All American Swim Supply is a great place to order your swim gear. They have fast shipping, which is free if your order is $100 or more. For a fun, quality, inexpensive girl's practice suit, check out the Dolfin Uglies.