News Splash June 18
Good afternoon CAJ Parents,
Coach Andrew’s Corner
Team picture day is this Friday June 23rd from 8:00am to 10:00am at the PV pool next to Bidwell Junior High. We will be doing a team group photo and then Aquajets will have the option for individual pictures. Be sure to wear Aquajets gear or our team colors.
Practices this coming Friday (6/23) will be cancelled. This is to accommodate for picture day in the morning, and the two swim meets in the afternoon.
The Durham Dolphins are going to host their summer invitational swim meet the weekend of 6/23/23-6/25/23. I recommend this meet for our Aquajets that can not make the RAD trials and Finals meet (LCM) or for those that do not have much swim meet experience. Durham normally does an excellent job hosting this meet, and I always have a lot of fun there. The meet is open for signups and will stay open until Wednesday 6/21at 11:59pm. There is a link to the signup page below in the “Upcoming Meets” section of the News Splash.
The Otter Space Invitational swim meet hosted by the Orland Otters is open for signups. This meet takes place on Saturday (7/8) and Sunday (7/9), with both days beginning at 7:45am. This is a fun meet for all swimmers, and I encourage all of our Aquajets to signup for the meet in order to get more race experience as our championship meets approach.
When we attend the Plumas swim meet (7/15-7/16) we will be “camping”. There is an RV park right next to the pool and you can also rent a site and pitch tents at the fairgrounds across the street. This adds an extra element of fun to the weekend and many swimmers cite this meet as one of their favorites each Summer. If you are available that weekend I can not recommend attending this meet enough.
Old Business
Beard and Hair Challenge Best Time Total (as of 6/11): 34 best times total
For the safety of our swimmers please make sure to pick up your swimmer(s) on time after their practice ends.
In order to keep our swimmers safe and to ensure a positive relationship with In Motion Fitness I am asking our Aquajet families to adhere to the following. When swimmers are on deck, they need to follow the pool rules; this includes walking on deck, no horseplay, and no foul language. Aquajets are only to use the lap pool, the outside showers, and the outside bathrooms during their practice time as well as 30 minutes prior to and after their scheduled practice. Aquajets that are 14 years old or younger need to be supervised at all times, if you are unable to supervise your swimmer while waiting for the start of their practice then your swimmer will need to sit at the tables located on the deep side of the lap pool so the coaches can watch them. If you are going to watch the practices, please do so at the tables located on the deep side of the lap pool, which In Motion has reserved for us during our practice times, this helps keep the entire outside pool area organized and helps us work with In Motion better. When picking swimmers up make sure to follow the rules of the road in the parking lot; stop at stop signs, follow the speed limit of 5mph, and do not park in the handicap spaces if you are not approved to do so.
I am pleased to announce Coach Andrew’s Beard and Hair Challenge for our Summer Season. Starting the weekend of the Kalsbeek Classic (5/13) and ending with the NVAL Championship meet (7/28-7/30) I am going to keep track of the number of best times achieved by our Aquajets. If we can get 70 best times by NVALs I will dye my beard blue for the meet. If we can get an additional 80 best times (for 150 best times total) then I will cut my hair off. This will be a fun challenge for our team, and I am excited to see if I will get to keep my hair or not.
Our themes for the NVAL championship meet have been decided! Our Friday theme will be Greek (togas, etc), Saturday’s theme will be Under the Sea, and Sunday’s theme will be Aquajet pride (CAJ gear, lots of navy and silver).
For those that are going to NVALs (7/28-7/30) we have group block set up at the Gaia Hotel and Spa in Anderson. If you want to get a room in this block you may call to set up a reservation at 530-365-7077 (be sure to mention you are with the Chico Aquajets), or you may reserve your room online by using the following link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/EV61L5. The block closes 30 days prior to the start of our event, so get your reservation now before it closes.
If you are looking for ribbons from our past few meets, they are organized in our file box by last name. Feel free to look for your ribbons or ask a coach for help.
We have started using an app called TeamSnap in order to improve the ability of our team to communicate with each other, and to make it easier for our members to see upcoming events. I highly recommend you download the app and turn notifications on, so you do not miss any information. If you have not received an invite to our team’s profile on TeamSnap, send me an email and I will work to get an invite to you.
Be sure to check out our Chico Aquajets Facebook and Instagram pages for fun posts and information about the team!
Check out our team store on our website for some CAJ gear!
If your swimmer is not USA swimming registered yet, please do so as soon as you can. There is a link to do so in the “USA SWIM REGISTRATION” section of this news splash.
USA SWIM REGISTRATION
This link will show you all you need to register your swimmer until the end of 2023.
https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/43F7068EBC3C44
UPCOMING MEETS
- Durham Dolphins Summer Invitational Meet in Durham 6/23/23-6/25/23 https://ome.swimconnection.com/meets/3232
- Redding Swim Team Trials and Finals in Redding (LCM) 6/23/23-6/25/23 https://ome.swimconnection.com/meets/3223
- Otter Space Invitational meet in Orland 7/8/23-7/9/23 https://ome.swimconnection.com/meets/3236
- Plumas Rapids meet in Quincy 7/15/23-7/16/23
- Dual Meet with Durham Dolphins (12 and Under swimmers only) Tuesday 7/18/23
- Bill Rose Classic: SNS Long Course Championships in Elk Grove (LCM) 7/20/23-7/23/23 [Time Qualifier Meet]
- North Valley Aquatic League Championship (NVALs) in Redding 7/28/23-7/30/23
IMPORTANT Reminders
- Make sure your swimmer is USA Swimming registered
- Make sure your swimmer is bringing a water bottle to every practice
- Picture Day is Friday June 23rd from 8:00am to 10:00am at the PV Pool
NEW AQUAJETS:
Please Familiarize yourself with our CAJ Handbook located on the CAJ website under Join the Team.
We ask that parents avoid being on deck during practice as it can be distracting to the coaches and the swimmers.
NEW SWIMMERS: SIGN CAJ WAIVER AND HAND IT TO YOUR COACH
SWIMMER ACCOUNT REMINDER: All swimmer fees are due on the 1st day of each month and are considered late if not received by the 10th. A $10 late fee will be assessed for late payments. Notice of intent to discontinue swimming must be provided to the Chico AquaJets in writing by the 15th of the month before the date of inactivity to cancel monthly fees. Written notice should be provided through the "Contact Us'' button on the CAJ website. Verbal notice to coaches is not sufficient. Any written notice occurring after the 15th of the month before deciding to discontinue will be charged the following month. Any hanging balances left will be billed and payment will be required before any re-registration.
- BE ADVISED: if you discontinue your membership, the $65 registration fee will be reassessed upon re-registration.
- CAJ WEBSITE: All members must double-check your Team Unify member account to ensure that your e-mail is correct and verified. We also need you to verify your SMS number, and make sure you use dashes. This will ensure you receive ALL of our communications.
- REMINDER FROM IN MOTION: If families discontinue their In Motion gym membership it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify In Motion that the swimmer is remaining an Aquajet swimmer. We’d also appreciate notification to the team through the “contact us” button so that our bookkeeper and membership coordinators are aware of your IMF membership status. This will assist in smooth entry to the club as well as accurate billing information for CAJ. Thanks!
Coach Andrew
