Zeeland New Years Invite Results

Results are posted HERE.

Good meet overall. I think we all found some things that can be worked on and also saw some progress on the things we've been working on. Keep up the great work.
T

Items for this week and next

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Zeeland Invite UPDATE: The guys decided they would rather get themselves to Zeeland tomorrow for the meet. Swimmers need to be suited up and on deck at 10:25 am. THERE WILL NOT BE A BUS TO THE MEET. Divers, check with Coach VandeWege for your arrival time. Diving warm-up starts at 10:00 am and swimming warm-up starts at 10:30 am. The doors to the stands open at 11:00 am. The meet will start at 12:00 pm. Diving will run during the meet starting with the start of the 200 Free. The meet should be done around 2:30. PLEASE WEAR YOUR PURPLE SHIRT. I will have your purple swim caps for you.

Wednesday and Thursday practices are 8-11:30ish am. Friday practice is 12-3:00 pm. Saturday practice is 12-2:00 pm.

For the HC Invite next Saturday, we will be following the times listed on the calendar. 10:15 am bus leave from our pool, 10:30 am warm-up, 12:00 pm meet start. Diving will run during the meet.
Thanks
T

Tuesdays meet at Zeeland

The bus will leave at 10:00 for Tuesdays meet at Zeeland. Warm-up starts at 10:30 and the meet starts at 12:00 pm. Diving will run starting after the 200 Free. The swimmers and divers are responsible for transportation home from the meet. My guess is the meet will be done around 2:30.

Remember to wear your purple shirt.
Thanks
T

Wednesday @ Eastern

We will be practicing Wednesday at Eastern Michigan University. We will be taking school vehicles for the trip.

We will leave from our pool at 8:00 am. Please make sure that you eat a good breakfast and pack plenty of snacks and drinks to last the day.

We will be practicing from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. We will have a short break about half-way through the practice to grab something to eat. We will be practicing about 2 hours long course meters and then about 1.75 hours short course in the competition pool that we will be swimming our state meet in.

We will stop in Ann Arbor to grab a bite to eat on the way home. The swimmers should have some money to cover dinner.

We should be home between 6:30 and 7:00 pm.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday and Thursday practices are 8-11:00 am.

Saturday practice is 12-2:00 pm.

Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks
T

WMR Results, Monday, and Wednesday

Click the title for results.

It took us a while to get rolling today but overall a pretty good meet. We had a lot of guys that swam well and stepped up today.

We'll see you at 7:30 am for practice on Monday.

On Wednesday the swimmers will be heading to Eastern for a practice in the pool that we are having our state meet in. We will leave our pool at about 8:00 am. We will practice at Eastern 11 am-3 pm and then stop for some dinner on the way home. We should be home by about 7:00 pm. More info will come on Monday.

Have a great rest of the weekend.
T

Northview Results

Click the title for meet results. Good meet overall.

Remember the bus leaves at 8:45 am for WMR on Saturday.
Thanks
T

Varsity Girls

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the DVD ($2) from the team dinner, please contact Mrs. Smith (Room 302) or by email (ssmith@hamiltonschools.us).

Varsity Boys

A great practice yesterday afternoon. We spent some time right after school developing our core covenants for the year. I think that it was a positive experience.

Pictures went well. Thanks for making sure that you had all of your stuff ready to roll.

Normal practices for this week.

For our meet Thursday, you need to be on deck ready to roll at 5:15. We are only swimming against Northview. I don't think that we will be making up our meet with Otsego.

For Saturday, we need to be ready to roll at 8:45 am from our pool. Remember that there will not be transportation home from Holland after the meet. You are responsible for getting yourself home on Saturday. Warm-up starts at 9:00 and the meet starts at 11:00 am.

I am looking forward to seeing you all perform in our meets this Thursday and Saturday.
LAP-U
T

Last Week of Middle School

Here is the last little bit of info that you will all need for our last week.
-We will have a normal practice today to 4:30
-Tomorrow we will be at Zeeland West High School Natatorium. We will load up on the bus after school. It is a tri-meet so it will run a little bit longer than usual, but they will also be running all 10 lanes. I am figuring on being done around 6 or so. Same thing with the bus ride home as usual, if the girls are not riding the bus, a parent must sign them out on my clip-board.
-There is no practice on Wednesday unless they are swimming on the Age Group team. I have talked to the girls that are and they know what they need to do for that. If your daughter is interested please talk to me and I will give you all the info that you need.
-Our end of season party will be on Thursday after school. We will swim for about an hour or so (just for fun) and then get dressed and have some snacks in the foyer in front of the pool. While we are eating, I will do awards and such. Parents are more than welcome to join us. I think we will be done around 4:15 or so. I am also incouraging the girls to come back for the boys' varsity meet. That will be at 6:30.
I think that is all! Thank you to all the parents for driving the girls everywhere and feeding them all the food that they have consumed due to working so hard in practices : )
Coach K

Thursday, Saturday, and next Monday

We will not be having our meet today with Otsego. We also may not practice. Stay safe at home and do some dryland if you are so inclined. Hopefully things will clear up for tomorrow.

