Dear Highland Creek Hurricanes:

Welcome to the 2021 season! We have made some changes this year to help keep swimmers, coaches, and volunteers safe. Please read this message carefully to ensure that you understand these measures.

1) Masks: Everyone on the pool deck will be required to wear masks that fully cover their mouth and nose when not in the pool swimming. Swimmers should come to the pool wearing their masks and carrying a ziploc plastic bag clearly labeled with their name. As they get into the pool at practice and during meets, they will remove their mask and place it in the bag. Upon emerging from the pool, they will put the mask back on their face. For 25-yard events at meets, we will have volunteer “mask runners” collecting the bagged masks at one end of the pool and returning them to the swimmers at the other end.

2) Regulation meets: Senior team meets will be divided into two shifts. Individual and relay events for 10-and-under swimmers will be held during the first shift (5:30 to approximately 7:30 p.m.) and for 11-and-over swimmers during the second shift (approximately 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.). This will allow time to clear the deck and for the older swimmers to warm up before the second shift. Only swimmers, coaches, officials, and volunteers for the designated shift will be allowed on the pool deck. Everyone must wear masks that fully cover their mouth and nose. We are working on plans to livestream regulation meets and will provide more details soon.

3) Speedy meets: Junior team meets will be held on Saturday mornings. One parent will be allowed on deck with each swimmer, along with coaches, volunteers, and officials. Everyone must wear masks that fully cover their mouth and nose.

4) Tentative practice times: There will be a cap on the number of swimmers during each practice time to ensure social distancing. Based on our current registration numbers, we are estimating the tentative practice times listed below, but please be aware that these may change as additional swimmers register for the team:

Junior team swimmers:
4:30-5:00 p.m. (May 17-June 11) / 8:00-8:30 a.m. (starting June 14)

Senior team swimmers:
8-and-under Girls, 8-and-under Boys, 9/10 Girls: 5:00-5:45 p.m. / 8:30-9:15 a.m.
9/10 Boys, 11/12 Girls, 11/12 Boys: 5:45-6:30 p.m. / 9:15-10:00 a.m.
13/14 Girls, 13/14 Boys, 15-18 Women, 15-18 Men: 6:30-7:30 p.m. / 10:00-11:00 a.m.

5) Volunteering: It now looks like we have sufficient volunteer slots for each family to sign up for up to 4 slots. We have opened the meet schedule on the website so that you can sign up for additional volunteer positions and, if necessary, change your shift selection based on the shift information above. If you would like to take the training to become a stroke and turn judge, please contact [email protected] for details.

6) Signing out: If you know that your swimmer(s) will not be available for certain meets due to vacation or other plans, please go to the upcoming swim meets page on the website, select the specific meet, and indicate that they will not be participating.

7) GroupMe: This year, we will be using GroupMe to communicate with parents and swimmers about changes and updates. (Afternoon thunderstorms are quite common in June!) Before practices start, we will add parents’ cell phone numbers provided at registration and you will receive a text invitation to join the Highland Creek Swim Team GroupMe. You can download the app in advance and simply accept the invitation when you receive it.

8) Concessions: We are working on plans to offer a limited range of concessions at home regulation meets. Other teams in the league are still developing their own plans for concessions. We will share more information when we have it.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate through a season like no other, and let us know if you have any questions.

HCH Swim Team Board