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.