7.25.24

Team Suits

We will be ordering team suits from Elsmore again this year. Like we did last year, your athlete can choose from a TYR suit with a little more coverage or an Arena suit with a more open back. Both suits will have the FF logo on the front. If your team suit was new last year and is in good shape, it can be used again this year. Please note that the logo has changed slightly because KSS finalized their logo at the end of last year. All suit orders need to be placed by August 3rd.

You'll notice Speedo warm-up jackets and pants in the store. The Boosters have generously offered to purchase the warm-up jacket with embroidery for all girls in 9-12 grade with the intention to purchase warm-ups for incoming 9th graders each year after this one. These warm-ups are meant to be worn on deck (unlike the outdoor jackets on the BSN store) and can take the place of the parkas. If your athlete would like the matching pants, you will need to purchase those on your own.

Please have your daughter fill out the following Google Form by August 2nd so that I can collect all the sizes and know what name they would like embroidered.

Team Apparel

Our BSN apparel store is open now through August 2nd. I know it seems a little strange ordering apparel this early, but it takes 4-5 weeks to get our items. So, ordering now is the best way to ensure that you get your gear on time. 

6.11.24 First Update of 2024 Season!

Hello Otter Girls Swim and Dive Families,

I have had a few parents reach out to me about fall season practice times and meet schedules, so I'm sharing what we have planned as of now.

First of all, our season will start on August 12th this year. There is a preliminary meet schedule on the activities website and attached here. Not all of the meets are on the schedule yet, mainly just the CLC meets.

As for practice, JV/Varsity swimmers will have 2-a-day practices the first two weeks of the season, Aug 12-Aug 23. Morning practice will be 8-9:30, with the first hour in the pool and the last half hour designated to lifting. The mornings will concentrate on drill and technique work, not a lot of yards. The afternoons will be from 4-6pm and will focus on conditioning. Coach Jen and I feel like concentrating specifically on stroke and technique work early in the season will set us up for success as the season progresses. Starting August 26th, we will have our normal after school practice times 3:30-6, with the first half hour dedicated to lifting.

We know this is a change from previous years, so we're trying to give you time to adjust your work and family schedules as needed.

Coach Jarvi will be working closely with the divers to create a schedule that works best for them and that fits around her work schedule. Coach Kowalski and I are working with the AD's office to decide how the middle school practices will look in light of new regulations around middle school athletics. Please watch for those updates.

Please reach out if you have any questions,

Coach Cox

11.11.23 Last Update of 2023

Thank you all for a fantastic season! I am so proud of our girls and all they achieved this year.  A special congratulations to Estee for qualifying for state in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Many girls achieved career best times or scores this weekend, and I am already excited to see what is in store for us next year. Here's what our last week looks like:

Monday 11/13 Equipment Return and Voting: JV/Varsity girls should return their parkas to the pool deck and receive a ballot to vote for banquet awards between 3:30-4:30 pm. This year we're asking the girls to leave a kind word or story for the seniors, which coaches will share at the banquet. Have your girls start thinking about what they might want to share with their senior teammates.

Thursday 11/16-Saturday 11/18: The state team will leave on Thursday morning for Minneapolis. Estee will compete in the prelims meet on Friday 11/17 starting at noon. I will share ticket information once I have it for anyone interested in attending. Anyone attending is welcome to join us for dinner on Friday at Big Bowl Ridgedale Center. Please let me know if you’re attending so that Jen can reserve enough space. Finals on Saturday will also start at noon.

Sunday 11/19 Banquet: Please join us on Sunday night at 7pm in the KSS cafeteria for our end-of-season banquet. Thank you to all the parents who have signed up to help with the banquet. We will have drinks and desserts while we celebrate our team's successful year. All girls grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend the banquet to be recognized for their work and dedication.

11.4.23 Week 13 Update

Wow! We're finally in the last week of our season. The count down to sections is here. On Friday, we had a little reflection on our season. I always tell the girls that I have no expectations for them other than to do their best each day, whatever that might be. Their best this season was AMAZING. This group has practiced hard, competed with integrity and sportsmanship, and created a team culture that I'm extremely proud of. Any of those things individually would be a huge accomplishment, but these girls accomplished all those things AND earned a winning record. Let's see what we can do at sections! Please see all the end-of-season information below, including the banquet.

JV/Varsity Swimming Practice

Mon-Thurs: In the pool by 3:45 out by 5:45. Practice will get shorter every day as we remove yards throughout the taper process. On Wednesday I will have pizza for girls after practice. 

Diving Practice

Mon/Tues: On deck 5:15, practice until 7 pm

Wednesday: Practice 4:30-6pm

Sections Schedule:

Wednesday: Wear new sections shirts with blue jeans, and meet by the gallery windows at 3:30 for a section team picture.

Thursday: Divers are excused at 2:30, van leaves for DL at 2:45. Warmups start at 4:00 and diving begins at 5:30 pm.

