President's Message

July 14, 2008

Dear Dolphin Families,

Yesterday, while at the Newport Hills meet my son happened to look up in the sky and said, "Look mommy, a flock of birds are flying in a "V" formation, why are they doing that?". Being baffled by the question and not really knowing the true answer, I decided to be truthful and say, "Honey, I don't know, however; let's Google it when we get home". He was happy with that answer and sure enough when we got home, we checked out the answer.

Let me share it with you because I think it has great significance not only as a life lesson but as an overall lesson when being involved with an organization, like the Dolphins.

Fact #1:: As each bird flaps it's wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds greater flying range than if 1 flew alone.
The Lesson To Learn:: People who share a common sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the strength of one another.
Fact #2:: When the lead bird gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another bird flies at the point of position.
The Lesson To Learn:: It pays to take turns doing the hard work and sharing leadership.
Fact #3:: The birds formation tweets (or honks) from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed & spirit.
The Lesson To Learn:: We as a Team need to make sure that our tweeting (or honking) from behind is encouraging and supportive.
Fact #4:: When a bird gets sick, wounded or shot down, two birds drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out again and catch up with their flock.
The Lesson To Learn:: If we have as much sense as birds, we, too, will show compassion and loyalty, standing by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can learn together and pass along to our children is that we can accomplish so much more together, combining our skills and talents, sharing our thoughts and ideas, pulling together to make things happen. Pooling our efforts also lightens the load, making the time spent more pleasant and enjoyable for everyone. Being sure that the tweeting (or honking) noise we make is one of encouragement and support rather than criticism and complaint enables others (as well as ourselves) to make changes and improvements that benefit our organization and our own lives. And we all know how much more receptive and willing we are to participate when we know those around us are compassionate and loyal.

I want to thank you all for your team effort and support in making the Dolphins a huge success this season, we have grown leaps and bounds on all levels and it could not be accomplished unless everyone helped out.

As most of you know, we are down to our last home meet and it is against Green Valley our biggest competition.

Dolphin Families, I'm asking you to please keep your momentum up! We need you and your kids at this next meet against Green Valley and especially the Finals. Our meet from yesterday was poorly attended and I appreciate all that were there, but we need the whole team to support us, not ∏ the team.

I have heard that many of you are planning or thinking about taking vacations or you have other commitments (sports) that are scheduled, but I'm asking you to please be compassionate, loyal and understanding to your Dolphin Team (your V formation). This is the time when it really counts for our team. We need you here for our last home meet and finals.

You have asked for our team to be more competitive and at least get our 3rd place spot back. Our coaching staff has worked long & hard hours to accomplish what you have asked for, but… it will not come true if you are not willing to step up and support your team. I realize you have a life outside of Dolphins and vacations and other sports are important too, but if you really think about it, you made a commitment to this team to stay to the end of the season, (if at all possible), when you signed up at registration.

Please keep in mind, you have all of August to take vacations and commit to other sports. In fact, we arranged this season specifically so our families could have the entire month of August off. I urge you to think about your entire team and realize how much we need you.

I, myself, realized after reading the 'V formation facts', as the "Lead Bird", I now know what the bird must experience, with everyone sticking by and tweeting their support and encouragement. You are a wonderful group of families and together we have created something special this season, please support your head coach and her staff and more importantly, teach your young ones the value of sticking to a commitment even though there may be other things you would rather do.

Sincerely,
Annie Lovley - Your Dolphin President

July 7, 2008

Just a quick update and a few announcements.

Lets start with the updates:

June 22...Family Fun Night, which also consisted of a Talent Show: It was a very fun event and I would like to extend a special thanks to all our wonderful talents who had the courage and enthusiasm to get up in front of a large crowd. Each and every one of you were awesome. For those of you who missed the event, hopefully you will be able to attend it next season, it really was a lot of fun!
July 4th Parade...What an outstanding turnout the Dolphins had for the float. Everyone had a great time and it was painless, even for the little guys. When you see Dana Dickstein on the pool deck, thank her for a job well done. She really put her heart & soul in it and it showed.
June 28...Relay Finals: Our team was awesome! I was so proud of not only our swimmers, but the coaches & parents as well. What excitement and enthusiasm our team showed. It was wonderful seeing the competitive spirit really kick in with our group. Even though we came in 4th, we only were behind by 18 points, that's huge compared to where we have been for the last several years. I predict we will be in 3rd by Finals. That is our ultimate goal for this season. Parents PLEASE make sure you and your child are around the week of July 21st, we need all our fastest swimmers to swim the Finals. If you think you will be out of town let Sam know WAY IN ADVANCE! Do not just assume that because your child has never swam in Relays or Finals in the past, that it won't happen this year. If you have a question regarding this send Sam an email, she will tell you what your child's chances are for the Finals.

Now for the announcements:

July 16th we will have Coaches Day & an Ice Cream Social, so come join us if you can.
July 17th will be our annual fundraiser put on by our Diner Duo, Lisa & Larry Kallestad. It will be held at Fuddruckkers so I hope you all can make it. More information will be given to you as it gets closer.
July 19th is our home meet against Green Valley. Our ultimate goal is to beat them on our home turf, so please parents clear your calendars and plan on being there for this Meet. Also, we are planning another parent relay so if you're interested in swimming let me know in advance, I'm making the list now. We will be swimming against GV parents and I want to beat them! No coaches will be swimming, I promise.
July 26th...Finals! Parents please clear your child's schedule for that day. We need our fastest swimmers there if we want to be Green Valley and take over the 3rd position for our league. We need your commitment to reach our goal. If you don't think your child will be able to swim, please let Coach Sam know right away. We need our fastest swimmers for this day so please don't assume anything, ask Sam if your child will be a candidate for the Finals this season.

Finally, in speaking with many of you, I have come to realize that sometimes both parents are not receiving our Cyberdolphin information when we send it. The reason we only send it to one email address is to eliminate any confusion or multiple emails. However; it is important for both parents to know what is happening with Dolphins, so please make sure you forward your Cyberdolphin emails on to your spouse or significant other. We want everyone to stay in the loop and we need your assistance regarding this matter.

Thanks again for all your thoughts, comments, suggestions & complements. I appreciate every one of them.

Remember...it's because of all of you, that this program thrives so well this season!

Sincerely,

Annie Lovley‚ Your Dolphin President

June 16, 2008

Dear Dolphin families -

Can you believe it... we are almost half way through the season already. Time certainly flies, when you're having fun.

As I reflect back to the beginning of the season, I realize how fortunate I have been to have had such an awesome overall team. Everything from the coaching staff to the Dolphin volunteers. It truly is wonderful to see how happy your children are and how much fun they are having this season.

Looking back and reviewing what we have accomplished so far this season is amazing.

Let me just give you some highlights that have been going on and comments I have heard from the Dolphin families, personally.

Registration... was smooth and very organized. 98% of the families approved of the new "Code of Conduct" and the "Violation Notice", that we implemented this season. I'm happy to announce that we have not given out one notice yet. Families also like the new website, they claim it is very modern and easy to manipulate, once you take the time to use it. Finally, many people like the job board concept we used this season, where families were able to fill out volunteer times while they were at registration. That was just the beginning of our changes for the season.
New Swimmer Tryouts... Coach Sam, her staff and the Board were very happy with how it all ran so smoothly. Not only were the kids great at following instructions but the parents were also patient and easy to work with. A special thank you to the families that were involved in that, it's because of you that it ran so smoothly.
1st Day of Practice/Street Fair... What can I say... Fun, Fun, Fun! Not only did Mother Nature shine down on us, but the food, games and practice were great, everyone was smiling, laughing and having a great time. The music was awesome and families were mingling. 96% of our team showed for the 1st day of practice, which is phenomenal. Even Barbara at the front desk complimented the team on how well we are doing, by bringing in our club cards, being patient and courteous while everyone takes their turn. Another special thank you to the parents for that!
New Members Meeting... we had a fantastic turnout, even some of the old timer members showed up to hear about the changes and to meet Sam and her coaching staff. Families who attended received their handbooks and we even had our new clothing line available to buy. The new families felt truly welcomed and was excited about being part of our team... they even laughed at my silly jokes. J
Picture Day/Dolphin Dinner... I can't begin to tell you how many compliments I received that day. Everything went like clockwork. The photographers were easy to work with and stayed on schedule and the Dolphin Dinner, provided by the Board, was a huge success. This was the biggest turn out we've had yet for any social function. It was wonderful to see so many people wanting to be a part of this season's team. To add to this wonderful experience, we were told by the photographer that we would have our photos within a few weeks, and... he delivered! Everyone was thrilled and surprised. I love good surprises, don't you?
Intrasquad Meet... if you have been on this team before you know that Intrasquad is the day that we get as many kinks out as possible, so when we do have a home meet against someone else, it runs quickly and smoothly. That day was the hottest day ever and yet, even with the learning curve everyone was patient, helpful and tolerant when we ran into a few hiccups at the beginning. Nevertheless, people walked away feeling good about the day and we even had a young 11-12 boy, who broke one of our old records. Even our Club was happy at how we left the pool. It was clean, orderly and we did not receive any complaints from the residents. That says a lot about this team and the respect we are giving our club members. We are off to a great start.
Green Valley... our 1st away meet and our longest meet ever. As you know, that was mostly due to their new starting system, which we had no control over. Even with that meet being so long, there were still positive moments. One example is our 13-14 girls team broke a record for their relay. That was a very exciting race to watch. Though we lost to GV we were still competitive, considering they are a year round team, bigger kids and one of our toughest teams to beat. Based on our scores from our 1st home meet with HV, I think we have a very good chance at beating GV when they visit us in July. My fingers are crossed.
Our 1st Home Meet against Harbor View... Wow! What a great meet and a great day! Even the referee and the other teams coach (Ted), came up and complimented me on our team and how efficient and nice we were. Our meet ran smoothly and was finished by 2:15. That's a personal Dolphin Team record for hosting our biggest and hardest team in the league. That says a lot about the Dolphins, when you get compliments like that from people outside your own team, and you should all feel proud of the great job you did! The day ran so smooth, I couldn't believe it. The coaches were on top of everything, the diner sold out on almost everything, the Icee man made a killing, the clothing is so cool & edgy that our opponents even bought it. One of our sponsors, John, from "Bears, Buddies & Toys", who raffled Webkinz ,was thrilled with the amount of kids who participated. The Dolphin Buddies were running around supporting each other, the music was great and the commentating was encouraging people to participate and crack up at all his trivia. All our leads for various jobs were doing a great job and every single volunteer who was assigned to a meet job this time, showed up or had a replacement for themselves. The overall outcome of the hardest and most competitive team we go up against, was a huge success. We only lost by a tiny margin- the closest we've been in years! I think we will give Ted (HV head coach) a run for his money when relays and finals come around.
1st annual Movie Night @ Coach Sam's... we had a great turn out (about 100 people), the movie was cute and the weather was good. You just couldn't ask for more.
Our 2nd Home Meet against Pacific Sands... what a great day with a lot parent activity and participation. Who didn't enjoy watching all our parents swim? A special thank you to all those great sports out there who were willing to suffer the aches & pains, their children dying of embarrassment and teasing from our friends, you guys were awesome and I think by doing that parent relay, it made the day. Plus, you now have your very own medal you can display right next to your kids ribbons. J Besides that fun event, our Silver Dolphins came to visit us and loved watching us in action. The Dolphin Buddies got to color their picture frames, the diner again made a profit, DJ was excellent, the meet ran smoothly & Joyce (ref), was so efficient, she managed to wrap up the meet for the 1st time ever by 1:45. That's a new record time folks!

I would like to thank every single one of you for all your thoughts, suggestions and comments. We can only improve and enhance our program by listening to our families.

Please make sure you give your children hugs, kisses, handshakes and high fives for being such great kids and continuing to show desire, enthusiasm and willingness to strive to be the best they can be for the Dolphins. Their positive attitudes are really showing through and it truly is making a difference!

