First Practice Information

Tuesday, October 9th

Practice Times

Polliwogs (Grades Kindergarten-3rd) begin at 3:30pm and end between 4:30 and 4:45pm (depending on when we get started). I will be at school pick-up right alongside everyone else. I would love to use all the pool time we can, so we'll try to start as close to 3:30 as we can, but if swimmers are not there and suited up right at 3:30 I'll understand. 

Cubs (Grades 4th-6th) begin at 4pm and end at 5:20pm.

Cadets (Grades 7th & 8th) begin at 4pm and end at 5:20pm.

Practice Expectations

Please talk these over with your swimmer(s) before our first practice:

While waiting for practice to begin or end, swimmers not in the water need to be seated and quietly working on homework or reading. This will allow me to devote my full attention to the swimmers in the pool. 

When swimmers are in the pool, their complete focus will need to be on me, one of our assistant coaches, and/or their workout. I will be strict about not allowing goofing around with friends in the pool. This expectation is two-fold: Safety of the swimmers and we only have a little available time for practice (we will strive to be good stewards of that time). 

Equipment

Swimmers will need to bring:

1.  a one-piece suit
2. cap or rubber band for long hair
3. towel
4. warm clothes
5. water bottle

Dressing Room

We will not have access to locker rooms. There is one dressing room/bathroom to change in. Swimmers will need to be quick to allow everyone a chance to change. Unfortunately, there are no showers available.

Guests

We are guests of Turtles Yoga and Wellness. We need to do our best to be good guests. Please be sure to encourage your swimmer(s) to help me leave the pool deck better than we found it each day. We will only have access to the pool area of Turtles Yoga and Fitness. The studio space will still be open during our practice time. Please help me encourage our swimmers to not be too loud and crazy as we enter practice. I would love for this location to become a permanent solution for our Swim Team for years to come. 

I will have the door to the pool propped open for practice. The door will be on the left-hand side of the building (if you are facing the building). There will also be a sign. Do not enter through the main Turtles front door. 

Parking

Parking is available in the lot right in front of the building that holds Turtles Yoga and Wellness as well as Willamette Dental. If the lot is full, the lot to the left of the building (if you are facing the building) is also available. Anything that says Willamette Dental is also available to us. 

Pick Up

If you will be dropping off your swimmer for practice, please be sure to be at the pool no later than 5:30pm. We need to be off the premise by 5:30pm. I will be in the parking lot until the last swimmer is picked up. 

Missing Practice

Life happens. If you will miss a practice and can let me know ahead of time, that would be great. Please email me if your swimmer is a club swimmer or participates in another sport and will only be attending one swim practice. It will help me plan for practice if I know which practices they will be at. 

Volunteers

I am still on the lookout for parent volunteers interested and able to be an extra set of eyes and an extra voice on deck. There will also be times I'll need help writing down times and taking attendance. 

Donations

I would love to offer a fun incentive for practice attendance. If you are willing to pick up 1 to 3 bags of Swedish Fish from Costco (they are $7 each), let me know! Swimmers will get a few Swedish Fish on Friday dry land practice if they made it to all 3 practices that week.

Please email me with any questions: swimteam@whcs.org