Swim Team Summer Week #7

Hello Swim Team Families,

Last email of the season! Congrats to everyone who competed at Southern Division and good luck to our swimmers competing at the big All City meet tomorrow! Coming up on Friday is our Team Party & Awards Night.

tldr, here’s five (optional) to do’s:

1) RSVP for team party on Friday

2) Text John Stivers if you can help on Thursday to prep food for the party. (He really needs your help, see below)

3) Contribute to coaches gift- venmo @kirsty-grainger, zelle 206-931-7537

4) Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow (or email)

5)  Feedback Survey

Tues Aug 5 is All City Championships @View Ridge. Meet starts at 4 pm. Congrats to our All City team:

Claire Loeffler, Jonas Moor, Quinn Beherndt, Finn Harris, Eloise Maine, Chelsea Smithco, Tessa Sweeney*, Porter Dysart, Lucy Richmond, Katie Trainor, Amanda Trainor, Dior Webb, Mari Kaupang*, Ryan Little, Lincoln Temme, Amalia Beherndt*, Jack Drader-Eldred, Aiden Little, David Moor, William Bentler, Kellen Harris*, Cookie Hooper, Maisey Jarrett, Lucy LaBella, Cecilia Pallotta, Sadie Pallotta*, Sonja Rehkopf*, Lucy Rysemus*, Walker Temme*   *alts

Friday Aug 8 is the Swim Team Party & Awards Night. Join us at the Arb to recognize our swimmers, bid farewell to graduating seniors, hand out a few awards, and celebrate the 2025 swim season! All swim team/starter swim families are welcome. Please RSVP and let us know if you can make it.

*** Looking for help on Thursday: Are you free and can be at the pool on Thursday between 10:30-1:30? John Stivers plans to make his awesome tacos for our team party, but he’s tweaked his back and is looking for a couple of people to help him prep food for the party. Please text him at 253-905-1295 if you can help out. #saveourtacos

5:00 pm: Arrive
5:30 pm: Serve dinner – tacos! burgers & dogs  w potluck sides/dessert
6:00 pm: Recognition & Awards Program

6:something -9:00 pm: Party!!  Slideshow at dusk.

BRING: 1) swim stuff 2) a dessert or side to share 3) any white shirt for color war

Coaches Gift. As the season concludes, we invite you to contribute to a thank you gift for our amazing coaching team. You can Venmo or Zelle (@kirsty-grainger / 206-931-7537) I’ll also have an envelope at the party. Contributing is completely optional, all funds will be divided among the coaches and presented at the team party. We will also have cards available for the kids to sign at the party.

Photo Slideshow. Share photos so we can feature them in our annual slideshow!  Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow. Or you can email them to this address and I’ll upload them for you.

Feedback Survey. Finally- we’d love to hear about how the season went for you, and any ideas for making swim team better – take our short Feedback Survey.

Aaaand, that’s it! Thank you, good luck to our All City swimmers, and hope to see you at the big party on Friday!

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

Useful Links

Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow

meet results (league website)

Previous swim team emails are posted here

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses

Upcoming Events

– – – – – – –

Post Season

Aug 5 All City @View Ridge

– – – – – – – –

Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night 5 pm   RSVP

Swim Team Summer Week #6

Hello Swim Team Families!

What a fantastic end to our regular season last Thursday/Friday with B-Champs, Pool Party, Sleepover, Pancake Breakfast, and final practice!  Thanks to everyone who volunteered and helped out, that was an epic 20 hours of swim team fun.

For many of us, things will be a little quiet the next couple of weeks as the postseason unwinds, and then we will all come together again for our big Swim Team Party & Awards night on Friday August 8!

Read on for more info…

Coaches Gift. As the season concludes, we invite you to contribute to a thank you gift for our amazing coaching team. Coaching at the Arb is so much more than a summer job, and this is a wonderful way to show your appreciation if the coaches have positively impacted your child this summer. Contributing is completely optional. You can find an envelope in the office (aka snack shack) or contribute via Venmo or Zelle (@kirsty-grainger / 206-931-7537). All collected funds will be divided among the coaches and presented at the team party. We will also have cards available for the kids to sign at the party.

Friday Aug 8 Swim Team Party & Awards Night. We will recognize our swimmers, bid farewell to our graduating seniors, hand out a few awards, carry out a couple more chaotic Arbor traditions (see below), and celebrate the swim season! All swim team/starter swim families are welcome. Let us know if you’re attending: RSVP

We will be serving up burgers and dogs (there will be vegetarian options, please email if you have any dietary concerns) with potluck side dishes/dessert. After dinner, we’ll have a short recognition program, and then party til bedtime! This is a rough timeline:

5:00 pm: Arrive
5:30 pm: Serve Dinner
6:00 pm: Recognition & Awards Program (while people are eating)

6:something -9:00 pm: Party!!

