Banquet 8.3.08

The new banquet date is now set for:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3RD
6:00PM DINNER
6:30PM AWARDS
ASAP POOL PARTY

This date is final...pending no hurricanes, tornadoes, or bubonic plagues!

Banquet Date Change!!

RICHARDSON RAPIDS END OF SEASON BANQUET

Come and celebrate the end of a wonderful summer of swimming with the Rapids!!!

Friday, August 1st @ the Richardson YMCA Pool
Dinner starts at 6:00pm
Awards start at 6:30pm
Pool party begins ASAP!

The main course for dinner is catered barbeque from Sonny Brian's. Please sign-up to bring a side dish or dessert.

Don't miss this fun opportunity to see all your friends for the last time and say goodbye to your coaches!! You won't want to miss the famous GREASED WATERMELON TOURNAMENT!!

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* did you notice the date is now Friday, Aug. 1 instead of Saturday, Aug. 2? HOPE SO!! Don't be that family who shows up on the wrong day...then you'll have missed all the fun!

Season Closing Newsletter

1. TEAM BANQUET has been moved to this FRIDAY NIGHT!! The Richardson YMCA is superchlorinating our pool this Saturday which will make it unsuitable to swim in all weekend. Sorry for the late notice!! Come enjoy free catered BBQ from Sonny Brian’s, get your 2008 trophy, and play the famous “Greased Watermelon” game. Parents and swimmers, bring your suits! Dinner begins @ 6pm, with awards @ 6:30, followed by a pool party until it gets dark!!
2. TEAM RECORDS. We have set an astounding 22 new team records this season. Congrats to the following for setting team records:

Sophia Falies: Girls 6&U 25 FR, Girls 6&U 50 FR, Girls 6&U 25 BK
Madison Williams: Girls 9-10 50 FR, Girls 9-10 100 FR, Girls 9-10 200 FR, Girls 9-10 50 BK, Girls 9-10 100 BK, Girls 9-10 50 FL, Girls 9-10 200 IM
Hannah Dunlap: Girls 9-10 50 BR
Ryann Heim: Girls 9-10 100 BR
Rachel Balke: Girls 15-21 100 FR, Girls 15-21 50 BK, Girls 15-21 100 BK, Girls 15-21 100 BR, Girls 15-21 200 IM
Ryan Rutoskey: Boys 13-14 100 FR, Boys 13-14 100 BK, Boys 13-14 100 IM, Boys 13-14 200 IM, Boys 13-14 400 IM

3. LONESTAR. The Richardson Rapids placed 2nd in the summer division with 1033.5 points at the 2008 YMCA State Swim Meet. Congratulations to the following for achieving high point honors in their age group: Rachel Balke (Girls 15-21 First Place), Ryan Rutoskey (Boys 13-14 Third Place), Sophia Falies (Girls 6&U Second Place).
4. LONESTAR MEDALS. If you did not get a chance to grab a Lonestar medal, they will be available at banquet. If you think your swimmer earned a medal and did not receive it, please let Coach Ryan know ASAP. Medals are awarded to top 16 finishers in individual and relay events.
5. LEVEL 4 SOCIAL. Your coaches are hosting an end-of-summer cook out/pool party for the 15 and up age group for all their incredible leadership on the team this season. It will held be at Jessica’s clubhouse pool this Saturday @ 6pm. Please call Jessica to confirm that you are coming. Directions will be provided at Banquet on Friday night.
6. MISSING TEAM SHIRT. If you misplaced a team t-shirt at Lonestar and you happen to be a Youth Large, then we have it. It will be available for you to pick up at banquet.
7. TEAM PICTURES are finally in and ready for pickup at the banquet!! If you are not planning to attend the banquet and you ordered a package/print, please e-mail Coach Ryan at ryanc@ymcadallas.org to arrange a time to pick yours up.
8. YEAR ROUND SWIMMING. If you are interested in a year round program for 2008-2009, please talk to Ryan or Jessica at Banquet. We have compiled a list of USA Swimming teams around the area with contact information and practice times/locations. If you wonder how people set team records and final at Lonestar, this is it!

2008 Team Records

Congratualations to the following for setting new team records this season:

Women 6 & Under 25 Free
1 26.84 Y F Falies, Sophia
Women 6 & Under 50 Free
1 41.59 Y F Falies, Sophia
Women 8 & Under 25 Back
1 31.69 Y F Falies, Sophia
Women 9-10 50 Free
1 34.34 Y F Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 100 Free
1 1:17.48 Y F Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 200 Free
1 2:58.15 Y F Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 50 Back
1 39.81 Y P Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 100 Back
1 1:30.04 Y P Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 50 Breast
1 49.75 Y F Dunlap, Hannah
Women 9-10 100 Breast
1 1:49.67 Y F Heim, Ryann
Women 9-10 50 Fly
1 41.59 Y F Williams, Madison
Women 9-10 200 IM
1 3:19.54 Y F Williams, Madison
Women 15-21 100 Free
1 57.08 Y F Balke, Rachel
Women 15-21 50 Back
1 29.80 Y F Balke, Rachel
Women 15-21 100 Back
1 1:03.63 Y F Balke, Rachel
Women 15-21 100 Breast
1 1:17.83 Y F Balke, Rachel
Women 15-21 200 IM
1 2:20.30 Y F Balke,Rachel
Men 13-14 100 Free
1 57.01 Y F Rutoskey, Ryan
Men 13-14 100 Back
1 1:05.46 Y F Rutoskey, Ryan
Men 13-14 100 IM
1 1:05.92 Y F Rutoskey, Ryan
Men 13-14 200 IM
1 2:20.92 Y F Rutoskey, Ryan
Men 13-14 400 IM
1 5:08.60 Y F Rutoskey, Ryan

Spaghetti Dinner TONIGHT!

Who: The Richardson Rapids
What: Potluck dinner
When: Tonight, Wednesday, July 23rd
Where: Richardson YMCA
Why: Team spirit, bonding, and Lonestar info

Lonestar is coming and the kids need to build up their carbs! Mom and dad may need some too for the long and grueling weekend of shouting at the top of your lungs!

Please join us TONIGHT for our annual Spaghetti dinner. Everyone is asked to sign up for a dish on the signup sheet in the swimmers box to ensure we have enough variety of things. We also need a count of how many family members plan to attend. So break out your great grandma’s best Italian recipe and we will enjoy the great food. Please remember to bring whatever appropriate serving utensils you need and to label your dish so that we are sure it gets back to the right owner.

After dinner the kids will go to the gym to make some spirit gear for lone star. During this time Coach Ryan will give parents the low down on what to expect. So come armed with your questions.

We are also proud to announce our first ever team election on our T-shirt slogan for next year. We will have a ballot box at the dinner and the kids can come up with their favorite slogan and put it in the box. All slogans will be reviewed and the top 5 will be voted on at banquet. The winner will earn bragging rights for an entire year and get a free t-shirt next season with their slogan on the shirt.

The dinner is BYOD (BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS). We will not be providing drinks so please pack a cooler for the family!

So come hungry and ready to enjoy some great food and fun!

Lonestar meet fees

The following have not paid their Lonestar fees yet and need to do so as soon as possible. The deadline for this was last Monday. Please turn in money into a board member at practice. If you have a special situation or see a problem, please talk to a coach. Thanks in advance!

Burkert - $85
Christiansen - $50
Dembny – PD $55, Owes $5
Keith - $5
King - $15
Luckinbill - $20
Moss - $20
Patterson – PD $30, Owes $15
Robbins - $5
Sabzkooh - $25
Taylor - $15
Waldron - $40
Wang - $40
Webb/Williams - $100

Week 8 Newsletter

1. SPAGHETTI DINNER. Bring your appetites and your favorite Italian dish…oh, and your questions! The Potluck Spaghetti Dinner is this WEDNESDAY evening in the gym and you do not want to miss this. Dinner begins at 7pm; Parents meeting followed directly after while swimmers will be getting in the spirit of Lonestar. We will be discussing everything you need to know about Lonestar, including directions, seating, schedules, diet and rest, relays, team goals, and more.
2. PRACTICE. Don’t forget about the revised practice schedule this week. All levels will practice MON-WED ONLY from 7:30-8:30am.
3. LONESTAR 2008. Lonestar begins this Thursday and we want to be ready! That means take it easy this week. Sleep lots, eat tons of carbs, and save energy. Parents, make sure swimmers are resting between each event and eating HEALTHY snacks immediately after every race. Also, preparing themselves mentally for upcoming races and concentrating during races. Once your swimmer is finished racing, help them concentrate on their next race. If they have a bad race, make sure they forget about it and move on. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Swimmers must check in with a coach BEFORE every race to get strategy/encouragement and AFTER every race to get stickers. YOU MUST CHECK OUT WITH COACH JESSICA OR COACH RYAN BEFORE YOU LEAVE!! This is crucial as you may be in a relay or final and not even know it.
4. LONESTAR VOLUNTEERS. We need volunteers to help us run the coaches and officials hospitality room at Lonestar. Richardson is in charge of Thursday night dinner and Sunday lunch. We just need willing parents to make sure everything is set up and cleaned up afterwards. A plus to this is that you can be on deck to see your swimmers race at a front row spot. Please volunteer for this at spaghetti dinner.
5. LONESTAR SPIRIT PARADE. We think it’s about time the Rapids won the Spirit Award at Lonestar…but we need your help! Swimmers and parents alike, let’s be the most spirited group at Lonestar. Bring your posters, cowbells, shakers, spirit attire, and team spirit. The spirit parade is when we get to show off our team spirit to the entire meet. This takes place on Sunday afternoon before the last evening session begins. Be there no later than 2pm to march around the pool decked out in spirit gear.
6. UNIFORM. The Dallas Swim League requires that every swimmer wear a team swim cap or a cap labeled with a Y logo. Make sure you follow these rules so we don’t make the coaches and team look bad. Also, don’t forget to put your team logo on your suit if you have not done so already. Just drop by Kiefer Plano to have this done for free!
7. BANQUET. Mark your calendars for August 2nd. The team banquet is where we honor every swimmer with a team trophy and certificate, eat dinner, and have a pool party. Also, additional individual awards will be given out. This is will take place at the Richardson YMCA so be looking for more info next week.
8. 2009 PARENT BOARD. If you are interested in a board position for 2009, please let Kristen Falies know via e-mail by July 30th. This group is vital to the successful operation of our team! We need to have the new board names secure by the team banquet where the new board will be announced. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask any current board members.
9. T-SHIRT SLOGAN. We are proud to announce our first ever team election on our T-shirt slogan for next year. We will have a ballot box at the dinner and swimmers can come up with their favorite slogan and put it in the box. All slogans will be reviewed and the top 5 will be voted on at banquet. The winner will earn bragging rights for an entire year and get a free t-shirt next season with their slogan on the shirt.

2009 Parent Board Positions

Have you ever wondered how all the activities of the swim season get accomplished? Well we owe a lot of thanks to our coaches who keep us on track, but we also have a wonderful parent board that help organize and plan all the events of the season. It is not only a good way to get to know other parents better, but you also get the inside track on how the team is doing and get input in the events of the season. This group is vital to handle all the social and team events so that the coaches have more time to dedicate to actually coaching.
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The 2008 parent board consists of:

President: Charlotte Balke
Treasurer: Bruce Dillow
Historian: Michelle Hamaker
Secretary: Annette Hornbeck
Swim Official Rep: Bill Webb
Meet Coordinators: Luke and Laurie Plese, Mike and Becky Kmak, Kristen Falies
Social Coordinator: New position for 2009
Lone Star Coordinator: New position for 2009
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Things we accomplished this year: Team t-shirts, team pictures, food donation for all swim meets for Hospitality rooms, manning two concession stands, distributing ribbons for the Richardson meets, Pep Rally, Ice Cream social, Lap-a-thon, Spaghetti dinner, Banquet, coaches appreciation and two successful swim meets. Wow, that is a lot in 2 months!

It is time to find a new board for next year. So if you are interested in any of these position please let Kristen Falies know via e-mail by July 30th. We need to have the new board names secure by the Team Banquet where the new board will be announced.

We have great parent participation on the Rapids and we now need some of you great volunteers to step up and help us out on the board. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask any current board members.

Week 7 Newsletter

Hello Rapids!

Wow, impressive results at the Summer Championship Meet this weekend! We finished 6th overall and 2nd place out of the summer teams. As coaches, we were very impressed with the 44 swimmers that represented the Rapids. League Champs is a very good indicator of how Lonestar will turn out so let's work really hard in the next week and a half to become the SUMMER STATE CHAMPIONS once again!

There is a lot of information that is going to come at you in the next two weeks so make sure you are checking the website and asking questions if you have them. Here is what you need to know for this week:

1. STROKE CLINIC will be starting this week and running Monday-Thursday from 7:30-8:15pm. Jessica will be coaching all week. All age groups welcome, sign up at the front desk before you get there tonight. Remember, 10 swimmer max, $40. Please take advantage of this before Lonestar!
2. INTERSQUAD MEET. Since our dual meet was cancelled, we will be holding an intersquad meet to get qual times for those swimmers who weren't able reach them through out the season. Everyone will be expected to swim, even if you have qualified an event. Please be keeping track of what events your swimmer still needs to qualify and have them available TOMORROW MORNING. If you have questions about this, please email richardson.rapids@hotmail.com. A top times spreadsheet has been placed in your swimmers folder so you can check your swimmers time to the Lonestar qual time (found in the meet info packet).
3. PEP RALLY. Come get excited for Lonestar with the team this Saturday at Hawaiian Falls Garland!! We have reserved a pavilion and a group rate of $10.99 per person. We will be meeting at the pavilions at 1pm to make team banners and spirit equiptment, eat snacks, and hang out. The team will provide snacks and drinks but if you'd like to bring your own food/drinks then you have to pay the additional cooler rate ($10). Come early and stay late: the park is open from 10:30am tp 7pm! Check your folder for flyer and directions.
4. SPAGHETTI DINNER. You do not want to miss our carb overload the night before Lonestar begins! Our 3rd annual spaghetti dinner is a pot-luck where you bring your favorite Italian dish. Starting next week, there will be a sign up at the box every morning at practice so please sign-up for what you'd like to bring. This is a really fun time, great food, and a lot of vauable information for Lonestar. If you are attending your first Lonestar, you do not want to miss this. We will eat together in the gym at 7pm and split the kids and adults after dinner. Flyers are available in your boxes.
5. LONESTAR. The big show-down is coming up and we want every possible swimmer to come help our team. It is a FOUR DAY MEET (July 24-27) with older kids in the morning, younger in the afternoon, and finals/relays at night. Remember, you must have had participated in 2 meets and optained qual times (9 and up only) to be eligible for the Lonestar State Meet. Entries are due TOMORROW @ 9AM after the intersquad meet is finished. Please e-mail us with specific questions!
6. TAPER. We will begin tapering for Lonestar on Wednesday of this week until Wednesday of next week. This means purely stroke work, starts, turns, and sprint workouts. By reducing the workload in the training plan, it allows the swimmer to perform optimally for shorter stretches of time as a result of a season’s worth of training. It’s like compressing everything learned throughout the season into one quick and successful winning race!While the physical effects of taper workouts for swimming are undeniable, tapering also offers positive mental effects as well. As a big competition nears, a swimmer must build their self-confidence and bolster their positive self-image in order to swim their best. By tapering their workout regime instead of powering towards the competition, athletes are given more time to relax and focus on each individual stroke. A clear mental picture is the first step towards a successful, race-winning stroke.
7. TEAM PICTURES. If you didn't get a chance to order the group team picture, there's still time. They are $7 for a 5x7. Please email futurestarsphoto@sbcglobal.net of your interested.

Thanks for your committment to the Richardson Rapids! Let's have a fun and focused week of practice.

Thanks,

Coaches

Revised Practice Times

We have begun tapering for Lonestar and are mainly focusing on stroke work, starts, and turns at practice.

Starting next week, we will begin practice at different times:

Monday, July 21-Wednesday July 23
7:30am-8:30am
ALL LEVELS

The practice season will end on Wednesday. Lonestar begins on Thursday so do not show up for practice!

Lonestar Entries

Our team entry for Lonestar has been placed in your e-mail inboxes. If you have not received this document, please e-mail richardson.rapids@hotmail.com. Please double check and make sure your swimmer is entered in all their events correctly. Relays are also included.

Lonestar meet entry fees are not included in the cost of registration and require you to pay additional funds.

COST OF ENTRIES:
$5 per event
Relays are paid for by the team if you are swimming in one or more.

Please turn your CHECK into the hanging folder entitled "Lonestar" located in the box. The deadline for entry fees is Monday, July 21st.

Hawaiian Falls

Attention Parents:

Hawaiian Falls tickets are available at practice tomorrow for the discounted rate of $10.99 per person. If your family is planning on coming to the pep ralley, you will need to come buy a ticket tomorrow. Cash and checks (payable to Richardson YMCA) wil be accepted. Otherwise, you will have to pay the regular price at the gate.

Lonestar Entries

Lonestar Entries are due this TUESDAY, JULY 15 @ 9am.

If you are 9 and older, you must have reached your QUALIFYING TIME that can be proved by meet results or through a time trial. If you are 8 and under, you must be close to your GOAL TIMES to able to swim that event. All of these can be found in the Lonestar Meet Packet. You should have picked these up in your swimmers folder by now.

If you would like a coach to handle your entry, let us know!

Dual Meet

The Dual Meet with Lewisville has been cancelled. Instead we will be holding an Intersquad Meet during TUESDAY MORNING PRACTICE. Every swimmer will be expected to compete, even those who have already qualified all of their desired events to Lonestar. Events will be decided by coaches. You can e-mail richardson.rapids@hotmail.com if you'd like to petition for a certain event to be offered.