Sometime soon, when you're at the club or at a meet. take a moment and really open your eyes and look around you. We are all so busy with our lives that sometimes we forget how lucky we truly are to live in such a wonderful community and be able to play at such a beautiful facility. What has been shown by our team, thus far is very impressive to me. I see true community within our Dolphin families and I look forward to the rest of the season.

It has been a pleasure serving as your president.

Sincerely,
Annie Lovley

April 21, 2008

Dear Dolphin Families –

Welcome to our Dolphin Team! We are very excited that you have decided to join us!

We realize you had a choice as to what sports you would have your child in and we are glad that you chose Dolphins. Many of you are probably wondering why we are having so many changes this season, everything from our coaching staff to our social events. I promise you, these are positive changes, and the board and I believe that these changes will enhance our teams morale, spirit of competition and just downright community togetherness and fun.

Most of you have been involved in some kind of sport (via yourself or your kids), in one way or another. Have you ever asked yourself what makes a great team verses and good team? I know the Dolphin Board has thought long and hard on that question. Which brings me back to the changes. Since you now have been through the Dolphin registration process and everyone has been assigned a "Meet Job" and a "Social Job", there are some things I would like to go over with you that hopefully, in doing so, will answer some of your questions.

I believe that every successful team has a method to their madness. Being on the Dolphin team for 8 years I've had lots of opportunities to see what works and what doesn't work within our organization. I'm sure all of you have heard of the "Trickle – Down – Theory", and I'm a strong advocate of that philosophy. I believe that if the coaching staff is happy and excited and want to be involved, then the kids will feel that and want that same thing, therefore; they will try their little hearts out to do their very best and will want to join in all the fun during the social events, which then brings in the parents! As I'm sure you all can agree, if your kids are happy, than you are happy... and... if you are happy, your Board is happy, if the Board is happy, then I am happy! Therefore; everyone wins! What really is most important is that the kids have fun and are able to have that competitive spirit all summer long!

This season, we have decided to change things up and we believe that all of these changes will be positive. I know sometimes change is scary, but it also can be a good thing. We want our coaches happy and involved both during the practices, meets and social events, as well as our parents involved. The only way a team becomes a great team versus a good team is by the attitude of the team and the involvement of the parents and the kids. We cannot have a successful team without the involvement of the Dolphin families volunteering and doing their assigned Meet & Social Jobs. The word 'Team' means, a number of people organized to function cooperatively as a group. We wouldn't be a team without you and we need and want your support.

Without going into all the details of the various positive changes, I would like to personally invite you to our Newcomers Meeting, which will take place on Thursday, May 8th at 7:00 pm. Even if you're not a New Member we encourage you to come and listen to what we have to say, pick up your new 2008 handbook and feel free to ask questions. Think of it as a refresher course for all you 'old timers' like me.

Your Board has an open door policy and we are always willing to listen to comments, questions, suggestions and ideas. Remember, no thought is a silly thought, and we would like to know what they are, if you can to share them with us.

Again, I would just like to thank you again for joining the 2008 Dolphin Team and I look forward to meeting all of you throughout the season.

Welcome to the Dolphins!

Sincerely,

Annie Lovley – Your Dolphin President

February 25, 2008

Greetings Dolphin Families-

For those of you, who do not know me, let me introduce myself. My name is Annie Lovley and I am the new Dolphin President for the next couple of years. I have been on the Dolphin board for seven years in one capacity or another and I think Dolphins is one of the finest organized sport groups around the Lake Forest area. I have three children who are on the team, JB, who is 13, Paul, 9 and Cambria, who just recently turned 8. They all love being on the team as much as I do.

As most of you have probably heard by now, our Dolphin Registration Day is on March 2nd from 9am – 2pm. I hope that most of you can make it. When you’re there, try and stop by to say hello to our new Head Coach Sam and some of her coaching staff. Please feel free to say hi to me as well.

This season, there are some new changes. Let me tell you about some of the exciting things that are going to be happening this season and maybe that will help you want to join in on the fun even more!

