News Splash June 18

Andrew Hasek

Good afternoon Aquajets,

Table of Contents

  • Coach Andrew’s Corner
    • In Motion Locker Rooms
    • Requests from In Motion
    • No afternoon practices this Friday 6/21
    • CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash Review
    • Summer Beard Challenge
    • Team Spirit Tuesdays
    • NVAL Championship Information
    • NVAL Theme: Pirates!
    • The Durham Dolphin Invitational is open!
    • The Plumas Rapids Open is open!
    • The Otters in Paris Invitational is open!
    • Bring Water to Practice
    • Swim-a-Thon Tue July 16
  • Important Reminders
  • Upcoming Meets
  • New Aquajet Reminders
  • USA Swim Registration Link
  • Swimmer Account Reminder
  • Membership Cancellation Policy
  • Old Business

Coach Andrew’s Corner

Save the date: North Valley Aquatic League Championships (NVALs) 7/26/24-7/28/24 (you must attend two summer meets to be eligible to attend)

Summer Beard Challenge Counter: 129 best times

Afternoon practices are canceled this coming Friday 6/21. Since we have two swim meets this weekend, afternoon practices will be canceled to accommodate.

We had our CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash this past weekend! We saw a lot of fast racing and had a ton of fun! As a team, our swimmers achieved 129 best times in their events! A great start to our summer season. A massive thank you to all of our parent volunteers! We could not have had nearly as successful of a meet if we had not had all of your help. Be sure to check out our Instagram to see many great pictures from the weekend.

I am bringing back the best time beard challenge from last year! If, as a team, our swimmers can get more best times before NVALs than they did last summer, I will dye my beard. The number to beat is 434 best times, I think is a challenging number to beat but is achievable. After our first meet of the summer season (our CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash) our swimmers already have a total of 129 best times. Last year I dyed my beard blue, if you have not seen any pictures of that then you can find them on our team’s Instagram.

We are going to try something new, Team Spirit Tuesdays! On Tuesdays (starting today) I want everyone swimmer to wear a CAJ cap at practice, if your swimmer does not have a CAJ cap then a regular cap will do for now. We are also going to do a cheer with each group, wrap up each practice with something fun, and have a small snack for the swimmers once they have finished their practice. I think this will be a fun weekly event that will help build some more team spirit!

Please remind your swimmers that the locker rooms at In Motion are only to be used when absolutely necessary. In order to help maintain a positive relationship with others using the gym, chico Aquajet swimmers (regardless of In Motion membership status) should prioritize using the outside restrooms and showers when needing to change, shower, or use the restroom. If our swimmers need to use the locker rooms, they need to be quick and respectful while doing so. The locker rooms are not a place to be social. I will talk to each of the groups this week to remind them, please talk to your swimmer(s) as well to help make sure we are using the facilities as intended.

To help maintain a safe environment, In Motion has asked us to follow a couple rules. The first rule is that any children under the age of 14 need to be supervised by an adult. Our coaches are focused on the actively practicing group(s). Which means when your swimmer(s) is waiting for their practice to start or when they have finished their practice, they need to be supervised by a parent or guardian until they leave the facility. The second rule is to not park in handicap spaces when dropping off or picking up if you do not have the clearance to park in a handicap spot.

The North Valley Aquatic League Championship (NVALs) is our end of the Summer championship meet and will take place 7/26/24-7/28/24. This meet is one of the highlights of the entire year, great racing and great fun! We have a theme each year and quite a few team events surrounding this meet. To be eligible to race at this meet, your swimmer will need to compete in at least two other meets this summer (June and July), please plan accordingly. Our team has some rooms blocked off at the Towneplace Suites Hotel in Redding for this weekend. If you know you are going to attend this meet, which I hope all Aquajets are, and you would like to stay with the team, then be sure to call and make your reservation as soon as possible (530-223-0690). When making your reservation be sure to mention you are with Chico Aquajets and would like one of our blocked rooms. The rooms are going on a first come first serve basis, and any rooms left after July 1st are forfeit to regular hotel reservations.

Our theme for this upcoming North Valley Aquatic League Championship (NVALs) will be Pirates! Part of the fun of NVALs is getting dressed, lots of decorations, and in general embracing our theme to have an entertaining championship meet experience. If you have not gone to an NVALs yet, then I suggest going onto our CAJ Instagram and looking at the pictures from last year’s NVALs to get an idea of how we utilize our theme. Last year we had three themes (Greek, Under the Sea, and Aquajet Pride). This year, to simplify it, we are going to do one theme, which will be Pirates! Start planning now.

