Christmas Break!

So, as most of you know, we have only 3 days of practice this week and eight days off for Christmas Break! You know what that means? Many of us are going to gain time at our next meet if we don't practice or do some sort of physical activity. I would highly suggest going to the pool on your own time, and if we do end up having optional practices, go to those! They will help you so much over the break, so let's convince our coaches to do those optional practices, especially since we'll have a meet three days after we get back!

I'd also like to say good job to everybody! We've been doing so much better at our meets and we've had quite a few records broken, so congrats to all of you who broke school records, let's keep it up! And for the rest of you, I've noticed quite a bit of time dropping, Continue to keep up the good work guys!

We do have our Swim Team Christmas party coming up! It's at Amanda E.'s house on Tuesday. Please remember to bring a white elephant gift that is under $5. It will be a ton of fun so I hope to see all of you there.

There really isn't much else to say, so keep up the good work and let's strive to get more P.R.'s (Personal Records) because we're just amazing like that!

District Championships+Other meets!

Hey guys! So I'd just like to start off by congratulating the Girls 4x100 A Team Relay (Which consisted of Hiedi C., Amanda E., Natalie P., and Mindy D.) for breaking the school record on Tuesday! Amazing job to you girls! Also, I'd like to congratulate Chelsea F. for just about breaking the school record for the 100 Breast Stroke! She's half a second away, so let's wish them all best of luck in surpassing their goals!

So the meet yesterday was cancelled due to the fact that no buses or semis were being let on the freeway. This in some ways is a very good thing, but not in others. This means we had some downtime in preparation for the meet this Saturday which is very important. Speaking of, WE WILL HAVE PRACTICE TODAY AT 2:45!! So come please!

Let me explain District Championships first for all you people new to the team. District Championships is probably the third most important meet out of all the meets, the first two being State and Regions. Districts will be a very long meet, and because of that, I would strongly suggest that we get people to bring food for the ENTIRE team. I know that some are bring food for themselves, but it's always nice when everyone has something to eat. I would suggest bringing Granola Bars, some type of Fruit or Veggie, and maybe something to drink.

Please do your very best at Districts and do all the starts you possibly can! The blocks you are familiar with are not the same at all at Layton's pool. You are pretty much jumping off of a wall. Also be sure to practice them in the farthest lanes, particularly the one with only 4 feet of water. That lane sucks, so I would strongly suggest doing starts in it.

Lastly, please cheer on your team this meet. These times will go towards state, so it is very important for us all to do well. Go to the pasta party tonight as well! It's at Hiedi's house, and if you need her address, go to practice and you'll get it there.

The bus will be leaving at 6:30 AM!! Be up bright and early, ready to swim! Make the bus on time, otherwise, we WILL leave you! Good luck Titans! Swim like you mean it!

Heads up!

I'm hoping you all still look at this blog even though it's rarely ever updated anymore. Just a few reminders this time!

First off, we only have 2 days of practice this week! That's not good, so swimming over the break should be your top priority, even if you can only swim for a half hour, do it anyways, otherwise you'll pay for it when we come back. Please note, the week after our break we have a meet on Tuesday the 29th against Weber, yet another reason swimming should be a priority!

Secondly, two things have been cancelled, the pictures and the meet against Clearfield which should've been on Tuesday. Some may consider this a good thing, but in reality it isn't! Please swim over the break, I can guarantee you all I'll be there at least one day out of the three we have off.

Coach stated Friday that we are postponing the pictures to a future date hopefully since less than half the team showed up to practice. I'm sure we will discuss this again in practice on Monday.

Another thing to be noted, Mikey sent a message over Facebook that said he is changing the sweatshirts to hoodies. The cost is still $20 and the design is also still the same. He needs the money ASAP, at the very latest Saturday. He will be at the pool every day this week, so you can drop it off to him any day this week.

I've notice that fewer and fewer people have been showing up to practice and meets now-a-days. I understand you don't like it and that you hardly ever want to go and that you have a life with things to do, but practice really is important. Same applies to meets. Even if you don't think you're good at swimming, you help the team in some sort of way if you go to the meet, and if you don't the whole team suffers. I'd like to note from the first paper coach gave us with all the lettering requirements it clearly states that you will NOT be able to letter if you miss a meet (with the exception of if a coach recommends you letter even though you missed a meet.) and that if you miss a practice that there will be penalties, and I'm sure that if you miss more than ten practices, it will be very hard for you to letter.

