October Newsletter
Swim FST • October 7, 2024
October Calendar
Fair Day: October 7th (Warner Robins only)
No Practice. All M/W Aquanauts, Bronze, and Homeschool groups will have a make up practice on Tuesday.
The October Meet: October 12th-13th (Registration deadline: October 2nd)
Warner Robins, GA. All FST swimmers and 10&U Aquanauts are encouraged to participate. USA registration is required.
Fitter & Faster Clinic: October 19th-20th (Limited capacity registration: first-come, first-serve)
Warner Robins. Hosted by Fitter & Faster Tour. See details and register here.
Athens Fall Classic: October 25th-27th (Registration deadline: October 14th)
Athens, GA. USA registration is required.
FST Home Meet: November 1st (Registration deadline: October 23rd)
Warner Robins, GA. Open to all FST members.
Important Meet Billing Update
If you signed up for the October Meet, you should have noticed that the meet fee billing date is not the 1st of the following month. Moving forward, all entry fees will be charged to the participating accounts before the meet occurs. The charge date will always be within 2-3 days of the entry deadline (after coaches have made any event selection changes). The reason for this change is twofold:
- Our team is in the process of changing website hosts, and the new system does not allow for delayed meet billing. When we export our final entry file to send to the host team (whether it is an "away" meet or an FST hosted meet), the system will automatically charge all participants for their entry fees.
- Cashflow. Even though the new website will require this change, it is something we have been considering for the past year. In the past, the team paid all entry fees to the host team on behalf of the participating athletes, and billed the participants at a later date. As the team grows, this upfront cost also grows. This change means all fees are collected in advance so cashflow to cover the entry fees is no longer a consideration, and also eliminates the situations where the entry fees are not recovered.
Meet fees are always defined on the meet information page, and a charge date is also listed, so there will never be any surprises. This is a standard business practice for many other teams, and will ultimately improve the financial strength of our program.
USA Swimming Registration
All meets, both away and at our home pools require USA registration, except those meets labeled "Home Meet" and "Mentor Meet." Prior to attending your first non-scrimmage meet, you must register online with USA Swimming.
- If your swimmer has not previously attended a USA meet in 2024, you will need to complete an online USA Swimming registration prior to attending any future away meets. An email will be sent, along with step-by-step instructions, to the applicable athletes prior to their first meet. This registration will cover your athlete through 2025.
- If your swimmer has already attended USA meets under a Premium membership, they are eligible to continue attending meets through the end of 2024, but will need to be registered with USA Swimming prior to their first meet of 2025. An email will be sent prior to the end of the year, along with step-by-step instructions for 2025 registrations, to all currently registered athletes.
A Note from the Coach:
Our short course season is off to a great start. Since the team merger, we've seen our athletes really come together at swim meets, and it's awesome to see their teamwork and camaraderie grow. The energy from the swimmers and parents has created a fun and united community that we're really proud of.
Thanks for sticking with us as we figure things out. We're looking forward to making more memories, building lifelong friendships, and achieving big things in the pool. Here's to a fantastic season!
At this point in the season, we are focusing on:
- Increasing intensity
- Technique, technique, technique
- Developing good attendance habits and consistent training
Read more about the training cycles at this link.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Click here for a full-season
tentative schedule.
Marlins Invite
November 22nd-24th
The December Meet
December 13th-15th
Committee Corner: Officials
Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets!
Start the process at this link, or email Amanda for more details and help getting started.
U.S. Masters Swimming
Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team is growing, and looking to add new team members!
Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
April calendar Spring Break: March 28th - April 4th* Warner Robins & Macon. No practices for any groups. Enjoy your break - we will see you back at practice the week of April 6th! FST Lifeguard Certification & Recertification: April 11th - 13th* (Registration deadline: April 7th) Macon, GA. Red Cross lifeguard certification & recertification course. Participants must be 15 or older. See details and register here . FST will be hiring Lifeguard and Swim Lesson instructors for our summer lessons in Macon, and Red Cross certification is required. Don't miss out on this fun summer work opportunity! *Additional certification courses are also being scheduled for May 16-18. FST Long Course IMX Meet: April 26th - 27th (Registration deadline: April 21st) Warner Robins, GA. Long Course meet. All Intermediate & Advanced Homeschool, JV, Silver, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black swimmers are encouraged to attend, to obtain your IMX for long course season. spring fitter & faster clinic: fly & breast We are excited to share that we will be welcoming back our friends at Fitter & Faster for a Fast Butterfly & Breaststroke Technique Swim Camp on April 12 & 13 at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center. As the hosts, our team has the first opportunity to register for spots. Please use the links below to sign up as soon as possible. Learning from one of their elite clinicians will be an inspiring way for swimmers to kick off April. We highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity if you’re able to. There will be two sessions available: one for swimmers ages 9-12 and another for ages 13 & over. The curriculum each day will be: April 12: Fast Butterfly Technique April 13: Fast Breaststroke Technique Ages 12 & under: CLICK HERE for details and registration Ages 13 & over: CLICK HERE for details and registration If you have any questions about the clinic email Michael Plantamura at Mplanty@fitterandfaster.com and he will help you out. A Note from the Coach: This year's Divisional Meet was a lot of fun, and we are so proud of our team, both for your effort/performance and for your Team Spirit! As we start training for long course, we will be focusing on goal-setting. Be on the lookout for your goal-setting forms, and in the meantime, watch the video from legendary Coach Bob Bowman found at the bottom of this news post. Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a tentative long-course season schedule. OST Long-Course Invite Opelika May 3-4 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
