Good Afternoon Team Seals,

Welcome back to the grind from our weekend off. I hope you all had a lovely three day weekend with lots of rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. The 5:30 wake up calls resume this weekend!

Before we begin, a special thank you to Richard Spencer, who I make fun of weekly in these emails (don't worry, this will continue). Though he had not planned to attend the Shady Hollow meet, Richard answered the call when the Stingrays' meet director informed me their starter was feeling ill. Richard arrived within 30 minutes of my desperate plea and called the heats until noon. For that, all in attendance, including yours truly, are truly grateful.

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On Saturday, we host the Sea Rangers from the Texas School for the Deaf at 8AM. This week's Meet Logistics email is more to the point, contains less blabbering, and has far fewer jests at my friend Richard.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Event sign-ups are open and close on Wednesday at 6P CDT. You can declare your swimmers here:

https://ccrseals.swimtopia.com/swim_meets/706248/swim_meet_entries

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MOST IMPORTANT NOTE (A 3-PART NOTE!):

a) Take some time to learn a little sign language. You will be glad you did; and

b) For volunteers who will interact with TSD coaches and swimmers, I suggest you download the app "Make It Big" on the smart device of your choosing. This handy app lets you either type or speak phrases into large text on your screen; and

c) For those less tech savvy (or less willing to download another app) a pocket-sized notepad and a pen are super-helpful and very much appreciated by TSD.

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FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CHOREOGRAPHY AND MERRIMENT:

Our Meet Theme will be Red, White, and Blue in celebration of the end of school, kick off of summer, recent celebration of Memorial Day, and the only meet where it's socially acceptable to not wear ORANGE or BLACK.

Our wonderful starters, Stephen Aarons and Richard Spencer, have promised to recreate the vibe from the attached image. Stay tuned to see how that turns out!

If you don't have any Red, White, and Blue, when in doubt, wear orange and black.

Fun fact: the founding fathers originally chose orange and black for our national colors in honor of the Dutch philosophers that inspired our Declaration of Independence. That sentiment only lasted until the French helped the patriots defeat the British during the American revolution, and ... well, here we are.

AND ...

Parents, bring your swimsuits for a S.E.A.L.'s relay (following the freestyle relays)! Given the expected timeline, this week's S.E.A.L.s relay likely involves paddles, boogie boards, and other items we may find in the shed. Final details to be confirmed!

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MEET ENTRY DETAILS

• We are limiting the number of individual events to three (3)
• The event order will be: 1. IM (fly/back/breast/free) / 2. Butterfly / 3. Backstroke / 4. Freestyle Relay / 5. Freestyle / 6. Breaststroke / 7. Medley Relay (back/breast/fly/free)

Meet Timeline:

5:45A: Set-up Crew begins / early shift Gatekeepers arrive (no jokes to be made ... it's just really early)

6:15A: Age Group Parents check in

6:30A: Age Group Parents ready to check in swimmers

6:40A: Swimmers and all other volunteers arrive and check in

7:00A – 7:25A: Seals warm up

7:20A: Volunteer group meetings and system testing

7:30 – 7:50A: TSD Sea Rangers warm up

7:50A: First call to Ready Bench

7:55A: National Anthem (see note below)

8:00A: Meet begins

10:00A: Volunteer shift change and S.E.A.L.’s relay

12:00P(ish): Meet ends (Think positive, Frank!)

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A NOTE ON OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM

This week, in keeping with our Red, White, & Blue theme, Jackson Dugan will be performing our National Anthem with his electric guitar, in tribute to Jimi Hendricks' rendition at Woodstock. You won't want to miss it!

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NEXT WEEK'S NATIONAL ANTHEM

Unless and until I get a NEW VOLUNTEER to perform our June 7th National Anthem, Richard Spencer and Stephen Aarons have assured me they're willing to step in with an acapella duet. Having heard them sing Pink Pony Club at the end of the Belterra meet, I'd describe their sound as "not quite the Righteous Brothers."

