Wahoos families,

Our Time Trials are scheduled for next week, Thursday, June 3 from 6:00 to approximately 8:30. 

Time Trials function like a mock swim meet. It gives everyone -- the kids, coaches, and parents -- a chance to essentially practice a swim meet. The swimmers will swim several events to get baseline times. The coaches will get to work with the swimmers in a meet format. The parents will get to fill volunteer jobs and help run the meet and of course cheer our Wahoos!

What we need from you

1. Let us know if your swimmers are participating (Meet Entry): we will assume your swimmer is attending the Time Trial unless you communicate otherwise. It's best if you officially declare them as available or unavailable using Meet Entry as this provides validation and gives the coaches confidence as they setup the event entries for the time trials for each swimmer they are expecting to participate. Please do not email me or the Coach Nathan with your plans to attend or decline the Time Trails. Instead, use the Meet Entry link for Time Trials in the Team Calendar. You can also leave notes for the coach when you declare using Meet Entry.
2. Volunteer! Lots of you have been asking about volunteering. Well, it's time. We need about 22 people to help run the time trials. You can signup for one of the jobs using the Job Signup link on the Time Trials event in the Calendar or from the link you'll see when you use Meet Entry to declare your swimmers. There you'll see info and descriptions for each job. A few jobs require training or prior experience. Timers and Runners are very approachable jobs (and we need 17 of them). If you have questions about volunteering please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Cathy Osmera.
3. Attend the time trials. Show up for warm-ups at 6:00 on Thursday, June 3 with your swimmers dressed and ready to swim (see more info here on what to bring to the meet). If you are volunteering then please check-in at the volunteer desk when you arrive.
4. Not to worry if your swimmer isn't available. Time trials definitely help swimmers get a feel for how a meet works and allows them to establish baseline times in several events. But if they don't make it they'll still be able to swim in the upcoming meets and will work to establish times there. 

What to expect for Time Trials

• Note: the process and flow of Meet Entry, Job Signups, warm-ups, performing the volunteer jobs that run the meet moving the swimmers through their events and heats for Time Trials is the same as we'll do for the 6 official meets for this season.
• You'll get access to the Event Entry report on Wednesday and Heat Sheets will be available Thursday early afternoon. (see What to Expect at a Swim Meet for more info on these).
• Arrive at the meet by 6:00 for Warm-ups.
• If you are volunteering then check-in at the volunteer desk when you arrive. You'll be given instructions there on when and where to report for duty.
• Coaches will organize the swimmers and direct them through warm-ups.
• The swimming events start at 6:30.
  • You'll need to listen for the starter announcing upcoming events to help your swimmers know when to be ready. At the direction from the starter, as their next event approaches they'll need to report to clerk of course area between the diving boards and slide stairs. The clerk of course volunteer will help organize and direct them from there.
  • 6U swimmers will swim their 25M freestyle first (Events 1 - Girls & 2 - Boys). If they are not entered into other events they can leave or stay and watch.
  • There are no relays for Time Trials.
  • The individual events will flow as follows by age group and gender:
    • Freestyle
    • Backstroke
    • Individual Medley (IM)
    • Breaststroke
    • Butterfly
  • We may run some combined heats where two heats can fit into 8 lanes or less.
• An official meet with relays has 70 events to cover all the individual strokes and relays by age groups and gender. The Time Trial will have 50 events (with none of the 20 relays of the official meets). 
• We expect the Time Trials to conclude around 8:30, plus or minus 20 minutes or so depending on how many swimmers are participating.
• Results showing swimmers times by events they swam will be available Friday. 
  • Coaches will use these times to help each swimmer work on improvement throughout the season. Coach Nathan will use the results to determine event entries and relays for the first meet on June 7.

Any Wahoos apparel you ordered will be available at Time Trials. Also, if you haven't picked up your Team Towel & Cap or swim suit (ordered from Carolina Swim Shop and delivered to our team for distribution) Kimberly and Jen will also have them available at Time Trials.

Hopefully this helps provide information, a to-do list and set expectations for Time Trials for next week. As always, please reach out to Coach Nathan or your Wahoos Committee Volunteers with any questions.

Thank you,

Joe Guy

Wahoos Team Rep