I would like to change Saturdays practice to 9:30 am - 12:00 pm to get in a little extra work for the week. If you are taking the ACT Saturday morning and can not make practice, I will leave the workout up for you to do during open swim from 1:30-3:30 pm. I will try to be there for that time but I believe I have some family responisibilities.

Our pictures will be this coming Monday at 6:00 pm. Same dress as before. We will practice until 5:30 and then get set for pictures. We should be done by 6:15 pm.

Enjoy the snow and be safe.
Thanks
T

Practice Today!!!!

We will be practicing today until 1:00 pm. We will start at 11:00 am.

WE MUST BE ON THE ROAD HOME BY 1:00 PM.

If you need a ride to or from practice, let me know.
Thanks
T

Wednesday, December 9

With school being cancelled today, we will not be having our pictures. They will be rescheduled as soon as possible, hopefully next week.

It will be determined later if we can practice today or not. Plan on 12:30 - 3:00 pm. I will post by noon for sure whether we can or can not practice.

Hopefully things will be good enough tomorrow for us to have our meet. If we end up not having school, it will be determined later in the day if we can practice or if we can have our meet or neither.
Thanks
T

Varsity Boys Info

Our first morning practice this morning. We had 12 guys here which is a pretty good turnout. If you can be disciplined with your time and get enough sleep, you should be here for morning workouts.

A reminder that we have practice 5-7:30 pm tomorrow. If you have your homework done after school, feel free to come help with the meet. Otherwise we are in the water at 5:00 pm. The front bathroom will be open to change in. If you left your stuff in your locker, get to the pool right after school to get it out.

Pictures are Wednesday at 5:30 pm. I will have picture order forms for you all tomorrow. We are wearing gold t-shirts, warm-up jackets, khaki pants, and no tennis shoes.

Thursday we are leaving at 4:20 pm for Otsego. Warm-up is at 5:00 and the meet starts at 6:00.

Practice for this Saturday will be 10 am - 12 pm.

West Michigan Relays: We will be leaving our pool at 8:45 am for the Holland Aquatic Center. Warm-up starts at 9:00 am and the meet starts at 11:00 am.

The boys should have brought home a packet of information from the Zeeland Invite (Tuesday, December 29) about what their program is doing this year. The goal is to raise $10,000 for the VanAndel Institute through the meet. They are selling purple t-shirts and caps for the swimmers for $10. T-shirt orders are due by this Thursday. I would like to see all of our swimmers and divers participate by getting a purple t-shirt and by getting someone (or multiple people) to sponsor them for $25 for the meet. If any swimmer or diver can not afford the t-shirt, I will get you one. Anyone else that is interested in buying a t-shirt, sponsoring a swimmer, lane, diving board, event, or the entire meet can see the details in the packet. During the meet they will be doing some fundraising activities as well. Anyone else that would like to contribute or would like a t-shirt, please contact me.

Our new quote today is:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a HABIT.

Great words to consider when we are getting ready for meets. It's not all about what we do in a meet. If you don't prepare yourself daily for swimming your fastest, you shouldn't expect to swim your fastest when it counts.

Have a great rest of the week and have fun preparing to go fast!
T

Middle School conference info

OK, here is all you need to know for Friday and Saturday:
-Friday is the diving prelims and finals. All the divers will leave right after school and get to Jenison as soon as possible. Warm ups start at 3 and the actual competition will start at 4:30. The balcony doors will open at 3:30 for spectators.
-Saturday will be the swimming finals at Jenison as well. All swimmers will need to be at the pool at 6:30 AM!!!! We will get on the bus and get going as soon as everyone is there! PLEASE be on time. There is no bus returning back to the pool. As soon as the meet is done everyone is dismissed (no sign out sheet, no checking out with me).
*Our warm-ups start at 7:30. The balcony doors will open at 8 AM for spectators with the meet starting at 9 AM. I am anticipating that the meet will be done around noon or 1 PM.
* It is $3 to get in and $1 for heat sheets.
* There are no team scores kept, it is all about getting best times, but the top 3 girls will get medals and 4th through 16th will get ribbons.
* Most girls will only be doing 2 events because we are limited in how many relays we can submit.
Any other questions or concerns please feel free to call of email me.
Coach K

