SHST Weekly Report - May 29, 2023

Memorial Day Reminder

Declare NOW for our AWAY meet against the Lucas Valley Lightning - Saturday 6/3

Please sign up now for next away meet on Saturday, June 3rd at the Lucas Valley Pool (1201 Idylberry Road, San Rafael). SHST Warmups begin at 8:00 am, volunteer check-in and timer meeting are at 8:00am, and the meet starts promptly at 8:30!

Remember the deadline is Tuesday at midnight prior to every meet!

HOW TO DECLARE FOR DUAL MEETS:

All swimmers must sign up to ATTEND or DECLINE the meet and select the events they want to swim: 

Group 1 swimmers can only sign up for Freestyle and Backstroke.

Group 2, 3, & 4 swimmers can sign up for 3 events but only if they have mastered the strokes. (If you are not sure, contact coach Mark.)

Visit our website to read detailed instructions about how to declare, click on “Meet Sign Up”. If your child is not swimming in the meet, PLEASE DECLINE in the sign ups so we do not have to contact you. (You must do this for each meet!)

Click here to sign up for the Meet now!  

Only 4 More Timers! 

First, thank you for everyone who has volunteered at our home and away meets! We only have 4 more Poolside shifts (mostly Timers) that are unfilled.  We are asking for the entire team’s help to fill additional spots. If you are a part of another committee, please consider volunteering for one timing shift.  If you are a Poolside Volunteer, please consider taking on one more shift.  This is a fun way to try a different job once this season.

If you can help with any of the dates below, please email [email protected], and we will manually add you to the sign up. 

Timer shifts on 6/10 (2nd half) - 3 shifts

Timer shifts on 6/17 PM (2nd half) - 1 shift

For those that have already signed up, remember it is your responsibility to find someone if you are not able to make your shift AND inform [email protected] 48 hours prior to your shift. Note that replacements can include any other swim team parents or responsible family members/friends. It takes a village...  Thank you for your support! 

Friday, June 2: SLIC Store

8U swimmers are coming home with plastic yellow coins each Friday. These are Seal Lion Incentive Coins or SLICs for short. Your swimmer has been collecting them and they can "spend" them at our SLIC stores for little prizes and candy. June 2 is our last SLIC Store of the season. Kids should use up ALL OF THEIR SLICs on June 2. Parents, please help us out to ensure this happens! No SLIC hoarding-thanks! 

Friday June 9: 11+ Pizza Night

Pizza night for our 11+ swimmers will be Friday, June 9 and will take place directly after group 4 practice. Parents, please pick your swimmers up at 7:15pm. This is our last evening practice before we switch to morning practices. 

A reminder about the evening…The older swimmers grab some pizza, chat about weekend plans, high five the coaches, and head out to start their weekend...sometimes shoveling food in their mouths as they walk out the gate. :) We only serve the food after Group 4 swims but this event is for all 11+ swimmers. So if your 11+ swimmer is not in Group 4, it's up to you if you want to bring your swimmer back to the pool. Please keep in mind, this event is very quick and it is only for the swimmers (no parents). It lasts about 10 minutes from about 7:05- 7:15’ish.

Friday, June 23: Pups Meet & Pancake Breakfast!

While the entire team has been practicing and racing this season, we have little Sea Lions just starting out through the Pups program. On Friday, June 23 we get to see all of the Pups’ hard work pay off at their very own home meet where they race each other and get a little sense of what these Sea Lion meets are all about. Come to the pool and support our soon to be Sea Lions at this adorable and special event! We can cheer on these Pups as they swim and race each other. Come enjoy the last day of the season with pancakes and sausages, followed by a lot of cheering for this year's Pups. Breakfast is served for the 10 & Unders starting at 8:00 AM, followed by the 11 & Ups at 8:30 AM. The Pups meet starts at 9:00 AM.  There is no SHST practice that day.  

Friday, June 23: 11+ Shave Down

All 11 & Ups are invited to come to a Shave Down & Pasta Potluck Dinner to get ready for Champs. Shaving is a ritual swimmers perform before a big meet to reduce frictional drag and get into a fast mindset! And don’t worry, if you don’t want to shave, you don’t have to! Come have fun with your teammates and carbo-load before Champs!

If you do want to shave, please bring your own razor and shaving cream. We'll have buckets of water and band-aids on hand in the unlikely event of a nick. Dinner is a Pasta Potluck so each family is asked to send their 11+ swimmers with food to share. The Evite with all of the details will come out after Memorial Day weekend. Please CLICK on the "What to Bring" link when you RSVP to choose your item.  

PLEASE stop by the Lost and Found this week! There are school uniforms, towels, t shirts, hats, shoes, water bottles, coffee mugs, and even a camping chair!  We will be donating what is not claimed on JUNE 2nd! 

PLEASE do not remove the photos from the frames.  You will get your child's SOTW photo in the ribbon box after is it taken down. Thank you!

Stay tuned...

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

 

Recap: Sea Lions  v. Sea Serpents  - 5/20/23 - by Melinda Filice

Saturday’s winning meet was a cool and breezy one as the Sea Lions hosted the Scott Valley Sea Serpents for our last home meet of the 2023 season.  The hot chocolate and coffee were in high demand as swimmers and parents kept warm.  We were graced with a lovely version of the national anthem by Ella Isakson, and the meet was underway!

