Dear Penguins and Parents:

On to Week 3! It’s great to have Coaches Nicole and Julia on the deck now. Coach Jaclyn is still finishing up college classes and final exams, but we should have our full coaching staff on duty soon.

PENGUIN MADNESS COMING SOON!

Are you ready for Penguin Madness? If your child plans to participate, please reply to this email TODAY so we can start assembling the penguin teams. This year Penguin Madness will be on Friday, May 22 from 6:00-8:00 pm (there are no regular practices on that day). Parents are welcome to come watch the madness!

THIS WEEK AT PRACTICE

This week, the coaches will be continuing to evaluate each swimmer in all four strokes to determine what specific areas to focus on this season. Please continue coming to practice every day if you can!

RESERVE ROOMS FOR RAFT TRIP

The team raft trip this year will be on Saturday, July 4. We have reserved a small block of rooms at the Motel 6 in Oakdale, but they do fill up fast. Call 209-847-8181 to reserve your room today. For more information, see the Raft Trip page on the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Fri 5/22: Penguin Madness
• Mon 5/25: Memorial Day Swim Clinic
• Tuesday, May 26: Practice times change
• Wed 5/27: Picture Day
• Sat 5/30: Time Trials
• Saturday, June 6: LPAC @ Almaden
• Monday, June 8: Morning practices begin
• Saturday, June 13: LPAC @ Belwood

Check the Team Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events.

Dear Penguins and Parents:

The coaches were happy to have such great attendance at the first week of practice. We know this is a busy time of year for everybody, but try to keep the momentum and continue coming to as many practices as you can.

WELCOME NEW PENGUINS!

We’re excited to welcome 17 brand-new penguins to the LPAC family! They all did a great job during the first-week tryouts and are very excited to be on the swim team. Special thanks to the high school swimmers who have been coming to help out while we wait for Coaches Julia, Nicole and Jaclyn to finish up their college classes.

SWIM CHICK AND PENGUIN PAPA SHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE

If you didn’t already order one, it’s not too late to order the cute “Swim Chick” or “Papa Penguin” t-shirts! Contact Jennie Anderson ASAP to place your order.

STROKE & TURN CLINIC ON SATURDAY

If you’re interested in becoming a Stroke & Turn judge, please attend the special training clinic this Saturday, May 9, at 9:00 am at the Los Paseos Clubhouse. The session usually lasts until around noon. For more information, contact Nancy Keslin.

PENGUIN MADNESS COMING SOON!

Most of the year, we’re all one big happy penguin family. But at Penguin Madness, swimmers from all age groups are grouped into different penguin teams to compete in fun non-swimming events like tug-of-war and musical chairs to see who has the most penguin power. This year Penguin Madness will be on Friday, May 22 from 6:00-8:00 pm (there are no regular practices on that day). If your child plans to participate, please reply to this email ASAP.

RESERVE ROOMS FOR RAFT TRIP

The team raft trip this year will be on Saturday, July 4. We have reserved a small block of rooms at the Motel 6 in Oakdale, but they do fill up fast. Call 209-847-8181 to reserve your room today. For more information, see the Raft Trip page on the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Fri 5/22: Penguin Madness
• Mon 5/25: Memorial Day Swim Clinic
• Tuesday, May 26: Practice times change
• Wed 5/27: Picture Day
• Sat 5/30: Time Trials

Check the Team Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events.

Dear Penguins and Parents:

The long winter wait is finally over—swim practices start today!

PRACTICE TIMES

Please try to arrive at least 5 or 10 minutes before your scheduled practice time. Be sure you have your cap and goggles and are ready to swim!

• All new swimmers: 5:00-5:30 pm (this week only)
• 8 & under: 5:30–6:15 pm
• 9-11: 6:15–7:00 pm
• 12-14: 7:00–8:00 pm
• 15-18: 8:00–9:00 pm

SUITS & MERCHANDISE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

You can try on and order team suits and merchandise on Thursday and Friday of this week (4/30 and 5/1) from 5:00 to 8:30 pm. Note that we are keeping the same black and white team suit from last year, so if your children’s suits still fit, you do not need to order new ones. If your kids do need to try on suits, please do so before practice begins if possible, as it’s much harder once the kids are wet. We require that swimmers wear either a team suit or a plain black suit to all meets. There will also be lots of fun LPAC merchandise for sale, so be sure to leave some time before or after practice to do some shopping!

PANCAKE BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY

Kick off the start of the swim team season and join your penguin friends at the clubhouse for a hearty pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, May 2, from 8:30 to 10:00 am. The cost is just $5, and all proceeds benefit LPAC. See more details on the Pancake Breakfast page of the website.

