Good Morning Swampfoxxes!

Last night was a hard-fought meet with a disappointing outcome, but there were many bright spots from our team that I want to highlight today.

First, I want to thank all of our parents for the passionate support you showed for our swimmers throughout a challenging evening. We all see how hard our kids work and how fiercely they compete, and it was meaningful to see that same level of passion and support from our parents, especially during moments when there were clear concerns about race judging and meet operations.

I want to especially recognize Chris Griggs for the way he handled several tense moments in his role as our TSA Rep. Chris advocated for our swimmers calmly, professionally, and effectively throughout the meet. I would also like to thank Tim Pelc for taking on both stroke and turn shifts to help maintain continuity from our side, and Paul Richards for his support of Chris and Tim throughout the evening.

Second, I want to recognize the strength of our volunteer team. At this year’s kickoff meeting, I talked about how incredible our parent volunteers are and how important that is to the success of a swim team. Last night was a reminder of exactly why that matters. Between the heat, the judging concerns, and the overall length and flow of the meet, it was a challenging night from an operational standpoint. But it also gave us another opportunity to reflect on what we do well as a team.

I want to thank our volunteer coordinator, Katie Richards, as well as the board members who support Katie’s efforts and help keep our team running smoothly. When the TAC coaches visited our meet last week, they made several comments about how well organized and well run our team is. That does not happen by accident. It happens because we have a committed group of parents, volunteers, coaches, and board members who consistently show up and do the work needed to make this team special.

Finally, I want to thank our swimmers. You competed hard, supported one another, and represented Oxxford Hunt with pride. A tough loss is never easy, especially when the meet itself was frustrating, but I am proud of the way our team continued to fight and support each other until the very end.

We will take the lessons from last night, continue to advocate for our swimmers, and keep focusing on the things that make this team so strong.

Go Swampfoxxes!

Brad