NewsSplash: New Swimmer Fall Swim Tryouts, Awards Ceremony, Open Board Positions, End of Season Survey

Benicia Stingrays

We hope you are enjoying your last couple of weeks of summer before the school year starts!  Here are a few updates!

 

Fall Swim Tryouts for NEW 10/Under Swimmers

  • We have two dates for new 10/Under swimmers to try out for Fall Swim.  Remember that all new 10/under swimmers must demonstrate independence and safety in the water.  We cannot guarantee we will have junior coaches in the water with the swimmers.  All new 10/unders to the Stingrays, please plan to attend ONE of these dates:
    • ​Wednesday, August 19th at 5:00 PM OR
    • Wednesday, August 26th at 5:00 PM
  • Go to the lap swim pool at the back of the complex and look for Coach Steve so he can direct your swimmer.  Your swimmer should be able to float independently, put their face in the water, and swim 25 yards of backstroke and freestyle without a coach in the water with them.  They don't have to be perfect, but they need to be water-safe and able to keep up with practice.
  • If the coaches find your swimmer not quite ready to join the team,  we will refund your registration fees minus the $25 credit card processing fee.  If you do not attend tryouts and your swimmer cannot keep up in practice, all registration fees are non-refundable. 

 

Awards Ceremony:  Sunday, August 30th, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

 

Open Board Positions

  • We are still looking to fill two open board member positions.  All board members are responsible for their individual job and for attending monthly board meetings (yup, we meet year-round!)  If you want a say in the team and to get to know the coaches better, this is the way to do it!  All board member positions are a minimum of a 2 year commitment.

  • Social Director​

    • The Social Director should be organized and fun!  You will plan and organize the season-opening welcome party, Family Fun Night, the July 3rd Torchlight Parade, Spirit Week/Coaches' Appreciation Week, and the Awards Ceremony. The current board members can help guide you in your role.  We have the contacts, know where everything is stored, and have the general outline for the events.  We won't leave you hanging out to dry!  And, you are welcome to make these events your own and update them as you see fit!  

  • Communication Director

    • This is a big role.  It is one of the most critical positions to maintain smooth team function. You should be very organized and able to function independently.  You must keep track of all deadlines and upcoming events because these need to be communicated to the membership promptly and without oversight from the President, Meet Director, etc.  
    • The Communication Director keeps the website up to date, composes and sends out all of the NewsSplashes, and replies to all general team emails. You also work directly with our Social Media Director to request social media posts as needed.  You don't have to know the answer to every email that comes to you, but you need to be comfortable asking the appropriate board member or coach for help to obtain the answers.  You should be comfortable being pleasantly persistent to get answers as needed. All incoming emails should be answered promptly (at most a 24-hour turnaround time) and in a professional and friendly manner.  As you are the face of the team, you need to stay on top of emails.  
    • Good grammar is a plus!  At least 1-2 years of experience on the team is necessary, and it is helpful if your swimmer attends most of the meets and social events.  Attending invitationals is a huge bonus, but not absolutely required.  If you don't attend the meets and events, it will be difficult for you to communicate effectively about them.  
    • We are looking for a shadow for the 2027 season, and this person should be able to independently take over for the 2028 season.  I (Jill Magno) will work with you all next season to ensure you are comfortable with the position. I have no computer background, and I find the website is straightforward to update.  Due to the website setup, we are fairly limited in how we can alter the display and setup.  After 10 years as communication director, I only have 16-year-old Evan left on the team.  It is time to get a younger family to take over this role. 

 

End of Season Survey

  • ​Please complete the end of season survey by August 20th.  We can't make improvements if you don't tell us what needs improving!  Also, if you have something particularly nice to say about a particular coach or experience, we are happy to pass along those words too!