Willowick Wildkats

Suburban Swim League Champs - 2021, 2022

Willowick Wildkat Newsletter 2025-#3 Mentor Meet

Mary Tranter

Willowick Wildkat Newsletter 2025 - #3

June 17, 2025

WWK @ Mentor - Saturday, June 21th at Mentor Civic Center Pool 8500 Munson Rd. Mentor, Ohio 44060 (Civic opens its doors at 6:30am, attached map is where WWK is to set up Camp)

7:00am - Check in with Coach Brian
7:30am - Warm-ups

7:50am - Team meeting
8:00am - Star Spangled Banner

8:00am - Meet Starts

All notifications that your swimmer(s) will not be at the meet on Saturday are DUE BY 6pm Wednesday June 18h. Please decline the meet as soon as possible to ensure that coaches can have lineups made in time. It is the assumption of the coaches that every swimmer will be at every meet. They are marked as such on our team website.

If your swimmer(s) cannot make it Saturday, please sign in to the team website (www.willowickswimteam.com):

· Go to the EVENTS Tab

· Click the EDIT COMMITMENT button for the Red and Black Meet

· Click on the swimmer(s) who will not be at the meet

· Change their Signup Record from Yes to No. Put the reason for missing in the Notes section

· Make sure to Save Changes (bottom right)

Please remember, this is the ONLY WAY to let us know if your swimmer(s) will not be at a meet. The coaches will be generating their lineups right through the TeamUnify system. So, it’s important that if your swimmer(s) cannot make it, they are marked as such. All meets are uploaded, and you can commit/decline them as soon as you are aware of your ability to participate in the meet.

********

If it's Saturday morning and you can suddenly not make it to the meet, please call Coach Brian (440-525-4700) as soon as possible.

********

VOLUNTEERS NEEDS

6/21 Away Meet vs. Mentor: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EA9AC2AA6FCC16-57188102-away#/

3 First Half Timer
6 Second Half Timers

· Swim meets require parent help and participation via volunteerism.

· It is VERY helpful for all volunteer positions to be fulfilled prior to Saturday morning so we don’t have to waste time trying to fill open spots. Please download the TeamUnify app on your phone and sign up today.

********

WHAT TO BRING

Here are just some reminders of some things to bring to the meet; for new families, this list is just some suggestions of things we typically see at meets:

· Suit, Team t-shirt, 1-2 towels, goggles, swim cap

· Pop-up tent (if you want)

· Chairs / Blankets

· Cooler with food and/or drinks

· Sharpie marker to write events down

· Cards / Books / Small Games – things to do between events

Swimmers are absolutely not allowed to be on the playground.

********

PRACTICE REMINDERS

· We need help from our 8&U and/or 9-10 parents at the end of the 5p practice getting the lane lines out. The lane lines are heavy, especially when wet, and the younger kids often aren't strong enough to get them out. We also need to do it rather quickly so the pool can open by 6p. If you are able to help, we need only 2-3 parents after each practice. Thank you to those of you who have been helping already.

· The practice schedule is:

o 8am-915a Monday-Friday for 11-12, 13-18 age groups

o 5-6p Monday-Friday for 8&Unders, 9-10 age groups

· A few notes about the practices:

o We expect each swimmer to be at as many practices as possible, but a minimum of three days a week

o It is important that each swimmer only attend the practice at which their age group is assigned

A practice for all age groups will be offered Wednesday (6/18) morning at 8:00AM-9:15AM.

*Picture day Will take place instead of the 5pm practice on June 17th and will begin at 4:30pm with a group photo and have individuals immediately after. 8am practice will continue as normal.

TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PICTURES

The team and individual photos will be taken Tuesday June 17th at Manry. Check in time is 4pm. Please meet at the football field at 4:30pm and we’ll coordinate all the kids for the team picture on the bleachers. After the team picture, we’ll head over to the pool for individual pictures.

*The makeup rain date will be Wednesday June 25th at 4pm for pictures.

Parents or anyone else scans the QR Code below it will then prompt them to send a text message

with the code (WILDKATS2025) to 90738.

Once they send the text message, it will opt them in, and they will receive this message:

“You’re all set to be notified about Willowick Wildkats Swim 2025 photos”.

Photoday Gallery Alerts: Thanks for subscribing!

You can text this by aiming your phone’s camera at the QR Code and it will prompt

you to send this ==> Message: 90738, WILDKATS2025

If you want to opt in now, then just tap this highlighted message on your phone, and it will send the text message.

If you just want to test it and not opt in, just back out of the text message.

The pictures should be Published within 1-3 days after Picture Day, and then they can be Viewed and Purchased.

Here is a YOUTUBE link to a 1 minute video explaining how the PhotoDay system works: powered_by_photoday.mp4

********

2025 Volunteer Committees

As the parent board has been preparing for the season, we would like to ask for your help. As you know, volunteers are essential to running a successful swim meet. Below you will find a SignUp Genius for the Red and Black Meet, as well as various committees for the season. Please take a few moments to sign up!

2025 Committees: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EA9AC2AA6FCC16-57006117-2025#/

********

RECRUITING

We are still looking for new swimmers. If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them reach out with any questions (all of our contact information is below). Interested families can register their sons/daughters on the team website. This request is VERY IMPORTANT for the long-term vision for the team.

********

WILDKAT DUCK BUCKS

We are asking every swimmer to sell 10 tickets each. Tickets are $5 each. The winner, announced at the banquet, will receive $2,500. The seller of the winning ticket wins $250 and the family that sells the most tickets will also win $250. If you need more tickets, let one of our board members know.

Once your tickets are sold, you can turn the tickets and money into Katie Bildstein. Katie also has more tickets if you need more! All tickets and money need to be turned in by the last practice of the season – Friday, July 26.

This is the main fundraiser for the team and we rely on the participation of all families to make it a success.

********

COACHES’ Notes

· No walking on or even touching the bottom of the pool during your races

Wednesdays meet will be very fast paced in order to get all races in with the goal of finishing by 9:00PM. Please be behind the blocks a few heats before your race to ensure that you do not miss it!

· If your goggles fall off or fill with water – keep swimming! Do not stop to fix them.

· All stars should be long and shallow dives.

· Do not breath (during freestyle and butterfly) off your start or turn – try to take at least two strokes after your start and turn before breathing.

· Remember that you need a two-hand touch when you turn and finish in butterfly and breaststroke.

Stay off of the grass in Mentors pool area as they are remodeling the facility.

· During a turn is the only time you are allowed to flip to your stomach during backstroke. You must be on your back when you leave every wall and at the finish.

· During relays, you must wait until the person in the water hits the wall before leaving the blocks

Important Dates

Wednesday June 18 Home against Willoughby

Saturday, June 21 Away against Mentor

Saturday, June 28 Away against Highland Hts.

Thursday, July 3 Home against Euclid

Saturday, July 12 Home against Pinegate

Saturday, July 19 Away against Chardon

Friday, July 25 Pasta Party / Last practice of the season

Sat. Jul 26 – Sun. Jul 27 Championships at South Euclid Lyndhurst Pool

Thursday, July 31 End-of-Season Banquet, Regovich Catering Eastlake

Stay in Touch with Us