Dear HVST Swimmers and Families: 

This coming weekend will be the deciding factor if HVST remains undefeated in the current summer season. Green Valley is also undefeated and this meet - on their turf - will confirm who is the best dual meet team of 2023! This is a meet not to miss. 

There is A LOT of important information in this email so please read in its entirety.

GREEN VALLEY SWIM TEAM (GVST) AWAY MEET: 

We are looking forward to a competitive swim meet against the Green Valley Dolphins on Saturday, July 15th. Swimmers will race a selection on individual strokes plus there will be relays. 

LOCATION: 

Green Valley Swim Team 

10824 Los Jardines E Fountain Valley, 92708

SCHEDULE: 

GVST is hosting a traditional, unified meet format. This means that events are grouped by stroke and are repeated through all age groups, starting with 5-6 Girls and ending with 15-18 Boys. 

• Warm-ups for HVST swimmers starting at 8am in lanes 1 to 3 
• The meet will start at approximately 9.00am. HVST will swim in lanes 1, 3 and 5 
• Half-time will be typically about 11:30am 

A Parent Medley Relay will mark the shift from first half to second half. Please contact us if you would like to join the HVST Parent Medley Relay team. It's a really fun event and your kids will LOVE watching you don your cap and goggles and dive off the blocks! 

DECLARE YOUR SWIMMER: 

In order for our coaches to prepare for the meet, you MUST declare before Thursday, July 13th by 9pm your swimmer(s) as attending OR not attending the meet. Please use the notes function to note ANY AND ALL information about which strokes and relays your child is willing/unwilling to do. The youngest and newest swimmers often only do freestyle in dual meets, at the discretion of our coaches. Please declare each of your swimmers here.

SWIMMER IDENTIFICATION: 

BEFORE you arrive at the pool for check-in and AFTER applying sunscreen, please write your swimmer’s last name, first initial on their right arm and upper back. We double-y want to make sure the correct swimmer is in the correct event, heat and lane for timing data accuracy. Please bring a black Sharpie to write your swimmer’s name should it wash off during the event. 

We will send out the PDF of events numbers, heat, and lane assignments on Friday, July 14th (the night before the meet). 

SWIMMER DAY OF CHECK-IN: 

PLEASE arrive at the meet at least five minutes before the 8am warm-up time and head directly to the HVST swimmer check-in table on the greenbelt. If your child has chosen not to warm up, they must be at the HVST swimmer check-in table no later than 8:30am. Please watch Coach Maye and Coach Kate’s tutorial video about checking in here.

VOLUNTEER DAY OF CHECK-IN: 

First shift volunteers must arrive before 8.30am for check in. The host team will have a volunteer meeting in their clubhouse for morning volunteers at 8.50am. Second shift volunteers must arrive before 11.10am for check in and will attend a volunteer meeting on-deck just prior to the start of second shift. 

VOLUNTEER ROLES: 

There are currently no open volunteer roles available - thank you! If you are signed up and need to make changes to your volunteer sign up, please do so before Thursday, July 13th by 9pm.

If you would like to pay the opt-out fee for shifts rather than volunteering (reminder: four half-meet volunteer shifts are required for families with kids 12 and younger, with one of the meets being an away shift), pay the $125 opt-out fee per shift (up to four shifts or $500) here. All families with remaining shifts at the end of the season will be charged $125/volunteer shift missing from their family record, up to $500. 

VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS: 

When volunteering, please note that you yourself cannot be the caretaker of your children during your shift. All of our volunteer roles require full attention and presence. A babysitter or grandparent is also welcome to take on the volunteering role for you, so that you may stay present with younger and older swimmers and siblings alike. 

WHAT TO PACK: 

Make sure to dress appropriately for our competitions. Usually, the trend is cloudy and colder in mornings and warm and sunny afternoons. Your swimmer should have: two towels, goggles, navy competition-style bathing suit, swim cap, black Sharpie, sunscreen, and a good attitude! 

CONCESSIONS: 

GVST will have a full food booth with breakfast and lunch options (burgers, hot dogs, soda, chips, candy, etc). Cash and credit cards are accepted. No Venmo or Zelle.

TEAM/FAMILY AREAS: 

The greenbelt provides room to set up EZ Ups, blankets and chairs. This is where HVST swimmer and volunteer check in will be based. No personal chairs, coolers, umbrellas, etc. are allowed on deck. 

SAFETY: 

Please make sure to not rush your swimmers through the neighborhood streets to get to the pool. Please be courteous to GVST’s neighbors by not blocking any driveways or fire hydrants. The pool area may only be used by swimmers participating in the meet during their event. 

RIBBONS: 

Each swimmer will receive ribbon(s) with their race times in the family folders on the HVST pool deck. Pick up your ribbons later next week! 

This will be a competitive event with our strongest competitor yet for the 2023 season. Green Valley is strong and has their sights set on beating us. If we are going to continue our season undefeated, we are definitely going to need everyone who can to show up and swim. 

Please feel free to contact us or any of our coaches if you have any questions. 

We are the Dolphins, the Mighty Mighty Dolphins!