The long-awaited day has arrived – it is time for swimming again!
Every one who wants to be on the Seton Swim Team should come to the first practice on Tuesday, November 2nd.
Schedule for the First Day of Practice
Be in the bleachers ready for a team meeting before 6:04 a.m. That means you will need to arrive at the pool before 6:04 a.m.
We will attempt to get into the water around 6:30 a.m. and exit the water around 7:30 a.m.
I have assigned every swimmer to the practice group for the first day – but this will be for the first day only. The assignments are published with Team Roster (scroll down) or you can see them here.
About half of you will be with me participating in a brief Time Trial so I can get a baseline time on you. Don’t stress. It will likely only be 50 yards, and I know you can do it.
By Wednesday, November 3rd, I will publish the practice group assignments for everyone on the team. About 84 of you will practice on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and the others of you will practice on Wednesday and Friday.
To give me time to figure it all out and communicate it in enough time for you to plan, there will be no swimming practice on Wednesday, November 3rd.
Diving always practices on Wednesday and Friday. The first diving practice is Wednesday, November 3rd.
Flow of Swimmers for Practice at the Freedom Center
In order to be allowed to swim at the Freedom Center, we have been required to agree to follow their policies.
It will not always be an easy or convenient thing, but since the alternative is to not swim at all, we are going to do what we have to do – no matter what we think about the necessity of these procedures. I am hopeful that these procedures will not be required for the entire season.
If we want to swim, we need to follow the Freedom Center’s procedures or just not swim at all – and we all want to swim.
- We will enter the facility from the door that leads into the leisure pool.
- Do not enter through the front lobby.
- We will all be wearing a mask with swimsuits on under our clothes when we enter the facility
- Once inside the door, Mrs. Sandy Osilka and the Team Managers will do a quick screening process that includes a temperature check.
- Each swimmer will immediately proceed to one of four (4) bleacher sections to which they have been assigned (see Practice Lane Assignments at the end of the Team Roster, https://setonswimming.org/team-roster/ )
- For the first day, we will have a team meeting in the bleachers.
- For every other day of practice, we will proceed as follows:
- After leaving your swim bag in the bleachers, each swimmer will go through the far doors near the diving boards and proceed to their assigned racquetball court.
- Each group will complete a 20-minute set of dryland exercises focused on stretching, core body strength, injury prevention. These exercises will be led by Captains assigned to each group.
- After dryland, each swimmer will return to the bleachers, leave their clothes and bags in their assigned bleacher section and proceed to their assigned lanes with only their mask, swimsuit, swim cap, google and a towel.
- The plan is to get into the water by 6:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (plus Wednesdays and Fridays for Diving) and by 6:45 a.m. on Mondays – shortly after NCAP exits the water.
- Masks will not be removed until immediately before entering the water.
- Swimmers should wrap their mask around their towel so it can be readily identified when they exit the pool.
- We will practice in fourteen lanes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and we will practice in seven swim lanes plus four diving lanes on Wednesday and Friday.
- Practice groups will normally have two coaches so that we can start each set with half the group at each end of the pool
- The locker rooms are open! At the conclusion of practice, all swimmers may shower and change in the locker room.
- Each swimmer will immediately proceed to one of four (4) bleacher sections to which they have been assigned (see Practice Lane Assignments at the end of the Team Roster, https://setonswimming.org/team-roster/ )
What to Wear and Pack for Practice
Thank you to Teresa Bingham for developing a packing list for swimmers coming to Seton Swimming practice. Here list is on the last two pages of the Seton Swimming handbook which you can find under About/Team Information or by clicking here.
Wear your suit to practice so you do not have to go to the locker room before practice.
The Secret to Getting Up Early for Practice
Go to bed early!
That requires some good time management on your part – use your afternoons wisely.
Here’s one other trick I learned years ago. The time is about to change, and that will give you an extra hour of sleep. Don’t allow your body clock to adjust – go to bed using the old time. That will make 6:04 a.m. feel like 7:04 a.m. – no problem!
Be Prepared
I’m looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday, November 2nd. Please make sure that:
- You arrive in time for me to start our meeting at exactly 6:04 a.m. in the bleachers.
- You understand the Freedom Center policies, and that you come with a good attitude about them, even if you don’t like it.
- You are packed properly and prepared to participate in practice without going to the locker room first.
- You know your practice group and lane assignment before you get to the pool.
See you on Election Day!