Cascades Rapids Swim Team
Rapids news
Parents Meeting May 16, 2012
Buddy program - we will be bringing back the buddy program this year. This program pairs up veteran parents with first year families, allowing the new families to have someone to ask questions and get guidance. The board is always available to answer questions, but this provides another source of information for the new families. We will have a sign up sheet at the Parents meeting this Wednesday. If you are a veteran family, please consider putting your name down to help out with this program.
Bylaw changes - we have a few changes to the bylaws this year. Please review the attached document (in the email sent on 5/13) for changes as we’ll take a vote at the parents meeting. If you have any questions or issues with changes, but cannot make the parents meeting, please contact the board at president@cascadesrapids.org.
Cascades Rapids Swim Team Board
Go Rapids!
Wednesday, May 16th: 6:00 Swimsuit Fitting, Equipment Sales
6:30 New Family Orientation
Wednesday, May 30th: Stroke & Turn Training, Ashburn Village
Monday, June 11th, Morning Practices Begin
Rapids Reminder- 2012 Registration and Deadline
If you have not registered your kids for Swim Team yet please do so soon via the Cascades Rapids web page www.cascadesrapids.org. Volunteer jobs are filling up fast, so register soon to get the jobs at the meets you want.
Personalized silicone cap orders are only being taken through Monday, May 7, so please make sure you order caps by this weekend as we cannot take orders after Monday. Orders are taken through the registration system.
The afternoon practice schedule before school gets out (May 29-June 
is:
5:30-6:15 experienced 7-8 year olds
6:15-7:00 9-10 year olds
6:45-7:45 11-18 year olds
Morning practices start June 11:
8:00-9:00 9-10 year olds
8:45-9:45 8 & unders
9:45-10:45 11-18 year olds
Please forward this note to any Cascades neigbors/friends who might be interested in swimming but may not know about registration, as they are not currently in our system, and we have limited ability to post signs within the community. Hope to see you on deck soon!!
2012 Registration Opens Today at 5 p.m.
We will be opening the 2012 season registration today at 5p.m. Registration instructions and links will be posted on our site. Please check back around 5p.m. today to kick off the 2012 season!!!!
We are still looking for volunteers for meet announcers, team photographers, a ribbons captain, banquet food & games coordinators and lead clerks of course. If you have any interest in these positions, please contact Michelle Bias @ mcbias@verizon.net.
Please plan to attend our Parent Meeting on May 16 at Stonehouse. We will be discussing our brand new program for our youngest swimmers, theCascades Rapids Riptides! This group is designed for all swimmers seven and younger who have swimming skills, but need additional training to swim competitively. This program is going to be very exciting and there will be great things in store for our young swimmers!
We love getting new sponsors! If anyone has or knows of a business that might like to sponsor our team, please contact Chris Schroeder @sponsors@cascadesrapids.org and he will get you all the info. This is a great way to promote a local business within the community and help your team!
Last, but not least, please friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We often have helpful and interesting information to post, but don’t want to clog your email inboxes! We need all of you who are on facebook to friend us, so you too can be in the know!
Go Rapids!
Registration Opening Soon – New Updates for 2012!
We are quickly approaching the opening of registration for the 2012 season! The next email that you receive will provide registration opening date and instructions. But prior to that, we want to alert you to some important changes this year.
- Swimmer registration and volunteer registration can now be done independently of each other, i.e., you can register for either one first before the other. However, please be aware that until you have selected your required four (or equivalent) volunteer duties, your swimmer registration is not complete.
- New this year! The registration fee includes one team t-shirt per swimmer! Please make sure to include your child’s shirt size where prompted during registration.
- Swim caps are to be purchased separately this year. You can purchase latex or silicone team caps individually at the Parent Meeting or on deck, or you can order personalized latex or silicone caps (2 per order) via the online swim team registration. Be aware that personalized silicone caps take 4-6 weeks to process, so the deadline for these caps is May 7. Orders for personalized silicone caps will not be accepted past May 7.
