HAPPY MEET DAY, Dolphin Families! 

I am beyond excited that our first chance at victory is within our grasp! Attached, please find the Heat Sheet for this evening's meet. Several families have already e-mailed me asking to modify their child's commitment to the meet, and know that I will be working with Coach Justin and Coach Amy of Cherokee to reflect those changes in the final draft. 

Please do not mark your swimmer before they arrive in their bullpen! While marking your swimmer could be a great time saver, there will be several changes that will occur in the next few hours! If you would like to help your bullpen volunteers, please sharpie your child's name in LARGE LETTERS on their back! 

Tonight will be our first opportunity to utilize our Google Drive for photo sharing and uploads! Please upload any pictures, videos, and content you have to the Cherokee meet folder, HERE!  If you're posting pictures, please follow the directions at the bottom of this e-mail. 

On to the details! 

WHERE: Our first meet is AWAY- meaning it will be held at Cherokee Town and Country Club - 155 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 

TIMELINE:
4:00 - Volunteers arrive and check in at the Volunteer table just past the entrance near the baby pool. 
4:15pm - Swimmers arrive and check in at their designated bullpens located just past volunteer check in, near the baby pool. We ask that swimmers arrive no later than 4:30pm, but we understand that with varying school schedules and traffic this could be difficult. Please arrive as soon as you are able, and let someone know if you are going to be arriving after warmups! 
4:30pm- Cherokee Indians begin Warmups 
5:00pm- Druid Hills Dolphins begin Warmups 
5:30pm- Meet begins! 

WEATHER: In the event of inclement weather, Cherokee has opened their ballroom for us to shelter. Should we need to, Cherokee management will guide our team to the ballroom located right off of the pool deck. 

FOOD: A buffet will be available by member ticket. It is located near the Adult Pool close to the snack bar. 

OTHER INFORMATION: Cherokee will be providing extra towels, but please bring your own! Druid Hills' "Towel Amnesty" program does not extend to Cherokee, so if you need to borrow an extra CTCC Towel, please ensure it is returned. 

• Our Chairman, Ken Lovic, will be bringing our Team T-shirts to the meet and handing them out to those who have not received them in their bullpens!
  • Ken Lovic will also have the caps that have not been picked up, as well as extras. 
• We would like to remind our parents that it is very important that swimmers remain in their Bullpen. You are always welcome to spend time with them there, regardless of whether or not you are volunteering in that bullpen!
• While Cherokee is providing a lovely buffet, but please also pack a water bottle and nut free snacks! (We have severe allergies on the team!) Know your swimmer and their eating habits! During a rain delay, snacks are a great way to pass the time! 
• While we understand tonight will be a school night for several folks, please stay for the final relays! We need our swimmers to bring the DOLPHIN SPIRIT and cheer for their teammates, but we also often have to pull our friends to compete in the place of those who are absent during those relays! 
• Please make sure to bring:
  • Caps
  • Goggles
  • Sun Screen (labeled)
  • Water Bottle (labeled)
  • Nut-Free Snacks
  • Non-Electronic Entertainment for the Bullpen
  • At least two towels (Towels are not provided for meets)
• Wear your Competition Suit!
• You are welcome to stay with your child in their bullpen even if you are not volunteering. Please make sure your child is in their bullpen so our volunteers can mark them and line them up for their events.
• Please Sun Screen your swimmer AFTER they are marked. It is difficult to use a sharpie on already Sun Screened Skin! EVEN THOUGH TODAY IS CLOUDY, SUN SCREEN IS STILL IMPORTANT!

Heat Sheet Information

Even for the experienced Dolphin swim family, receipt of the heat sheet prior to a swim meet often generates questions. 

• Each swimmer may swim a maximum of 3 individual events and 2 relays at a swim meet; however, not every swimmer will swim 5 events at a swim meet. The number of events a swimmer is entered in will vary from week to week. This rule does not apply to 6U swimmers. Coaches are happy to discuss event selection the day following the swim meet.
• The line-up exchange between teams occurs on Monday afternoons after 12:00 p.m. A heat sheet cannot be created prior to the line-up exchange. After all heats and lanes have been consolidated, an initial heat sheet will be emailed to Dolphin swim families (typically by 3:00 p.m.).

Heat sheet has been emailed and you have reviewed it. Frequently asked questions and what to do:

• My child isn’t on the heat sheet!
  • First, to prevent this, make sure you “commit” or “not commit” to every swim meet on Swimtopia by the cutoff date. If you have not “committed” your swimmer on Swimtopia, they will not be on the heat sheet.
  • If your child is not on the heat sheet and will be attending the swim meet, do two things:
  • Email or text Robyn! I will not be able to respond to all emails but will collect all notifications and forward them to Coach Justin. ([email protected]) (301-473-3221)
  • Come to the meet, check in with our Volunteer Booth, let your bullpen parent know, we will make it work.
• My child IS on the heat sheet but now will be absent (sick, etc.)!
  • Let Robyn know via email or text, as above. This is important so that we can shuffle relays and get other swimmers in the water.
  • Please note, if you don't check-in with the appropriate bullpen parent on time, there is a possibility that your swimmer will be scratched from their events, particularly early races. If you are running late please let someone in your bullpen know so that we don't tap another swimmer for your relay spot.
• My child’s name is wrong on the heat sheet!
  • All names of swimmers on the heat sheet will appear as the swimmer is registered under Swimtopia (e.g., John Michael Phelps will appear as John Phelps on the heat sheet, not Michael Phelps). If you want the name of your swimmer to be anything other than their first name and surname, please make sure that information is noted on Swimtopia.
• My child is entered with “NT” in an event!
  • If your swimmer is entered with "NT" in an event, that simply means your swimmer has never swum the event previously and does not have an official time.
• My child is swimming the Individual Medley, or is on a Medley Relay. What order of strokes do they swim!
  • If your swimmer is swimming the Individual Medley (IM), the stroke order is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. If your swimmer is swimming on a Medley Relay, the stroke order is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. 

As always, please let us know if you have any questions. I cannot wait to see our team together for our first dose of competition this season! 

GO DOLPHINS! 

Robyn Whittemore