SHST Weekly Newsletter - April 14, 2025
Practice (Meet) Makes Perfect
HIGHLIGHTS & NEWS
Sending a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped clean up the pool on Sunday morning. The turnout was awesome and the work accomplished very impressive! The pool and surrounding property is sparkling clean and ready for meet season! We appreciate you!
The PRACTICE MEET is this Saturday......Let's Go!!
It’s time to get ready for our Meets! Meets are exciting, competitive events that are full of positive energy, camaraderie and incredible sportsmanship.
We will have hundreds of people around the pool area cheering on our swimmers from the very start of the Team Cheer to the very last relay!
To get a better understanding of what a swim meet is, please read “About Swim Meets” first!
Our first meet is the ‘Practice Meet’ on April 19th. This meet is a little different than normal dual meets (described on our website linked above). This Practice Meet only involves swimmers from our team. ‘Dual meet’ means we swim against another team. Also, the Practice Meet is a chance for new swimmers and their families to get the hang of things before our first dual meet on April 26th. At Saturday’s Practice Meet you will learn your volunteer job. Swimmers will learn how to line up, prepare to swim, and get an indication of how they are doing.
SWIMMING AT THE PRACTICE MEET:
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 swimmers can sign up for 4 events but only if they have mastered the strokes. (If you are not sure, contact coach Coach Mark.)
Group 3 & 4 swimmers can sign up for all 5 events if they have mastered the strokes. (5 events is only for the Practice Meet - for all other meets, swimmers can only sign up for a maximum of 3 events.)
HOW TO SIGN UP:
You will receive the link to Declare in the weekly Newsletter each Monday before Saturday's meet. You MUST sign up no later than the Tuesday at midnight before each meet!
Visit our website to read detailed instructions about how to sign up, click on “Meet Sign Up”. Please indicate if your swimmer(s) will attend or decline the meet as soon as the sign up is open. The link for each meet is also available in the Swim Meet Calendar on our webiste.
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 Practice Meet now!
PRACTICE MEET LOGISTICS:
The Practice Meet will begin promptly at 8:35 am, but swimmers should arrive no later than 7:55 AM to get situated.
It is strongly recommended all swimmers 9 years and older arrive early for warm-ups, which, for the practice meet, run from 7:45 am - 8:15 am. (Dual meet warm up times will differ.)
8 & Under swimmers do not warm up!
Feel free to bring a blanket, camping chairs, and/or an umbrella or tent to set up camp on the lawn TO THE LEFT of the path, or the courtyard. There will be chairs available on the pool deck as well.
At approximately 8:25 am Coach Mark, Coach Paul and the swimmers will do the team cheer (not to be missed!). This will be followed by an introduction to the meet and the singing of our National Anthem.
The Practice Meet officially begins at 8:35 am.
Please be sure to read the information on the “About Swim Meets" page for detailed information on meets.
PARKING:
We suggest that you walk or bike to our Home Meets, if possible. If you need to drive, please park ONLY in legal parking spaces. Please be respectful of our neighbors (no blocking driveways, mailboxes, etc), and remember that the drop off circle is for DROP AND GO only!
No parking in the Butterfield bike lane. Parking in a bike lane, even partially, is prohibited.
Reminder: NO DOGS! Swim team families MAY NOT BRING DOGS to practices or meets, nor tie them up outside the gates or in front of the Clubhouse, even if you are just running in to drop off your swimmer. Please help us abide by this Sleepy Hollow Homes Association rule and leave your dog at home. Thank you!
VOLUNTEER CHECK IN AT PRACTICE MEET:
If you have a Poolside job (timers, clerk of course, marshal, runner, trash), check in at the table immediately inside the front gate on the left. There will be a blue Sleepy Hollow flag next to the table. Here, you will receive a name badge with your job title. This completes your check-in. Both shift 1 and 2 must check in by 7:55am to make sure your job is accounted for that day.
Note: again, if you do not have a volunteer assignment that day, you still are expected to attend a quick training at your assigned position to learn what the tasks will be. This training starts at 8:00am.
Meet Officials, be ready at 8:10am to meet up with our head referee and head timer for instructions.