Here’s what to bring: 1. a potluck side or dessert to share, 2. swim stuff, it’s a pool party, 3. a white shirt… (any white shirt is fine, it will wash out)

Photo Slideshow. Do you have photos from the season? Share some with us so we can feature them in our annual slideshow!  Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow. Or you can email them to this address and I’ll upload them for you.

Feedback Survey. Finally- we’d love to hear about how the season went for you, so we can continue to improve our program. Will you please take our short Feedback Survey?  If you are swimming postseason and want to wait, that’s fine- we will leave it open until summer is over, and remind everyone a few more times.

Wishing good luck and fast swims to our postseason championships swimmers!

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

Useful Links
Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow
meet results (league website)
Previous swim team emails are posted here
Season overview calendar
.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar
Practice schedule
Order a Team Suit
Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses
RSVP for meets   | Did I RSVP?
  
Upcoming Events 

– – – – – – –
Post Season
Prelims:
Jul 28 Girls @OV  (warmup 2:25-2:50)
Jul 29 Boys @GS   (warmup 2:25-2:50)
Finals:
Jul 31 Southern Division @NP
Aug 5 All City @View Ridge
– – – – – – – –
Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night 5 pm   RSVP for Awards Night & Swim Party

Swim Team Summer Week #5

Hello Swim Team Families,

Can you believe it? We have already arrived at the last week of the swim season!

tldr: Your to-do’s:  

  1.     RSVPfor Tuesday’s final dual meet
  2.     RSVP   for Thurs B -Champs, DUE EOD TUESDAY NO EXCEPTIONS
  3. Volunteer  to HELP at B-Champs. Teen helpers are also welcome!
  4.     Register for Swim Team SleepoverThursday night.

For those who want more information, lock in bc this is going to be a long email …

Tues Jul 23 is our final dual meet at Lakeridge. Please  RSVP for your swimmer ASAP and no later than Sunday EOD. This should be a fun meet, there’s a lot of West Seattle families who swim for Lakeridge.

 

Thurs Jul 25  We will end the regular season with a bang as the swim team takes over the Arb for 20 hours straight(!) as we embark on the epic summer swim marathon party of B-Champs/Pool Party/Team Sleepover/Breakfast of Champions/Final Friday Fun Practice.  

 

B-CHAMPS SOUTHERN DIVISION QUALIFIER (Th 7/24)

This is our final open meet of the season, where swimmers from all the southern clubs gather to race and try to get a prelims-qualifying time. It’s a fun and chill meet that goes quickly since it’s only individual events, there’s no relays.

Even if you are not swimming, we hope you’ll come and help out -> volunteer.  Hosting a multi-club meet is a big all-hands-on-deck undertaking, and Seniors and responsible 14’s can volunteer-  timing, concessions, staging- there’s lots to do! Do you know any middle or high schoolers looking – this is a great opportunity to get up to 5 service hours.

This year’s theme for B-Champs is: Bands and Bands! Making and exchanging friendship bracelets has become a B-Champs tradition, so get crafty! We will be rocking out to our favorite swim meet jams, and everyone is encouraged to show up dressed like a rockstar, and load up their wrists with friendship bracelets. (Get it? bands… and bands? Hahaha…) We hope to see you there, either as a swimmer or as a cheering teammate/helper.

B-Champs is open to any swimmer who has not yet achieved a prelims-qualifying time in an individual event. This is a meet where it’s really important that you clearly opt in or opt out (you can fill this out multiple times, we’ll use the one with the latest timestamp). If you opt in and then make prelims, don’t worry about it, we will know. But if you think you want to swim, you need to opt in. This is a complicated meet with many clubs and heats, and we will not be able to accomodate last minute email additions.

B-Champs warm up is at 2:30 (<- NOTE THIS EARLY START TIME, gates open at 2 pm) and the meet starts at 4 pm. There is more B-Champs info  HERE.

SWIM TEAM POOL PARTY & SLEEPOVER!!  (Th 7/24)

Right after B-Champs concludes sometime between 6 and 7 pm, swimmers will set up tents around the pool deck, enjoy some swimming time and dinner (we’ll do something like hot dogs or pizza, not sure yet) and then crawl into their sleeping bags for a very quiet and restful night of sleep with no goofing off or nonsense whatsoever. In the morning on Friday the well-rested swimmers will roll out of bed and right into our final fun Friday practice and ‘Breakfast of Champions” (pancakes).

If your swimmer is going to attend the sleepover, you MUST sign them up to attend, we NEED to have a registration with emergency contact information for everyone staying the night.    –>     Register for Sleepover.  We also MUST have enough chaperones for the night to be safe and sane for everyone. Please consider signing up to stay the night and help.

