News Splash January 28

Andrew Hasek

Good afternoon Aquajets,

Save the Date:

  • SNS SCY Champs in Vacaville: Fri March 7 – Sun March 9 (3/7/25-3/9/25) (Last Chance is 2/22/25-2/23/25)
  • CAJ Spring Splash in Chico: Sat April 5 (4/5/25)
  • CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash in Durham: Fri June 13 – Sun June 15 (6/13/25-6/15/25)
  • Bill Rose Classic: SNS LCM Champs in Roseville: Thu July 17 – Sun July 20 (7/17/25-7/20/25)
  • NVAL Championships in Redding: Fri July 25 – Sun July 27 (7/25/25-7/27/25)

Table of Contents

  • Coach Andrew’s Corner
    • USA Swim Registration
    • Penny Drop
    • Fins
    • WAC Last Chance Meet & Movie Night
    • Pom-pom Jars
    • Team Dinner Wed 2/26
    • In Motion Locker Rooms
    • Requests from In Motion
    • Bring Water to Practice
  • Important Reminders
  • Upcoming Meets
  • New Aquajet Reminders
  • USA Swim Registration Link
  • Swimmer Account Reminder
  • Membership Cancellation Policy
  • Old Business
    • Safe swimmer pick-up
    • Swimmer safety at In Motion
    • Honor Code
    • Team Snap
    • CAJ Socials
    • Polar Bear Season
    • Officials Need
    • CAJ merch and water bottles
    • Goal meetings with Coach Andrew

Coach Andrew’s Corner

A new year means it is time to register with USA Swimming again! I would like every family to check if their swimmer(s) registration has expired or not. There is a chance that your swimmer’s registration is still good through next year, but I would like everyone to double check please. If you are not sure how to register for USA Swimming let me know so I can help you through the process. Here is the team USA Swimming registration link: CAJ USAS Registration Link

In order to celebrate our swimmers’, meet accomplishments more, we are going to try and do a Penny Drop after each meet. The first practice a swimmer is at after attending a meet we will start their groups practice by dropping a penny into the jar for each second dropped. If a swimmer completed an event officially for the first time, then they will drop a number of pennies into the jar based off of the distance. One penny for 25s, two pennies for 50s, three pennies for 100s, four pennies for 200s, and five pennies for 400s and longer. When the penny drop jar is completely filled the whole team will have a fun practice together where the coaches get in the water with them. One lucky swimmer will also get to dump a bucket of ice water on Coach Andrew. I have attached pictures of our Penny Drop jar that Coach Melia has decorated for us.

Every White group, Navy group, Pre-Senior group, and Senior group swimmer should start bringing a pair of fins to practice every day. Fins are a useful tool for helping swimmers build strength, mobility, and improve their technique in the water. Whether they are working on their kick, increasing their speed, or focusing on their overall form, fins can really make a difference. The coaches would like to implement fin-based sets with the swimmers so please get a pair for each of your swimmers and have them bring their fins to practice every day.

Coming up in a few weeks in the WAC Last Chance Meet (Feb 22-23). I want a large group of Aquajets to attend this meet. Swimmers need to practice racing to get better at racing. Elite swimmers go to meets all the time so they can have as many opportunities to learn how to race better as possible. Going to meets and seeing what they are capable of while enjoying the high-energy setting of a swim meet is one of the best parts of the sport. Since I am hoping to have a lot of Aquajets attending this meet, I am planning on us going to watch a movie Saturday evening after the racing has concluded. More information about the movie and possibly dinner will come out at a later date, but please mark this weekend down and make an effort to attend.

We are going to try something new at practice! Each group now has a jar at the pool, when a swimmer does something great, we will add a pom-pom to their group’s jar. When the jar is filled, that group will win a Rice Krispie Treat Party where we will have an extra fun practice, and I will bring rice Krispie treats for the swimmers. This should be a good way to add an extra celebration to the little accomplishments we see at practice. Coach Melia did a wonderful job decorating our pom-pom jars, a picture of them is attached to the News Splash.

On Wednesday February 26 at 6:30pm we will have a Team Dinner! The location is TBD at the moment, but once our location is set then I will update our Team Snap schedule accordingly. Seniors and Pre-seniors will have a shortened practice this day to accommodate for the dinner, both groups will swim 5:00-6:00. At the team dinner I will do my standard talk and hand out group awards, we will also kick start our sponsorship collection season. Please plan on attending so you don’t miss out on any important information.

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 child under the age of 14 need to be supervised by an adult. Our coaches are focused on actively practicing groups. 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.

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 every day. Going without sufficient fluids can lead to dehydration, irritability, and poor performance in the pool. Staying hydrated is essential.

