Strathmore Bel Pre Dolphins

Update from Claire – and practice has begun!

PRACTICE STARTS TOMORROW!  See below for practice schedule and additional detail.  Remember that Junior and Senior swimmers are always welcome (and encouraged) to attend Beginner practice when thunderstorms threaten.   Swimmers also remember that if you were playing in the pool this weekend, then Terry and Lilan saw you, and your complaints about freezing cold water will fall on deaf ears.  SBP Dolphins: Shut Up and Swim.

THANK YOU to all of our neighbors, volunteers, and especially our sponsors for supporting the 2^nd Annual Dolphin Run.   Preliminary results are here: http://www.collegeparkcares.com/dolphin_5k_results_2016.shtml

Congratulations to our overall winner, Aristedes Villatoro, who ran this very hilly course in a blistering 18:10; and congratulations to all of our age group winners and the rest of our top ten finishers:

Emerson Miller

Adrien Downey

Utkarsh Patel

Edward Douglass

Conroy Zien

Renard Brown

Casey McKneely

Lucia Acin-Andion

Harrison Nealley

Thank you also to our sponsors, including:

PAULETTE LADAS, ReMax Town Center, #1 Dolphins supporter and generous patron of all neighborhood groups and organizations, especially those that benefit children.   Please remember Paulette when you’re looking for a new home, or if you have friends who are in the market.

The Angel’s Garden Assisted Living Home

Vecna Technologies

Calabria Photography (Gabi Wright)

EagleRider of DC (Jay Staggs)

Lumix CPAs and Advisors (Maribel Pinero)

PianoCraft

Vecna Technologies (Mike Bearman)

Lloyd Dobler Effect (Phil and Elizabeth Kominski)

Many other families also made generous individual contributions; too many to list here.  Thank you to everyone for your continued support!

Swimwear and Spirit Wear Update from Megan Virga

2016-2017 TEAM SUIT as chosen by a majority of voting senior swimmers:

BRAND: TYR

STYLE: Bravos

COLOR: Multi

HOW TO GET YOURS: Jessica Wick is this year’s primary point of contact for team suits. We have a limited number of suits on hand to sell directly to families on a first-come-first-served basis and will order additional sizes as necessary through mid-June. Suits will be available at most official team events including this Friday’s parents meeting. To make other arrangements, contact Jessica directly (jandrjess@aol.com; (202) 230-4585.)

UNSURE OF SIZE? Jessica has sizing suits. We’ll have them at the parents’ meeting.

PRICES: a local swim shop provides our suits at a discounted price. We accept cash, check, and credit cards. Prices (including tax):

FEMALE (youth and adult): $63

JAMMER: $41

BRIEF: $37

NEED GEAR? The poolside gear shack is stocked with goggles, discounted practice suits, spirit wear, and more. You can usually count on access to gear at official team events. In other times of need, members of the SBP Apparel Crew (Megan Virga, Sara Foraker, Amy Sharp, and Jessica Wick) will be happy to open the closet upon request.

Practice Schedule

After school is out for the summer, we have morning practices Monday through Friday, and afternoon practices on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdayonly.  However, from now until the last day of school (June 20), we have only afternoon practices, which are offered Monday through Friday.   Practice times:

Novice/Beginner—9:45 AM and 4 PM

Junior—8:45 AM and 4:30 PM

Senior—7:30 AM and 5:15 PM

A Note About Our Coaching Staff

I was made aware that one of the coaches’ bios in last week’s email might have underemphasized the contributions and achievements of one of our coaches.  This was not my intention, and I apologize for any misunderstanding or hurt feelings.  Kayla Geary is an accomplished swimmer and coach who has made many appearances at Divisional meets, and has been recognized with several coaches’ awards.  She is also the creative force behind our beautiful Paper Plate Awards. We’re very lucky to have her.

This Week and Next Week’s Events

Parents’ meeting, Friday, June 3, 6:30 PM, in the pavilion.