POOL RECORDS:

Congratulations to Nolan Andrews, who now has the top time on the Top 10 leaderboard in Boys 13-14 50Y Backstroke with a time of 26.83!  Magdalene Arenas claimed the #7 spot on the Top 10 leaderboard in the Girls 9-10 50Y Butterfly with a time of 32.50.  Finally, we need to highlight Sanne Kostecki, who last week grabbed the #8 spot on the Top 10 leaderboard in the Girls 15-18 50Y Butterfly with a time of 28.55!  Congrats Sanne, Maggie, and Nolan! 

Shout out to our youngest swimmer, Cristina Lucchese, age 5, who swam the 25Y Butterfly! 

NEW TO THE TOP 10 BOARD: 

Magdalene Arenas Girls 9-10 50Y Butterfly in 32.50, 7^th place

Sanne Kostecki Girls 15-18 50Y Butterfly in 28.55, 8^th place

 

BIGGEST DROPS:  Saturday’s meet saw 199 best times!

Girls 9-10 100Y I.M. – Reese Singleton   -11.13

Girls 8&u 25Y Backstroke – Daria Silin   -8.60

Boys 9-10 50Y Freestyle – William Reichow   -8.00

Girls 8&u 50Y Backstroke – Emily Woods   -5.35

Boys 11-12 50Y Backstroke – Hudson Reichow   -4.55

Boys 9-10 50Y Breaststroke – Benjamin Smida   -4.24

Boys 9-10 50Y Breaststroke – Evan Hyer   -4.23

Boys 9-10 50Y Breaststroke – Austin Landles-Cobb   -3.96

Girls 8&u 25Y Backstroke – Esme Soule   -3.71

Girls 8&u 25Y Freestyle – Jessie Wuertz   -3.52

Boys 8&u 25Y Freestyle – Connor Cassin   -3.48

Girls 11-12 50Y Breaststroke – Addelyn Brooks   -3.47

Girls 11-12 100Y I.M. – Caroline Hyer   -3.30

Girls 9-10 50Y Freestyle – Reese Singleton   -3.20

Girls 15-18 50Y Backstroke – Riley Liebman   -3.20

Girls 9-10 50Y Freestyle – Stella Tchakalov   -3.19

Girls 8&u 50Y Freestyle – Suvi Westberg   -3.09

Boys 8&u 100Y I.M. – Charlie Alberton   -3.06

Girls 9-10 50Y Freestyle – Sabrina Stanley   -2.99

Girls 8&u 25Y Freestyle – Eden Hyland -2.93

                                                                                                                                                                                 

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS: 

Julia Hyer (Girls 8&u) 25 back, 25 breast, 100 I.M.

Hailey Bennett (Girls 9-10) 50 free, 50 breast, 100 I.M.

Baxter Dixon (Boys 9-10) 50 free, 50 breast, 100 I.M.

Elsa Kastner (Girls 11-12) 50 free, 50 back, 50 fly

Hunter Panzica (Boys 11-12) 50 free, 50 back, 100 I.M.

Nate Greenberg (Boys 13-14) 50 free, 50 fly, 100 I.M.

Loretta Hovey (Girls 15-18) 50 breast, 50 fly, 100 I.M.

Complete meet results are attached and can also be found on the website.

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What's in those Ribbon Boxes?

Colored Heat Place Ribbons: Ribbons from dual meets are available in file boxes on the snack bar. Each swimmer has a file (sorted alphabetically by last name) - please only remove your child's contents and instruct your child to do the same. Place ribbons are awarded to all 12 & Under swimmers in all heats and events. Ribbons have a sticker on the back with the event, time and place.

Yellow Best Time Ribbons: If your swimmer earned a Best Time in one of their events (meaning the swimmer got a faster time in a particular event than the swimmer has previously swam in a dual meet in the same season) they will receive a yellow Best Time ribbon.  Swimmers 14 & Under are eligible for Best Time ribbons, and they can turn them in for yellow stars which can be sewn onto their swim team sweatshirts.  If a swimmer swims 2 individual events in a meet, he or she can earn a star once he or she has earned two Best Time ribbons; if a swimmer swims 3 individual events in a meet, he or she can earn a star once he or she has earned three Best Time ribbons. The ribbons do not have to be earned within one meet and they do not have to be for different events. 

If you feel your swimmer is missing a ribbon or has an incorrect ribbon, please email our Ribbons Chair at [email protected]

DQ Slips: A slip could mean a suggestion from a stroke and turn judge or a DQ.  Treat these as learning opportunities…  read the slip with your child, communicate with the coaches, and help your child learn how to improve their strokes.  

Swimmer of the Week Photos: Photos will also be filed in the box after they are pulled from the board (do not remove them from the board yourself – thanks).

Read more on our website on ribbons, best times, DQs, and other awards.

