Wayland Junior Warriors

Hello Junior Warriors families!

What a great meet this weekend!  We went in as the underdog and every swimmer gave it their all and garnered a few extra points here and there putting us on top when all was said and done.  When we reviewed the results, it was clear that it really was that extra effort the kids put in that made the difference.  Many swimmers had personal best times and touched out their opponent causing them to move up in the scoring.  It was often only a one point gain for our team, but that was one less for the other team and over the course of the meet those “one points” built up.  Congratulations to all on a wonderful team effort!  And thanks to all the parents for making the meet run smoothly…it went much more quickly than anticipated.  News for this week…

• Swimmer of the Week – This week’s swimmer of the week is Sam Cahaly.  We spoke to Sam before Sunday’s meet about swimming 2 events (fly and breast) that may not be his favorite.  We explained to him that some of his 7&8 year old teammates would be missing so we needed to fill in those 2 events.  Sam readily agreed to swim those events for the team and during warm up he worked really hard on his fly and breast starts.  He had amazing swims in the meet and really showed what it is to be a team player…to put the team before himself and swim events that would help the team.  Congratulations Sam!!
• Focus of the Week – We will continue with starts, turns and butterfly this week.  Ask your swimmers about it!
• Next Meet – Our next meet is this Saturday, Jan. 30^th against Mystic Valley at home.  Again, another very competitive team.  This is the first time they have come to our pool (we’ve gone to them the past few years).  Timing is:

–          Arrival – 11:40 am

–          Warm Up – 11:50 am

–          Meet Starts – 12:30 pm

Please, please, please sign up on the bulletin board as to whether your swimmer is coming.  If you aren’t at the pool to do so, just send me a note.

• Volunteers – As always, we need our usual crew of volunteers to run a smooth meet.  Please sign up on the bulletin board.  A gentle reminder…every family is asked to volunteer at a minimum of one meet during the season.  We only have 2 left!  If you are having trouble finding a volunteer spot, let me know…we always have things that need to be done!
• Special Pizza Night Thursday – Many swimmers have asked about doing something for Haiti.  So, this Thursday all proceeds from pizza night will be donated to the Red Cross’ efforts in Haiti.  Thanks to Maureen Tillett and Jennifer Mcleod for organizing this.
• Championship Meet – The championship meet is Saturday, March 6^th at Boston University.  We assume that every member of the team will be swimming in the meet.  Please let Jeanne know if there is any issue with your child participating in the meet.  It is a fun meet and a great way to end the season.   The meet will be split into 2 sessions:

–          10&unders – Appx. 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

–          11&older – Appx. 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm

More details will follow as the date gets closer.

• Lost and Found – The lost and found is overflowing.  Please check it this week as all items will be donated to charity at the end of the week.

That is it for this week!  See you at the pool!

Jeanne

• Swimmer of the Week – This week’s swimmer of the week is Matt Cramer. Matt is an eighth grader who is a wonderful role model to all of the swimmers on the team. He has an amazing work ethic and his hard work certainly pays off…his times keep getting faster and faster! He also is deeply caring towards every member of our team. If you watch him at a meet, he is always cheering for his fellow teammates, giving high-fives to the younger swimmers, and always psyching up and complimenting the members of any relay team he is on. He notices when a swimmer might be troubled and lets the coaches know. Matt is an excellent example of what it means to be a team player. Congratulations Matt!

• Next Meet – Our next meet is Sunday, Jan. 24^th (yes…Sunday). Timing is:

• Volunteers – As always, we need our regular number of volunteers to make this meet run smoothly. A gentle reminder…all families are asked to volunteer in some capacity at a minimum of one meet. We only have 3 meets left (2 home and 1 away), so if you still need to fulfill your volunteer commitment please do so. If you are having trouble finding a volunteer position, please see Jeanne…there is always something that needs to be done!

• Focus of the Week – We have been working hard on our backstroke finishes! This week we will continue that focus and also work on butterfly.
   
• Swim Champions Tour – Many of you have seen the flyers in the lobby about the upcoming Swim Champions Fitter and Faster tour that is coming to Sudbury on Jan. 24^th. There are 2 sessions (AM and PM). For more information, visit www.swimchampions.com and click on the Boston, MA location.

