Please see below for an important message from GP Head Coach Julia Pedersen.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Good morning parents!
It was so awesome to see you all at sign-ups last week. With the rush spring sports in full swing, it was so appreciated that you made it work to come gear up for the 2018 summer swim season. I enjoyed meeting all of the new families and can’t wait for you all to become frogs! This may seem like a tedious read, but I promise this will be the longest email you’ll receive from me!
I wanted to email you all in regards to some housekeeping things and expectations I have as head coach, especially in the first few weeks of practice. As most of you know, this is my first year as head coach so I am so excited to bring new ideas & atmosphere, I kindly ask for your cooperation along the way.
I am currently finishing up my masters degree at Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Connecticut. I was on the D1 swim team here during undergrad, and I am enrolled in the “Five Year Isabelle Farrington College of Education”. I have just completed my student teaching in a 3rd grade classroom, but my internship at this elementary school is a full school-year long. That being said- thanks to the New England snow, I will be working here full-time until Friday, June 15th (hopefully the interns do not have to show up for the Professional Development day on Monday the 18th!). That very day, I will be coming home to South Jersey permanently for the summer. Well what about those first 2 and a half weeks, then?
I am putting my full trust into my 3 assistants- Nick, Emily, and Erin in order to run the show until I am able to be there every day. We have coordinated practices, ground rules and a schedule to run things smoothly and I will be in constant, daily communication with them regarding these afternoon practices. These three coaches are seasoned swimmers, all of whom have gone through the ropes at GP, and have expectations just as high as mine. I know before school is out for the kids, things don’t seem as if they are in full gear anyway- but my expectations are the very same. I ask that you remind your children that these three coaches are no different from any other coach they’ve ever had- they deserve their full effort, full attention at all times, full cooperation and upmost respect. There will be consequences if it is brought to my attention that just because I’m not on the pool deck, that there’s a “substitute teacher” mentality at practice.
I will be driving back from Connecticut after school on Friday afternoons, braving the Merritt Parkway and possible 5-6 hour drive during this jammed up time in order to make every single Saturday practice before school lets out. It’s important to me that I can be there while I can, and though it will be quite the commute, it will only be for that brief period of practices before morning practices begin and school is out for us all! I’m also working on asking my principal for a day off (fingers crossed) so that I can be at the first practice. I so appreciate your understanding and allowing me to make this work.
As the practices near, here are some important details to consider:
Practice Times | Equipment | What if? |
|
Boys are not required to wear caps! If they have longer hair, this might allow them more visibility/comfort, but it is not mandatory!
We are suggesting that swimmers 9 and up bring a pair of fins with them to practices this summer. We are not asking 8 & unders to bring them. But-if they already have them, great! We'll put them to use. |
|
Additionally- I know this may sound early- but if you are aware that your child will miss a Saturday morning swim meet (see our team schedule)- please email me ASAP, at @pedersenjulia7@gmail.com ( -en, not -on) to let me know. The more proactive you are with this, the better. I do have expectations for swimmers that while on this team, it’s an obligation to be a team member, though there may be other teams and sports in the equation. Of course, there are appropriate exceptions, but my standard is that athletes will be committed and dedicated to the success of the team.
Finally- I am aware of summer club teams that many of our swimmers have commitments to during the summer and that practice schedules conflict. (My coaches & I were these swimmers at one point! ) As long as you are in the water, at a practice, I am happy- but I will also state now, that club swimmers are expected to be at practices on Friday mornings before meets. This is an important time in meet preparation (especially relay prep!), and their presence is expected, including at Friday night pep rallies. If this means communicating with their club coaches of this expectation, they should please do so promptly. I am holding these swimmers accountable for being leaders on the team for the summers moving forward.
I will continue to be in communication with you all and talk to you about more expectations as the summer comes. There will be a parents meeting following time trials on June 16 before the team breakfast. Here, I will go over more expectations and details for the season.
I wish you all a warm and happy, healthy rest of spring. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email or call/text (856-237-5300). Check out the “Coaches Pad” on our team website to learn more about my lovely assistants!
I am so excited for this summer, and can’t wait to be back!
-Coach Julia