Upcoming Events

Ice Cream Social, Friday, June 10, 6:30 PM, in the pavilion. ICE CREEAAAAMMM OMG!

Blue/White Meet (time trials), Saturday, June 11 8:30 AM

Buddy Breakfast, Tuesday, June 21, after AM practices

Stroke and Turn and Referee/Starter Training

If you are already a certified Stroke/Turn judge or a certified Starter/Referee, and you didn’t attend training last year, then you must attend this year.   Clinic locations/dates/sign-ups are here: http://www.princemont.org/

Volunteers

Please watch your email for messages from A Meet Manager Karen Purdy and B Meet Manager Gerry Sharp, and sign up as early as possible to help with meet set-up, clean-up, timing, bake sale, etc.

Team Registration

The registration link is here:  http://www.active.com/silver-spring-md/water-sports/swimming/sbp-dolphins-summer-2016

Remember that all swimmers should be registered before the Blue/White Meet (June 11), but please register as early as possible.

See you on Friday!

Update from Claire 5/25

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Dolphins Summer 2016!  This is our first official weekly update of the season. Ordinarily, I send these on Monday evening or first thing Tuesday morning, so if you’d like for me to include any news, please send it to me by 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon.  An updated calendar and other attachments (including the all-important volunteer list) are attached to this email.  The calendar is subject to change and updates; however, A meet dates and locations are  firmly set.  Please review the volunteer list carefully.  Unless you have notified me otherwise, then I’m assuming that you’ll continue in your previous volunteer assignment.  If you don’t have an assignment, there are several areas where we still need volunteers, so please think about how you can help.

Next Week’s Events

·      Second annual Dolphin Run 5K! Monday, May 30, 8:30 AM.  More info below. 

·       Swimmers’ Meeting: Tuesday, May 31, 4 PM, in the pavilion.  New and returning swimmers are invited to attend with (or without) parents to meet our coaches and learn more about the team.

·       First day of practice!  Wednesday, June 1.  Novice and Beginner swimmers practice at 4 PM.  Juniors (9-12) practice at 4:30, and Seniors (13-18) practice at 5:15.  Remember that practice group assignments are not based solely on age; swimmers may be moved up or down based on ability levels as determined by the coaches.  Please discuss with Terry if you believe that your swimmer should be moved into another practice group.  Afternoon-only practices continue until the last day of school for MCPS.

·       Parents’ Meeting, Friday, June 3, 6:30 PM, at the pavilion.

Dolphin Run 5K: Monday, May 30, 2016, 8:30 AM

The Dolphin Run is on its way to becoming another great SBP tradition!  Runners, walkers, stroller pushers are all welcome to participate  A course map is attached.   Registration is here: http://www.active.com/aspen-hill-md/running/strathmore-bel-pre-dolphins-5k-2016?int=19N-PB304-S6-T1-PL7-L1122.

The full price is $35; however, a discounted price of $25 is available until Friday.  Not only that, but runners who form or join a team receive another $10 discount, so you can either form a team or join an existing one, and registration is then only $15, including an official race shirt.   We can still use volunteers, too, so if you’re available on Monday morning and would like to help with water or snack distribution, please email me.

2016 Coaching Staff

Terry Kominski–Head Coach and Dolphins legend.  Terry was a Dolphins swimmer, and she also swam for her college team at the University of Tampa, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science.  In addition to serving as Dolphins Head Coach for over 25 years, Terry has been teaching and coaching children and adult swimmers at the Aspen Hill Club for over 20 years, and she also coached the John F. Kennedy High School swim team for 17 years.  Terry’s Dolphins have earned many Divisional championships and Saum-Hilton awards, and we are very lucky to have her at the helm again this year.

Lilan Miller—Assistant Coach.  A Dolphins graduate, Lilan served as a Developmental Coach for three years and is starting her third year as AC.  She is a past Swimmer of the Year and Most Valuable Dolphin with many All-Star and Divisionals appearances to her credit, and is a rising senior at the University of Maryland.  Lilan is certified as both a lifeguard and a pool operator and has many years of lifeguarding experience.