The Durham Dolphins Invitational is open for signups! Signups close tomorrow evening (6/19) at 11:59pm or when all spots are filled. This will be a similar meet to our CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash, and should be a lot of fun for Aquajets of all swim levels. OME Link

The Plumas Rapids Open (Quincy meet) is open for signups! Signups close Wednesday 7/10 at 11:59pm or when all spots are filled. This meet regularly fills up fast, if you are interested in attending I recommend you sign up ASAP. This is our camping meet of the year and one of the favorite meets of swimmers and parents alike. We camp together, will do potlucks for meals, and have an overall great time surrounded by the beautiful Plumas National Forest. OME Link

The Otters in Paris 2024 meet is open for signups! Signups close Tuesday 7/16 at 11:59pm or when all spots are filled. This meet also tends to fill up fast, I recommend you sign up ASAP so you ensure that your swimmer is able to attend this meet. Each of my summers as a coach, I have had families miss this meet because they waited too long to signup for it. There are fun relays and even a coaches 100 IM race on Sunday where you will get to see myself and your other CAJ coaches race against coaches from other teams. OME Link

Bring Water to practice every day! It may not seem like it, but swimmers do sweat all the time during their practices. With the weather warming up, it means they will be sweating more. To help keep them healthy and comfortable they should bring water, or better yet an electrolyte drink, to practice everyday. Going without sufficient fluids can lead to dehydration, irritability, and poor performance in the pool. Staying hydrated is essential.

The Swim-a-Thon will be on Tuesday July 16 from 7:00am-9:00am at the PV pool. This is arguably our biggest fundraiser for the year. Save the date, be ready to participate. More information will come out at a later date when we get closer to the swim-a-thon.

IMPORTANT Reminders

  • Make sure your swimmer is USA Swimming registered (the link can be found in the “USA Swim Registration” section of the news splash)
  • Make sure your swimmer is bringing a water bottle to every practice
  • Check out the Team Store for CAJ gear: Team Store Link
  • Afternoon practices are canceled Friday 6/21
  • Swim-a-Thon Tuesday July 16 7:00am-9:00am at the PV pool

UPCOMING TEAM MEETS

  • Durham Dolphin Invitational [SCY, NVAL] 6/21/24-6/23/24 OME Link
  • RAD Trials/Finals [LCM, AGO] 6/21/24-6/23/24 OME Link
  • Gridley Gators Invitational [SCY, NVAL] 6/28/24-6/30/24
  • Orland Otters Dual Meet [SCY, DUAL] 7/10/24
  • Bill Rose Classic: Sierra Nevada Swimming Long Course Meter Championship [LCM, Qualifier] 7/11/24-7/14/24
  • Plumas Rapids Open [SCY, AGO] 7/13/24-7/14/24 OME Link
  • Durham Mini Meet [SCY, 8 & Under] 7/17/24
  • Otters in Paris 2024 [SCY, NVAL] 7/20/24-7/21/24 OME Link
  • North Valley Aquatic League Championship (NVALs) in Redding [SCY, Invitational] 7/26/24-7/28/24

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    

USA SWIM REGISTRATION

This link will show you all you need to register your swimmer until the end of 2024.

https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/2945A4A75BFD45

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.

Membership Cancellation Policy: 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 must 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! 

Old Business

  • 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
    • 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
      • do not park in the handicap spaces (if you are not approved to do so).
  • We use 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. Please 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 get an invite to you.
  • Our Team Snap schedule has been updated for the 2023-2024 swim season. The majority of our planned meets as well as some planned practice cancellations have been posted. A couple meets I want to highlight and for you all to start planning for is our CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash meet June 14, 2024-June 16, 2024, and the NVAL championship July 26, 2024-July 28, 2024. We will be hosting the CAJ Summer Takeoff and will need all hands-on deck to make the meet run smoothly. The NVAL championship is our final meet of the summer and a lot of fun.
  • Be sure to check out our Chico Aquajets Facebook and Instagram pages for fun posts and information about the team!
  • There is new merchandise available at our online store (Link). There is a lot of good options on there to choose from in order show off your Aquajet spirit. There’s gear for cold weather. There’s gear for warm weather. There’s even pajama pants to help you dream about swimming! Take a few minutes to sit down with your swimmer(s) and see if there is anything on the store either of you are interested in.
  • We have CAJ water bottles, t-shirts, and car magnets available for purchase. Water bottles are $35, t-shirts are $15, and car magnets are $5. If you would like to purchase a water bottle, t-shirt, or car magnet, let me know so I can get it to you.
  • 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.

 

Let’s go Aquajets!

Coach Andrew