Thanks to Tabby Vaidyanath and her crew of flapjack flippers for hosting a fun Pancake Breakfast on Saturday. Now on to Week 3!

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 27 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 evaluating each swimmer in all four strokes to determine what specific areas to focus on this season. We’ve had great attendance so far; please continue coming to practice every day if you can!

NEW RULES AT POOL DURING PRACTICES

The Los Paseos Association asked that all children and parents please comply with the following rules during swim team practices:

• Children not participating in practice must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• No children are allowed south of the pool, above the grass area, or south of the upper deck, and specifically no access to the shed area, or in and around the Pool Equipment House.
• No one is allowed in the baby pool at any time.
• Swim team members not in the pool must either be with their parents or in the Sports Court.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SHIFTS YET?

Every family needs to sign up for at least one shift at every meet their swimmer(s) attend; families with more than one swimmer may be needed to work additional shifts. If you haven’t signed up yet, please send email to Cecie Boston at volunteers@swimlpac.org. We are especially in need of more volunteers for the clean-up shifts after home meets. This job is very important, as we really need to have all hands on deck (literally) to clean up the pool and get it ready to open to members. It’s a good fit if you have young kids and don’t want to have to work during the meet — or if you’d rather sleep in late and come help after the meet is over! We are also looking for additional volunteers for Announcer, Clerk of the Course, and Stroke and Turn judges (see note below). If you are able to help out, please send email to volunteers@swimlpac.org.

STROKE AND TURN CLINIC FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Parents, if you’re interested in getting trained as a Stroke & Turn judge, plan to attend the Stroke & Turn Clinic on Saturday, May 21 from 9:00 to 11:30 am at the Los Paseos Clubhouse. Judges are needed to observe every race and be sure swimmers are swimming each stroke correctly. It’s a great way to learn more about the sport and get involved during meets!

RESERVE ROOMS NOW FOR RAFT TRIP

The team raft trip this year will be on Saturday, July 2. Many families like to stay overnight (either Friday or Saturday, or both). We have reserved a small block of rooms at the Motel 6 in Oakdale, but they do fill up quickly and will only be reserved until June 5. Rooms with one king bed are $99; rooms with two queens are $109 (plus tax); breakfast is NOT included. Call 209-847-8181 to reserve your room today. For more information, see the Raft Trip page on the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Saturday, May 21: Stroke and Turn Clinic (9:00 – 11:30 am)
• Friday, May 27: Penguin Madness
• Monday, May 30: Memorial Day Clinic (no regular practices)
• Tuesday, May 31: Practice times change
• Saturday, June 4: Time Trials
• Monday, June 6: Morning practices begin
• Monday, June 6: Time Trials Make-Ups

It was great to see so many penguins back in the water for the first week of practices! Even though things are always crazy busy this time of year, we hope you’ll keep up the good work and keep attending as many practices as you can.

WELCOME NEW PENGUINS!

We’ve got 15 brand new penguins on the team this year! Welcome to Benjamin, Marcus, Niondre, Maleah, Lowen, Eva, Sophia, Cailyn, Maddy, Braden, Chakkit, Neylan, Lavenia, Vasiti, and Gavin! And special thanks to all the high school swimmers who have been helping out during practices.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY

Kids and parents are invited to catch up with their swim team friends at the annual Pancake Breakfast this Saturday, May 14 from 8:30 am to 10:00 am at the clubhouse. The cost is $5 per person at the door; you do not need to RSVP for this event. Hope to see you there!

EMAIL COACHES

Just a reminder: if you need to communicate with the coaches about schedule conflicts or any other issues, please send email to coaches@swimlpac.org.

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 27 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.

STROKE & TURN CLINIC ON MAY 21

We are in need of new Stroke & Turn judges. If you’re interested, please plan to attend the special training clinic on Saturday, May 21, at 9:00 am at the Los Paseos Clubhouse. The session usually lasts until 11:30 am. For more information, contact Nancy Keslin at nkeslin@yahoo.com or 408-838-5604.

SIGN UP FOR VOLUNTEER SHIFTS

If you haven’t already signed up to volunteer at meets, please contact Wendy Marley at marleywl@yahoo.com or 408-218-2779. For home meets we still need people for the clean up crew; many hands make light work! We also need snack bar help first and second shifts, selling yummy food to hungry meet attendees. For the away meets, we’ll need lots of timers and recorders.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Saturday, May 14: Pancake Breakfast
• Saturday, May 21: Stroke and Turn Clinic (9:00 – 11:30 am)
• Friday, May 27: Penguin Madness
• Monday, May 30: Memorial Day Clinic (no regular practices)
• Tuesday, May 31: Practice times change

The long winter wait is almost over! We’re looking forward to getting all penguins back in the water for the first day of practice next Monday (5/2).

PARENT MEETING ON THURSDAY
The New Parent Meeting is this Thursday, April 28. 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 7:30 pm. Returning families are welcome (but not required) to stay as well.

2016 COACHING STAFF
Coaches Scott Jackson, Ryan Hussey, and Nicole Richards will be returning this year, and Connor Bleeg and Ben Jackson will be joining the coaching staff. We’re looking forward to a great season!

PRACTICES BEGIN MONDAY, MAY 2
Practice times will be as follows:

• All new swimmers: 5:00-5:30 pm (May 2-6 only)
• 8 & under: 5:30–6:15 pm
• 9-11: 6:15–7:00 pm
• 12-14: 7:00–8:00 pm
• High school: 8:00–9:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Thu 4/28: New Parent Meeting
• Mon 5/2: Practices begin
• Thu 5/5 and Fri 5/6: Suits and Merchandise Try-Ons and Ordering
• Sat 5/14: Pancake Breakfast
• Fri 5/27: Penguin Madness
• Mon 5/30: Memorial Day Swim Clinic
• Tuesday, May 31: Practice times change
• Sat 6/4: Time Trials
• Mon 6/6: Morning practices begin

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

Hope to see you all on Thursday!