Winston Miller—Developmental Coach.  Winston is a senior Dolphins swimmer who will graduate this year.  His Dolphins career includes many Divisionals and All-Stars appearances, and he is returning for his third year as a Developmental Coach.  He is a graduate of the Kennedy High School swim team and a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland.   Winston has a great gift for teaching even the youngest and most reluctant swimmers.  He is also an experienced lifeguard and pool operator.

Kayla Geary—Developmental Coach.  Kayla will also graduate this year after a long and distinguished Dolphins swimming career, and she is returning for her third summer on the coaching staff.  She is a graduate of the Sherwood High School swim team and a rising sophomore at Albright College.

Sarah Staggs—Developmental Coach.  This is Sarah’s first year as a Developmental Coach.  She is a long-time Dolphins swimmer who has made many Divisionals and All-Stars appearances, and has received a number of coaches’ awards.  Sarah is a member of the Northwood High School swim team, a newly certified lifeguard, and one of the Dolphins’ all-time most popular Big Buddies.

We are extremely proud of our coaching staff.  They are all certified lifeguards and accomplished swimmers, and we’re lucky enough to have 4 returning coaches, so our staff has experience as well as talent and energy.   Terry, Lilan, Winston, Kayla, and Sarah are all dedicated to our team and our children and we’re very happy to have them for another great Dolphins season!

Volunteers

We needz them. See attached.  You know what to do.

We’re especially in need of qualified Stroke and Turn officials.  If you’ve never worked on deck at a meet, consider training to be an official.   Officials and timers are the only people allowed on deck during meets, so as an official, you get to see the races up close!  Remember, certified officials make TWICE AS MUCH as timers.  Do the math.

Team Registration

Registration is 100% online again, and many swimmers are already registered.  The registration link is here:  http://www.active.com/silver-spring-md/water-sports/swimming/sbp-dolphins-summer-2016.

Remember that all swimmers must be registered before the Blue/White Meet.

That’s all for now!  More information will be forthcoming.  Maybe more than you want.  Don’t say you weren’t warned. Happy Memorial Day!

Registration, Dolphin Run, Volunteer Opportunities and Team Calendar

Picture Day times and reminders

Reminder that Picture Day is this week:

Monday July 6th – 

• 8 and under’s are 1:00 pm – 2:25 pm
• 9-10’s are 2:30-3:45 pm

Tuesday July 7th – 

• 11-12’s and 13-14’s are 1:00 pm – 2:25 pm
• 15-18’s are 2:30-3:30 pm

Important – 

• All ages except the Novice groups are encouraged to wear their team suits.
• Team photos by age group will occur during the photo time, so please plan on hanging around for the age group photo
• If you cannot make the time posted for your swimmers’ age group, please let Gabi Wright know as soon as possible.
• Order Forms will be available at the photo times; cash, check or credit cards are accepted

Online Registration Link for 2015 is here!

http://www.active.com/silver-spring-md/water-sports/swimming/strathmore-bel-pre-summer-2015-14538915

Update from Claire: Banquet, All Stars, Parents’ Par-tay, Great Divisionals!

Hi everyone,

3^rd place in Divisionals, and 2^nd place overall for the Division for 2014!  Congratulations to Terry, Lilan, and all of our swimmers for a smashingly successful season.  Divisionals results are posted at the pool; however, results are not yet available online.  I’ll send another email when the results are posted.

It was a busy week, and a few thank-yous are in order: Renee Yockelson put together another excellent meet, with the help of Greg Miller, Papa John Kominski, and Mike Bearman. Billy Ruppert came back from a week of building houses in Appalachia and designed a beautiful t-shirt and meet program, and Megan Virga got our shirts and other swim merchandise sorted, delivered, and ready to sell.  Tony Hill (who most of us never see since he’s hard at work behind the scoring table) managed data for the whole division for this event, and Brian Shuster did his usual flawless color and play-by-play broadcast.  When you hear Aloe Blacc singing “I’m the Man”, remember that he’s actually singing about Maggie Ruppert and Laura Miller, who raised almost $1,000 for the team (and special thanks to Keith Yockelson for manning the grill).  HUGE thanks to the many parents who came out to volunteer, even though their kids weren’t swimming—this is real teamwork, and your help was very much appreciated. Also, thank you to Brenda Quinlisk and Anne Siegle for another awesome Jelly Bean Meet, and to Dana Bearman, Ellen Wesley, Sue Hoye, alumni mom Bev McGehee and Coach Kayla Geary for their work on the Paper Plate Awards!   

