WCSC Newsletter Week of 5/18
Walnut Creek Swim Club Weekly Update
Week of 5/18
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
- Time Trials Recap – Huge turnout, Red Team wins! Snack Shack rewards available.
- First Dual Meet: Livorna @ WCSC – Wed, 5/21 – Warm-ups start promptly at 4:40 p.m., meet starts at 5:30 p.m.
- Relay & Meet Notes – Relay selections explained, meet entry reminders, and disqualification notes for breaststroke.
- Coach Fun Facts – Get to know your coaches through their favorite swim memories!
- Memorial Day Reminder – No practice on Monday, 5/26
- Upcoming Meets – TRI meet with PH Aquatics & Moraga on 5/31.
- Job Reminders – Check in before meets, find subs if needed.
- Apparel – Pre-order WCSC hats now and grab your spirit shirts!
- Social Events – Giants Swim Day June 26, tickets on sale!
- New Family Tips – Cooler evenings, label suits, and race numbers help!
- Nightrider Updates – Big Buddy/Little Buddy Picnic is June 12, opt-in for TPing!
- Camping – Finalizing site assignments; fill out your forms!
- If you were a Summer Only registration you may begin practices this week and will be entered into meets unless you sign out.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
Wednesday, May 21st - Home Meet vs. Livorna, warm-ups at 4:40 meet starts 5:30pm
Wednesday, May 21st - Deadline to sign out of Gheringer Park Meet
Sunday, May 25th - Deadline to sign out of Tri Meet @ PHA
Monday, May 26th - No Practice
Wednesday, May 28th - Home Meet vs. Gheringer Park
Saturday, May 31st - TRI Meet (Away): WCSC & MCC @ Pleasant Hill Aquatics (PHA) Warm Ups: 7:55 - 8:20am, Start Time: 9:00am – Longer than usual meet due to format and three teams
Monday, June 9th - Morning practices begin see website for practice times.
Wednesday, June 12th - Big Buddy/Little Buddy Picnic, 6:00–8:00pm at Larkey Park
Friday, June 13th - Deadline to purchase Giants Swim Day tickets
Thursday, June 26th - Giants Swimmers Day at Oracle Park, 12:45pm game
COACHES’ UPDATE:
WOW! What a fantastic and spirited turn-out we had for our first intramural Time Trials on Sunday! We are so proud of every swimmer, and hope your families had a fabulous time at the meet and the picnic! Congratulations to the RED TEAM who walked away with a win this year! All Red Team swimmers who competed at Time Trials can find Coach Emily for a certificate that awards them a free snack or drink (non-Gatorade) at any home dual meet this season!
Livorna @ WCSC (Wed. 5/21): We are looking forward to our first dual meet of the season on Wednesday! I wish I could be there, but have an obligation to be in my classroom for Open House at Bancroft. The rest of the coaching staff and junior coaches will be leading our team and they are all super excited! Please note our warm-up times–they are only 10 minutes long, so we need all swimmers ready to go on time with caps and goggles already on when they arrive at the blocks.
4:40-4:50 p.m. 10&U Warm-Ups:
Lanes 1-2: 6&U
Lanes 3-6: 7-8s
Lanes 7-10: 9-10s
4:50-5:00 p.m. 11&Up Warm-Ups:
Lanes 1-4: 11-12s
Lanes 5-10: 13-14s and 15-18s
Team Meeting: 5:15 p.m. at the picnic tables
Meet Starts: 5:30 p.m.
Meet Notes: Thank you to the families who wrote any important information into the notes section which helps me greatly when doing meet entries. For families that mention needing to leave or arrive at a certain time, I would like you to know that I do not know what time events will approximately take place until meet entries are complete and both team’s times have been calculated. I make an estimate, but can’t guarantee your child will be able to swim certain events if there is a specific time that your swimmer needs to arrive or leave by.
Relays: Our relays are made up of declared swimmers in each age group with the fastest times (data is updated after each meet). While relay teams can qualify WCSC to swim at the Contra Costa County Swim Championships, we will announce who the swimmers are that will represent us at County after we receive final results at our Conference Championship meet on Sunday, 7/27. If swimmers make it a habit of being no-shows or last minute drops at dual meets, they will not be entered in a relay at All City, Woodlands Invitational, Conference, or County. Tomorrow we have some “C” relays scheduled to swim which is a bonus since we have so many lanes in our pool! This gives more swimmers an opportunity to swim in a relay which is great!
This week at practice is Breaststroke Week: As we continue breaststroke week, I wanted to mention some disqualifications that were noted at Time Trials. Swimmers MUST touch each wall with two hands simultaneously and not separated. Their arms can not pull past their hipline, and no scissor kicks/alternating kicks are permitted either. Our swimmers are doing an outstanding job in practice with breaststroke and we look forward to seeing their improvement in meets!
Continued fun facts about the WCSC Coaching Staff:
- Did you know that when Coach Katie was three-years-old, Coach Emily taught her how to swim? She was an incredible swimmer from the very beginning!
