June 2025 – Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

Member News 6/23

June 30, 2025/in Member News/by Kirsty Grainger

We hope you’re having an amazing week! Here’s everything exciting happening at AHSTC this week. Please make sure to always check the calendar before heading to the pool.

Manager’s Corner

Parking Lot Updates We’re thrilled to announce that we’re working on getting our parking lot restriped! In the meantime, if you’re parking in the gravel area, please help us keep things running smoothly by leaving the corner right by the dumpster clear. This ensures our garbage and recycling can be picked up without any issues (and helps us avoid those pesky fines!). When parking, please pull forward around the turn, leave plenty of room for the exit, and help us maximize our space. Thank you so much for your cooperation!

Pool Transition Time During the 30-minute window between lessons ending at 1:00pm and open swim starting at 1:30pm, we’ll ask everyone to clear the pool and check in with our fantastic front desk team. This helps us keep everything organized and safe for everyone.

First Swim Meet This Thursday! We’re hosting our very first home swim meet on Thursday, June 26th. The pool will be closing at 3:00pm that day so we can set up for this exciting event.

Guest Policy Reminders As the weather heats up and our club gets busier, please remember that when we’re close to capacity, we’ll need to temporarily close to guests. Don’t worry though – if you’ve already booked an open swim party, your guests will still be welcome during your scheduled party time. We’ll communicate capacity updates through Facebook, text, and our website.

Here’s a quick refresher on our guest policies:

You can bring up to 9 guests on any given day.
For more than 9 guests, please call at least 3 days in advance to book a 2-hour open swim party (this helps us ensure we have enough lifeguard staff.)
Our office staff will need guest information each visit, so guests will need to use a pass or pay and provide their name
You can purchase guest passes through your MembersSplash account or at the office
Most importantly: A family member must remain at the pool while you have guests – if you leave, your guests need to come with you

Team Reminders

Swim Team – First Meet Thursday! This Thursday marks our very first swim meet. Remember, the pool closes early at 3:00pm. Swim team families, please RSVP for your swimmer and sign up to volunteer by end of day Tuesday. Let’s make this first meet incredible!

Tennis Team Intersquad Match This Wednesday, our Youth Tennis team is hosting an exciting Intersquad Match from 5:00-8:00pm! Please RSVP via TeamSnap. We’ll continue with normal practices that day as well.

Missed the Tennis Meeting? No problem – check out the presentation slides [here]!

Team Picture Day Friday – Pancakes & Pictures! Friday, June 27th is our special Team Picture Day! No practice scheduled – just delicious pancakes and fantastic photos! You can pre-order photos or add to your order through July 2nd. [Order Team Photos here] (passcode: AH2025)

Friday’s Picture Schedule – Please Be On Time!

8:00am – Swim individual/sibling photos
8:30am – Swim team group photo
9:00am – Dive team group, then individual/sibling photos
10:00am – Tennis team group, then individual/sibling photos

Volunteers Needed for Breakfast! We need amazing volunteers to help make Picture Day perfect:

2-3 swim team members for setup
2-3 tennis team members for the later shift and cleanup [Please sign up to volunteer here]!

Dive Team Updates

Mandatory Parent-Coach Meeting Mark your calendars! Tuesday, June 24th at 7:00pm via Google Meet:

Meeting link: https://meet.google.com/mtv-zwjf-etc
Or dial: (US) +1 601-935-4087, PIN: 826 712 360#

Dive Team Pictures Friday, June 27th at 9:00am

First Dive Meet Coming Soon! Our first dive meet is right around the corner, and we’re so excited! Thank you to everyone who attended our Dive Judging Clinic last Wednesday – you were fantastic!

We’re looking for parent volunteers and judges to help make our Dual Meet on Wednesday, July 2nd absolutely amazing! Please email ah-[email protected]or [email protected] to get involved.

Important Announcements

Team Registration Team registration is now closed. If you have questions, please contact your team representative:

The registration form will reopen in July for water polo!

Adult Tennis Lessons Adult Tennis Lessons are in full swing! Please plan accordingly as one court will be reserved for lessons on these Saturdays from 9:00am-12:00pm:

June 28th
July 12th & 19th
August 9th & 16th

Last Chance for Apparel! Don’t miss out on your final opportunity to order Arbor Heights apparel this year! Orders are due by June 27th. Visit ahstc.com/apparel/ to place your order.

Snow Cone Volunteers Wanted!

Calling all teens looking for service hours and summer fun! We’re seeking responsible, energetic volunteers to help run our exciting new shaved ice machine at upcoming swim, tennis, and dive events. It’s the perfect way to stay cool, serve your community, and earn valuable service hours!

The machine requires some skill to operate, so we have age guidelines in place. You’ll receive training from John Stivers before your shift. [Sign up for a shift here]!
Questions? Reach out to:

John Stivers
Chris ([email protected])
Kirsty ([email protected])

Have a spectacular week!