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 brings a water bottle to every practice
  • Check out the Team Store for CAJ gear: Team Store Link
  • Polar Bear Season starts Monday November 3 and ends Sunday March 2
  • Team Dinner on Wed Feb 26 at 6:30pm, location is TBD
  • CAJ Mock Meet on Fri April 4 at 4:00pm, location is TBD
  • Start of Summer BBQ on Tue June 10 at 6:00pm, location is TBD
  • Swim-a-thon on Sat August 2 at 8:00am at the PV Pool
  • End of the Summer BBQ on Tue August 12 at 6:00pm, location is TBD

UPCOMING TEAM MEETS

  • SNS Senior Championships in Woodland [Qualifier, T/F, SCY] 1/31/25-2/2/25
  • WAC Last Chance Meet in Rocklin [AGO, SCY] 2/22/25-2/23/25
  • CA/NV Spring Speedo Sectionals in Roseville [Qualifier, T/F, SCY] 2/27/25-3/2/25 Meet Announcement
  • SNS 14 & Under SCY Championship in Vacaville [Qualifier, T/F, SCY] 3/7/25-3/9/25
  • SWAGR in Natomas [Qualifier, T/F, SCY] 3/20/25-3/23/25
  • CAJ Spring Take Off in Chico [AGO, SCY] 4/5/25
  • CAJ Winzenz Family Summer Splash in Durham [AGO, SCY] 6/13/25-6/15/25
  • Bill Rose Classic: SNS LCM Championships in Roseville [Qualifier, T/F, LCM] 7/17/25-7/20/25
  • NVAL Championships in Redding [Invitational, SCY] 7/25/25-7/27/25

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 $75 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 handicap spaces (if you are not approved to do so).
  • I have implemented a written Honor Code for all swimmers and a parent/guardian to sign. To help remind everyone of the expectations I have for swimming on this team, I am requiring every swimmer and one of their parents or guardians to sign an Honor Code outlining my expectations and the consequences for failing to meet those expectations. I have attached a copy of the Honor Code to the News Splash that you may print out, sign, and then get back to me. I will also have paper copies on deck swimmers may take home. All swimmers now need a signed Honor Code before they will be allowed to practice. If your swimmer has not turned on in yet, be sure they bring one the next time they are on deck or they will not be allowed to practice until doing so. Thank you to the swimmers and families that have already turned one in, I appreciate it.
  • 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.
  • Be sure to check out our Chico Aquajets Facebook and Instagram pages for fun posts and information about the team!
  • Polar Bear Season is underway and will last through February, Monday November 3-Sunday March 2! Every year to help motivate the swimmers to keep active during the colder months we have a polar bear season. If swimmers attend a high enough percentage of their offered practices Monday-Friday, then at the end of polar bear season they will be a part of the polar bear club and get some exclusive merchandise. This year’s polar bear club members will earn a pullover hooded sweatshirt! Saturday practices and swim meets count as extra credit towards a swimmer’s polar bear attendance; they add to a swimmer’s practice count without adding to the overall number of practices offered. The necessary practice percentages for each group are as follows: Minijet groups 65%, White group 65%, Navy group 70%, Pre-Senior group 75%, and the Senior group 80%.
  • We need more officials! Officials are like the referees of swimming. They watch the races to make sure swimmers are following the rules, they start each race, and they help organize the administrative part of the meet. Officials are a necessity for swim meets. If a team does not meet their official requirements for a meet then their swimmers will not be scored or awarded at that meet. We have been fortunate to have a handful of wonderful parent volunteers that always help us meet our official requirements. Having more officials on our team will help lessen the load for those that currently help our team out by officiating. Other than just supporting our team, officiating lets you learn more about the sport, it helps you be more involved, and a lot of the time you will make friends with other swim parents who are also officials. You may start becoming an official through online USA Swimming courses. Here is a link with more information on the official training process: Official Training. Let me know if you have any questions about becoming an official.
  • Talk to Coach Andrew and check out our Team Store for some CAJ merchandise. If you would like a car magnet ($5), CAJ Klean Kanteen ($35), or CAJ cap ($12) let Coach Andrew know so he can get it to you. There are also team suits, shirts, parkas, hats, and much more in our team store. It is definitely worth it to take some time and see if anything in the team store piques your interest. Here is a link to the team store: CAJ Team Store.
  • Setting goals is a vital step for the progress of all athletes. Your swimmer will see better development when they have a goal in mind that they are striving towards. In order to help your swimmer set SMART goals, I am available to set up a goal meeting. If your swimmer is interested in setting up a goal meeting with me, reach out and we will work to find a good time to meet.

Your next race has already started,

Coach Andrew