Hello Dolphins, I’m so excited to get back to the pool and see all of you. Let’s talk about what next week will look like. Next week the coaching staff will be busy evaluating swimmers, establishing rules and expectations, and getting everyone back in the water. We will mostly focus on freestyle and backstroke and may get work on more advanced stroke technique depending on the age group. Here are a few general rules: Swimmers should arrive 10 minutes early to prepare for practice. All swimmers should bring a water bottle, dehydration is a thing when swimming in the heat for an hour. Caps are highly encouraged for practice and mandatory for meets. Females are required to wear a one piece. All swimmers should be ready to meet with the coaching staff 5 minutes before the hour to hear the daily plan and do a brief warm-up. All swimmers under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. You can have a friend watch your swimmer if needed. All swimmers 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult to the restroom. Do not approach the coaching staff during swim instruction. Our top priority is safety and we need to monitor and instruct a lot of children. If there is an emergency, please only approach Coach Lucy or Coach Olivia. Below is the practice schedule for the summer, please be flexible if we need to move your swimmer up or down a practice to accommodate their abilities. Practice schedule: 8 a.m. - 13 & Older 9 a.m. - 11-12 10 a.m. - 9-10 11 a.m. - 8 & Under** **Developmental Schedule Developmental swimmers will be split into two groups alphabetically, the lessons are identical. This enables the staff to provide more effective lessons 10:00 a.m. - A-M 11:00 a.m. - N-Z At the end of the first week, the coaching staff will review the developmental program and split the group by ability to ensure we are able to better tailor instruction. Rules for the Developmental program and all new swimmers who have not participated on a competitive summer swim team: All swimmers must be willing to do the following: Part with a parent, please allow them to go with the coach and give them space so they are not distracted. Please do not interfere with the coaching staff from the side, we ask that all parents remain seated behind the yellow line during practice. It's important that we have the opportunity to build trust and confidence. Follow age-appropriate instructions. Swim instruction will begin with the very basics and build with their confidence and abilities. We will not rush them or push them beyond their skill or comfort level. Willing to put their face in the water or demonstrate a willingness to work on that. They will have to be ok with getting their face wet and submerging for brief amounts of time to build the confidence to work towards independence If your swimmer demonstrates behavior that is not compatible with swim instruction in a small group setting, fear of water, or inability to follow basic instructions and the coaching staff feels these issues are not easily managed in the first 2-3 days, we may suggest waiting until next summer to try again. Our intention is to provide a fun, positive, and encouraging experience and we do not want to pressure them into something they are not ready for or instill a negative association with swimming. Our developmental program has been a success for many years. Our coaches are very enthusiastic to work with your swimmers and it's important that we build a positive, fun, and safe swim instruction environment to ensure they build a love for swimming and independence in the water. Please reach out to me directly for any coach-related questions. We can't wait to see everyone and meet you all of our new swimmers. Go Dolphins! Coach Lucy