Dolphin Games—One More Time!

Bernadette Minor is hosting again this week—Monday night at 6:30.  Don’t miss the fun!

Practice Schedule

All-Star swimmers (list is attached) have AM ONLY practices Monday-Friday.  No PM practices are offered this week.  Morning practices will take place at their usual time M-W (8 and unders should attend junior practice).   An update on practice times for Thursday and Friday will be forthcoming. 

Wednesday, July 23—Awards Banquet (6 PM).  Sign-up list is posted.  

Although the main course is catered, each family is asked to contribute soda or other drinks, and either a salad or some cut-up fruit.  Swimmers eat free; parents, non-swimmer siblings, and other guests pay $10 per person.  Buddy gifts will be exchanged before dinner.  For new families, buddy gifts are tokens of friendship between older and younger buddies.  Gifts should be inexpensive, and homemade gifts and cards are always appreciated.  We’ll begin set-up at 3 or so, so feel free to stop by if you have time to help.

PMSL All-Stars, Saturday, July 26, Belair Swim and Racquet (BSR)

More information will be forthcoming regarding warm-ups, t-shirts, etc.

Parents’ Par-tay Saturday, July 26, hosted by Billy and Maggie Ruppert

7:30 PM at 14001 Burning Bush Lane!  We’ll have a sign-up for dishes: everyone is asked to bring a main dish, an appetizer or salad, or a dessert.  You’re also welcome to bring your favorite adult beverages to share.  This is a parents-only event—remember, many of our older swimmers are also great babysitters!  

Update from Claire- Pasta Party tonight at 6:00 PM; Divisional Meet tomorrow

Hi everyone,

 OMG, this thing is winding down!  A few reminders/notes: 

 Tonight’s Pasta Party starts at 6!  Paper Plate Awards take 30 minutes or so, so we start a bit early.  If you haven’t been to Pasta Party yet, consider coming tonight…it’s really fun to see the kids get their Paper Plate Awards. 

• Swimmers need to arrive tomorrow morning at 7:10 AM
• If you live within walking distance, please consider walking to the pool to allow extra parking for our visitors.  You can always drop your swimmers off, then take your car home and walk back to the pool. 
• T–shirts will be available tonight.  If you pre-ordered, please be prepared to pay tonight ($12/shirt).  If you are free at 4:30 or so today, Megan can use a few extra hands to help sort the shirt order. 
• Help AND food/drink donations are still needed for tomorrow’s bake sale.  The Divisionals bake sale is a huge fundraiser for the team.  A sign-up is posted at the pool, so please see what is needed and bring what you can.  If your kids are swimming tomorrow and you don’t have an assigned job already, please see Renee or Laura tonight to sign up to help with bake sale. 
• BANQUET on WEDNESDAY, July 23 at 6. If you are free on Wednesday afternoon and you want to help with set-up, we’d love to have you.  Buddy gifts are presented before dinner–please keep the gifts small and simple.  Handmade is great!  I have a list of buddies so if you’re not sure who your child’s buddies are, just let me know.  We also have a sign-up posted.  The dinner is partly catered (main course and a side dish) but we bring desserts, salads, bread, and drinks to keep our costs low.  We can’t have it fully catered without charging much more than $10, and we also want to keep the “swimmers eat free” tradition going, so please check the bulletin board and sign up to bring an item. 

That’s all I can think of for now.  The usual weekly update will go out on Sunday.  Swim fast tomorrow, Dolphins!

