Helpful Information
The 2024 Dacula Dolphin Swim Season
Information, Reminders & Notes
Welcome to the Dacula Dolphins! After registration, you received a welcome email & the first newsletter of the season, both of which are full of pertinent information regarding the operation and procedures of our Team. The items below should help address the usual questions we receive during the first week of Practice.
*We will go over everything at our Parent Meeting
on Friday, 5/17 @ 7:15 pm.*
- ATTENDANCE:
We know that the next few weeks before school ends are hectic. It is fine if your swimmer can not make every practice in the next two weeks. Simply come when you can.
- NOTIFICATIONS & ALERTS:
***All parents should download the “Swimtopia App”
and create an account ASAP.***
This is where you will receive Important Team Alerts (such as rain cancellations/delays, reminders, etc.) and where you will RSVP for Meets & Volunteer Jobs. You should have received an email yesterday with a link for instructions on how to set app notifications & alerts on your phone.
- Find The Dacula Dolphins Swim Team on “Facebook Groups”.
You can request to join the group page & answer the questions. Admins will approve your membership asap. Our FB group page is a great place to get alerts, see a calendar of events, ask questions, share photographs taken at practices & meets, and chat with your fellow swim parents.
- PRACTICE LOCATION:
Dacula Park Pool (*unless otherwise specified)
205 Dacula Road, Dacula GA
*Dacula Pool is located inside Dacula Park, on the right hand side of the front entrance on Dacula Road. The pool is next door to the Firehouse and across from the library.
- WE PRACTICE IN THE RAIN.
In the event of heavy rain or thunder storms we may cancel or move practices to Bogan Pool (2723 N.Bogan Rd. NE Buford GA 30519.) You will receive an alert on the Swimtopia App before practice starts. (Alerts are not sent via text - so you must set your app to allow push notifications which typically looks like a dot on the app’s icon.)
- PRACTICE ARRIVAL TIMES:
Pups: 6:50pm
Pod 1 6:50pm
Pod 2: 6:50 pm
Pod 3: 7:50 pm
Dryland & Pool times start PROMPTLY. Please arrive with time enough to settle-in & have your swimmer ready for when the coaches call your Swimmer’s Pod.
PUP PARENTS - Please sit close to the wading pool & keep your Pups in this area, Pups should be well supervised & kept out of the water, until the Junior Coaches call for the Pups.
Note: Each Pup will be assigned to a specific Junior Coach who will be working with pups in small groups as well as one-on-one. This will help Pups feel secure with their Junior Coach - which is very important to helping them feel safe in the water & ensures their success.
Please encourage & remind your Pup to mind our Junior Coaches (JC) and respond to their direction as they would any adult Teacher. While our JC's are young teens, they are ALL very experienced swimmers who have been trained in water safety & swim instruction.
All Pups & JC activities will be overseen and supervised by our
Head & Assistant Coaches.
- WHAT TO WEAR: (all swimmers)
HAIR - tied up and/or swim cap on.
GOGGLES - in place on your head, ready to pull down.
SWIMSUIT - see below for specific information on swimsuits.
COVER-UP - t-shirt, shorts, skirt, or dress over swimsuit during dryland.
SNEAKERS - for dryland exercise. Socks are recommended to prevent blisters & stinky feet!
FLIP FLOPS - for use on the pool deck/restrooms.
- SWIMSUITS:
One-piece swimsuits are REQUIRED for all GIRLS, including our Pups for Practices & Meets. *No frills, ruffles, sequins, accessories, etc. Simple suits are best. “Racerback” or “Competition'' styles are recommended.
Jammers style swimsuits for all BOYS, for Practices & Meets, as they are more streamlined in the water. Regular trunks style is fine for Pups.
** We strongly recommend that all
swimmers own multiple swimsuits. **
- Suits worn for practice can be any brand/design/colors.
Team Suits are designed for competition. They are meant to be worn only at Meets, and will NOT hold up to daily sun & chlorine or use. You paid good money for those suits, let’s make them last! 😘**
- Practice jammers for boys are sometimes a little difficult to find in retail stores but you can usually find some at Dick's Sporting Goods & Academy Sports. Amazon & Swimoutlet.com have jammers at very reasonable prices.
- Practice suits for girls can be found online at Amazon, Swimoutlet.com or in retail stores like Costco & Sam's -who usually have good quality Speedo suits in stock this time of year for under $15.
- KidtoKid, Once Upon A Child, Goodwill & thrift stores are also very good places to find inexpensive, gently used suits for practice.
- Even if you do not intend to buy a Team Suit, we encourage you to have your swimmer try them on during our swimsuit fittings - just for proper fit & sizing, as competition suits typically follow a different sizing system than recreational suits. *Suits should fit snugly as they stretch in the water and leaving “room to grow” often results in outstretched, baggy suits that fall off or shift during dives!
- WHAT TO BRING:
SWIMMERS:
- Towel
- Water bottle
- Goggles
- Hair ties
- Change of clothes/cover-up.
- Sunscreen
PARENTS:
A chair, extra towel, extra goggles, sunscreen, bug spray, water & a debit card (to set up your Family Concession Account - the only form of payment we accept during practices.)
- SPEAKING TO THE COACHES:
FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR SWIMMERS - - PLEASE DO NOT INTERRUPT or try to discuss an issue with the coaches while they are on the pool deck during Practice Sessions.
Pod turnover time is on a VERY tight schedule. If you need to speak to a coach immediately or need to discuss an issue - come speak to a board member (we are usually found hanging around Concessions) and we will do our best to help you or get Coach to speak with you as soon as they are available. The last thing we want is for our coaches to be distracted when they need to be focused on our swimmers in the water. Thank you for understanding.
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Our Parent Meeting will be held on Friday, 5/17 at 7:15pm under the big umbrella near concessions. Please set your chairs up close to this general area. This is the time to get all your questions answered! The Board & Coach Tariq will be going over the season, explain volunteer positions and need-to-know & helpful information. You will find this meeting to be very informative and we promise to do our best not to make it too long or boring!
- Last but certainly not least, swing by Concessions to introduce yourself to the Board!
We LOVE getting to know our new Swim Families & catching up with our veteran ones!
Welcome to the Dacula Dolphins!
Your 2024 Swim Team Board
Kim, Andrea, Melissa, Susy, Kayla, Delana
🐬 See you at the Pool! 🐬