Middle school girls taper :)

We made it! Through a lot of tough practices and lots of yards, the girls have made it to taper! Here are a couple things that will halp make 'tapering' more effective.
-Wear drag. That includes not shaving, wearing tights, and an extra old draggy swim suit. What this helps with is when next week Saturday comes, the girls will shave and get into their team suit. When they get in to swim, it should feel like they are just sliding through the water easily without all the drag and with how we have been recovering the muscles through the workouts.
-Rest. I know this can be difficult for middle school girls sometimes, but I am asking that they just take it easy and rest their bodies. Save up all that energy for the water : )
-Plenty of water and food!!! Keep hydrated and replenish all those lost calories over the past month or so.
-We will be getting done with practices at about 4:30 NEXT week. Workouts will be getting easier and shorter. That doesn't mean we can slack off! Every workout, every set, every stroke. Make em' count!
-Confidence in the taper! If the girls believe that it will work, it will! We will see drastic drops in times and amazing swims on Saturday! You gotta believe.
Other notes:
*We are at Hudsonville tonight (The pool is at the high school). I expect to be back around 6.
*And next week Tuesday, we are home.
----- Keep checking in here frequently becasue I will be posting some very important information about conference next week!!--------

Varsity Boys Saturday Practice

Saturday practice for this Saturday (12/5) will be 8-9:30 am.

Make sure that you read the post below if you haven't already.
Thanks
T

Varsity Boys Pictures, Practice times, First Meet Info, WEST MICHIGAN RELAY INFO

Obviously there was some confusion over practice times for today. We were missing some boys from practice this morning. I am planning on being around today at 5 for those that missed this mornings practice.

Our pictures will be WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 at 5:30 pm. We will need to get out of the water a couple of minutes early to get ourselves ready to roll. Plan on wearing warm-up jackets and khaki pants with a gold shirt underneath. I should have picture forms by the middle or end of this week.

Practices for Tuesday through Friday of this week will be 3-5:30 pm. We will set a practice time for Saturday by the end of practice on Wednesday. Morning practices start next week Monday, 5:45-7:05 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Our first meet is next week Thursday at Otsego. It is a 6:00 pm start time. We will meet in our pool lobby, ready to roll at 4:20 pm. A reminder that all swimmers and divers will ride the bus to and from all dual meets.

I just got the info for the West Michigan Relays (Saturday, December 19). It looks like they are going to run swimming and diving together this year at the Holland Aquatic Center. Our bus will leave at 8:45 am FOR ALL ATHLETES. Warm-ups will start at 9:00 am and the meet will start at 11:00 am. Diving will run at the same time as the swimming. The meet should be done around 2:00 pm.

A great practice today. We saw a lot of great things that we will continue to develop over the course of the season.
Thanks
T

HS Boys Optional Practice, Saturday, November 28

Optional practice for Saturday, November 28 will be 10am-12pm. If you are ready to get in the water, we'll see you there.
Thanks
T

Middle School Girls update

Fist of all I would like to say congrats to the girls for our first win last night. We swam very well and are still getting some best times. Keep up the great swimming ladies!
We will not be having practice this weekend (Thursday or Friday) due to the holiday. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! We will, however, be having practice on Monday, Nov. 30 from noon to 2. I cannot make the practice mandatory because it is over the holiday but I think everyone should try to be there because of our meet on Tuesday at East Kentwood.
There are only a couple more weeks in the season and we need to try to keep our yardage up and working hard. Taper will be coming soon enough!
FAST

The Boys Season is Underway

Two practices are in for the boys. We have a dedicated group of young men ready to do great things. Our first practices have been great. I am really looking forward to seeing how fast this group will be.

There is an optional practice on Friday morning, 10am-12pm. A lot of our former swimmers will be back from college for a visit so come on down. It will be great to see all that can make it. Possibly a new tradition?

If there is interest there will be an optional practice on Saturday, 10am-12pm.

Monday's practice will be 9am-12pm. Practices Tuesday through Friday are 3-5:30pm. We will decide on practice time for Saturday by mid-week next week.

We have after-practice food and drink to last us for a while but if you have something already, feel free to drop it off. The guys really appreciate it and it definitely makes a difference in our training and recovery.

I am looking forward to another great practice this afternoon...and then a day off to spend with family.

Hammer Down,
T

State Team Info

I am really looking forward to some fast swimming and great diving from our girls this weekend.

