Welcome to the 2014 Strack Cougar Swim Team!

I hope the following letter will answer any questions you may have concerning our upcoming season. There will be an information meeting in room 229 on Thursday, April 3rdat either 8:15am or 4:00pm. Parent meeting will be on April 7th at the KC Natatorium at 5:30.

Practices will be held at the Klein Collins High School Natatorium. We will be practicing after school until 5:20 p.m. The bus will leave from Strack at about 4:05 to take students to Klein Collins. Any student that causes problems on the bus, will NOT be allowed to ride the bus, and will have to provide their own transportation. Parents will need to pick their child up at the north entrance to Klein Collins at 5:20 p.m. It is important that parents are on time! Klein police will be contacted if a child remains after 5:45 p.m.

* Tryouts are on April 7thand 9th for all swimmers*

* Practice begins April 14th for all swimmers, AND the 1st meet is a practice meet on April 17th*

Practice will be on Mondays and Wednesdays @ Klein Collins High School Natatorium from 4:10 - 5:20 p.m. (If you are currently swimming on a year-round swim team, please feel free to go to your team practice. I do request that these swimmers try to attend at least one practice a week with the Strack team.)

Bus, Locker rooms, and Practice Behavior

  • The School Trip Permission Form MUST be turned in before a swimmer will be allowed to ride the bus to practice. Klein ISD does NOT allow calling for verification. Permission must be in writing.
  • Must be on best behavior on bus and at practice.
  • Poor behavior at practice and the swimmer will be asked to leave the pool area. Subsequent poor behavior will result in removal from the team.
  • Swimmers will need to change at Strack before riding the bus to KC for practice or to any of the meets. Locker rooms may be used at the end of the practice, if needed, and team members need to respect the usage and items left by KC swimmers in the locker rooms. If any problems in the locker rooms arise, all members will be banned from the locker rooms.
  • Swimmers are expected to remain in their assigned practice lane at all times unless directed by a coach to move elsewhere.
  • Swimmers are expected to finish all warm-ups, sets, and cool downs without modification.
  • Swimmers are expected to participate in all team drill practices directed by the coach (or coach’s assistants).

As always, a physical is required to be on file in the athletic department. If your child already had one on file for the current year, there is no need to have another one. If your child does not have a current physical on file, the physical form must be turned in before practice begins. NO ATHLETE WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT A PHYSICAL ON FILE.

Swim meets will be held on Thursday evenings. The bus will leave Strack at about 4:15 for all meets. Warm ups will begin at 5:00 p.m., and the meet begins at 5:30 p.m. Most meets are over by 7:30 (Exception: The district meet will last longer). All athletes must ride the bus to all meets. WE WILL NOT HAVE A BUS TO RETURN SWIMMERS TO STRACK. PARENTS NEED TO PICK UP THEIR STUDENTS AT THE MEET LOCATION AT 7:30. THERE WILL BE A SIGN OUT SHEET AT THE MEET. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SIGN YOUR CHILD OUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!

For each meet, we will need about 10 parents to help as scorers and timers. If you are able, please check the box on the Student Swim Team Information Sheet.

Girls are required to wear one piece suits. No bikinis will be allowed. Boys may wear swim trunks, speedo, or other type competitive suits. No long legged swim shorts will be allowed. Each swimmer is responsible for his or her own towel, goggles and other personal articles. We have a team suit that is optional. Many students choose to use it for the Strack season and then use it as a practice suit for summer league.THIS IS OPTIONAL AND NOT ORDERED THROUGH STRACK. Lane 4 Swim Shops will be at the pool on Monday April 7th, during the parent meeting to order suits. Do not wear it or remove tags until you know if you have made the team.

Now, for the accountability part! Since competitive swimming is a team sport, I feel it is only fair to the other athletes on the team that a standard be set early, so here goes....

If you are unable to swim in a meet, it is your (the athlete’s) responsibility to let me know the day BEFORE the meet. If you are absent on the day of a meet, you will be dropped from that meet unless we have talked in advance. If you are on a relay and you do not let me know that you will not be at the meet prior to the day before the meet date or you do not show up for a meet, you will not be placed on any more relays for the season. Failure to attend a meet without notification for other than the most extenuating of circumstances will result in removal from the team. You must swim in at least one meet to be eligible for the district meet.

As with any sport, you must be passing to be eligible for meets. Grades will be checked at the end of the 4th and 5th six weeks and again at progress report times. If you are ineligible at the end of the 5th six weeks and do not regain eligibility at progress report time, you will be dropped from the team.

Once again we will have a team shirt. T-shirt order forms are in the packet. Please make sure you print your name neatly so your name is not misspelled on the shirt. Also, parents you must sign the shirt form giving permission for your child’s name to be on the back of the shirt.

Thank you and I hope this swim season will be a rewarding experience for all!

See you soon...

Coach Dresner

Coach Lindquist

DUE ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF TRYOUTS:

1. Parent Swimmer Checklist

2. Bus permission slip (You will NOT be allowed on the bus to go to tryouts or practice without this!)

3. Strack Swim Team Information Form

4. Physical (if not already on file with the P.E. Department for this school year.)

5. T-shirt order form. (Money will be returned if your child does not make the team).