Dear Swim Team Families,

Welcome to the last week of our Summer swim season. We have a lot of items to cover with you in this e-mail. Please read through the sections to make sure we are all on the same page.

Swimtopia

We are excited to announce the expansion of the SwimTopia App, which now allows you to register for upcoming meets, commit to volunteer positions, and make suggestions to the coaching staff regarding your swimmers' events. To access this feature, simply click on an upcoming meet.

This integration is effective immediately. For the 2023 season, we will default to the meet card that your family has already filled out. Please feel free to use the app now, and if you notice any discrepancies, we will reach out to address any questions.

There is a link on our homepage to download the app or you can search for "Swimtopia" in your app store. 

Meet Cards

To ensure smooth event planning, we have implemented registration deadlines for upcoming meets. The only exception to these deadlines will be "scratches" (removing your swimmer from a meet). Here are the registration deadlines for the next few meets:

• Monday 6/19 at 6:00 PM for the 6/21 meet
• Wednesday 6/21 at 6:00 PM for the 6/24 championship meet

These deadlines have been put in place to assist the coaching staff in creating effective lineups and submitting them to the opposing teams. We strongly discourage "deck entries" within the SEISA organization, as they raise questions about our organization's credibility and our coaches' abilities.

We appreciate your continued support and patience as we adopt this new technology for our team. By using the app, you will continue to benefit from features such as visibility into your swimmers' best times, team records, a unified communication platform, and real-time swim meet progress. Moreover, our coaching staff will greatly benefit from the ability to set lineups based on your RSVP, review best times, organize relays, and have communication at their fingertips. Managing over 90 swimmers becomes much more efficient with this awesome tool.

Swim Meet Etiquette

Organizing a swim meet for a team of our size is no small feat! We are extremely fortunate to have a dedicated group of core volunteers known as the Swim Advisory Team (SAT) who help organize, execute, and wrap up our swim meets. To those who have already contributed, we are immensely grateful. It would be impossible to pull off these events without your assistance. We are always looking for more help on the SAT, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you are interested.

During swim meets, our coaches are highly focused on ensuring the safety of our swimmers, getting them to the right place at the right time, and providing coaching, encouragement, and congratulations throughout the event. To support them effectively, we ask the following following:

1. Come up close to the pool and cheer on our team! However, please ensure you leave enough space for the coaches, lifeguards, and meet officials to carry out their duties.
2. Congratulate your swimmer after their race, once they have cleared the immediate swimming area. There is nothing quite as rewarding as a swimmer receiving a post-race hug from their loved ones. Smiles or tears are common, but the need for a good hug is universal!
3. If you have any questions for our coaches, we ask that you wait until the meet is over. Alternatively, you can send them an email or connect with them during the next scheduled practice. With limited time between events, it would be unfair to the next group of swimmers to divert our coaches' attention from their primary responsibilities. We greatly appreciate your understanding in this matter.

The SAT and coaching staff are dedicated to creating a fun, developmental, and challenging summer swim program. Accordingly, the coaches will set lineups that may occasionally push the boundaries for your swimmer. As mentioned earlier, the SwimTopia app now allows you to request specific events or leave a note for the coaches when RSVPing for a meet. While our coaches will consider your guidance, please understand that the final lineup is ultimately at the coaching staff's discretion.

We encourage you to utilize the app for communication with the coaches or speak with them in person during an upcoming practice. We also ask that discussions regarding lineups and similar topics be reserved for non-meet days.

Once the meet concludes, please take a few minutes to clean up your area and dispose of any trash. Additionally, please keep an eye out for any valuable items that may have been left behind. We would hate to call a family to inform them that their child has been accidentally left behind after a swim meet!

Facility Etiquette

Unfortunately, we have recently experienced issues regarding the respect shown towards the Hidden Valley Lake pool complex, specifically the shower house/restrooms. Coach Becca will address this matter with all swimmers during practice today. Effective immediately, the showers will be considered "off-limits" unless you have specific approval from the coaching staff. Please bear in mind:

• The Hidden Valley Lake Gators are guests of the Hidden Valley Lake pool and, ultimately, the POA. Our ability to use the facility can be jeopardized if we become a nuisance to the community.
• The Gators organization prides itself on being a responsible member of the swimming community and Hidden Valley. By participating, you have agreed to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a Gator. Disregarding this code of conduct not only puts your membership at risk but also compromises the reputation of others associated with our team.
• These guidelines and expectations extend beyond our own pool and must be followed when we are guests at other facilities.
• Encourage your swimmer to speak up if they witness any inappropriate behavior.

Parking during home meets has been brought to our attention by the HVL POA. Given the size of our team, parking can be challenging wherever we go. However, during home meets, we ask that you consider walking, biking, or carpooling to help alleviate the parking pressure. Illegally parked cars are at risk of being towed.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these matters, please feel free to reach out to a member of the SAT.

Snack Shack

We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support of our Snack Shack when visiting the pool. It is open seven days a week, weather permitting, and accepts both cash and credit card payments. We offer a wide variety of options to choose from. To view our menu, please click here.

Thank you once again for your cooperation and commitment to making our swim team a success. We look forward to a strong end to our season!

Go Gators!