CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SWIMMERS OF THE WEEK:

Our swimmers of the week are: Ben Haberern and Clara MacAdam. Ben was amazing this week as we introduced him to new strokes and he always had a big smile on his face while he was in the water! Clara was able to improve her swimming so much this past week and put so much effort into all of the practices!

Swimmers of the week receive a gift card in recognition for their hard work. Congratulations Ben and Clara!

COACH'S CORNER:

• Coach Allie: Hello parents, this week is time trials. I am so excited to return to Tuesday night swim meets! As final preparation for time trials we will be reviewing starts and turns on Monday. After that, I will be taking what we need to work on most from Tuesday and reviewing them for the rest of the week. A lot of what we have done is the basics and I look forward to the rest of the season as we begin to build on what we have learned! Some of your swimmers may not feel 100% confident on some strokes coming into time trials but I will be encouraging each swimmer to try each event so we can know what to work on for the future :). Please reach out with any questions or concerns at [email protected].
• Coach Sophia: Hello, everyone! This upcoming Tuesday will be time trials. Tuesday will essentially be a mock swim meet before we start competing against other teams. This is a great experience for the younger swimmers to get used to the feeling of a meet, so I would encourage everyone to participate if possible. There will be coaches in the water in every lane so that if a swimmer needs extra help, a coach will be there. I want to emphasize that Monday’s practice will be especially important as I will be ensuring that each swimmer knows all three strokes and feels comfortable jumping off the block. Please reach out with any questions or concerns at [email protected]!
• Coach Lilly: Hi Swamp Pup parents, I hope you’re all looking forward to this week as much as I am! I recently sent out an email including which two days your pups have practice. This schedule will help us avoid having too many swimmers at any one practice, but if you’re unable to come to one of the days you’ve been “assigned,” please feel free to come to another practice that week. This week we will focus entirely on getting used to the water again, introducing kicking and a bit of freestyle swim. I’m super excited to see everyone again! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I’m happy to help at [email protected]! Let’s make it a great week!

SWAMP PUPS: The first Swamp Pup lesson will be on Monday, 6/1, and we will have lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You should have received a notification about what two days per week your swimmer has practice. Swamp Pup practices are 5:30-6:00pm on the dates for your swimmer. Reach out to the board if you have not received that information at [email protected] or Coach Lilly at [email protected].

TIME TRIALS: Time Trials are Tuesday June 2!

• The pool closes to residents at 5pm
• Arrive at 4:45pm to get settled and numbered (real meet arrival will also be 4:45pm). Numbers (found as an excel under the Time Trials event on our website) are written on the swimmer's arms (see attached image for example). There will also be a table at the meet with the swimmer numbers and sharpies. This number will be your swimmer's number for the entire season. Experienced parents suggest putting sunscreen on first, letting it dry and then marking the swimmer's arm with the Sharpie. Sunscreen is a great way to get marker off when you need to do that.
• We’ll start Time Trials with our team photo and T-shirt distribution (if your swimmer does not receive it on Monday during practice). 
• Swimmers should wear their team shirt, team suit if they have them (or a black or red suit to match the team), swim cap (which will be available at the meet), and goggles.
• Time Trials are run like a real meet. Typical Meets can run until 9pm sometimes (with 6 and unders finishing earlier as they only swim up to the breaststroke event -4th event below). 
• We run the events in order of:
  • 1. Medley relay (7-8 age group through 15-18),
  • 2. Individual freestyle (6U through 15-18),
  • 3. Individual backstroke (6U through 15-18),
  • 4. Individual breaststroke (6U through 15-18),
  • 5. Individual butterfly (7-8 through 15-18), and
  • 6. Freestyle relay (7-8 through 15-18).
• Papers called “heat sheets” will be on display on a board at the meet (coaches and several volunteers will also have these to do their jobs, like kid pushers, clerk of course, etc.), 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. We understand kids can get sick at any point and sometimes meets can be overwhelming, so please just communicate with a coach if you need to leave, or your swimmer can no longer participate in event(s) planned.
• Swamp Shack - will be serving food (pizza, Chick-fil-a and Smoothie King) and snacks. You can pay with cash, Venmo, or purchase a $10 Swamp Shack Card on our website.
• Parking - Home Meets we ask Swampfoxx families to walk/ride bikes to allow parking for the other team. For time trials, parking might have similar availability to practices. If you drive please obey the No Parking signs that will allow Fallsworth Drive to stay open (only park on one side of the road) and for cars to have proper access to the road.