That's all I think I have to say! Happy Thanksgiving, go for a swim over the break, and eat lots of turkey!

Coming up this week!

Hey Titans!
I'd just like to remind you all about the things that are happening this week.

First off, we have Region Relays on Thursday! I'm not sure when the bus is coming, so keep a lookout on Facebook for it. Region Relays is very fun meet! I'm sure that everyone will enjoy it tons! This meet consists mainly of relays of all sorts! There's a kickboard relay, a tube relay where you have to get the tube from noe side of the pool to the other, but still, it's really fun! I'm sure you'll all enjoy it a lot!

Coming along with this, I think that the cheering thing was a little bit better than it was before. But still, I want to see EVERYBODY cheering, not just a few people from the team, but every single person on the team. Let's make that a goal for the team and set an example to other teams with that.

Please keep in mind that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away, and we'll have 2 days of practice, then the rest of the week off (the week of Thanksgiving). Remember to work hard from now until then so that you'll be a little better in shape once we get back. If I remember right, we have a meet 2 days after we get back from break, so swimming through the break should be a top priority. If you feel like you're going to barf, that's a good thing! That means that you're working hard, and you should feel like that at EVERY practice.

Remember to keep up the good work, and we'll see you all tomorrow! Good luck to all at region relays!

Reminders

So far, I think this season is going to be one of the best ever! I think that if we work as hard as we have been, then we will all do AMAZING at regions. Remember, Regions is a BIG meet. Not only is it the last meet of the season for many on the team, it's your last chance to get a state qualifying time, and it's the meet you work towards all season (unless you really good, then you work towards State.). I have a few reminders for the upcoming week, and some you may have already heard!

First off, we have a meet on Thursday at Cottonwood at 3! This means that you need to bring money for dinner afterwards, as that will happen at most away meets, so just count on doing that for all the away meets.

Also on Thursday, we have early morning practice, even if you're in fourth period. This means that you need to be in the pool by 5:15 AM. That's really early, get used to it. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE THERE!! If not, that will go against you, as disclosed in the paperwork we got at the beginning of the year.

Lastly, please cheer on your team. I'm getting really tired of saying it. I'm going to bug everyone who isn't until they do cheer, and if you don't, then we will just have to talk to the coach and let you deal with them. There isn't a "1" in team, not 1 person alone can cheer on somebody, let alone get decent times while they swim. Help out your teammates, even if you don't like them.

Looking for a new suit?

Hey Titans!
Are you looking for a new suit? How bout one of those caps that you see all the other swimmers on the team from years past wearing? Or maybe a jacket that looks almost like a trench coat, not to mention that's super warm, waterproof on the outside, and 1/3 of what you pay goes towards the team? Then go see Patches! Patches is commonly known as Officer Neilson, but trust me, he's super nice and cool, so just talk to him and let him know what you want. He's selling the following items:
Deck Jackets: $75 (Remember, $25 of that will go to the swim team, so buy one if you don't have one!)
Suits: Price Varies (Mainly for the women, but there was a Speedo in there.)
Caps: $5

Picures

One more thing I forgot to add. Our team has a tradition, once the season is over, we have a banquet, and at every banquet, one of our team members makes a video recapping all the fun things we've done throughout the season. So, I will be taking pictures of us all at our meets, and if this in any way bothers you, I need to know so that I remember not to take pictures of you. But if it doesn't bother you, then I will take plenty of pictures. Please note, these pictures will likely end up on Facebook and possibly this blog if I decide to put them here, so please notify me if there is a problem with that. I will be attempting to get some action shots of you swimming, so you can use those however way you like if you think they look good. Please contact me ASAP through E-Mailing me or talking to me in person when we have extra time during practice.

Looking for something?