Friday: Swimmers are excused at 12:15, bus leaves at 12:30. Warmups begin at 2:00. If any moms are attending and would be helpful with getting tech suits on, please feel free to help! Swimming prelims start at 4pm. Please help your girls plan food for the day.

Saturday: Bus loads at 8:45, leaves at 9:00am. Warmups start at 10:30 and finals begin at 12:30. We will have a team meal at Fiesta Brava when we return. Girls should choose their meal selections by Friday. Parents are welcome to join if they'd like. Thank you to Tammy Kubela for helping set this up!

End-of-season Details

Monday 11/13 Equipment Return and Voting:  JV/Varsity swimmers and divers need to return their parkas at the pool deck to get a voting ballot. Girls will vote for banquet awards and next year's captains. 

2024 Captain Candidates: Girls who will be juniors or seniors in the 2024 season can choose to apply to be a candidate on the voting ballot. They will need to complete the captain application form by Tuesday, 11/7. They will have to sign up for a "job interview" with the coaches either Wednesday or Thursday after practice.

Banquet 11/19: Our end-of-season banquet will be on Sunday, 11/19 at 7pm in the KSS cafeteria. We will have cupcakes and warm drinks while we celebrate our wonderful season. Since this banquet is happening right after our return from the state meet, I would greatly appreciate help with some of the details. If you are able to help with the banquet, please sign up here.

Lastly, thank you to the parents for representing our team so well both at home and on the road. It is great to look into the stands and see so many supporting faces. Also, thank you for timing at meets, providing snacks, making meals, and coordinating special events. We couldn't run our season without you!

10.29.23 Week 12 Update

Congratulations to Estee for her All Conference and All Conference Honorable Mention awards on Saturday and to the team for winning the CLC sportsmanship award, which was one of the goals we set at the beginning of the season. One of the Willmar coaches told me that our girls are wonderful and so are our parents. She was very impressed with what she saw at our school. Well done Otter families! 

This week marks the beginning of our taper season and the count down to sections. We will start reducing the number of yards each day at practice to help recover sore and tired muscles. We are officially done lifting for the season, and practices will be done a little earlier each day over the next two weeks as we back off. Please see our week's schedule below:

Swimming

Monday-Thursday: 3:45-5:45

Friday: 1:00-3:00 due to the early out

Diving

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 5:15-7pm

Wednesday: 4:30-6pm 

Friday: 3:00-4:30 due to early out

Section T-Shirt Printing Saturday 11/4: We will start printing shirts at 10am at M-State. The cost of the shirts is $6. You can send payment that day or Venmo. If you would like to send cookies, bars, or other treats, please feel free to do so. The section team will wear their shirts for a team picture to be taken after school one day next week.

Section Meet 11/9-11/11: Just a reminder, the section meet schedule is below:

Thursday 11/9

3-4 PM        Diving Warmups: Detroit Lakes, Perham, Park Rapids

4-5 PM        Diving Warmups: Alexandria, Minnewaska/Morris, Fergus Falls

5-5:30 PM   General Diving Warmup

5:30 PM          Diving

Friday 11/10

2-3:45 PM   Swimming Warm-ups

2:30 PM      Coaches Meeting

4:00 PM      Preliminary Meet Begins

Saturday 11/11

10:30 AM–12:15 PM  Warm-ups

11:30 AM        Coaches Meeting

12:30 PM                Championship Finals Begin

The boosters are providing a team meal at Fiesta Brava returning from finals on Saturday.

10.21.23 Week 11 Update

have to start with a HUGE thanks to Coach Jensen for leading practices last week! From what I heard, the girls were rock stars despite a tough week of practices. We're encouraging the girls to adjust practices as they need to avoid overuse injuries. Please continue to encourage ice, heat, and rest at home. This will be another week of tough practices followed by the CLC Conference meet on Saturday in Alexandria. Please note that not all of the JV/Varsity swimmers will be on the Conference line up due to limited entries. I will talk to those girls on Monday. They are still welcome to come with the team to cheer if they would like. Please see this week's schedule below.

JV/Varsity Swimmers

Monday-Wednesday: Practice as usual until 6pm. Lifting will be Monday & Wednesday this week. 

Thursday (early out): Girls should eat lunch after school and we will practice from about 1-3 pm. 

Friday (no school): Practice 7-9 am

JV/Varsity Divers

Monday & Tuesday: 5:15-7 pm

Wednesday: 4:30-6 pm

Thursday: 3:30-5 pm

Friday: 8-9:30 am

Conference Meet 10/28 at Alexandria Middle School: 

Divers will leave about 6:50 am to arrive on time for 8:00 am warm ups. Diving prelims start at 10:00 am. The top 16 divers will perform their last three dives after the 50 free during swimming finals. 

Swimmers will leave KSS at 10:30. Locker rooms open at 11:30 and warmups begin at noon. Swimming finals will start at 2pm.

Just like at True Team, we will not stop for dinner since we are so close to home. Have your girls pack plenty of snacks and water and get a good night's rest the night before. We should do well at Conference this year!

