Wells Branch Armada

Welcome back, Armada families! We are heading into another exciting week as we prepare for our May 23 HOME TRI MEET against the Blue Stars and Piranhas! 

Tri meets are especially fun because they bring together THREE teams, which means more swimmers, more races, more cheering, and a lot more excitement around the pool deck. They are also longer and busier than our regular dual meets, so this week is a great time to carefully review all meet instructions, arrival times, volunteer assignments, parking guidance, and swimmer check-in procedures.

by Patrick Ricci, President

Congratulations to all of our swimmers and parent volunteers who participated in our first official meet of the season! 

As we prepare to transition into summer, please note that practice times will be switching to mornings on the Tuesday after Memorial Day. We know that some schools won't quite be finished yet and understand that these swimmers will have to miss practice that first week, but our pool availability is set by the Wells Branch MUD and can't be altered. If your swimmers need to miss practices due to school, please communicate with the coaches this week so that they're aware. They can also recommend dry-land exercises if you're interested.  

Here are the upcoming changes to our practice schedule:

• NO PRACTICE on Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day.

• MORNING practices start Tuesday, May 26th.

by Coach Gina

What an incredible first dual meet of the season for our swimmers against Anderson Mill on Saturday! As coaches, we saw so many memorable moments, from new swimmers competing in their first meet, to record-breaking swims, and countless time improvements. Of each of the races swum by Armada swimmers, 47 percent featured time drops; a total of 221! That is a huge accomplishment so early in the season. Knowing how focused our swimmers have been in practice these last few weeks, working on new skills and building confidence in the water, makes each of those time improvements even more meaningful. 

Now we want to keep that energy going as we look ahead to a great week of practice and another meet at our home pool! A few things we will be emphasizing in our practices this week are...

• Starts & Finishes
• Turns
• Stroke Technique
• Increasing Distance and Stamina

With our first meet behind us and the school year coming to a close we'd like to remind everyone of our swimmer eligibility guidelines.

Our team handbook states:

Wells Branch Armada expects all swimmers to attend Armada practice a minimum of 3 days per week to participate in meets on Saturdays. If a swimmer has a conflict with practice (camp, VBS, illness) please communicate with the head coaches so arrangements can be made to accommodate your family. We believe that attending practice is integral to being part of the team and it will add to your family’s enjoyment and overall experience with Wells Branch Armada. 

If there are any questions pertaining to this please do not hesitate to ask myself, Coach Jake or Coach Maddie. Thank you!

"Coaches, we'd like to know...if you could drive anything what would it be?"

• Ford Bronco - Coach Jake
• Dodge Ram - Coach Gina
• "My first car, a 2003 Honda CRV!" - Coach Maddie
• 1969 Dodge Challenger or Ford Bronco - Coach Reese
• 2006 Dodge Viper ACR - Coach Caden
• Porsche Cayenne - Coach Connie
• 2026 Ram 1500 TRX SRT - Coach Luke
• 1969 Camaro Convertible - Coach Lisa
• Suzuki Cappuccino - Coach Richard
• 90s Acura NSX - Coach Carra
• Ram 150 - Coach Riley
• Smokey and Bandit Firebird Pontiac - Coach Reid

Our 2nd official meet of the season is this Saturday against the Steiner Stars Blue and Pflugerville Piranhas. Swimmers may enter up to three (3) individual events.

📍 Key Info:

• Registration deadline: Monday May 18th at 1:00 PM
• Location: Willow Bend Pool
• Arrival Time: 5:45 AM
  • Please be ON TIME and check in your swimmer as soon as you arrive
• Warm-Ups (WBA): 6:05–6:30 AM
• Warm-Ups (Visitors): 6:30–7:20 AM
• Meet Start: 7:30 AM
• Snack-bar (Fruit) Donations: Requested from swimmers ages 11-12. See info below. Also, a Snack-bar Sign-up form/share doc will be sent out soon.
• Theme: ⚡Superhero⚡

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 22 at 7:00 PM
• Saturday, May 23 at 5:15 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 Joe Lee Johnson 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 11-12 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

📍 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!

This week’s meet theme is SUPER HEROES, and we want the entire Armada family to join the fun!

