Saddle Creek Dolphins

Registration is closed.  Please consider us next year!  We typically open registrations around March 15th, and close after the first week of swim team. 

Sunscreen:  Spray sunscreen removes sharpies from arms. Try to use lotion on marked arms!

Ribbons, Swimmer's Times and Judge's Calls:  Through the new swimtopia app, parents now have access to more information than we have had before. 

Points:  Swim meets are won or lost based on a point system.  Only swimmers in Heat 1 score points for our team.  This prevents any unfairness for larger teams from swimming against smaller teams AND prevents us from limiting how many many swimmers can swim.  This is summer neighborhood swimming where we want all registered swimmers to swim regardless of their skill or speed.  Swimmers do not need to know or care to know if their events count as points--they just want their ribbons!  We are thankful that summer swims allow all swimmers to participate. 

What if my kid's time's don't match their placement?  Something that was not known well before this year, we have something called Judge's call. In the past, swimmers and parents pretty much only saw their swimmer's time on their ribbons and could not see how it compared to the others in an event unless they requested it. Our app now lists out times for each swimmer in each event for both teams.

Fo judge's call:  Each team provides a judge to watch each race finish and they write in the place each lane comes in.  Those are compared to be the same and then the swimmer's times are added to that sheet by the Master Recorder who collects times from each lane. If a lane/swimmer's time does not match up with the judge's placement, the judge's placement trumps the timer's placement.  This is because a timer may not hit its start exactly when the horn is blown, have a malfunction, ect making it appear if one swimmer was faster than another.  In more competitive leagues, there are touchpads and other backup timing methods, but it's not feasible for summer teams to add those systems in for 2-3 meets a year so we have to relay on our timers and judge's eyeballs.  If your swimmer's time looks faster than another who placed higher, it is not currently showing in the app if it was a judge's call.  If you would like to look an event in question, I'll be glad to do so when I am at practices.  There were quite a few judge's calls in our first meet due to a lot of new volunteers on our side and their side.

In the app--you will not see placements if your swimmer is in any heat other than Heat 1. Remember each event can have multiple heats.  This is because we may have 20 swimmers total swimming the same event, but since there are 5-6 lanes, that event has to be broken into heats. We do not give ribbons 1-20, but ribbons 1-5 or 6 based on how they place in their heat. 

Join Us at Menchies: on June 7th, 3 PM- 7 PM for a fundraiser for the team.  Encourage friends and neighbors to come!

How do I sign up for night practices? There is a binder in the clubhouse pavilion that you can sign up for.  Night practices are 6:30-7:15 (ends at 7:00 for 6&Unders) with a limit of 20 spots. It is only for swimmers who miss morning practice.  Little Dolphins cannot attend night practice. 

What about the t-shirts? They are here!  Make sure to grab them at practice next week.  Jordan and friends will be handing them out.  We cannot exchange sizes if you ordered the wrong size.  You can however exchange with a friend if they ordered a size that was wrong.  

How do I tell the coaches something?  saddlecreekcoaches@gmail.com

Where is the swim meet?  Look Here 

What do I bring to the swim meet?  Look Here

Where do I sign up to say we are coming or say we are not coming to a meet?  Look Here Remember we need to know either way--we need to know Tuesday by noon before each meet.  The coaches will contact you if you don't do so--go ahead and commit or not to all the meets.  You cannot show up at a meet and expect your swimmer to swim without signing up.  We are not allowed to submit meet entries at the meet--not our rule!

Remember you must also sign up for a job!  Swim meets take a lot of work and they will be over more quickly if everyone chips in. 

What is Fun Friday? It is a free swim with the whole team.  Swimmers will get donuts and they can get their ribbons.  Ribbons will be available at the next practice if you miss them!  It is 9:30-11 AM.  Little Dolphins can join!

Where do I find my swimmer's times? Through the Swimtopia App on your mobile device.  Some features require a $2.99/month subscription. You will otherwise find them on their ribbons which can be picked up on Fun Fridays or at the next practice your swimmer attends.  Look for the ribbon box!  

Are you on vacation and want your swimmer to swim some on their own?  Look Here. 

Does your swimmer love swimming?  Check back here for additional swim opportunities this summer and throughout the year.  Our head coaches swam year-round and will be good to ask questions (when they are not in practice or the middle of a meet!)  

Here's information on how to extend your summer swim through by joining a Roswell team to go to a state meet--we did this team in 2019. Feel free to ask me about it:  Click Here

Important things about this extension: it has a couple of dates that you have to commit to, a try-out date, and one meet date in July.  If you can't make those dates, you shouldn't try out.  In 2019, the practice was at 5:30 in the afternoons and because they knew that kids had just come from the summer swim team, they focused on working on dives, flip turns, and starts.  It is a good extension for less than $100 (see the link for official fees).  Hint:  most kids try out for freestyle.  Make sure to encourage your swimmer to try out for other strokes that will have less swimmers to increase chances of making the team.  This team is 7 & UP only. 

GA Tech Championship:  Click Here to let us know if you are interested in this event. Our session is Thursday, June 30th, 9:30 AM- 1 PM but expect a window of 7-2 by the time you travel there and back, and warmups beginning as early as 8 AM. It is optional, an additional $35. The deadline to sign up is June 23rd at noon.  There can be late entries, but you will have to pay late fees.  Detailed information including parking information is located HERE. This fee is paid directly to ASA so if you have a change of plans after you pay, refunds will have to be addressed to ASA. Their contact info can be found at https://asa.swimtopia.com/

What about swim lessons?  Sometimes a couple of one on one lessons with the coaches can help a swimmer work on breathing and strokes, ect. You will find information in the night practice sign-up book on how to contact the coaches--you contact them and set up through them.  You must clarify forms of payment before --some do not have Venmo. 

Emma Schwartz and Connor Kazmi are $25/30 mins. Our other coaches are $15/30 mins or $20 for 2 swimmers for 30 mins.  Please fill out a waiver in the night practice book. 

Can you still buy a swim cap?  Yes, they can be purchased all season long. We will have some at away meets--I will get an email notification if you buy online or you can pay in cash or check $13. Click Here

Please help us take care of our new clubhouse!  We do have a lost and found--please take your items home and please clean up trash even if its not yours before leaving practices or meets so our HOA knows that the swim team is respectful of our pool use!