Looking Ahead

Sections T-shirts: The girls will make section T-shirts again this year. This will be on Saturday 11/4 at M-State from 10:00 am to noon. Shirts will cost $6. Please use this Google Form to let me know your shirt size by Wednesday 10/25 so that we can get the right number ordered. All swimmers and divers are welcome to attend.

Section Meet in DL 11/9-11/11: The Section 8A coaches met last Wednesday to propose a schedule for this year's meet. The proposed schedule was approved on Thursday and will look like this

Thursday 11/9

3-4 PM        Diving Warmups: Detroit Lakes, Perham, Park Rapids

4-5 PM        Diving Warmups: Alexandria, Minnewaska/Morris, Fergus Falls

5-5:30 PM   General Diving Warmup

5:30 PM          Diving

Friday 11/10

2-3:45 PM   Swimming Warm-ups

2:30 PM      Coaches Meeting

4:00 PM      Preliminary Meet Begins

Saturday 11/11

10:30 AM–12:15 PM  Warm-ups

11:30 AM        Coaches Meeting

12:30 PM                Championship Finals Begin

We will plan a team meal following finals on Saturday. It will likely be in Fergus Falls rather than DL. I'm working out bussing details with Derek, so more specific information will be included in next week's message.

I know swimming/diving is a LONG season, but the end is in sight! Please reach out if you have any questions about this week or about upcoming events.

10.15.23 Week 10 Update

What a fantastic and BUSY week we had! The girls performed beautifully at True Team on Saturday, earning the team a second place finish for the second year in a row. Our goal as we transition from our regular dual season is to start adding more yards at practice and refining our details. We'll have 2 weeks of just practice until the Conference meet on October 28th. This means that girls will likely be coming home tired and sore. Please help them best take care of themselves by eating well, getting rest, and icing/heating sore muscles. We do not want any injuries between now and Sections. Here is the schedule for week 10:

JV/Varsity Swimming

Mon-Wed: Weights after school, then in the pool until 6pm

Thursday: In the pool 7-9 am, breakfast to follow on deck

Friday: No practice, enjoy MEA

*Please note that I will be working out of town all week this week. Coach Jen will be running practices.

Diving

Mon & Wed: 4:30-6

Tuesday: 5:30-7

Thursday: TBD Coach Jarvi will let the girls know when the time is decided.

Friday: No practice due to MEA

Looking ahead

Conference Meet: The Conference meet will be in Alexandria this year. I haven't received a meet info sheet, so I don't have the timeline and details to share yet. One thing to note is that there will not be apparel sales at the meet. Anyone who wants a Conference T-shirt needs to order them by the end of the day today.

Early Out/No School Days: October 26th and November 3rd are early outs. We will plan to practice earlier those days so that girls don't have to go home and find rides back to the school. I will reach out to Coach Ratz about the weight room schedule, but girls should plan to stay at the school to practice until about 3-3:30. October 27th is a no school day. I will let the girls vote on whether they want to practice from7-9am or 3:30-5:30 pm. 

10.8.23 Week 9 Update

This is going to be a busy week! We have two special home dual meets on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as True Team on Saturday. This also marks the last week for middle school swimmers and divers. Great job this season! Check out what we've got coming up below.

JV/Varsity Swimmers

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: In the pool after school until 6:00 pm. No lifting this week.

Tuesday: Home meet against Perham (Parents' Night)

Thursday: Home meet against Willmar (Senior Night)

Divers

Monday: Middle Schoolers 5:15-6:30, JV/Varsity 5:15-7:00

Tuesday: Home meet against Perham (Parents' Night)

Wednesday: All divers 4:30-6:00pm

Thursday: Home meet against Willmar (Senior Night)

Friday: JV/Varsity 6:25 am

Middle School Swimmers

Monday/Wednesday: Practice 3:30-4:30

Tuesday: Home meet against Perham (Parents' Night)

Thursday: Home meet against Willmar (Senior Night)

Friday: End of season party with Coach K. Girls will have a short, fun practice from 3:30-4:30 and then pizza in Coach K's classroom 2619 from 4:30-5:30. Middle schoolers should return their parkas and borrowed suits to Coach K or Coach Cox on Friday.

Meets

Tuesday 10/10: This home meet is against Perham and is parents' night. We only have one timer signed up so far, please sign up here if you're willing to time. Prior to the meet, parents and athletes will get their pictures taken together by Josh McGowan. He will be set up in the hallway outside the diving board. Middle schoolers and divers should line up for pictures first starting at 4:30. Then JV/Varsity swimmers and parents will line up. We need to have everything wrapped up by 5 for warmups. Then there will be a brief acknowledgement for parents after diving. Gretchen will read athletes' and parents' names as the girls walk past the gallery side of the pool deck and hand a card and small gift up to their parents. We'll go by grade level starting with 7th graders.  

Thursday 10/12: This is our last conference dual, home against Willmar. It is also senior night. There will be a short recognition for the seniors after diving, and they will be presented with gifts from the boosters. We're recognizing 3 seniors this year. All of them have been on the team since they were in 7th grade. How awesome is that!!

We only have one timer signed up for this meet as well, please sign up here if you're willing to time.

Saturday 10/14: True Team (and Sections) will be in DL at the DL Community Center. Diving warm ups will begin at 7:45 am, with diving competition beginning at 9:00 am. Divers will be taking a van with Coach Jarvi. She will speak to the girls about the exact leave time.

Swimmers should be at KSS at 10:45 to load the bus, which is leaving at 11:00am. Warm ups will be at 12:30, with competition starting at 2:30. 

For this meet, trophies are awarded to the top 3 teams and medals to the top eight athletes in each event. The winner of the meet will advance to True Team State on October 21st.

Girls should pack enough food for the day and money if they would like to purchase True Team apparel. We're not planning to stop to eat afterward.

This is just a general reminder that as we move into the championship season that our meet entries will look different than for duals. In a dual meet, we can have 6-8 girls swim in each individual event and up to 8 relay teams depending on the size of the pool. In championship meets like True Team, I can only enter 4 athletes in each individual event and 4 relay teams (at Sections only 1 relay team). This means that many girls will be swimming fewer events in these meets. Each JV/Varsity swimmer is in at least one event for True Team.

10.1.23 Week 8 Update

It's hard to believe we only have two weeks of dual meets left. Championship season will be here soon. A few announcements about these meets will be included in this message. This week the JV/Varsity girls travel to Apollo on Thursday and the middle school swimmers travel to Alexandria on Saturday. Check out the details below.

JV/Varsity Swim Practice

Monday, Tuesday, Friday: Lifting after school, then in the pool until 6pm

Wednesday: No lifting, in the pool until 6pm

Thursday: Traveling to Apollo

Saturday: NO PRACTICE Swimmers will not meet on Saturday this week. Going into the following week with 3 meets, they will need the rest.

Diving Practice

Monday & Tuesday: 5:15-6:30 for middle school, high school stays until 7:00

Wednesday: All divers 4:30-6:00

Thursday: JV/Varsity traveling to Apollo

Friday: All divers 4-5:30

Saturday: JV/Varsity 10:00-11:30

Middle School Swim Practice

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: In the pool 3:30-4:30

Saturday: Travelling to Alexandria

Meets this week

JV/Varsity in Apollo 10/5: Girls are excused from class at 2:30, bus leaves at 2:45. Please fill out this form by Tuesday night if you would like to order a sandwich for your daughter.

Middle School Swimmers in Alexandria 10/7: Girls should be at the school by 8:45 am to load the bus. The bus will leave at 9:00 to be there on time for 10:00 am warm ups. The meet starts at 11:00 at Discovery Middle School. Please send snacks and water with your girls. They will go out to eat at Culvers afterward. The boosters will provide $10 per girl. Please send any additional money your daughter may need.

Briana Christ (Shelby's mom) is hosting a pasta dinner for all middle schoolers the night before the meet. Girls can start arriving at 6, or whenever they're done with practice, they'll eat about 6:30, and can be picked up at 7:30. Their address is 3612 Pebble Hills Dr, and you can reach out to Briana about any food allergies/sensitivities 949-306-6392.

Championship Meets

True Team and Sections: Although the MSHSL website still does not have a location listed for our Section meet, the DL coaching staff has told me that they are hosting True Team and Sections this year. True Team is Saturday, October 14th and Sections are November 10 & 11. 

Many girls like to wear tech suits for the Section meet. For the past few years we have been very lucky to have a fairly big supply of these suits on hand that were gifted from former swimmers. However, these suits are very thin and snag/tear very easily. When cleaning out the pool office, we threw out many suits that were snagged, torn, or worn thin. We do not have many of these suits to lend swimmers this year. If your swimmer wants a tech suit for the Section meet, you may want to consider purchasing one. Remember, these are NOT required. Here is a good option if you're interested.

Parents' Night/Senior Night: We will have a busy week of meets the week of October 9th. Parents' night will be Tuesday 10/10. Josh McGowan will be taking pictures of girls with their parents in the hallway by the diving board. Middle school and all diving families will be first for pictures starting at 4:30 followed by high school. All pictures need to wrap up around 5 so girls can get in for warm ups. Senior night will be 10/12. We have 3 seniors to honor this year.

End of Middle School Season: The last home meet (10/12) marks the end of the middle school season. Coach K will have a fun practice/gathering to wrap up the season. Details will be shared next week.

MEA Practice: The week of October 16-20th I will be working out of town all week. Coach Jensen will be leading practices in my absence. Monday-Wednesday will be practice as usual, and Thursday will be 7-9am. No practice Friday. Captains will have breakfast for the girls to eat after practice on Thursday.

9.24.23 Week 7 Update

Wow! What a great week for our team. A huge congratulations to them and an even bigger thank you to all the parents who helped make our invite a success. This week our JV/Varsity is back on the road, heading to St Cloud Tech. There are a lot of announcements this week due to Homecoming events and the team dinner & movie night on Saturday. See our schedule below:

JV/Varsity Swim:

Monday & Tuesday: Lifting after school, in the pool until 6pm.

