We are THRILLED to have your swimmers on the team this season and cannot wait to see them having fun and developing their skills in the water. There's a lot of information in this email, and it's all important, so please make time to read everything.

GroupMe

• This year we’ll be using GroupMe for team communications in addition to SwimTopia.
• GroupMe enables two-way communication, which is especially helpful for urgent questions and announcements regarding weather delays or cancellations.
• I have added all parent phone numbers you entered during registration to the GroupMe group. Feel free to add/invite co-parents and assistant coaches who are not in the group.
• Link to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/114409609/c3jCegmE

Order Swimsuits NOW!

• Order your swimmer’s suit early to allow time for exchanges. We recommend ordering an extra size up or down and returning what doesn’t fit.
• Color: Sapphire or royal blue
• Girls: One-piece suits | Boys: Jammer style (like biker shorts). Any brand is fine!
• SwimOutlet.com usually has the best prices.
• Little Rays parents can hold off on suits for now.
• Have outgrown suits? Message full group in GroupMe to donate to other families.

Practice Start Date

• Monday, May 11, at Embry Hills Club (3131 Alton Rd.), pending annual DeKalb BOH pool inspection

Parent Meeting – Thursday, May 14 at 5:45 PM at Embry Hills Club

• Please make every effort to attend! You'llmeet our new head coach, hear important season info, and get answers to your questions.
• Embry Hills Club's resident swim instructor and fellow Electric Rays parent, Melanie Brito, will be on hand to talk about additional instruction available at EHC—especially beneficial for Little Rays hoping to make it to the big league!

Practice Schedule

• Practice location May 11-21: Embry Hills Club
• MPORTANT REMINDER: we will split practices between EHC and Westhampton after Memorial Day when practices shift to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to accommodate meets on Tuesdays.
• Practice group schedule Mondays-Thursdays (see here for more information on practice groups):
  
  
  
  • Beginner (including Little Rays): 5:30–6:15
  • Intermediate: 6:15–7:00
  • Advanced: 7:00–7:45
• Swimmers should bring a couple of towels, dry clothes for afterward, goggles, a swim cap (if they wear one), and a water bottle. It's usually chilly the first couple of weeks, so an extra towel and dry clothes come in handy.
• Coach Lyla asks that swimmers arrive 5–10 minutes early so they’re ready to start on time. Late arrivals can delay the whole group and cut into valuable practice time.

Meet Schedule – All meets are in SwimTopia under “Schedule”

• Tues, May 26 (AWAY at Smoke Rise)
• Tues, June 2 (AWAY at North Umberland)
• Tues, June 9 (AWAY at Malo in Lithonia – this one is a bit of a drive; see here for carpool signup!)
• Tues, June 16 (HOME vs. Sagamore)
• Mon, June 22 (HOME vs. Morehouse)
• ASA Championship – June 24 at 4:00 PM (@ Georgia Tech pool; likely 2:00 PM arrival; carpool details to come)

End-of-Season Pool Party Celebration

• (Tentative) Thursday, June 25 at 5:30 PM – Embry Hills Club

T-Shirt Distribution

• T-shirts are in the works and will be distributed on or before the first meet.
• Forgot to order one for yourself? Contact Sarah ASAP in GroupMe.

CPR Class Interest

• Taught by team parent and all-around great guy, John Rapp
• For recertification or new certifications
• Tentative Date: May 16 @ 12:30 PM at Embry Hills Club pavilion.
• Interested in learning to save lives? Please let Sarah Adams know by messaging in GroupMe

Leadership Team** – Excited to have this awesome support team! Thank you to ALL our volunteers!

• Sarah Adams
• Mulu Adonay
• CJ Barranco
• Hannah Caro
• Justin Marlow
• Hwayun Sayegh

**Although we’ve added some key pieces to fill the couple of holes we had, we are not done yet. We still need a Westhampton liaison who can help with access at that pool and assist with some of the team communications. Please message Sarah Adams in GroupMe if you can help!

Questions about any of this? Feel free to reach out! GroupMe is preferred, but email also works.

GO ELECTRIC RAYS! Summer cannot get here soon enough!

Sarah Adams