IT'S CHAMPIONSHIP TIME!! PLEASE READ THROUGH ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW!

ENTRIES: Attached you will find the Championship Line-up. Coaches have worked together in order to develop a line-up in which we can advance the most swimmers to Finals and score the most points for the team. Coaches discussed and considered: event times, relay splits, consistency, reliability, practice attendance and effort, positive attitudes, and team work. While we have tried our best this seasonal to ensure all swimmers had equal opportunity to compete, Championships comes down to how to get the best placement of our team with the stricter entry limitations. That being said, ALL of our swimmers have worked incredibly hard this season and parents should be very proud of their children’s progress!

Please look over your swimmer's entries in the appropriate attachment below (10 and under OR 11 and over). I have done my best to indicate events in which the swimmers are officially entered vs entries in which the swimmers are alternates in. If your swimmer is an alternate for an event, if someone were to get sick or injured prior to semis, they may be asked to compete in that event. Alternate-only swimmers should continue to practice through semis. Alternate only swimmers may attend semis. In the event that something occurs where someone cannot swim an event, an alternate may be asked to compete. If we do not have an alternate available, we forfeit that entry. Therefore, any alternates attending the meet should plan to bring a bring suit and goggles in the event that they are needed. While it is encouraged that alternates attend both semis and finals, it is not required.

Please read through the following important details for Semis!

• 10 & under swimmers will compete in Semis on Monday, July 17^th at Crestwood, 2645 Baylor Ct. Kettering.

• 11 & older swimmers will complete on Tuesday, July 18^th at Four Seasons, 5600 Brampton Rd. Dayton.

• Swimmers will be competing for their spot in Finals (Thursday, July 20^th ). The top 6 swimmers in each event will advance to finals. Swimmers should be aware that they are competing against all the swimmers in each heat of their event. Semis are “circled seeded”. This means that the heats aren’t organized fastest to slowest, rather the fastest swimmers are divided up in different heats near the center of the pool.

• For relays, each team will advance a relay so long as they don’t disqualify at semis. Then any extra lanes will be filled with the fastest remaining relays for a full field of six relay teams at finals. We want to make sure swimmers in our A relays are “playing it safe” in relays at semis since our A relays will all qualify so long as their strokes are legal and they don’t leave early!

• Please be aware that the results you see on Swimtopia are not final and sometimes they lag in showing disqualifications. Official results will be printed out and posted at the meet as they become available. Top 6 swimmers automatically qualify for Finals with 7^th and 8^th place serving as alternates.

• Semi-final meets are different from the regular season meets. All swimmers need to arrive by 4:30pm, this is very important because at 4:45pm coaches enter a scratch meeting where they have their last opportunity to switch in alternates. (The meet starts at 6:15pm). When you arrive at semi-finals, you MUST report to a coach to check-in. It is very important to check in because if you do not, you may be scratched from your events. If you are absolutely not able to arrive by 4:30, please text me at 937-219-3772 to avoid losing your swimmers spot.

• Because there are different age groups competing each night, you need to remember that the event numbers WILL NOT be consecutive. On Monday, they will skip all events for swimmers aged 11 and older. For example, after event 4, they will skip directly to event 11. Everyone must keep an eye on the event board to see what event is swimming and what event is lining up. If your swimmer is entered in several events, they might get out of the pool and have to get lined up for their next event immediately. All swimmers will report to the Clerk of Course. This is where they will line up each event and then they will walk the swimmers to their lanes. You MAY NOT report directly to the starting blocks. Failure to report to clerk of course will result in the swimmer being scratched from their event. Parents, please help your swimmer(s) report at the proper time.

Preparing for Semis and Finals:

The day of the meet: Parents please do not let your swimmer stay at the pool after practice! All swimmers should be going home to rest prior to leaving for semis! Do not do any strenuous activities the day of or the day prior to semis. Drinks lot of water, eat healthy, and rest!

What to bring to semis/finals: Extra everything! Towels, two pairs of goggles, two swim caps, etc. Anything can break and swimmers should be prepared with backups. It is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Snacks such as fruit, nuts, granola bars, water, Gatorade.

What to wear: TIGHT suit! Wearing a loose suit adds unnecessary resistance and drag. Unlike practice suits, competition suits are not meant to be comfortable, if the suit fits comfortably then it is likely too big. Boys who are wearing jammers, only 1-2 fingers should fit in the suit from under the knee. Speedo suits are preferred to jammers for semis/finals as less material corresponds to less drag in the water. All swimmers will be required to wear a Fair Valley team swim cap for both semis and finals! Caps can be purchased from Janelle Golde at Spirit Night or at practice Monday/Tuesday.

What to eat: Eat healthy to prepare your body to compete. Eat a good dinner the night before and a good breakfast and lunch the day of the meet. Eat plenty of carbohydrates and proteins. Drink plenty of water throughout the week. If you wait until the day of the meet to drink water your body will not hydrate in time.

What not to eat: Do not eat dairy, fast food/greasy foods, or sugary foods (pop, candy). Don't eat something too heavy. Keep it simple with fruits, vegetables and proteins. Stay away from acidic foods, they can cause cramps and upset stomachs.

Get rest: Start now! Ensure that you are getting enough sleep at night. Sleeping 10 hours the day of the meet will NOT make up for not sleeping enough over the weekend.

Stretching: Start stretching regularly to loosen up tight muscles. Plan to stretch before bed, when you wake up and at least once mid-day.

Rules to keep in mind: Only one suit can be worn, no layering suits. Girls, tie back swim suits are not permitted. Girls’ suits cannot cover the neck, extend past the shoulder or below the knee. Boys’ suits cannot be above the waist or past the top of the kneecap. This becomes an issue when boy’s suits are too big. No jewelry or watches can be worn. Swimmers must wear a Fair Valley cap. Violation of any of these rules may lead to the swimmer being disqualified from their races. Swimmers may only wear KT tape (or other athletic taping, braces, etc.) with an official note from a doctors office stating that the swimmer (include name) must wear the tape in order to compete. This note must also state the dates the swimmer will be competing. This note must be given to Coach Jolene so she can give it to the head ref. (Please make a copy so we have one for semis and finals)

Mental Race: We have trained our bodies all summer to prepare for our races. Now is the time to prepare ourselves mentally. Know what you're swimming. Begin visualizing your races, think through each part of your race, the start, each stroke, your turn, your finish, etc. Think through how you will respond to possible situations. What will you do if your goggles fall off? Set goals for yourself. Go into semis/finals with a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Have a game plan for how you plan to swim your race. Be prepared to “swim your own race”. Focus on your swim not on your opponent’s.

Practice: Next week as we prepare for finals, our daily yardage will be lowered and there will be a much greater emphasis on speed and power. During this time, swimmers should focus on making every yard count with good technique and power.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

SEE YOU AT SPIRIT NIGHT TONIGHT!! GO FINS!

Coach Jolene