Coach's Newsletter: May 5 - 9th

Caleb H - Congratulations to Caleb for accomplishing one of his long term goals, attending his first meet, and crossing without touching the lane rope!

Ana C - Shout out to Ana! It was her first swim meet ever and she even swam the 50 yard freestyle. She was a strong competitor and her technique looked incredible!

Please see the coaches for a special silcone stingray cap!

Please upload any pictures you have from this Saturday! We will use these photos for the end of the year slideshow slideshow!

Requirements:

- JPG, JPEG, PNG only

- Photos uploaded from iPhone come in as JPEG

- Each form can send 1G with 10MB per photo. If you want to upload more photos just submit another form.

Picture Guidelines -

Please send pics with:

- Multiple swimmers/family

- Funny/silly

- big and little buddies

- special moments

- Our seniors! (Carly, Liam, Sebastian, Emiliano, Elana)

Please do not send:

- 10 photos of just your swimmer

- duplicate photos

- photos from a non-stingray event

Please mark attending or not attending with the button below. We had about 20 no shows this past Saturday. When this happens it causes lots of meet changes with the entries, relays, computer room, and ready bench. Absences without heads up can really slow down the meet so PLEASE mark not attending in swimtopia. If an unexpected absence occurs after swimtopia closes, then text the coaches. We are literally begging. PLEASE.

OUR MEET IS AT THE CONROE NATATORIUM! A/C! NICE BLOCKS! 8 LANES! OH MY!

The Woodlands Marlins Swim Team home location is at the Conroe ISD Laura Wilkinson Natatorium, next to the Woodforest National Bank Stadium and behind the Portofino Shopping Center.

Set up for parents - upstairs bleachers

Set up for swimmers - on deck bleachers

If you want to have your swimmer sit with you, make sure they dry off really well.

If you do not want to stay on the bleachers all meet, there is room for outdoor tents and setup but there is no official speaker system for numbers. It will be a parent with radio and megaphone.

7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Swimmer Check-In with Coaches

📌Coach Josh - # for boys

📌Coach Lil Marissa - # for girls

📌 Coach Big Marissa - absences & relays

📌 Check swimtopia for event numbers too

7:45 - 8:15AM
WARM-UPS:

Group 1 - 15 minutes - RED (Lane 1) / WHITE (Lane 2-3) / BLUE (Lane 4-8)

Group 2 - 15 minutes - GREEN (Lane 1-4) / BLACK (Lane 5-8)

📌Swimmers stretch on deck 5 minutes before hoping in the water

IF YOU ARE A NO SHOW/NO CALL OR TEXT BY WARM-UPS, THE ABSENT SWIMMER WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE MEET AND REPLACED FROM ANY RELAYS THEY WERE ENTERED IN

8:15 AM
Timer's Meeting

8:20 AM
Swimmer Team Meeting

8:30 AM
Meet Starts

📌 No parents are allowed on deck this meet

1:00 PM

Approximate End Time

Buddies start this next Saturday! Big Stingrays will get paired with a Little Stingray through out the meet. This system is to help our team create friendships, bonds, mentorship across age groups. You will get your buddy along with your numbers in the morning, but they will also be updated in this link below towards the end of the week.

• Come join us for lunch after the meet! Coaches will call and pass out ribbons for 1st - 6th.
• 1st through 6th place is determined by all swimmers in one event. For example, if your 10 year old is in the first race (heat 1) of 25 yd freestyle and there are two more races of 9-10 year olds behind them (heat 2 & 3) then they are also technique racing those kids for a ribbon too.
• Double check swimtopia app for results at the end of a meet.
• Ask the coaches about times, placement, and DQs if you have a concern.
• No worries if you can't come, we will have ribbons in the purple crate at practice. Files are organized alphabetically by last name. We have multiple "Flores" families, so always double check your ribbons!

The plan is so work on breastroke and butterfly this week during practice. Here are some exercises that can help at home!

• Please check each swimmers name before they hop on the block
• Raise your hand high if there is an issue so the head timer or meet referee can help
• Look over the edge of pool to see when the swimmer touches the wall
• Press stop for any hand, arm, head, anything that touches the wall
• Scribes - If a swimmer does not show up to a race, please mark NS for "no swim"

DQs start this next meet. Each stroke (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) has its own set of rules and requirements. If a swimmer gets disqualified during a meet, an official in white will tell them after a race and their time for that race will not count. The coaches understand that DQs can be really discouraging, but please remind your swimmer that the race gives them the experience they need so that they can grow next time.

Even Olympians have been DQed and it happens to the best of us. I hope this little story reminds all of us that it is okay to not get something right away and that those moments help us learn and grow.

Check out the lost and found. There is a double drawer to the right of the fridge. Clothes are in the top drawer. Shoes in the bottom drawer. Goggles and caps in the bucket on top.

We passed out complimentary latex team caps on Saturday. If you missed the meet, come see one of the coaches for your cap!

• No one has changed colors but some small group swimmers have moved to the big group.
• Coaches will be rotating more amongst all the groups, so we can get to know and work with all of the kids.

-

Auntie/Tia Coach Marissa

nsstcoachmarissa@gmail.com

832-226-3011

Coach Josh

nsstcoachjoshh@gmail.com

832-353-5360

Lil Coach Marissa

nsstcoachmj@gmail.com