Bobcat Bulletin 9/22/25

Bobcats,

Friday we race! This season's first Block Party will be Friday night during practice! So what is a Block Party meet???

USA Swimming's Block Party is a program designed to increase athlete participation, improve retention, and grow the sport of swimming through short, fun, and family-friendly competition opportunities.

Block Party meets are designed to help clubs host and sanction low-cost, fast-paced single-day events, with sessions lasting under two hours whenever possible. They are designed to engage athletes and families by reducing barriers to competition.

Launched in the spring of 2024, the Block Party pilot began with 40 clubs testing the technology and event structure. Since the October 2024 launch of phase two, the pilot has expanded to 242 clubs, resulting in more than 800 completed meets and over 31,000 athlete participants. Of those participants, 6,700 individuals were first-time competitors. Additionally, more than 40% of the first-time competitors later advanced to participate in LSC-sanctioned meets, a strong indicator that the Block Party program has a positive impact on athlete progression within the sport.

Why Participate?

USA Swimming membership data shows:

• Athletes who participate in at least one meet are significantly more likely to remain in the sport.
• Swimmers who left the sport averaged just 1.3 meets per season, compared to an average of six meets for those who renewed their membership.
• Shorter meets and an increased number of one-day competitions lead to higher retention rates.

TONIGHT IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE MEET! THE REGISTRATION PORTAL WILL CLOSE AT 9:00 PM! 

There is just one other meet to register for at this time! And it's deadline is next week! Make sure you get signed up!

You will register for both meets on the team's website, https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ohbsc/page/home. Click on the "Events" tab. From there look under "Team Events" and you'll see the list of all of the season's meets.

Next to some of the meets, you'll see a pink "Attend/Decline" button. Click on that button and let the coaches know if your child will be participating or not. This is EXTREMELY important as we need to know attendees for making relays!

You should NOT pick your child's meet events! Please allow the coaches to do this! 

2. FALL BLOCK PARTY, VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

There are still volunteering opportunities available! In fact, I still need 17 MORE timers!  PLEASE don't be intimidated by the thought of helping out. For this first meet, our new parents should register to serve as a timer. You will be paired with at least one veteran parent who will show you the ropes. This is NOT the Olympics so there is no pressure!!!! I promise... you can do this!!!!

So, back on the website where you registered your child to compete, you'll see a green "Job Signup" button. Click on that and pick your task! It's really that simple! 

Plus, being on the pool deck is WAY BETTER than sitting on the hard bleachers where it's steamy hot! By being on the pool deck, you get up close to the action and you get to know all of the other parents and kids! 

3. LOGO WEAR SALE:

As a part of the strategic planning process, it was determined that we need to develop cohesion among the athletes and parents. With that in mind, our logo order reflects the goal of strengthening our team.

This week, each athlete will receive a package of shirts. You already paid for these shirts at the time of registration:)! The Green, White, Black, and Bronze groups will receive green and black shirts. The Silver and Gold groups will receive gray, green, and black shirts.

At meets, we will ALL dress similarly according to this schedule:

Friday meets- gray shirts

Saturday meets- green shirts

Sunday meets- black shirts

So, when you go to make your purchases on the attached order form, you may want to select tshirts that coordinate with that schedule. Just think how impressive it will be to see our ENTIRE team dressed in the same colors! And it will be easy to find each other in the crowded stands as we cheer on the team together!

Order forms will be due Sept. 25. They can be given to a coach at practice. Cash and checks made payable to "Bobcat Swim Club" are accpeted forms of payment. 

Thanks for supporting our mission!