Hello Stingrays,

Championships is Saturday March 6th and like the past two years will be at the Boston University Pool (a fantastic facility for those who have never been).  It's a very exciting meet for all, and we are looking forward to facing teams we raced this season, as well as the additional three teams in the league we did not swim against.  There is a lot of information in this email, so please read it carefully.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Swimmers 10 and under will swim in the morning.  Swimmers are not allowed in the building before 7:30am.  If you try to enter the building prior to 7:30 you will be asked to leave and your swimmer will be scratched.  Our warm-up time is not until 8:15, so there is plenty of time to get in and get settled.  I do recommend, however, that all swimmers arrive in their swim suits.  ALL swimmers MUST be on deck ready to get in the water by 8:15, otherwise they will be scratched.  We do not have a lot of deck space, so this is not a meet to bring lots of extra things.  There is a locker room, but there is not a lot of available lockers for the large number of participants.  The first race is scheduled to start at 9 am and the morning session will be over by 1pm.  

All swimmers and families must be out of the pool area between 1 and 3 pm.

Swimmers 11 and over will swim in the late afternoon/evening.  Swimmers are not allowed on the deck before 3pm (if you arrive slightly early you can sit in the stands).  Swimmers from NAC, Thoreau and Westford will be allowed on deck at 3pm first because they have first warm-up.  After they are down on the pool area, the remaining swimmers may go down on deck (around 3:05- there will be parents monitoring this). Our warm-up is at 3:15, therefore, ALL swimmers MUST be on deck ready to get in the water by 3:15, otherwise they will be scratched.  All swimmers should arrive at the pool with their suits on.  We do not have a lot of deck space, so this is not a meet to bring lots of extra things.  There is a locker room with a limited number of lockers for the large number of participants.  The first race is scheduled to start at 4:10, and we will be done by 8pm.

Parent Volunteers:  We again need a limited number of parent volunteers.  I know many parents want to be supervisors for the younger swimmers, but we have a limit on how many we can have.  I will take into consideration the age of your swimmer when determining who will fulfill the role.  

We need-

AM session: 1 timer (work a stop watch or the plunger for the touch pads), 4 bullpen workers (we again are solely in charge of the bullpen and need parents to help with this- you'll get the best view of the races!), 6 parent supervisors (watch over the team, keep the peace, and most importantly do bathroom runs with groups of swimmers).

PM session: 1 timer (work a stop watch or the plunger for the touch pads), 3 bullpen workers (we again are solely in charge of the bullpen and need parents to help with this- you'll get the best view of the races!), 3 parent supervisors (watch over the team, keep the peace, and most importantly do bathroom runs with groups of swimmers).

All parent volunteers will have a meeting at 8:30 am or 3:40 pm to go over responsibilities etc.

Please let me know if you are interested in any of these positions.  All other parents will be required to stay in the stands (volunteers will have a special badge that will allow them to be on deck).  We will permit swimmers to go up into the stands to see you, giving them a set time/event they need to return to us by (all swimmers need to check in with Margaret/Jessa prior to leaving our area on the deck).

No street shoes are permitted on deck, so all volunteers should bring clean flip/flops or alternative shoes to wear during the meet.

K & B will be at the meet to see various suits and other swimming accessories.  Meet programs and championship t-shirts will be available for purchase by CASH only (programs $2, shirts- short sleeve $10, long sleeve $15).  One of the BU athletic teams will be there to sell snacks.  However, NO FOOD IS ALLOWED ON THE POOL DECK- ONLY WATER IS PERMITTED.  Swimmers will have to see their parents in the stand to have a snack.

While the BU pool is a great facility and a very fast pool, there is not a lot of spectator space in the stands for the large number of swimmers who attend.  This is not a meet to bring extended family members to come watch- there just isn't the space.  It is also recommended that siblings not on the team stay home if possible.

Swimmers are welcome to make signs/banners to hang up in our area of the deck.  However, everything must be hung with painter's tape.

I know this is a lot of information- so please let me know if you think I've forgotten anything and/or if you have any questions.  While it can be overwhelming, it's also a very fun meet and we have the opportunity of doing very well.  We've worked hard all season, and this meet is a great way to end the season.

Melissa