Hey Titans,
Are you looking for a new suit? How about those trench coat looking jackets that everyone is calling a Deck Jacket? Or even a cap that you see people wearing from years past? Then you need to go and see Patches (AKA Officer Neilson) ASAP! He's selling a ton of suits (the vast majority of which are womens suits), caps, and Deck Jackets. The caps he is selling for $5, and the Deck Jackets are $75, remember that $25 of that total will go back towards the swim team, so please get one and help out the team!

Also, tomorrow, Saturday the 22nd, we have the Boonanza! PLEASE bring the stuff you signed up to bring. Remember, if you don't, we will have a VERY unsuccessful Boonanza this year, and we need all the money we can get, so please bring those items.

You guys are doing great at the meets, I really hope that they have opened your eyes to how much harder you need to work during practice to accomplish the goals you wish to surpass, and maybe even that certain stroke you need help with. Also going along with the meets, I see a problem. No one's cheering for anybody on the team! Okay, there's a few, but I'd like to see ALL the team cheering your team mates on. It truly does help when you have people cheering you on. I understand that you'll be tired from your previous event, but please cheer your team on. I'll try and encourage people to help us cheer on people, but it would be nice to have you all do it on your own.

For now, that's all I have to say, good luck at your next meet, and remind your parents about the Pasta party so we can have one at our next meet. Work hard, and continue swimming your heart out!

A little news...

So as you all may know, we have a meet tomorrow vs. Jordan! This means that you ALL need to be in the school by the vending machines, on the side nearest the seminary! This also means that ninth graders need to get checked out by their parents since we cannot get you guys out of class. Meets are a ton of fun, and I hope I see more people cheering this meet than at the mock meet. CHEER YOUR TEAM ON! Not only is it fun, it helps your teammates and makes the long meets go by quicker. Let's all cheer everyone on!

Along the lines of meets, I want to give one suggestion. I know how excited you all may be to see your events, but please see if your in the first 2 events, and move if you aren't, that way, those who are in the first 2 events can see that and quickly get to where they need to be. If you need help reading the heat sheets, let somebody know and we'll gladly help you.

Also with meets, we have a Pasta Party! Those are super fun, and a great way to get to know your team. Basically, you go to someone's house, eat Spaghetti, and have fun! So I really hope to see the team there tonight. The Pasta Party is at Colby's house, so please come and be respectful of his house.

The fundraiser for Saturday has been cancelled since our team didn't get the papers in on team. That's all I have to say!

Great job at the practices, please get in the water BY 2:45!!!! And good luck to all on the Meet! See you all at the Pasta Party!

An update on the Mock Meet

Just so that everyone knows the date of the Mock Meet has been moved, it is now on Friday, as in, this coming Friday! I hope you'll all still be there!

Ready for the first meet?

Ready or not! It's here! Our first meet will be on October 6th against Clearfield! Swim your little hearts out, even though this is really only a meet to help you learn what happens during a meet. Keep your times written down so when our first official meet is here, you can see whether or not you improved. Swim hard this week, and next week!

Also, Dryland will be starting as of today, so bring your gym clothes with you to practice. Unless you want to run around barefoot in your swim suit.

Another day you should keep in mind is the Boonanza! It's a really fun event and I hope all of you reading this will come out and help us get some more money for the team. It's on October 22nd, so please keep that day open.

A note on the practices

ATTENTION ALL SWIMMERS!

The practices will be a little more different than they were last year! Please see the two options below and pick the one that fits you best.

All in the 4th Period conditioning class: You will be at all the practices you've already been going to. So, 4th period every A Day, and then after school, B Days you just come after school like you already were. You may go to Early Morning, it is not required. If you go to early morning, you still have to go to the after school practice.

All NOT in the 4th Period conditioning class: You will be at all after school practices, plus early morning on Tuesday and Thursday. Remember, you will still need to come to after school practice even if you already had early morning.

A notice to both in the conditioning class, and not in the conditioning class: You will need to start bringing all of your gym stuff. Why? Because we're doing dryland! Dryland is a great way to get back into shape and overall just great! Be sure to bring shorts, a shirt, and tennis shoes, unless you want to run outside barefoot.

Remember to keep pushing yourselves to do better and greater things. Set a goal that is high, and reach for the stars! I know that we can all accomplish amazing things this year because our team this year is very full of potential. We can only reach our full potential if we push ourselves farther than what we really think we can do. Keep up the hard work, and we'll have one amazing team!

