President's Message
June 24, 2009
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.
Here is what we have accomplished so far this season:
1. Registration...was smooth and very organized. We have many new young families that have joined our team, which is fantastic!
2. 1st Day of Practice/Street Fair...What can I say...Fun, Fun, Fun! The food, music and practice was great, everyone was smiling, laughing and having a great time. 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!
3. 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. The new families felt truly welcomed and were excited about being part of our team...they even laughed at my silly jokes.
4. 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 was a huge success. This was a great turn out. It was terrific to see so many people wanting to be a part of this season's team.
5. 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. Even with the learning curve, everyone was patient, helpful and tolerant when we ran into hiccups. Our Club was happy at how we left the pool, too. 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.
6. Green Valley...our 1st home meet. What a fun day. The GV president complimented us on all aspects of our organization and she told me her families love doing the parent races too. 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. The Dolphin Buddies were running around supporting each other, the music was great and the commentating was encouraging people to participate in all his trivia. The families loved it. 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, was a huge success. Though we lost to GV we were still competitive. Based on our scores when we swam against them, we were only down by 70 points, that's a very small margin. I think we have a very good chance at beating GV when we swim against them at the Relays and visit them in July. My fingers are crossed.
7. Our 2nd Home Meet against Pacific Sands...what a great day with a lot of 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 and pains, their children dying of embarrassment and teasing from their friends. You guys were awesome and I think by doing that parent relay, it made the day. Plus, you now have your very own ribbon you can display right next to your kids' ribbons. Besides that fun event, our Silver Dolphins came to visit us and loved watching us in action. The Dolphin Buddies got to play games, the Diner again, made a profit, DJ was excellent, the meet ran smoothly and Kelly (ref), was so kind and patient, he was wonderful to work with.
Many families have asked what our philosophy ("We are a Recreation Team with a Competitive Edge"), means. Let me try and clarify it for you. Everyone has their own thoughts on what is consider 'competitive verses recreational'. I can only give you my personal opinion of what this statement means. On the 'Recreational" side of things, I'm here for my kids/me to have fun and for them to learn how to swim properly. We try our hardest to make all the commitments to the team, but sometime life gets in the way and if one of my children miss a practice or a race, yes, I'm sad, but life goes on and we just keep moving. The "Competitive" side of me is pretty easy too. We swim against 5 other teams. 2 teams are very large and they are great for having a good time and letting my kids swim their best. 2 teams are smaller and these are great teams to practice the strokes my kids are not so good at. There is one team currently, that we are neck and neck with regarding size and ability and that's the team I want my kids to swim their hardest and fastest and make it a FRIENDLY Competition and hopefully win against them. Again, this is just my opinion on how I see our team as a 'recreational vs competitive' team, but ultimately, this is a decision every family has to make for themselves. I hope this helps.
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! We hope you and your kids can join us in the 4th of July Parade this season and continue to show our Dolphin spirit!
It has been a pleasure serving as your president.
Sincerely,
Annie Lovley
June 1, 2009
Good Morning Dolphin Families-
WOW, what a great day yesterday was, with our 1st Meet! Even though the weather was a bit gloomy, it was still a wonderful day!
Not only do I want to thank every parent out there for getting their kids to the Intrasquad Meet on time, but for being responsible, by following the procedures and working with the Board, to make sure everyone was there to do their jobs.
We loved the fact that almost everyone had the proper suits and their swim caps on. Your kids looked like a real professional swim team. I personally loved all the parents walking around with their kid's buttons, and our spirit clothing, that was so great!
Our clothing and our diner people were happy by the support you gave them and our alumni were very pleased to see how well the meet was run.
The music was fun as always and a special thanks to Evan and Lindsey for a job well done with the National Anthem.
I also was approached by several parents who would like to do a Parent Relay with GV next meet. I checked with Coach Sam and with Green Valley. Sam said, "Yes" and Green Valley is up for the challenge.
