Tuckahoe Families,

It was so nice to see everyone back at the pool and in the water (yes it was cold!). We are hoping for warmer weather next week and the heaters to be turned on. There will be practice tomorrow, however we will not be in the water. Please dress appropriately - warm clothes and sneakers. The coaches will be leading land exercises and games, as well as teaching the kids how to use our new underwater headsets - it would be helpful if kids brought their goggles with them as well.

Finally, there will be a sign up sent on Sunday to sign up for practice next week. We hope for warm water, but we may make some temporary adjustments to the practice schedule to get more kids in the water.

Below is a note from Coach Torey and the coaching staff. Every week we will send out a weekly update from the coaches on Friday afternoon.

COACH TOREY'S UPDATE

It has been a great first week back at Tuckahoe for summer swim. The coaching staff have truly enjoyed every minute with the kids on deck. We appreciate the willingness to get into the colder water or do dryland, and more than anything, the kid's positive attitudes have motivated us to keep coming up with new ways to engage with the team and find short term solutions. We believe things are getting better with warmer weather ahead and hopefully warmer water as well! 

Notes for Parents 

Swimming is much like learning at school - we are trying to teach our kids a range of different skills while giving them a workout. Additionally, we are trying to establish an important connection and level of trust that enables us to be successful at teaching the fundamentals of swimming. In order to do this, it is critical that we are able to do our jobs without interference or distraction. This includes parents trying to be helpful around the pool with their potentially unsure or uneasy kids. 

The community aspect of being on a team like Tuckahoe is one of the greatest aspects of the summer swim experience and we love having so many people involved - we need parents in order to function. However, we have to ask parents to sideline themselves as much as possible, especially when it comes to daily practice. We know many of you are excited to see your kids progress and enjoy being on the swim team - unfortunately, when the kids know their parents are present, we do not have their full attention and trust when we are at times trying to push them past their initial mental and physical limits. I am urging the parents that are intent on sticking around for practice to drop their kids off on deck and make their way to the hill and well away from the pool deck. Everything from getting caps and goggles on, to handling being cold or needing to go to the bathroom, or not willing to work or listen to the coaches MUST be handled by a coach if we are going to be successful with your child.

At a young age your kids know how to get your attention and push to find their comfort zone that you allow them to be in - as coaches and teachers, it is our job to help them find a new comfort zone that may be seemingly uncomfortable at first. Through years of swimming and coaching, our staff is well equipped to do this in a loving and supportive way, while still remaining firm on what our baseline expectations are. Please be a partner with us in creating the best experience possible by taking this necessary step back. The coaches and team reps do not want to chase parents away from the pool and come across as offensive or aggressive. We simply want to do the best job we possibly can, and, professionally, I assure you that requires as little parent involvement with managing the kids on deck at practice and meets as possible. Thank you for understanding this is about improving the experience for the kids and not about restricting access to parents.

Notes for Swimmers

We need swimmers to have all of their equipment at practice every single day. This includes a proper swim suit (no trunks, two pieces, long-sleeved swim suits for girls, or swim shirts for boys) - additionally, the kids need goggles, fins, snorkel, and a cap if they have longer hair. Please be sure to put your kids' names on everything they own so it does not get mixed up with anyone else's stuff. If you do not have any of these items you can find the list on our website with links to the proper item, or feel free to reach out and ask what they should get. 

Next week we plan to be in the water every day with all age groups and would like to utilize these pieces of equipment. Additionally, we ask that kids come in sneakers/running shoes in case we need to do dryland instead of being in the water because of bad weather or pool temperatures (hopefully not a problem). We have limited the activities we have done this week because too many kids are coming in flip flops or open toed shoes, and we do not want to see anyone hurt - but we will have to have kids sit out if they do not have the right clothes for practice. 

Notes for Everyone 

More and more it looks like we will be able to have a full Tuckahoe summer with meets and team activities. While we cannot confirm exactly what that will look like just yet, we hope everyone is as positive and optimistic as we are. The coaching staff and veteran swim families know the best part of summer (and possibly the whole year) is when everything is in full swing at Tuckahoe. We cannot wait to be able to return to more normal times with everyone and we look forward to seeing you around the pool. Be sure to say hey and introduce yourself to me or any of our coaches whenever you see us - we truly love this community and enjoy building relationships with everyone we share this experience with!

Go Tuckahoe!