Update 9/16

 
Bluefish -

Welcome to the Bluefish 2010 -2011 Season! Hopefully everyone is having fun, a little sore but getting stronger and adjusting to new schedules!

Covered in this e-mail:

1. New Coaches Hired!
2. Metro Swim Shop will be Bluefish's New Team Apparel Vendor!
   
3. Registration Documents
   
4. Calendar - New Events added!
5. Bluefish Booster Club Announces New Name Friends & Fans!
   
6. Holiday Training Schedule
   
7. Media Coverage
   

1) New Coaches Hired for Wheaton Facility & Age Group Program! Eddie Gillie, Wheaton College Senior will return for his second season as an Age Group Assistant Coach. Jessica Pike a long time Bluefish Employee (this will be her 7th year working with Christie assisting coaching & teaching swim lessons) has graduated college and now is embarking on a Masters degree at Bridgewater State College, she will be working as an Assistant Age Group coach primarily with the Junior 1's this season. If you haven't meet either of the coaches yet please introduce yourself and give them a Bluefish Welcome! Coaching Bio's are posted on the website Click Here.

2) Metro Swim Shop will be Bluefish's New Team Apparel Vendor!
Team Store (click Team Portal) will go live Saturday 9/18. Metro Swim Shop will be loading up there van's and bringing the team store to Bluefish this weekend at Attleboro on 9/18 8-12pm & 9/19 9-1pm during practice times. Sizing kits will be available to try on suits and warm-ups. Metro will also have our new equipment bag items for sale, goal is for every swimmer to purchse all their required equipment bag items and take them home this weekend (save on shipping costs!!).  (Please download Registration Document read page 12-13 for new training group equipment requirements). Reminder Speedo has introduced new youth & adult sizes) recommended that everyone try suits on to ensure proper fit.

3) Registration Documents & Policies Packet.. no need to turn in paperwork anymore so don't print the document (save a tree) but please read through this document carefully by signing up on line you are agreeing to all policies contained in this Packet!
Changes for this year are:

1. Registration Fee has been increased to $100, Why? This fee covers each swimmer/members USA swimming fee and now a subscription to Swimming World Magazine. We are really excited about this new partnership with Swimming World, Bluefish will have the opportunity to have Swimming World TV cover one of our meets (think coverage of Pan Pacs or Nationals but on our pool deck!), interview local athletes (kids should have a blast with that!) and help with finding local sponsors. We are hoping to attract more community attention for our meets.
2.  New Website with on-line registration, credit card processing availability and with new billing dates 21st of each month!  The new system will automatically apply late fee's of $15.00 to Member's Account if the Account is carrying a balance (not paid in Full) by the 21st at 12 am of the billing cycle, hopefully helping the club with cash flow.
3. Swim Meet Escrow account NO longer exists we will charge an advance deposit due Oct. 21st $150 for every swimmer and then the monthly invoicing will take over after that.
   
4. Friends & Fans (formerly Bluefish Booster Club) Enrichment program increase in obligations. Why? Two reasons one USA Swimming recommended a new structure to help the club increase overall revenue to afford for increases in pool rental fee's and insurance costs, etc. but we didn't just want to raise dues astronomically this provides an opportunity for families to raise the funds on there own terms.  Funds raised; where does the money go? What to learn more attend a Friends & Fans meeting, read the meeting minutes & get involved! Every Bluefish member is automatically apart of the Friends & Fan's program! 
   
   • Friends & Fans donated $1,000 to both travel trips to Colgate and Montreal this past summer decreasing the cost burden on every family.
     
   • Friends & Fans donate an in-kind contribution to Cumberland High School value of $1,000 every year
   • Friends & Fans purchased new touchpads for our swim meets over $4,000 in expense
     
   • Friends & Fans purchased new Flags at Attleboro
   • Friends & Fans will be donating $8,000 this fall to new starting blocks at Attleboro High School Bluefish, C & C Swimming with the USA Swimming Gold Medal Grant Money will be donating $12,000 to this project 
     

5) Mark your Calendar's Finalized Oct. Nov. events! (download attached Calendar to review - we will have events uploaded to new website interactive Calendar shortly!)

• Metro Team Store Available 9/18 & 9/19 at Attleboro!
  
• Team Apparel/Equipment order deadline for no shipping charges Sept. 20th
• Registration Due Sept. 21st
  
• Big E outing on Sept. 26th
  
• All Team Meeting Scheduled Oct. 2 at Attleboro @ 11:15am. every family should have one representative present Revised Practice schedule for Oct. 2 will be all training groups @ AHS 11am, No Wheaton Sr’s 7-12:15pm, Jr’s/Mini/Gold  9:15-12:15pm.
  
• "BLUE" VS "FISH" Intersquad Meet: Save the Date Sunday Oct. 3 10-3pm!  Senior Team will have practice 8-10am at AHS while Junior’s won’t have practice they will only participate in the meet. Participation is required by all competitive swimmers, (goldfish optional)!
  

6) Holidays: This program was very successful over the last few years so we will continue it for the 2009-2010 Season. Holiday or days off school such as Columbus Day, Veternan’s Day, MLK day, etc. the set schedule is 3 practices: 1) Seniors AHS AM between 8-12pm; 2) Wheaton or RAC AM JR’s between 8-12pm; 3) AHS JR’s PM between 4:30-7:30pm practices will very in length depending on the time in the season. REMINDER FOR CHS SWIMMERS ANY SCHOOL CLOSING NO PRACTICE AVAILABLE AT CHS. Tami will e-mail you in the event that you will have an alternative practice location and time. These changes in practices times will be announced at practices, sent via e-mail and calendars updated and posted on the website as soon as possible.

7) “Media Coverage” section of the website (Click Here), we would like to send out a special Thank You to Carolyn Cerce who works tireless at our Press Releases, ensuring that our swimmers accomplishments are acknowledged in their Local Papers. If you would like to send any recent photographs of your children to be included in future Press Releases please send them to Carolyn at [email protected]

Thanks
Chuck & Christie