February  20,  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) 12&under USA State Championships  3)  13&over USA State & FCY Everyone Counts Meet 4)   Upcoming Dates  5)  Assorted Notes

1)      Tonight, Wednesday, February 20, 2013, is our annual Strong Kids Swim-A-Long.  All swimmers should bring their pledge envelopes to practices tonight. 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.  If swimmers are unable to attend please drop your envelopes off at the DT Y front desk or hand them off to Coach Dave.  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 tonight so you may get your dinner at the DT Y.

2)      Seventeen GBY swimmers are participating in the 12&under USA State Championships at the UW-Madison Natatorium in Madison.  The entry list, warm-up assignments and timeline are on our website. You may also go to the Badger Aquatic Club website for the live results and psych sheet.  Please make sure that you arrive early to all warm-up times. We have only a 25 minute warm-up time.  I will be at the meet all weekend.

3)      I have posted both entries and relays for the 13&over USA State Meet and the FCY Everyone Counts meet on the website.  Please check Lake Country’s website for the most up to date info on the 13&over meet. I will also post on our website when I can get it from Lake Country.  We have no milers next Thursday but do have Thursday evening 800 Free Relays.  Again I will be at the 13&over meet for the entire meet.  I will be sending assistant coaches to the FCY meet.

4)      Upcoming Dates (Team events and meets)

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

5)      Assorted Notes

·         There will Friday afternoon with Coach Bill this week.This is the last week of AM practices at BV.  This Friday will run only from 5:30-6:30am.

·         There will be no more Thursday Gold drylands for the remainder of the season.

·         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.

·         Y State T-shirts are available for order on the website.  These must be ordered by Sunday night, March 10.

·         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.  Y Nationals, Y STATE  AND the OSHY Last Chance meets are the only meets still open for entry.  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.