RESERVE ROOMS FOR RAFT TRIP

The team raft trip this year will be on Saturday, July 4. We have reserved a small block of rooms at the Motel 6 in Oakdale, but they do fill up fast. Call 209-847-8181 to reserve your room today. For more information, see the Raft Trip page on the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Mon 4/27: Practices begin
• Thu 4/30 and Fri 5/1: Suits and Merchandise Try-Ons and Ordering
• Sat 5/2: Pancake Breakfast
• Fri 5/22: Penguin Madness
• Mon 5/25: Memorial Day Swim Clinic
• Tuesday, May 26: Practice times change
• Wed 5/27: Picture Day
• Sat 5/30: Time Trials

Check the Team Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events.

Dear Penguins and Parents:

It was great seeing many of you at the Polar Penguin Plunge! We’re looking forward to getting all penguins back in the water for the first day of practice next Monday (4/27), when we are assured the pool will be heated to a more comfortable temperature.

PARENT MEETING ON THURSDAY

The New Parent Meeting is this Thursday, April 23. Returning families are invited to come by the clubhouse at 7:00 pm to pick up handouts and sign up for volunteer shifts. New families should plan to attend the meeting, which will start at 7:30pm. Returning families are welcome (but not required) to stay as well.

PENGUIN SWAP ALSO ON THURSDAY

If you have LPAC swim suits, shirts, or sweats that your kids have outgrown but are still in good condition, bring them to the parent meeting on Thursday. We’ll have a table set out for the “Penguin Swap” so you can pass along your hand-me-downs to the littler penguins! Note that we will be keeping the same black-and-white team suits this year.

2015 COACHING STAFF

Coaches Scott Jackson, Ryan Hussey, and Julia Thompson will all be returning this year, and Nicole Richards and Jaclyn Pereira will be joining the coaching staff. Emily Read has generously offered to help out the first couple of weeks while Julia, Nicole and Jaclyn finish up college classes, and she may continue coaching on a part-time basis depending on her work commitments. We’re looking forward to a great season!

PRACTICES BEGIN MONDAY, APRIL 27

Practice times will be as follows:

• All new swimmers: 5:00-5:30 pm (this week only)
• 8 & under: 5:30–6:15 pm
• 9-11: 6:15–7:00 pm
• 12-14: 7:00–8:00 pm
• 15-18: 8:00–9:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Thu 4/23: New Parent Meeting
• Mon 4/27: Practices begin
• Thu 4/30 and Fri 5/1: Suits and Merchandise Try-Ons and Ordering
• Sat 5/2: Pancake Breakfast
• Fri 5/22: Penguin Madness
• Mon 5/25: Memorial Day Swim Clinic
• Tuesday, May 26: Practice times change
• Wed 5/27: Picture Day
• Sat 5/30: Time Trials

Check the Team Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events.

Dear Penguins and Parents:

Oh boy, we’re getting closer and closer to swim season!

2015 REGISTRATION FORMS DUE MARCH 14

2015 registration forms have been posted to the website and are also attached to this email. Please complete forms and return with payment to the clubhouse no later than Saturday, March 14. Be sure to mark your envelope “LPAC” so it doesn’t get mixed up with Association mail. If you have any questions about registration, please reply to this email or call Julie Jackson at (408) 227-9522.

(By the way, if you stop by the clubhouse to drop off your forms, you might want to peek in through the gate to see the progress of the pool’s “makeover.” It’s going to be beautiful!)

HELP US RECRUIT NEW PENGUINS!

If you know of any new families who might be interested in joining LPAC, ask them to send an email to info@swimlpac.org. They should plan to come to Walk-In Registration at the clubhouse on Saturday, March 28. We expect to have only a limited number of openings this year, and we do give registration priority to members of the Los Paseos Association. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up! (Note: If you have new siblings who will trying out for the team this year, you can just add their names to your registration forms; you don’t need to come to Walk-In Registration.)

GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO GET BACK IN SWIMMING SHAPE

Some of our local year-round swim teams are offering programs that are specifically geared toward cabana swimmers who want to get back in the water and shake the rust off before the LPAC season starts.

Quicksilver Swimming (QSS) practices at Gunderson High School and is offering a special “Cabana Prep Session” from March 2-27. Practices will be held from 5:00 to 5:45pm, and you can choose to go 1 day per week ($80), 2 days per week ($120), or 4 days per week ($180). Quicksilver is also offering Saturday clinics (2/28, 3/14, or 3/28) from 9:30-10:30am for $25 per clinic. For more information about any of the Quicksilver programs, send email to swimqss@gmail.com.

