Hello Redfish! It's finally here… our first meet of the season is next Saturday, May 13! We are hosting the FAST Frogs and the Twin Creeks Twisters in a tri-meet here at our MAC pool.

Swimmer and volunteer registration (you must sign up for both!) will open at 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 7 (TODAY). You can register after it opens, and may edit your registration anytime until it closes at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 10.

Please take a few minutes to read the following email before registering for the meet, as it contains very important information. Whether you've been on the team for 10 years or this is your first season, each of our amazing volunteers will either need to remember, or learn for the first time, the ins and outs of hosting a home meet. Most volunteer teams will be receiving a detailed email explaining your responsibilities and introducing your volunteer team lead. If you do not receive this by Wednesday, and/or you are unsure about your volunteer role, please reach out to Diana Tripp at [email protected] or to me at [email protected].

Meet & Registration Information

• You must register for each meet each week for your swimmer to be eligible to swim that week. Registration for the meet closes promptly at 5:00 PM Central this Wednesday, May 10. This deadline ensures the coaches have time to build relays and our Computer Lead has time to build the heat sheet and send it to the host team.
• You will have to complete two registrations each week - one to register for your volunteer slot(s), and the other to register your swimmer(s) for their events. Each of these actions has its own green button on the event signup page.
• You may only sign your swimmer up for up to 3 individual events.
• You will need to indicate whether your swimmer is available to swim in relays. Please note that indicating your swimmer is available does not guarantee placement on a relay. The coaches determine the relay teams each week based on who has indicated they are available and how many relay teams we are permitted at that meet.
• 6 & Under swimmers are eligible for the freestyle relay which is the first race of the morning; all other age groups are eligible for up to two relays (medley relay at the start of the meet and freestyle relay at the end of the meet) as determined by the coaches.
• If you know in advance that your swimmer will be arriving late or leaving early this Saturday, please list your swimmer as “unavailable” for those relay times (AM relays or PM relays). Once Coach Caitlyn builds the relay teams, it will put the team in a bind if someone drops out (sometimes an alternate can fill the spot, but sometimes it scratches the relay, and the other three swimmers don’t get to swim.)
• Relay Swim Ups: As Coach Caitlyn puts the relay teams together each week, there is sometimes an opportunity to place swimmers up an age group. For most kids this is an exciting, no-risk opportunity to stretch themselves as swimmers. This experience is meant to strengthen team spirit and allows kids to swim on a relay who otherwise might not have the chance; this includes both the kids swimming up and those on a relay with someone swimming up.
• If this is your first time registering for a meet, please refer to the Meet Registration Instructions on our website for more detail and a useful tutorial. If you have trouble registering, please reach out to me at [email protected].
• The Meet Book will be distributed to you via email as early as possible, typically Friday by 12pm noon. This will have the heat sheet and a TON of information about the meet, including warm-up times, parking information, and volunteer duties. Please be sure to read the Meet Book when you receive it!
• REMEMBER: Your swimmer must attend at least TWO practices during the week immediately prior to any given meet to be eligible to compete. 
• Please review our Meet Policies on our website. 

From Head Coach Caitlyn

• For the very first meet, please only sign your swimmer(s) up for events they can confidently swim. For some of our swimmers this may mean they only swim freestyle and backstroke. That’s okay! We will begin working on breaststroke and butterfly soon.
• If you have any questions about which events your child should swim, please ask one of their coaches ([email protected]).

A Note about Monday Practices

• Please keep in mind that the MAC pools are closed on Mondays, except for our practices.
• Redfish family members not in practice MAY use the steps and wading area in the big pool and the baby pool during all practice times, including on Mondays. But please REFRAIN from using the Round Pool on Mondays.
• Our coaches and board members have key fobs that will open the pool gate on Mondays, but resident key fobs do not work on Mondays. Please be careful to only open the gate for Redfish families. Residents may use the other 4 pools in the neighborhood, but the MAC pool is closed to general resident use on Mondays.

From the Merchandise Chair

• Redfish merchandise, towels and swimsuits are available to pick up:
  • at practices this week on Monday 5/8 from 5-7 pm and Friday 5/12 from 4:30-6:30 pm,
  • or at the meet on Saturday at the Merchandise Tent.
  • Note: Every swimmer receives a team shirt.
• Please contact Cara Kyle at [email protected] to arrange porch pickup if these times do not work for your schedule.
• Team swim caps are required for meets. You can purchase the team cap on the Redfish Store or at the Merchandise Tent at Saturday's home meet.

From the Event/Spirit Chair

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

• Team Photo and Individual Photos will be on Monday, May 22 during afternoon practice at the MAC pool. Team photo will be taken at 6:00 pm – don’t be late! More details to come, including sign-ups for individual photos.
• Lap-a-thon will be on Monday, June 12 from 5-7 pm at the MAC pool. This is our team’s only fundraiser and is lots of fun for the kids! More details to come.
• Big Fish Little Fish pairings will be emailed to participants soon! The first goodie exchanges will be at our first home meet on May 13.
• For questions about spirit events and programs, please contact Catherine Harkness at [email protected].

Meet Registration Link

Remember the green button for registration will appear TODAY at 5:00 pm and registration closes on Wednesday at 5:00 pm! No exceptions. 

https://averyranchredfish.swimtopia.com/swim_meets

GooOOO Redfish!!! Swim FAST!!!

Caroline Conway

Redfish Meet Director and NAAL Rep

[email protected]