Green Mountain Swim Team

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Summary of Next 2 Weeks (so you know what’s coming)
Wednesday 6/22: Intrasquad #2
Friday/Saturday 6/24-6/25: Ken Caryl Invitational
Sunday 6/26: AAC Pentathlon Invitational
Monday 6/27: Upper Division practice starts at 7am (due to long coaching weekend)
Wednesday 6/29: Pictures Pancakes and WaterWorld
Saturday 7/2: BYE weekend. No meets

Details:
Intrasquad: all entries are due by Tuesday morning. We will have pizza and hot dogs to sell at the meet, plus Gator Gear. Please note: the pool closes at 5pm and this is also when our warm up starts. Please be respectful of all members who ae packing up their thing (and may want to stay to watch the meet).

Ken Caryl Invitational: Entries will be posted Monday. Please check and make sure you know when/what your swimmer is doing. Coach Ethan will be on deck Friday/ Coaches Emma/Kayli will be on deck Saturday. (Monday’s practice following Ken Caryl will have delayed start for Upper Division – 7am.)

Pentathlon: We just found out the Pentathlon is a go. Swimmers must be qualified in 4 out of 5 events (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, IM) in order to go to this meet. We only have a select group that meets the criteria. The coaches will reach out directly to anyone who is qualified to gauge interest. We may or may not attend this meet based on swimmer interest.

Pictures/Pancakes/Waterworld: We will not have swim practice on this day. Instead we will have pictures starting at 7:30am. Please wear your team suite (if you have one). We will take a team photo and individual pictures (if you want them of your swimmer). We will then serve the kids Gatorcakes. For those that want to continue the fun (this it 100% optional), we will head to WaterWorld. A team link for discount tickets can be found on the side bar. We will set up an area for the team to gather and then everyone is free to explore the park, high-five their teammates as they pass them on rides and play a game of “find the Coach”.

Blogsite: If you are using our blogsite from your phone, use the full address to avoid errors: https://gmstgators.wordpress.com/homepage/
Go to the MENU tab at the top
click on MOBILE USERS SIDE BAR
This will allow you to easily see all of the side bar information that is on the full website.

Final Note about Meet Sign Ups: If you sign up, please show up. We have encountered a lot of swimmers that are signing up and then not attending the meet. This throws off relays, causes additional work for the Data Dadz and the Shed Boyz, and takes time away from coaching as they are trying to track down swimmers. It’s OK if you can’t make a meet. We get it! Please make sure you are not signing up if you will be out of town or at another event. Thanks.

Attention all Gator parents. We need volunteers for tomorrow! 27 people to be exact. We are short on timers for every shift, as well as other volunteer slots. We will not start the meet until we have filled these slots. If we don’t have volunteers, we don’t have a meet. Please sign up ASAP. It does not help us if you wait until the day of the meet and “just see what’s available”. Please pick a volunteer slot and sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4dabac28a1ff2-gmst6

We have an invitational meet next weekend. What does that mean for your swimmer? And how do you know if they’re qualified. What if they don’t qualify? Here’s all the details:
Step 1: All entries for KCI (Ken Caryl Invitational) are due this Sunday 6/19. The coaches have been asking the swimmers all week “If you qualify, do you want to swim at the meet?” Please make sure the coaches know if you are in or out for this meet, as it does cost the team a fee for each individual entry. (If your kids haven’t been at practice or won’t be able to tell the coaches in person before Sunday, please email gmstgators@gmail.com)
Step 2: Click on the attached file to see qualification times. Each event has a different qual time, so it is possible to qualify in zero races, 1 race, or more. All meets, including the Saturday 6/18 meet against 5Parks will count towards these qual times.
Step 3: The coaches will work on entries Saturday/Sunday. We may call you if we have questions.
Step 4: Show up to the meet! Especially if your kid is in a relay.

Upper Division is on Friday / Lower Division is on Saturday. Full details are on the website on the meet/practices tab or can be found here.

