AHSTC News 5/23

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 Otters Club, AP Tennis, Tennis & Dive Updates

Dear Members,

We hope everyone’s Memorial Day weekend was a fabulous one.  We will be adjusting the weekly email from Monday AM to Monday PM at 7pm.  Thank you for reading the updates.

OTTERS CLUB

Scrambling to finalize activities for your child when school’s out,  we have space available for them in our newly formed otter’s club.

https://ahstc.com/otters-club/ – Otters Club is a program that provides activities, snacks and supervision for registered youth members each weekday from 9 am to 1:30 pm.

 Anja Vander Hijde will be the lead for Otters Club! I am a native West Seattle-ite and attended university in Arizona at Grand Canyon University where I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology as well as Minors in Criminal Psychology and Counseling. I have been working in childcare for the past 12 years in various settings – from babysitting, to nannying, to after school enrichment. You may recognize me from working in the office the last 4 summers. I am very excited to get this program rolling and to hang with your kiddos!

 

YOUTH TENNIS

Spring Tennis will kick off on Monday June 2nd, please check the practice schedule for the times that work best for you.

There are only a few spots left for our Advanced Performance clinic which will kick off Saturday May 31 at 1:00 PM.   SIGN UP HERE We are very lucky to have Coach Tam lead the  advanced clinic.

Coach Tam grew up watching her father and brother play tennis. At the age of 7, she decided to give it a go and the rest is history! Tam played varsity tennis all four years of high school and went on to play for an NCAA D1 university. Tam is USTA certified and worked as a tennis pro at Casewell Tennis Center for two years before returning to the Pacific Northwest. She currently coaches a 16U USTA junior tennis team, and we are thrilled to welcome Tam to our coaching team this season!

 

DIVE

Announcing our new Assistant dive coach, Ben Leonardo.

 

“Hi, I’m Ben Leonardo, and I’m from West Seattle!  I currently am in my 2nd year at Cal-Poly SLO as a psychology major with a neurobiology minor.  I have done dive since I was a freshman in high school and I’m so happy to be able to help coach at the Arb!

Thanks to those who have registered for Dive already, it’s going to be a great Season at the Arb! Registration is Open:

ADULT TENNIS

Programs will begin on Saturday June 14.  We are trying something new this season due to scheduling & coaching conflicts.  All sessions in June will be in the morning.

As we ramp up, join us for a tennis mixer Saturday, May 31 at 6:30 PM – All skill levels welcome

Things will be heating up in July and August as we bring in Special Guest Coach from Palm Desert, CA to the Arb!  New Live Ball Tennis Sessions will start July 12. Sign up now to reserve your spot as these will fill up quickly.  Check out the website for class descriptions and Coach Caerwyn’s Bio

Swim Team – Spring Week #3

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Hello swim team families,

Just two things for this week:
1. No practice tomorrow, Memorial Day.
2. The Team Store is open! Order by Friday May 30 if you want your apparel to arrive before summer starts. If you miss this deadline, we will also do another order in June, but it won’t arrive until July.
Otter Tees ($15 cotton, $17 poly) & Hoodies ($25)
 
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AH Wave tees ($20), tanks ($20), hoodies ($30) & quarter or full zip ($35)

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AHSTC News 5/19

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Today’s email is a friendly reminder about recycling at our club facilities. As fellow community members who love our beautiful Seattle surroundings, let’s work together to keep our corner of the world green and clean!

Next time you’re at the club, please take an extra moment to check what goes where in our recycling bins.  Not sure what can be recycled? Check it out: https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/your-services/collection-and-disposal/recycling

We’ve all accidentally tossed the wrong item in the recycling bin (those plastic coffee cup lids can be tricky!), but with a little attention, we can make a big difference together.

Teams Reminders (Repeat from last week)

Registration for Dive Team is now open –  Team Registration .

For those new to Dive, suits must be plain red or can be ordered online with custom Otters Logo here :  https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/arborheights

 

Events for the week:  https://ahstc.com/calendar/

Swim Team – Spring week 2

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Well… that was a cold and rainy first week of practice. Hopefully the weather will start looking more summery soon!
Here’s some reminders about what’s coming up:
Swim Team 101 Orientation on Tuesday
Join us Tuesday May 20 8-9 pm for a virtual orientation about swim team. Everyone is welcome-  if you’re new, have questions, want to talk about swim team, or just say hello, drop on in!  Here is the  Google Meet Link 
Team Suits 
We have the same team suit as last year. If you don’t have one, or need a new one- they’re available in the Team Store (if you want one).   I am behind on getting apparel set up but we’ll also have an order form up soon for t-shirts, hoodies, etc. (also same designs as last year… if you have thoughts or ideas for apparel reach out, there’s still time!)
No Practice on Memorial Day 
No practice next Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday. Enjoy the long weekend! There is also no practice on Juneteenth June 19. 
 
