LJST

PARENT ORIENTATION

Summer 2025

General Business

Welcome

General Business

Today’s Agenda

Introduction

Parent Participation

Policies and Discipline

Practice

Swimtopia

Swim Meets

Supporting your Swimmer

Sponsorships

Communication

General Business

Introduction

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Who We Are

• Lake Jackson Swim Team Pirates

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• Established in 1996

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• Summer and Fall/Winter Recreation Program

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• Competitive swim team with an emphasis on technique development and enjoying swimming as a lifelong sport

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• Sponsored by the Lake Jackson Recreation Center

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Texas Amateur Athletic Federation TAAF

• Operate under the rules of TAAF

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• TAAF Region 1: Cities Surrounding Houston

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Coastal Cities Aquatic Association CCAA

• Member of CCAA

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• Operate under the rules of CCAA

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• Splash, Regular Season and Championship Meets

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Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Celeste Albarran

Oversees and manages coaching for LJST

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• Coaches are current or former swimmers, mostly LJST.

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• Develop swimmer skills by creating a positive and supportive training environment.

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• All coaches must pass a background check and complete Safe Sport Training.

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• Dedicated to helping your swimmer learn.

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Parent Participation

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Swimming and Parent Volunteers

• Successful swim meets require 40+ volunteers.

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• Every volunteer plays a crucial and invaluable role at our meets.

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• Each family is required to volunteer at least 2X at meets during the season. This can be you, grandparents, children (aged 15+). Volunteer options for before and after meets. No experience necessary for most positions.

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• Due to the amount of volunteers needed we do not offer a buyout option.

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Volunteer Positions

No Experience Required

• Timer
• Ready Bench*
• Check-In Attendant
• DQ Runner
• Meet Set-Up
• Meet Clean-Up
• Swim Official Food
• Swim Official Water

Experience Required

• Q & A Table Attendant
• Head Timer
• Head Ready Bench*
• Trained Meet Official

*Volunteers for Ready Bench fulfill their volunteer commitment by volunteering once.

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Policies and Discipline

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Recreation Center

• Lap Pool and Shower/Restroom Only

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• Only use during scheduled practice

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• Sign-in or use scan badge

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• Only registered members can use the facility

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• No food or sugary drinks in the Natatorium

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• Walk in swimmers 8 and under

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• Remain in the spectator area not the deck

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Recreation Center

Consequences for misuse or abuse of the Recreation Center

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• 1st Offense: Warning from the Board and reminder of the rules

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• 2nd Offense: Suspension from upcoming meet

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• Last Offense: Dismissal from team

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Depending on severity of behavior dismissal and suspension may be a consequence of their 1st offense.

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We are guests in the Rec Center please be cordial to all rec center staff and follow the rules as we do not want to lose our privileges.

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Swimmer Discipline

• Our goal is to create a safe and congenial environment for all our swimmers

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• Good behavior is an expectation at all practices and meets

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• Listen to instruction

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• Be respectful

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• Co-ed environment, be sure to keep hands to yourself

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• Swimmer Code of Conduct

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Swimmer Discipline

Consequences for breaking the code of conduct

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• 1st Offense: Sit out practice

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• 2nd Offense: Suspension from practice/meets

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• Last Offense: Dismissal from team

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Depending on severity of behavior dismissal and suspension may be a consequence of their 1st offense.

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Parent Discipline

• Good behavior is an expectation at all practices and meets

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• Do not confront or speak to referees

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• Do not force your child to participate

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• Encourage sportsmanship in your swimmer

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• No use of profanity, drugs, tobacco, vaping or alcohol at practice or swim meets

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• Parental Code of Conduct

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Parent Discipline

Consequences for breaking the code of conduct

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• Warning
• Suspension
• Expulsion

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Depending on severity of behavior dismissal and suspension may be a consequence of their 1st offense.

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No refunds will be issued for disciplinary expulsions.