- Coach Katie’s favorite swim team memories: relays, bonding with teammates, and winning high point and setting records at Conference, Woodlands Invitational, and County
- Coach Tyler’s favorite swim team memories: going to Camp Richardson with the team each year and winning high point at County
- Coach Bella’s favorite swim team memories: lasting friendships, baking power cookies, endless shaved ice, and tubing in Tahoe
- Coach Lily’s favorite swim team memories: Nightrider deliveries, Big Buddy/Little Buddy picnic, lifelong friendships, and spending many birthdays at All City Meet
- Coach Emily’s favorite swim team memories: friendships made and lasting even through adulthood, Woodlands Invitational 15-18 Fri./Sat. night pool sleepover with parents raiding us with water balloons and Super Soakers, waking up before All City and Conference to see what “Kermit” delivered on the doorstep (green hard candies on a decorated paper plate), unexpectedly dropping a ton of time one night in 100 back as a 15 y/o to make County
As a reminder, there is NO practice on Memorial Day (Monday, 5/26).
Thank you all for being part of our WCSC Family! Goooooo Walnut Creek!!
Coach Emily
MEETS:
What a great Time Trials meet! Congratulations to Team Red! If you didn’t receive your Snack Shack coupon please see Coach Emily at practice. You may redeem at a Home Meet for a drink or snack.
Please, please, please . . . sign-out of meets if you will not be attending. If you will not make it after the deadline let Coach Emily and Directors (Erica & Brian) know via email [email protected] & [email protected].
There is a TRI Meet on May 31st at Pleasant Hill Aquatics and Moraga Country Club will be joining. This should be a fun meet as it’s a little different than a typical meet. It runs Backwards and will have mixed age relays. We will also be able to stay after and enjoy the pool. The meet will run a little longer than a dual meet so take that into consideration. More info will be sent out as we receive it.
Questions about meets? Email [email protected]
JOBS:
Thank you to everyone that volunteered at Time Trials! A couple of reminders to ensure meets run smoothly:
- Please remember to check-in with a jobs coordinator prior to the start of the meet so we know you’re present and accounted for (our table at home meets will be located adjacent to the splash pad directly behind the desk).
- If you signed up to be a timer or alternate/relief timer, please ensure you’re checked in and at your seat at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the meet. The meets cannot start without you!
If you have sign-ups and can no longer make your shift, please arrange for a sub to cover. Subs can be anyone you can obtain to fulfill your volunteer obligation. The 2025 WCSC sub list is currently being compiled, is a great starting point when looking for coverage, and will be posted here once available. As always, feel free to email Kris Lucas [email protected] with questions regarding your volunteer positions and requirements.
APPAREL:
Way to go team! It was so fun to see all of you sporting red and blue at Time Trials!
❤️💙 Team Spirit T-shirt orders are open!! Head to our WCSC Square Shop to order.
Navy and Gray WCSC Patch trucker hats will be coming in about 3 weeks! PRE ORDER PATCH HATS NOW!! (If we sell out we will order more if there is enough interest.)
We have a few personalized silicone caps that have not been picked up. Please coordinate with us directly for pick up. Email Anthea Yugawa [email protected]
SOCIAL EVENTS:
Swim Day at the SF Giants- June 26 12:45pm game Premium Bleacher Seats. Join WCSC at the ballpark!
Purchase tickets here by June 13: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Walnutcreek68
See last week's newsletter for the Swim Day flyer.
NEW FAMILIES:
I hope you enjoyed time trials and you have a better idea of what to expect. Evenings can get cooler so I would recommend bringing some warmer clothes as the night cools off. Please remember to write the races on your swimmers hand or back as this helps facilitate the timing of the meets. I will be there Wednesday at 4:30 and here to help answer any questions you may have.
NIGHTRIDER UPDATES:
For those who don’t know, The Nightriders are our wonderful group of 15-18s who are the keepers of the team’s traditions, they plan events like Big Buddy Little Buddy, and are able to forge relationships between the younger and older swimmers.
Big Buddy Little Buddy is a picnic the nightriders host full of games and nightrider initiations. It will be on June 12th from 6-8pm at Larkey Park. There will be an Opt-in form for sign up your swimmers. Some baseline information about the event/buddy pairing:
- THIS IS SEPARATE FROM BUDDY FAMILIES
- 11&ups are Big Buddies and 10&unders are Little Buddies.
- Due to a higher number of younger kids, most Big buddies will have multiple little buddies.
- Big Buddies bring Dinner and Little Buddies bring Desserts and Drinks. Check in with your buddy once the list is sent out and/or posted on the shed on the pool deck, to see what they like and if there are any allergies to be aware of.
- Parents: this is a drop off event. Please join us back at the park around 7:15 pm for the NIghtrider and Coach initiation. You won't want to miss this!
Tping: There will also be an Opt-in form for Tping, so if you would like your house to be on the list for the NightRiders to come TP your house, fill that form out! And if you do, it is helpful if you notify the neighbors that this might happen so the nightriders don’t run into any trouble.
We will send out more info very soon for all Nightrider related opt-ins.
CAMPING UPDATES:
We are in the process of assigning campsites, trying to find some space for the families who are on the waitlist and figuring out the logistics. Those that have purchased a campsite but haven’t filled out the Google form yet, please do so ASAP.
More camping info coming soon…
Nightriders… the google form for camping has been sent out. Please fill out the form ASAP !!! Thanks…
Any camping questions can be emailed to Stella Cabacungan [email protected]
