Good afternoon Stingray family!

Lots of important information below, including a note from our coaches, so please read all the way through.

FIRST WEEK OF PRACTICE

School-Year Schedule (T, W, Th, F)

Practice begins Tuesday, April 15, 2025 for new swimmers

Wednesday, April 16 for all swimmers

PRACTICE TIMES AGE GROUP

4:15 - 5:15 pm 15 & Up & 13/14

5:15 - 5:45 pm 6 & Under

5:50 - 6:30 pm 7/8

6:35 - 7:20 pm 9/10

7:25 - 8:10 pm 11/12 & 13/14

• Practice times will change once the school year is over.
• If you have an old pair of fins that do not fit anymore bring them and exchange them for a larger pair. There will be a large bin of used fins at practices. Feel free to drop off an old pair and take a pair.
• Write your name on all swim gear.
• Please be sure to sign in at the lifeguard station once you arrive for practice.
• If you have any questions, please feel free to stop and talk with a Board member at practices.

T-Shirts & Spirit Wear - DEADLINE FOR ORDERS IS TONIGHT @ 10 pm!!

• Every swimmer will receive a team t-shirt..
• Team supporters can order shirts, tanks, hats, and shorts at our team store.
• The link to order spirit wear is - https://scst.swimtopia.com/team-store . The deadline for ordering is today by 10 pm. Payment is made via the website and pick up will be before Time Trials.

BIG RAY LITTLE RAY

Signup for Big Ray Little Ray closes Tuesday, 4/22. For your swimmer(s) to have a buddy you must opt in on the Google form. All information can be found there. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYkb7whtzjVJ2sj59ORG9QTC2lqQHrhjGj8mCuonWiv8Uf6A/viewform

TEAM SWIMSUITS

Make sure to get your order in for team swimsuits! 4/26 is the deadline to have your suit by the first meet on May 10th. If you have any questions regarding swimsuits, please contact D&J Sports directly – 281-370-7946.

PARKING RAFFLE!!!

Help us raise money for the 2025 season! There are 4 SPOTS AVAILABLE!

• Prize: Win 1 of 4 Reserved parking spots at 2025 home meets.
• Price: $10 per entry or 5 entries for $40
• How: Send $$$$ to the Stingrays Venmo: @scst-stingrays or Zelle: [email protected] with your name and "RAFFLE" in the notes section. If you are unable to pay via Venmo or Zelle and would still like to enter the raffle, contact Melissa Jungeblut at [email protected] to pay with cash.
• When: All raffle entries must be received by Wednesday April 30th. Winners will be announced Friday, May 2nd and contacted via email or phone.

FUNDRAISER

• Each week we will have different food options available to you, Chick-fil-A, Crust Pizza, and others. With each purchase, our partners will in turn donate a portion of the sales back to the STINGRAYS! #WINWIN - you feed your children and we raise money for the team!
• Be sure to follow us on Facebook for details each week.

COACHES CORNER

The entire coaching staff is excited and ready to get this season started! We look forward to getting to know each swimmer and unite our team. We are thrilled to have our coaches including Coach Brian, Coach Amber, Coach Lilly, Coach Shayla, Coach Sofia and returning from last year, Coach Rosie!

There are many important pieces of information in this email, and I'll try to be concise, but please read this entire email.

Practices: The practice schedule is up on the team website, and printouts are available at the pool. We typically use fins (available at D&J sports) and kickboards (also available at D&J, but we do have many at the pool) in every age group throughout the season. We may not use all equipment everyday. Also please make sure your Stingray is ready to go with proper swim attire- for girls, swim caps are recommended, and a one- piece suit that is secure. For boys- swim caps for those with longer hair is recommended, and Speedo or Jammer style suits; trunks create drag. Swim caps keep hair out of their faces, and help keep our pool pumps unclogged. Practices are closed to parents, please refrain from talking or interacting with your Stingray during practice times to reduce distraction for your ray, and others in their lane. Please do not block sidewalk crosswalks when dropping off/picking up your swimmer(s). The first couple weeks of practice are typically chilly! Bring a towel or two, and something warm for your swimmer to eat or drink after practice. Some tears are normal in our younger groups, so don't be alarmed and encourage your swimmer to keep coming to practice!

Meets: We have swim meets every Saturday beginning with TIme Trials on May 3, and ending with Divisionals on June 14. Attendance is incredibly important! Please look at your calendars and mark every Saturday as meet day. More information will be sent regarding meet absences as we get closer to our first dual meet in May.

Communication: I understand questions and concerns come up during practice time, however, our priority during practice is keeping swimmers safe, learning, and having fun. Board members will be on deck the first week of practice to help answer your questions. Outside of that, please send an email to me at [email protected].

We will also have a Remind 101 to use for quick communication (used for weather alerts, meet sign up reminders, volunteer openings during meets, etc).

Parents of 10 and under swimmers: text @scst10U to 81010

Parents of 11 and ups swimmers: text @scst11u to 81010

Other information: We are a large team this year, with over 230 Stingrays! Please help us know your swimmers quicker by uploading a picture of your swimmer(s) on the team registration page. Current pictures are best as your Stingrays have grown up a little in the last year. If you are unsure how to do this, please reach out to our NWAL Representative, Bryce Elliott, for help at [email protected].

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the entire email! We are excited to see our new Stingrays on Tuesday, and all Stingrays on Wednesday!

- Your Stingray Coaching Staff

Coach Brian, Coach Amber, Coach Lilly, Coach Rosie, Coach Shayla and Coach Sofia

URGENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

We are currently in need of volunteers for Head Tent Parent, Invitational Lead, VP Board Member and a Big Ray Little Ray understudy. Please email [email protected] if interested.

PRACTICE PARKING/DROP OFF:

• Please visit this link https://www.scstingrays.net/parking-and-pool-map for parking info (for both meets and practice) We want to respect the neighborhood and the neighbors that support our swim team. All street parking is one side only, please don’t block driveways, and NO PARKING on Longwood Bend at any time.
• As many of you with slightly older swimmers will be dropping off your swimmers, notice the entry and exit for the pool area. Please just be respectful and cautious; there are a lot of littles very excited to run to that pool.
• Meet parking will utilize Louetta, but that is on Saturday mornings, with less traffic and with more signage. Parking on Louetta is not encouraged for practices.
• Please treat the parking at the pool as a one way street. Please enter the parking lot from the entrance closest to Kavanaugh and exit the lot through the exit closest to Louetta.
• Please avoid idling in the drive thru lane during practice times. This causes traffic backup and safety issues for cars trying to go around.

Time Trials Makeup- SaturdayApril 26th

• Limited to ages 9+
• Open to swimmers who absolutely cannot make Time Trials on May 3rd (mainly for those attending Cho-Yeh, but will accept other conflicts)
• Deadline to enter is Wednesday 4/23. Spots are limited
• Parents come prepared to run stopwatches as backup
• Start time is 11:30 am

• Email [email protected] to enter the alternate time trial.

Let's get this season started!

If you have any questions regarding this email, please contact the board - [email protected]

Colette Frazier

Secretary