Stroke Clinic UPDATE

Stroke Clinic will take place this MONDAY, JULY 14 - THURSDAY, JULY 17 from 7:30pm-8:15pm.

This is the only time available for the clinic. The morning clinic has been CANCELLED. If you plan to attend, please pay at the front desk by Monday at 9pm. Once again, the cost is $40.

Stroke Clinic

Stroke Clinic will begin this Monday, June 14 and run through Thursday, June 18. We will be holding a morning session (9am-9:45am) and an evening session (7:30-8:15pm). Ryan will be coaching the morning, Jessica in the evening.

The final cost for four 45-minute sessions is $40. Class size is limited to 10 people so if you are interested then sign up at the front desk! First come, first serve. Deadline is MONDAY @ 9AM. Ten bucks a lesson is a really good rate; with Lonestar around the corner, it will help tremendously getting more individualized focus on strokes. Don't miss this great opportunity!!

We will be working on very specific technique on butterfly, back stroke, breast stroke, and freestyle, dive starts, relay starts, flips turns, open turns, IM turns, and sprints.

The following have already indicated interest:

Brenner Fody (AM)
Kate Dembny (AM)
Susan Dembny (AM)
Sophia Falies (PM)
Kaytea Luckinbill (no pref)
Beca Reno (PM)
Natalie Bell (no pref)
Alicia Bell (no pref)
Gwen Robbins (no pref)
Ryann Heim (PM)
Samantha Costigan (PM)
Jillian Costigan (PM)
Stella Gresham (PM)

TEAM PICTURES

Don't forget we have team pictures scheduled for 7am tomorrow morning!!! If you're scheduled at 7:30, get there early. Wear your team suit and your team shirt. The individual pictures will take place first followed by the group picture. Order forms/package sizes will be available at practice.

League Champs

We are now officially in championship meet mode. With League Champs this weekend and state right around the corner, we have to make sure we are on our A game. This means resting in the shade between each event and eating HEALTHY snacks immediately after every race. Also, preparing yourself mentally for your upcoming race and concentrating during your race. Once your swimmer is finished racing, help them concentrate on their next race. If they have a bad race, make sure they forget about it and move on. Parents, make sure you are helping your swimmers get the best race every time!

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Swimmers must check in with a coach BEFORE every race to get strategy/encouragment and AFTER every race to tell us their time. Please encourage them to ask their time keeper their time after racing.

YOU MUST CHECK OUT WITH COACH JESSICA OR COACH RYAN BEFORE YOU LEAVE!! This is crucial as you may be in a relay and not even know it.

Week 6 Newsletter

1. DUAL MEET has been moved into next week so don’t show up tomorrow night! Everything depends on pool availability at the Y. Meet packets will be distributed ASAP. More to come.
2. LEVEL 4. Drylands tomorrow morning so don’t forget your tennis shoes. We will be doing weight training. Be on time at 6:45.
3. STROKE CLINIC. The following people have expressed interest in stroke clinic: Brenner Fody, Kate Dembny, Susan Dembny, Sophia Falies, Kaytea Luckinbill, Beca Reno, Natalie Bell, Alicia Bell. Please e-mail richardson.rapids@hotmail.com with a time preference: morning (after swim practice) or evening (around 6 or 7pm). The majority will decide the schedule. E-mail soon so we can get started next Monday!
4. TOWN NORTH MEET. The league championship meet is this Saturday and Sunday. Yes, it is a two day meet and it’s a hot one!! You may sign up for as many as 6 individual events; coaches will sign you up for 2 possible relays. Meet packets are due TOMORROW by the end of practice. This is your last meet opportunity before Lonestar!! If you don’t have two meets, you need to attend this meet if you expect to compete at the state meet.
5. TEAM PICTURE DAY is scheduled for this Friday during practice. Please wear your team suit along with your team shirt. Individual and group packages will be available for purchase.
6. SPAGHETTI DINNER. Please put WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 (or the night before Lonestar) on your calendars! We have our potluck Italian dinner this night. You can bring any Italian dish you’d like. We like to encourage high carb diets with your swimmers the week before Lonestar and it’s a really fun time. Also it’s a really good information session for those who have not attended a Loenstar! Sign-up will be available at practice next week.
7. PARENT BOARD MEETING is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7pm. Please e-mal if you'd like to attend.

Week of July 4th Practice

NO PRACTICE WEDNESDAY, JULY 3 - FRIDAY, JULY 5. PRACTICE WILL RESUME MONDAY, JULY 7 AT YOUR NORMALLY SCHEDULED TIME. PLEASE BE ON TIME.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!