Hello Rapids!

Tuesday May 30^th is our first day of Practice! We’re so excited for the season to start.

Some last minute notes for practice:

• A reminder of practice times:
• 5:00-5:45 pm — ages 8 and under
• 5:45-6:45 pm — ages 9 to 12
• 6:45-7:45 pm — ages 13 and over
• For Mini's a separate Sign-up Genius was sent out, asking families to pick a time for an evaluation.  We also have "Splash Around" times for Mini's.  Please see the Practice Schedule page for more information.
• Please have your swimmer attend the practice of their age group on Day 1. We’re going to have “Developmental” and “Advanced” lanes in each age group. If you need practice time accommodations, please talk to one of the Team Reps (Mandy or Noelle) or Coach Lilly. Things might move around a bit as the season progresses, but we ask that everybody attend the practice of their age group to start.
• PLEASE do not disturb any of the coaches during practice. Day 1 (and the first few practices after that) are always a bit chaotic as the coaches get to know the kids, where they should be, and work to make the summer as safe and fun as possible. If you need to say something about your child’s swimming, please see one of the reps.
• If you have a child who is 6 and under, please have them evaluated through the Mini-Evaluation schedule. We will have a 6-under lane with the main team, but we’d like to make sure all the kids in the lane can swim across the pool safely. ** If your child swam with the Rapids main team last year and is 6 or under, they are welcome to skip the evaluation and come to the main team practice.  If you are new, we ask that you do an evaluation.  
• If your child cannot swim across the pool comfortably and without panic, please do not have them attend the main team practice. This is for the safety of all of the swimmers. If you have questions, please see a team rep. 
• Please try to get to the pool a little early. When you get to the pool, please go check-in by the record board (by the big gate to the parking lot) with one of the team reps. You’ll get your 2023 team shirt, a Rapids swim cap (if you want one) and then the kids can go to their coaches who will put them in a lane. Lane assignments will be fluid throughout the season.
• Things to bring:
• Goggles
• Water Bottle
• A great attitude!
• At the end of practice for day 1, we’re serving popsicles and the coaches are going to teach a few cheers!

A reminder: Day 1 is always a bit chaotic. We have a lot of new families, a new Head Coach and our coach’s haven’t seen the returning swimmers swim in 10 months! Please be patient with the Team Reps and the coaches. If you think your child is mis-placed, please bear with us as we work it out.  We want every single swimmer to have the best possible experience, but sometimes that takes a little time to work out.  

If you have any questions, please contact one of the team reps or send a note to [email protected].

Also, if you haven’t already, follow the team's official Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/rapids_gfst/ The Coaching Staff had a meeting/training today to prep for the season, and we added a reel on the training. You can get a slight glimpse into some things we'll be working on this year.  Follow it to get some cool images and reels all season long. We'll also be posting Swimmer of the Week, accomplishments, and other fun things on our social media all year long.  

Thanks

-Your Team Reps