Marlins,

Our JSSL League representatives and Swim Team Committee have been discussing how to make the most of our current situation and we have some updates to share on how we plan to make it a fun, meaningful, and safe summer for our Marlins family.

THANK YOU TO CALEB!

First off, we would like to extend a special thanks to Caleb who has been doing an amazing job to make sure our facilities and staff will be compliant and ready to open as soon as possible. He previously circulated a draft reopening plan, so please scan your emails if you missed it. 

COACHES MEETING JUNE 3RD @ 6:30 PM ( https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87059722688 )

Coaches Hilary and Caleb will be holding a zoom meeting for interested parents. They will be discussing our current plans for dry land, social events, and practices, including how we keep your swimmers safe and what we will be asking parents and swimmers to do as well. Please keep in mind that plans may change quickly as SIP orders become more relaxed or more strict, so we appreciate your understanding and flexibility. For those who aren’t able to join, we will record the meeting and circulate the presentation.

INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY SURVEY (SURVEY LINK HERE )

To help us plan for the season, please complete this interest and availability survey, whether you are a current or future Marlin. Our plan is to start grouping swimmers based on age/ability for in-pool practices or in-person dryland in the park depending on what the county allows. While we normally try to be flexible with practice options, since we will be limited in terms of pool capacity, we will need the practices to be the most efficient as possible. This means we will not be able to guarantee practice time preferences, and our practices will likely be shorter in duration and offered less frequently than normal. However, it also means that your swimmers will have more small group stroke instruction with Marlins at a similar level, so they may improve more quickly than in a larger practice. Please take a moment to complete this survey so the coaches can start forming groups.

POTENTIAL SWIM CAMPS

We are currently reviewing the county regulations to determine if we may offer swim camps for children of essential workers. These would be limited to groups of 12 and, if we proceed, they would be run by the coaches and jr. coaches. If this is feasible, and there is enough interest, we will try to start them ASAP. Stay Tuned!

REQUIRED GEAR

Assuming we can get pool time for either swim camps or regular practice, we will not be allowing swimmers to use Greenmeadow’s gear or share with other swimmers (including siblings). We recommend that you purchase kickboards, fins, and mesh swim bags to hold all the gear for each of your swimmers. You can find suggestions and purchase this gear on the Greenmeadow SwimOutlet store .

IN-PERSON DRYLAND STARTING JUNE 8TH

Once we have people’s interest and can group the swimmers, we will start physically distanced dryland in the park in groups of up to 12. The frequency and timing of the dryland will depend on interest, so we will provide updates closer to June 8th as to groups and timing.

FRIENDLY VIRTUAL MEETS

Our JSSL league has decided that we will not have a formal meet season, but they have come up with some flexible and fun alternatives. Once we can get back in the pool, teams may have friendly virtual meets where we each swim at our own pool and the times are merged. We are aware of some teams who are eager to jump at the chance of a virtual meet, so we are looking forward to making those happen when we can do so safely.

2020 COVID CLASSIC

The league has also come up with a creative idea for a Covid Classic, which will run until Sept. 1st. Teams can submit the best time for each swimmer in each event and we’ll merge the data to determine the virtual winners. The swimmers' best times can come from time trials that we do during practice or from the friendly virtual dual meets mentioned above.

MARLINS DUES

We appreciate your support for our coaching staff and pool expenses. We will be incurring increased expenses due to extra hands on deck for cleaning and physical distance monitoring, as well as possible additional expenses for extra coaches given the smaller group sizes. However, recognizing that this is a financially uncertain time for many in our community, and since the pool practices and meets are uncertain, we will be reducing the Marlins dues to $100 per swimmer. If you have already signed up to be a Marlin, please keep your eyes out for an email from Peyma discussing your options. If you haven’t yet signed up for the Marlins, you may do so here . Please know that you are all an important part of the Marlins community and if you’d like to pay even further reduced dues, we’d still welcome you to be part of our Marlins' activities, so please contact Caleb at [email protected] to discuss other options.