Buckeye Swimming

We would like a group of parents to take over the running of our Booster Club.  This would mean putting together a fairly organized process (officers, quarterly board meetings, etc.). Our booster club supports our team needs by planning activities for the team (like our pancake breakfasts this summer, and the night at Westerville Rec Center last winter) and helping to support our kids & coaches travel to national level meets.  The role of the booster club may expand in a new facility. Please e-mail me if you are interested in serving on the Booster club.  Once I have heard form a large enough group, we'll get everyone together to start the planning process.

We have opened a new section to our website to help answer frequently asked questions. Simply go to ask bkyswim.com - there's also a link to this on the website. Ask anything you want! Any time I have a question that is pretty darn good or asked more than once I will commenting the forum as well.

Invoices for the 2012-2013 swim season are complete and will be emailed out today. The invoice shows the total for the year which will be divided into 9 monthly payments. Please check the following: If you ordered personalized caps, this should be shown on the invoice.  2 caps at $12 total. Anyone with more than one swimmer should receive a family discount. Anyone that invested in the pool last year under the FEE CREDIT option should show a $1000 payment made towards their invoice. Buckeye 1,2 & 3 swimmers - for most of you I just billed you for the first two sessions.  If you want that changed, just let me know. Buckeye1, 2 & 3 swimmers - please let em know if you want to take advantage of the buy 4 sessions, get the 5th free.  I will go ahead and set up your bill accordingly.  You have until 10/10 to make this decision. Once you have looked over your invoice, please download  & fill out the Credit Card Authorization form and bring it to the pool this week to s

The Sports Club has agreed to allow Lew to open the doors on Saturday mornings, so that our Seniors & HS groups can get in the water at 7 am. We'll have the place to ourselves for at least an hour.  Thus, the Saturday morning practice is moving to the Sports Club effective immediately. This impacts our other groups by about 15-20 minutes.  Buckeye TOO will know swim 8:30-9:20 am, Buckeye 1 from 9:20-10 am and the Open Practice for Silver & Scarlet swimmers will be from 8:30-10 am. There will be Saturdays that are canceled due to meets.  Please check the weekly news each week or the team calendar to stay on top of those changes.

We will have a group meeting for our Silver 2 parents Tuesday 9/25 at 7:45 and our Scarlet 1& 2 parents Tuesday 9/25 at 8:00.  These meetings will take place at the Columbus North pool.

We will have a spirit wear garage sale this Saturday during practices.  Come in and get $2 Buckeye t-shirts and more!  All proceeds go to our Booster Club.

As discussed last week, our team is nearly at capacity. We still need about 6-8 Silver 1 swimmers, two 9-10 boys and two 11-12 boys.  If you know of swimmers from your summer league team that are not anywhere yet, please encourage them to come try 2-3 practices with us immediately.

We would like a group of parents to take over the running of our Booster Club.  This would mean putting together a fairly organized process (officers, quarterly board meetings, etc.). Our booster club supports our team needs by planning activities for the team (like our pancake breakfasts this summer, and the night at Westerville Rec Center last winter) and helping to support our kids & coaches travel to national level meets.  The role of the booster club may expand in a new facility. Please e-mail me if you are interested in serving on the Booster club.  Once I have heard form a large enough group, we'll get everyone together to start the planning process.

It appears that approximately 80% of our team has chosen to personalize their caps.  If you would like to be included in the personalized caps order, please e-mail me no later than 3:00 on Wednesday, 9/26.  Include the name you would like on your cap in the e-mail. Caps are 2 for $12 (the first cap of these two is paid for from your registration fee).

We have confirmed that the pentathalon is Saturday 10/6.  I have sent email invites to most  of the team.  Some have not received invites due to issues with the active registration system not importing all of our new swimmers.  I expect to have this corrected by Monday. Please note that this is not considered a 'good' first meet experience for our 'new to club' swimmers.  Also, if you are participating in a fall sport, you may want to consider waiting for the next meet so that you can get some more practices in prior to competing.  If you are not sure whether you should attend - ask your coach!

The sports club has offered a discount on memberships to team families.  Anyone affiliated with Buckeye Swim Club can purchase a 7 month membership at the 6 month price ($139 +tax).

We will have a group meeting for our Silver 2 parents Tuesday 9/25 at 7:45 and our Scarlet 1& 2 parents Tuesday 9/25 at 8:00.  These meetings will take place at the Columbus North pool.

A recap of the team meeting can be found at our website.  Just click on the Join Buckeye link and open the pdfs. If you missed the suit fitting you have until Sept. 30 to order suits and equipment. Personalized caps can be ordered until the end of the week.  please email me if you would like personalized caps.  They are 2 for $12.

This year we will offer open practices on Saturdays, giving families an opportunity to have a little more flexibility in their weekly schedule.  These practices will be a review of the prior week and are open to all swimmers on the team. However, Saturday practices typically are not held if there is a meet on that week-end.  Please check the calendar each week before attending. For Silver, Scarlet & Buckeye 3 swimmers open practices are 8:15-9:45 am at Columbus North Senior practices for the remainder of month of September will be at Columbus North Sports Club from 8-10 am.