Sleepover Rules:

  • Do not set up tents until after B-Champs ends and other teams have cleared out. Parents, please help your kids set up their tents and make sure their sleeping arrangements are established before leaving for the night.
  • All participants younger than 11 MUST have a designated adult chaperone stay overnight at the pool. Families, this is up to you to coordinate, exchange phone numbers, etc. For participants 11+ responsible adult chaperones (including me) will be onsite overseeing them.
  • All overnight participants must be registered and parents will be required to provide at least one phone number (ringer ON) prior to leaving the premises.
  • Tents will be set up in the grassy areas and deck, and will be organized by age groups. Younger kids will be in tents on the grass by the tennis courts, Seniors will be in the southeast corner of the pool by the flagpole. (Seniors/Teens may elect to sleep on deck chairs and/or under open canopies)
  • Quiet hours will begin at 10:00pm.  At 10:30 pm, gates will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter/exit the club until the following morning without adult permission.
  • Participants should bring a sleeping bag, camp pad, tent, or whatever they need for sleeping arrangements, toothbrush and whatever they need for swim practice on Friday.

All team members (including Starter Swim) are welcome to participate in this sleep over/under however works best for your child- maybe you want to join for the party and evening swimming but depart and sleep in your own bed? That’s great! Anyone not staying over please plan to depart by 10 pm. It would help us for food count if you Register for Sleepover and then put in the notes that you’re not actually sleeping over.

Swimmers can also just participate in fun and pancakes Friday morning. (Come on over early if you want, people will be here, early bird adult lap swim will be running, pancakes will be flipping. Practices start at 7 am. )

 

LAST PRACTICE & BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS (Fri 7/25) 

Friday will be our final practice of the regular season . We’ll generally follow our usual age group schedule, though everything will be very relaxed.  We’ll have fun and games, plus our “Breakfast of Champions” pancake breakfast!

Looking ahead,

FRIDAY AUGUST 9, after a little break for the postseason, is our Team Party and Awards Night! Mark your calendars for 5 pm. (Starter Swim families are also included in this event! ) There will be dinner, awards, swimming, and some colorful chaos!

RSVP for Awards Night & Swim Party

Contribute Photos for 2025 Slideshow (or you can email them to me here)

 

——————

POSTSEASON  (7/29- 8/6)

Coming up is the post-season finals. To qualify to swim in the finals, swimmers must achieve a time for an event that is faster than the prelims-qualifying time, or they must be named as a swimmer or alternate in a qualifying relay going to Prelims. Relay spots are decided by our coaching team.

To swim in the postseason, swimmers must commit to participating in ALL post season meets. See schedule down below in email signature, and talk with the coaches if you have questions. If you know you’ll likely be swimming post season, you may need to plan ahead to miss work in the afternoons– see below for warm up times. Returning families, I also need you to volunteer at least one postseason meet. 

Families with swimmers who have posted times eligible to swim postseason will receive a separate email with logistics information and the post season practice schedule later this week after the Lakeridge meet.

——————-

Let us know if you have any questions- reply all to include coaches.

A-R-B-O-R GO ARBOR! 

Kirsty

ARBOR HEIGHTS SWIM REP

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com

Useful Links

Share Photos for 2025 Slideshow

meet results (league website)

Previous swim team emails are posted here

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses

RSVP for meets   | Did I RSVP?

  

Upcoming Events 

Jul 22     Away Meet @ Lakeridge |  RSVP by Sun Jul 20 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24     B-Champs @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | volunteer | Warmup 2:30-2:50

Jul 24     B-Champs Team Sleepover | Register for Sleepover

Jul 25     Last day of practice!  Pancake Breakfast

– – – – – – –

Post Season Prelims:

Jul 28 Girls @OV  (warmup 2:25-2:50)    volunteer

Jul 29 Boys @GS   (warmup 2:25-2:50)     volunteer

Post Season Finals:

Jul 31 Southern Division @NP   volunteer

Aug 5 All City @View Ridge  volunteer

– – – – – – – –

Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night 5 pm   RSVP for Awards Night & Swim Party

Swim Team Summer Week #4

Happy peak summer, Otter Fans!

TLDR   Pls 1) RSVP for Tues AWAY vs. KT  2)  RSVP  for Ths home vs TL. (SENIOR NIGHT!)  and 3) sign up to **volunteer ** for TL meet because we need! your! help! TYSM! 

Here’s what’s coming up:

Tonight: We are going to the DubSea Fishsticks game! Gates open at 5:00, and first pitch is 6:00. When you arrive, look for blue & red, and Addie & Julia – the stadium is small and it is a chill, family-friendly environment. And, I hear there might be a fun surprise or two in store for us. I hear the game is sold out, but if you decide last minute you want to go– I have 4 extra tickets, email or text me if you’d like them. (206-931-7537)

Tues Jul 15  we are away vs. Kent. Please RSVP  ASAP and no later than Sunday EOD. Swimmers should aim to arrive by 5:00 pm to be in the pool for 5:15 pm warmup, the racing starts at 6 pm. See below for more info about this meet.

