In this Swim Newsletter

• Welcome Back Party Details + RSVP
• Download the SwimTopia App so you don’t miss alerts
• 5/23 and 5/28 New Family Orientations
• The 2024 Coaching Team
• Team Photo Update
• HS Seniors, 5-year, 10-year Swimmers
• 2024 Swim Practice Policy and Bathroom Monitor Reminders
• Family Liaisons
• SVKW 2024 Sponsor Shout-Outs
• 2024 Team Meets, Clinics, and Events

Welcome to the SV Killer Whale Swim Team!

We’re thrilled to see lots of familiar faces as well as some new teammates this summer. Thanks for making the Killer Whales your summer swim team! This will be a newsy email but contains all the info you need as we approach the start of our season. Please scan through it all. 

We've been enjoying some lovely rain this week. Make sure you’ve downloaded the SwimTopia App and turned on notifications so you can get the latest alerts if we need to make changes to an event or practice due to weather.  

Welcome Back Party: May 18th, 10:00am - 12:00pm. 

The party activities start at 10:00 am; the pool is open for swimming at 10:30am. Please stay on deck until the lifeguards officially open the pool. 

RSVP Yes or No here.This is not required for attending but it is helpful for a general idea of numbers to plan for. 

  Dive back into the pool with us at our Summer Swim Team Welcome Back Event! Join us for a splashing good time as we reunite with our coaches and teammates, and extend a warm Killer Whale welcome to new members. Get ready to perfect your strokes, learn new cheers, and show that Killer Whale Spirit! New to the Team? Parents, this is your chance to ask any questions about upcoming meets and team logistics. Our Spirit Wear table will be set up for you to purchase SVKW merch while you indulge in some delicious donuts! Come make a splash into summer swim with us and let's make waves together! Your SVKW Social Committee 

New Family Orientations:

We know there's a lot of moving parts to being on a swim team! Come join us Thursday, May 23 at 5:30pm OR Tuesday, May 28 at 6:00pm for an orientation to help you feel prepared to navigate our practices and meets. Location: SV Pool Deck

The 2024 Coaching Team:

A quick shout-out to our team for this year! They can’t wait to see you all back on deck for our first evening practice on May 20! You can read their full bios here.

• Rosemary Helmedag, Beluga Whales Head Coach
• Meg Giuliano, SVKW Head Coach
• Lauren Nance, SVKW Assistant Head Coach
• Emmarose DeCaro, SVKW Assistant Coach
• James Chapman, SVKW Assistant Coach
• Callie Kolk-Tomberlin, Junior Coach
• Tori Strickland, SVKW Junior Coach
• Tripp Bowers, SVKW Junior Coach

Team and Individual Photo Update:

We’ve often brought in a photographer to take a formal swim team photograph and offer 1:1 photos of swimmers at the Red-White meet every year. However, we will not be providing that service this year. We sent out a poll a few months ago to find out if this is something that our members still value and results indicate over 75% of people are not interested in team photos. This will also help shorten how long we need to complete our Red-White Meet.

Calling all HS Seniors!

Let us know if your swimmer is a high school senior this year! We plan a senior night at a home meet to honor them.

If your swimmer has reached their 5-year or 10-year mark with the SVKW team, reply to this email to let us know so we can be sure our records are accurate. 

Swim Practice Policies and Bathroom Monitoring Reminders:

Regularly check the SVKW website for changes to scheduled practice days and times. We do our best to keep it updated as changes come up: https://shepherdsvineyard.swimtopia.com/practice-schedule

Swim Team Practice PoliciesPlease remember that during the first week of practice, as well as morning practice, the SV pool is closed. Only swimmers practicing with their age group should be in the pool or on the lower deck near the pool. Please make a point to collect your swimmer promptly after their age group practice is over. Families with siblings can wait under the pool house or on the upper deck area.

Family Liaison Team:  Parents, please remember to refrain from discussing any comments or concerns with the SVKW coaches during practice times (or at meets). This allows them to be 100% focused on coaching and monitoring swimmer safety. If you have concerns about coaching or issues at meets, please contact our SVKW Family Liaison Team at: [email protected]. They are happen to listen and address concerns. 

Bathrooms: The SV Pool graciously allows us to use the bathrooms during the first week of practice when the pool is still closed. Please make sure your swimmers are not leaving a mess of water, TP, or soap during practices as this may affect our ability to keep them open. 

Shout Out to our 2024 Sponsors: 

• Azura
  
• Frontier Direct Care
• Peak City Heating and Air
• Wake Remodeling
• 360* Painting
• Dogwood College Consulting 
• Sold By Starkey
• Twelve Stones Building Company
• Apex Pilates
• Fresh Local Ice Cream

Team Meets and Events Calendar: 

We do our best to keep our event calendar up to date! Here's what we have planned so far this year: 

• Senior Night (date TBD)
• 5/18: Welcome Back Party
• 5/20 First Day of Evening Practice
• 5/23: 5:30pm; New Family Orientation, SV Pool 
• 5/29: 6:00pm; New Family Orientation, SV Pool
• 6/1 Starts/Turns/Finishes MOR Clinic
• 6/3 Pasta Pump Up
• 6/4 Red/White Meet: Soda Box & Ty's All Natural Food Truck
• 6/11 Home Meet (Olive Chapel): Kona Ice & Soda Box & Romeo's Pizza
• 6/18 Home Meet (Sunset Ridge): Kona Ice & Ty's All Natural Food Truck & Romeo's Pizza
• Papa Murphy's Spirit Night
• 6/25 Away Meet (Walden Creek)
• 6/29 RSA Breast Stroke Clinic 
• 7/2 Away Meet (Lochmere)
• 7/9 Home Meet (Dutchman Downs): Kona Ice & Romeo's Pizza
• Sat, 7/13 Cary City Meet (Scottish Hills)
• 7/16 Away Meet (Medfield)
• July 20, Awards Day  (2:00 pm)

See you On Deck!

Your SVKW Swim Board