Team Lightning,

We are less than one week from our first meet of the season, an exhibition at the Hopyard Hammerheads in King George – and even closer to a ‘mock meet’ that will be held during the morning practices next Monday, June 8th.

First, the mock meet is a chance for the kids to see what the flow of a swim meet looks like and for parents/volunteers to test equipment and refresh their skills 😊 All morning practices on Monday the 8th will be combined and run between 8:15am – 10:15am at the North Pool.

• We are “declaring” swimmers prior to the mock meet, which will place those participating in events determined by the coaches. The link to declare is open and I ask that you please reply as soon as you are able to confirm whether or not your swimmer(s) will participate in Monday’s mock meet. The link is: Signup Instructions - Lee's Hill Lightning Swim Team. The earlier people sign up, the easier it is for the coaches to place the swimmers in events.

• Volunteering – there is no formal volunteering for the mock meet. However, please feel welcome to stay on deck and help as you are able. We will need several timers and assistance operating the starting equipment.

Second, let the season begin! We have an exhibition meet next Wednesday June 10th.

• Location: Hopyard Hammerheads, 5888 Coakley Dr, King George, VA 22485

• Time: 6:00pm meet / our warm-ups start at 5:20pm, so please arrive by 5:00pm

• Declarations: Similar to the mock meet, please declare/specify whether or not your swimmer(s) will participate. The link is: Signup Instructions - Lee's Hill Lightning Swim Team. Again, the coaches cannot place swimmers in events until they are declared in Swimtopia.

• Volunteering: Available job postings are now live on Swimtopia at Meet Schedule - Lee's Hill Lightning Swim Team – Parent/guardian volunteers are a critical part of summer swim and without our commitment the meets cannot run or function effectively. Here you can sign up for trained and untrained positions. Training must be completed prior to the event and it’s worth noting that those who are Virginia High School League (VHSL) certified do not need to recertify – there is reciprocity.

• Untrained Positions (Open to all): Announcer, Assistant Clerk of Course, Awards Clerk, Concessions, Data Clerk, Heat Winner Distributor, Runner, Lane Timer.

• Trained Positions: Head Referee, Administrative Referee, Clerk of Course, Head Scorekeeper, Head Timer, Starter, Stroke and Turn Judge. All training is online via the RSL website at Training Info - RSL Swimming

• What does it all mean? Please check out this link for descriptions of each volunteer opportunity: Volunteer Jobs Descriptions - Lee's Hill Lightning Swim Team

Finally, what to expect. Summer swim is great for fun in the sun, personal bests, camaraderie, and time by the water. That said, swim meets can seem like complex undertakings – they are! There is some great information about what to expect at the following link. Please also feel welcome to contact me any time with questions at [email protected].

Swim Meet 101 - Lee's Hill Lightning Swim Team

Let’s go Lightning!

Jonathan