AHSTC Board of Directors

Swim Team Summer Email #2

June 30, 2025/in Swim Team/by Kirsty Grainger

Hi Otter fans,

There’s a lot of info here but the most important thing is RSVP ASAP for Tuesday’s meet. Pro tip, if you know your summer schedule, just RSVP for all the meets while you’re in there. You can always do another one later if your plans change- we’ll take the one with the latest timestamp.

Read on for more info…

Tues Jul 1 is our first away meet, at Marine Hills. Please RSVP for your swimmer, it’s due tonight but I’ll keep the form open until noon tomorrow. Gates open at 4:00 and swimmers should aim to arrive at Marine Hills (it’s in Federal Way, allow for traffic) no later than 5:00 pm to be in the pool for 5:15 pm warmup, the racing starts at 6 pm. Marine Hills is a shady pool surrounded by woods, and it gets chilly (and mosquito-ey) once the sun sets—bring warm clothes and bug spray. Marine Hills shared that their meet theme will be USA / 4th of July and we are welcome to join in the patriotic fun.

Fri Jul 4 No practice.

After this holiday week, things are going to ramp up, so here’s a peek at what is coming up the following week:

Tues Jul 8 Home meet vs. Olympic View. The theme will be Pirates & Mermaids. Please RSVP by midnight Sunday. Also, please please please sign up to volunteer. We need help to make swim meets happen and EVERY family should volunteer a minimum of four hours per swimmer, which means at least one meet. Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm.

Thurs Jul 10 Away meet @ Normandy Park. RSVP by midnight Tuesday.

Sat Jul 12 is another morning swim clinic. It starts at 8:00 am for age 11+ and 9:00 am for 10 & under. No RSVP, just show up.

Sat Jul 12 at 6p, we are going to the DubSea Fishsticks game, up in White Center — this is a chance to hang out with your teammates and coaches on dry land, and get to know your fellow otters a little better! Don’t delay buying your game ticket… games often sell out as the date gets closer. It is also Dick’s Drive in Night so you’ll have great food options.

That’s all for now. BTW- I realized I forgot to share Red vs. Blue meet results. They are attached. Meet results for league meets are posted online on the GSSSL Website if you want to look those up.

Oh- and if you haven’t already, you have until Tuesday 7/1 to Order Team Photos passcode: AH2025.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth!

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

Useful Links

Looking for old emails? You can find them here

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear | Responses

RSVP for meets | Check RSVP

Upcoming Events

Jul 1 Away Meet @ Marine Hills | RSVP by Sun Jun 29 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 4 No Practice – Fourth of July

Jul 8 HOME Meet vs Olympic View | RSVP by Sun Jul 6 | volunteer | Warm up @4:45p

Jul 10 Away Meet @ Normandy Park | RSVP by Tues Jul 8 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 12 Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a & age 10 & younger @9a

Jul 12 Swim Team Outing: DubSea FishSticks @6 BYO ticket, all are welcome

Jul 15 Away Meet @ Kent | RSVP by Sun Jul 13 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 17 HOME Meet vs Twin Lakes | SENIOR NIGHT | RSVP by Tues Jul 15 | volunteer | Warm up @4:45p

Jul 22 Away Meet @ Lakeridge | RSVP by Sun Jul 20 | Warm up @5:15p

Jul 24 B-Champs Meet @ Arbor Heights | RSVP by Tues Jul 22 | volunteer | Warm up @TBD

Jul 24 B-Champs Team Sleepover

Jul 25 Last day of practice! Pancake Breakfast

Aug 8 End of Season Party & Awards Night

AH Swim Team Summer Week #1

June 23, 2025/in Swim Team/by Kirsty Grainger

Hi Swim Team Families,

Thanks to everyone who came out for Red vs. Blue this weekend! For the first day of summer, the weather was not so summer-ey– but we made the best of it! Special thank you to everyone who volunteered— the breakfast crew, timers, and brave officials who were willing to step up and learn the more technical roles in running a swim meet. We appreciate you so much!

This week we kick things into high gear! Morning practices start Monday, we have our first home meet on Thursday, team pictures on Friday, and a clinic on Saturday.

Your must-do’s this week: 1) RSVP and volunteer for Thursday’s home meet, and, if you want them 2) Order Team Photos for Friday (passcode: AH2025)

Here’s what’s coming up this week:

Mon Jun 23 we shift to morning practice- here is the Practice schedule. Practices are always optional, but the more you swim, the stronger you get! Looking for something to keep your swimmer busy at the Arb while you work? Check out Otters Club! This is a new program open to all youth members age 8 and older participating on a team, it provides activities and supervision for kids to bridge to open swim time.