Thus Jul 17 is our last HOME meet, hosting Twin Lakes. Please RSVP ASAP and no later than midnight Tuesday and volunteer to help. The meet theme is:  80’s New Wave Neon Party – sport your finest 80’s style, neon colors, and maybe you have those sunglasses that look like mini blinds? After event 37, we will pause the meet for a moment to recognize our graduating seniors: Ava Karman, Maks Karman, Luke Schinkel, Sadie Pallotta, Marlo Pietsch, Duncan Monnin, Avery Zimmer, Clara Henzke, Stella Klem, Lucy Rysemus, and Brady Murphy. We will have a special reserved section for families of graduating seniors, and, once the sun goes down we’ll break out our slouchy leg warmers and some glow sticks!  For those staying late, we’ll have a short swim party after the meet concludes. (And we will clean up all the glow sticks because we like Blake and we clean up our messes. )  You know the drill: gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45, team meeting at 5:40, meet starts at 6 pm.

Sat Jul 19 is the Speedy Sixers Meet at Normandy Park, in the morning. Speedy sixer parents, you’ll receive a separate email about this!

Let us know if you have any questions- reply all to include coaches.

A-R-B-O-R GO ARBOR! 

Kirsty

ARBOR HEIGHTS SWIM REP

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com

Info from Kent:
Howdy Arbor Swim Families!

We are so excited to host you on Tuesday (July 15)!!! It will be “Western Day” at KSTC & we hope you will all join us in your best Cowboy & Cowgirl ‘fits.

Here is little run down of what to expect. There is street parking across from the pool and at the park next door. Please try to carpool as space is definitely limited. Our Parking Lot will be closed to General Parking. If you have ADA parking requests please get them to your Swim Team Coordinator as early as possible.

We will be selling burgers, hotdogs, frito banditos, baked potatoes, taco salad and all the candy, ice cream, and beverages you can imagine. We accept cash or card. Come hungry because we would love to feed you. We will also be selling shaved ice for $3 (This is CASH ONLY!)

I have attached a map of the pool. We reserve seating for your team on the lawn across from concessions and also a portion of the bleachers overlooking the pool. Feel free to cheer on your swimmer at the end of the lane but be mindful of others and please move on once your swimmer is done. Only swimmers will be allowed behind the blocks.

Our gates will open at 4pm. Home team warm ups are at 4:45pm and Away team is at 5:15pm. Meet starts at 6pm!

We are so excited to get this party started… see you Tuesday!

Useful Links

Share 2025 Season Photos for Slideshow

meet results (league website)

Previous swim team emails are posted here

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses

RSVP for meets   | Did I RSVP?

  

Upcoming Events 

Jul 12      Swim Team Outing: DubSea FishSticks @6   BYO ticket, all are welcome

Jul 15      Away Meet @ Kent   |   RSVP by Sun Jul 13  |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 17     HOME Meet vs Twin Lakes | 80’s New Wave Neon Party & SENIOR NIGHT |  RSVP by Tues Jul 15  | volunteer |  Warm up @4:45p

Jul 22     Away Meet @ Lakeridge |  RSVP by Sun Jul 20 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24     B-Champs Meet @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | volunteer | Warm up @TBD

Jul 24     B-Champs Team Sleepover | we will need volunteers just block the 25th off your work calendar now? 

Jul 25     Last day of practice! Pancake Breakfast

Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night

Swim Team Summer Week #3

Hello swim team families!

First, for you OG’s families who aren’t going to read the rest of my email we need you to do two things before the end of the weekend: 

1) RSVP for Tues HOME vs. OV and **volunteer** Yeesssss, you. C’mon, you know TL is going to be easy, this OV meet is the one we need you at. Sign up. TYSM!   2)  RSVP  for Thurs @ NP.

Still reading? Ok great! So, this email is coming out early because first tomorrow is a holiday but also next week things are going to kick into high gear.  Here’s what’s coming up:

Tues Jul 8  we are HOME vs. Olympic View. Please RSVP  for your swimmer(s) ASAP and no later than Sunday EOD. And, please  volunteer to help. The meet theme, back by popular demand, is: PIRATES & MERMAIDS (/MERPEOPLE)!  Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45, big team cheer at 5:45, meet starts at 6 pm.

Thus Jul 10  is an away meet @ Normandy Park. Please RSVP no later than midnight Tues. If you’re on the fence- please venture out and swim! Normandy Park is only about 20 minutes away from us, it’s a nice club with lots of green space to run around. Swimmers should aim to arrive by 5:00 pm to be in the pool for 5:15 pm warmup, the racing starts at 6 pm.