If your swimmer does not qualify, then you will have a bye on Saturday and will not have a meet. Woohoo! Time to sleep in. — Don’t worry! We are having Intrasquad #2 on Wednesday 6/22, so your swimmer will absolutely have a chance to swim in a meet that week.

As always, send us an email (gmstgators@gmail.com) if you have questions or stop a Board Member at the pool.

Hi Team! We love seeing your dogs at practice but have been notified that it is actually not allowed by the  state regulations from the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Control Division. You can have your dogs outside the fence, but are not able to bring them in. Thanks so much for understanding.

Wednesday 6/15: Tie-Dye and Ice Cream Social (5:30-7pm)
The whole family is welcome. This is a non-swimming event. We will be in the upper grass area with buckets of dye for the team to colorize their gator shirts/tanks/shorts/etc. We will have white gator shirts and tanks to sell, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Saturday 6/18: GMST vs. 5Parks @ GMSC
This will be our biggest dual meet of the season. Because both teams are so large, most swimmers are being asked to only sign up for 2 individual events so that we can be done with the meet before 1pm. 5Parks will be doing the same to help out. Just a heads up in case your kids are confused.

Meet Results from the AAC meet: We are still waiting on these. We will post as soon as we get them.

Reminder for Stroke Clinic: There is one sign up for all stroke clinics. If you would like your child to participate just click on the link below and the coaches will sort them into the clinics that will help your swimmer the most.
11 & Up Sign Up Here (8:15am-8:45am) // 10 & Under Sign Up Here (9:15am-9:45am)

Special Gator Awards: Our team has 3 special awards that we hand out at the end of the season that all swimmers can work towards. If your swimmer is motivated, you can tell them about these…..
Iron Gator: the swimmer must swim in all individual events in their age group and receive a time (DQ’s do not count). This is a great way to encourage your swimmer to try an event they may not really like.
Steel Gator: the swimmer must swim in all individual events in their age group and receive a League time in each event.
Golden Gator: the swimmer must swim in all individual events in their age group and receive a State time in each event.

Ken Caryl Invite: This is our invitation event on Saturday 6/24 and 6/25. Click here for more details on date/time for age groups. Your swimmer must have a qualifying time to compete at this event. KCI sets the times and they do not correlate with our League or State times. We will have a sign up sheet that will simply ask, “If you qualify for KCI, do you want to swim?”. PLEASE NOTE!! There is an additional fee to the team to participate in this special event. You will not be charged, but we don’t want to waste money or scrap relays because your swimmer can’t make it after they were registered. Please do not sign up if you know you will be out of town. Thank you.

Week of 6/6

Each week the coaches will choose one swimmer from each of the practices to be recognized as the swimmer of the week. Swimmers are chosen each week based on their contributions to the team, including, but not limited to, athletic achievements, sportsmanship, volunteerism, team spirit, and/or creating a positive atmosphere. The swimmers of the week for last week are:

Devon Garls: This week, Devon demonstrated leadership in many ways emblematic of what it means to be part of the Green Mountain Gators. During practice Devon set a great example by completing all sets fully and with intention. As the leader of his lane, his drive gets passed down through not only his lane, but the entire upper division practice. In addition, on Thursday, Devon volunteered to stay after practice and assist with the butterfly stroke clinic which included many younger swimmers. He was an asset to their understanding of what good butterfly looks like as an excellent flyer himself and he provided well thought out technique tips while the clinic was performing drills. Well done Devon!

Lydia Mitchell: This week, Lydia came to practice with a stellar attitude and smiles that made even the cold water manageable for her teammates. As a lane leader she motivated her teammates with her spirit and drive, pushing herself when moved up to a more challenging lane. The coaches know that they can count on Lydia not only to have a good attitude, but to make the most of the hour long practice in an effort to become a better swimmer. Nice work Lydia!

Alexandra Dye: This week, Alexandra showed a commitment to self improvement in swimming that was inspiring. She came to practice each day with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. When given technique tips, Alexandra listened intently and put them into practice right away. Alexandra even extended her learning beyond the water, asking coaches about technique before and after practice. All the hard work paid off as she noticeably improved her starts. Keep up the good work Alexandra!