February 13, 2013

  To:     All New Green Bay YMCA Swimmers & Parents

  From: Coach Dave - voice mail-436-9624

Email- [email protected]   team unify website - www.teamunify.com/wigbymca

 Re:      1)  Strong Kids Swim-A-Long  2) USA Regional  3)    Upcoming Dates  6)  Assorted Notes

1)      Next Wednesday, February 20, 2013, is our annual Strong Kids Swim-A-Long.  Swimmers should continue to ask family, friends and neighbors for a pledge to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.  Hopefully are swimmers are sharing their Y experiences when asking for these donations.  We will have two different times next week for the team members to swim their laps.  All Gold swimmers will swim at SWHS from 4-6pm.  And all Bronze & Silver will swim from 6:30-8:00pm at the DT Y.  All swimmers should return their envelopes to Coach Dave at SWHS and the table of helpers at the DT Y.  If you cannot make the Swim-A-Long night you may hand your envelope in at the DT Y front desk for Coach Dave or directly hand-off to Coach Dave.  Please make sure these are all turned in next week.  All GBY swimmers will receive a Custom Strong Kids GBY hat for their participation in the Swim-A-Long.  Also do not forget that the top 5 fundraisers will receive a Speedo Backpack in the color of their choice.  Thank you swimmers and families for their hard work and dedication to YMCA Strong Kids.  The DT Y staff will also be have a Strong Kids Chili and Noodles sale next Wednesday night so you may get your dinner at the DT Y.

2)      Twenty four GBY swimmers are participating in the USA Regional at the Fond Du Lac Aquatic Center this Friday-Sunday, February 15-17, 2013.   Directions are posted on the website.  This meet does not pre-release heat sheets. So you have to pick them up there at the meet.  Warm-ups are 4:30pm on Friday, 7:00am both Saturday and Sunday AM sessions, and 11:30am on Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday for the PM sessions.  I will be at the meet all weekend.

3)      Upcoming Dates (Team events and meets)

Friday-Sunday, February 15-17     USA Regional, Fond Du Lac Aquatic Center

Wednesday, February 20              GBY Swim Team Strong Kids Swim-A-Long, 4-6pm SWHS, and 6:30-8:00pm DT Y

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24     12&under USA State, UW-Madison Natatorium

Thursday-Sunday, Feb 23-March 3           13&over USA State, Schroeder Aquatic Center

Saturday & Sunday, March 3f       FCY Everybody Wins Meet, Saturday only, Appleton Y

Sunday, March 10                         OSHY Last Chance Meet, Oshkosh Y

Friday-Sunday, March 15-17        Y State Meet, Schroeder Aquatic Center

Wednesday-Saturday, April 3-6    Y Nationals, Greensboro Aquatic Center

Friday, May 10                              Swim Team Awards Banquet, Riverside Ballroom

4)      Assorted Notes

·         There will no Friday afternoon or Saturday practices this weekdue to the USA Regional meet.  Coach Bill will run a Friday afternoon next Friday, February 22. There will be both Wednesday & Friday AM practices next week at BV but next week is the last week for these practices.

·         Noodles & Company National Team Fundraiser – Wednesday evening, February 13, beginning at 4pm the GBY National Team will receive a percentage of all who dine at the Noodles and Co. on Oneida Street. You must tell them that you are there for the GBY National Team fundraiser.

·         Speakers – We are in need of one – two speakers to use for swim meets in the gym. If anyone has any old “working” speaker(s) they would like to donate please contact me.  Thank you!

·         Hotel Blocks – Due to very little interest in the Hotel Blocks being arranged by the parent committee we are going to discontinue making room blocks for away meets.  Please plan for the upcoming summer meets to make your own reservations. 

·         Team Pictures and Picture discs– There a still a few that have not been picked up. These are located at the DT Y front desk.

·         I have posted the Summer meet schedule & Stroke Clinics on the calendar and website.  I will try to get the Spring/Summer practices on the calendar ASAP.  We will have the same practice times as last year.  Spring/Summer practices will be on Wednesday, May 8.

·         Strong Kids Calling night people should be continuing to make your phone calls.  You may turn in your completed envelopes at the DT Y front desk anytime.

·         Just a reminder about weather cancellations.  Unless the Y closes we will still plan to run practices for the team.  If we do close the Y or have to cancel practices I will send a note out through the web site ASAP.  Do remember that you may add additional e-mail addresses and phone numbers on your account page to receive the notes I send out through the web site.

·         Parent Group committee meetings have been moved to the first Mondays of the Month. Next meeting is Monday March 4, 2013.

·         GBY swim families have the opportunity to participate in a scrip program to help raise monies for your escrow accounts.  A power point presentation is posted on the website (under documents tab) to explain the whole program and to allow you to get involved with the Scrip program.  Thank you to the GBY Gymnastics Team for allowing us to join in with their program.

·         We have scheduled our annual awards banquet for Friday, May 10, at the Riverside Ballroom.  Please get this on your calendars right away.  We will do a sign-up for this on the website.

·         Our graduating High School Seniors are also in need of pictures for their presentations at the Award Banquet.  Please put all pictures on a disc or flash drive and drop off to Coach Dave. I am storing pictures for them on our computer.  Any pictures are welcome and we encourage parents to take pictures at meets for the graduating Seniors.  Thank you!

·         Please make sure that you are keeping up with entry deadlines, etc.  BOTH USA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS AND FCY EVERYBODY WIN  entries close this Sunday night. All meets are opened for entry for the remainder of the Winter Season.  Please check the team events regularly for all team activities. 

·         Please ensure that you have monies in your escrow account to cover all upcoming swim meets.  Thank you for taking care of this ahead of the charges. Remember that a negative number is really a positive balance for your account. While an amount without a negative is what you are behind in payment to the YMCA.  Escrow payments can be made at the DT Y front desk. By either stopping in and making a payment or by calling in and making a credit card payment over the phone.

·         A reminder that all GBY swimmers ages 8&over must scan their membership upon entry to all Green Bay YMCA’s.  If you need a new card stop at the front desk and have them make you a new one.  It is very time consuming especially during the rush around team practices to have to stop and type in your information manually to make sure you are a member. Thank you for taking care of this matter.

·         It is winter time.  Please make sure that all swimmers dress properly for the weather.  I expect all swimmers to have on and zipped up a winter coat as well as wearing hat on your wet heads when you leave practices.  A sick swimmer does no one any good. 

·         REMINDER - All swimmers should be showering before using any pool for practices.  This can be a big help with the air quality.  Thank you for doing this.

·         Remember to always check the awards box when at the DT Y. This is located on the bench in the corner underneath our bulletin board.

·         Also please remember that we now have a “For Sale” section on the swim team bulletin board in the DT Y hallway above the pool.  You may list almost new items to make available for sale to other team members.