Hi All,

This is your 2019 Parent Meeting Recap email. If you were not able to attend tonight, please take the time to read this from 'The' to 'eeek'.

The overall goal and mission of the Riverwood Rapids Summer Swim Team:

Established in 2008 as members of the CSRA swim league, whose purpose is to stimulate interest in competitive swimming and provide a means of teaching youth of all ages the meaning of good sportsmanship through competition. 

We are an all volunteer organization that's committed to providing a safe, fun competitive sport environment in which all can participate. Our goal is to teach self confidence in the water and a love for the sport of swimming!

IMPORTANT:

• Please stay away from the edge or shallow end of the pool during practices. This will allow your child(ren) to focus on the coaches and not be distracted. Unfortunately, if you are found to be disrupting practice, e.g. coaching your child and/or hovering over the coaches, we will have to have a discussion and possibly ask you to remain outside the gate during practice times. Encouragement, as they walk by, is welcome but please keep your suggestions for your child(ren) until after practice. Thank you!
• If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to speak to any board member. Our information is on the Contact Us page and several of us will be at every practice. IMPORTANT: please refrain from speaking with the coaches during practice, you are welcome to talk with them before or after practice.
• Speaking of Coaches: they are made up of College Students & High Schoolers. Please be mindful of this and respectful of these young adults working hard to coach your kid(s)!
• Refund requests have to be written in email and sent to [email protected] before EOD (5pm) on Friday May 17th

VOLUNTEERING STEP-BY-STEP:

• Volunteer sign-ups and changes will be allowed once registration is closed, you will be able to use the website or Swimtopia app to view your volunteer positions. Please note that volunteer participation is a REQUIREMENT FOR ALL FAMILIES. We can't run a meet without your support!
• AT A MEET: Please check-in once you get there with the volunteer coordinator to get your badge/ID for your position no matter if it is second or first half of the meet. Also if we are short volunteers for the meet, we will go around asking for parents to step up and help out.

ALSO GOOD TO KNOW:

• Communication will be sent through email, Facebook posts, and Remind. Please download the Swimtopia App as well, NEW this year: Push Notifications that we can push texts if practice is cancelled. Remind: Text @riverwoodr to 81010 to join.
• We will be doing OPT-OUTs for meets, this is now available and instructions on how to do this are in the Swimtopia Cheat Sheet (see attachment).
• Go to rapids.swimtopia.com and click the Schedule tab. At the very top is a link: 'Subscribe'. This will allow you to automatically add the meet schedule to your calendar.
• Team Swim caps will be passed out on Monday May 20th to new swimmers or ones without a cap.
• Weather: we will practice in the rain but practice will be cancelled if there is thunder or lighting nearby. This applies to meets as well. If the meet makes it to the halfway point (backstroke) then team managers can agree/decide to call the meet and take the score from that point.

CALL FOR HELP/DONATIONS:

• We are going to have a Cheer Box again this year with motivational posters, pom-poms, noise-makers, etc. Any donations of these items would be AMAZING!
• Concessions: we are going to be asking for concession donations this year. We will have a sign-up link sent out for items that we would like to sell. Please donate so we can sell back to you :) Additionally, the kids loved the fruit and baked goods last year so we will do that again at each meet as well.
• We are still in DESPERATE need of a Lifeguard for all of our home meets. Please contact me if you know anyone!

MISC QUESTIONS FROM MEETING:

• Swim Suits: Augusta Swim Supply will be at practice on the 15^th to size and sell you the Riverwood team swim suit. They will also have practice suits and goggles for sale. They accept cash, check, and card.
• Swim Clinics: we are going to try and host some swim clinics this year again on Saturday mornings. The cost for the clinic is $5 per swimmer and more information will come later on what dates and what the clinics will be focusing on.
• Do we need to notify anyone if we cannot make practice? No, but please note that you absolutely do need to let us know if you are NOT going to attend a meet.
• What should swimmers wear for practice? Whatever they are comfortable in but one piece swimsuits are recommended for the girls.
• T-Shirt – Additional Orders: We will be ordering ALL T-Shirts by the EOD on the 17th. If you didn’t get a chance to order a parent shirt at registration, we will allow you to submit order first week of practice.
• Facebook Notifications: NOT getting notified with Facebook posts? Please follow these steps to make sure you are: 1. Go to the one of the posts, 2. Click the three dots, 3. Click to turn on notifications

LAST BUT NOT LEAST - FIRST TWO WEEKS OF PRACTICE:

First day of practice is May 13. Please note that the first two weeks of practice while we are after school ARE CRAZY! Be patient with your swimmer, with the coaches, and with our board members as everyone gets settled in. Thank you! ***Also Kona Ice will be out for the first practice, so please send your swimmers with some cash to enjoy a treat after swimming!

Attachment: Swimtopia Cheat Sheet. This sheet includes screenshots on how to use the website or the Swimtopia App. MOST IMPORTANT: how to opt-out of a meet if you WILL NOT be attending!

Thank you so so much to the wonderful parents that came out tonight. Can't believe that we start on Monday...eeeek!!

- Danielle Oldham