Please email me at [email protected] to volunteer.

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A NEW REMINDER

We continue to respectfully ask that parents do not set up their chairs in age group tents. We now also ask that parents do not set up their chairs adjacent to the tents either. Under the trees in the southwest corner is quite relaxing as May turns to June and the temps push the mid-90s. 

Parents in tents, who are not Age Group Volunteers, make it harder for Ready Bench and others to know who to speak to, and parents adjacent to tents distract swimmers. Please consider this my permission to ditch your kids with the tent parents for the duration of the meet. As always, please check in with your tent parent when dropping off, and please check out with your tent parent should you leave AT ANY TIME with your child.

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FROM THE SECURITY OFFICE

• For safety and access reasons, there is a hard capacity limit for the pool. This limit is being strictly enforced. We encourage you to come and view your swimmers’ events, but respectfully ask that you return to the Plaza Park when their event is concluded. Your ingress and egress is allowed through the OG Spectator Gate or the Newly Minted Spectator Gate (see attached images). Under no circumstances are you to enter or exit the pool via the YOU SHALL NOT PASS (Unless Swimmer or Age Group Parent) gate.
• Also for safety reasons, ONLY coaches, swimmers and select volunteers are allowed on the pool deck at the start and finishing areas (side of pool is fine -- one full step back from the edge; we ask that you be careful to not block the starters or life guards). And absolutely no photos or videos from directly behind the starting blocks.

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FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF GOAT WRANGLING

• Volunteer changes should be made before Wednesday at 6P. If you have any last minute changes, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Bethany Pendleton at ccsealsvolunteercoordinator@gmail.com
• There is NO parking on Escarpment. Please park on LaCrosse, east of Escarpment. The CDC and Kiker parking lots are open to Seals families and our guests. FURTHER: please do not park in the spots reserved for mail pickup
• Drop and pick-up in the Plaza Circle is also an option
• No chairs for spectators in the pool area. We will have accommodations for fans with disabilities
• No playing in the sand(!!!), no littering, and no leaving without signing your child out by TALKING TO AN AGE GROUP PARENT.
• The DIVE CAFE will be OPEN and serving their Meet Menu (attached), complete with Breakfast Tacos, Donut Holes, and various other items to power your swimmers (and sustain you through the final hours of the meet)
• Kona Ice will also be there -- please study the meet schedule to strategize on the best time to visit the truck AND please let an AGP know whenever you are taking your swimmer on a walkabout

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FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OPTICS & DESIGN (O&D)

“Orange is the happiest color.” -- Frank Sinatra

“My career is incomplete having never played for a club wearing an orange kit!" -- Cristiano Ronaldo

"My allegiance lies solely with those adorned in orange, for in them I find the embodiment of my chosen virtues: passion, vitality, and commitment to the community. To cheer is not mere fandom; it is a deliberate act of affirmation, a statement of identity forged in color and cause." -- Richard Spencer

https://stores.inksoft.com/circlec/shop/home

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AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

HAVE FUN! COME READY TO PARTY! MAKE MEMORIES WITH YOUR KIDDOS!!!

Thanks for EVERYTHING and GO SEALS!

Joel Stubblefield, Meet Director

[email protected] | 704-451-9705

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2025 SEALS SCHEDULE

[HOME] SUNDAY, MAY 4 - TIMING MEET @ 9A (First Event)

[HOME] SATURDAY, MAY 10 - BELTERRA @ 8A (First Event)

[AWAY] SATURDAY, MAY 17 - SHADY HOLLOW @ 8A (First Event)

[HOME] SATURDAY, MAY 31 - TSD @ 8A (First Event)

[HOME] SATURDAY, JUNE 7 - SAAB @ 8A (First Event)

[AWAY] SATURDAY, JUNE 14 - WESTERN OAKS @ 8A (First Event)

[AWAY] SATURDAY, JUNE 21 - CHAMPS