We are looking to fill some key positions. First and foremost is to train some new stroke & turn judges, as some of our current judges are training for referee or starter. All that is required is a CSL training course and to “shadow” a current official at three meets, and then you can be certified to work a meet! We cannot run meets without our officials, and you will be doing a critical job.
We are very fortunate this year that several training sessions are nearby, including one this coming weekend! Please consider attending. There is no better way to decide if this is for you than to attend the training!
Stroke and Turn only:
Saturday, April 21, 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Mills Recreation Center
43895 Grottoes Drive
Ashburn, VA 20147
Stroke and Turn/ Starter/ Referee:
Wednesday, May 9th, 7:00 pm
CountrySide
46020 Algonkian Pkwy
Sterling, VA 20165
Stroke and Turn/ Starter/ Referee:
Wednesday, May 30th, 7:00 pm
Ashburn Village Lakes Rec Center
44078 Cheltenham Circle
Ashburn, VA 20147
More information: http://csl.nvblu.com/notes/2012/03/31/2012-training-schedule-50347.htm
Along with officials training, CSL provides Hy-Tek computer training. We strongly encourage you to consider taking this training. We always need more Hy-Tek trained computer people. The training dates are also listed on the above link.
We are looking for volunteers for meet announcers, team photographers, a ribbons captain, banquet food & games coordinators and lead clerks of course. If you have any interest in these positions, please contact Michelle Bias @ mcbias@verizon.net.
Please plan to attend our Parent Meeting on May 16 at Stonehouse. We will be discussing our brand new program for our youngest swimmers, theCascades Rapids Riptides! This group is designed for all swimmers seven and younger who have swimming skills, but need additional training to swim competitively. This program is going to be very exciting and there will be great things in store for our young swimmers!
We have a new team wearables and equipment provider this year – Cassel’s in Herndon. We hope the closer distance will be more convenient for parents to pick up items they need. Cassel’s will be at our Parent Meeting May 16 for swimsuit fittings and sportswear, but team suits are already available for purchase at Cassel’s, should you want to get your suits earlier. The swimsuit is the same as last year. Cassel’s is off Rte. 28, at 14000 Park Center Rd., Herndon, VA 20171, (703) 435-4446. Ask for Elaine.
We love getting new sponsors! If anyone has or knows of a business that might like to sponsor our team, please contact Chris Schroeder @sponsors@cascadesrapids.org and he will get you all the info. This is a great way to promote a local business within the community and help your team!
Last, but not least (whew!), please friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We often have helpful and interesting information to post, but don’t want to clog your email inboxes! We need all of you who are on facebook to friend us, so you too can be in the know!
Go Rapids!
President, Cascades Rapids Board of Directors
2012 Registration coming soon!!
Warmer weather is here! And coming up fast is another fun, exciting and competitive Rapids season!
Registration is opening soon! When??? Well, that is not exactly pinned down yet, as our on-line registration system is undergoing some final needed changes and testing. Once we finish successful testing, we will open the on-line registration. The earliest registration would be opened would be middle of April, but more likely the end of April.
An e-mail will be sent out to all past team members, as well as a post on the Cascades Rapids Web site, also a post on the FaceBook site and Twitter, and signs posted at message boxes at HOA sites such as Stone House and Lowes Island pool, a sign on the tennis court fence outside the Stone House and at the HOA offices at the Lowes Island location notifying all when registration is open.
Please watch your e-mail, frequently check out our web site (cascadesrapids.org), follow us on FaceBook and Twitter, and look for neighborhood signs!
A parent’s meeting will be held on May 16th and first practices will be the afternoon of May 29th!
Go Rapids!!!
P.S. Check out the April issue of the Cascades Current for more information on the Rapids upcoming season!