Wednesday: No lifting, straight to the pool until 6pm

Thursday: Travel to Tech

Friday: No practice/Homecoming

Diving: 

Monday: Middle school 5:15-6:30/High school 5:15-7:00

Tuesday: Middle school 5:30-6:30/High school 5:30-7:00

Wednesday: All divers 4:30-6:00

Thursday: Travel to Tech

Friday: No practice/Homecoming

Middle School Swim:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 3:30-4:30

Wednesday & Thursday: No practice (middle schoolers will not practice this week when JV/Varsity are away)

St Cloud Tech Meet 9/28: Girls competing in this meet will be excused at 2:30, bus leaves at 2:45. The meet will be at the Tech HS starting at 6pm. If your daughter would like a Jimmy John's sandwich, please fill out the form.

Homecoming Parade 9/29: All girls are welcome to participate in the homecoming parade if they want. High school athletes will automatically be excused from school. Middle school students will need to be excused by parents and should not be excused before 1:30. They will need a note from home and should head to the KSS bus lot once excused. Please reach out to the middle school for information on excusing your student for the parade.

Team Meal & Movie Night 9/30: All girls are welcome to attend the team meal and outdoor movie night at the Cox's. Girls can start arriving at 6:30 for dinner followed by a movie once it's dark enough for the projector. Make sure to check the weather and dress warm. Also, bring a lawn chair, cushions, or a blanket to sit on. Parents bringing food can drop it off anytime after 5 or when you drop off your girls. The address is 712 Sunset Dr.

Planning ahead . . .

Parents' Night 10/10: Josh McGowan will be taking swimmer/parent pictures in the hallway outside the pool by the diving board. Middle school and all diving families will be first for pictures starting at 4:30 followed by high school. All pictures need to wrap up around 5 so girls can get in for warm ups.

9.17.23 Week 6 Update

Congratulations to the girls on their BIG win against Rocori last week! By the end of this week we will be half-way through the season. The time is flying. We'll have another busy week this week with our home meet against Sauk Rapids-Rice on Thursday and the Otter Invite on Saturday. See details for the week below:

JV/Varsity Swim Practice

• Monday and Tuesday: Lifting with Coach Ratz after school, then in the pool until 6pm

• Wednesday and Friday: Straight in the pool after school, practice until 6pm

• Thursday: Home meet, set up crew be there 4pm, everyone else 4:45 for 5pm warm ups

Diving Practice

• Monday: Middle school 5:15-6:30 pm, High school 5:15-7:00 pm

• Tuesday: All divers 5:15-6:30 pm

• Wednesday: All divers 4:30-6:00 pm

• Thursday: Home meet

• Friday: High school 6:25-7:30 am

Middle School Swimmers

• Monday, Tuesday, Friday: In the pool 3:30-4:30

• Wednesday: No practice

• Thursday: Home meet, be on deck at 4:45 for 5pm warm ups

Meets

FF vs SRR 9/21: It looks like we still need 1 more timer for Thursday's meet. Timers should be on deck by 5:45pm. Please sign up here if you can help.

Otter Invite 9/23: We still need 3 timers for the invite and a few more volunteers to help with the hospitality room. Please sign up if you would like to help. Coach Jensen is working out which room we'll use for the hospitality room. We'll send the room number out via Remind. Please see the timeline for Saturday's meet below:

• Diving warm ups: 9:30am

• Diving: 11:00am (We encourage all our swimmers to attend diving and cheer for their teammates)

• Swimming warm ups: Noon, or the conclusion of diving

• Swimming Finals: 1:00 pm

All girls are invited to go out to eat after the meet. Older girls help give rides to younger girls. After they eat, everyone is welcome to Aisling's house (712 Sunset Dr) to make posters for the Homecoming parade float. Times for these events will depend on when the meet ends. Make sure you're signed up for Remind!

Things to watch for

BSN Order: Our apparel order was supposed to be delivered to the school on 9/6. I've reached out to the BSN rep about this and was given a new shipping date of 9/13. I haven't been given a tracking number as of yet but will keep you notified when I have updated shipping information.

Homecoming Parade: The girls will have a swim and dive float in the parade again this year. The parade will be on Friday, September 29 in the afternoon. More information on the time and excusing girls from school will come closer to the event. They will not have practice that day.

Team Meal and Outdoor Movie Night: Captains are planning a team meal prior to the outdoor movie night on 9/30 at Aisling's house. Dinner will be at 6:30 and the movie will start as soon as it's dark enough for the projector. They're planning a mac and cheese bar and caramel apples with different toppings. If you would like to help supply some of the food and treats for the event, please sign up here. Parents helping with food are welcome to drop it off any time before the meal.

Lost and Found: A big shout out to Estee, Evie, Jerzie, and Maeve for helping me clean out the swim office last week. We found a lot of towels that we think belong to swimmers from last season. I'll put the box in the hallway by the gallery at the next few home meets, so families can claim anything that belongs to them. Whatever hasn't been claimed at the end of this season will be donated.

9.10.23 Week Five Update

What a meet we had last week against Alexandria! I've been getting messages of congratulations all weekend for a fantastic performance. Good job girls!

This week we have a particularly busy week with two dual meets. Tuesday we will be in Sartell and on Thursday home against Rocori. All that and the second week of school. Please see details about the week below as well as some booster announcements.

JV/Varsity Swim Practice

• Monday/Wednesday: No lifting after school due to meets the following days. We will get right in the pool for practice until 6pm.

• Friday: Lifting with Coach Ratz then in the pool until 6pm

• Saturday practice 9-10:30am

Diving Practice

• Middle school divers practice Monday 5:15-6:30,  Wednesday  4:30-6:00pm

• JV/Varsity practice Monday 5:15-6:30, Wednesday 4:30-6:00 pm, Friday 6:45-7:45 am

Middle School Swim Practice:

• Monday, Tuesday, Friday 3:30-4:30 pm. Those who have been staying for extra yards are welcome to continue to do so.

Sartell Meet 9/12:

• JV/Varsity swimmers and divers are excused at 2:30, bus leaves at 2:45. The meet will begin at 6pm.

• Any girls who would like to order a Jimmy John's sandwich should do so by tonight.

Home Meet against Rocori 9/14:

• We will need a group of girls to set up at 4pm (we'll announce that group at practice), everyone else on the deck by 4:45 for 5pm warm ups. The meet starts at 6pm.

• We still need a few timers for the meet. You can sign up here.

Booster Announcements

Last Plea for Booster Fees: If you haven't paid your booster fees yet, please do so. You can send a check to practice made out to Otter Girls Swim and Dive or send via our Venmo site. Booster fees are $75 for high school athletes, $50 for middle school, with a $125 family cap. The boys and girls booster clubs are trying to put together enough funds to purchase wireless scoring devices for diving that will work with the new timing system. This should help eliminate the errors we had with the timing system last week.

Towels are here: The embroidered towels were delivered on Friday afternoon. All swimmers who ordered a towel brought them home Friday, Divers will get theirs on Monday. If you haven't paid for your towel, please do so by sending a $30 check or paying via Venmo. If you aren't sure if you paid, please reach out.

Otter Invite: Our Otter Invite is coming up on Sept 23. Many of you have already signed up to help with the hospitality room. Thank You! There are still a few slots to sign up for to help out with this meet, both with the hospitality room and as timers. Please sign up if you can.

9.3.23 Week Four Update

Congratulations to the swimmers and divers on two fantastic meets last week. This week we'll be taking on Alexandria at home on Thursday. More information on the meet can be found below. It'll be a busy week with girls returning to school, so please make sure your daughters are eating well and getting plenty of rest as they ease back into the school routine. Here's what's coming up this week:

JV/Varsity Swim Practice: 

• Lifting Tuesday & Friday

• Wednesday get straight in the pool for practice until 6pm

• Saturday practice 9-10:30

Diving Practice:

• Middle school divers practice Tuesday & Thursday 5:15-6:30 (Wednesday optional, 4:30-6:00pm)

• JV/Varsity practice Tuesday & Thursday 5:15-7:00, Wednesday 4:30-6:00pm, Friday 6:45-7:45 am

Middle School Swim Practice:

• Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3:30-4:30 pm. Middle schoolers who have been practicing with JV/Varsity for the last three weeks are welcome to stay longer. Please reach out if you have any questions about practice times.

Home Meet 9/7:

We have our first home meet on Thursday, September 7 at 6:00 pm. All swimmers and divers should attend the meet. New swimmers and divers starting this week will be on deck cheering on teammates. Those who have been attending practices will be able to compete.

All girls should be on the pool deck by 4:45 for 5:00pm warm ups. I'll need a crew of girls to help set up at 4:00. We'll determine who'll be on the crew at practice this week. Girls should have plenty of water and some healthy snacks to have on deck. Please no candy, soda, or junk food. Let's fuel those bodies right.

We will need at least 6 volunteers to time at the meet. Please visit this sign up if you're interested in timing. Timers should be at the meet a little before 5:45 for a timers meeting. No previous experience needed!

Planning Ahead

Otter invite September 23: We'll need a few parent volunteers to set up, supply, and tear down a coaches/officials hospitality room.

MEA week October 16-19: I will be out of town for work this week. Coach Jensen will lead swim practices after school Monday-Wednesday, Thursday practice 7:00-9:00 am, and no practice Friday 10/20.

8.27.23 Week Three Update

The girls have been putting a ton of work into practices over the last two weeks. This week they'll get the opportunity to put that hard work to the test. There are a lot of important updates this week, so please read through everything and reach out with any questions.