Sat Jul 12 is another morning swim clinic, which is a chance for swimmers to work on starts, turns, and other technical aspects of swim racing. The clinic starts at 8:00 am for age 11+ and 9:00 am for 10 & under. No RSVP, just show up.

+ later that day is our outing to the DubSea Fishsticks game! Use this link to buy tickets you want to join us, they are only $15! If you haven’t been before, the stadium is small and it is a chill, family-friendly environment. Gates open at 5:00, and first pitch is 6:00.

Let us know if you have any questions- reply to get me, reply all to include coaches.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Fourth weekend!

Swim Team Summer Email #2

Hi Otter fans,

There’s a lot of info here but the most important thing is  RSVP  ASAP for Tuesday’s meet. Pro tip, if you know your summer schedule, just RSVP for all the meets while you’re in there. You can always do another one later if your plans change- we’ll take the one with the latest timestamp. 

Read on for more info…

Tues Jul 1  is our first away meet, at Marine Hills. Please  RSVP  for your swimmer, it’s due tonight but I’ll keep the form open until noon tomorrow. Gates open at 4:00 and swimmers should aim to arrive at Marine Hills (it’s in Federal Way, allow for traffic) no later than 5:00 pm to be in the pool for 5:15 pm warmup, the racing starts at 6 pm. Marine Hills is a shady pool surrounded by woods, and it gets chilly (and mosquito-ey) once the sun sets—bring warm clothes and bug spray. Marine Hills shared that their meet theme will be USA / 4th of July and we are welcome to  join in the patriotic fun.

Fri  Jul 4   No practice.

After this holiday week, things are going to ramp up, so here’s a peek at what is coming up the following week: 

Tues Jul 8  Home meet vs. Olympic View. The theme will be Pirates & Mermaids. Please  RSVP  by midnight Sunday. Also, please please please sign up to volunteer.  We need help to make swim meets happen and EVERY family should volunteer a minimum of four hours per swimmer, which means at least one meet. Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm.

Thurs Jul 10  Away meet @ Normandy Park. RSVP  by midnight Tuesday.

Sat Jul 12 is another morning swim clinic. It starts at 8:00 am for age 11+ and 9:00 am for 10 & under. No RSVP, just show up.

Sat Jul 12 at 6p, we are going to the DubSea Fishsticks game, up in White Center  — this is a chance to hang out with your teammates and coaches on dry land, and get to know your fellow otters a little better! Don’t delay buying your game ticket…  games often sell out as the date gets closer. It is also Dick’s Drive in Night so you’ll have great food options.

That’s all for now. BTW- I realized I forgot to share Red vs. Blue meet results. They are attached. Meet results for league meets are posted online on the GSSSL Website if you want to look those up.

Oh- and if you haven’t already, you have until Tuesday 7/1 to Order Team Photos passcode: AH2025.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth!

 

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

Useful Links

Looking for old emails? You can find them here

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses

RSVP for meets    | Check RSVP

  

Upcoming Events 

Jul 1        Away Meet @ Marine Hills |  RSVP by Sun Jun 29 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 4        No Practice –  Fourth of July

Jul 8        HOME Meet vs Olympic View | RSVP by Sun Jul 6 | volunteer  |  Warm up @4:45p

Jul 10      Away Meet @ Normandy Park |  RSVP by Tues Jul 8 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 12      Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a   &  age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 12      Swim Team Outing: DubSea FishSticks @6   BYO ticket, all are welcome

Jul 15      Away Meet @ Kent   |   RSVP by Sun Jul 13  |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 17     HOME Meet vs Twin Lakes | SENIOR NIGHT |  RSVP by Tues Jul 15  | volunteer |  Warm up @4:45p

Jul 22     Away Meet @ Lakeridge |  RSVP by Sun Jul 20 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24     B-Champs Meet @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | volunteer | Warm up @TBD

Jul 24     B-Champs Team Sleepover

Jul 25     Last day of practice! Pancake Breakfast

Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night

AH Swim Team Summer Week #1

Hi Swim Team Families,

Thanks to everyone who came out for Red vs. Blue this weekend! For the first day of summer, the weather was not so summer-ey– but we made the best of it! Special thank you to everyone who volunteered— the breakfast crew, timers, and brave officials who were willing to step up and learn the more technical roles in running a swim meet. We appreciate you so much!

This week we kick things into high gear! Morning practices start Monday, we have our first home meet on Thursday, team pictures on Friday, and a clinic on Saturday.

Your must-do’s this week:  1)  RSVP  and volunteer  for Thursday’s home meet, and, if you want them 2)  Order Team Photos for Friday (passcode: AH2025)

Here’s what’s coming up this week: 

Mon Jun 23 we shift to morning practice- here is the Practice schedule. Practices are always optional, but the more you swim, the stronger you get! Looking for something to keep your swimmer busy at the Arb while you work? Check out Otters Club! This is a new program open to all youth members age 8 and older participating on a team, it provides activities and supervision for kids to bridge to open swim time.