All Teams Party June 20 Evening
Mark your calendars! The all teams party is for everyone in swim, dive, and tennis team to celebrate the start of summer. It will start at 5:30 and go until the pool closes. We’ll be serving up burgers and dogs, with potluck sides and desserts. 
 
Red & Blue Time Trials Meet June 21 Morning
The morning after our all teams party is Red and Blue — plan to arrive with your swimmer by 8 am, and to stay at the pool until around 11. I’ll have a link for volunteers posted soon. Red & Blue is an important event for practicing how a swim meet goes– both for swimmers and for parent volunteers.
That’s it for now- feel free to reach out if you have questions.
Warmly,
Kirsty

Free Tennis Clinic Cancelled due to Rain

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Good Morning, Due to rain, we are cancelling today’s youth tennis clinic that was scheduled for this afternoon. We will look at future dates and post something. Thank You, AH Tennis

Swim Team – Spring #1

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Hello Swim Team Families,

Spring practice starts TODAY! For the rest of the season, you can expect Sunday emails each week…this one is a little late, am still knocking off the rust.

Practices

Practice starts today, refer to this practice schedule if you need it. Bring suit, googles, towel, and a swim cap if you have one- they aren’t necessary but a lot of kids wear them, and they’re nice for keeping hair off the face and limiting chlorine damage.

At your first practice, please check in with the coaches at the start of your practice time. Speedy Six families- you start tomorrow. Practice is Tues/Th for the spring and there are 2 timeslots to choose from– feel free to show up for the one that works best for you- we’ll see how the numbers balance out and make adjustments as needed. Spring is preseason, and practice is optional. We know many are juggling other sports and activities, and practice times conflict with tennis or dive for most age groups. If you have conflicts and can only make some practices- that is ok! If you have a schedule conflict, there may also be some flexibility in swimming up or down an age group for the spring depending on your swimmer’s ability – talk with Coach Chris if you are interested in exploring this option. While spring practice is optional… if your swimmer is young or a new to swim team, we hope you’ll prioritize making time for practice. Time invested in the water during preseason is so valuable for building strength and endurance, which improves water safety and will help your swimmer be more successful during the summer when the pace picks up. (And it will pick up!)

Registration

If you are getting this email, it means you’ve registered for swim team/Starter Swim. Thank you! We have 150 signed up so far, and I anticipate our numbers will grow to about 200 as we get closer to summer. Registration closes June 20.

Season Schedule 

Check out our season overview calendar for information about upcoming events, and if you use an electronic calendar, here’s the ics URL if you want to subscribe to the swim team calendar.

Team Suits & Caps

Team suits are available in our Team Store! Our 2025 team suit is the same as last year-  a solid red printed with the AH Otters logo. If you are ordering a team suit, order early to ensure you have your suit in time for Picture Day on June 27. Plain red suits are also fine- and the team suit isn’t required. The most important thing is that your swimmer is comfortable. Email me if you have any questions! As is our tradition, team caps will be distributed at the Red & Blue meet – we will also offer silicone team caps for purchase ($10 ea).

Coaching Update

This season we are welcoming back our head coach Chris Veraya, and Assistant Coach Jojo Southwell, who will be moving into the lead assistant role this year. Rounding out our coaching team is Ty Sunderland, Julia Bentler, and finally Addie Wisen, who will be joining us nearer to the summer once she’s home from college. We are also happy to have Intern Coach Sadie Pallotta returning to lead the Speedy Sixers, and will be adding one more speedy coach TBA.

Volunteering

We are a community club and working together to make things happen is how we do things at the Arb! Running a swim team, and swim meets, is not possible without volunteers, and every family is expected to do a minimum of 4 volunteer hours per swimmer.