NEW POOL PASS SYSTEM
From the Cascades Home Owner Association
Cascades has purchased a new pool pass system that will no longer require yearly sticker mailings! Each member of the Association will now have a pass card with a bar code that will be scanned upon entry. Each resident will need to come into our office based on the schedule below to have their picture taken. Children under the age of 6 do not need a picture or pass.
Residents with the last name beginning with A-H are invited to come into the office Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm through March.
I-P are invited to come into the office Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm during the month of April.
Q-Z are invited to come into the office Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm during the month of May.
The office will have special hours May 7-11th from 11am-8pm and all residents are welcome to come during these hours to receive their new passes.
Saturday, March 24th from 11am-3pm all residents are welcome to come in and receive their new passes.
Please keep an eye on your email and our website for additional Saturday openings for pool passes.
Rapids Head Coach for the 2012 season
The Cascades Rapids Board of Directors is very happy to announce Susan Schlemmer as the Rapids Head Coach for the 2012 season!
Susan has long been associated with the Rapids and we were excited to have her as our new Head Coach. Susan has extensive experience as a swim coach, official and swam competitively at the National level. We are excited about Susan’s commitment and experience in developing proper stroke technique with beginning swimmers, and enhancing racing strategies for the more experienced swimmer. We encourage you to congratulate her should you see her around the neighborhood.
Swim season is fast approaching with registration opening somewhere between mid April and early May, depending on when the on-line registration is up and running. Signs will be posted at HOA message boards and an e-mail will be sent out announcing when registration is open.
We are looking forward to another great swim season this year!
Go Rapids!
Doug Allen
President, Cascades Rapids Board of Directors
Youth Day at Potomac Falls Swim Meet
The Potomac Falls Panther swim team would like to invite the Rapids to come out and cheer them on Jan. 21st as we go up against Loudoun Valley. This is youth day. The younger swimmers will be welcome to participate with the team during their team cheer and watch an exciting meet! If you haven’t seen this seasons team cheer it is quite impressive. At this meet the Potomac Falls seniors will be recognized. Most of them have swum/coached for the Rapids at one time or other. This is also our last regular meet this season. Come on out and show your support!
This years (Rapids) seniors include:
Girls:
- Katie Hood
- Jennifer Schmid
Boys:
- Connor Adams
- Billy Borman
- Eoghan Foley
- Matthew Johnson
Potomac Falls vs. Loudoun Valley Meet
Day: Saturday, January 21st
Where: Claude Moore Rec Center Pool
Time: 1:30
cost: FREE!
Welcome New Board Members
As we are still scratching our heads about snowfall in October and getting our costumes ready for Halloween, the Cascades Rapids Board has met to start planning the 2012 Season. There are a number of key changes highlighted below.
First, Doug Allen has graciously volunteered his time to be the President of the Cascades Rapids Swim Team Board. Thank you Doug!!!
Second, there are three new board members, Rita, Trish and Janet, thank you for volunteering your time for a great team. The returning board members are looking forward to working with each of you to make the 2012 season a great success.
Third, in addition to Doug becoming the president, there were a number of other changes, please see our contact page for a full list of all positions and key board members.
Last, but not least. A very big thank you to Dave Morley for his seven years of dedication, hard work and commitment to the Cascades Rapids Swim Team. You have been a key driver to our success and the incoming board members would like to extend a very sincere thank you for your years of service, and continued support during this off season transition.
Former Rapids Swimmer Still Making Waves on the National Scene
Don’t let those swim fins collect dust now that the Cascades Rapids 2011 season is complete. With some continued training and a few more years on the Rapids perhaps your little swimmer can follow in the wake of former Rapids swimmer, Matt Mclean, who continues to set personal bests and shine on the National and International level. Matt, brother of current Rapids swimmer, Sam Mclean, started with the Rapids when he was 10 years old and holds several Rapids records. Just a few months ago Matt won the NCAA 400 meter freestyle event as a senior at the University of Virginia.
We send our congratulations to Matt and wish him continued success!
Link to article
McLean Wins USA Swimming National Championship in 400 Freestyle
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