Thurs June 26 is our first meet, and it is HOME vs. Gregory Seahurst. The theme is… Lilo & Stitch! (Think tropical vibes …hopefully the weather will cooperate) Please RSVP by midnight Tuesday, we need to know who is coming so we can build our meet lineup. (Can’t remember if you responded? Check this file)  Also, please sign up to volunteer. It takes many hands to run a swim meet, and we need your help! Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm. Your swimmer will also get to meet (or reunited with) their Otter Family!

 

Fri Jun 27 is Team Pictures & Pancake Breakfast. To pre-order, here is the link: Order Team Photos ( passcode: AH2025), orders will be open until Jul 1. Plan to arrive at 8:00 am, we will do individual/sibling photos then the big group photo at 8:30. There’s NO PRACTICE— we won’t get in the pool, we will just take photos and eat pancakes. After the group photo, the team will enjoy a pancake breakfast, and if your swimmer doesn’t participate on dive/tennis teams, they will probably be ready to leave around 9:30-10. If you do other teams, Dive photos are at 9:00 and Tennis is at 10:00. We are working with a new photographer this year. We will give them our roster, and the photographer will match names with orders. Thanks to Cecilia Camino for helping coordinate team photos this year! We also need helpers to make and serve breakfast, plus a couple of people to assist the photographer to ensure things go smoothly. Please sign up to help.

 

Sat June 29 is a swim clinic, this is a chance for swimmers to work on starts, turns, and other technical aspects of swim racing. The clinic is 8:00-9:00 am for age 11+ and 9:00-10:00 am for 10 & under. No RSVP, just show up.

There is still time to order apparel!  

The first apparel order has arrived – you can pick up in the cabana. We will do one more order this summer- use this link and order by June 28.  Order Otters/AH Apparel   We have heard from a few people that they are having trouble with credit card processing with our forms– sorry about that. We are working with our platform provider, Member Splash, to troubleshoot this issue. If you really get stuck, email me and I’ll make sure we get your order in.

 

What to know about swim meets: 

Swim meets are lots of fun! Arbor Heights competes in the Southern Division of the Greater Seattle Summer Swim League – we’ll have 7 dual meets (this season, 3 home and 4 away) and then swimmers with qualifying times move on to compete in three postseason meets that culminate in the All City Finals.

Each meet is made up of 72 events split up by age and gender, the events rotate through the age groups so swimmers have time to rest between their races. This league records file shows you what the 72 events are. Some events will have more than one heat if needed for all swimmers signed up to participate in that event. A swimmer can compete in up to 4 events each meet. The coaches will post event assignments either the night before or the morning of the meet. (How quickly the coaches turn around the meet line up depends on how good we as a team are at opting in/out promptly without making a mess of our RSVP’s. )

Meets start at 6:00 and run until about 9:00pm, but it varies depending on how many swimmers participate and how many heats are needed. Younger (8&U, Speedy 6) swimmers are typically done by 8:00pm, earlier if they don’t do the more technical breaststroke/butterfly individual events which are later in the event sequence.

We suggest packing usual swim stuff plus LOTS of extra towels (the younger your swimmer, the more towels you’ll want), something cozy to layer on over a wet swimsuit, and drinks/food and/or small bills for concession  purchases. (We have great food, support our team by buying dinner at the Arb!) You might bring camp chairs or picnic blankets to create a comfortable spot to hang out between events. Some bring a pop up tent for shelter. Something to write down event #/heat #/lane #  can also be handy for keeping track of your swimmer’s events. Many kids choose to use a sharpie to write their event information directly on their arm.

A quick note about gender identity: 

As we head into the competition season, we want to ensure transparency and accessibility regarding our league’s Gender Identity Participation Policy (see pages 18-21 of the GSSSL Operating Plan). With your swimmer’s swim team registration, you specified a gender identity which we will use for this season- if you specified “non-binary”  we will be reaching out to you to confirm if your swimmer wants to do even-numbered or odd-numbered events this season. Each club designates an Eligibility Officer to assist gender diverse athletes and their families with gender category eligibility for the season. At our pool, the EO is Megan Kelton. If you have any questions or wish to change this, please reach out to Megan at Mkeltonr@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting our commitment to a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes – for ensuring that the Arb is a place where all athletes belong!

That’s it for now, for more information and resources, check the links below. You can also reach out with any questions, if you hit “reply” it’s just me, and if you do “reply all” you’ll email me + Coach Chris.

Let’s go Arbor!

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

Useful Links

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Order Otters/AH Apparel  (Order by June 27)

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses  

Swim Team Emails & RSVP forms    | Check RSVPs

  

Upcoming Events 

Jun 23    Morning practices start!!!

