March 6, 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)  Y State/Y Nationals  2)  Oshkosh Y Last Chance Meet  3)  Escrow Accounts – Please pay  4)  Y State Shirts    5) Happy Joes – GBY National Team Fundraiser  6) Upcoming Dates  7)  Assorted Notes

1)      The entry page for Y State closes on Sunday night, March 10.  Please make sure that all GBY swimmers wishing to participate have entered their events or committed to attend so that they could be used in relays if needed.  The Y State entry is due to Schroeder by noon on Monday.  All GBY swimmers must enter events or commit to swim by Midnight on Sunday.  As soon as I complete the entry and relays I will send it out to the team.  We do have a small window of time to make corrections (not changes). 

For next week only those GBY swimmers participating in the Y State meet will come to practices. And this will be the last week of practices except for Y National swimmers and year round swimmers. Until Stroke Clinics begin on Thursday, April 11, or Spring practices on Wednesday, May 8.

Practice next week will change for the Bronze swimmers attending the Y State meet.  Those Bronze swimmers attending Y State will practice on Tuesday from 5:30-6:30pm with the Silver Team at SWHS, on Wednesday both Bronze and Silver swimmers attending Y State will practice from 6:30-7:45pm at the DT Y, and on Thursday Bronze will practice with the Silver Swimmers from 4:30-5:30pm at the DT Y.  All Silver Times will remain the normal times on Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday. And of Course all Gold practices will remain the same.  Gold III swimmers should practice with the practice that will have your relay swimmers there.

For Y Nationals I would also ask all those GBY Swimmers who will attend to enter or to commit to attend the meet.  We have a few relays in both Men and women already qualified and would expect to make more at the Y State Meet.  I have a number of swimmers who have told me they are not attending.  But more importantly need to know who will attend to see if we can swim our qualified relays.  The deadline for entering or committing for Y Nats is next Sunday night, March 17.

2)      Ninety GBY swimmers will be attending the Last Chance meet at the Oshkosh Y.  I do not think we will get more information on this meet until Friday to include the Warm-up times, etc.  They also will have you print your own heat sheets.  Please remember that they are not having entry fees for this meet but all those swimmers entered must bring some food items for your entry fees. These non-perishable food items will be donated to a local food pantry in Oshkosh.  As of now I may be the only GBY coach able to attend.  So I will be there all day.  Remember that this is the Last Chance to qualify for the Y State Meet.  Swimmers many add more events or change entered events for the Y State based on this meet but must have these completed by Midnight, Sunday March 10.

3)      We are getting near the end of the Fall/Winter Season.  I am going to please ask that all families take care of any escrow balances by March 30^th.   I know the meets have been coming pretty fast lately and many families are building quite a balance that they owe the YMCA.  Thank you for taking care of these balances ASAP.  Y State charges will go into the system the Monday after Y State and I should have the Y National entry fees done and charged by March 25.

4)      Remember that and swimmers competing in the Y State Meet may order a Y State shirt for $11.00.  This is done on the web site.  If you order one but do not make the Y State team I will remove your order.  Order deadline is Sunday night, March 10.  All names of those swimming in the Y State meet will be on the back of the shirt.

5)      There will be one last fundraising event for those going to Short Course Nationals in Spring in Greensboro, NC.  It will be held at Happy Joes Pizza on Wednesday, March 13^thfrom Noon to 9:00 p.m.  Mention the swim team when you dine in or carry out and the kids going to Nationals will receive 20% of the proceeds!  This is also going to be an informal end of short course season celebration for everyone!  Some of the kids going to Nationals will be there at about 6:30 to hand out tokens to other younger swimmers and to play games in the game room with them.  It will be lots of fun!!  Thanks to everyone who has supported the National Team, it is very much appreciated

6)      Upcoming Dates

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

Thursday, April 11                         Stroke & Training Session begin (see calendar)

Friday, May 10                              Swim Team Awards Banquet, Riverside Ballroom

7)      Assorted Notes

·        There will Friday afternoon and Saturday AM practice this week. There will be no more Gold drylands for the remainder of the season.  There will be a required team meeting for all Gold swimmers attending Y State on Monday, March 11, from 6:15-6:45pm, at the BV Pool.

·        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– I have pictures for the following in my office that still need to be picked up. Hanold, Capozella, Kent, Spiegelberg, & Azzolina.  Contact Coach Dave to make arrangements to get these.

·        Summer WGLO Meet– Please remember to reserve swims for this meet.  You must be a USA registered swimmers and have the qualifying times.  Closing date for reservations is Wednesday, March 6.

·        Cellcom Marathon Water Station Volunteers – Again the GBY swim team will be running the first water station on the Marathon/Half-marathon course.  I need about 75 volunteers to make this happen.  The Marathon is on Sunday, May 19.  Our water station will be in the same location at Marquette Park on Hickory Hill St.  We will need people to arrive by 6am for set-up and should be completed torn down and cleaned up by about 8:15am.  You may sign-up on the website now.  I will need names of those who are volunteering and their T-shirt size.  Young swimmers are welcome to help out but must have a parent with them to help also.  All Gold Level swimmers should volunteer.  Thank you!

·        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.

·        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 meetingshave been moved to the first Mondays of the Month. Next meeting is Monday April 15, 2013, due to Y Nationals.

·        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 &  Y STATE T-shirts 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.