Practice

Our practice schedules will continue as normal this week, except Wednesday when we'll get out at 5 for open house. Lifting for swimmers will be on Tuesday and Friday. For middle school swimmers who have been attending practices, no practice on Monday and Thursday because JV/Varsity will be away at meets. Looking forward, we will not have practice on Labor day, 9/4.

Meets

DL Pentathlon: JV/Varsity swimmers will participate in the DL Pentathlon on Monday at 2pm at the DL Community Center. Swimmers will leave at 12 to be there for warm ups at 1pm. The team will go to Zorbaz for dinner after the meet. Please send money with your swimmer.

For parents planning to attend the meet, there is road construction around the DLCC. Here is their message regarding bus parking, but it may be helpful for parents as well:

Here is information on drop off and parking option for buses for meet on Monday (Map was emailed):

• As of right now, the dark pink color “X”s on the map are the available entrances and exits. There are 3 of them.

• We recommend buses drop off along the green area by the Becker County Museum and swimmers/divers walk to F and A doors. The south exit is totally blocked off so not available to turn around, pull through etc.

• Yellow on the map is the area of Summit Ave currently under construction-through Summit and Holmes Intersection (if anything updated before Monday morning, we’ll let you know.)

• We recommend parking in the lower level of the Washington square mall parking lot, marked with Orange X or street parking on Oak Grove. Note: be sure you’re not blocking any driveways.

Brainerd: The JV/Varsity swimmer and divers will travel to Brainerd for our first dual meet on Thursday. We will leave at 2:45, and the meet starts at 6 pm. Girls will eat dinner on the bus on the way home. You can either send dinner with your daughter or order a Jimmy John's sandwich. Please fill out this form if you want to order a sandwich. The cost is $8. Payments can be given to me on the bus or sent through Venmo. Sandwich orders must be received by the end of the day on Tuesday 8/29.

Booster Updates

Fall Concessions (message from Sara): One of the ways our swim team can earn some extra money is through the concession stands at the home sporting events. Our expectation is each family will take at least 1 spot throughout the year for working the concession stands. The Fall concessions calendar is out, and I have created a sign up to help coordinate. Please click on this link and sign up for any spot(s) that work for you! (PS, I know Oct 10th is a home swim meet, we share that date with gymnastics, I was told that gymnastics could hopefully fill the 3 spots).

Are you new to working the concessions stands? No worries – when you get there, Jen Rogholt (concessions coordinator) or any of the volunteers will help you with what to do.

Thank you for volunteering! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Sara Manock at 701-640-1071 or saramanock@gmail.com

Booster Fees: Many of you have sent in your booster fees. Thank you! If you haven't yet, you can send a check to practice or pay through Venmo. We'd like to have all booster fees received by the time school starts. This will help plan our budget for the season.

Towel Orders: Last call for embroidered towels. I'm sending the order on Monday. Get any last minute orders in by Sunday night.

Snacks: The girls appreciate having some snacks on deck prior to practicing, especially once they start school. I stocked the "snack shelf" last week, and Coach Jensen will stock it this week. Here is a Sign-up Genius for anyone who is willing to provide snacks for a week. We have about 35 girls between swimmers and divers. 

8.19.23 Week Two Update

We made it through the first week of practice! They worked hard this week and earned some rest this weekend. The swimmers have been really efficient in getting their yards done. This week, we're going to add some yards as their bodies continue to adjust to getting back into the pool, and we're going to take some time to work on stroke technique. It has been fun to get back in the water and to spend time with these great young women. Here's what we have coming up:

This Week

ALL SWIMMERS AND DIVERS: Pictures are on Wednesday, 8/23. We will meet at 2:50 pm by door H (by the tennis courts) to start with our full-team poster picture at 3:00pm. Then we will move to the pool for individual and yearbook pictures with Mike Welde. Please wear your team suit. If you do not have a team suit, please come to the pool during practice (between 3-6 pm) on Monday or Tuesday, and we will get you a suit to use for pictures and for the season.

JV Varsity Swimming: We will continue practices at 3:00pm, beginning with lifting or yoga and then in the pool until 6. 

Divers: Coach Jarvi will continue to work with you on the diving practice schedule. Be sure to check the team calendar.

Middle School Swimmers/Divers: You will begin regular practice once school starts. Please reach out with any questions.

Upcoming Meets

8/28 DL Pentathlon: This meet is for all JV/Varsity swimmers. It is in Detroit Lakes at 2pm. The girls swim a 50 of each event and a 100 IM. Afterward, we go to Zorbaz for pizza. Girls will need to bring money for dinner.

8/31 FF @ Brainerd: This is the kick-off to our regular season dual meets. We will get to swim in Brainerd's new pool! Please be on the bus, ready to leave by 2:45. As we've done in the past, we will send out a Jimmy John's order form if you would like to purchase a sandwich for your daughter to eat on the bus on the way home. The order form will go out in next week's email. Typically, about half of the girls buy a sandwich and half bring their own dinner. Do whatever works best for you.

Reminders

Booster Fees: If you haven't paid your booster fees yet, please do so. The fees are $75 for high schoolers/$50 for middle schoolers with a family cap of $125. You can send a check to practice or Venmo (@OtterGirlsSwimDive).

Embroidered Towels: Please fill out this form if you'd like to order an embroidered towel for your daughter. The cost is $30 and all orders are due 8/25. Like the booster fees, payments can be sent via check or Venmo.

Snacks: Last year I started keeping snacks on deck for the girls to eat prior to practice, and not surprising, it was a big hit, especially once school starts and girls are rushing from class to practice. 

If you'd like to contribute some snacks to the snack shelf good options are individually packaged trail mix, goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, granola bars, or bananas. Just keep in mind the heat and humidity in the pool when picking something out. 

8.12.23 Week One Update

Hello Otter Swim and Dive Families!

Week one is finally here! We are going to hit the ground running on Monday. Please remind your girls to eat well and get plenty of rest. Please see practice times, events, and reminders below:

Practices

JV/Varsity Swimmers: Practices will be from 3-6pm. Coach Ratz would like us to ease our way into lifting, so we will start with weights M, W, F. On Tuesday and Thursday, coach Jensen will start us off with yoga prior to getting in the water. 

Divers: Divers will lift with the swimmers at 3pm on Monday and then stay for a brief team meeting. Then divers will be excused as the swimmers get in for practice. Divers will practice from 7:30-9:00 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and 5:30-7:00 pm on Thursday with coach Jarvi.

Middle Schoolers: Middle school practices begin on the first day of school with Coach K. More info to come as the date gets closer.

Events

Media day pictures: All juniors and seniors are welcome to participate in media day photos, which will take place on Thursday 8/17 at noon. I believe they'll be set up in the gym, but I will send a Remind if the location changes. This is entirely optional, not required. Team suits and shorts would be appropriate for these photos.

Senior banner photos: Seniors will have their senior banner photos taken on Friday 8/18. This is for all seniors in fall sports. Pictures start at 1pm, but are beginning with the outdoor sports first, then moving on to swimming and volleyball. Please wear your team suit for these photos. 

Reminders

Registration: All girls must be registered through the activities office before they can practice. If your daughter is not registered, she can sit and watch but cannot participate.

Booster fees: I successfully linked our team account to  Venmo. Our Venmo account is @OtterGirlsSwimDive. As always, you can send a check with your daughter to practice, made out to Otter Girls Swim and Dive. Please see the Booster Info sheet for booster fee amounts. Let me know if you have any questions.

Team Website/Remind: Remember to check out the team website. Coach Jarvi and I have been updating the team calendar. I'll also post these weekly messages on the site for girls to see. It's a good idea to sign up for Remind to get updates and important information throughout the season. Text @ffgswimdiv to 81010 or add the class Otter Girls Swim & Dive if you're using the Remind app.

Looking ahead

Yearbook, poster, and individual picture day: On August 23rd all middle school and high school swimmers and divers should attend pictures. We will start at 3pm with the whole team poster picture with Mr. McGowan. Then we will take yearbook and individual pictures with Mike Welde. I will get you ordering information once I have it, but I believe it is all done online.

DL Pentathlon: The pentathlon is back in DL this year and will be on August 28th at 2pm. This is for JV/Varsity swimmers only (no diving at this meet). We traditionally go out for pizza at Zorbaz after the meet. 

7.11.23 Hello Otter Swim and Dive Parents

The start of the Otter Girls Swim and Dive season is just over a month away. Our coaching staff has been working to get this season off on the right foot. Here are a few things to note:

Practice Times: The first day of practice for JV/Varsity swimmers is August 14th. Practices are planned to take place 3-6pm, same as they will during the school year. This will include lifting with coach Ratz. 

Middle school swimmers will begin practice on the first day of school. More information on practice schedules will be provided at the fall sports round up (date TBD).

Meet Schedule: A preliminary meet schedule has been released by the activities office. The DL pentathlon is not listed on this schedule yet, but it will be Monday, August 28th at 2pm, likely noon leave time. This is for JV/Varsity swimmers only, no diving at this meet.

Team Pictures: I am planning team pictures for Wednesday, August 23rd. I'm still ironing out details with Mike Welde, so this date might change. This is for ALL swimmers and divers. Pictures will take place during practice that day.

Team Suits: We will be using the same team suits as last year. If your suit is in good condition and still fits, you are good to go. If you need a new suit, we will be ordering through Elsmore this year. If you look at the team store, you will notice 2 suit options, the TYR suit and the Arena suit. Either suit is acceptable. The Arena suit may offer more movement and flexibility, especially for divers. The TYR offers a more modest cut. It comes down to athlete preference. Suits need to be ordered by the end of next week, July 23, to arrive in time for the start of the season. Sorry for the short notice, but we're trying to be proactive this season and get our suits before the pentathlon.

Feel free to share this email with anyone you think may be interested in swimming or diving this season. As always, you can email me with any questions. I will be on a family vacation July 12-16, but will be sure to check my email periodically.

Sincerely,

Coach Cox