Hello Maplewood Marlins!!

It is time!   Registration opens up tomorrow!   The board has been working really hard to improve and build upon our successes last season!   This email is going to be very long and have A LOT of information in it.   Please read on!  I hope this will be my first big email without any major errors!! 

SCHEDULE

May 11 League stroke clinic     Required for stroke judges   Short 8am  Long 9am

May 18 Parent meeting and pictures

May 25 & June 1   in-house stroke clinics

May 31  Mock Meet 

June 3   swim meet

June 10   swim meet

June 17  swim meet

June 24  swim meet

July 28   coaches' breakfast

July 1  swim meet

July 8  Meet of Champions (MOC)

July 9  EOY swim team party

July 12  All Stars

NOTE:  MOC is on Monday and Allstars is the following Friday

Registration

There are a number of changes in registration. I know that this might confuse some of you, so please bear with us. We are making changes that we think will improve things for the team, but there will be a learning curve, so work with us.  

VOLUNTEERS

This year, we will not be signing up for volunteer slots during registration.   Instead, when you sign up, you will be asked to list your top three choices for volunteering.  Each parent will be asked to list their choices.   You will also be asked to indicate the swim meets that you CANNOT attend.   This is just based upon the information you have at the time.   Please do not stress out about this.   If it changes, then you just let us know.   Vicky Alvarez, our new volunteer coordinator, will assign you to volunteer slots based upon your preferences indicated.   PLEASE DO NOT FREAK OUT!!!   We will do our best to put you into your first choice.   We will work with you.   We are trying a new way of doing volunteer sign up because there were so many problems last year.  Please work with us on this!   It will work out.

SWIMSUITS 

We have decided to try a new vendor for swim suits this year and we are very excited about them!  They are custom designed for our team.   You will have the option to order the swimsuit during registration.   The suits are basically the same price as the speedo suits from Texas Swim shop. However, you will not be able to go to a physical store to buy a suit.   We will have a time for swim suit sizing on two different dates in March.   If you would like to have an opportunity to try on some sample suits, please follow this link.  We will be collecting orders for suits during registration.   Once all the registrations are closed, we will place a bulk order for swim suits.  With the bulk order, each suit will incur a $2 shipping and handling fee.   If you opt not to order your suit through the team, you can order it individually from the supplier, but you will pay your shipping and handling fee directly. Please note:  you do not have to order your suit during registration.   You can go in and order the suit through the store on the website.   As long as you order it before March 31, it will be included in the bulk order and will have the reduced shipping fee. 

NON-POOL MEMBERS

If you are not planning on joining the pool, please make sure that you pay the $60/swimmer fee for non pool members.  You will add it to your basket when you check out.  Please make sure you add in the number of swimmers you have.   Thanks for helping us with this.   We will reconcile the list of pool members to the swim team roster and contact the families that may have forgotten to add the fee.  

PRACTICE VS. WAIT LIST TEAMS

The practice team is for swimmers who do not intend to swim at the meets.   This team only attend practices.   They receive all of the other swim team perks.   

The wait list team is for swimmers who would like to swim on the team, but were wait listed due to limits on the number of swimmers per age group.   We are required to set limits for each age group.   Last year, all swimmers on the wait list were moved onto the competitive team.   If you are told that you are going to be wait listed, please do not change your registration to practice team, unless you do not want to swim competitively.  If you are on the wait list, we know you are interested in swimming competitively.   If you are on the practice team, we don't know that you want to swim competitively.  We will work diligently to clear the wait list and get everyone on the competitive team.   

PRACTICES

The regular practice schedule will begin May 13.   The after-school practice schedule is (May 13-May 30)

6u       4:00 -4:30

7/8      4:30-5:15 

9/10    5:15-5:45

11/12   5:45-6:15

13&u    6:15-7:00

During the first two weeks of May, we will have some specialized practices focusing on dives and turns and other things.  These practices will be run by Coach Stephanie with the help of parents who have swimming experience.   We haven't figured out all of the details yet, but there will be a limited number of slots for each practice and we will be sending out a sign up genius so you can sign up.   We will update you as soon as we have the details ironed out.

Practice for 13&u will be evenings only!!   This is new and exciting!   We are going to see how this works for our older swimmers.   As a result of this change, the evening practice will be limited to 13&u swimmers only.   The only exception will be swimmers who are unavailable for morning practice due to a camp.   Please make sure that you check the box during registration to indicate that you swimmer(s) will need evening practice.  

Evening practices will be Tuesday - Thursday from 8:00 - 9:00.  If the 13&u swimmers want to practice on Friday they can practice with the 11/12s at 10:15.  There will be a practice for 13&u swimmers on Monday morning.  

regular season practice schedule (June 3-July 1)

Monday

13&u   8:15-8:45

6&u     8:45-9:15

7/8      9:15-10:00

9/10    10:00-10:30

11/12  10:30-11:00

Tuesday

6&u      8:45-9:15

7/8       9:15-10:00

9/10     10:00-10:30

11/12   10:30-11:00

13&u    8:00-9:00 pm

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday

6&u      8:00-8:30

7/8       8:30-9:30

9/10     9:30-10:15

11/12  10:15-11:00 (optional for 13& up on Friday) 

13&u   8:00 - 9:00 pm (Wednesday and Thursday)

OK, this is a lot of information.   I am sure you will have questions.   Please contact me with them.   We are looking forward to a great season!   

Go Marlins!

Monique