SVYA August Update 1

Hello SVYA!

As we get closer to our fall season, I want to provide some updates and information and keep you all in the loop.

Practice times:

Our upcoming season we will have the following practice times:

Riptide: Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 4:00-5:00
Tidal wave: Monday/Wednesday at 5:00-6:00 & Tuesday/Thursday at 4:30-5:30
Tsunami: Monday/Wednesday at 6:00-7:00 & Tuesday/Thursday at 5:30-7:00 & Friday at 5:00-6:30

The following is how we will organize practices: the “riptide” group consists of 10 years old and under, the “tidal wave” group consists of ages 11-13, and the tsunami group consists of ages 14+. (I really like the idea of having named groups that aren’t just a bunch of numbers, and I hope that it makes our groups more memorable and fun. To me, our current SVYA logo looks like a wave, and so I thought that as our swimmers get bigger, stronger, and faster, our group names should also mirror that evolution). The swimmers will be divided into lanes based on experience/skill (newest in lanes 1 and 2, most experienced in 3 and 4, and swimmers at a middle level in 5 and 6). Lane assignment is subject to change based on coach’s discretion, as the goal is to provide each athlete with appropriate and challenging practices based on their needs.

We are working on details regarding coaching staff and will communicate that along with pricing information when that is finalized. My goals as head coach is to create a coaching atmosphere that allows for our staff to lead and provide practices that fit the needs of each swimmer/skill level, and also to create strong team cohesion in which we know each swimmer very well.

USA and YMCA team:

I've heard some confusion in regards to whether we would be a USA swim team or a YMCA team as we head into the fall. We will still be a dual YMCA and USA swimming team, and therefore not much will change in terms of registration or our competitive schedule.

We will still be actively involved with USA swimming and their meets while also participating in more YMCA sanctioned meets (especially since there will be more local opportunities coming up, including potential home meets). I am hoping that this gives our swimmers more opportunities to compete, and keep travel costs down for families.

Registration:

Speaking of costs... our aquatics director, Justin, is currently working on streamlining the registration process and the pricing. I will keep you posted as soon as everything is finalized!

I am hoping that we get all the details worked out within the next few weeks, well before we start back up again early September. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: [email protected]

I will provide regular updates as things continue to develop!

Best wishes,

Joseph Shelly