Hi Sturgeons-

I am getting excited for a fun weekend of racing at UVAC. Please read the parent information sheet for guidance on what is expected.

Here are some of the highlights:

Arrival Times for CVSA Swimmers:

Saturday AM @ 8am

Saturday PM @ 2pm

Sunday AM @ 8:20am

Sunday PM @ 1:40pm

*Note if you are delayed or cannot make it last minute due to illness let me know through text or call ASAP: 612-222-4526

Jobs:

You will not be allowed on the pool deck unless you are a coach, a swimmer, an official, or serving in a meet helper role.

Timing Jobs:

*CVSA is responsible for 1 timing role to fill on Saturday morning and 2 timing roles to fill on Sunday morning. I have split the position up into 2 shifts: a timer and a relief timer because a 3.5-4 hour shift for one person can be quite daunting. This lightens the load a little. All timers and relief timers must attend the timers meeting before the start of the meet. For the morning sessions, the meeting is at 9am in the lobby. Please show up on time for that if you signed up. Please see the job sign-up here.

Officiating Jobs or Official Apprenticing:

Reach out to the Meet Ref, Jess Workman at [email protected] to let her know you are coming and what sessions you will be working. The officials meeting starts 45minutes before the start of each session (~8:40am for the morning session and ~ 2pm for the afternoon session) and is located in the breakroom on the pool deck behind lanes 0 and 1.

Safe Sport considerations:

Bathrooms/Locker rooms:

Girls locker room is being renovated, so girl swimmers will use the family locker room, which will be for girl swimmers only during the duration of the meet.

Boy swimmers will use the newly renovated boys locker room.

Spectators will use the bathrooms upstairs in the stands.

Coaches and Officials will use the bathrooms on the pool deck or upstairs.

Photography:

No photography behind the blocks, even in the stands, obey the signs.

No flash photography at the start, this can mess up the swimmers and the timers.

Parking is a pain and can take some time, plan accordingly:

There is a free shuttle from Mascoma Bank Parking lot, at 243 Sykes Mountain Ave, White River Junction.

Parking at UVAC is Cash only 20$ per day or 30$ per weekend. Please have exact cash (5, 10, 20s).

Do not drive and drop off, either shuttle or pay for parking.

Also, please help us during the meet, by encouraging your swimmers to stay out of the stands. Number 1, UVAC does not like it. Number 2 swimmers should be hanging out on deck with their teammates and coaches, so they don’t miss out on a fun part of the meet experience, team bonding.

If you need to meet up with your swimmer after they have finished their event to give them a snack, a hug, or a high five, that is fine but make a plan to do it in the lobby not the stands. Please keep track of the time or event number so swimmers do not miss their events hanging out in places other than the pool deck.

If you want to help your child become a better competitor, it’s time to relax, have fun, and see races as an opportunity to learn and explore. Let’s try as a group to frame races like that, and make meets a low stress environment for the kids and everyone involved. I have been taking some of the USA Swimming Legacy Series Courses and I am going to share this piece highlighted by Head Coach Kate Lundsten of the Aquajets Swim Team as a parent guide for how to help your child become a better competitor. I found it valuable, I hope you do too.

Okay that’s a wrap. Sorry so lengthy, I have been doing a lot of thinking recently on youth sports and child development. You always have the option not to read, and gloss over those parts of my email but please read the parent meet information sheet attached below and please read the bold parts of my emails. Please check-in with any questions, ideally before the meet day. On the meet day, text 612-222-4526 ASAP, if there are any scratches due to illness.

Thanks everyone and see you at the pool! Go Sturgeons!

Coach Hilary