Jun 26    HOME Meet vs. Gregory Seahurst |  RSVP by Tues Jun 24 | volunteer   |  Warm up @4:45p

Jun 27    Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast @8a – no practice | Order Team Photos passcode: AH2025 | volunteer

Jun 28    Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a   &  age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 1        Away Meet @ Marine Hills |  RSVP by Sun Jun 29 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 4        No Practice –  Fourth of July

Jul 8        HOME Meet vs Olympic View | RSVP by Sun Jul 6 | volunteer  |  Warm up @4:45p

Jul 10      Away Meet @ Normandy Park |  RSVP by Tues Jul 8 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 12      Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a   &  age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 12      Swim Team Outing: DubSea FishSticks @6   BYO ticket, all are welcome

Jul 15      Away Meet @ Kent   |   RSVP by Sun Jul 13  |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 17     HOME Meet vs Twin Lakes | SENIOR NIGHT |  RSVP by Tues Jul 15  | volunteer |  Warm up @4:45p

Jul 22     Away Meet @ Lakeridge |  RSVP by Sun Jul 20 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24     B-Champs Meet @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | volunteer | Warm up @TBD

Jul 24     B-Champs Team Sleepover

Jul 25     Last day of practice! Pancake Breakfast

Aug 8     End of Season Party & Awards Night

Swim team Spring Email #4.5

Note… this was the second email sent out that said #4… oops I lost count. 

 

Hi Swim Team families,

It’s the last week of spring practice, and things are starting to heat up! Here’s your TLDR to do’s by THURSDAY:  1) RSVP for the all teams party  2)  RSVP and Sign up for a volunteer role for Red & Blue on Saturday.

Read on for more info about the upcoming week:


Thursday Jun 19- No practice, Juneteenth Holiday 

Friday Jun 20 – Summer Kickoff Party 

This party is where the tennis, dive and swim teams come together to celebrate the beginning of the summer season! The whole family is invited, things will get underway between 5:30 and 6:00. (You can stay after practice, or go home and come back) We will be serving up Ezell’s Fried Chicken, with some burgers and dogs, with potluck side dishes. As is our tradition, swimmers will learn more about their Otter family, and will have the opportunity to sign their name on the iconic AH Rock. There will be a special meeting for Seniors & 14&U’s, please meet on the pool deck at 5:00 (your regular practice time). Please RSVP and sign up for your potluck/helping contribution here –> Summer Kickoff Party RSVP

Saturday Jun 21 – Red & Blue Meet 

Red and Blue is a fun scrimmage swim meet- we assign swimmers randomly to either the red or blue team (every participant will get an otters swim cap! We’ll also have blue silicone caps available for $15 ea) and each swimmer will have the chance to race in up to 4 individual events  in each stroke (free, back, breast, fly)  Plan to arrive with your swimmer by 8 am and to stay at the pool until around 11. This is an important event for practicing how a swim meet goes– both for the swimmers and for parent volunteers. We’ll do volunteer training, and there will be Q&A opportunities for new families. There will also be food (John Stivers is planning breakfast!) and fun, and a table for swapping old/outgrown gear. Here’s what you need to do this week to prepare:

1) Please RSVP (AH account login required) | Starter Swim RSVP  (no login required) by EOD Thursday June 19

2) Sign up for a volunteer role, we really, really need your help!

3) Do you have old swim or Arbor gear that you’ve outgrown? (suits, AH/Otter tees, hoodies, caps, goggles, etc. ) Gather it up and bring it on Saturday so it can find a new family!   (If you are willing to help out with this, pls email me)

Looking Ahead to the Rest of the Summer …

We shift to morning practices starting next week, and then the summer will be in full swing!  Next week’s email will be all about volunteering, and planning events for the summer season. Volunteering is a big part of our Arbor Heights community and our team fees are low because we rely on volunteer help to host meets, team events, and generally make all our Otter magic happen. Every family is expected to help out at every swim meet they attend, and a minimum four hours over the season. Are you a returning family, with kids who are getting to the age where they are growing more independent at the pool? What are you going to do with all that free time? Give that some thought, check out the volunteer sign up and reach out if you have questions or want to chat– more on this next week.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Arb soon!

Cheers,

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

 

Useful Links

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Order Otters/AH Apparel  (Order by June 27)

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses  

Swim Team Emails & RSVPs

 

 

 

 

Swim Team Week Spring Email #4

Hi Swim Team families!

It’s graduation and spring fever season- hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks of school. For swim team this week is a quiet one, but we are just getting started… read on if you want more information on next few weeks.

Apparel

Apparel orders were technically due Friday, but if you get yours in before the end of today I’ll try to squeeze it in with the first order: https://ahstc.com/apparel/  We will also do another order that will arrive in July.