Thurs June 26 is our first meet, and it is HOME vs. Gregory Seahurst. The theme is… Lilo & Stitch! (Think tropical vibes …hopefully the weather will cooperate) Please RSVP by midnight Tuesday, we need to know who is coming so we can build our meet lineup. (Can’t remember if you responded? Check this file) Also, please sign up to volunteer. It takes many hands to run a swim meet, and we need your help! Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm. Your swimmer will also get to meet (or reunited with) their Otter Family!

Fri Jun 27 is Team Pictures & Pancake Breakfast. To pre-order, here is the link: Order Team Photos ( passcode: AH2025), orders will be open until Jul 1. Plan to arrive at 8:00 am, we will do individual/sibling photos then the big group photo at 8:30. There’s NO PRACTICE— we won’t get in the pool, we will just take photos and eat pancakes. After the group photo, the team will enjoy a pancake breakfast, and if your swimmer doesn’t participate on dive/tennis teams, they will probably be ready to leave around 9:30-10. If you do other teams, Dive photos are at 9:00 and Tennis is at 10:00. We are working with a new photographer this year. We will give them our roster, and the photographer will match names with orders. Thanks to Cecilia Camino for helping coordinate team photos this year! We also need helpers to make and serve breakfast, plus a couple of people to assist the photographer to ensure things go smoothly. Please sign up to help.

Sat June 29 is a swim clinic, this is a chance for swimmers to work on starts, turns, and other technical aspects of swim racing. The clinic is 8:00-9:00 am for age 11+ and 9:00-10:00 am for 10 & under. No RSVP, just show up.

There is still time to order apparel!

The first apparel order has arrived – you can pick up in the cabana. We will do one more order this summer- use this link and order by June 28. Order Otters/AH Apparel We have heard from a few people that they are having trouble with credit card processing with our forms– sorry about that. We are working with our platform provider, Member Splash, to troubleshoot this issue. If you really get stuck, email me and I’ll make sure we get your order in.

What to know about swim meets:

Swim meets are lots of fun! Arbor Heights competes in the Southern Division of the Greater Seattle Summer Swim League – we’ll have 7 dual meets (this season, 3 home and 4 away) and then swimmers with qualifying times move on to compete in three postseason meets that culminate in the All City Finals.

Each meet is made up of 72 events split up by age and gender, the events rotate through the age groups so swimmers have time to rest between their races. This league records file shows you what the 72 events are. Some events will have more than one heat if needed for all swimmers signed up to participate in that event. A swimmer can compete in up to 4 events each meet. The coaches will post event assignments either the night before or the morning of the meet. (How quickly the coaches turn around the meet line up depends on how good we as a team are at opting in/out promptly without making a mess of our RSVP’s. )

Meets start at 6:00 and run until about 9:00pm, but it varies depending on how many swimmers participate and how many heats are needed. Younger (8&U, Speedy 6) swimmers are typically done by 8:00pm, earlier if they don’t do the more technical breaststroke/butterfly individual events which are later in the event sequence.

We suggest packing usual swim stuff plus LOTS of extra towels (the younger your swimmer, the more towels you’ll want), something cozy to layer on over a wet swimsuit, and drinks/food and/or small bills for concession purchases. (We have great food, support our team by buying dinner at the Arb!) You might bring camp chairs or picnic blankets to create a comfortable spot to hang out between events. Some bring a pop up tent for shelter. Something to write down event #/heat #/lane # can also be handy for keeping track of your swimmer’s events. Many kids choose to use a sharpie to write their event information directly on their arm.

A quick note about gender identity:

As we head into the competition season, we want to ensure transparency and accessibility regarding our league’s Gender Identity Participation Policy (see pages 18-21 of the GSSSL Operating Plan). With your swimmer’s swim team registration, you specified a gender identity which we will use for this season- if you specified “non-binary” we will be reaching out to you to confirm if your swimmer wants to do even-numbered or odd-numbered events this season. Each club designates an Eligibility Officer to assist gender diverse athletes and their families with gender category eligibility for the season. At our pool, the EO is Megan Kelton. If you have any questions or wish to change this, please reach out to Megan at [email protected]. Thank you for supporting our commitment to a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes – for ensuring that the Arb is a place where all athletes belong!

That’s it for now, for more information and resources, check the links below. You can also reach out with any questions, if you hit “reply” it’s just me, and if you do “reply all” you’ll email me + Coach Chris.

Let’s go Arbor!

Kirsty

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

Useful Links

Season overview calendar

.ics link to subscribe to swim team calendar

Practice schedule

Order a Team Suit

Order Otters/AH Apparel (Order by June 27)

Selling/gifting/seeking swim gear | Responses

Swim Team Emails & RSVP forms | Check RSVPs

Upcoming Events

Jun 23 Morning practices start!!!

Jun 26 HOME Meet vs. Gregory Seahurst | RSVP by Tues Jun 24 | volunteer | Warm up @4:45p

Jun 27 Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast @8a – no practice | Order Team Photos passcode: AH2025 | volunteer

Jun 28 Start & Turn Clinic | age 11+ @8a & age 10 & younger @9a