Hi Team-

I am so excited to kick off a season of racing with you all! I have included a meet information sheet and a general timeline, see below! Please read for comprehension, as I tell the kids. 

A few highlights:

• Arrive at UVAC at 11am, with a suit, googles (maybe 2 pairs), caps (at least 2), towels, warm-up gear (robes, parkas, sweats, etc. it can get cold on the deck for wet bodies).
• Parking is free for this one, but space can be tight, if possible carpool with a friend. 
• Snack bar will be open for snacks and lunch items throughout the session.
• Safe sport considerations: 
  • Bathrooms: Spectators use the bathrooms upstairs in the stands, swimmers use the locker room, and coaches/officials/meet helpers use the bathrooms in the lobby. 
  • Photography: No photography behind the blocks even from the stands (follow the signage).
• NO DECK ACCESS unless you are serving in an official meet helper role (timer or official). Insert my plug for becoming an official here! We would love to have you on Deck serving in this role! 
• Timers- Our team is responsible for 2 timer positions. The meet in scheduled to be 4 hours long, which is a long time as a timer. I have divided up the role into 2 positions: Timer and Relief Timer. Both report to the timers meeting in the lobby at 11:40am. Relief will happen after the 25 Breastrokes and before the 200IMs (~approximately halfway through the meet around 2:18pm). 
• Sign up to time here. 
• Officials or apprentice Officials- check in with Jess Workman, the meet referee, at [email protected] beforehand. All are welcome so long as you credentials are up to date on your Deck pass (Safe sport and Background Check). 
  • Officials meeting at 11:15am in the break room on Deck behind lane 0. 
• The most important item! If you aren't going to make it for any reason, let me know ASAP and I can scratch your swimmer. Meet day scratches Text me at 612-222-4526, I need to know before 11am. This is a full meet and they do not want to be swimming with empty lanes. Empty lanes equals a greater possibility that swimmers can slip into the wrong heat and lane and/or it slows the meet down looking for swimmers that are not going to show. Although UVAC does not wait at all. They just keep on rolling.  
• Here is another big one, that can help us help your swimmers not miss their races. Swimmers should not be in the stands. Wet swimmers make stands slippery and dangerous, swimmers with parents make it hard for us to reach quickly, and swimmers in the stands miss the opportunity to hang out with their teammates and bond with their team (equals the whole fun at meets). If you want to check in with your swimmer after their races meet up in the lobby to give them a quick hug or extra snacks, then send them back into us.

That is all I have for now. Thanks everyone, I am so excited to be starting up the racing season. We try to make it all fun even though it is a little bit different than summer swimming with slightly more rules. Let me know if you have any questions. Go Sturgeons! See you at the pool!

Coach Hilary