Due to the fact this is very short notice, anyone who is interested in swimming in the Parent Relay needs to email me asap. I have already started compiling a list. The swim is, 1 length of the pool, freestyle. I might change it up and make it more challenging depending on the requests from you and Green Valley. That decision will be finalized the day of the meet.
Now for the announcements:
1. Families, it is imperative that you let Coach Sam know by not only the Communication Book on the pool deck, but also by email, if your child will NOT be at the Meet. No Shows are completely unacceptable! We understand sometimes life gets in the way, but the coaches create their lineup sheets for your kids Thursday night and have them printed and ready by Friday. If the coaches don't know your child is not coming, that ruins the entire lineup and everyone gets affected by it. If you have an unexpected event that you have no control over, we do understand and we can adjust, but it is very difficult and frustrating for all that get affected by the absence. Please do your best to let the coaches know by NO LATER THAN THURSDAY!
2. While you're letting the coach know you are not going to be at a meet...PLEASE let our Meet Coordinator know too, or better yet, find someone to substitute for you. Most everyone's emails and numbers are in your handbook.
3. For those of you who do not have this year's swim team suit yet, Jean, at Swim Depot, will have them available on June 4th, just in time for our biggest and most important meet. I would suggest, however; to call Jean before you go down to her store, just to make sure the suits are in. Don't forget to tell her you're with the Dolphins so you get our discount on the suit. If you did not purchase your swim cap yesterday, please email Laurie (our Clothing Director) at meyerlaurie@hotmail.com, , and have her reserve 1 for you. She will bring it to the next meet.
4. Due to popular demand, Laurie will be ordering more men's XL and XXL t-shirts and will be selling them this Saturday. If you want to ensure yourself of a T-shirt,please email her by Tuesday morning so she can order enough of them. If not, it's 1st come 1st served.
5. There seems to be confusion regarding the other pools during the Home Meets. Please let me clarify the rule so everyone is on the same page.... During the Meets, if your child is on the Dolphin Team, they CANNOT be in any of the pools (that includes the Jacuzzi) during the Meets. I know this seems unfair but it is a Club safety issue, especially when we have visiting teams join in that are just as big or bigger than our team. We also want our swimmers resting in between heats, not being too exhausted to swim because they have been playing in the pools. We understand, especially with the little guys, they get frustrated and antsy waiting around, so might I suggest, little water guns, bubbles, games, bag of ice, etc., to keep themselves occupied. Once the Meet is over, they can go swimming. Consider telling them this as a special treat, for doing such a great job. Please try and make it a positive vs a negative. If you have kids that are not on the team they are allowed to swim in the pools but that is an individual's choice. We request that you be respectful of our wishes regarding this matter.
6. Don't forget to buy your 25th Anniversary party tickets. It's $5/ticket, kids 3 and under are free. It will be a blast!
The Board and I are looking forward to this season and we know that the positive enthusiasm around the deck is contagious. Keep it up!
Thank you again for all your support, if it wasn't for you, this team wouldn't be successful.
Remember... SWIM stands for... Safety Matters, Winning Attitude, Is Respectful, and Makes Good Decisions...
Go Dolphins!
Annie Lovley – Your Dolphin President
April 20, 2009
Dear Dolphin Families,
Welcome to our Dolphin Team! We are very excited that you have decided to join us! We realize that you have many choices of activities in which your child can participate and we are glad that you chose Dolphins.
Many of you are probably wondering what fun things we have in store for you this season. Well... I am honored and happy to announce, this is the Dolphins' 25th Silver Anniversary. We promise you this season will be fun. The Board and I believe that with a fantastic coach like Sam plus her dynamite coaching staff, we will enhance our team's spirit of competition while enjoying the time spent together with our families, friends and community.
Have you ever asked yourself what makes a good team versus a great team?