Traffic Duty, meet at 7:15am at the traffic circle.
Set-Up & Take-Down, Snack Bar and Awards volunteers should have received their assigned time slots from their Chairs. Please check in directly with your Committee Chair at the assigned time.
All Volunteers: If you cannot make your shift, it is YOUR responsibility to find a replacement and notify the Meet Chair 2 days prior to a meet. All missed volunteer assignments are charged at $150/assignment.
SPIRIT WEAR:
Our fabulous new Spirit Wear will be sold at the practice meet and other home meets. Bring a credit card or use Apple Pay to get your swimmer decked out for the season!
SNACK BAR:
We start serving Peet's coffee, Good Earth breakfast burritos, donuts and bagels at 8:00 AM. For lunch we will have hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, baked potatoes and fresh Caesar salad. We accept both cash and credit.
NEW FAMILIES:
As we move through the season, please ask any questions that come up, we are all here to help you with this new process.
Time to KICK BOOTYAKUM!! See you on Saturday, April 19th for the Practice Meet!
Tuesday, April 15: T&B Uniform Pick Up (4:00pm-6:20pm)
From 4-6:20 pm, T&B Uniform orders will be available for pick up. This is the ONLY day to pick up your uniforms. Arrange for a friend to pick yours up if you cannot make it. All remaining orders not picked up on Wednesday will be taken back to the T&B store in downtown San Rafael for pick up.
Wednesday, April 16: Bark Buddies (4:40pm-5pm)
Calling all new swimmers! As we approach the practice meet, we want to make sure all you new swimmers feel excited and ready! And of course, we want you to learn the famous Sleepy Hollow Sea Lion’s cheer that we do before every meet as a team! The new swimmers will hang out with some of the big kids (Bark Buddies) and make sundaes together as they learn and practice the SHST cheer.
Bark Buddies takes place after Group 1 practice on Wednesday, April 16 at 4:40p and ends around 5p. If your new swimmer is in Group 2, they should be ready to participate in the fun- they’ll be a little late jumping in the pool.
Sea Lions to help the Pups
Coach Mark is looking for Pup helpers this week. Any 4th or 5th graders who would like to help coach Pups, please come to the pool this week at 3:30pm.
Group 4 Dryland Training begins this week
Dryland training is available to Group 4 swimmers, starting on April 16, every Wednesday and Thursday until June 12.
Congrats to the Swimmers of the Week!
Group 1: Clara Dricken and Nash Arentsen
Group 2: Nora Shorrock Chen and Matthew Cornwell
Group 3: Coen Andrews and Olive Crossley
Group 4: Holden Arentsen and Harper Ingram
IMPORTANT DATES FOR ALL SWIMMERS
April 15, 2025: T&B orders must be picked up between 4pm - 6:20pm at the pool. Ask a friend to pick-up for you if you can't make it.
April 16, 2025: Q&A at 4:40pm. Come with any and all SHST questions you have. Meet on the pool deck, under the sail shades.
April 16, 2025: Bark Buddies, 4:40pm-5:00pm
April 16, 2025: Training for SHST Officials in the Clubhouse 5:30-6:10pm
April 19, 2025: Practice meet
April 25, 2025: 9/10 Karaoke Night
April 26, 2025: First home meet, vs. Lucas Valley Lightening
May 3, 2025: Home meet, vs. Strawberry Seals
May 7, 2025: Team picture day
May 10, 2025: Home meet, vs. Terra Linda Orcas
May 16, 2025: 11&up Amazing Race
May 17, 2025: Away meet vs. Tidalwaves
May 24, 2025: No meet - Memorial Day Weekend
May 31, 2025: Away meet vs. Marinwood
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT....
Reminder: 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 dirt walkway in front of parked cars, and do not walk on the bike path on Butterfield, 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!
Paul's Lessons and Swim Clinics
Private Lessons and Swim Clinics with Paul are now open for registration. Early season is the best time to work on technique and set good habits and intentions for the season ahead.
Register here for Lessons and Swim Clinics
No Dogs
Donations
Big shout out to our donors this season:
