Hi All,

Thank you for a great first week! It was great seeing so many familiar faces and welcoming so many new ones!

• Sign ups
• Suits
• T-Shirts
• Sponsors
• Recruiting
• Swimtopia App- alerts
• Swim Lessons
• Parent Meeting
• Thank you’s

Signups: I will be finalizing all sign ups for the remainder of the season, hopefully by tonight. If anyone has any questions about how to use this function on our website please contact me. The sign ups include:

• Munchin Marlins sign up (RSVP, lead and requested items),
• Meet Declarations (attending or not attending)
• Concession Donations for home meets,
• Volunteer positions for meets
• Award ceremony, RSVP and lead (food coordination only)

Team Suits: the ordering deadline has passed. If you have not ordered a suit you still can by calling Keifer Aquatics in Cary. Just let them know you are with Manchester and what size you need. Please have it shipped as I am only picking up orders that were placed by 5/22. This is not mandatory, The only requirements are a one piece suit for girls and preferably jammers for boys.

T Shirts- they will be Dri-Fit, white shirt with blue printing. They are optional but most people purchase them if they do not still have shirts from previous years. We wear them to our meets and for our team picture. The design is being finalized with our sponsor logos, Once finalized we will send an alert notifying you that the purchasing link is active. There will be a tight turn around time for ordering.

Sponsors- this week is our last push for Sponsors. Sponsorships help pay for Junior Coaches, Awards and Trophies, and team equipment. If you know anyone who would be willing to sponsor, please let me know, I am included a handout with more details. Thank you to those who have obtained sponsorships or have sponsored directly. Some of our 2026 commitments include:

• Statewide Construction- the Curtis family
• Rick Hall Eyewear- the Ward Family
• Chick Fil A Falls Village and Six Forks and Strickland- the Barnes Family
• Hartsfield and Nash Insurance- the Garkalns Family
• Dominion Realty Partners, LLC- the Garkalns Family
• Farina Italian- Jessie Miller

Recruiting- we do not have a deadline to register so please still refer our team to others who may be interested.

Swimtopia App- please download and enable push notifications so that you are able to receive alerts. We use this feature for urgent updates such as practice changes due to weather.

Swim Lessons- our Coaches are available for swim lessons- if your child wants extra help or if you know someone who is looking for something other than AquaTots 😊 Please contact Coach Sam (919-455-4975) or me (919-345-9359 or [email protected]) and we will work to assess needs and skill and match swimmers up with the appropriate coach. MSRC Coaches are the only approved swim instructors for our pool.

Parent Meeting- thank you to those who attending the Parent Meeting on Wednesday. I am pasting a recap of that meeting at the bottom of this status email- it is helpful to review even if you are a veteran swim parent!

Thank you- I want to acknowledge the following people who have stepped up in a big way to help support our team this year.

• Connie Garkalns- the Garkalns family has once again agreed to lead Meet Concessions this year. This is a very large undertaking and involves many hours of planning and work. Connie has also volunteered to handle T-Shirts for me this year and once again will be ordering our signage and banners. Also, Connie is a fundraising star. We greatly appreciate the sponsorships she has obtained. Thank you Connie- you are a lifesaver!
• Alej Keigan has volunteered to be our new Stroke and Turn Judge. This is a vital role during a meet and involves extra time outside of a meet getting certified. Thank you Alej!
• Heather Huffine- thank you for agreeing to be our Starter at our home meets this year! It’s a job everyone is afraid of and you are a Master!
• Andrew Miller and Ashley Brodzinski for facilitating our new Marlins Mural. It looks fantastic and is a great backdrop for those social media photos!

As always if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me ([email protected] or 919-345-9359) or reach out to meet at the pool (I am at most practices.)

Thank you everyone for your support!

Go Marlins!

-Jackie

2026 Swim Team Season Parent Meeting Notes

Meeting date: May 26, 2026

Coaching Staff

• Head Coaches: Sam Miller and Jessie Miller

• Junior Coaches: Jake Huffine, Addie Ward, and Gavin Ivory

• Helpers: Sam Huffine and Abbott Keegan

All coaches grew up on the team and are excited to work with swimmers this season.

Website and Communication

The team website is manchestermarlins.swimtopia.com. Families should review it regularly for information (such as Swim Meet 101 which describes everything you need to know about a meet), practice schedules, news posts, and sign-ups.

• Download the SwimTopia app and enable push notifications for urgent alerts such as weather delays and practice changes.

• Check email regularly for weekly updates, meet information, sign-up reminders, and action items.

Practice Expectations and Safety

• During 6-and-under practice, parents and siblings should not be in the shallow end or in lanes 1 and 2 unless authorized by Coaches. Older siblings may use lanes 3-6 but must vacate lane 6 if a lap swimmer wants to use it.

• Please leave space around the edge of the pool so coaches can safely supervise swimmers. Do not put chairs up against pool edge.

• Limit interaction with swimmers during practice so they can stay focused on coaching instructions.

• Outside practice times, parents remain responsible for supervising their children in the pool. Coaches are vigilant and are aware of happening on the pool deck, but ultimately their focus is on the swimmers in the practice group.

• Please do not use team equipment such as kickboards or noodles during practice unless directed.

• Bring goggles, towels, and water to every practice. You can get dehydrated while swimming in a pool.

• Please clean up personal items, return any equipment, and lower table umbrellas after practice.

Weather Policy

• Practice will continue in rain unless heavy rain prevents visibility to the bottom of the pool.

• If there is thunder, swimmers must exit the pool and remain out for 30 minutes after the last thunderclap.

• If there is lightning, everyone must clear the pool deck and remain off deck for 30 minutes after last lightning strike.

• We will send alerts if practice needs to be canceled due to weather.

Swimsuits

• The swimsuit deadline has passed, but additional suits may still be available through Kiefer Aquatics. They may not be in stock.

• I will be distributing suits that were ordered at practices.

• Team suits are not required as long as girls wear a solid one-piece and boys wear jammers if possible.

Team Shirts

• Team t-shirts will be Dri-Fit white with blue print and are optional. We will try to have Women’s fit sizes.

• Once sponsor information is finalized, families can order shirts through the SwimTopia merchandise section.

• We will send an alert when the purchasing link is active- it is on our website under Merchandise tab. You will order and pay online.

Sponsorships

Sponsors help fund junior coaches, equipment, awards, trophies, and other team needs.

• Families are encouraged to share sponsor opportunities with local businesses, family, or friends.

• Sponsors are recognized on team shirts, our website, meet banners, parking lot signs, our home meet concession stand, and through meet announcements.

• The sponsor deadline is this week so that logos can be included on printed shirts.

Volunteering

Each family is asked to volunteer at 3 of the 6 meets. The team depends on volunteers to operate meets successfully.

• Full meet roles include Clerk of Course, Order of Finish Judge, Announcer, Stroke and Turn Judge, Starter, and possible timers.

• Less time intensive roles include Participant Ribbon distribution, water distribution, meet setup, concessions help, Runner, and kid pushers.

• All descriptions are on our web site.

• Families will receive training for assigned volunteer roles.

• Please ask me if you have any questions about these roles

• Signups will be on the same page on website as meet declarations.

Munchin Marlins

• Each Monday before a swim meet, the team hosts a dinner called Munchin Marlins.

• Each week needs a lead volunteer to select the menu (theme- breakfast for dinner, sub night, Italian, tacos, etc.) and organize food (purchase everything and charge per child eating, create signups for all items or a mixture of both.)

• Set up is between 5 and 5:15, 6 and Unders eat at 5:30, everyone else eats at 6:30 and then clean up is usually done by 7 PM.

• You can sign up to be a Lead or to contribute on the Sign Up Calendar on our website.

• Please RSVP so that we have a proper headcount.

Concession Donations

• Concession donations are also needed for home meets. These include water, bags of ice, soft drinks, Gatorade, baked goods, and fruit.

• Donation sign-ups are on the Sign Up Calendar on our website

• Non-perishable items should be dropped off Monday night at the pool; perishable items should be brought at the start of the meet.

Swim Caps

• Swim caps will be distributed at the first meet.

• No caps allowed with other team or company logos.

Awards Banquet

• The end-of-season banquet is on July 15 or 16. It is a potluck at the pool.

• Swimmers age 10 and under receive trophies; swimmers age 11 and up receive medals with pins.

• A volunteer chairperson is requested to coordinate banquet food and cake logistics.

• Families are encouraged to take photos throughout the season for the banquet slideshow.

Feedback

• Questions or feedback about practice can be shared with Jackie or Coaches Sam and Jessie. Texting the coaches is preferred over email for practice-related communication.

Recruiting

• There is no deadline to join the team, and new swimmers are welcome throughout the season.

• Families should help spread the word to others who may want to participate.

Meet Declarations

• For every meet, families must declare whether their swimmer is attending or not attending using the SwimTopia signup calendar.

• Meet declaration deadlines are Sunday night so coaches can prepare lineups, lane assignments, heat sheets, and relay teams.

• If plans change after declaring, families should notify Coach Sam immediately.

• If a swimmer must arrive late or leave early, families should still communicate that so the coaches can plan accordingly.

Required Sign-Ups

Families should complete the following sign-ups in SwimTopia weekly:

• Meet declarations- attending or not attending

• Volunteer roles

• Concession donations if able

• Munch and Marlins RSVPs and food support

 Families were encouraged to ask questions at practice, by email, or by text.