Wells Branch Armada

Please take a few moments to read the entire newsletter! There are important items below which include: News from the WBA President, Head Coaches, Meet Director and Volunteer Coordinator. Thank you.

by Deanna Johnson, President

Parents, are you wondering what you’ve gotten yourselves in to yet? As you can see, the kids quickly pick up the practice routine and are eager to hit the water and show us their passion for swimming! I’d like to thank you for your support in getting your swimmers to the pool each day, even in this unpredictable weather.  

I look forward to seeing you at the pool this week!

Cover Your Families Sponsorship Requirement by Working at Austin FC Games - Volunteers must be 18+ years old. A $50 CREDIT MINIMUM will be earned toward your family's sponsorship fee per shift for each Austin FC game you, a family member, or a friend volunteer.

• Weds, May 15 - 7:30 PM AFC v HDFC
• Sat, May 18 - 7:30 PM AFC v SKC
• Weds, May 29 - 7:30 PM AFC v PT
• Weds, Jun 19 - 7:30 PM AFC v LAFC
• Sun, June 30 - TIME TBD - COPA CUP Opponent TBD
• Tues, July 2 - TIME TBD - COPA CUP Opponent TBD

You must upload proof of training 10 days prior to the game.

Please email [email protected] which game you can volunteer.  

By Maddie Wright & Jake Tolfa, Head Coaches

As we begin week two of our season we can say with complete confidence that our swimmers will be ready to try out their swim skills in our first meet this upcoming Saturday.

We know that swim meets can create feelings of nervous anticipation among some, but this is completely normal even for those who have been swimming for a few seasons. That nervous, anxious feeling is just a good sign that you want to do your best. Swimmers and parents, please feel free to ask any of the coaches questions about strokes, starts, meets, etc. We are here to help and are more than willing to do what we can for you. This week our coaching staff will be preparing the swimmers for the strokes they will be swimming, how to start and finish a race, relay races and doing a dry run of what happens before a meet begins. Swim meets are one of the best parts of the swim season and the practice meet is one of our favorites for a few reasons:

• Swimmers are able to get the feel of a swim meet without the pressure of an opposing team.
• The practice meet is for everybody. Even those who are not ready to swim a full 25 independently can participate with coach assistance.
• Swimmers really start to bond as they hang out with their friends in between races.
• Our team really starts to become a team!

This is going to be a great week!! See you at the pool!

by Genevieve Bales, Volunteer Coordinator

Hey there, Swim Team Superstars! First off, a huge shoutout and a heartfelt thank you to all of you wonderful folks who've already stepped up to volunteer for our upcoming Red, White, & Blue meet. Your support means the world to us, and let's be honest, this event wouldn't be the splash-tastic success it always is without your amazing help!

Now, let's dive into some Red, White, & Blue meet talk. This week, I am reaching out with a special request for our incredible volunteers, especially our rockstar judges and timers. Since we won't have a visiting team, I'll need to ask for some double shifts. The good news is that this meet will be one of the shortest meets of the season. But we can't do it without you and keep the momentum flowing smoothly.

If you're in a position to lend a hand for an extra shift or if you're up for the challenge of a double shift, please give me a shout! Shoot a quick text over to 210-268-9008, and let me know you're game. Trust me, your flexibility and enthusiasm will make a world of difference. We're aiming to have every position filled to perfection.  Every second counts when it comes to making this meet a roaring success!

Calling all former swimmers! We need your expertise now more than ever. If you've got a background in the pool, consider taking on the roles of starter, stroke judge, or maybe even both if you're feeling extra ambitious. These positions are absolutely critical, and we simply can't pull off our meets without your invaluable skills. So, whether it's a passing interest or a full-on passion, let's chat this week. Swing by and talk to me or Catherine—we'll get you trained up and ready to rock the poolside like a pro!

To ensure the safety and enjoyment of all participants at the upcoming Red-White-Blue Meet on May 11th, we are implementing the following protocol regarding the swim pits:

1. Sign-In: Each pit will have a sign-in sheet where you must identify the adult responsible for each swimmer on the day of the meet, along with a reachable phone number.
2. Behavior Issues: If behavior issues arise with your swimmer, you will be contacted to retrieve them after one warning and will be required to manage them for the remainder of the meet.
3. Pit Etiquette: Please leave your child in their designated pit until they have completed all of their events. If you need to leave early for any reason and your swimmer still has events scheduled, please inform the coaches.
4. Communication: Whenever you remove your child from their pit for any reason, it is mandatory to inform the other pit parents.
5. Buddy System: We are implementing a buddy system. When a child leaves the pit for any reason, they must be accompanied by their designated pit parent.

Our primary goal is to maintain a safe environment where everyone can enjoy the meet to the fullest. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and support in adhering to these guidelines. Thanks again for all you do. Together, we're going to make this Red, White, & Blue meet the highlight of the season!

Splash ya later!

by Catherine Kamenicky, Meet Director

This meet will be a shortened version of a regular dual meet. We will start by having the freestyle relays. Following the relays, each swimmer will have the opportunity to swim all four strokes -- freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Swimmers who have not learned a stroke yet will not have to swim it. (If you are not sure what to enter your swimmer for, go ahead and enter them in events you’re not sure about, and the coaches will review and pull them out of events they’re not ready for.) This will give all participating swimmers seed times to use next week when we put together the relays and will also help us get them seeded correctly in individual events.

Login to https://wellsbranch.swimtopia.com/swim_meets and register your swimmer(s) for events, and a parent for a volunteer job.

Entry deadline is 12:00 pm on Monday, May 6

Younger swimmers will be allowed to have kickboards and coaches in the water at this meet, if needed. We’d like all swimmers to enter this meet regardless of ability!

Key Information:

Team Photo: The board will make final decisions regarding team pictures this week, please watch your email.

Meet Set-up: Friday, May 10 at 6:30 pm
If you sign up as part of the setup team for your volunteer assignment, or if you'd like to lend an extra hand, please be at the pool then.

Clean Up: We ask everyone to clean up the pit and pool areas before they leave. We must return the pool area to its original condition. The more people who help, the sooner everyone can leave. Pit parents should not release swimmers until their area is restored.

Parking: At a home meet, Armada families leave the lot adjacent to the pool for our guest team. Since this practice meet involves only Armada families, there is no such restriction. Additional parking will be along Sauls and Crissom next to the pool, in the elementary school parking lot, and on the street on Long Vista. Please DO NOT park along Bratton or in any of the parking lots for businesses you see along Bratton and Long Vista, as you will risk being towed. There will be overflow parking at the Rec Center on Shoreline Dr., but it is a small hike from there to the pool.

Please allow extra time to find a place to park and potentially walk a fair distance to the pool. You may also wish to drop swimmers off and then go find parking.

Concessions Donations: Also, please note that for each home meet, a certain age group (or groups) is asked to bring concessions donations to help our concessions stand to provide low-cost, nutritional snacks for the swimmers at a reasonable price. The preferred donation is individual bags of cut fruit since this is something that the concessions volunteers cannot pre-purchase or store easily and is in high demand at meets.

Pool Maps are located in the resource tab on our website. The maps notate where swimmers are dropped off, where the kid's "pits" are located, the locations of the volunteer table, ready benches, concessions, swim shop, etc. Please take a look to familiarize yourself with the layout prior to Saturday. Click HERE for a shortcut!

Additionally, there are are suggestions for a succesful swim meet and a checklist of items to bring for parents and swimmers!