What does 79 degrees and 45% humidity mean for you?

A great night for Zumba!  Jill and I will be at the Pavilion at 7:00 this evening  ready to move it!

Please feel free to join us!

Jen Duran 

Weekly Update From Claire 7/13/14

4-1 again!

The Dolphins brought the pain against the Roger Carter Seals yesterday! 4-1 is a great way to end the season; now, it’s on to Divisionals. First-place winners:

Boys’ 15-18 Medley Relay (Evan Bearman, Sky Geary, Nick Wesley, Connor Ruppert)
Girls’ 15-18 Medley Relay (Morgan Hill, Emma Bearman, Olivia Miller, Lilan Miller)

Ian Virga
Lauren Hill
Melati Maupin
Dale Gotcher
Nadira Roberts
Evan Bearman
Morgan Hill
Olivia Miller
Emerson Miller
Nick Wesley
Daryn Lam
Carson Taylor
Josh Bearman
Riley Geary
Emma Bearman
Lauren Hill
Carrie Hill

Special congratulations to Morgan Hill, who broke not one but two long-standing team and pool records with her blistering fast 50M Butterfly and 100M Freestyle swims.

B Division Championships, SATURDAY, July 20, HOME
For new families, Divisionals (also known as the Mother of All Meets) is a 6-team meet which will decide the Division B championship. The top two swimmers in each event in each age group will swim in the Divisional meet; a list of participating swimmers is posted on the bulletin board.

Since we’ll have visitors from all five of our fellow Division B teams, we’re asking that families who live closest to the pool consider walking, so that we can free up parking for our visitors. If you can spare a trash can or recycling bin, please bring it on Saturday morning. All parents of Divisional swimmers are required to volunteer on Saturday; other parents are also invited to help if they’re available, and all SBP swimmers and families are encouraged to come out and cheer! If your swimmer(s) are competing on Saturday, please contact Renee Yockelson (yocks@verizon.net) or Mike Bearman (mbearman@vecna.com) to see how you can help.

Practice Schedule
8-and-unders continue with their normal practice schedule on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning, EXCEPT for 8-U Divisional swimmers, who are asked to attend Junior practice (8:45 AM and 4:30 PM) to prepare for the meet. 9-18 swimmers who are not swimming on Saturday do not need to attend practice this week. As always, no practices will be held on Wednesday or Friday afternoon.

Apparel Update
Team Spirit needs some extra help starting around 4:30 this Friday before the Pasta Party. Our awesome Division B shirts will arrive then and we need a handful of people to help us sort garments into pre-orders. If your family pre-ordered Division B shirts, please come to the Pasta Party prepared to pay for them (cash, check, or credit card accepted). Forgot to pre-order? We will have extra inventory for families to purchase at the Divisionals.

Jelly Bean Meet, WEDNESDAY, July 16, 6:30 PM
If you’re new to the Jelly Bean Meet, it’s an open meet for all 8-and-under children in the neighborhood, whether or not they’re on the swim team. All 8-and-under team members are expected to participate, and if you have neighbors with young children, please encourage them to come out—it’s a great recruiting opportunity! All individual events are offered, and older swimmers will serve as deck officials. There are even parent-assisted events for non-swimmers. All swimmers receive ribbons, and candy will be distributed to swimmers and volunteers! Coordinators Anne Siegle and Brenda Quinlisk have a sign-up sheet posted for volunteers. Please remind your 9-12 year olds that they must be present at 6:30 if they want to serve as timers…stopwatches will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis and we cannot hold stopwatches for anyone who isn’t present. Don’t miss the fun!

Pasta Party and Paper Plate Awards—FRIDAY, July 18 at 6 PM—PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START
The Paper Plate Awards take place at the last Pasta Party of the season, and we start at 6 to allow for a bit of additional time for the awards. The Paper Plate Awards recognize the unique personality of each swimmer, and it’s a lot of fun to see the reactions to the awards. If you have ideas for swimmer awards, please email Dana Bearman (bearmanm@gmail.com) or see her at the pool. Please remember the early start time. If you’re able to arrive at 5:30, the Moeller family will appreciate help with set-up. The sign-up sheet will be posted by mid-week.