The practice schedule that went out in the team news on Monday 9/10 had some formatting issues that made it difficult to read. The best way to stay current with the schedule is to use the team calendar. However, it's nice to have a concise written format as well. So here is a pdf of the practice schedule: Training Schedule

Parents, we know that you are wanting to get up off of those bleachers at meets and get close to the action. If you are interested in learning more about what it required to become an official, consider the upcoming Officials Clinic. The date for the Central Commission Ohio Swimming Inc. Spring Officials Clinic is set for Sunday SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 at the Worthington Northwest Library, Hard Road, Worthington, from 1 to 4 PM. Included will be training for Apprentice Officials. If you plan to attend bring either $6.00 in cash or a check made out to Ohio Swimming Inc. in the amount of $6.00 for your clinic fee. Have Questions: Feel free to contact either Buckeye Official, Bill Hammond (cwhammond19@gmail.com) or Will Indest (windest@techcolumbus.org), Also you can checkout the process at http://www.swimohio.com/czohlsc/UserFiles/Image/Officials/Become%20a%20USA%20Swimming%20Official%20OSI.pdf Or, navigate to www.swimohio.com,click on Officials, then click on How to Become a USA Swimming

We are all finally back in the water!  Our schedule kicks into full gear this week with all groups swimming.  We have quite a few new faces this year and are very excited about how the groups are coming together. Please note that Coach Angie & Coach Julie are still with us and are currently working as staff substitute coaches. Current Schedule Group Coaches Day Practice Time Dryland time** Silver Elite 1 Mondays & Wednesdays are designated small group days, parents will sign up for specific days for the season Chelsea Denise Monday/Wednesday Tuesday Thursday Friday Sunday @OWU 4:45/5:45/6:45 6:00-7:00 4:30-5:30 6:00-7:30 6:00-7:15 -- 15 minutes 15 minutes 15 minutes 10 minutes Silver Elite 2 Mondays & Wednesdays are designated small group days, parents will sign up for specific days for the season Laurie Denise Monday/Wednesday Tuesday Thursday Friday

Sunday, September 16  at Ohio Wesleyan Team Meeting at 5:30 Suit & Equipment purchase 6:00 Kastaway swimwear will be on hand for your team suit, practice equipment and team apparel needs.  We do have a new team suit this year. At our team meeting we will discuss meet registration procedures via our new online registration system and general team policies.  This meeting will be held in front of the OWU aquatics center (outdoors) at 5:30, weather permitting.  If it is raining, we will move the meeting to 6:00 inside the facility.  Please check our team calendar on Sunday, 9/16  - if the meeting is moved indoors it will have changed to 6:00.  The team calendar can be found by heading to www.bkyswim.com - roll over What's New then click on Team Calendar.

Please welcome our newest addition to our coaching staff, Chelsea Bailey. Chelsea is a Buckeye alum that is a team record holder and High School State Champion. She swam college at the University of Kentucky. Chelsea went on to get her degree in communications at Texas State University and is currently back in school earning a degree in German. Chelsea had coached and taught swim lessons at Dublin Scioto, DeSales and GCSTO. Coach Chelsea will be working primarily with our Silver 1 swimmers and will be at practice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays.

Unfortunately, we are having problems fitting everyone into the Silver small group schedule. The 6:45 time slot is very popular this year due to the number of siblings practicing during that time with Scarlet 1. We will go ahead and go with the published schedule for week 1, but will ask each parent to fill out a quick survey next week regarding the possibility of forming new times. Currently small groups are at 4:45, 5:45 and 6:45. The 5:45 time is very unpopular. We will be asking you whether or not it will be helpful to have small groups at 5:00, 6:00 & 7:00 or 4:45, 6:15 & 7:15 or just leave them as they are. Please come prepared to give your preferences next week. There is no need to email this to me at this time. The coaching staff for Small groups will be: Mondays - Coach Denise Wednesdays - 1st 2 groups: Coach Patty & Coach Laurie. Latest group: Coach Lew.

Practices begin September 4 for Senior, HS, Buckeye 1 & Buckeye TOO Practices begin September 10 for Silver, Scarlet & Buckeye 3 Senior & HS Tuesday & Wednesday 3:30-6:30 at Columbus North Thursday (9/6) 4-6:30 at Columbus North Saturday 8-10 am at Alum Creek Beach NO PRACTICE SUNDAY 9/9 Buckeye 1 Tuesday & Thursday 5-5:45 at Columbus North Saturday 9:00-9:45 at Columbus North NO PRACTICE SUNDAY 9/9 Buckeye TOO Tuesday & Thursday 5:45-6:45 at Columbus North Saturday 8:10-9:00 at Columbus North NO PRACTICE SUNDAY 9/9

Silver - parents please email me ASAP to choose your small group practice day. Choices are Monday or Wednesday at 4:45,5:45 or 6:45. Silver is starting the first week with starts & turns! We are going to start the year with good habits. Scarlet, we have lots of new faces joining us this year! Buckeye 3 practice schedule: Practice is with your appropriate age/skill level Silver or Scarlet group on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. We have added an open practice on Saturdays from 8:15-9:45 am at Columbus North Sports Club. These are open to any Silver, Scarlet or Buckeye 3 swimmer. They start September 15.

We will have a general team meeting on Sunday, September 16. At this meeting we will discuss meet registration procedures via our new online registration system and general team policies. This meeting will be held in front of the OWU aquatics center (outdoors) at 5:30, weather permitting. If it is raining, we will move the meeting to 6:00 inside the facility. Please check our team calendar on Sunday, 9/16 - if the meeting is moved indoors it will have changed to 6:00. The team calendar can be founnd by heading to www.bkyswim.com - roll over What's New then click on Team Calendar.

Kastaway swimwear will be at practice at Ohio Wesleyan Sunday, September 16 so that you can purchase this years team suit, practice equipment and order any team apparel that you would like for the upcoming year.