Hi,

The season is going by so fast; we are already at our first meet next week! There are some important signups listed below that you should begin filling out. Please let me know if you have any questions about completing these tasks. At the bottom of this email are instructions about Swimtopia for those who are new to this platform.

All Signups for the season have been opened:  The entire season schedule has been updated and all swimmer declaration, RSVP's, donation and volunteer signups are open. Please begin declaring your swimmer for meets (attend or not attend), RSVPing for Munchin Marlins and signing up for Concession donations, Munchin Marlins food items and meet volunteer positions.  

First Munchin Marlins next Monday 6/9- Thank you to Lauren Ward for being the Muchin Marlin Lead Coordinator, as well as for hosting the first dinner this year. We will need more hosting volunteers for the remaining weeks. If you are interested in leading a dinner you can sign yourself up under the Jobs section for your desired week. You can then work with Lauren to update the website with information specific to your week (theme, items to bring, cost (if applicable.) If you have any questions about what is involved please do not hesitate to reach out to Lauren at 919-601-0956.

First Meet Tuesday 6/10- Intrasquad Meet at MSRC

• Please declare your swimmers. If they are not declared as attending this meet they cannot be added to the lineup. The deadline to declare for any meet is at 6 PM EST on Sunday before each meet. Coaches are required by the TSA league to submit lineups on Sunday night so this deadline is vital.
• Please start signing up for volunteer positions. Under Meets & Events on our website there are descriptions of each role for those who are new to the team. If you have any questions about a role please reach out to me.
• Concession donation sign up: Thank you to Connie Garkalns for once again stepping up to handle this role.  We greatly appreciate Connie's assistance with this very important Volunteer task. 

This meet will be run a little differently than normal. We will still print heat sheets and run all volunteer positions, but realizing that there are many new families we will slow the pace down a bit to allow for some volunteer training. We will also have a couple of fun events in between strokes to allow swimmers to rest.

Extra events:

🍕 Intrasquad Meet Concessions & Pizza Pre-Order!

Get ready for our upcoming Intrasquad Meet with a fully stocked concession stand and a pizza pre-order from Bella Italia!

Cheese pizza (whole, 18"): $17 – to order a pizza sign up for a "job" on the sign up Calendar. If you want to order more than 1 please contact Connie at !

On-site, we’ll also have a variety of fruit, baked goods, and drinks to keep swimmers and spectators fueled.

• Cannonballs- for anyone who wants to participate (parents included) they will line up in an orderly fashion behind the blocks when called. 
• Coaches Relay- parents can also form a team for fun
• 🥧 Pie-a-Coach Fundraiser – Marlins Style! 🐬 Ready to make a splash and a mess? For just $5, you can take your best shot and pie a coach in the face — no raffle, no drawing, just pure whipped cream glory! That’s right — a $5 donation = one pie straight to the face of a willing Marlins coach. It’s all in good fun and supports our team! So grab your pie, aim with love, and help us raise money the sweetest (and stickiest) way possible. 🐬💥🥧
• Social Time at the Pool: I anticipate that this meet will be over much quicker than a normal meet- families are welcome to enjoy the pool after the meet to socialize, meet new families and celebrate our "win."

Swim Suits and Caps- Swim suits ordered prior to 5/29 have been picked up and distributed. If you ordered yours after that date they will be mailed to you. Caps will be distributed at the first meet. 

Sponsors: Thank you very much to our 2025 Sponsors!! Your generosity and support are appreciated and are vital to our team. Thank you also to Connie Garkalns for once again designing our Sponsor banners. Please visit the Sponsor tab on our website!

New this year: Special Fundraising Event:

🎉 Parent’s Night Out at Pro3:5 Sports – Fundraiser for the Marlins! 🐬

Need a night out? We’ve got you covered — and your kids will have a blast, too!
Join us for a Parent’s Night Out hosted by Pro3:5 Sports, one of our amazing team sponsors. This 2.5-hour event is packed with supervised fun for the kids — and it supports the Marlins!

🗓️ Date and registration details coming soon! Separate notification will be sent out by Connie Garkalns.

Here’s what to expect:

• Drop off anytime after 6:00 PM
• Check in your student at arrival
• Kids should wear gym shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt
• Pro3:5 will provide pizza and drinks for dinner
• Fun games, sports, and activities all night long!

💥 Bonus: The Marlins will receive 40% of the profits from this event — so your night out also helps fund our season!

It’s a win for parents, a blast for kids, and a boost for our team. Stay tuned for sign-up info!

SUMMARY OF PARENT TO DO ITEMS:

• This week- the signups for concession donations and Munchin Marlin food items for our first dinner are available if you are able and willing to donate items. 
• By Sunday 6/8 at 6 PM EST:
  • Declare your swimmer for 6/10 meet, 
  • Volunteer Job signup for 6/10 meet, 
  • Munchin Marlins 6/9 RSVP and item sign up, 
  • Signups for rest of season for those who want to get ahead 😊

I will send another update later this week actual meet details (timing, etc.) and with anything I missed on today’s message.

Thanks everyone! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions!

Jackie Miller

919-345-9359

[email protected]

Swimtopia: this is our team's official platform for schedules, meet sign-ups, volunteer shifts, communications, and more. Website is www.manchestermarlins.swimtopia.com. For new parents- you need to have created an account when you registered your swimmer.

When you registered online, you should have received two emails:

• first confirming your swimmer(s)
• second with instructions to set up your SwimTopia account

If you didn’t complete your account setup, just go to the site and click “Login” > enter your email > click “Forgot Password.” You’ll get an email to reset your password and access your account.

Once your account is created you will use it to do the following each week:

• Meet declarations – you must let us know if your swimmers are attending each meet. The default is not attending, so please make sure that you update this each week. Deadline for each week is 6 PM on Sunday night. If your swimmer is not marked as attending they cannot be added to the lineup.
• Volunteer sign-ups & job descriptions
• Review Team documents & announcements- found under About>News

All signups can be found under Meets & Events>SignUp Calendar.

If you have any questions about how to perform any of these tasks please reach out to me or consult help info at Meets & Events>Signup Instructions.

*** Swim meets can be a scary thing for new swimmers.  Although we are disappointed that our opponent forfeited leaving us without a team to swim against, I think it is a great opportunity for new swimmers to learn what a meet is all about in a more relaxed setting. I highly encourage you to sign your swimmers up. If they absolutely do not want to swim in a meet please still attend to support our team and join in the fun on deck!