Geilenkirchen Orcas Swim Team

ORCA PRIDE!!  
Swimmers should wear their Orca T-shirt to school the Friday before every meet.
  ORCA PRIDE!!

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• For all champs updates see the champs section on the 'Meets & Stats' page.
• During the last team meeting we voted to adopt a Coaching Code of Conduct and Ethics before the start of the spring season.  It was also agreed that a committee would be set up address the best method of implementing this.  Please see the attached blog for information and to share any comments you may have about this.
• Training for Champs -  As of Feb. 2, there will be two hours of training for swimmers attending Champs on Tues-Thurs. and one hour on Friday. Please read the document from the Board for more details about training.  No practice on 29 January.
• 13-14 Feb., Champs - 
• We will need to provide Stroke and Turn Officials to help the hosting team conduct the meet.  Please let the President, Rick Ojeda, by 23 January know if you are available and what day and shift you prefer, e.g., Sunday morning or all day Saturday.  We also will need to fill other positions at the meet, such as timers.
  
• A mistake was made at the Parent Meeting regarding splash fees.  After reviewing the fall budget and taking into account that we received fewer donations this year than last year the amount that families must pay for splashes has been revised.  The fee will be 5 Euro per swimmer per splash.  The team will pay the full amount for relays.  Also, the team is still covering 3/4's of the cost per splash.  (Full cost per splash is $25.)
  
• If your child has already qualified and you don't want your child to swim in every event that they have qualified for, please inform Coach Kris by 26 January. 
  
• After the seeding meeting, qualifiers and pickups will swim 2 hours Tues. - Fri. and 1 hour on Fridays.
•  Advertising:  we have a parent suggestion and ask if you have ideas and can help, please contact her.  From Tsvelina Dermendzhieka, aka (or also know as) Lina: 
• My suggestion is to put some more info about the team like a professional poster with a few team pictures, some of them from the swim meets and informtion. There is room to advertise in the JFC Fitness Center and perhaps other areas.  This will take some work (gathering materials and etc.).  Contact Lina at TSVELINA.DERMENDZHIEVA@jfcbs.nato.int for more information or to help. 
• Fall Volunteer Positions - Please let a Board member know if you can volunteer to be the Meet Coordinator, Starter or Head Timer for the Fall 2010-2011 season.  The last chance to get on the job training will be at Divisionals, 23 Jan
• Possible Fall trip 2010 - Please see the flyer about a possible fall trip to Rota, Spain.  Let the Secretary know by 1 February if you think your family might be interested.
• SPRING SEASON -  It's not too early to start planning.  The spring season, which focuses more on competitive technique, starts on 2 March 2010.  Costs are 130 Euro for the first child, 120 Euro for the second child, 110 Euro for the third child. 
• 13 March, Awards Banquet  -  For updates and future information, please check out the 'events' area on the Volunteer page.
  
• Volunteer Hours - 1/3 of our swim families have already completed their 40 required volunteer hours.   If you have any questions about the number of hours that you have completed, contact Lois Whelan at volunteer@geilenkirchenorcas.org.  For questions about the volunteer deposit refund, contact Catherine Pierre at Cathpierre@hotmail.com.  
•  Whether or not your hours are completed at this point, please keep volunteering.  We still need 37 parent volunteers to run a swim meet.  We have 4 more home meets left for the Fall season, including Divisionals.  And we can't run the meets without everyone volunteering.
• HELP WANTED
• Meet Coordinator - Our current meet coordinator will be leaving the area towards the end of the Fall season.  She would like to start training a replacement right away.  Also, it would be helpful, although not required, if the replacement was willing to take the Stroke and Turn training.  Please contact Yutona Siikavaara at yutona@wildmail.com if you are interested or have questions.
• Starter - Our current starter will be leaving the area next year.  Stroke and Turn training is necessary for this position.
• Assistant Statistician - Please contact Julie Hartig for more information at webmaster@geilenkirchenorcas.org.
  
• When you have volunteered or made a donation please make sure it is recorded by submitting it to the volunteer coordinator.  This can be easily done by going to the volunteer page, clicking on a Volunteer Submission link, and filling in the form.  Please use the same Family Name for all submissions!