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, July 23—End-of-Season Banquet (6 PM).
The Banquet is held at the pool pavilion, and ALL SWIMMERS AND FAMILIES ARE INVITED, so even if you have a developmental swimmer who hasn’t participated in a meet yet, we’d love for you to join us for dinner, awards presentations, and the slide show. Dinner is catered, with the exception of the salads, desserts, and drinks. A donation list will be posted at the pool; each family will be asked to contribute soda or other drinks, a salad (tossed or fruit), a dessert, or snack item. Contributions should be enough to feed 8-12 people. Buddy gifts will be exchanged before dinner. For new families, buddy gifts are tokens of friendship between older and younger buddies. Gifts should be inexpensive, and homemade gifts and cards are always appreciated.

PMSL All-Stars, Saturday, July 26
The list of All-Star swimmers will probably be available early next week. More information will be forthcoming.

Parents’ Party, Saturday, July 26
More information to come!

Claire’s weekly update 7/7/2014

(NOTE FROM JEN: SINCE THE DIRECTORY HAS CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ALL TEAM MEMBERS I AM NOT INCLUDING IN THIS PUBLIC POST. PLEASE LOOK FOR THE ELECTRONIC COPY OF THE TEAM DIRECTORY IN CLAIRE’S EMAIL FROM TODAY OR ASK CLAIRE TO EMAIL IT TO YOU).

3 and 1! The Dolphins won decisively against Greenbelt on Saturday! The Barracudas came with their strongest swimmers, but the Dolphins responded with great performances, including more best times. First-place finishers (relays and individual winners):

• 200 Medley Relay, Boys (Evan Bearman, Sky Geary, Nick Wesley, Caelin Hoye)
• 200 Medley Relay, Girls (Carrie Hill, Lilan Miller, Riley Geary, Emma Bearman)
• 9-18 Freestyle Relay, Girls (Lauren Hill, Nadira Roberts, Olivia Miller, Morgan Hill)
• Ian Virga (Triple!)
• Lauren Hill
• Dale Gotcher
• Nadira Roberts
• Morgan Hill (Triple!)
• Erik Staggs (Triple!)
• Daryn Lam
• Olivia Miller
• Emerson Miller (Triple!)
• Josh Bearman
• Riley Geary
• Nick Wesley
• Carrie Hill
• Evan Bearman
• Emma Bearman

Only one sweep this week:
Girls’ 13-14 Butterfly (Nadira Roberts, Carrie Hill, Lourdes Minor)

MEMORIAL MEET: We don’t have results yet, but Papa John Kominski will send me an update this week. I believe that a long-standing record may or may not have been broken, and Kominski sisters may have been involved. More detail to follow. Relentless inter- and intra-family trash talking aside (coughBEARMANcough), it was a really fun and competitive morning. Thank you to Papa John for organizing and hosting.

ONE MORE A MEET! Believe it or not, the regular season is wrapping up this week, when we host the Roger Carter Seals. The usual: Terry needs notification of anticipated swimmer absences by Tuesday, and since we’re home, our swimmers need to be at the pool and ready to warm up by 7:20 AM. This is our swimmers’ last chance to post best times to qualify for Divisionals (remember, only 2 swimmers per age group, per event can compete), so help your swimmer by making sure that they attend as many practices as possible this week.

B MEET: Wednesday, July 9, HOME against Daleview.
This is another new B meet opponent for us. SBP swimmers should arrive by 5 or shortly after, and Marta will be happy to have parent help with set-up beginning at 4:30. Terry needs notification of absences by Monday.