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Practice

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Practice

• Show up early and ready

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• Stay the whole practice

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• Attend as much as possible

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• Grouped by skill and age

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• Spectators in the bleachers

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• Schedule on website

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What to Bring

• Properly Fitted Suit

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• Water Bottle

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• Towel

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• Goggles

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• Swim Cap

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• Good Attitude!

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What to Expect

• Warm-ups to start

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• Cool-downs to finish

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• Different skills taught each day

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• Skills we work on:
• Strokes | Turns | Transitions | Dives
• Sprints | Stamina | Drills

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Practice Lengths

• Different lengths depending on skill and endurance levels

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• 45/60 mins for new/young swimmers is a long practice

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• More beneficial to have slightly shorter practice and perfect technique

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• Longer endurance-based practice technique tends to suffer for newer/younger swimmers

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State Qualifier Practice

Region 1 Meet : July 12th, 2025

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Practice after Region 1 Meet for

State Qualifiers Only

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Swimtopia

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Swimtopia

• New this year

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• Download the App

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• Emergency Messaging

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• Meet and Volunteer Signup

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• Website

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• Swimmers times

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• Meet Results

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Meet Sign-up

• Sign-up for meets by the deadline
• Typically Tuesday by noon

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• Declare attendance

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• Indicate availability for relays

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• Select preferred events
• If none selected, coach will select best fit

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• View selected choices

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• Do not miss the sign-up deadline, it is hard to add swimmers to meets.

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Volunteer Sign-up

• View available positions

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• View Job descriptions

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• View jobs you are signed up for

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• Sign-up for positions

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Messages

• Allow notifications on phone app

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• We will not spam your phone with a bunch of messages

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• If you don't have the app, it will send an email

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Messaging Examples

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• Canceled practice notifications

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• Looking for swimmers

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• Immediate changes at meets

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Swim Meets

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Swim Meets

• Typically 3-4 hours

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• Encourage attendance at all swim meets

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• Declare attendance and relay availability

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• Trying to improve personal best times. Medals and ribbons are just the “icing on the cake”

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Swim Meets

• If an emergency arises and your swimmer cannot attend the meet, email us ASAP! We will have to scratch them and replace their events

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• Failure could lead to other swimmers being disqualified

• Delays due to weather

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• Assume meets will be held

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• Meets may be delayed but are rarely cancelled even during heavy rain

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• Only fastest seeded heats will compete if delays are too lengthy

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Age Groups

• Meets are grouped by gender and age

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• Age Groups:

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• 8 & Under
• 6 & Under for 25 Free and 25 Back
• 9 & 10
• 11 & 12
• 13 & 14
• 15 - 18*
• 19 and Over

* TAAF Meets group 15-17 and 18 and over

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Heats and Scoring

• Each event consists of heats

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• Heats are arranged from slowest to fastest

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• Heat Sheet Example

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• 10U swimmers earn heat ribbons for encouragement
• No points are awarded for heat ribbons

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• All swimmers are eligible to earn point for the team

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• Only the fastest times earn point for the team

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• Carded Ribbons will be given out for placing swimmers

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Meets

• Splash Meet (scrimmage) meant for swimmers to get seed times for strokes.
• Unlimited individual events
• No Relays

• Regular season meets limits
• 3 Individual events
• 2 Relays

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• Champs and TAAF meets have different requirements and will be communicated during sign-up

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• Swimmers can request preferences of events

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• Coaches reserve the right to override event choices

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• Not all swimmers will be on relays

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Morning of the Meet

• BE ON TIME!
• Be there 15 min prior to warm-ups
• Show up ready to swim

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• Check In with LJST attendant or coach

• Write events on swimmer based on heat sheet
• Heat sheets typically emailed out on Friday night

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• Warm-ups

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Writing Events

• Use the HEAT SHEET not the psych sheet
• Use a permanent marker
• Do not apply sunscreen before
• Mark their Event | Heat | Lane | Stroke
• If its a relay, mark their position in the stroke or lane area
• 10U swimmers: Write your name on your upper arm
• Comes off with bug spray, aerosol sunscreen, hand sanitizer, or soap, water, and scrubbing

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During the Meet

• Keep up with what event is currently swimming

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• 10 and under to “Ready Bench” when event is posted or called. This will be several events ahead of the current event.