I am also looking for a few leaders to step in and fill some key roles this year in officiating, volunteer coordination, and swim meet logistics. We have 3 home meets this year, plus Red and Blue and B-Champs and I would love some help– email me if you’re willing to step into the otter magic inner circle this season and let’s chat!   😉

New to Swim Team

Are you new to the team this year? Welcome! We are happy you’re here. You may be feeling somewhat overwhelmed… we’re kind of a lot, I know. But I promise that it gets easier! For families who are new and/or who have questions about swim team, I’ll be doing a virtual orientation on Tuesday May 20 8-9 pm here is the  Google Meet Link 

For those still reading and are new here– Hi! I’m Kirsty, I’m the AHSTC board member who coordinates the swim team. I’m a volunteer and also have a day job… so thanks in advance for your patience with my communications. I have two teens on the swim team:  Avi who is almost-16 (almost driving!!) and Helena who is 13. They have been on swim team since they were littles and are not serious year-round swimmers, we do other sports/activities in the offseason and return to the pool each summer for summer swim league. I am an OG West Seattleite, I grew up at the Arb and swam on the swim team at the Arb from age 7-17. My flex is that I still have one record on the AHSTC board, the 8U medley relay. I’d love to see it broken someday- but it’s a tough one because back then it was normal to let swimmers dive on both sides of the pool for races… because…well, it was the 80’s. If you can believe it, when I first started swimming at the Arb, the blocks were located at the shallow end of the pool–  what were they thinking??

Anyway, looking forward to a safe, sunny and fabulous summer of swim team! Can’t wait to see you all at the Arb!

 

 

Kirsty Grainger

[email protected]  |  ig: @ahstc.otters @arborheightspool

AHSTC News 5/12

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Tennis courts closed on 5/18, parties and rental reservations, and tennis clinics

 

Dear Members,

We are so excited to see all of you back at the pool. It was wonderful to meet new members at our Opening Day BBQ and we appreciate all that came out.

A few quick notes and reminders

Please remember to drive no faster than 25 mph along 31st Ave SW and be respectful of our neighbors who are walking, biking, and often out with their children. Thank you!

Tennis Courts reserved for event May 18, 9:00 – 11:30 am

In an effort to keep costs down for members, we are experimenting with short-term rentals to high school tennis teams in the off-season for the Club. The first rental will be Sunday, May 18 from 9 am – 11:30 am. The O’Dea tennis team (the club has four member boys on the team, Roll Irish!) will also have a brunch in front of Court 1 on the grass at 11:30, and the courts will then re-open for members. Since the tennis season for Metro League is in the Spring (March- May), this opens the door to future rentals in 2026, and potentially rentals for other leagues in the fall. We do not plan to rent the courts during the summer, this is an exception we are making because of the number of Arb boys on the team.

Parties in 2025

We know members love to host parties at the Arb, and we love for you to host them. A series of noise complaints and a visit from the Seattle Police Department last year (that Dive party is always…loud) alerted us that quiet hours in the Arb’s neighborhood begin at 10 pm on weekend nights, not 11 pm as we previously thought. As such, the Club is at risk for fines and potential legal action from neighbors if we don’t quiet our wild, partying ways.

As such, we are going to move private rentals to a new time, from 8 pm – 10 pm instead of the 9 pm- 11 pm time slot we are all familiar with. This means two things: 1) the pool will still be open for members during the first hour of the party, and 2), the parties will need to wrap up quickly at 10 pm. A straw poll with some of you suggests that the earlier hours may be better for many, but we realize this is a change and sometimes change is hard. The staff and guards will endeavor to be extra helpful for party people to set up and take down events. Thank you for understanding, and we note this is a work in progress.

Teams Reminders

Registration for Dive Team is now open –  Team Registration

For those new to Dive, suits must be plain red or can be ordered online with custom Otters Logo here :  https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/arborheights

Youth Tennis 

There will be a free youth tennis clinic for those youth who want to explore the upcoming Advanced Tennis Clinic on Saturday 5/17 at 1:00 PM

Ready to sign up – use this link: Advanced Performance (AP) Tennis clinic series on Saturdays for intermediate to advanced level juniors wanting to refine their technique, strategy, and physical conditioning.

Adult Tennis

Registration is open for Adult Tennis Doubles Clinic on May 24 from 10:30 – 12:30

Stay tuned for more 2025 clinics and play instructs including Live Ball coming in July

Want to get ready for the season, check out the new Tennis items for sale and rent our new lightweight ball machine.

Ball Machine Rental Process. 

