Hi All,

This is a long email from me with important calendar information, so please read until the end. We have a busy 2 weeks coming up and there is a lot of info here to consume and respond to :) If you have any questions, especially new families, please reach out to me for clarification.

Here are the dates for all events until the end of the season. There is more detail in the body of this email on each event. Some events have been rescheduled, so note the new date:

• Tuesday, July 16th (Tomorrow) - T-Shirt Tie-Dye/Pizza Party
• Wednesday, July 17th – Away meet at Metuchen Golf & Country Club
• Sunday, July 21st - Roycefield Sprints (Optional - if you want to attend)
• Tuesday, July 23rd – Away meet at Raritan Valley Country Club
• Thursday, July 25 - Last day of practice
• Friday, July 26 - 13 & Over Championships
• Saturday, July 27 - 12 & Under Championships (Please note this date as Swimtopia is coming up as only 7/26 in the app)
• Sunday, July 28 - Swim Team Banquet
• Tuesday, July 30/Wednesday, July 31 - Conferences (for qualifiers only - separate email to come)

Tie-Dye and Pizza is Tomorrow - Make Tie-Dye shirt to wear to championships:

• Tuesday, July 16 from 12pm - 2pm.
• Bring white t-shirt or white tank top to tie dye
• Bring 1 gallon size zip lock bag for the shirt (with name on it to take the shirt home)
• Bring black sharpie marker if you have one (I will have extras to use)
• $5.00 to cover Pizza and water (optional)

I am going to run out tomorrow morning to buy extra t-shirts if anyone needs them (probably around $5 each). If you would like me to buy one for your child, please email or text me today. Also, if you would like a t-shirt made for your child that cannot attend tomorrow, please let me know and one of the older kids will make one.

Remaining Dual Meets:

• Wednesday, July 17 – Meet is away at Metuchen Golf & Country Club. If you need to sign out, please do so by tomorrow. Please arrive between 5:15-5:30. Warm ups will begin at 5:45. This is another far meet (30 minutes without traffic) during heavy traffic time on Rt 287 so please leave accordingly. I will not be at this meet, Sharon will be flying solo, so please signup online to volunteer to make her night easier!

• Tuesday, July 23 - This is our last meet and it is away at Raritan Valley Country Club. Please sign out or let me know if your swimmer will not be attending...and please sign up to volunteer (you know the drill by now).

Roycefield Sprints (optional)

Sunday, July 21st. This is a fun optional invitational meet in Hillsborough that our team has participated in the past and has had a great time. It is an early morning start and the meet goes until about 1 pm. ALL swimmers can swim 25 yards (one length) for their race (thus it is a sprint for every age group!) and swim in their specific age...11 year olds with 11 year olds. You are able to swim all 4 strokes or whatever you choose. It is purely for fun! Note that warm-ups are at 6:45am so it is an early start.

The cost for participating is $5.00 per event and $15.00 surcharge per swimmer (regardless of number of events). Example: 1 swimmer, entering 4 events = $15.00 + (4 X $5.00) = $35.00. This cost is the responsibility of the family and it not paid by Glen Ridge. Entries need to be made by July 17th, so please let me know if you would like to sign up ASAP.

CHAMPIONSHIPS – Friday, July 26^th and Saturday, July 27th at Roundtop:

I need to submit entries for Championships by end of day on Tuesday 7/23. Your swimmer can be entered in 4 events total, with a maximum of 3 individual events. They need to have swum their preferred strokes “legally” at least once this season in order to be eligible to swim at Championships. If there is a certain event that your swimmer either wants to swim or does not want to swim, please let us know. Championships will be shorter than in past years because only the C league is swimming (B league has participated in the past).

Please note: your swimmer needs to have attended a minimum of 4 dual meets in order to be eligible to attend Championships. If your swimmer will not be attending championships, please sign them out on the website or send me an email/text.