A couple of notes!

Hey fellow swimmers!
First, I'd like to say that we are doing great as a team for the first week of official practicing, however, I've noticed some things in my lane that I think we could all use as a good reminder.

I'd like to talk about swim etiquette. This is an important topic because this well help us all be a little more friendly with one another.

If you don't know what swim Etiquette, it's basically a set of guidelines that you should follow. The definition of Etiquette is as follows-

"et·i·quette/ˈetikit/

Noun: The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group"

Let me put the importance of swim etiquette in other terms. If you're driving and you get stuck behind an old person going 35 MPH in a 50 MPH zone, you're pretty pissed off right, and usually get a little Road Rage. Well same situation applies to swimming. I guess in a way you get "Swim Rage." So here's what you should do to prevent that:

• First, if your feet get tapped, move to the far right side of the lane and let the person (or people) pass you, and jump right back into the line of swimmers as soon as you can! Don't stay on the side for too long, otherwise you'll get an angry coach or two. If possible, try to pass the person in front of you if they're going to slow, but if you have a line of people behind you, then go ahead and tap their feet.
• Secondly, if you're done with your set, don't stand in the middle of the lane if there's others who are still trying to finish their set. It's really annoying, and "Swim Rage" will come into place. If you are looking for a place to stand, stand on the sides of your lane, and form a middle section where people can swim in and out of. Most of the time, if you're standing on the cross, you'll end up getting flip turned on, and it hurts really bad, but you learn where to not stand.

See? Swim Etiquette isn't that hard to learn, but I cannot stress the importance of it. I feel that this is something that not enough people know about, and since we're practicing with Clearfield, it's as important as ever. And if you're feet do get tapped, that's okay! You won't get made fun of or anything, I promise! Plus, you won't know the order of your lane if these two tips aren't practiced. Please spread the word around the pool about those, and things will run much more smoothly.

Also, DO NOT GET OUT OF THE POOL! If you feel a little sore in the shoulders, sprain the ankle, suck it up Buttercup! If you're truly a dedicated swimmer, you'll swim through those kinds of things. You should swim practices like you're at a meet, just at a slower pace. If you feel sore, you're not just going to give up, are you? Now, if you're bawling your eyes out, that's a little different. Things are going to get tough, but you just have to keep going, it will get easier. Each lap is only going to make you better. If you get a Charlie's Horse, see if you can massage it out, and if you can't ask your Lane Coach if they'll let you stretch it out a little bit. 

Congratulations to Amanda E., Scott C., Chelsea F., and Colby E. on being named the team Captains! I hope that you have a great year with our team, and I wish you all the best of luck!

All of our Syracuse swimmers need to give Mikey a dollar for a "surprise." I'm guessing he's going to make us something really cool, but it takes money to make stuff, so all of you please pitch in a dollar please!

Please remember that this Tuesday and Thursday we will have early morning swim practice! Practice will begin at 5:00AM! I realize that Tuesday is late start days, but there isn't much I can do about that. Tough it out, things will be all right.

That's all I have to say, if there's more then I shall post again!

First practice is coming!

Hey Titans!
I'm so ready to see our full team on Monday! It's going to be a great season, but I guess I should explain what's going on on Monday.

First off, we are most likely going to be getting in the pool! This means you NEED to have your suit (only one piece suits, ladies.) and goggles. You might be lucky if someone else has goggles to let you borrow. A note on the suit, for your practice suit, you want drag! Drag is not good at meets which is why the suits are so tight! But, for practicing, you need to get a suit that fits comfortably, and maybe even A LITTLE (emphasis on little) loose, because that will create more drag. You can wear a cap if you want, but this is not required. As most of you know, Dick's Sporting Goods in the Layton Hills Mall opened up today, and they do have some suits and goggles if you have not gotten a suit, or a pair of goggles.

Secondly, don't be scared about our first practice! The practice will be simple! We're all out of shape, and we all are going to work hard to get back into shape. Some of us don't know how to swim some strokes, but that's all right! As a team, we'll help you out, but you have to ask. I promise you, everyone there is nice, and we're all friendly, and we'll help you when you want it, and whenever we possibly can!