MEET VOLUNTEERS: We ask that if you have a swimmer participating in the meet, at least one parent plans to volunteer – regardless if you already have all the points you need for the season. We need all families to do their part to help. Swamp Pup parents, or parents who do not have a participating swimmer, do not need to volunteer at the meet. There is a wide variety of jobs to fit the needs of most families. If you are interested in learning about a particular job, you can shadow a more experienced volunteer for part of their shift. Time Trials is a great opportunity to try a new job. We'll have 'teacher' and 'in training' positions - so if you're new to the team, grab an 'in training' position to learn the ropes. Jobs for the first meet on June 9 are now open as well: https://oxxfordhunt.swimtopia.com/swim_meets. If the position you want to learn is already filled, just let Katie Richards ([email protected]) know and we can probably have you join the others who are learning. 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.

Our Swampfoxx team is in need of a few parents who are interested in being trained as a Stroke & Turn Judge and/or Starter. The Tarheel Swim Association offers trainings for these roles and any parent interested is encouraged to attend an upcoming training: https://tsa.swimtopia.com/clinics

SOCIALS: Thank you to the families who sent swimmers or adults to our Car Wash Social and Fundraiser! Our team received over $475 in donations in return for our team’s hard work. Swimmers enjoyed time together socializing, working hard to earn money, and cooling off with snacks, cold drinks, and popsicles. Check the team Facebook page for photos of our fun. This was a hit, so if you missed out, be on the lookout for this event to be repeated next year!

• Save the date for Donuts and Juice following morning practice on 6/15!

MARK SWIMMER AVAILABILITY: It is important for all swimmers to declare their attendance (select meet entry for each meet online) for time trials and 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 first meet is a week from Tuesday, so please mark your swimmer for the meet by this Tuesday. Attendance will close on Saturday 6/6 for the meet Tuesday 6/9.

TEAM SHIRTS & SWIM CAPS: Our 2026 swim team shirts are IN!! Each swimmer gets a FREE tee shirt and we’ll be set up poolside this week and at timed trials for distribution, see Sally Nicol or Katie Herndon. Extra 2026 adult shirts will be available for purchase in select sizes for only $20! Swim caps (latex or silicone) will also be available for pick up at timed trials. If your swimmer still has a swim cap from last year, please consider having them use it again to help us conserve our stock. We are happy to replace their cap if it breaks.

TEAM SWIMSUITS: Swim suits are available at Kiefer Aquatics, located in the Harris Teeter plaza at Maynard and High House Rd. Team suits are not required, but we ask swimmers to wear black or red for meets if possible. When you go to Kiefer Aquatics, you just tell them you are on the Oxxford Hunt Swampfoxxes and they will show you the team suits. Children can try it on in the store. There is also an exchange box/tub available at practices for families to donate suits and/or swim team apparel that no longer fits. Families are welcome to take any items that might fit their child.

OTHER TEAM MERCH FOR SALE: Show your Swampfoxx spirit all around town with our new CAR MAGNETS for only $10 each, as well as COOZIES and HYDROFLASK STICKERS for $2 each. They are available at the swamp shack and in our team store.

We’re having a BIG SUMMER BLOWOUT SALE on our 2025 light gray soft cotton blend shirts for $10, and our 2024 red lightweight performance tee shirts and dark gray 2023 cotton tee for only $5!! See Katie Herndon or Sally Nicol for size options and payment. Want more customized Swampfoxx swag? Several items including bags, tanks, hats and visors are 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!

MORNING PRACTICES (9-10a daily) begin Monday June 15, marking the beginning of traditional calendar schools summer break! Congratulations to year-round school Track 1 swimmers on finishing your school year this week.

SATURDAY CLINICS: Please save the date for 3 Saturday swim clinics, hosted by our coaches. Swim clinics provide extra practice on Saturday mornings from 9-10a, where coaches dedicate an entire hour working on a specific skill. Clinics cost $10/swimmer and are cash only. Exact change is appreciated!

• Saturday June 13: Starts and Turns
• Saturday June 20: Butterfly
• Saturday June 27: Breaststroke

CARY CITY MEET: The 43rd annual Cary City Invitational Meet will be on Saturday, July 11 at Scottish Hills Recreational Club. This major local event brings together multiple swim teams from around our area for a full day of swim fun! This is a great tradition for our Swampfoxxes to participate in. Especially since we have won the coveted Spirit Award Trophy 6 of the last 10 years! The event includes dancing, games, mingling with other teams, and of course, swimming!!

10&Unders + Coaches with a visit from Roary for the Morning Session 2025

Learn more about the event, sign your swimmers up ($20 per swimmer, or $10 per 6+ under swimmer), and purchase this year's themed shirt ($15 each), on our website: https://oxxfordhunt.swimtopia.com/cary-city-meet or at our Cary City Meet Table during Time Trials. Fees for Cary City are due by Monday, June 15.

LAST YEAR’S RIBBONS: We have several families who still have ribbons/pins/medals in the Black Communications Box from last season. Please collect these as soon as possible so we can have room for this year’s ribbons.

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 Facebook parents forum!

Your Oxxford Hunt Swim Team Board