CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SWIMMERS OF THE WEEK: Our swimmers of the week are: Jolie Turner (7U), Teddy Schmidt (6U), and Josie Dodson (pup). This week Jolie jumped right back in from being away and had a fun positive attitude the whole time! Teddy always puts effort into improving both inside and outside of practices! Since the swamp pups began this season, Josie has put so much energy into every lap, and always tries her best! Swimmers of the week receive a gift card in recognition for their hard work. Congratulations Jolie, Teddy, and Josie!

COACH'S CORNER:

• Coach Allie: Hey guys, this was a HOT week and I am proud of all my swimmers for working through it with almost no complaints! In the future, I recommend bringing a water bottle for our swimmers as the pool temperature stays high. We had another win this week and I am so happy with how our team is improving each meet. I am hoping to keep these improvements going as we start to work on the little things like faster turns, underwaters, and breathing.
• Coach Sophia: Hey guys, I’m glad to be back from vacation and was happy to hear all of the positive reports from when I was gone. Despite the hot weather, all of the kids still were able to show up and give it their best effort at practices and meets! We are going to continue to perfect the strokes and get the swimmers more comfortable swimming by themselves in the upcoming weeks. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at [email protected]!
• Coach Lilly: Even though we only got to do two swamp pup practices this week, I was still blown away with how amazing our swimmers are! They put so much effort into their swimming despite the heat and worked hard on their freestyle. This week we will continue giving tips and really working on improving our stroke. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to help at [email protected].

MEET RESULTS AND RECORDS: You can find the meet results in the Swimtopia app, and a PDF report is also available on our website, under past events.

• Lee Lowther (18.26) beat his previous 9-10 boys breaststroke record from earlier this season (18.84)
• Taylor Wiener (35.77) beat the 11-12 girls breaststroke record held by Emma Dodson (35.85) in 2015

NEXT MEET! Our fourth meet is at Highcroft (address: 5115 Highcroft Dr. 27519) this Tuesday July 1! The Meet Theme is: Red, White, and Blue!

• Arrive by 5:15pm to get settled, swimmers numbered and meet volunteers sign in (even if you are 2nd shift).
• Parking is available at the pool as well as up and down Highcroft Drive (the main road next to the pool).
• All are encouraged to bring a folding chair and tent/canopy.
• Concessions: Pizza, Chick-fil-A, candy and snacks. They accept both cash and Venmo
• Heat sheets will be on display on a board at the meet showing the lane and heat that each swimmer will be in. Please check relays in addition to individual events. Swimmers might swim in a relay of an older age group when there are not enough swimmers in that age group to make a team of 4.
• If your swimmer’s status has changed (especially if they planned to swim and no longer can), please let us know ASAP. Coach Allie ([email protected]) and Coach Sophia ([email protected]) need to adjust the heat sheets and having as much time as possible to do that is very helpful. You can copy the board ([email protected]) so that we can try to get heat sheets updated before they are printed. Please communicate with a coach if you need to leave, or your swimmer can no longer participate in event(s) planned.

MEET VOLUNTEERS: We ask that if you have a swimmer competing, at least one parent plans to volunteer at each swim meet. We are still looking for a second shift kid pusher for Tuesday. Contact Katie Richards ([email protected]) if you need to change your volunteer position or have questions. During meets, please check in for your job with Katie before the meet begins, even if you are working a 2nd shift job. We need to ensure there is coverage for all positions at the start of the meet.

MARK SWIMMER AVAILABILITY: It is important for all swimmers to declare their attendance (select meet entry for each meet online) for meets. This should always be done at least one week prior to a meet so the coaches can properly plan the heat sheets and minimize changes. The next meet is a week from Tuesday, so please mark your swimmer for the meet by this Tuesday.  Attendance will close on Friday 7/4 for the meet Tuesday 7/8.

July 4th PARTY: We’ll be having our annual 4th of July party on Friday July 4 from 12-3pm. The SwampShack will be open throughout the event. We'll have a DJ from 12-2pm and fun pool games starting at 1pm. Sign ups are available for food donations and volunteer positions on the website https://oxxfordhunt.swimtopia.com/swim_meets. We need volunteers to help set up, work in concessions and as a cashier, and help tear down. We also need various food donations. The pool parties are among the various ways we raise funds for the team. We’ll need your help to make it a success and look forward to seeing you there!

SWIM CLINICS: The coaches are hosting 1 more Saturday morning swim clinic for swimmers interested in improving their breaststroke technique. This final clinic is Saturday July 5 from 9-10a. All age groups are welcome! The cost is $5 (cash only), to be brought the morning of the clinic. Advanced registration (available now on Swimtopia) is encouraged so coaches can plan accordingly.

WEDNESDAY MORNING MOVIES WITH THE SWIM TEAM: Join us for $1 summer movies with your teammates at Regal Crossroads! We'll meet at the theater 30 minutes before showtime. If your swimmer needs a ride, just let the coaches know — we’re happy to help. See you at the movies!

• Wednesday July 2nd at 11:00 The Wild Robot
• Wednesday July 9th at 10:30 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
• Wednesday July 16th at 10:30 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

SOCIAL COMMITTEE NEWS: We’ve got two social events coming up next week!

• Popsicles & Tattoos will take place at the pool on Monday July 7 following both evening practices @ 5pm and 6pm.
• Pool Spirit Night fundraiser will take place on Friday July 11 where pizza orders from Salvio’s will support the Swampfoxxes. See the attached flyer for details on placing a social committee delivery to the pavilion for 5:30 or 6:30p (requires advanced order and texting a screenshot of the order to the pool committee).

CARY CITY MEET: The annual Cary City Invitational Meet will be on Saturday July 12th at Cary Swim Club. This is a great tradition for our Swampfoxxes where we compete not just in the swim meet, but for the Spirit Award for decorating out tent and bringing the most team spirit. This year's theme is HARRY POTTER! Ordering for themed shirts is closed but feel free to create your own themed outfit!!

• Click here for the full Informational Packet for the Cary City Meet.
• We’d love your help and ideas decorating and getting ready for a fun day full of swim!

PLEASE CHECK THE TEAM COMMUNICATIONS BOX: Ribbons from swim meets are all in the black Team Communications Box. The Box lives in the Swamp Shack and can sometimes be found on the pool deck during practices. Parents should try to check the box at least once a week during the swim season. Thank you!

LIVE ACTION PHOTOS AND FACEBOOK PAGE: You’ve probably seen the wonderfully talented Elena Movchan taking photos at meets. The link to her photos is on the team website and can be found directly here https://evm-photo.com/swampfoxxes-2025. Please be sure to credit Elena and her business when using photos.

TEAM GEAR: Every swimmer (including pups) gets a team shirt free with registration! If you missed the poolside distribution, see Sally Nicol or Katie Herndon to pick up your swimmer’s shirt (and to purchase past season shirts!). Extra 2025 shirts in adult sizes are available for sale for only $20! Swim caps are also available as needed. There is also an exchange box/tub available at practices for families to donate suits and/or swim team apparel. Our 2024 red lightweight performance tee shirts continue to be for sale for only $10, and our dark gray 2023 cotton tee for only $5. Customized Swampfoxx swag is also available for direct order and shipping at SwimOutlet. This link can be found on our website under the Team Store tab. If you don’t see the product you’re looking for, let us know and we can add it!

Please let us know what questions you may have or use other parents as a resource, either in person at the practice or via our FB parents forum!

Your Oxxford Hunt Swim Team Board