Swimmers, parents, coaches, and siblings are all invited to wear your favorite superhero shirts, capes, masks, socks, hats, or themed accessories to show your team spirit around the pool deck! Whether you come as Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Batman, Captain Marvel, or your own original hero, let’s make this meet SUPER memorable! 💥

Our swimmers already look like superheroes in the water, now it’s time to dress the part too! 🏊✨

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 everyone who pitched in at our first official meet! Your help made it a success.

We still have open slots for this Saturday’s meet,  please sign up ASAP so we can ensure a smooth and timely event.  

We need all volunteers to check in early morning even if you are assigned to the second shift, that help us run a smooth transition.

🗓️ Mark Your Calendars

Volunteer signups for our third meet go live on Tuesday at 12:00 PM (Noon). Set a reminder and grab your favorite job early!

If something urgent comes up (illness, emergency), please notify  Juli Thatcher immediately so we can adjust accordingly.

by Katie Nafius, Sponsorships

Our Swim-a-Thon fundraising campaign is kicking off tomorrow! Be on the lookout for a separate email with all the details of how your swimmer(s) can earn fun, unique Armada prizes! 

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

The last two years, the Wells Branch Armada has worked with Levy Corp for the Austin FC Soccer team. As one of the local non-profits participating, we will help serve food and alcohol (think Target self-checkout), stock the shelves for our stand, count the inventory, etc, but there will be no cooking.

In return, up to 10% of the concession sales, plus the tips we earn, will be returned to the Wells Branch Armada. The more volunteers we get, the better stands we get to make more money for our team.

That money goes to coaches, new equipment, and keeping registration fees down. It’s a fantastic way to support your swimmers and the Armada Swim Team, and you can meet your family's fundraising goal along the way.

The Perks:

-Earn Credit: Volunteer for just two games to receive the $100 credit toward your family’s sponsorship fee. Friends and family (18+) can help you earn this too.

-Gear: Score a free Q2 volunteer shirt and Austin FC hat.

-Game Day Treats: Enjoy a free meal at check-in, plus free parking and shuttle service.

-Special Recognition: Join us for a dedicated raffle and recognition at Awards Night just for our Austin FC volunteers.

-Camaraderie: Hang out with other Armada parents at the game (Armada works game days together)

2026 Remaining Home Schedule Highlights:

- July 22 vs. Seattle

- August 15 vs. Dallas

- ...and many more through November!

Ready to join the fun?

Email Summer Smith at [email protected] to sign up or ask questions. Please remember that training certificates must be uploaded 10 days before game day to confirm eligibility.

For the full schedule and more details, visit: https://wellsbranch.swimtopia.com/Austin-FC-Volunteer

What an incredible meet for the Wells Branch Armada! A huge shoutout to our swimmers who dominated the pool and brought home event wins this weekend! 🏊

Congratulations to all our swimmers for their hard work, determination, and amazing performances in the water. Armada pride was on full display! Keep up the great work and let’s carry this momentum into our next meet! 🚀

Theese Wells Branch Armada relay teams absolutely crushed it at the meet with some incredible teamwork, fast swims, and BIG wins across the board!

Each week, we recognize the swimmers who made the biggest splash by improving their times the most in each age group and category. These Fast Fishies worked hard and it showed in the pool, great job!

Top Time Drops - Anderson Mill Meet

For any questions that you may have about the Fast Fishy Award, check out this Fast Fishy Award FAQs document that addresses some of those questions.

These swimmers crushed it at our last meet, improving their personal bests in three separate events, an impressive display of hard work, focus, and determination!

🎉 Please join us in congratulating this meet’s Triple Drop Swimmers:

We’re thrilled to celebrate some incredible swims that have etched their way into the Armada record books! Breaking a club record is no small feat, it takes dedication, grit, and serious speed. Please join us in congratulating the following swimmers who broke an Armada Swim Team record at our most recent meet:

🏆 Helgesen, Emilia - Girls 11-12 50yd Back - 35.10 Old: 35.62

🏆 McGuire , Lucas - Boys 11-12 50yd Back - 35.28 Old: 36.30

🏆 Booker-Thompson, D'Zion - Boys 11-12 100 Freestyle - 1:08.08 Old: 1:08.61

We are proud to announce the swimmers who have achieved the  time standards required to qualify for the 2026 Northwest Swim Circuit (NWSC) Invitational! This prestigious end-of-season meet brings together the fastest swimmers across the league, and qualifying is a huge accomplishment.

These athletes have pushed themselves all season and earned their spot through determination, discipline, and speed. Please join us in congratulating our Armada qualifiers: