Rudgear Rats: Week of June 22nd
Upcoming Dates
June 25: REST @ Larkey - GREEN OUT
June 27: City Meet Car Decorating (after practice)
June 28 & 29: City Meet - Rats in Space!
June 30-July 4: Week Off/No Practice
July 7: Back to Practice
July 8: 11/12 Social
July 9: REST @ IVST
July 11: Splash & Dash (during practice)
July 12: Green vs. White Meet
Link to full season calendar
TL;DR:
– We raised $4,435 in our Silent Auction—almost 25% of the way to our scoreboard goal. Thank you!
– For meet jobs, please remember only approved shepherd subs are allowed
– City Meet is this weekend—watch for a detailed email. Our theme is Rats in Space and Sunday add a tie for Sunday Best
– City Meet tent setup begins Friday at 6pm; please follow the setup rules to keep things fair.
– A reminder from City Meet: this event is for the kids—let’s keep it respectful and positive.
– Buddy theme: bring your buddy a good luck charm.
Head Coach’s Note
On behalf of the entire coach staff, we want to say THANK YOU for all the thoughtful and generous gifts you showered us with last week. From sunscreen and snacks to sweet notes and gift cards, every gesture made us feel appreciated and supported. We’re so lucky to coach such an amazing group of swimmers—and to be part of a community that truly goes above and beyond. Thank you for making Coach Appreciation Week so special!
Some cool news: At Wednesday’s meet against LMYA, 74% of REST swimmers dropped time in at least one individual event. That’s a huge stat for this point in the season. Freestyle and backstroke especially stood out, with several swimmers dropping 2 to 4 seconds in a single race. Momentum is building, and we’re only halfway through the season.
Coming up this weekend is City Meet, our biggest meet yet and a great chance to show how far we’ve come. Practices have been sharp, energy has been high, and now it’s time to put it all together.
Swimming is a physical sport, but it’s also deeply mental. The moments behind the blocks, when nerves kick in and the race hasn’t started yet, can shape the entire performance. That’s where the team cheer comes in. It’s not just noise or tradition, it’s a way to focus that nervous energy, channel it into something positive, and remind each swimmer that they’re not alone.
Lately, we’ve seen some swimmers skipping out or standing off to the side during the cheer. Let’s change that. The cheer sets the tone for the meet. It builds unity, confidence, and momentum before the first race even begins.
Swimmers—the spirit starts with you. Show up for your teammates. Be loud, be proud, and be part of it.
Parents—we’d love for you to join in too. Your energy helps lead the way and shows our swimmers they’ve got a team, and a whole community, behind them.
Let’s carry this momentum into City Meet and race with pride.
-Coach Mason
Auction
Huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated, bid, and got in on the action for our Silent Auction and raffle! Because of your amazing generosity, we raised $4,435 toward our new scoreboard—that’s almost 25% of the way there! Way to go, RATS!
Jobs
Thank you so much to all of our families for showing up and working meet jobs! We deeply appreciate your commitment and effort—even though we know meet jobs aren’t everyone’s favorite part of swim team.
Just a couple of important reminders to help things run smoothly:
Shepherd Subs
Only Rudgear parents/caregivers or approved subs (marked with an * on the subs list) may work as shepherds. If anyone outside of those groups is sent in your place, it will be recorded as a missed job. With so many 8U swimmers, it’s essential that shepherding is consistent and well-organized. We appreciate your cooperation.
Floaters
If you are a floater and are not reassigned during the meet, your job includes helping with clean-up at the end. This has always been part of the role. Also. floaters can be reassigned to any meet job, so please make sure you have childcare arranged, just in case. (If you are reassigned, you’re off the hook for clean-up.)
Thanks again for your teamwork and support—the RATS couldn’t do it without you!
Click here to read all meet job descriptions.
City Meet
It’s City Meet week! Please be on the lookout for a stand-alone email going over everything you need to know for the weekend. A few important notes now:
Spirit
-Our theme is Rats in Space: The Best Swim Team in the Galaxy! For Saturday, bust out all your alien and outer space gear! And on Sunday we’re bringing back Sunday Best - so rock your green with a tie or other fancy garb.
Set-Up
Set up starts on Friday at 6pm. Our team will set up four tents at the front of our team area.
No one may set up their tents until our team tents are up. Once given the go-ahead, families can pop tents up in an orderly line to maximize our space. Tents that are set up early will be taken down. Thanks for helping us keep things fair and organized.
We will have a few team tents up - those are for everyone to use. They are not first come first serve for families to claim. We are also very lucky to have a great team area with picnic tables and shades. If we all work together and share there will be enough space for everyone.
A Note from WCSC about Parent Conduct
The Walnut Creek All City Meet is an opportunity for our children to participate in a large-scale, competitive meet that allows swimmers of all levels to compete and score points for their team, and swim against their local rival and peers. Please maintain your focus on the enjoyment and success of the swimmers. Parents who become a nuisance to the event or detract from the focus on the athletes may be requested to leave. For 38 years we have successfully run this community event, and it only works with the participation of all our families and fans. Thank you for your renewed focus and please be respectful.
Lessons
Many of our coaches are offering private lessons. Click here to view all available sign-up links.
Reminders:
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Each swimmer may sign up for one lesson with Coach Mason per week
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All scheduling and payment are handled directly between families and coaches
Buddies
Theme for the week: Bring your buddy a good luck charm.
Stay Connected
Instagram: rudgear_rats
Facebook Group: Rudgear Estates Swim Team
Let’s make it a great week and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RATS!!
More photos:
