Archive for category: Swim Team

Happy peak summer, Otter Fans!

Thanks to all swimmers who competed at our meet against Kent last night! It came down to the wire, with some very close races. Special shout out to those families who pulled a multi-sport double header last night to show up and race some events for us, and to the seniors for a event 71/72 relays – that was an amazing way to end the meet! The final score was Kent 552.5, Arb 530.5; full results are here. While we came up short, every otter who participated last night should be very proud of how they showed up, swam hard, and supported their teammates.

The upcoming week has two away meets, and we have a start and turn clinic tomorrow morning. Read on for more information.

OG TLDR: 

1) RSVP now for Tues@TL and Thurs@GS 

2) Sign Up for a Free Limited-Edition All City Tshirt  (by volunteering) 

Sat Jul 11 Start & Turn Clinic  Beginner/intermediate 8-9 am, intermediate/advanced 9-10 am. No RSVP needed, just show up.

Tues Jul 14  Away meet at Twin Lakes. Please RSVP by Sunday EOD. Arrive by 4:45 pm to be in the pool for 5:05 pm warmup. Twin Lakes has a four lane pool, making it a smaller, very friendly environment. The downside is, it’s waaaaaay down in Federal Way so leave time for I-5 traffic. Carpooling, or asking a family who is already going to take your swimmer with them, is highly recommended! Here’s more info from TL:

Parking is in front of the pool house and an adjacent lot, and in surrounding neighborhoods. ADA parking is available on request. Deck opens for setup at 4:30. Please set up on the main deck area by the locker rooms. Bleachers and benches are available for both teams. AH warm up is 5:05-5:50, meet starts at 6 pm. Parents should avoid the deck behond the blocks, and phones, filming, or pictures behind the blocks is prohibited. Snack Shack is located under the deck of the main club house, just beyond the pool house, and will include a taco bar and other assorted swim meet snacks.  

Thurs Jul 16  we are away at Gregory Seahurst. Please RSVP no later than Tues EOD. Swimmers should aim to arrive by 5:00 pm to be in the pool for 5:15 pm warmup; racing starts at 6 pm.

Apparel – All apparel orders are here and can be picked up in the cabana! If you missed out, I have a small number of hoodies and tees, plus some discounted clearance stock from 2025 available. Sizes, descriptions of available items, and the order form can be found here: Last Chance Apparel

All City – Our club is hosting the swim league championships this year. This is a big deal- we are expecting over 1,000 visitors and it is going to be an enormous party. All four tennis courts will be filled with hundreds of swimmers and their families, and we’ll turn our parking lot into a giant concessions stand. We need your help to make this event successful. If your family is available the afternoon of Tuesday Aug 4, we would love for you to participate. Sign up here: All City Volunteers. 

Let us know if you have any questions- reply all to include coaches. Go Otters!

Kirsty 

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

  Swim Team Family Page (RSVP forms + emails are posted here) |  Received RSVP’s   |  Volunteer  |  GSSSL Meet Results 

Team Suits   |   Otter Gear Swap

Season Overview | Arb Calendar | swim team ics URL |  Practice schedule

Jul 11       Start & Turn Clinic

Jul 14       Swim Meet away @ TL

Jul 16       Swim Meet away @ GS

Jul 21       Swim Meet HOME vs. LR (SENIOR NIGHT!) Theme: Neon Glow

Jul 23       Swim Meet Summer Showcase @ MH followed by Team Sleepover

Jul 24       Last day of regular practice

Jul 27        Girls @ NP   |    Jul 28    Boys @ LR

Jul 30       Southern Division @ Kent  |    Aug 4   All City @ Arb

Aug 7       End of Season Party & Awards Night

Hi Otter fans,

Great first meet! It was great to see the kids out there racing and supporting each other. Normally we’d announce the meet score and result, but this one wasn’t close; we won 700-358. Meet results can be found on the league website here, and participating swimmers can find their ribbons in the cabana, the ribbon box is on the table by the trophies.