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Inspirational SHST Stories

Perseverance paid off for Jay Pikkaranian Klein this weekend...  Mark said he was so scared at practices when he was younger, but this tough kid just kept working and working through the years. This weekend he swam his 13-14 fly heat - by himself - and took 2 seconds off to get his first ever All-Star Qtime at 13!  Congrats Jay!

Big college news for former SHST Swimmer, Ella Woodhead, who helped her Stanford Water Polo team win the NCAA National Championship on Sunday night! Incredible that as a Freshman, she scored a goal that sealed the win for the Cardinal. You may remember her senior speech at the Champs dinner last year...  what an inspiration to us all!

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Crossing Flag Reminder

Please return the crossing flags to their bin on the telephone poles after each use. Flags have gone missing... which is a huge bummer as they are handmade and donated!  Please help keep our kids safe as they cross busy Butterfield.  

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Summer Camp at San Domenico with Coach Mark & Coach Paul

Coach Mark and Coach Paul are running super fun water polo and swim camps at San Domenico this summer.  Click here for more details and to register.

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Consider a Donation to SHST

As a volunteer based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on swimmer registration fees and generous donations to help us operate while maintaining and building upon our incredible community. Donations specifically help us do this while expenses and costs continue to rise. Donations to our team also help us fund the many FUN events that we host during the season where kids build camaraderie and get to know each other outside of the pool (movie nights, karaoke, casino night, etc). 

Every dollar and donation counts! You can donate ANY amount to our team HERE, and/or donate/sponsor a specific Fun event HERE. Your donation will be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

We would like to thank the Dricken/Jaeger Family for sponsoring 9/10 Karaoke Night,   Zamira Solari Realty for sponsoring the team's Fun Fridays, the Mullen Family for sponsoring our 9/10 Movie Night, Ghiringhelli's Pizzeria for sponsoring 8&U Movie Night, the McMaster/Dixon Family for sponsoring Ice Cream at Team Photo Day!  Thank you also to the Grimm/Spooner Family, the Singleton Family, and the Tchakalov Family for thier contributions to the team. We appreciate your generosity and support!

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Practice Details

Practices are Monday through Friday and swimmers may attend as often as they like. Our coaches recommend that swimmers attend practice at least three days a week in order to progress throughout the season. Click here for more information.

Questions regarding your child's practice group should be directed to Mark Anderson.

Practice Schedule

Swim practices start on Monday, February 27th and go through June 9th. 

Group 1             4:00 PM - 4:40 PM

Group 2             4:40 PM - 5:25 PM

Group 3             5:25 PM - 6:15 PM

Group 4             6:15 PM - 7:25 PM*

*on Fridays Group 4 practices from 6:15 PM - 7:10 PM

Practices will change to the morning for June 12th - June 23rd.  Practice schedule is:

11 & Ups           7:00 AM - 8:10 AM

9 & 10's             8:10 AM - 9:00 AM

8 & Unders        9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

Please be sure you have read the important rules/guidelines about swim practice here:

• We ask that parents of groups 3 & 4 not hang around the pool deck/watch practices.
• Due to the nature of the landscaping, we ask that all swimmers wear shoes when entering the site to keep the pool clean.
• Practices will change from the afternoons to the mornings starting Monday, June 12th.
• For more information, please read Getting Prepared for Practice.

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Parking and Driver Safety

Please be aware of increased pedestrians and bikers around the Clubhouse, with the start of swim team. Be very careful when walking along and crossing Butterfield Road. Help teach our Sea Lions to be responsible pedestrians and bikers. If driving, slow down and focus. When dropping off your swimmer and/or parking for practice:

• Do not park in front of the Clubhouse, this is strictly for drop off.  

• Park perpendicular (not parallel) in the gravel spaces to maximize space for other people.

• Please don’t ever park in the no parking zones across from the Clubhouse or in the handicapped parking spot in front of the Clubhouse - not even to wait for your swimmer after practice/if you remain in the car.

• Please do not let your child "jump quickly out of the car" in the middle of the road.  This is not safe!  Please take the extra minute and use the drop off circle.

• Use the walkway on Butterfield from Katrina Ct. to the clubhouse.  

• Remind your swimmer(s) not to walk behind parked cars. 

• Do not block driveways or mailboxes.  Please be respectful of our neighbors! 

• And again, please slow down, and watch out for Sea Lions and parents crossing Butterfield and riding and walking in the bike lanes. These Sea Lions are all of our children!

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Bikes

 

As we partner with the Sleepy Hollow Homes Assocation to increase safety along Butterfield Road, we encourage families to bike to and from practice, if your child is ready for this.  As a community, we are working to decrease the number of cars along Butterfield Road. If you bike, please remember:

• Please use the bike racks outside of the main black gate and do not block the Fire Zone/No Parking area. 
• Don’t forget to bring bike locks! SHST and SHHA are not responsible for lost or stolen bikes.​

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No Dogs

Please remember that the Sleepy Hollow Homes Association forbids dogs at the Clubhouse and pool area.  Swim team families MAY NOT BRING DOGS to practices or meets.  Dogs may not be tied up or left outside the gates and fence in front of the Clubhouse, even if you are just running in to drop off your swimmer. Please help us abide by this SHHA rule and leave your dog at home. Thank you!

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