13 & Over Championships – Friday, July 26^th

• 4:15 pm – Doors Open
• 4:30 pm – Warmup
• 5:30 pm – Start Time
• Spectator Admission Fee - $8 per person (12 & Under free)
• Meet programs will be sold for $3 at the gate

12 & Under Championships – Saturday, July 27th

• 6:30 am – Doors Open
• 6:45 am – Warmup
• 8:15 am – Start Time
• Spectator Admission Fee - $8 per person (12 & Under free)
• Meet programs will be sold for $3 at the gate

What to Expect: Championships are a little different from the dual meets we've had since all of the teams from our C League will be participating. When you arrive, look for our "team banner" ... the coaches will have staked out an area for our team so we can all sit together! This area will be on the back of the property, through the gate in the fence behind the pool/snack shack. On the day of the meet, the coaches will receive the 'Heat Sheet' which will tell us what heats and lanes our swimmers are in for each event.

There will be someone from Roundtop "marshal" or line up the swimmers by event and heats as they come up. It is really helpful if parents can help keep an eye on their swimmer(s) and lend a hand with this process, especially with our younger swimmers on Saturday. Both Coach Drew & Marisol will be focused on this as well, but we will not have our older swimmers to help since they swim on Friday night. I’ve also attached the Meet Announcement for your viewing pleasure.

What to Bring:

• Chairs/blankets to sit on...we will be there for a couple of hours!
• Warm clothing in case the weather is rainy, sunscreen if it's sunny!
• Extra towels for your swimmer(s)
• Extra pair of goggles are always a good idea
• Lots of water and snacks (concessions will be sold too)
• $$ for concessions and fun items to buy (they usually have swim vendors come that sell a commemorative t-shirt, swim gear, practice suits, etc,)
• Wear your new tie-dyed t-shirts and LOTS of green... and bring that LOUD GATOR CHEERING!!!!!!

BANQUET - Sunday, July 28 – Save the Date

More info coming soon, but the banquet is casual and is held from 4pm to approx. 8:30 at GRSC. There will be a fee per non-swimmer for the banquet, swimmers are free. I will also be collecting money for a coaches gift. Sign-ups will be sent out shortly. Save the date.

Banquet Swim Team Photo - Bishop Photo will be here again this year at the banquet to offer individual photos of your swimmer poolside as well as to take our team photo. Order forms will be available at the Banquet or you can order photos at http://www.bishopphoto.com/. Our league code is GLENSWIM24NJ. Individual photos will begin at 4pm. The team photo is scheduled for 4:30pm. Please be on time and wear your green or team swimsuits.

Banquet Slide Show – Kevin and Kyle have volunteered to make the slideshow for the banquet. Please send your pictures to [email protected]. They can be pictures from meets, Glen Ridge events, etc that include Gator Swimmers and our volunteer parents in action. Senior parents, please include a few baby pictures and graduation picture of your Senior Gator Swimmer.

Banquet schedule of events:

4:00pm: Individual swimmer photos (poolside) **Wear your swimsuits**

4:30pm: Team photo - Don't be late!

5:00pm: Dinner served

After Dinner: Team & Special Awards presented, Dessert served & Slideshow Presentation begins at dusk.

CONFERENCE MEET - Qualifiers only

• Tuesday, July 30/Wednesday, July 31 - Conferences for swimmers who achieved certain qualifying times
• Conferences are alot like Championships, with the exception that the swimmer swims against other swimmers from the entire NJSDC (A League, B League and C League) that have qualifying times.  This is a prelim/final meet with 12 & Under Prelims during Day 1 (July 30), 13 & Over Prelims during Day 2 (July 31) and all Finals in the evening on Day 2 (July 31).
• Conferences will be held at Brookside Swim Club in Milltown this year. As I receive more information, I will reach out to the swimmers that have qualified. If you would like to see if your swimmer has qualified for an event, I have attached the qualifying times that you can compare to your swimmers times in Swimtopia. Qualifying times must be times from the 2024 summer season only.

If you are still reading....thank you - I appreciate you :)

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm sure I missed something.

- Paula

[email protected]

908-510-9167