The South Valley Stingrays (SVS) practice at Rancho Santa Teresa and are offering a special promotion for cabana swimmers. You can swim in March and April without paying the registration fee (a savings of $100). For more information, see www.southvalleystingrays.com/cabanapromo.pdf or send email to southvalleystingrays@gmail.com.

UPCOMING DATES

• Friday, March 14: Registration forms for returning members due
• Saturday, March 28: Walk-In Registration for new families (8:30-9:15 am)
• Thursday, April 23: New parent orientation meeting (7:30 pm)
• Monday, April 27: Practices begin!
• Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1: Suits and Merchandise Try-Ons and Ordering

Check the Team Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Hope you have all had a nice winter break (though lately it’s hardly seemed like winter)!

Swim team season will be here before you know it, so we just wanted to check in and share some information about the upcoming LPAC season.

REGISTRATION FOR 2015 SEASON

Registration packets will be emailed to returning families in early March. All forms and payment will be due by Friday, March 14.

Registration fees for Association members will be $180 for the first swimmer plus $160 per sibling. For non-Association members, the fees will be $200 for the first swimmer plus $180 per sibling.

Remember, we do all our communication through email, so please send mail to info@swimlpac.org if your email address has changed.

If you have any new siblings who will be trying out for the team this year, or if your child is not planning on returning to LPAC, please send mail to info@swimlpac.org so we can get a rough idea of how many spots we’ll have available on the roster.

RECRUITING NEW PENGUINS

If you know of any new families who might be interested in joining LPAC, tell them to send an email to info@swimlpac.org. They should plan to come to Walk-In Registration at the clubhouse on Saturday, March 28. We expect to have only a limited number of openings this year, and we do give registration priority to members of the Los Paseos Association.

TEAM CALENDAR

A tentative calendar for the 2015 season is posted to the team website. Practices will begin on Monday, April 27, and the end-of-season team banquet will be on Sunday, July 19.

Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the start of the season. We look forward to seeing all of you penguins back in the water very soon!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer (and sleeping in on Saturday mornings)!

Just a few final end-of-the-swim-season messages:

TROPHIES: COME AND GET ‘EM

If you weren’t able to come to the banquet but would like to pick up your child’s trophy and ribbons, please reply to this email. Coach Scott has them at his house, and you can pick them up in the next week or two. After that, they’ll go into cold storage until next year!

WANT A DVD?

If you didn’t already purchase a DVD of the team slideshow/video, Melinda Doutt still has copies available. The cost is $20. Please send email to mdoutt@gmail.com to order your copy.

JUST KEEP SWIMMIN…

The coaches have gotten a lot of questions about year-round swimming. If your kids love swimming and already miss swim team, maybe they should give it a try! We’re lucky to live close to several very good teams. See the new Year-Round Swimming page on the team website for more information. You can send mail to coaches@swimlpac.org or contact any of the year-round swim families to discuss which program might work best for you.

Thanks again for a great LPAC season. Enjoy the rest of your summer…and GO PENGUINS!

Just a few last-minute reminders before tomorrow:

CHAMPS CHECK-IN: 7:00 AM

Remember: swimmers need to check in tomorrow by 7:00 am at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center. The coaches’ check-in table will be set up in the LPAC team area (see map posted to the Champs page of the website). If your child is ill, please call or text Coach Scott at (408) 613-5126.

Parents, please check in at the volunteer table and be sure to listen for the shift changes.

We encourage you to purchase a program and raffle tickets — all proceeds help the league pay for Champs.

AFTER-CHAMPS PARTY FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

All swimmers in the high school age group are invited to an after-Champs potluck party Saturday night at 7:00 pm at Nicole Richards’ home (6906 Rockton Ave). Please bring $5 to help pay for dinner and bring something to share!

BANQUET ON SUNDAY

The LPAC Team Awards Banquet will be on Sunday starting at 4:30 pm. Remember to bring your own folding chairs. We look forward to getting all the penguins back together one last time to hand out trophies and celebrate another great season!

GO PENGUINS!

We’re getting down to it now! Just a few quick reminders/updates as we head into the final home stretch:

SPIRIT NIGHT ON THURSDAY

Don’t forget to come to Spirit Night on Thursday (7/17) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

DVDs FOR SALE

The Doutt family has prepared another great slideshow/video to celebrate the 2014 LPAC season. If you’re interested in purchasing a DVD, the cost is $20. Please contact Melinda Doutt (mdoutt@gmail.com) or talk to her at Spirit Night to order your copy. Thank you Mark and Melinda for all your hard work!