• Pizza Night – Thursday pizza night continues this Thursday!
   
• Lobby Monitor Shifts – The lobby monitor shifts are posted next to the bulletin board. Please check the list for your shift. If you are unable to make your shift, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Thanks for your help with this!

• Swimmers of the Week – This week’s swimmers of the week are Everett Tillett and Theo Hieronymus. Everett had some amazing swims Saturday beginning with his 100 IM. Having only recently mastered a legal breaststroke, Everett put his skills to work and amazed all of us. Later he was anchor of the 200 medley relay where he started several body lengths behind his competition. He put his heart into the race and it came right down to the wire. Although the Wayland team was out touched by .02 seconds, Everett’s efforts exhibited true team spirit and reflected his hard work this season. Theo is a new 8^th grader to our team this year and has put in a lot of really hard work to learn all the strokes. Not only does Theo exhibit a great work ethic, but he impressed the coaches Saturday when he shook his competition’s hand after their race. Acknowledging your competition’s swim after a race is one of the truest forms of good sportsmanship. Congratulations Everett and Theo!
• Focus of the Week – This week we will focus on backstroke turns and finishes. Check out the posters in the lobby!
• Next Meet – Our next meet is Sunday, January 24^th against Longfellow. As mentioned in the last update, these last 3 dual meets will be our most competitive meets of the season. We look forward to everyone’s participation so we can give each meet our best team effort!
• Pizza Night – Thursday pizza night continues this Thursday!
• Team Suits – Please take a moment to check your swimmer’s team suits and make sure you have the right one. All suits should have names written on the tags (if they don’t, please put your child’s name in permanent marker on the tag). Some swimmers are missing their suits. Also, check the lost and found. You would be amazed at how many team suits (and other items) end up there after practices and meets!
• Lobby Monitor Shifts – The lobby monitor shifts are posted next to the bulletin board. Please check the list for your shift. If you are unable to make your shift, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Thanks for your help with this!

Hello Junior Warriors families…

Happy New Year!  I hope all of you are refreshed after the holiday break.  If you are like me, it was hard to get back into the swing of things today!  News for this week…

***Tuesday Practice:  There is a possibility that the Wayland pool will be closed for the day on Tuesday, 1/5/10.  I will know the status by 11:00 am Tuesday and will send an email with the practice plan for the day.  So please make sure you check your email before heading to the pool.***

• Next Meet – We begin the second half of our meet schedule this Saturday with a home meet against NAC.  Timing is:

–          11:40 am – Arrival

–          11:55 am – Warm up

–          12:30 pm – Meet starts

Please sign up on the bulletin board as to whether your swimmer will attend the meet.

• Meet Comment – Our toughest competition will be the last 3 meets of the season (Jan. 24^th, Jan. 30^th and Feb. 7^th) and we will need all of our swimmers!  If you are planning to miss a meet out of the next 4, the meet this weekend is the best one to miss!
• Volunteers – We need our usual group of volunteers for the meet this weekend.  Some of our “regulars” won’t be available as they will be setting up for the evening’s pool party.  So if you are waiting to get your meet volunteer requirement in, this is the weekend to do it!  (Just a gentle reminder that all families are asked to volunteer at a minimum of one home meet during the season.)
• Focus of the Week – This week we begin our focus on backstroke.  Check out the posters in the lobby!
• Pizza Thursday – Pizza night resumes Thursday!
• Pool Party! – This Saturday is the Wayland Community Pool Party from 8:00 pm – midnight at Sandy Burr.  The party is to raise awareness and funds for the new town pool…construction begins in March.  The RSVP date has been extended to Thursday, Jan. 7^th.  If you’ve misplaced your paper invitation, go to www.waylandcommunitypool.org for an electronic version.  Hope to see you there!
• Lobby Monitor Shifts – The lobby monitor shifts are posted next to the bulletin board.  Please check the list for your shift.  If you are unable to make your shift, it is your responsibility to find a replacement.  Thanks for your help with this!

That is it for this week!  As always, thanks for your flexibility!

Jeanne