Also, coach would like all the forms to be turned in on Monday! This includes the fee! You can pay your fee online, using the following link. http://mydsd.davis.k12.ut.us/studentinformationsystem/faces/login.jsp
You'll need to sign into the Guardian account, and over on the side tabs, click "Make Payment," "Optional Registration Fees," then click "Swimming (gender) Fees." After you've clicked that, scroll up to the top and click "Continue to Shopping Cart," then click "Proceed to checkout" and follow the instructions. Please print 2  receipts, keep one (in case Coach Harris accidentally loses the one you give him) and give the other to Coach. If you guys have any questions, you can ask one of our captains (Chelsea Fieschel, Mindy Dewaal, or Colby Ellison) or you can ask Coach!

Thanks Titans, see you all on Monday! (Remember, no dairy products before you swim, or before a meet. I'd rather not see you barf up all your food.)

Things Discussed in the Meeting Last Night

Yesterday afternoon, we had a meeting as you all should know by now, and we went over quite a bit of stuff, I will list all that we discussed in the following paragraphs;

First off, the practice schedule will be as follows:

• On A Days, practice will be from 1:15-4:00, all Freshman are required to come and be in the water by 3:15. Hussle out of school Freshman, otherwise you'll be late!
• On B Days, practice will be from 2:45-5:00, all Freshman are required to come and be in the water by 3:15.
• Morning Practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that's from 5:00-6:30.
• Remember, there will be penalties if you are late! My suggestion would be to contact coach if you think you are going to be late.

If you are late or don't tell the coach why you are absent from practice, and we're 5 days away from a meet, you will not be able to participate in a meet. You will still be expected to be at the meet and help time or do other things.

 The lettering requirements are a little different than they were last year, and they are listed below:

1. You must attend and be on time to 90% of the practices. You must also be on time at all home meets either swimming or helping and at away meets as assigned.
2. You must earn points at Regions by placing in the top 16 finishers in at least one event.
3. You must be recommended by the coaches. Some of the things that will be taken into consideratino iwll be your contribution to team spirit, enthusiasm, willngness to work and improvement of your times/scores over the season. Failure to be reccommended by the coaches will result in loss of letter even if items 1 and 2 are met. Coach's recommendation can orride items 1 and 2 in exceptional cases.
4. Qualifying for state will usually ensure lettering within the provisions of point 3 above.

We also had a lot of forms handed out to us, which are available to you at the top of this website under the forms tab. You need to have one of each of the forms listed (unless otherwise posted.) and turn them into coach ASAP!

We will also need you to get your swim team fee paid to the office and bring the receipt to coach ASAP!

Also, as previously posted, we will be having a carnival fundraiser. This means we need help with getting the supplies. See the captains for a list of items and let them know which one(s) you can bring. Remember, there is no way this fundraiser will work without the help of ALL our team. Sure you don't have to be there, but at least help get set up or get supplies. Also remember that all the proceeds go the team for our suits!

Just like last year, we'll be doing the Boonanza again. That is sometime in the last week of October, I will get an official date and let you know when it is for sure. If you can help with that, that will be a ton of fun. The Boonanza is like a carnival held at the pool (Clearfeild Aquatic Center) in which families dress up in their costumes and you can go around and play games. We will have a couple booths set up, so we'll need all the help we can get with that. Remember, some of the proceeds will go the team towards our suits!

Our Assistant Coach Michael will be doing Dryland activities at 2:45 at the school. If you want to do that, it's a great way to get to know the team and to get back in shape. If you're interested in doing that, meet us by the football gates by the football field. This will end next Friday, September 16th.

Early Morning Practice; After School Dryland; Masters Class

For all those that want to practice a little more, and get a little better in shape, we have a couple options for you. The first one is an optional Early Morning Practice that occurs on Monday, Wednesday, and also on Friday mornings. It starts at 5 (I think. I'll find out for sure and re-post this if the time changes.) till around 6:30. Also, our Assistant Coach Mikey is doing an after school practice that starts at 2:45 daily. He said that he'd be doing some dryland stuff, so that's also a good option for you as well. If neither of those work out, then come to the pool (Clearfield Aquatic Center) and do Masters Class. You pay general admission ($3) and then you can swim laps to your heart's content or you can ask one of the lifeguards for extra help!