1. Machine is available on a first come first serve basis at the Front Desk during open pool hours

2. Must be a minimum of 16 years old to rent

3. Ball Machine can be rented at the Front Desk, pay using credit card – $15/hr

4. Machines are rented for one hour duration and credit card or Driver License will be collected

5. Upon returning the ball machine, your DL or CC will be returned

AHSTC News 5/5

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Opening Day, register for Otters Club, team updates, and some helpful reminders!

Opening Day:  Saturday, May 10th

Doors will open to just members on Saturday, May 10th.  Please see our calendar for times.   At 5:30, we will have our annual “Opening Day BBQ.”  Burgers, Hot dogs, Sides will be provided.  Please bring drinks or a dessert to share.   RSVP by Wednesday May 7 if you plan to join us for dinner on Opening Day.

Otters Club Registration Open 

Registration is open for Otters Club –  a supervised activity program for youth team members age 8-12. Otters Club runs from 9 am to 1:30 pm on weekdays, and the program fee is $100 per week. Preregistration is required and space is limited to 25 participants each week. Email Chris at [email protected] with any questions.

Youth Teams

Swim practice starts on Monday May 12. We are thrilled to welcome back Head Swim Coach Chris Veraya and Assistant Coach Jojo Southwell, who will be joined this season by rookie assistant coaches Julia Bentler, Tyler Sunderland, and Addie Wisen.

Dive practice starts on Monday, May 19. We are excited to welcome back Olivia Shields as the Head Coach for Dive and new Assistant Coach Ben Leonardo.  Ben is from West Seattle and is a graduate from Kennedy Catholic High School.  He is in his 2nd year at Cal Poly SLO as a Psychology major and a minor in Neurobiology.  He is excited to coach at the Arb this summer! For those new to Dive, team suits is plain red or can be ordered online with custom Otters Logo here.

Team registration is open – participants must be registered before starting practice, so don’t delay!  Other useful links: practice schedule, season schedule on club calendar.

Manager Corner

Just a couple of friendly reminders as we near the start of another great summer at the ARB!

  • No saving tables during weekend lap swim
  • To reserve 2-hour parties of up to 20 people, please call the front office starting May 10th @ 11 am
  • Please go slow on 31st Ave when going to and from the club

 

AHSTC News 4/29

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Team Registration is open, Youth AP Tennis Clinic, Otters Club, Opening Day, and Jobs

Dear Members,

We are so excited to kick off our summer season on Saturday May 15th.  In preparation for opening day, we have clean up this weekend, Saturday, May 3rd from 10am-1:00pm and Sunday, May 4th from 1-4pm.  If an adult member of your family works a minimum of three hours on either day, your clean up fee ($100 Family/ $50 senior) will be reimbursed.  Come prepared with gloves, gardening supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.

We look forward to seeing familiar faces and welcoming new members as another season begins at the Arb!

Opening Day 

Doors will open to just members on our first day.  At 5:30, we will have our annual “Opening Day BBQ.”  Burgers, Hot dogs, Sides will be provided.  Please bring drinks or a dessert to share.   Please RSVP by May 7 if you plan to join us for dinner on Opening Day.

Team Registration is Open! 

Registration is now open for youth teams! Use this link to register for teams

The practice schedule can be found here, and the season schedule can be found on the club calendar. Participants must be registered before starting practice. New to the Arb? For more information, visit each of the team pages at ahstc.com and reach out to the team rep via email with any questions.

Spring Youth Tennis Opportunities 

Tennis players- a change for 2025 tennis team is that registration for spring and summer will be separate, to optimize players’ abilities and availability.

We are also offering a new Advanced Performance (AP) Tennis clinic series on Saturdays for intermediate to advanced level juniors wanting to refine their technique, strategy, and physical conditioning. Contact Chris at [email protected] for more information.

New Pilot Program: Otters Club

Working parents- wondering how to juggle morning team practice schedule, your job, plus keep your kids busy all day? Otters Club is a supervised activity program for youth team members age 8-12 that runs from 9 am to 1:30 pm on weekdays. The goal is for parents to be able to drop their kids off in the morning for the day, knowing their kids are safe, fed, active, and having fun with teammates and friends.

The price for Otters Club is $100 per week per participant. Preregistration is required and space in the program will be limited to 25 participants each week. Registration will open on May 5 at 9 am. For more information check the Otters Club page or email Chris at [email protected].

Job Opportunities 

Almost all positions for the 2025 season are filled, but we are still looking to fill a couple of roles: