Wells Branch Armada

What a weekend, Armada! Between celebrating the incredible moms in our community on Mother's Day and cheering on our swimmers at the Red, White, & Blue Practice Meet last Tuesday, we have had a lot to be grateful for.

Now it is time to put it all to use, our first official home meet is this Saturday, May 16th against the Anderson Mill Barracudas. Read on for everything you need to know

by Manuel Leos Rivas, Secretary

To every swim mom, grandma, aunt reading this, Happy Mother's Day! You wake up before sunrise, pack the swim bags, find the missing goggles, cheer from the stands in the Texas heat, and somehow make it all look easy. The Wells Branch Armada would not exist without you. We hope this weekend gave you the rest and recognition you so deserve.

And what a weekend it has been for our team! Our Red, White, & Blue (RWB) Practice Meet on May 5th was an absolute success. Swimmers of every age and ability level jumped in, gave it their best, and walked away with new times, new confidence, and - most importantly - smiles. Watching our newest swimmers race across the pool for the very first time, and seeing our veterans push their limits, is exactly why we do this.

A tremendous thank you to every volunteer who made the RWB meet possible. From the families who set up Tuesday afternoon to the timers, judges, pit parents, concessions crew, and everyone who stayed late into the evening to clean up — you showed up for our swimmers in a big way. This community never ceases to amaze us.

Special recognition goes to Meet Director DJ Loberg for keeping everything running as close to the tentative evening schedule as possible, shout out to Volunteer Coordinator Juli Thatcher for rallying our incredible crew, and kudos to our Head Coaches Gina, Maddie, and Jake for sending every swimmer to the line prepared and confident.

Now we turn the page. Saturday is our first official home meet, and Anderson Mill is coming to Willow Bend. Let's give them a warm Armada welcome, and an even tougher race. See you at the pool!

by Maddie Wright, Head Coach

We are SO proud of every single swimmer who participated in the Red, White, & Blue meet last Tuesday. Whether it was your first time racing across the pool or your fifth season putting up times, you showed up, you competed, and you represented the Armada with heart. That is everything we could ask for.

Now we shift gears. This week is meet week — and the energy at practice is going to reflect that. We will be spending our time this week on:

• Race-Pace Efforts - pushing to that competitive edge, not just cruising 
• Starts & Finishes - clean entries off the blocks and a strong touch at the wall
• Turns - every flip turn or open turn is time to gain or lose 
• Relay Exchanges - we will walk through relay order and touchpad timing 
• Mental Prep - talking through what a dual meet looks, sounds, and feels like so no one is surprised on Saturday

A few reminders heading into the weekend:

• Aim for at least three practices this week - this is the most important week to be in the water 
• Team shirts - grab them at the pool this week (if shirts have arrived and are available)
• Always bring water, sunscreen, towels, and goggles - Texas days warm up fast.

We believe in every one of our swimmers. Let's go out there Saturday and show Anderson Mill what the Armada is made of. See you at the pool!

Our first official meet of the season is this Saturday against the Anderson Mill Barracudas. Swimmers may enter up to three (3) individual events.

📍 Key Info:

• Registration deadline: Monday May 11th at 1:00 PM
• Location: Willow Bend Pool
• Arrival Time: 6:00 AM
  • Please be ON TIME and check in your swimmer as soon as you arrive
• Warm-Ups (WBA): 6:20–6:50 AM
• Warm-Ups (Barracudas): 6:50–7:20 AM
• Meet Start: 7:30 AM
• Snack-bar (Fruit) Donations: Requested from swimmers ages 13/14 & 15-17. See info below. Also, a Snack-bar Sign-up form/share doc will be sent out soon.
• Theme: 👽 Outer Space! 👽

Late arrivals will be scratched from relays—please be on time.
If you need to scratch your swimmer after the meet has closed, please email us!

🧰 Meet Set-Up

• Friday, May 15 at 7:00 PM
• Saturday, May 16 at 5:30 AM
  More details are available on the team website.

🚗 Parking Reminder

Home meet parking adjacent to the pool is reserved for the visiting team. Armada families should park:

• Along Sauls and Crissom
• Near Wells Branch Elementary
• On Long Vista Dr.

🚫 Do NOT park along Bratton or in nearby business lots, violators risk being towed.

Overflow parking is available at the Rec Center on Shoreline Dr., but be prepared for a longer walk. Drop-offs are encouraged.

🍎 Concessions Donations:

At each home meet, specific age groups are asked to donate (typically fresh fruit) to help stock the snack-bar, which is used as a free, healthy option for all swimmers. For this meet, swimmers ages 13/14 & 15-17 are asked to contribute.

