This Week:

• Wednesday 5/4/16 - 8:00pm Deadline for BCW @ Austin Country Club Meet - Schedule Page (now open for signup)
• Wednesday 5/4/16 - Individual Photo Day 4:00pm-7:00pm.  Wear your team suit!!!  (Please stop by anytime during practice, even if you can't swim that day)
• Friday 5/7/16 - Fun Friday
• Saturday 5/8/16 - BCW @ ACC (Austin Country Club, next to 360 Bridge) - First Swim Meet!!!

From the Coaches:

Hey everyone! We had a GREAT start to our practice season last week… it was so exciting to see all the new and familiar faces!

Although we’re all still getting into the swing of things, expect the pace to pick up this week. With our first meet coming up on Saturday, our focus will be on controlled breathing, strong kicking, and fast starts! Though our focus will be mainly on freestyle and backstroke, fly and breast will be reintroduced as well. Please keep that in mind as you choose events for Saturday’s meet. If you have questions regarding your child’s readiness for a meet in general or in a particular stroke, please email your child’s head coach: Rachel Back-Robbins (8&under) or Peter Nguyen (9&up). Contact information is on the coaches web page.

We coaches appreciate the warm welcome we’ve received this season and are looking forward to fun times and fast swims! 

From the Board of Directors:

Welcome new and returning swimmers! We will try to send out a weekly newsletter early in the week covering the hot topics and schedule reminders. We will send out a second message later in the week with the last minute meet information.

Key items for the week -

Registration Fees - are due before the first day of practice. We have been turning people away because of a full roster. Please pay as soon as possible, we have fees due to the league for our insurance and need to start paying our coaches!

Weather - The safety of our swimmers, coaches and families are a key concern. We will be watching weather reports, lightning strike information (using weatherbug/spark), and the lightning warning system at the nearby schools. We will practice in the rain, but if there is nearby lightning we will cancel practice. Watch the Key Updates box on the www.bcwbarracudas.com web page for any weather related updates.  If weather is threatening, we ask that you stay close in case we have to cancel a practice in progress.

Volunteering - Thank you for all the flexibility in volunteering this season! We wouldn’t have a team for your kids without all the parent volunteers! This is our first year using the point system, there will be bumps along the way, but we feel the changes will make the team operate much easier in the future. Thanks for learning along with us!  If you don’t remember your volunteer jobs, you can find them under My Account on the www.bcwbarracudas.com web page.

Merchandise - Items ordered during registration will be delivered at practices as soon as they arrive.

Parking - Please - no parking on the grass between the pool driveway and the playscape due to sprinklers.  See Pool Location link for more details on parking.  (This applies to practices and meets.)

Meet Signup - Meet signup is open for the Saturday meet.  Everyone must reply, attending or not by Wednesday at 8:00pm.  If you don't reply, you won't be included in any events to swim.

Baby/Splash Pool - During practices, please reserve the baby/splash pool for siblings too young for swim team.   Parents of little ones are expected to be in the immediate area (close enough to get wet) of the splash pool if they have little ones swimming.  We don't have life guards or coaches monitoring that pool, and we will only allow use of the splash pool as long as it is a safe and appropriately supervised by parents.  (The splash pool is closed completely during meets.)

That’s it for today!!!  See you at the pool!!!