Good evening Otters!

I hope everyone had a great weekend after a fantastic Time Trials Meet on Thursday and our annual Photo/Relay Day on Friday.  As coaches we are excited to get our dual meet season rolling and thankful for all the support from our Otter families so far.  We open the dual meet season this week against Stones Crossing on Tuesday and Northwest on Thursday.  Both meets are at home.  

Our continued tradition of Otter success will be dependent on all of us. Practice and meet attendance will be vital to our team's ability to improve. We all are expecting more in 2024 and we need everyone pulling the rope in the same direction. As coaches we have seen this current team take great strides in 2 weeks, we are confident the swims and dives we saw last Thursday are only a glimpse of what we will see from the Otters this summer.

Meet declarations for the Time Trial Meet went smoothly on SwimTopia. I noticed many have declared for this week's dual meets and also for meets beyond.  For any dual meet, declarations will close at noon the day before (Monday & Wednesday).  You will not see your events posted for the meet until final changes are made to the lineup the day of the meet.  This usually will happen at 2 pm when entries are due to the league.  Please do not share your events with opposing teams.  

For our dual meets, only declare yourself out if you cannot make the entire meet that day.  I appreciated the notes for meet absences for Time Trials (example - on vacation) and would like that practice to continue through the season.  If you have another obligation but can still make it for some later events in the meet, please leave me a note stating that and I will try to get your swimmer/diver(s) in the meet.  An example of this is baseball/softball practice ends at 7 - I can most likely get your swimmer in for a fly, back, or breast event possibly.  That could change the outcome of a meet.  

This league is very competitive and we will need everyone on deck for each meet ready to compete.  Our success will be dependent on the strength of our team and not just one individual.  Swimming is a sport based on time and every event your child competes in will be an official time, whether that is in a scoring heat or exhibition. Every chance to compete is an opportunity for a best time or new dive learned.  Make the most of it!  

I'm looking forward to this week and a cooler weather day tomorrow.  Please keep hydrating though as the effects of last week's heat and the events of your weekend will linger.  We want to see more fast swims and great dives this week.  Go Otters!

Coach Kushner