NewsSplash 3/11/2023: Season Updates (it's a long one)

Benicia Stingrays

Hello Stingrays,

Here are your weekly updates. Some of this is repetitive, but we wanted to make sure all of the newly signed up families receive this information as well.

 

New Stingray Clinic

  • If your swimmer is new to the Stingrays (it does not matter if they are brand new swimmers or have previously swum with other teams), they are invited to attend the new Stingray clinic on Monday March 20th-Thursday March 23rd, from 5:30-6:15pm at the James Lemos Pool.
  • This is an opportunity to meet the coaches and get their feet wet before the rest of the team starts practice on Monday, March 27th.

 

Swimsuit Updates

  • Fittings for the team suit will be Wednesday, March 29th, from 4:30-6:00pm.  This will be the only fitting taking place in Benicia.  If your swimmer is unable to make this fitting,  you may take your swimmer to Elsmore Swim Shop in Walnut Creek for an individual fitting. 
  • This season we will have two suit options for swimmers to choose from.  We will have the original team suit made by Dolfin and we will have a newer, more durable suit made by Arena.  The Arena suits are not able to accommodate the large Stingray graphic of our original suits, but they should be more durable and hopefully last for more than one season.  
  • You can see the images of the suits and get linked to the team online swim store from the main page of our website.  Here is the direct link.

 

Coaching Updates and Junior Coach Interviews (important if you want to junior coach!)

  • We are nailing down our final coaching staff for the season!  We have interviewed and hired new assistant coaches to assist Coach Mariska and Coach Miguel (bios coming soon!). Now we just need to finalize the junior coaching schedule.
  • If your 13 and up swimmer submitted an application to be a junior coach, they MUST sign up for an interview on either Monday, March 13th or Tuesday, March 14th.  We have yet to hear from about half of the junior coach applicants.  Parents, please check in with your teenager to make sure they have signed up for an interview time.  Applicants need to sign up for an interview time on SignUp Genius.  
  • If your teenager is currently a BHS swimmer, the interview will only be about 10 minutes and they can step away from practice for the interview (to occur at the James Lemos Pool).  We need to sort through their availability so we can ensure we have enough junior coaches scheudled for the 6/under practices.  

 

Free Swim Gear--One More Lap

 

Save the Dates!!!

  • Stingrays Welcome Party:  We are shooting for Sunday, April 30th at 11:00 at the Southampton Pool.  Details are still tentative but save the date!
  • Lapapalooza:  This is our main fundraiser of the year and swimmers have so much fun picking their prizes for raising money.   Much like a jogathon, the swimmers ask for pledges for swimming laps and they get fun prizes for doing so!  This is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th in the morning during practice hours.  We would like all swimmers to participate and we will need plenty of parents to volunteer (this is a great way to knock out one of your social volunteer job requirements!).  The volunteer job signups will be open soon.