Award Ceremony - April 6th
March calendar Southeastern Meet of Champions: March 6th-9th (Registration closed) August, GA. Sectional-level competition with qualifying standards . Southern Divisional Championships: March 14th-16th (Registration closed) Columbus, GA. Our biggest meet of the year - we can't wait to see you all there! Spirit Week details are below: Monday: Blackout Day - Wear all black to show our power and intensity! Tuesday: 80x/90s - Go retro with your best throwback looks - think neon, scrunchies, windbreakers and band tees! Wednesday: Wacky Tacky Wednesday - Mismatched, loud and wild - wear your craziest combo! Thursday: Crazy Sock Swap - Bring a pair of crazy (new) socks and swap with a teammate. Spirit Days at the meet: Saturday: 80x/90s (Round 2): Bring back the retro vibes on deck! Sunday: Blackout & Crazy Socks: Wear all black AND show off the crazy socks you got in the sock swap!* *Crazy socks are a fun choice all weekend!! FST Mentor Meet: March 21st (Registration deadline: March 19th) Warner Robins, GA. All Aquanauts, Bronze, Silver, and JV swimmers are invited to participate. Gold, Varsity, Teal & Black are encouraged to attend as timers/cheerleaders. FST Lifeguard Certification & Recertification: March 28th - 30th* (Registration deadline: March 21st) Macon, GA. Red Cross lifeguard certification & recertification course. Participants must be 15 or older. See details and register here . FST will be hiring Lifeguard and Swim Lesson instructors for our summer lessons in Macon, and Red Cross certification is required. Don't miss out on this fun summer work opportunity! *Additional certification courses are also being scheduled for April 11-13 and May 16-18. Spring Break: March 28th - April 4th* Warner Robins & Macon. No practices for any groups. Enjoy your break - we will see you back at practice the week of April 6th! spring fitter & faster clinic: fly & breast We are excited to share that we will be welcoming back our friends at Fitter & Faster for a Fast Butterfly & Breaststroke Technique Swim Camp on April 12 & 13 at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center. As the hosts, our team has the first opportunity to register for spots. Please use the links below to sign up as soon as possible. Learning from one of their elite clinicians will be an inspiring way for swimmers to kick off April. We highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity if you’re able to. There will be two sessions available: one for swimmers ages 9-12 and another for ages 13 & over. The curriculum each day will be: April 12: Fast Butterfly Technique April 13: Fast Breaststroke Technique Ages 12 & under: CLICK HERE for details and registration Ages 13 & over: CLICK HERE for details and registration If you have any questions about the clinic email Michael Plantamura at Mplanty@fitterandfaster.com and he will help you out. A Note from the Coach: This subject is very important with our upcoming Divisional Meet. Your food is your fuel and proper hydration is vital during meet weekends. Equally as important is the food you consume, and when you consume it. Don't let a season's worth of hard training be negated by what you do or don't eat at a meet. There is a wealth of great information available on the Nutrition & Wellness section of the the SwimStrong dryland site. When preparing for Divisionals, pay attention to the "Swim Meets" category. This is also a fantastic resource to use throughout the season. Take a look around and find tips for achieving peak performance through proper nutrition! At this point in the season, we are continuing to focus on: Being consistent in practice attendance Improving technique and building endurance through the effort put forth in practice Gaining race experience and developing racing strategies through meet participation Having a positive attitude at all times and learning to overcome adversity Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a tentative long-course season schedule. Long Course IMR/IMX Warner Robins April 26-27 OST Long-Course Invite Opelika May 3-4 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
february calendar Peach State Champs: February 15th-16th (Registration deadline: February 1st) Warner Robins, GA. 14& Under. This meet has qualifying standards . All Black, Teal, Gold, and Varsity swimmers not participating in the meet are asked to volunteer as timers via this link . Age Group State: February 21st-23rd (Registration deadline: February 8th) Savannah, GA. This meet has qualifying standards . FST Home Meet: TBA Date and location (Macon or Warner Robins) is to be announced. Southeastern Meet of Champions: March 6th-9th (Registration deadline: February 26th) August, GA. Sectional-level competition with qualifying standards . save the date: southern divisionals March 14-16 Columbus, GA Mark your calendars - it's the most important meet of the year! This is a fun, team meet, and is all about bringing your team spirit! This meet will be the culmination of our Short Course season: There will be relays, finals, and awards. In the past, Warner Robins and Macon competed for the HOG, but now that we are ONE TEAM we think we can WIN IT ALL!!! We will offer fun incentives for various participation levels, and are currently planning activities for Spirit Week the week before the meet. Keep an eye out for Divisionals emails to be sure you don't miss any important information. We can't wait to see everyone in Columbus! A Note from the Coach: We have not yet finished this Short Course season, so there is still time to achieve the goals you set at the beginning of the season. At this point in the season, we are continuing to focus on: Being consistent in practice attendance Improving technique and building endurance through the effort put forth in practice Gaining race experience and developing racing strategies through meet participation Having a positive attitude at all times and learning to overcome adversity Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a full-season tentative schedule. Southern Divisionals Columbus March 14-16 NCSA Spring Championships Orlando March 18-22 NCSA Age Group Championships Orlando March 26-29 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
January calendar, practice updates, and important reminders.
December calendar, practice updates, and important reminders.
November calendar, practice updates, and important reminders.
Warner Robins: Thursday practice update
How to upgrade to a Premium Membership from a Seasonal or Flex Membership
Coaching and training cycles for swimmer development