This week we have one meet on Tuesday (away @OV). Please ASAP RSVP and let us know if your swimmer is participating. So far we have 67 swimmers opting IN, 41 opting OUT, and 97 with no response yet.  (Can’t remember if you responded? Check the RSVP’s List)  

Want more info? Read on…

How to RSVP for Swim Meets:  Go to this page: RSVP log into your MemberSplash account and for each swimmer, opt in or out for the meet. Check the RSVP’s List to make sure your RSVP was recorded correctly, it can be a little buggy. Pro tip: If you know your summer schedule, RSVP for all the meets at once. Made a mistake or need to change your response? No problem- just fill out the form again. You can RSVP as many times as you want- we’ll use the one with the latest timestamp. If your plans change and the form is closed, email [email protected] and me. We always appreciate you letting us know- but we might not respond, meet days are busy and email volumes are overwhelming.

Tues Jun 30  is our first away meet, at Olympic View! RSVP is due tonight but I’ll keep the form open until noon tomorrow. Here’s some information from Olympic View about the meet. Heed the advice regarding parking and bug spray and plan to arrive no later than 5 pm.  If you have ADA or other special needs, let me know and I’ll work with OV to accomodate you as best we can.

We’ll have plenty of food and look forward to feeding you all – please come hungry. Hamburgers/Hotdogs/Pizza/Frito Banditos are all on the menu. Cash and electronic payments are accepted.  We are planning for a Red, White, and Blue + FIFA World Cup meet theme and welcome your team to participate in the fun.

There is plenty of parking at Marvista Elementary across the street. We encourage you to plan for that lot rather than trying to snag the limited street parking. The entrance to the Marvista lot can be tricky to find but GPS apps will take you right there. The paved parking lot and a portion of the gravel spots adjacent to our facility are restricted to coaches/VIP and ADA use. The City of Normandy Park is very concerned about large swim events stressing neighbors this summer and we are expecting extra ticketing patrols, so again, we highly recommend using Marvista.

Our gates open at 4:00 – OV will warm up at 4:45 and Arbor Heights will warm up at 5:15. The meet will start promptly at 6pm.  Visiting teams are welcome on the east side of the pool in our lawn area. We think it’s pretty spacious and welcome you to spread out and enjoy the evening. We are reserving our facility bathrooms for ATHLETES and ADA use only. We have fresh portable stalls delivered for general crowd use out in our parking lot. Our plumbing is sensitive and we value safety and privacy for our collective swimmers. Lastly, we have been known to see a mosquito or two at dusk, bug deterrent methods are not a bad idea to have in your meet gear on Tuesday night.

Fri  Jul 3   Fun Fourth Practice!

After this holiday week, things are going to ramp up, we have two home meets. Everyone, especially returning families, we really need your help at home meets this year. We are hosting the All-City Championships and need everyone focused on dialing in our concessions operations. John Stivers has a great plan, and the revenue from concessions will help our club defray the costs of hosting this big meet, which will require rentals and other logistical expenses. But we need hands and expertise to pull this off– please help us! 

Tues Jul 7  Home meet vs. Normandy Park. The theme will be OTTER CHAOS!! This is apt because Normandy Park has a huge swim team and the swim meet will be very busy. Please  RSVP  by midnight Sunday.  Sign up to volunteer. Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm.

Thurs Jul 9  ANOTHER home meet vs. Kent. Theme will be Minions.  RSVP and sign up to volunteer,    by midnight Tuesday.  Gates open at 4:00, warm up is at 4:45p, big team cheer at 5:30, meet starts at 6 pm.

Sat Jul 11 is another morning swim clinic. For beginners/intermediate, 8-9 am, and intermediate/advanced, 9-10 am. No RSVP, just show up.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth!

Kirsty 

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

  Swim Team Family Page (RSVP forms + emails are posted here) |  Received RSVP’s   |  Volunteer  |  GSSSL Meet Results 

Team Suits   |   Otter Gear Swap

Season Overview | Arb Calendar | swim team ics URL |  Practice schedule

Hello swim team families,

Fantastic Red vs. Blue meet this past weekend. Thank you to everyone who showed up, everyone who volunteered, with a special thank you to John Stivers and the kitchen crew for breakfast, and to Brian Richmond and Jason Little, our courageous pinch-hitting computer team. We started the season with a brand new laptop and newly-updated software, and something about the setup caused the printing process to fail– the printer just spewed out pages of gibberish. We got a late start but thankfully, the sun was shining, the food was good, and we still finished by 11 am! Red and Blue is mostly about learning (for everyone) but for those curious about times, here are the meet results: Red & Blue 2026. 

tldr people here’s your to-do:  RSVP for Friday party   + bonus points if you knock out your meet opt in/outs for the season: meet rsvp  

Want more information about this week? Read on…

Friday Jun 19   Summer Kickoff Party*  (No practice on Friday – Juneteenth)

This party is where all our youth teams come together to celebrate the beginning of the summer season! The whole family is invited, arrive at 5ish and dinner will be served around 6:00. We will be serving chicken wings, burgers and dogs, with potluck side dishes. I hear there will also be a special “Hot Ones” activity featuring some of your favorite coaches. As is our tradition, swimmers will have the opportunity to sign their names on the iconic AH Rock. There will be a special meeting for Seniors & 14&U’s, please meet on the pool deck at 5:30.  There is no practice on Friday June 19, due to the holiday. (And members, a special open swim starts at  noon that day due to the holiday and the world cup watch party, in case you want to go all-in on a day at the club.) Starter Swim families: you are also invited to participate in these activities! Summer Kickoff Party includes staying for open swim from 5:00 until the pool closes at 8:45. Please RSVP so we can add you to our guest list.

RSVP + potluck signup + volunteer    

Looking ahead to next week, we move into full summer mode:

Monday June 22 First Day of Summer Schedule 

This is when the fun really starts: review the Practice schedule so you know what’s happening starting next Monday.

Thursday Jun 25   Swim Meet vs. Marine Hills (at HOME)

Our first swim meet of the year! Please RSVP by midnight the Tuesday before, 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 4:45, the big team cheer is at 5:30, and the meet starts at 6:00 pm. Your swimmer will also get to meet (or be reunited with) their Otter Family and the theme will be: Hoedown Throwdown! (Think country or cowboy vibes) For new families, Marine Hills has a smaller swim team, so this should be a chill meet. If you are wondering what to expect, check out slides 5-11 from this swim team orientation deck.  I also encourage you to talk with the coaches if you have questions, or you can reply all to this email.

RSVP for MH Meet by Tues 6/23 |  Volunteer

Friday Jun 26   Team Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast* 

Arrive at 8:00 am, we will do individual/sibling photos then the big group photo at 8:30. After the group photo, the team will enjoy a pancake breakfast. If your swimmer is not participating on dive or tennis teams, they will probably be ready to leave around 9:30-10.  No practice, just photos and pancakes.  If you participate in other teams, Dive is at 9:00 and Tennis 10:00. We need helpers for breakfast, plus a couple of people to assist the photographer.

<Photo order form coming soon> | Volunteer

Saturday Jun 27 Start & Turn Clinic 

This morning clinic is for those looking for more practice on diving off blocks and flip turns. It will run from 8-10 am. We may split this by age group; stay tuned for more on that.

And, if you haven’t already- still time to order team suits or apparel, see links below.  Let’s go Otters!

Kirsty 

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

  Swim Team Family Page  |  Volunteer

Team Suits   |   Apparel   |   Otter Gear Swap

Season Overview | Arb Calendar | swim team ics URL |  Practice schedule

Jun 19      All Teams Summer Kickoff Party (no practice – Juneteenth Holiday)

Jun 22      First day of morning practice

Jun 25      Swim Meet HOME vs. MH

Jun 26      Team Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast  @ 8a… no practice!

Jun 27      Start & Turn Clinic

Jun 30      Swim Meet Away @ OV

Jul 3         Friday Fun practice

Jul 7         Swim Meet HOME vs. NP

Jul 9         Swim Meet HOME vs. KT

Jul 11       Start & Turn Clinic

Jul 14       Swim Meet away @ TL

Jul 16       Swim Meet away @ GS

Jul 21       Swim Meet HOME vs. LR

Jul 23       Swim Meet Summer Showcase @ MH followed by Team Sleepover

Jul 24       Last day of regular practice

Jul 27        Girls @ NP   |    Jul 28    Boys @ LR

Jul 30       Southern Division @ Kent  |    Aug 4   All City @ Arb

Aug 7       End of Season Party & Awards Night

Hi swim team families,

his week’s email covers gear and upcoming preseason events.

OG swim team family tldr: Order Apparel  and Team Suits, gather hand-me-downs for Red & Blue/ Otter Gear Swap     RSVP for Summer Kickoff Party    RSVP for Meets   volunteer signups coming soon.

Want more information? Read on!

The season is off to a great start- our numbers are strong, as of today we have reached 200 registrations! Thanks to everyone who joined orientation last week. For those who missed it here is the deck: Swim Team Orientation. We will also hold a short Swim Team 101 session at Red & Blue (see below) followed by a Q&A.

TEAM SUITS 

Team suits are now available at here:  Order Team Suits.

First thing about team suits: there is no pressure to buy one. If you have a 2024-25 team suit (also red, different otter logo), that’s great. If you just want a more versatile plain red suit, that’s great. If you want to swim in a suit you already own, also great!

If you want to buy a team suit, several different styles are available, below is a summary of options. Team suits are custom orders and are nonrefundable, so shop carefully. Competitive swimsuit sizing can be tricky, and they differ from regular clothes. For girls, torso length is key, for boys, hip measurement is key. Some suits run small. If you’d like more advice on sizing, I encourage you to reach out to Teresa Webb (aka Dior’s mom), our resident suit expert, who can talk you through options. You can reach her at [email protected].

Sporti ($30-40) is Swim Outlet’s house brand. It is a good, comfortable nylon/lycra suit. For girls, there is a thin or wide strap style, the wider strap is more popular with little ones. For guys there are briefs and jammers. If you are unsure which to choose- if they are too young for a driver’s permit, get the jammer.

Arena ($40-$50) suits are good quality chlorine-resistant polyester/elastane. The polyester provides a more supportive/compression fit and is very durable. These suits will last a long time. The girls’ suit has medium coverage and good support. The boys’ jammer comes in a couple of options, more polyester = firmer/faster suit.

Jolyn ($70-$80) are pricey, high-quality, and popular with teenage girls. The cut provides less coverage, the Perry especially will be cheeky.

AH AND OTTER HOODIES, TEES AND TANKS  

We have new merch for sale!  Tees and tanks are $15-$20 and hoodies are $25. Order at ahstc.com/apparel/ by May 27 to receive your order before the summer season starts. We will do a second order but it won’t arrive until mid-July.

CAPS, GOGGLES AND PARKAS  

Team caps are available in the office ($3 latex, $10 silicone) and will also be distributed at the Red & Blue practice meet. Our Team Store on Swim Outlet has recommended goggles, accessories, and will soon feature an AH swim parka.

OTTER GEAR SWAP

If you have gear to pass along or sell, we would love to help you find a new home for it. With 200 team participants ranging in age from 5 to 18, things are constantly being outgrown! Post on our Otter Gear Swap or bring it to the Red & Blue Meet on June 13, we will have a table there for hand-me-downs.

UPCOMING EVENTS  

May 25   Memorial Day – NO PRACTICE 

Jun 13   Red & Blue Practice Meet*

Red vs. Blue is a Saturday morning practice swim meet. Arrive with your swimmer by 8 am and plan to stay at the pool until around 11. This event is like a scrimmage swim meet: we randomly assign swimmers to either the red or blue team, and each participant will have the chance to race in up to four individual events in each stroke (free, back, breast, fly)  This is an important event for practicing how a swim meet runs, both for the swimmers and for parent volunteers. All families, but especially returning ones, are expected to sign up for a volunteer job. There will be Q&A opportunities for new families and training for volunteer roles. There will also be food (John Stivers is planning breakfast!) and fun, and a table for swapping old/outgrown gear- bring your hand-me-downs!

RSVP for Red & Blue   |  < Volunteer sign up coming soon>

Jun 19   Summer Kickoff Party*  (and NO PRACTICE)

This party is where all our youth teams come together to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. The whole family is invited, things will get underway between 5:30 and 6:00. We will be serving West Wings chicken, burgers and dogs, with potluck side dishes. As is our tradition, swimmers will have the opportunity to sign their name on the iconic AH Rock. There will be a special meeting for eniors & 14&U’s, please meet on the pool deck at 5:30.  There is no practice on Friday June 19, due to the Juneteenth holiday.

Summer Kickoff Party RSVP   

Jun 26   Team Picture Day* 

Arrive at 8:00 am, we will do individual/sibling photos then the big group photo at 8:30. After the group photo, the team will enjoy a pancake breakfast. If your swimmer is not participating on the dive or tennis teams, they will probably be ready to leave around 9:30-10.  No practice, just photos and pancakes.  If you participate in other teams, Dive is at 9:00 and Tennis 10:00. We need helpers for  breakfast, plus a couple of people to assist the photographer.

<Photo order form coming soon> | < Volunteer sign up coming soon>

* Starter Swim families: you are also invited to participate in all of these activities. Summer Kickoff Party includes staying for open swim until the pool closes at 8:45. Please RSVP so we can add you to our guest list.

All this info, past emails, and RSVP forms can be found on our  Swim Team Family Page .  That’s it for now. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Let’s go otters!!

Hello Swim Team Families,

Spring practice starts next week!

Registration

If you’re getting this email, you are registered for swim team/starter swim. Here’s a list of who is on our roster so far: Swim Team Registration as of Wed May 6  If you see any errors please let me know. And if you notice friends who aren’t registered yet, maybe send them a text and nudge them? We’re at about 120 right now, and we aim to be around 200 by summer.

Coaches 

This season we are welcoming back our head coach Chris Veraya, as well as Assistant Coaches Jojo Southwell, Tyler Sunderland, Julia Bentler, and Molly Murphy. We are also happy to have Intern Coaches Sadie Pallotta, Lucy LaBella, and Cookie Hooper who will be leading the Speedy Sixers. So exciting to have such a strong team of coaches who have a deep history with the Arb- we are so lucky!

Practices

Practice starts Monday May 11, check this practice schedule for your age group’s time. There is flexibility to swim up or down an age group if needed. If you are interested in this option, check with Coach Chris—just reply all to this email. While spring practice is optional, we encourage young or new-to-swim-team swimmers to attend as much as possible. Time invested in the water during preseason is so valuable for building strength and endurance. This improves water safety and will help your swimmer be more successful during the summer when the pace picks up. (And it will pick up!)

Bring suit, googles, towel. Any comfortable swimsuit will do. You may want a swim cap- you will receive one at the red and blue meet, and you can purchase one at the office. ($3 latex, $10 silicone)  Aim to be on deck about 10 minutes before practice so you have time to put away your clothes before it’s time to get in the pool.

Speedy Sixers: practice is Tues/Th for the spring and there are two timeslots to choose from. Feel free to attend the one that works best for you, we’ll see how the numbers balance out and make adjustments as needed.

Volunteering

Swim meets and team activities aren’t possible without volunteers. Every family is asked to contribute a minimum of 4 volunteer hours per swimmer for the season. I am also looking for a few leaders to fill some key roles this year in officiating, volunteer coordination, and swim meet logistics. If you’re willing to step up, I’d love to hear from you!

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 & Apparel 

Stay tuned for more info on team suit- we will stick with a red suit for a third year but are updating our logo. The team store will be updated soon. Team caps are available at the office and will be distributed at the Red & Blue meet. Apparel (shirts/hoodies) will be available to order soon too.

New to Swim Team

New to swim team? Welcome! We are happy you’re here. For families who would like a primer or have questions about swim team, I’ll be doing a virtual orientation on Thursday May 14 7:30-8:30 pm. Here’s the Google Meet Link.

And finally, a little about me… Hi! I’m Kirsty, I’m the AH board member in charge of swim team. I’m a volunteer and also have a full time regular day job… thanks in advance for your patience with me and my after-hours emails. I have two teens on swim team — Avi (Senior) and Helena (14U). They have been swimming with the Arb since they were littles but we are not a serious club swimmer family, just summer swim league rec. I love summer swim league because growing within a team where you compete together for ten years is a really special thing, and the Arb has wonderful traditions and an amazing culture. I know this firsthand because I myself am an OG Westsider. I grew up in Arbor Heights and swam for the Arb from age 7-17. My flex- I still have a record on the AH board, 8U medley relay. I would honestly love to see it broken someday- but it’s a tough one because waaaay back then they let 8’s dive in at both ends of the pool(!)

Anyway, looking forward to a safe, sunny and fabulous summer of swim team. Please reach out with any questions- or catch one of the coaches on deck. Can’t wait to see you all at the Arb!

Warmly,

Kirsty Grainger

Swim Rep | Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club

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

 Swim Season Overview Calendar 

  Practice schedule

Arb Calendar  &  swim team ics URL