Note: All 2019 swim team families are receiving this email. Please forward to any new families who may want to join the team.

Swim Team Families,

We are excited to announce that registration is now open! We will remain in the SAIL Blue Division. Please read this document in its entirety and then make a quick decision about joining the team, as registration will close on May 29.

There is a lot of information about how we will adapt our approaches this year to keep our swimmers as safe as possible (practices, meets, special events). We will communicate all of it, but hope to do so in small batches, so as not to overwhelm. Here is what you need to know now:

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Saturday, May 23, 12:30-1:30 PM - Coaches and Swim Team Board Members will be available near the hot dog cart (part of Memorial Day special event) to answer any questions
• Tuesday, May 26, 9:00 AM - Swim tests available for any swimmers uncertain of readiness
• May 31, 4:00 - 4:30 PM - Parent meeting on the field. All families are asked to attend
• June 1 - practices start (times TBD)

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Only Foxcroft residents and grandchildren of residents who have previously been members of the Foxcroft Swim Team are eligible to participate in the Swim Team this year.
• Foxcroft yearly homeowner dues and swim team fees must be paid in full in order to participate. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact Susan Tomforde or work with the HOA board to set up a payment plan.
• We are sad that we will not be able to offer the Fish team this year. Any young swimmers who are interested in joining the main team must be able to independently swim more than 25 yards. Coaches will not be able to assist swimmers in the water except in an emergency. For any swimmers that are uncertain of ability, coaches will be available for swim tests on Tuesday, May 26 at 9 AM

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Practice will begin on June 1st. More information will follow regarding practice times, but more than likely the times will be different than in years past. (Initially, practice will be held before the pool opens and after it closes, with no afternoon practice.) Swimmers may be divided based on skill level and not necessarily based on age. You will be notified as soon as our coaches determine the best approach.

OFFICIALS & MEET VOLUNTEERS:

Though there will be many fewer people on deck at meets, we will need volunteers, and some positions will require online tests. We will notify you when these are available. We will be relying on those that were certified in previous seasons for official positions to continue with their respective positions (i.e., Stroke and Turn, Referee, Starter).

SOCIAL DISTANCING:

The Swim Board and coaches will establish processes and guidelines to enable social distancing during practices and meets. In addition, the pool itself may have capacity limits. We do not expect coaches to police every swimmer, and so we are asking parents to reinforce the guidelines and also to follow them personally.

OTHER SAIL TEAMS:

You may hear that there are some SAIL teams that have chosen not to participate this year. There are various good reasons for this, and each team was given the freedom to make a choice. Among those participating, it is likely each team will be doing things differently. Don’t be confused if you hear different policies and practices from other neighborhoods - we have designed our approach specifically for Foxcroft.

MEET SCHEDULE:

Currently, the meet schedule is as follows: June 11th, June 18th, June 25th, June 30th, and July 9th. Divisionals will be held on July 17th & 18th. We will notify you of any changes.

The assumption is that all dual meets will be virtual. In a virtual meet, both teams will swim in their own pool. The results will then be uploaded into Swimtopia and merged with the times from our opponent team to create a scored "meet." At this point, we expect all 5 meets and Divisionals to be held at Foxcroft.

REGISTRATION FEES:

If you elect to register, fees are listed in Swimtopia. No refunds will be offered. The only exception will be young swimmers that do not pass the coach’s initial assessment.

TEAM SUITS and CAPS:

We will not be ordering a new team suit this year. Instead, we have chosen to defer purchasing a new suit until next year. Since meets will be virtual, swimmers will not be required to wear a specific suit. If you choose to show team spirit our team colors are red and black. Swimsuits and caps can be purchased locally at Alpine Ski Center or online from swimoutlet.com. There will be additional information regarding caps at the parent’s meeting on May 31st.

SOCIAL EVENTS:

All Social events including Fun Fridays will look different this year. Our goal is to make this season as exciting and memorable as possible. Please stay tuned for further details!

A FINAL DISCLAIMER:

Plans may change from week to week! Please try to remain flexible and expect change! Right now we are focusing on starting practices and conducting our first meet on June 11th. After that, we don't know. By the time we get to meet 4 or 5, things may look completely different! In any case, we will do our best to create a memorable and exciting season for our FOX families! We hope you elect to join us!

-The Foxcroft Swim Team Board