Hello Ray-Nation!

We are off to a great start and the Ray-vibes are flowing!

Please log into Swimtopia and RSVP your child for the meet. Coach Jodi can start planning lineups when she has that information. Even if you texted her that you are out of town, please take a moment to login and select your child as “not attending”.

Schedule for this week:

Monday - practice

Tuesday - practice

Wednesday - practice

Thursday - practice, Red & Black

Friday - practice

Red and Black Timeline:

3:30 PM Pool Set-up begins inside the fence once pool closes- Parent Volunteers who signed up to help set-up pool arrive, set up parking cones

4:15 PM Parking attendants in position directing vehicles.

4:30 PM Swimmers and parents arrive and CHECK-IN, get their team shirt

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM Individual pictures (optional)

5:00 PM TEAM PHOTO all swimmers participate

5:15 PM SWSR warm-ups

5:45 PM Swimmers meet with coaches for meet training

5:45 PM Parent Workers meet with referee for meet training

5:55 PM National Anthem and Prayer

6:00 PM Swim Meet STARTS

Thank you to Legends Event Photo for taking our team and individual pictures again this year! They always do a great job. Information on ordering pictures will be available on-site.

Thank you to the parents who have agreed to photograph and video our athletes in preparation for the end of year slideshow.

Ray-Nation, come ready for dinner at this week’s meet. Thank you to the Yoakum family for preparing pulled pork nachos, brisket tacos, and queso! We will also have pizza, beverages, frozen treats, candy, and other snacks. Concessions will be set up near the outdoor kitchen under the pavilion, please access concessions at the outside gate that faces the tennis courts.

SWIM MEET REMINDERS

The paved parking is reserved for individuals with disabilities and Senior (65+) visitors.

Everyone is expected to park in the grassy areas around the pool as directed by our Swim Team Parking attendants.

Be on time or be early!

Top Ten Parent Reminders

1. Parents - Be on time, it is vital to the team function.

2. Parking - park in the grass on the east side of the pool and follow the parking attendants directions. DO NOT park on the subdivision streets or the street leading to the pool.

3. Parents - Come to the meet ready to help. If your family has swimmers swimming in the swim meet it is expected that a parent will be working one shift of the swim meet. The stingray nation always participates as a team, if it has been determined that swimmers have been dropped off at a swim meet with no parent participation, the team will have to remove the swimmer from the line-up and the swimmer will not be allowed to participate. Typically, we do not have a problem with this but I do want to make sure the Stingray Nation understands. Those parents willing to work double shifts are very much appreciated and true to the stingray spirit of "stepping up" when needed.

4. Parents - If you are a new family in the Stingray Nation this year, please ASK questions. Things move fast and can be confusing for anyone not familiar with a swim meet event. Every family on the Stingrays at one time was new to the Stingrays.

5. Parents - come ready to place your swimmers in the ready bench area when it is their time to swim. If a swimmer misses an event it is NOT the parent workers fault. The parent workers are there to help facilitate the swim meet, not find your swimmers.

6. Parents - prepare your swimmers to listen to the events being called and teach them about the layout of the pool and where the ready bench is when they hear their event being called to report to the Clerk of Course (Ready Bench).

7. Parents (especially VETERAN families) pick out a new family and mentor them.

8. Parents bring lots of PATIENCE. Everything will not run smoothly. There are always situations that develop that take time to communicate, train, and respond.

9. Parents during the mock meet try worker positions you may have never done before if anything just to try it, this meet is to TEACH you as much as to TEACH the swimmers what occurs during a swim meet.

10. Do what Stingrays do, HAVE FUN AND SWIM FAST!

More great information for parents can be found here: https://swsr.swimtopia.com/parent-need-to-knows

We are going to be running on high RAY-octane for the next 7 weeks! The Stingray Nation has been doing this for 24 years so let's continue the great tradition as a team. We are grateful to have each of you with us this season!

Rays in the water!

Michelle Bell

Thank you to our sponsors:

Burton McKinnish www.burtonmckinnish.com

Smoaked

Bell Family Chiropractic bellfamilychiro.com