Happy New Year Squad!  

I hope you all had a nice and restful break – happy 2021… here’s to things getting back to somewhat normal for the WL Swim and Dive team as we kick of our dual meet season! There is some important (and a lot – apologies in advance) information below regarding what to expect for our upcoming meets and when you’ll know if/what you are swimming. But first…  

PARENTS  

As with every season, volunteers are critical to our ability to run a meet. This year, volunteering will be the only way to be on deck/watch the meet in person. We are looking for a few more folks to sign up. We may ultimately need one or two additional ‘on deck’ marshals to help with a clerk of course-like function, but we are going to see how that goes Friday before we decide if others are needed.  

Below are the signups for our full month of meets for timing, table workers, etc. Phyllis Cuttino is doing directly outreach for Officials – but if you are qualified/able, please let me or Phyllis know. The girls meet timer slots are full, but we still need some timing help and a table worker for the boys meets.  

Boys Events - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b49a5a723a64-20202021 

Girls Events - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b49a5a723a64-202020211 

I am also looking for someone to assist with running the Colorado timing system - specifically for this Friday (we have a parent from YKT who will run it for both meets on Saturday). Let me know if you have any experience with this and/or are willing to take a crash course. Thanks so much!

PRACTICES 

After this week we are going to adjust our practice schedule. Starting Monday, January 11^th, the attached schedule will be your new practice days through the end of our regular dual meet season. We will update our practice schedule for Championship Meet season. 

COMMUNICATION and LINEUPS         

I will be sending out an email each week – usually on Wednesdays with all the information you need to know for the upcoming meet weekend, including the lineup for Friday.  Lineups for Saturday meets will likely be sent Saturday morning so I can work to make some adjustments, if needed, following Friday races. 

Please do not share the lineup with anyone outside of our team. Also, please don’t email me freaking out about what you are swimming – I promise, we wouldn’t put you in something we knew you weren’t capable of completing! You may not love every event, but you are definitely capable of doing them! :) 

GENERAL MEET INFO 

Our team area at meets will be in the upstairs spectator seating. You will be required to maintain appropriate social distancing while in the team area.  

We are going to *try* to live stream the meets through our Instagram account @WLSwim.Dive – please follow us there! (And please have patience with us as we figure all this out.) 

We will not have cards for entries – you will be responsible for knowing what you are swimming and what lane you are in.  You will be lined up in the outside hallway and then brought into the pool area through our usual team room. Upon arriving at the blocks, you’ll give your name to the timer. 

You will be required to wear a mask while in the pool area and up to the blocks for your events. Please bring a ziplock bag to keep your mask in while you swim so it doesn’t get wet. 

We will do a 50 easy after each event, in your respective lanes. There will be no other ongoing warmup/warm down. We will have a optional warmup/warm down at the Diving Break (after the 50 free).  

FRIDAY MEET- LANGLEY @WL 

SATURDAY MEET – YORKTOWN @WL 

NEXT WEEKEND (1/15-16) 

Just a quick early note – I heard last evening from the Herndon Coach and it looks like our meet with them will be moved to earlier in the day. The community center director has asked that the meet be held before 1pm. Just noting this now so you can make appropriate plans (and for our parent volunteers). We will have buses to transport those swimmers who need a ride. That said, all buses will leave at the same time, so the boys would have to wait in a holding area for their meet to begin. Parents can drive their swimmers out and/or swimmers can drive themselves (no friends!) with a parent note permission slip emailed to me in advance. 

SERVICE PROJECT – SAVE THE DATE (Weekend of 1/29)
This year we will be participating in a team service project supporting Be The Good Project - a local nonprofit dedicated to helping feed people in our local community who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity. We will be dropping off sandwiches the weekend of January 29th. We will send out a signup genius with the information and for each team member to sign up for a 'slot'. You make your sandwiches at home and then bring those to me/the pool - I will be doing a bulk delivery on behalf of the WL Swim and Dive team. More info to follow - just a heads up to save the date! 

Let me know if you have any questions! This is going to be different and likely have some challenges along the way - I ask for your patience and support!

Best, 

Coach Kristina 

Monday is the big day! Our season will be getting underway! 

ATHLETIC CLEARANCE

Everyone must have a current physical on file with the trainer to be eligible to participate in the season. Please get that done/turned in ASAP if you have not done so already.

Completed forms (physicals and parent permissions) should be emailed to Karen Weaver at karen.weaver@aspva.us and all that information is listed here – https://wlathletics.org/siteRepository/695/userfiles/WLHS-NEW.pdf

PRACTICE

Our practice season will begin on Monday 12/14 at 330pm – 5pm, Monday thru Friday. 

You are required to attend ALL of your assigned practices this year (since it will only be two per week) to be eligible to participate in meets.

As noted previously, this year you have been assigned a practice group – in doing this, we are able to meet the required guidelines on the total number of athletes per group and ensure appropriate social distancing while on deck. You are only able to swim on your assigned practice days. Attached is an updated practice schedule that also includes our divers Please find your name and attend practice on your assigned days. 

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Upon arrival at the pool, you will be screened by the pool staff – temperature checks and verbal affirmation that you are not experiencing any COVID-related symptoms or have had contact with anyone who may be experiencing symptoms. Upon passing screening, you will go through the locker room hallway and proceed to the area around the instructional pool. 

You will be required to adhere to social distancing guidelines and remain six feet apart from other swimmers/staff members/coaches. You will be required to wear a mask from entry until you get to the block behind your lane.  Bring a plastic ziplock bag to keep your mask dry while you swim (with your name on it). You will be asked to swim in the same lane, with the same people every time you practice. 

If you are experiencing any symptoms, please err on the side of caution and stay home and notify me (by email) of your status. All health related discussions or reporting will be kept confidential. 

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

I am in desperate need of a few very critical parent volunteers this year – please let me know if you are able to help with any of the following. If we don’t have enough volunteers, we will not be able to run our season. 

Someone to assist in managing team times/computer data, using the HyTek program. I have a former parent who can help train you, if needed.  

• Head Official (assist in coordinating our officials for each meet and also officiate) 
• One Table worker per gender for each meet (ideally the same person for every meet) 
• Someone to work the Colorado timing system at each meet 
• We will do a sign up genius for each meet, but would like to get these folks lined up now.

MEET

I will share more information on meets once we successfully get through the first few weeks of the season. That said - we have THREE weeks of meets and every weekend there will be a Friday AND Saturday meet. We will be swimming the meet by gender and we have a firm cap of total number of swimmers allowed to participate in each meet, by gender. Not everyone will swim in meets this year. I appreciate your flexibility and understanding – while I know it’s not ideal, I am hopeful this is only for one season and we will be back to normal next season!

GEAR

Our gear store is open! Please get your orders placed as soon as possible – I found a huge stash of caps in our closet so you will not need to purchase one this year. Only a t-shirt and swim suit are required. Again, if we do not end up with a meet season, we will aim to reuse these team suits next year. Since we will not have our normal fundraising opportunity to fund our senior gifts, we are going to use our gear sales as our primary fundraiser. Each item has a few extra dollars added on that will come back to the team – so please make some purchases or ask for some new WL gear for the holidays. Shop here:  https://wlswimdive2020.itemorder.com/sale