OUR NEW WEBSITE: https://olivechapelswim.swimtopia.com
We’re expecting to have a regular season of home and away meets as per the schedule published by TSA. Here is the meet schedule below:
We’re expecting to have a regular season of home and away meets as per the schedule published by TSA. Here is the meet schedule below:
We have yet to receive information about the Cary City meet and for now will leave it as TBD.
Registration. We are working on final details for the Otter Registration site – please expect that to come soon.
Season Schedule. We expect to have practices beginning approximately 4 weeks prior to the season’s start; Friday’s will be FUN practice days led by our coaches. We will start the season May 16th where both age-group and Otter Pups practices would start in the afternoons. Please expect meets to run a little longer than last year since we are back to a regular program.
Otter Pups: This is a beginning swimmer program designed for 6 and unders. Last year we recognized and allowed olders swimmers in the Otter Pups, but we are returning to 6 and unders only this year. Otter Pups will be promoted to the team based on passing a swim test of swimming one length of the pool unassisted but monitored as well as performing a short safety test with one of our Otters
Coaches. NEW – in the event your pup does not qualify by the red and black meet for the team they will be allowed to swim at meets only to get more experience so long as they are taking swim lessons with one of our coaches or other familiar swim instructor – this also requires your volunteer time parents for the meets.
Coaching: We’re pleased to welcome back Ryan Wahlers who will be our Otter’s Head Coach this year – Ryan is in the process of hiring our staff. This year we will be filling a Lead Coach Role, Assistant Coach Roles and Jr Coach Roles – and we’re planning to first promote up from last year if those Asst and Jr coaches intend to return. Please reach out to Ryan if your swimmer is interested in coaching. rdwahlers@gmail.com
Big Fish/Little Fish: we'd like to have this program as well to help our youth both lead and swim as well as our younger ones to have someone to have good examples to look up to. We'll put our feelers out to our Otters a bit later to help align our Big Fish with our Little Fish.
Letting Go: Some things we’ll need to let go for 2022 are Business Level fundraising and sponsorship (we expect to be back in 2023 on this)
What’s next? When we provide the registration link please remember Volunteers are the essence of our team. Please consider having variety in your volunteer options which helps grow roles and talent into future seasons; especially in Key roles. Have fun – try something new!
Key Roles: Please put in your registration notes you interest in filling one or any of these roles. We cannot have a meet without these roles.
Volunteer at-large – please indicate in the registration for if you can fill this generalist role – these roles float where we need folks
Thank you parents, swimmers and community,
Your Otter’s Swim Team Board
And please practice whatever health protocols you feel are necessary for your family. The Otter’s board reserves the right to update this if conditions change.
Registration. We are working on final details for the Otter Registration site – please expect that to come soon.
Season Schedule. We expect to have practices beginning approximately 4 weeks prior to the season’s start; Friday’s will be FUN practice days led by our coaches. We will start the season May 16th where both age-group and Otter Pups practices would start in the afternoons. Please expect meets to run a little longer than last year since we are back to a regular program.
Otter Pups: This is a beginning swimmer program designed for 6 and unders. Last year we recognized and allowed olders swimmers in the Otter Pups, but we are returning to 6 and unders only this year. Otter Pups will be promoted to the team based on passing a swim test of swimming one length of the pool unassisted but monitored as well as performing a short safety test with one of our Otters
Coaches. NEW – in the event your pup does not qualify by the red and black meet for the team they will be allowed to swim at meets only to get more experience so long as they are taking swim lessons with one of our coaches or other familiar swim instructor – this also requires your volunteer time parents for the meets.
Coaching: We’re pleased to welcome back Ryan Wahlers who will be our Otter’s Head Coach this year – Ryan is in the process of hiring our staff. This year we will be filling a Lead Coach Role, Assistant Coach Roles and Jr Coach Roles – and we’re planning to first promote up from last year if those Asst and Jr coaches intend to return. Please reach out to Ryan if your swimmer is interested in coaching. rdwahlers@gmail.com
Big Fish/Little Fish: we'd like to have this program as well to help our youth both lead and swim as well as our younger ones to have someone to have good examples to look up to. We'll put our feelers out to our Otters a bit later to help align our Big Fish with our Little Fish.
Letting Go: Some things we’ll need to let go for 2022 are Business Level fundraising and sponsorship (we expect to be back in 2023 on this)
What’s next? When we provide the registration link please remember Volunteers are the essence of our team. Please consider having variety in your volunteer options which helps grow roles and talent into future seasons; especially in Key roles. Have fun – try something new!
Key Roles: Please put in your registration notes you interest in filling one or any of these roles. We cannot have a meet without these roles.
- TSA Representative. This role enforces TSA’s rules and works with the other team’s TSA Rep to call a winner for the meet; seen as the head referee. Our TSA Rep, Ryan Adley, needs a back-up starting this year. Please put in your registration notes you interest in filling this role. Ideally, we’d like to leverage the next few seasons with 2-3 TSA Reps for coverage
- Stroke and Turn Judge: This role evaluates the swimmer’s stroke and turn while swimming meet heats. They also disqualify swimmers for improper stroke or turns. Training is available online or in person with TSA for role certification. We need one more volunteer to fill this role to allow for adequate coverage. Remember, disqualifications while bad for meets are good feedback for our coaches in improving our team’s performance. . Please put in your registration notes you interest in filling this role.
- Starter: The starter announces the meet heats (and other meet announcements) as well as starts the heats or recalls them in the event of a false start. We self-teach this role and it’s a role that often leads to or is also qualified as a Stroke and Turn Judge. This role works with the TSA rep and meet manager to help drive the meet cadence and flow. There is also TSA training for this Starter role (recommended, yet not required). Mike Martino assumed the Parent and Team Liaison role and needs your help in having an alternate in his prior role. . Please put in your registration notes you interest in filling this role.
- Timing System Manager: This role manages our Swimtopia timing system and helps align our roster for the Cary City meet. This system is our timing system of record. Have technical experience? Mark Lavender would like to talk with you. malavender@yahoo.com
Volunteer at-large – please indicate in the registration for if you can fill this generalist role – these roles float where we need folks
Thank you parents, swimmers and community,
Your Otter’s Swim Team Board
And please practice whatever health protocols you feel are necessary for your family. The Otter’s board reserves the right to update this if conditions change.
