March 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)  Y State  2)  Y Nationals  3) Strong Kids wrap up  4)  Stroke Clinics  5)  Year Round Practices  6)  Escrow Balances  7)  Happy Joes – GBY National Team Fundraiser tonight  8)  Upcoming Dates  9)  Assorted Notes

1)      Fifty nine GBY swimmers are participating in the Y State meet this Friday-Sunday, at the Schroeder Aquatic Center.  Please refer to our website for all information including warm-up times.  I have posted the psych sheet and estimated timeline so far.  Schroeder should be posting the heat sheets soon.  Print you own heat sheets.

2)      All those swimmers wanting to swim at Y Nationals should be entered or committed to attend by Sunday night, March 17.  Based on the results from Y State I will create relays and the entry from those swimmers who have entered into the meet or made themselves available to swim relays by committing to the meet.  I will have the first draft of the entry at Monday practice for the National Team swimmers.  National Team will practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, at the DT Y from 3:45-5:30pm. Wednesday night from 7:00-9:00pm at the DT Y. We also will have Saturday AM practices at BV from 6-8am on both March 23 & 30.  All National Team swimmers will be expected to make a 6:00pm workout in Greensboro on Monday, April 1.  We will on Tuesday practice twice and also register the team.  I will be attending this meet.

3)      We are wrapping up the Strong Kids Campaign this month.  Congratulations to our swimmers and families for raising $9805.   That is more than $1000 more than last year.  The top 5 fundraisers were Annah Van Gheem, Emma Schepp, John Gahnz, Luke Nowak and Sophia Azzolina. The swimmers all will receive a Speedo Backpack in their choice of color.  Thank you for your hard work swimmers on raising $9805.  Also thank you very much to the families who made a donation to the Green Bay Y Strong Kids.  Your donations are greatly appreciated.  There were a number of families who did not make a donation this year.  There is still time to help out the Green Bay Y Strong Kids campaign.  Please contact by e-mail or phone with how much you would like to donate and the Y will send you out an invoice.

Also a big thank you for our calling team members.  You should have all your stuff (envelopes & pledge cards turned in already. If not please get them to me ASAP.  We are still short of our overall DT Y goal and need to follow up on all cards.  Also remember that Calling Team members are invited to the Strong Kids celebration on Tuesday, April 2.  Please let me know if you would like to attend.

4)      With practices over for all but the Y State swimmers and Y National swimmers.  What is next?  Stroke Clinics will begin on Thursday, April 11.  All current GBY swim team members only need to show up. There are no sign-ups for Stroke Clinics.  All swimmers attending clinics will be charged $5.00 per clinic you attend. This will be charged through your escrow account when the clinics are concluded.  Monday & Thursday clinics are for two different levels.  The early clinics from 4-5:30pm at the DT Y are for Bronze & the younger Silver Swimmers.  The late clinics from 7-8:30pm are for Gold swimmers and some of our older Silver Swimmers.  The late clinics will involve a lot of swimming.  The Wednesday clinics are open to all team members.  Please look at the calendar on the website for dates and topics for each clinic day.

5)      We also have practices for those Gold I&II swimmers who registered to swim workouts during the out of season including Tuesdays in season in May & early June.  We have 19 GBY swimmers registered for year round swimming.  I only have four lanes most days which does not give me a lot of space. If any Gold I or II swimmers are interested let me know and I can add you to the waiting list.  I may be able to take another 4-5. These are all posted on the calendar and begin next Monday. They will practice at the same time as the National Team swimmers.

6)      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.

7)      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 tonight, 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

8)      Upcoming Dates

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)

Wednesday, May 8                       Spring/Summer practices begin

Friday, May 10                              Swim Team Awards Banquet, Riverside Ballroom

Sunday, May 19                            Cellcom Marathon Water Station (sign-up on the website)

9)      Assorted Notes

·         There will no Friday afternoon and Saturday AM practice this week due to the Y State meet.

·         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.

·         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 have also posted the Spring/Summer practice times.  Spring/Summer practices will be on Wednesday, May 8.

·         I will not be publishing a weekly newsletter for a while but will send out notes and reminders when needed. 

·         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 is the only pending meet entry open. This closes Sunday night

·         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.