I know the Dolphin Board and Head Coach Sam have thought long and hard on that question. Most of you have been involved in some kind of sport (via yourself or your kids), in one way or another, so you know how important it is to be involved and make a commitment to your team. We want our coaches happy and involved during the practices, meets and social events, but they need your kids' energy as well as our parents' involvement to make that happen. 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 coaches, parents and the kids. The word 'Team' means, a number of people organized to function cooperatively as a group. We wouldn't be a team without you and your kids.
We believe that every successful team has a method to their madness. Being on the Dolphin team myself for 9 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". The Board is a strong advocate of that philosophy. We believe that if the coaching staff is happy and excited and wants 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 at the meets and will also 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, then you are happy... and... if you are happy, then your Board is happy. If the Board is happy, then I am happy! Therefore; everyone wins! But most importantly, we want the kids to have fun and learn to have that competitive spirit all summer long!
Since you now have been through the Dolphin registration process and everyone has been assigned a Meet Job and a Social Job, it is important to remember a few things.
We cannot have a successful team without the involvement of the Dolphin families volunteering and doing their assigned Meet & Social Jobs. So please be true to your assigned team commitments. We need and want your support.
Parents, please remember it is absolutely essential that you let Coach Sam know 24 hours in advance, if your kids will be missing a meet. You can either contact her via email at coach@lf2dolphins.org or you can write it in the communications log book that will be on the deck or in the office, every day of practice. We understand that sometimes kids get sick at the last minute and we understand you have no control over that, but if you know you are not going to be there she needs to know before Friday afternoon. Emailing her Friday night is not acceptable! She works on the line-up sheet Friday afternoon and it takes many hours to put our meet together, so it's very important that she knows if your child will not be at the meet before she starts working on her line up sheets.
Without going into all the details of the various positive events this season, I would like to personally invite you to our Welcome Back/Newcomers Meeting, which will take place on Thursday, May 7th 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 2009 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 &/or question is a silly one, and we would like to know what they are, if you are willing to share them with us.
Again, I would just like to thank you for joining the 2009 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 1, 2009
Dear Dolphin Families & Friends,
Welcome to the 2009 Dolphin Summer Swim Team. This year is our 25th Silver Anniversary and we have a lot of fun things planned this season to commemorate this special season. I will be sending my President Messages throughout the season, so I invite to read them when they appear.
On Sunday, March 1st, from 9a - 2p, is our Registration Day.
Below is our 2009 Summer Registration Packet, as always, please download and read the packet.
To make things more convenient for everyone, we ask that you please have your 3 forms ready before you arrive on March 1st. Make sure you highlight any changes that have occurred since last season (ie. Email, phone, home address) and if you are a club member, bring your club card as proof of residency.
The 3 forms we will need from you are: Summer Registration Form, Medical Release Form and the 3rd page of the Code of Conduct (signed & dated). Please make checks out to Lake Forest 2 Dolphins too.
FYI... we will be having new suits this year and new special clothing that will only be offered this season, so bring extra checks or cash.
Another convenient change for everyone during the registration process is how you sign up for Meet jobs. There will be a large board that will look exactly like the grid in last year's handbook. You will sign your name on the grid for the Meet jobs available. Please take a moment and review your calendar before you come to registration, so you know what dates will work for you. If you like, you can bring your calendar with you on March 1st.
This season our goal is to have a fun time and to swim better than Green Valley which is our biggest rival at this time. If your family is joining the Dolphins this season please review the meet schedule and try and be available for all/most the meets and the Relays & Finals. Please mark those dates down now and if you already know you have date conflicts, it is very important to let our coach know now before we start the season. This will help our team tremendously if we know in advance what swimmers will be at what swim events.
One final note. You will notice there are 2 Registration Packets. The first is for the Winter/Springs Swim Program and the second is for the 2009 Summer Dolphin Team. Please do not confuse the two. The biggest difference is the Registration Form. The Winter/Spring Form will be taken off the website after February 28th.
If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to email me.
I look for to a fun and competitive season and I hope you are too!
Go Dolphins!
Annie Lovley – 2009 Dolphin President