Hey Barracudas!

Thanks for registering for the 2025 Barracudas swim season, and a special welcome to our new swim families! We’re excited to have you on the team! It can seem overwhelming at first, but there are a lot of resources to get you cruising at Barracuda speed. You can expect a weekly email with upcoming events (including how to register for your first swim meet!), coaches notes, and more.

You can also check out our website for our schedule (subscribe to the calendar to have events automatically added), information on the volunteer roles, a “Swim Meets 101” overview, and other helpful information.

Here’s what’s coming up next week:

Get Your Gear Day Monday 4/21! Our team is looking strong with 176 swimmers for summer 2025! Our first event is our annual “Get Your Gear” Day next Monday, 4/21. Stop by the BCW Big Pool (where practice is held, 2601 Creeks Edge Pkwy) around 4:30 pm to have a popsicle and say hi to fellow Barracudas! We will also be distributing our team shirts and other merchandise you ordered during registration. Coach Ryan will be available for swim assessments if you're unsure your new swimmer is ready to join the team. Board members will be available to answer any questions about how the swim season works, what meets are like, what kinds of volunteer opportunities are available and more. From 5:00 - 6:30 pm, Swim Freak will have various sizes of our team suit (your uniform for the season!) available for try on and purchase, as well as other gear you might need or want for the season (goggles, gear bag, kick board, etc.)

At this time we will also open up volunteer slots for families to schedule their remaining volunteer shifts (as a reminder, families signed up for 2 during registration and are required to complete 4 shifts for the season) or make any changes to your schedule.

Practice Begins Tuesday 4/22! Please check the schedule and try to attend the practice you signed up for during registration through the first week so the coaches can gauge group sizes and ability levels. If you don’t know your practice group, you can find it on the website by signing in and clicking “My Account” in the upper right hand corner, then your swimmer’s name. If you need to request a group change after the first week, Team Shop on our website. Your ticket includes 4-9 p.m. waterpark access to indoor and outdoor pools, slides, rides, and more, along with coupons for an 8” jumbo slice of pizza & large fountain drink for each ticketed attendee. You are welcome to purchase extra tickets for non-team members (siblings, caregivers, grandparents, etc.). This discounted ticket is good for both adults and kids (guests 2 and under are free). Please note this is an optional event but a fun opportunity for Barracuda families to have some fun outside of practices/meets. Childcare and transportation are not included. Plan on providing your own transportation or carpool to/from the waterpark and ensure your child is attending the event with a responsible ticketed adult (tickets are required for all entrants).

Bring your own towels (none are provided by Kalahari), wear your team suit, and say hi to your friends on the team! Do not drop your children off solo!

We found out after this was scheduled that the BCE Little Blue Jays choir performance is the same night, so we are sorry to miss our little Barracudas performers and wish them the best of luck in their show!

Tickets are non-refundable, though Kalahari can offer a voucher good for one year for a future visit (evening admission, subject to blackout dates) if someone is unable to attend the day of the event. We encourage you to take advantage of our group rate of $40/ticket as this is a significant discount from their stated online rate.

That’s it for now, more info to follow.

See you in the Pool!

BCW Barracudas Board