State of the Storm

• October 14: Boys Black vs. LHY
• October 14: Girls Black vs. FSPY
• October 14: Girls White vs. RVY
• October 14-15: GMNY Harvest Haunt (Lightning 3 N/S, Thunder 2 N/S, Thunder 3 N/S)
• October 21: RVY Spooky Sprints (Waves, Thunder 2/3)
• October 21-22: GSCY Champions Classic (Thunder 1, Lightning 1/2, all Junior and Senior groups)
  
• October 22: Devilfish Classic (Waves, Thunder 2/3, Lightning 3)
• October 28: Girls Black vs. GMNY

To all of our swimmers, good luck and swim fast!

More Information: please visit the Events Page for specific event information. The full meet schedule will also be communicated in early October.

PRACTICE UPDATES

• Please click here to view practice changes on our website.

MEET REGISTRATIONS

• October 4: Jersey Wahoos Thanksgiving Meet (Junior 1, Senior 1/2)
• October 7: GSCY Champions Classic registration deadline (Thunder 1, Lightning 1/2, all Junior and Senior groups)
• October 7: Autumn Challenge (Thunder 1/2/3, Lightning 1/2)

Dates and deadlines may be subject to change. Please refer to communications from your practice group lead coach for the latest information.

We are excited that GSCY will be participating in Dual Meets for the first time post-pandemic. Dual Meet Teams are comprised of swimmers from all age groups. This year, we have 3 girls and 3 boys Dual Meet Teams who will compete against other YMCA Dual Meet Teams.

Our Dual Meet Team rosters are attached. Dual Meets are posted online and information will be updated as it becomes available. Adjustments to the Dual Meet schedule are still being made. When the details are finalized, the commitment portals will be opened, and all families will receive an email notification. Once opened, please only commit to a Dual Meet for your swimmer’s assigned Dual Team.

We need volunteers to help organize our dual meets!

A GSCY Dual Meet Team Parent works alongside another parent and GSCY coaches to coordinate the running of Dual Meets. At this time, we are requesting parents of 11 and over swimmers only to fulfill these positions. Specific tasks include:

• Creating and distributing a Sign-Up-Genius to fulfill jobs necessary to run the meet; at least 1 week before the meet.
• Ensuring the volunteers are checked in and fulfilling their job requirements at the dual meet.
• Tracking jobs fulfilled and reporting to the volunteer coordinator to award volunteer points.

This job will contribute to your GSCY Volunteer Points requirement. More information on the GSCY Volunteer Policy is coming soon.

There will be a meeting held prior to the first dual meet to review this job and its specific tasks. If interested, please sign up here by Sunday, October 8th.

Please contact gscychair@gmail.com with any questions regarding Dual Meet Team Parents.

We are a team and we want to be unified in representing GSCY Storm at our meets! For this season, we are using the same three team t-shirts (black/gray/teal).

For swimmers who are new to the team, please complete the form below to get your t-shirts. The t-shirts will be provided at no cost for new swimmers.

If you were on the team last year and you would like to order new replacements, please also complete the form below. Please note that the cost for the entire order is $30.

If you have any questions, please contact Agnes Doucette at agnesdoucette5@gmail.com.

Team T-Shirt Order Form

Part of what makes being with GSCY Storm special is participating in fun activities outside of the pool throughout the season - and parents, we need your help!

A GSCY Practice Group Parent works alongside another parent and the practice group coach to plan parties and special events for their practice group outside of the pool. Typically, there are at least 3 group get-togethers: beginning of the season, a holiday celebration, and prior to championships. This is just a guideline and you are free to plan whatever is best for the athletes in your group. You may also reach out to other practice groups and plan joint events.

The GSCY Storm Parent Committee will subsidize $10 per swimmer for social activities for the short course season. The intent is to provide social activities that are not a financial burden for families. If the subsidy is exhausted, practice group parents are welcome to solicit food and party supply donations from your practice group.

This job will fulfill 2 volunteer points for the short course season. If you are interested in being a Practice Group Parent, please sign up here. The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, October 11th.

Please contact gscychair@gmail.com with any questions.

If you missed the parent meeting at our picnic, or if you need a refresher, please click on the video below to view Coach Mary's team address:

Our meets are right around the corner! There will be lots of information that will be coming out regarding specific meets, and it is important to keep track of important action items and deadlines leading up to each meet. The information below outlines important tasks for parents and athletes for our upcoming swim meets.

ENTERING A SWIM MEET

All meets are posted on our swim team website at the start of the season to allow families to plan ahead. Meets will be added at the discretion of the coaching staff. Information, including which groups are attending each meet, will be posted on each event page as it becomes available.

You may commit to all meets as soon as they are posted. Note that if you commit to meets now, it is a good idea to check back to the event page before the meet as information is continuously being updated. If your swimmer is committed to a meet that is not offered to their practice group or they do not qualify to swim, they will be removed prior to entries being submitted and you will not be charged. If they commit but decide not to attend after the entry deadline, see the “scratching from a meet” section below.

