Dear Seahorse Families,

It’s hard to believe that our first meet of the season is upon us. We are looking forward to seeing all of you for Time Trials on Sunday, May 19. Time Trials is your swimmer’s opportunity to establish base times for the 2024 season, and the best way to start achieving Pops - so it is really important to attend!

For many swimmers and parents, it is also the first opportunity to experience a swim meet. THANK YOU in advance for reading this email thoroughly and carefully so that you know what to expect.

Declare for Time Trials NOW!

Please make sure that you declare your swimmer in Swimtopia by 11pm on Wednesday, May 15th. Due to the size and length of this event, there will not be any late additions. If you would prefer that your swimmer does not swim an event - please put that information in the notes section of the declaration page. We are happy to honor those requests in advance.

7/8 100 YARD IM

The 7/8 IM is an OPT IN event. Please indicate in the NOTES SECTION of the declaration page, whether or not your 7/8 year old wishes to get a base time in the 100 IM. All swimmers in age groups 9/10 and up will be entered into the 100 IM.

15-18 FREESTYLE

We have two freestyle events for the 15-18 age group: 50 Yard Freestyle (Events #1 and 2), and 100 Yard Freestyle (Events #34 and 35). When you declare for the meet, please indicate in the Notes field whether you would like to swim the 50, the 100, or both! If you do not enter any notes, the default will be that you are entered in BOTH events.

Meet Program

You will be receiving a meet program via email from our Desk Team by Saturday, May 18. In that email, we will include some instructions about how to read a meet sheet and how to mark your swimmer with their heat and lane assignment. Helpful information can be viewed in Swimtopia: Mark Your Swimmer

Meet Timeline

7:45 AM - Pool is open for 15-18 age group early warm-up, in case you want more than about 10 minutes of warm-up time.

8:00 AM - Warm-Ups officially begin with the 15-18 swimmers first. All swimmers should be ready to get in the water when their age group is called.

9:00 AM - Meet begins

2:00 PM - Estimated end time

Parking on Sunday, May 19

We are not allowed to park in the Church parking lot across the street on Sunday, as they will be holding their weekly services. Please plan to park in the neighborhood if the LT lot is full.

Name Tags

There will be many new faces on the pool deck this year! Let’s introduce ourselves to one another by wearing name tags. These will be available inside the front gate on Sunday morning.

LTST Yard Signs

We have yard signs for families who are new to LTST. If you are a new family, please stop by the Yard Sign table, let our helper know your name, and take home a sign to display your team pride!

Fundraising

Our Fundraising Coordinator, Colleen Mahoney, has been hard at work organizing some unique experiences you won’t want to miss! Remember that Time Trials is our most important Fundraising date of the year! We are saving up for a Professional Tent at the DCSL meet, so please be prepared with cash, check or Venmo.

Time Trials Parent Jobs

If you have a Parent Job at Time Trials, you will be receiving a confirmation email from our Parent Job Coordinators, Sarah and Heather. Please refer to this email for specific instructions.

Please remember: 1) You MUST email Sarah and Heather at least 24 hours before your work shift if you plan to send a Substitute for your Parent Job. 2) You MUST check in upon arrival so that Sarah and Heather know you are at the meet. 3) Only some jobs may be performed by a Substitute … be sure to read the Policies!

Snack Shack

The Snack Shack will be open on the morning of Time Trials. The Snack Shack accepts cash, Venmo and credit cards.

Technique References

The following YouTube videos were produced by USA Swimming, the governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. They are a great resource for learning more about the technical requirements of each stroke. Originally intended as training videos for Stroke and Turn Officials, these videos are also helpful and interesting to parents who wish to learn more about the specific details that Officials are looking for when judging races. If you are new to the sport, or want a refresher course on the rules, check out these videos!

Freestyle / Breaststroke / Backstroke / Butterfly

Private Swim Lessons

Just a reminder, registration for Private Swim Lessons will open on May 15 at 2pm for swim team members (May 17 for LT Pool members who are not on swim team). Signups will remain open until all spots are filled.

The recommended age for Private Lessons is 5+ by June 15, 2024, but younger swimmers may be accommodated if they are completely water safe. Please note that these are not "Learn to Swim" lessons and non-refundable.  All participants should be water safe. These lessons are designed to develop and improve stroke technique, and prepare swimmers for a competitive swim environment. Areas of focus may include starts and turns. Please see detailed information on the Private Lessons page of the website.

Thanks for reading and see you soon, Seahorses!

Amy & Dana