The most helpful donation? Individual bags of cut fruit—they’re in high demand and can’t be prepped in advance by our volunteers.

Pool Maps / Meet Layout / Tips & Tricks

Heading into your first competitive dual meet? We have you covered!

📍 Pool Maps are available under the Resources tab on our website. They show:

• Swimmer drop-off location
• Kids' pit areas by age group
• Volunteer check-in table
• Ready benches and staging areas
• Concessions, Swim Shop, and more

🔗 Click HERE for a quick shortcut to maps and meet resources.

📋 You will also find:

• Tips for a smooth and successful swim meet
• A parent and swimmer checklist of everything to bring on meet day

If this is your first meet, take five minutes to look over the map, it will make Saturday morning much easier!

Get ready to blast off, Armada! Our spirit theme for the May 16 home meet, "2026 Anderson Mill at Wells Branch," is Outer Space.

Everyone is welcome to join the fun with a space-themed outfit or accessory - think stars, planets, aliens, astronauts, galaxy colors, or anything cosmic. It is totally optional, but a great way to boost team spirit and make our first official meet feel extra fun. 

Come ready to smile and show off your out-of-this-world Armada energy!

Remember that you can take photos and share them with us in our 2026 Armada photo album.

by Juli Thatcher, Volunteer Coordinator

THANK YOU to every family who volunteered at our Red, White, & Blue meet! Timers, judges, pit parents, concessions crew, set-up and clean-up teams, you made a Tuesday evening feel like a full Armada event, and our swimmers felt every bit of that support. This community is something special.

Now, let's do it again, only bigger. This Saturday we host Anderson Mill, and for home dual meets we need our full crew of 90–100 volunteers. If you have not yet signed up for a job, please log in to SwimTopia right now and grab a spot. Every role, from timers and stroke judges to pit parents and concessions helpers is essential to pulling off a smooth meet.

🏊 Volunteering is required for all families!

A few things to keep in mind for home meets:

• Sign up early — popular shifts fill quickly and we need coverage across both halves of the meet
• Pit parents: please do not release swimmers from the pit until all their events are complete, and always note when a parent takes their child
• Concessions: swimmers ages 13/14 & 15-17 are asked to bring individual bags of cut fruit as a donation — see the Meet Information section for details
• New volunteers: if this is your first meet working a job, don't worry , there will be someone nearby to help you get oriented. You've got this!

💬 Have questions or not sure which role fits you best? I am here to help. Reach out through SwimTopia or the team website.

🙌 Let's make our first home meet one Anderson Mill won't forget — Go Armada!

Skip the dinner scramble and join the Armada family at  P. Terry’s (Parmer) for Spirit Night on Monday, May 11!

Grab burgers, fries, shakes, and some team hangout time as we get ready for our first official meet of the season.

Make sure to follow the Spirit Night ordering instructions so Wells Branch Armada gets credit. Let’s kick off meet week with some Armada energy!

Buy a yard sign to show your Armada spirit to everyone in the neighborhood! Only $15 each. Will be distributed in the first weeks of practice.

Swim-a-Thon will be held June 2 with fundraising efforts kicking off May 18. If you're interested in helping to plan the event, please email Katie at [email protected]. 

by Summer Smith, Austin FC volunteer coordinator

Austin FC Volunteering is BACK ⚽💚 (and it’s a big win for Armada families) Want an easy (and actually fun) way to knock out your fundraising requirement? Austin FC volunteer nights are back for 2026, and they’ve already raised over $21,000 for Armada since 2024. That support goes straight to coaches, equipment, and keeping fees down for everyone.

Here’s the deal:

• Volunteer just 2 games = $100 credit toward your family’s fundraising goal
• Friends + family (18+) can help you earn it
• Free food, parking, shuttle, plus a volunteer shirt + Austin FC hat
• Hang out with other Armada parents while working the game
• Bonus raffle + recognition at Awards Night

Upcoming games include:

• May 16 (KC)
• July 22 (Seattle)
• Aug 15 (Dallas)
• …and more through November

👉 This is one of the easiest ways to support the team and check off your requirement—plus you get a pretty great game-day experience out of it.

Ready in? Email
(Heads up: training certs are due 10 days before your game)

More details + full schedule:
https://wellsbranch.swimtopia.com/Austin-FC-Volunteer

Congratulations to all swimmers who earned top finishes at our RWB meet on May 5, 2025!

Way to go, Armada relay teams! These swimmers helped lead their teams to first-place finishes in the Freestyle Relay: