Good afternoon Seals!

We are excited to see all of the kiddos at the pool and are looking forward to a great season.  It is amazing to already see the little ones improving and the fun that the team is having.  From one parent to another-Thank you for the commitment you have to your children.  Swimming is a life long sport and you won't regret these days.  

Please excuse the lengthy email, but there are a few pieces of information that we need to get in front of you.  Please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions:  

1.  As we approach Green Vs. Black, we are excited to see your swimmers get a taste of  swim competition. However, we are also mindful that some swimmers are still not at the level they need to be in order to safely compete on a swim team. Because of this, the IOST Board has decided that if your child is unable to safely make it across the pool on Saturday, we will ask your family to wait until next year to be on the team. Also, if your child takes an excessively long time (greater than two minutes) to cross the pool, we will ask you to wait until next year. Due to the late nature of this decision, we will waive our refund policy for those that are asked to come back next year. A full refund, minus the cost of crawfish tickets and a $25 Rookie camp charge, will be issued. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. 
2.  We've got great news for you too! The IOST is raffling off two parking spots for the three home meets this year. As those who have been part of our swim family previously can attest, this is a huge deal! Tickets sales will be limited to Friday’s practice and Saturday morning at the Green Vs Black meet. Please find Kim Hamner or Erika Patel to purchase your tickets on Friday. Tickets will be sold Saturday at the volunteer table. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the IOST. The cost of tickets are $5.00 for one or 5 for $20.00.
3. Volunteer days are upon us...As you are aware, we are a program run completely by volunteers. We cannot run the amazing program we have without the active participation of our parents. As part of our registration process, we “charge” an initial volunteer fee to all families that is refunded at the end of the season once ALL volunteer obligations have been met. Each family is responsible to complete 4 shifts during regular season and 1 shift at divisional. If your child is able to swim at an invitational meet, you will also be required to volunteer. Once these shifts have been completed, your volunteer fees will be released back at the end of the season. Please note that the return of your volunteer fees is based on an all or nothing policy. Any individual questions about this can be directed to our Volunteer Coordinator, Bill Carruth.

We are excited to have each of your children on the Seals and are looking forward to a season of learning strokes, sportsmanship and having fun. If you have questions during the season or concerns, please feel to reach out to me.

Eddie Hamner