APPAREL/SPIRIT WEAR UPDATE FROM MEGAN VIRGA
Huge thanks to Billy Ruppert for developing a classy design for this year’s Division B shirt, which our team sells at the upcoming divisional meet. SBP families are strongly recommended to pre-order divisional shirts to ensure that you receive your desired sizes. Watch for an email in the coming days with more details and pre-order form. We have an extremely short window for compiling our team order, and there will be a short deadline for getting pre-orders to me by Sunday, 7/13.
Meanwhile…remember those sweats, hats, and visors? They’ll be available to purchase during an upcoming meet at the [still needs a great name] spirit & gear mobile.

THIS WEEK:

The 2014 Directory is available electronically and is attached to Claire’s 7/7/2014 update email. Thank you to Billy Ruppert, as always, for putting together such a beautiful and useful resource. If you weren’t able to get your picture to us by Thursday morning, then I’m sorry that we were not able to include it. Alvaro Duran is always happy to take family photos at the pool, and the evening of the banquet is a nice time to do that, so ask Alvaro to take a picture so you’re prepared for next year’s book.

BANQUET RSVPs—DEADLINE EXTENDED! We’ll accept RSVPs and payment all week, and hope to have them all collected by Friday. Ellen will be at Pasta Party, so please bring your form and payment then. If you’re paying by cash, then PLEASE complete a form and put the cash and the form in an envelope. Extra forms are at the pool on the bulletin board.

DOLPHIN DANCE! We’re yelling “timber” because it’s going down. Saturday night at 8 PM. All community members are invited to party with the Dolphins. We’ll post a sign-up sheet for snacks and drinks this week. Anyone who wants to help decorate can arrive at 6:30 or so; we have an awesome set-up playlist, too.
Upcoming:

Wednesday, July 16—Jelly Bean Meet! The Jelly Bean Meet is open to all 8-and-under swimmers, whether or not they are Dolphins team members—invite your neighbors, or bring a guest family to swim! Children as young as two can participate and parents are permitted to help their children across the pool. All 8U Dolphins team members are expected to swim, and older swimmers will assist on the deck as timers. Stopwatches for timers are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. No stopwatches will be held for anyone who isn’t present. All swimmers will all receive a ribbon and a bag of assorted candies (including jelly beans), and we’ll have lots of candy for timers, too! The Jelly Bean Meet is a great Dolphins tradition, and a really fun evening, so please encourage neighbors with young children to attend. Because only 8-and-unders participate, the meet usually ends by 7:30 or so. Bring dinner to the pool or order a pizza or a Flippers dinner special and make an evening of it!

Friday, July 18—PAPER PLATE AWARDS! The Paper Plate awards are distributed at the last Pasta Party of the season (which will start at 6, rather than 6:30). This is another long-standing Dolphins tradition. The awards are funny, silly, and personal—each child is recognized for either a personal quality or for a particular funny thing that they might have said or done. Dana Bearman has coordinated the Awards for a long time, and you have probably already seen her lurking around with her Harriet the Spy notebook. If you have any fun ideas for awards for your swimmers or for their friends, please email Dana (bearmanm@gmail.com) or find her at the pool.

SATURDAY, July 19—B Division Championships (The Mother of All Meets). We’re hosting again! All 6 B Division teams will be coming together to determine who really rules the Division, and we need full parent participation. If your kids will not be swimming, then we’ll ask only that you stay to help set up on Friday night, although we will be very happy to have your help on Saturday, too. If your kids are swimming, then your help will be needed and expected. The line-up will be announced next Saturday evening or Sunday morning, so if your swimmers will be participating, then please contact Renee Yockelson ASAP to find out how you can help. A Divisional meet is a big undertaking. Not only do we need to do everything that we do for a regular-season meet, but we also need to produce shirts and programs, direct traffic and parking, and have enough food and drinks to feed 6 teams worth of swimmers and family members. We have hosted many times and thanks to the great leadership of Renee “Butter” Yockelson, last year’s event was a huge success. The Divisional meet is a major revenue generator for the team (over $2,000 last year—thank you Mrs. Ruppert and Mrs. Miller!) and it’s also a point of pride for our team to offer the best hospitality and the best competition environment for our guests. Let’s outdo ourselves this year!