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• 11 and over will report directly to lane they are swimming in

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Parents are responsible for the swimmer to report to the blocks and ready bench on time.

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Home Meets

• Enter thru side door
• $2 Spectator fee (waived if volunteer)
• Check-in with LJST attendant
• Do not set-up on the deck or in stands
• Come back and forth from gym
• No food or drink in the Natatorium
• Leisure pool closed
• Ready Bench for 10U between the slides
• Clean up after yourself

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Away Meets

• Various locations throughout the CCAA territory
• View specific information about each of the away sites thru our website
• Be courteous and respectful to opponents and facilities
• Check-in with LJST coach
• Some sites have spectator fee
• Clean up after yourself

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City Champs Meet

• Must participate in 1 splash/regular meet to be eligible
• Medals/Ribbons awarded to 8th place
• 2 Session Meet
• Session 1 Morning: 10 and Under
• Session 2 Afternoon: 11 to 18

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TAAF Regional & State Games Meets

• Multi session meets
• Optional meets but Region is the only way to qualify for State Games of Texas in College Station
• Must place top 3 in an event to qualify for state
• Entry Fee Event
• $8-$10 per event
• If you qualify for State, must register at the TAAF table and pay cash for state events

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What to Bring

Check website for specifics on each location and what to bring for away meets

Blankets

Chairs

Canopies

Suit

Goggles

Towels

Sharpies

Sun Screen

Water/Healthy drinks

Healthy snacks

Patience

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2025 Meet Schedule

• May 17: CCAA Splash Meet Home
• May 31: CCAA Meet #1 Galveston
• June 7: CCAA Meet #2 Home
• June 14: CCAA Meet #3 Rosenberg
• June 21: CCAA Meet #4 Alvin
• June 28: CCAA City Championships Rosenberg
• July 12: TAAF Region 1 Meet Rosenberg
• July 31-August 3: Games of Texas @ College Station

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Other Important Dates

• May 12: Team Suit Fitting and Purchase

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• May 27: Team and Individual Picture Day

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• July 14-18 (TBD): End of Year Summer Party

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Supporting your

Swimmer

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Support your Swimmer

• We rely on you to get swimmers here early so they can properly warm up

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• We rely on you to set the mood

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• We work hard on team unity
• Please don't disparage swimmers or coaches in front of your swimmer

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• Cheer loud and hard

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Equipment

Swimmers should have the following:

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• Properly Fitted Suit (competitive preferred)
• Boys: Not above the waist or below the knee
• Girls: Not past shoulders or below knees, must be a one-piece suit. No Water Polo suits

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• Swim Cap
• At meets, caps should be team cap or solid color - Official rule

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• Competitive Swim Goggles

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Care of Equipment

• Suits, caps and goggles should be rinsed and soaked in tap water after practice and meets
• Woolite or other similar products should be used to wash suits
• Suits should never be wrung out or placed in the dryer. Drip dry only
• Goggles should be patted dry not whipped as they will scratch
• Caps should be patted dry. If sticking, you can sprinkle with baby powder

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Sponsorships

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Sponsorships

• Keep our prices down
• Different levels
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Recognition on team shirts, banners and website
• Viewed by 1000’s in Brazoria/Surrounding counties
• Money goes to Coaching fees, insurance, equipment, league fees, etc.
• Registered 501(c)(3) tax deductible!
• Interested? See me after the meeting!

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Communication

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Emails

• Every email sent is important, we do not spam

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• Make sure your email is up-to-date on your Swimtopia account

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• Add multiple emails if needed for parents, step parents, grandparents, etc.

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• Emails will come from ljstpirates@gmail.com or swimtopia

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Website

• Lots of Information
• Sign-ups and Schedule
• Meet Results
• Team Records
• FAQs
• Swim terminology
• Swim 101
• State Games Info

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Download the App

• Swimtopia

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• Link is on website

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• Allow Notifications

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• This allows short messages from the team

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Let’s

Get

Excited!

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