Welcome to our 2023 Season! Wow. It is here and we are ready to go. I realize we all receive many emails each day...please do your best to read these when you have a moment to stay as informed as possible. I'll usually send Poolshark emails on Sundays and then a mid-week email.

The Pool Board and many VPCA volunteers have given their time & energy to get the pool open and ready for Day 1. After being on dozens of sports teams as a parent and a coach, I have learned that youth sports teams are only as strong as the parents that are investing in the program.

Thank you to each of our parents and families for choosing to be a part of our 2023 Poolshark season!

All general info is posted on website (practice times, meet dates, etc).

1) Text Alerts - thank you for signing up - we have ~ 50% of parents signed up. We will rely on text alerts via Remind for reminders, last minute changes due to weather, etc.

Swimmers last name A-L: https://www.remind.com/join/2023vpca

Swimmers last name M-Z: https://www.remind.com/join/2023vpca00

2) Coaching/Swimmer Groups - linked HERE - please confirm your child's name is on the list and in a group - even though I am triple checking, there is a very good chance i have left out 1 or 2 kids out of 263. Please do NOT request any changes, for example 'can Bobby be moved to Johnny's group because they are best friends.' We all want to be with our friends. This is an opportunity to make new friends and be outside of our comfort zones with intentional support. Groups are determined by age & swim times in our system. New to Venetian swimmers are grouped as best possible. There will be some adjustments throughout the season as swimmers each develop/grow at different rates. For the first few days - during our team meeting at beginning of practice, coaches will do a 'roll call' so kids know where to go. Please tell your swimmer tonight before they go to bed, who their assigned coach is, so they are prepared for Day 1.

3) Cold Water - the water and nighttime air temps (40's and 50's during night) and 70's daytime temps make for very cold water. The pool is not heated. If we swim 100% of practice, we will lose 50 kids the first week and they will never return. This is the opposite of what we want. We are investing in the full 9 week season - the water will be plenty warm soon enough, but for the first 2 weeks (week 3 temps will be 80's+), we will spend majority of time during team building activities, dryland activities and some water time. During Week 1, after our daily team meeting on the wooden deck, coaches have planned a balance of 1/3 team building, 1/3 dryland exercises and 1/3 water time. Swimmers should come to practice wearing their swimsuit and also their sneakers for dryland. We will be in water for ~ 10-15 minutes each day this week. They will still get cold so dry towels post practice are important. Even though we are not in water for majority of time - showing up is still important because this is when your child will start to feel like a part of the team & their specific coaching group, along with allowing the coaches to see each swimmers personalities, leadership abilities & fitness strengths & weaknesses outside of the water.

4) Parking & Watching Practice - please be careful when bringing your child to practice - the parking lot and parking situation can be a doozy. Please be as patient as possible, especially when pulling in/out of parking lot. Parents are welcome & encouraged to stay on deck during your child's practice - this is not required but if you leave, please be on time to pick up your child. Coaches are NOT responsible for your children when they are not practicing. During practice if you stay, this is a chance to sit in sun, get to know your fellow parents, and enjoy watching your kid be a Poolshark. Parents - challenge yourself and set a goal to say hello and introduce yourself to at least 1 new person each practice. We have 30 new families (out of 150) to the team so there will be a handful of new faces to greet & make feel welcome.

5) Body Positive & Proactive Kindness - we will go over this every single practice the first two weeks. Kids need to know they are safe to be their best selves on our pool deck and that they will be loved & cared for exactly as they are. We will immediately address anything less than kindness towards teammates (or coaches) and also reinforce there will be zero comments about anyones body (including their own).

6) Talking to coaches on deck - coaches are on deck to coach. Unless your child's physical safety is immediate concern, please do not talk to coaches during the practice times other than a brief hello, thank you or goodbye. I will often walk around deck and If you have a concern about a coach or how something is being handled - please address this with me directly in person or send me a brief email. I enjoy talking to parents and will often say hello & check in with parents during practice if I'm not coaching/checking on a group. Most of our coaches are teenagers and we cannot have an adult talking to our coaches in an inappropriate manner - this coach is also someone else's child - we have an outstanding group of young people - but they are still teens and they are growing (just like us). We are bound to make mistakes but we will learn, reflect, and adjust.

7) Safe Sport - there are many rules thankfully that help protect children & coaches - USA Swimming refers to this as 'Safe Sport.' Some of the expectations that we have of coaches regarding this include:

*Never accompany a swimmer to the restroom

*Do not assist with bathing suit adjustments, etc. Should a swimmer need assistance with these things, find their parent.

*Follow the rule of 2:1. Never put yourself in a 1:1 situation with a swimmer.

*Safe touch with swimmers (shoulders, wrist, hand, head are best). Try to keep hands visible.

Because so many kids are kinesthetic learners - coaches will occasionally have to touch swimmers ankles and other moving joint parts to help with technique - but they should always do it in a manner with Safe Sport in mind while also communicating clearly out loud something such as 'Johnny, i am going to hold your ankle here so help you kick.' If you or your child ever experiences any discomfort in these situations - please let me know and we will address right away.

8) Taco Tuesday! Yes - this Tuesday May 2nd, will be our first of 3 Taco Tuesdays (May 2, 9, 16). Tacos from Las Tres Salsas.

Our amazing one in a trillion head team parent, Becky McElroy, is also the head team parent for Coach Maddy's Decatur HS Varsity soccer team. She discovered and found Sergio from Las Tres Salsas to help with pre game meals, and now we are bringing to the Poolsharks.

To pre- order: Order by Monday at 9 a.m. for Tuesday. Please text Sergio Magos at 404-645-9651 with your order and prepay on Venmo (@SergioM6).

Make sure it is clear that you are placing your order for VENETIAN POOLSHARKS for date xx/xx/xxx.

Preorder meal: $11--- Taco Plate: Choice of two tacos (chicken, steak, pork (al pastor), chorizo, grilled veggies) with rice and beans, and a cup of sliced fruit (mango and pineapple)

Menu to buy in person: Tacos $4 Quesadillas $12 Burritos $12 Tortas $12 Taco bowl (rice and beans + 1 meat) $10 meat options= steak, chicken, al pastor (marinated pork), chorizo, or grilled veggies

9) Spiritwear & Swim Caps - if you pre-purchased a $10 silicone silver V cap when registering, you can pick up at the pool this week. If you did not pre-order, you can still purchase. Poolshark mom Kerri O will be helping with this. You can also purchase Poolshark spiritwear ranging from t-shirts to hats to maybe a pack of water proof stickers. Methods of payment include PayPal, Venmo or cash.

10) It is going to be a whirlwind of a 9 week season - we know May is super super busy for everyone - come to practice as often as you can - the more kids attend, the more they will improve while increasing their connection to the team - but please do not stress if your child is missing a practice here and there - we know everyone is doing the best they can. We will make the most of each moment your child is at practice. We understand that on top of school, many kids are still doing several activities while parents are also at capacity with family & work responsibilities. When you have concerns, please reach out - we will work together to address things and work through them to best support your child.

Have Fun, Race Hard, Do Your Best, and Go Poosharks!

- Coach Beth