Hey Hurricane Families!

We’re thrilled to welcome you to a brand-new swim season! 🎉 There’s a lot of important info here—so please read this email in full. If you don’t, we kindly ask you to refrain from saying, “I didn’t know!” because we’re giving you everything you need right here.

🌐 Your Go-To Resource: Team Website

First things first: hohurricanes.swimtopia.com

Bookmark it. Tattoo it on your brain. This site was built by swim parents, for swim parents, and it’s where you’ll find answers to most of your questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Head to the Contact Us page to reach the right board member or coach.

🗓️ Practice Calendar: Now Live!

By popular demand, we’ve created a dedicated Practice Calendar just for you!

👉 Hurricanes Practice Calendar

You can bookmark this page or subscribe to the calendar so you always know where and when to be.

🍽️ Kickoff Party – Friday! (Maybe!)

Our Kickoff Potluck Party is tomorrow! Haven’t signed up yet? There’s still time—this is a great way to meet other team families. Sign up here.

BUT—bad weather is in the forecast. We’ll make a final call by noon tomorrow and post an update via the SwimTopia mobile app and email. Stay tuned!

🏊 Practice Rules & Expectations

To keep practices safe, focused, and running smoothly, we ask that all families follow these important guidelines:

• Swimmers only on the pool deck.

  Parents must remain in the elevated seating area or the recliners along the wall near the elevated area—nowhere else.

• Do not approach coaches during practice.

  It’s a safety hazard and disrupts the flow of instruction. If you need to talk to a coach, please email them or wait until practice is over.

• No use of the baby pool at any time.
• No gum. No glass. Ever.
• Pick up all trash in your area before you leave. Let’s keep our pool clean!
• Swimmers must exit the pool immediately after practice.

  Coaches need to prepare for the next group and cannot supervise lingering swimmers.

• Parents are not required to attend practices, except for swimmers age 8 and under—a responsible adult (age 16+) must remain on-site.

Thanks for helping us keep practice fun, safe, and efficient for everyone!

🏁 Mock Meet – Saturday, June 7th

What’s a mock meet? It’s our team’s chance to practice everything—swimmers, parents, volunteers, and coaches—before the real deal starts. It’s fun, it’s low-pressure, and it’s incredibly helpful.

👉 RSVPs are due by June 4 at 9pm! Don’t miss out.

🙋 Volunteers Needed! (And We Mean It!)

🚨 If we don’t have volunteers, we don’t have swim meets. 🚨

And we don’t just mean timers—we need trained officials, too.

Now before you panic… we know it sounds intimidating. But we were all once “just a parent with no idea what that job even is.” You’ll get trained, shadow someone experienced, and you might even find yourself loving it.

Here are the positions that need training:

• Referee (Head & Admin)
• Starter
• Stroke & Turn
• Clerk of Course
• Head Timer

🗓️ We’re hosting an in-person training session at the clubhouse on June 9 at 7pm.

Our suggestion? Sign up to shadow during the mock meet so you can see what the job’s like before fully diving in.

⚠️ If you plan to attend the in-person session, complete your online portion before June 9. Not attending? Please complete your training ASAP and submit your certification so we can confirm coverage for our first meet.

More information and online training can be found here: RSL Training Info

🙋Volunteer Shifts & Signup Info

Volunteer slots open at specific times and dates that our amazing Volunteer Coordinator will communicate with you—so keep an eye on your email and the app notifications.

These spots tend to go fast (especially the air-conditioned ones!), so set a reminder and be ready to grab your preferred shift when the signup opens. We appreciate every helping hand—it takes a village to run a swim meet, and we’re so grateful for yours! 💪💙

📲 Meet Declarations = Required

You must declare your swimmer for every meet using the website or mobile app.

Declaring = saying YES or NO to attending. If you don’t respond, your swimmer won’t be entered. Coaches cannot make changes after the deadline.

✅ Sign-ups are open for the entire season—declare now!

👉 Meet Sign-Up Calendar

Need help? This page walks you through the steps:

👉 “How to Declare”

📣 SwimTopia Mobile App = Don’t Miss the Message!

As Coach Zack mentioned in his emails earlier this week, we use the SwimTopia Mobile App to send urgent team alerts (like weather delays or schedule changes).

Please download the app and keep notifications ON so you don’t miss important updates.

🔗 Helpful Links You’ll Want to Bookmark

We’ve packed the website with resources to make your life easier—whether you’re new to swim or just need a refresher. Here are some of the most useful pages:

• FAQs – Quick answers to the most common questions
• Meet Day Prep – What to pack, where to go, and how to survive your first meet
• Meet Results – Find out how your swimmer did after each meet
• Swim Terms Glossary – Decode the lingo (What’s a “DQ”? What’s “fly”?)
• Volunteer Policy – Understand your volunteer commitment
• Volunteer Job Descriptions – Find the right fit for your time and talents
• Team Records – See who’s blazing the trail in the pool
• Team Rules – Expectations, conduct, and keeping things fun and fair

Take a look—and as always, reach out if you have questions. We’re here for you!

🙌 Thank You to Our 2025 Team Sponsors!

We’re incredibly grateful to our 2025 sponsors—their support helps us run a fun, organized, and successful season for all our swimmers.

💙 Please take a moment to visit and support the businesses that support us. Whether you’re shopping, dining out, or looking for services, our sponsors would love your business!

👉 Meet Our Sponsors

We truly couldn’t do it without them—thank you for helping us show our appreciation! 💙

Questions? Comments? Snack donations? 😉

We’re here to help—just reach out.

We can’t wait for another awesome summer together. Let’s make some waves this season!

Go Hurricanes! 🌪️💙

—Your Hurricane Board