HELPERS NEEDED FOR SPAGHETTI DINNER

Pam Fasan has enough volunteer chefs to provide dinner, but we could use a few more folks to help set up on Friday night for the Spaghetti Dinner. Please come to the clubhouse around 5:15 pm to help set up and decorate. Send email to pam.fasan@gmail.com if you are able to help. Thank you!

CHAMPS CHECK-IN: 7:00 AM

Swimmer check-in on Saturday will be at 7:00 am at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center (16200 Condit Road). Champs can be very chaotic, so please be on time! There is ample parking available, but you might need to park in the dirt lot.  We will have lots more information about Champs at Spirit Night, so please be sure to attend. Entries have been posted to the website, so check the Champs meet page so you know what you’ll be swimming.

VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS FOR CHAMPS

Volunteer Assignments have been posted to the Champs meet page; please check so you know your assigned shift(s). Be sure to check in at the volunteer table when you arrive at Champs. You can also pick up your pre-order BBQ and Panera meal tickets there.

MISSING LPAC TEAM SUIT

Breena Brecheen’s LPAC swim suit disappeared during the Overnighter. Please check your bags to see if it accidentally came home with you. She’d like to have her team suit to wear at Champs.

FINAL STROKE TIPS: FREESTYLE

Check the Coaches tab on the website for some helpful tips on freestyle. You might also want to review the other strokes that you’ll be swimming at Champs. Remember, every improved time counts for points for the team!

Hope you all had fun at the Overnighter and have caught up on some sleep today! Special thanks to Cap’n Jim Read and all the board members who stayed up all night hosting this great event, as well as the coaches and parent volunteers who also helped out.

OATKREE MEET RESULTS

Congratulations Penguins on a great meet at Oaktree! Although the Sharks beat us in improvement points, we won in total place points and ended up winning the meet by an overall score of 108.78 to 107.30. Results have been posted to the Oaktree meet page of the website.

It’s great to end with a victory (and a winning 3-2 record for the season)…now let’s carry that momentum on to Champs!

A RECORD-BREAKING START

We knew it was going to be a good day for LPAC when we set new team records in the morning’s first two events. The 15-18 Medley Relay team (Mackenzie Keslin, Nico Fasan, Connor Bleeg, and Nicole Richards) shaved a little more time off their own record with a new time of 1:51.52. The 13-14 girls (Lexie Barber, Nina Aliamus, Leah Thompson, and Amanda Jackson) followed by taking 3 seconds off the old record in Medley Relay (which was set just last year by Leah Thompson, Milo Fedane, Megan Cristal, and Emily Burke) with a time of 2:07.11. Congratulations to all!

SPIRIT WEEK

Although swimmers will be tapering and resting up for Champs this week, it’s still very important to come to practice very day to keep refining those small improvements that can add up to big points at the meet.

Spirit Week is also going to be lots of fun, with dress-up themes (and snacks!) each day at practice:

• Good Morning Monday: Just roll out of bed and come to practice in your PJs — we’ll even have prizes for the best bedhead in each age group!
• Twin Twosday: Dress up as twins (or triplets…)
• Western Wednesday: Come a little bit country and ride along on Clippety Clop, our unofficial Spirit Week mascot
• International Thursday: Dress up in international clothes (including World Cup jerseys!)
• Black and White Friday: Wear black and white and/or penguin gear

SPIRIT NIGHT ON THURSDAY

Parents and swimmers are invited to attend Spirit Night on Thursday (7/17) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Swimmers will get together to eat pizza, decorate posters to hang up at Champs, and elect swimmer reps for next year.  Meanwhile, parents have a meeting to discuss Champs and elect next year’s Board members. Then we’ll all get together in the clubhouse for Swim-a-Thon awards and a slide show/video that celebrates the season and energizes the team to do their best at Champs. There is no cost for this event. Look forward to seeing you all there!

SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR TEENAGERS ON FRIDAY

All swimmers ages 13-18 are invited to the clubhouse on Friday from 6:00 to 7:00 to  “carbo-load” before Champs at the annual Spaghetti Dinner. We’ll also decorate cars to show our penguin pride. The cost is $7 per swimmer; please pay at the door. We do need some parents to help serve and clean up as well.

BANQUET FORMS DUE WEDNESDAY!

Don’t forget to turn in your meal order form for Sunday’s Awards Banquet. Swimmers eat for free, but we still need you to fill out a form so we know how much food we’ll need. See the Banquet page of the website for more information.

MORE INFORMATION ON CHAMPS COMING SOON

We’ll send another email later this week with more detailed information about the VCSL Championship Meet (“Champs”), which will be held this Saturday (7/19) at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center. Entries have already been submitted to the league and will be posted to the website later this week.