Please read the important message below from Coach Shannon regarding meet absences.
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Dear Frog Families,
Now that we have been through three weeks of meets, it seems that for some reason we are still having communication problems with letting the coaching staff know about absences from meets. The reason I am addressing this issue is because in order to allow all swimmers to participate as much as possible, we as the coaching staff, need to know when you will miss a meet. Due to our team size, we are trying to get everyone able, into at least one or more Saturday meet. However, in order to accomplish this, we need to know ahead of time if you are going to miss a meet.
Within the last three weeks, I have tried to rotate swimmers into events and relays to give them opportunities to swim. Problems have arises the day of the meet, when the new event swimmers have not shown up, and have not given the coaching staff advance notice of their inability to make the meet. This problem has left the coaching staff scrambling at the last minute. From a coaching perspective, it is very upsetting and frustrating because we have given someone a chance to swim at the expense of another to help build and strengthen our team.
I would compare this situation to what you as an adult would do at your job – you would never miss work without notifying someone of your absence. You make a call, email or text someone (client or boss) to them know ahead of time why you cannot make it. We expect the same, especially for a meet. The swimmers and you, as the parent or guardian, have made a commitment to this team by being a member of our team. Just like a job, this team is a responsibility, and communication is key to making it work. After all, we are teaching more than swimming on our team.
Now, I know at the parents' meeting at the beginning of the season, I said I would do my best to let you know if your child will swim by Wednesday for a Saturday meet, but with the late absent notices I have been receiving, it has made it impossible for me to do this. At this point in the season, I am still receiving absence notices on Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
Please understand that it takes at least two days to put together a valid and competitive meet line up, then create the meet sheet and cards for the meet. It is especially difficult to plan the meet for our younger swimmers, who make up the biggest part of our team. Plus, there are only a set number of spots to fill in a Saturday meet unlike Wednesday meets, so there is a lot of strategy that goes into a meet. On the day of the meet we cannot just substitute any swimmer if someone is missing. We have to comb our roster to find someone who is eligible and present, rewrite the meet cards, notify the mothers' who organize our swimmers for their races and notify the scorers' table so they can rewrite the meet sheet, all while paying attention to the races. It is extremely stressful and difficult especially for relay situations when four swimmers are needed and only three are present.
Everyone should expect their child to swim Saturday and Wednesday meets every week. It's summer and understandable if you have other plans, like vacation, and cannot make certain meets. Just let me know by Monday via email at coachshannon@gpfrogs.com if you plan to miss meets that week. Please let me stress to notify me directly – do not contact another family or rely on another team member to notify me of an absence. Finally, I am aware that life exists and things happen at the last minute, but please notify me so I know what has happened and can plan accordingly.
Thank you for your time and cooperation in this matter and thank you to those who have already been making contact about meet absences in advance. Please remember the sooner we know about an absence, the better. It also makes it easier to give everyone an opportunity to swim. The more we communicate the better we are as a team.
Sincerely,
Coach Shannon