As you read this, you may have already noticed a change. We have a new website! Please spend some time reviewing our new site. Our Communications Director has spent many long hours creating this look and the board is thrilled with it. We hope you are as well. Our Webmaster will be continually updating information so please be patient as we go.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about our new head coach. Her name is Sam Gelberger. She has been a Dolphin swimmer since she was five and also a Dolphin coach. I’m sure most of you either know her personally or have at least seen her on the deck over the many years! Sam worked under both Rita and Matt and I believe she is a fantastic combination of the two. Not only is she competitive and will have the kids working hard during practice, but she is fun, fun, fun! Sam has the structure of Matt and the friendliness of Rita. She’s amazing and the board is so pleased that she has accepted the position of head coach this season! We hope she stays with us for many years to come.

Though I can’t give away all the secrets of what Sam is planning on doing this season, I can tell you some of the fun things.

To start, Sam is bringing back Dolphin Dollars & Dolphin pictures; I know the little ones will be thrilled with this! She is not just doing a candy store on Fridays, but she will be opening up a toy store for the kids to cash in their Dolphin Dollars. She also will be doing what she calls…”Friday Fun Day!” That day is solely for playing pool games (ex: minnows & sharks, water polo, marco/polo, races, etc…). Plus, she will be bringing in inspirational speakers and promoting clinics on that day as well. She has weekly swimming plans to keep everyone, (even the coaches), organized and she is teaching the kids off the blocks instead of the side of the pool. Even with that little swimming change, it will make a huge difference to our team being more competitive. The Dolphins have purchased ‘Flip Trains’, which will help ALL the kids, learn how to flip properly. In addition to this, Sam will be bringing back 10 min recap meetings with the kids, every Monday after a meet. This will take place on the deck before the kids start swimming and the parents are welcomed to stand behind the kids and listen in. Sam and her staff will also be teaching the kids dry-land work outs, which will enhance their strength and agility and teach them proper stroke technique before they ever hit the water. These are just some of the new and exciting changes. Sam has many more ideas up her sleeve as well.

Now for the social…we are mixing that up a little too. 1st off, for the kids who are 13 & up. We will be doing a special field trip just for them and Sam, while the rest of the coaches and team practice at home. We also will be doing a Street Fair instead of a Fiesta and a Dolphin Dinner instead of Pasta night. For our Family Fun Night, we will be having a talent show for the kids which will include the coaches. I can’t tell you anymore than that because I would spoil the fun for our dynamite Social Coordinators.

As with any sports organization, we are constantly trying to improve on many levels. Therefore, you will notice some additional important information that each Dolphin family will need to acknowledge and sign before joining our Dolphin Family this season.

As you review your registration packet please take note of a few changes:

The ‘buy-out’ fees have increased. We want our families to volunteer and get involved with our team, because a true team is only has good as their volunteers are. Without your help, our team suffers.
We now have an official “Code of Conduct”, just like so many other organized sports in our area. It’s very important that you read the rules and you bring in the last page, signed, into registration day. Having it signed and turned in, states that you understand and acknowledge the content of the “Code of Conduct” rules. This will be attached to your registration packet.
We also have added a new policy called the “Violation Notice”. In a nutshell, this Notice helps everyone be responsible for their meet & social job that they sign up for, on registration day. I’m sure you agree, it’s not fair when you expect people to show up and help out, and they don’t. This Notice is on the website as well, so please take a moment to review it. Your committee leaders will talk to you about this in detail, before the season starts.

Our clothing is beautiful this season, thanks to the efforts of our fantastic Clothing Coordinator. She has come up with a very classy logo and some new goodies to buy, so make sure you bring your check book to registration day.

My board and the coaches are working very close together to make sure this season is fun and a truly family connected team. I hope you are as excited about starting this season as we are! While you are on the deck this season you will see the various board & chair members wearing khaki colored hats. Please feel free to come and introduce yourself to them. All of us are very approachable and we are here to serve you to the best of our ability.

Personally, I’m looking forward to this season and I’m very excited about all the changes. I believe in an open door policy, so don’t be shy to send me an email or say hi when you see me on the deck.

Sincerely,
Annie Lovley – Your Dolphin President