Team Suits 

Reminder: order your Team Suit (if you want one) ASAP — the customization takes an extra couple of weeks and team picture day is Jun 27. Sizing can be tricky- most suits don’t come in adult/youth sizes, they’re just numbers. A plain red suit also works, and all team suits are optional. Feel free to email if you want help or advice.

Buy/Sell/Swap Gear 

Looking to sell a team suit you can’t use, or have outgrown swim parkas or other swim gear you’d like to sell? Use this google form and response sheet to connect with other AH families: Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear  | Responses  We will also have a gear swap pile at Red & Blue Meet June 21. Gather up your hand-me-downs (suits, AH/Otter tees, hoodies, caps, goggles, etc. ) for the 21st, so they can find a new home!

Farther out… but since some are asking, here’s some information about upcoming events:

Jun 19- No practice, Juneteenth Holiday 

Jun 20 – Summer Kickoff Party 

Just a couple more weeks until summer, and we are starting to plan our summer kickoff bbq. This party is where the tennis, dive and swim teams come together to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. The whole family is invited, things will get underway between 5:30 and 6:00. (You can stay after practice, or go home and come back) We will be serving up Ezell’s Fried Chicken, with some burgers and dogs, with potluck side dishes. As is our tradition, swimmers will learn more about their Otter family, and will have the opportunity to sign their name on the iconic AH Rock. There will be a special meeting for Seniors & 14&U’s, please meet on the pool deck at 5:00 (your regular practice time).

To help us plan food please RSVP here, we also need volunteers to help out!   Summer Kickoff Party RSVP

Jun 21 – Red & Blue Time Trials

Please save the date for Saturday morning June 21 for Red & Blue, plan to  arrive with your swimmer by 8 am and to stay at the pool until around 11. This event is like a scrimmage swim meet- we assign swimmers randomly to either the red or blue team, and each swimmer will have the change to race in up to 4 individual events in each stroke (free, back, breast, fly)  This is an important event for practicing how a swim meet goes– both for the swimmers and for parent volunteers. We’ll do volunteer training, and there will be Q&A opportunities for new families. There will also be food (John Stivers is planning breakfast!) and fun, and a table for swapping old/outgrown gear. Please use these forms RSVP (AH account login required) | Starter Swim RSVP  (no login required) by June 19 so we can assemble a line up. Volunteer sign up form is coming next week!

That’s it for now- please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Warmly,

Kirsty

ARBOR HEIGHTS SWIM REP

AH-Swim@AHSTC.com

Useful Links

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Order Otters Apparel

Swim gear buy/sell/gift  | Responses

Swim Team Emails & RSVPs

Upcoming Events  

Jun 19     No Practice – Juneteenth Holiday

Jun 20    All Teams Summer Kickoff Party @5:30p   | RSVP

Jun 20    Registration closes for swim team

Jun 21    Red & Blue Time Trials  @8a |  RSVP by Th Jun 19 | Starter Swim RSVP

Jun 23    Morning practices start

Jun 26    HOME Meet vs. Gregory Seahurst |  RSVP by Tues Jun 24 | Warm up @4:45p  | Volunteer Link Coming Soon

Jun 27    Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast @8a – no practice |

Jun 28    Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a   &  age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 1        Away Meet @ Marine Hills |  RSVP by Sun Jun 29 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 4        No Practice –  Fourth of July

Jul 8        HOME Meet vs Olympic View | RSVP by Sun Jul 6 |  Warm up @4:45p | Volunteer Link Coming Soon

Jul 10     Away Meet @ Normandy Park |  RSVP by Tues Jul 8 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 12     Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a   &  age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 12      Swim Team Outing: DubSea FishSticks @6   BYO ticket, all are welcome

Jul 15     Away Meet @ Kent   |   RSVP by Sun Jul 13  |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 17     HOME Meet vs Twin Lakes | SENIOR NIGHT |  RSVP by Tues Jul 15  |  Warm up @4:45p | Volunteer Link Coming Soon

Jul 22     Away Meet @ Lakeridge |  RSVP by Sun Jul 20 |  Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24     B-Champs Meet @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | Warm up @TBD

Jul 24      End of Season Team Sleepover

Jul 25     Last day of practice! Pancake Breakfast

Aug 8     Swim Team Party & Awards Night

Swim Team – Spring Week #3

Hello swim team families,

Just two things for this week:
1. No practice tomorrow, Memorial Day.
2. The Team Store is open! Order by Friday May 30 if you want your apparel to arrive before summer starts. If you miss this deadline, we will also do another order in June, but it won’t arrive until July.
Otter Tees ($15 cotton, $17 poly) & Hoodies ($25)
 
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AH Wave tees ($20), tanks ($20), hoodies ($30) & quarter or full zip ($35)

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