Swim team fundraiser

ATTENTION ALL SWIMMERS!
We will be having a swim team fundraiser on September 14th, which starts at 6:00 PM (please check back to see when it officially starts since I'm not entirely sure.). We need ALL of our team to help pull this off. If you can't make it to the actual event, try helping out in other ways. Come early to help get set up, or maybe pass out flyers to your neighbors and see if they'll come and support the team. It will be a lot of fun, and it would be amazing if all of you help in some sort of way. This fundraiser will be a carnival like event in which we'll have activities such as a ring toss, dunk tank, etc. If you have any other ideas that you'd like me to suggest to Coach, then let me know and I'll be sure to pass the word along. You can e-mail me at techienerd01@gmail.com, or Facebook me if you have a Facebook. Also, if you can contribute to it in any way, please let the captains, coach, or e-mail me and I'll be sure to again pass the word along. I'll post a list of what we need and you can decide if you can bring something at that time.

About the meeting this Wednesday!

So this Wednesday, we will be having a meeting. At 3:30 the STUDENT meeting will begin (Freshman are welcome, in fact, it is highly suggested you come.). Then, at 5:00 the PARENT meeting will begin. The parent meeting is only for parents, so if you are a student and you want to ask a question or talk to the coach then you should come at the 3:30 meeting, otherwise have a parent go and ask for you. Both meetings will be held in the auditorium.

Likes and dislikes

Hey Titans!
So, I wanted to know what your thoughts about this blog are. What do you guys like and/or dislikes? Are there things that I can add or take out? Respond to me by sending me an E-Mail, or commenting in the comment box below. I expect some comments and emails people!

A lot of notices

First of all, many of these all of you may already know, and if not, well, at least you know now!

1. If you would like to be an Assistant Coach, please contact our Head Coach. His phone number can be obtained by dropping me an e-mail. 
2. From what I'm hearing, unless you are a Freshman, the 4th Period Advanced Team Conditioning class will be required. This is because coach wants practice to be done earlier, and so during fourth period you will go to the pool and practice until about 4:30. B Days will be practice right after school until about 5:00. (Freshman, you'll come to all the classes right the moment you're out of school. You won't get as much practice time in as the rest of the team so book it out of there and get to the pool as fast as you can!)
3. Morning practice will be required. However, this still sounds like it's up in the air. There's no official word on what's going to happen with this. Is all I know is that there will be Morning Practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
4. If you're already in the 4th Period Conditioning class and you keep getting marked absent, you need to go talk to Coach Brown. Tell him that you are a swimmer and things will get taken care of.
5. Also, if you're in the 4th Period Conditioning class, remember to continue to bring your suits. We will be in the pool from now until the season ends, most likely. There may be an exception a couple of times with dryland.
6. Remember to keep thinking of ideas for a fundraiser. As of right now, our only fundraiser that we have planned is a Carnival at the High School with different games that your classmates can come and play. This will be held September 14th. Keep this day open as we will need all the help that we can get. Not only that, but the more the merrier, right?

Thank you all Titans! Please get the word flowing about this website/blog and I will try and get it linked to the school website so it will be easier to come here. All the tabs up above have some great sources on them. It's highly suggested that you use them. Please note that the Calendar is still being verified and I will try and get the rest of the dates up here as soon as I can. 

Parent Meeting

There will be a Parent Meeting, on Wednesday, September 7th, at 5:00 in the Syracuse High Auditorium. This meeting is for PARENTS ONLY. For all who have questions about swim team, try to save them until the first practice where they will be quickly answered.

A word about the blog

Hey Titans!
In helping the captains and help the information flow throughout the team, I have created this blog. Please spread the word around about it and check here frequently since the more new information that there is, the more frequently this blog will be updated.
Great first practice today everyone, keep up the amazing work and we will have an even better team than we did last year! Remember to work your hardest, and you'll meet and exceed your personal goals you have for yourself. Keep it up!