To enter a meet:

1. Login to your account on our team website
2. Click “Attend/Decline”.
3. Select the member’s name.
4. Under “Declaration” Select Yes or No
   - If Yes, you may either select the session your swimmer is available to attend or the events they wish to swim, depending on the meet. For the majority of meets, coaches will be selecting the swimmer’s events.
   - If a swimmer is only able to attend a portion of the meet, please use the note section to indicate which day(s) your swimmer cannot not attend.
5. Use the Note section to communicate to the coaching staff anything pertaining to that specific meet.

**Families with an outstanding balance or without a credit card on file will not be permitted to commit to meets.

NOTIFICATION OF SWIM MEETS

As meets approach, an email will be sent to attending practice groups. This email will note that the meet information has been posted, the entry deadline, and other key facts about the meet. All available information regarding the meet will be posted on the event page. Please check the event page prior to asking follow-up questions. Information is continually updated on this page, so check back often.

• Entry Deadline: Swimmers must commit to a meet by the entry deadline if they wish to swim. Once the posted entry deadline passes, there are no refunds.
• Late Entries for Team Hosted Meets: All late entries or event changes will be charged a $10 flat fee charged immediately.
• Late Entries for Invitational Meets: Entries and changes are subject to the discretion of the host team. If granted, late entries or event changes will be charged a $25 flat fee charged immediately.

KEY FACTS ON THE EVENTS PAGE

Each event page contains important information to review:

• Meet Packet: The majority of information pertaining to a meet is included in the Meet Information Packet which will be posted on each event page. This includes location, order of events, approximate meet timeline, fees associated with attending, and all rules of the meet.
• Groups Attending: Practice Groups that are invited to attend a meet will be posted. If you have committed your swimmer and their practice group is not attending, they will be removed from the meet.
• Qualifying Times: Some meets have qualifying times for each event. There are instances where a practice group may be participating in a meet, but not all swimmers qualify to swim. A qualifying report will be posted so you can see if and what your child is able to swim. If your swimmer’s time is RED, they do not qualify to swim that event. Anyone who has committed to the meet but does not qualify to swim will be removed. Please check the qualifying report before you ask why your swimmer was removed from a meet or isn’t swimming a certain event.
• Timeline: Meet timelines are not determined by the meet host until approximately 1 week before the meet. The actual timeline and arrival times for each session will be posted on the event page as soon as they are received. Please do not email asking for the meet timeline. An approximation is included in the posted Meet Information Packet.
• GSCY Timers: A list of families assigned to time will be posted on the meet event page 1 week to 24 hours prior to the start. The name of the swimmer whose family is responsible for the assignment will appear.
• Meet Notes: Any notes the meet host would like to communicate (parking instructions, etc.) will be posted on the event page.

TYPES OF SWIM MEETS

TEAM HOSTED

These are swim meets hosted by GSCY. These meets are our biggest fundraisers, and the proceeds benefit the entire team. Many volunteers are required to run these meets and GSCY Volunteer Points are earned for fulfilling positions at Team Hosted Meets. Detailed information on the GSCY Volunteer Policy and Season Point Requirement are coming soon.

INVITATIONAL MEETS

These are swim meets hosted by other teams. For most invitational meets, the host team will assign our team timing responsibilities based on the number of swimmers we have in each session. Our 8/Under groups will also have parent marshals assigned. Those timing/ marshaling assignments will be assigned to GSCY families by the Timing Assignment Coordinator. Timing Assignments are tracked by the coordinator to ensure equitable distribution among the team over the duration of each season.

Timing Assignments

• If your child is swimming in an Invitational Meet, you could be assigned to time.
• Timing Assignments are issued anytime between 1 week to 24 hours prior to a meet, depending on when the host team sends them to us.
• In ADVANCE of timing assignments being issued, if your child is swimming in an invitational meet and you are not available to time, email gscytiming@gmail.com notifying the Timing Assignment Coordinator. You will be assigned later in the season instead.
• Once timing assignments are emailed, you are responsible for the assignment. If you cannot fulfill the assignment, you can:
  - Email the attending families and ask for a substitute. If someone agrees to time/ marshal in your place, email gscytiming@gmail.com to be sure the correct family gets credit.
  - Be subject to a no-show fine (see Handbook)

SCRATCHING FROM A MEET

• BEFORE the entry deadline: If your swimmer is committed to a meet, can no longer swim, and it’s before the entry deadline, you can change their commitment on the event page and you will not be charged. Nothing more needs to be done.
• AFTER the entry deadline: If your swimmer is committed to a meet, the entry deadline has passed, and they can no longer swim, there are no refunds regardless of the reason. As soon as entries are submitted, we are responsible for the fees even if a swimmer doesn’t swim. The following steps need to be taken as well:
  - Email your lead coach and notify them that your swimmer will not be at the meet and why.
  - Email gscytiming@gmail.com that your swimmer will be scratching the meet. If your swimmer is committed to a meet and the timing assignment coordinator is not notified they are scratching, you could be assigned to time. If that occurs, you will be responsible for timing, finding a substitute, or be charged a fine (see Handbook).

GSCY Storm Website: http://www.gscyswimming.com (must log in to view all pages)

Practices: Practice Schedule | Schedule Changes | Practice Group Rosters

Meets: Events | Time Standards | Hosted Meets

Media: Photos & Videos | News | Instagram | Facebook

Achievements: Team Records | End-of-Season Awards