Here is what the rest of the week will look like:
Tuesday: Done with practice at about 4:40 pm. I am heading to the regional diving meet and it sounds like some girls are heading out there as well. Let's support our divers.

Wednesday: The middle school girls have a home meet. We will be on deck ready to roll at 5:00. Practice will be about 1 hour and 15 minutes and then we will be heading to Coach Smith's for some pasta. The girls will be ready to be picked up at about 8:30 pm.

Thursday: Practice right after school and then we will be heading out. We are going to catch some dinner on the way and try to get to the hotel at a reasonable hour. In rooms by 10:00 pm and lights out by 11:00 pm (or earlier).

Friday: We will be leaving the hotel at 8:15 to head to Salem HS for a short wake-up swim. From there we will head back to the hotel to grab some breakfast and then head to the pool. Warm-ups start at 10:00 and the meet starts at 12:00 pm. Diving will start about 1 hour after swimming is done - around 4:00 pm. We will grab some dinner at night and head back to the hotel to watch a movie and relax.

Saturday: Same drill for the morning. Diving will be at the normal place in the meet. After the meet we will grab something to eat on the way home. Parents are welcome to join us.

All the girls will get $30 toward food. They may use this money for any food they want. When we return to the pool Saturday night I need either reciepts totalling at least $30 or the cash that is left over. If you buy snacks for your daughter ahead of time, that reciept can count towards the $30. The girls will want to have plenty of snacks and drinks for the weekend.

Spectator information can be found on the MHSAA website at http://www.mhsaa.com/Sports/GirlsSwimmingDiving/ParticipatingSchools.aspx .

A reminder that if you need to get a hold of your swimmer or diver once we leave Thursday afternoon, you can call my cell phone at 616.886.4303. The girls will not have access to their cell phones from Thursday night until Saturday after the meet.

I will try to update if there are any other things that come up. Feel free to email or call if you need anything else.
Thanks
T

Middle School Girls,...

Here are just a few updates about next week:
-We will be at the Holland Aquatic center on Tuesday for our meet against Holland Christian. It is located next to the hospital. If you need direction, let me know.
-Wednesday we are home. Yah!
-We will NOT be having practice on Friday, the 20th. There is a club TCB party at the pool at 3:00. I know most of the girls are involved in TCB and there just won't be room in the pool for the others to practice.
-I think that is all for now. The girls have been swimming great, we have just had a rough start to the season with some tough teams.
Thank you, Coach K

MHSAA Website

The MHSAA's swimming and diving page for girls has been updated with state meet info. Please view it here for info on parking, ticket sales, etc. Down the page there is a section specific to the Division III Meet at Eastern.
T

Conference Results, All-Conference Athletes, Second Shave Meet

Click here for conference meet results.

Overall a good solid meet for us. Our young team showed it's nerves a bit but we had a boatload of best times and swam very well. Our state girls did a great job of setting themselves up well for a great state meet in two weeks.

Our All-Conference athletes were Maddy Kempkers and Maddie Klenk.

Practice Monday will be 3-5:30.

Tuesday we will be heading to the second shave meet at the Holland Aquatic Center. The girls need to meet at the Holland Aquatic Center at 4:55 and need to find their own transportation to and from the meet...WE WILL NOT HAVE BUSSING TO OR FROM THE MEET. Warm-up starts at 5:00 and the meet will start at 6:00. The meet usually lasts a little over an hour. All state team members need to attend and any other swimmers that would like to join us are welcomed. If you plan on swimming at the second shave meet you need to be at practice Monday.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays practices will be a bit shorter then normal. Plan to be done between 4:45 and 5:15.

Thanks
T

Middle School Girls

Well,... our season is well underway and we already have our first meet tomorrow. The girls will know what they are swimming by the end of practice today. The meet is home and will start at 4:15 with warm-up starting at 3:45. The girls will need to be on deck right after school to help set up. I hope it will be done by 5:30.
The school wide parent meeting is also tomorrow night in the east gym, but unfortunately it starts at 5:30. Instead, we will be having our own meeting at the pool, in the stands when the meet is done. I will pass out some very important information so I hope all parents and swimmers/ divers will be able to come to the meet and/ or stay for the meeting. I don't think it will go much longer than 5:45 (assuming the swim meet is done by 5:30.) That is all for now. I will be posting more information as he season goes on so please check here frequently!
Coach K

HC Meet Results

Better late than never? I am finally able to post these.
Thanks
T

Monday Info-Practices, Conference Info, Second Shave, End of Season Banquet

Practices this week:
Conference Taper Girls:
Tuesday and Wednesday - Finishing at 4:30ish
Thursday - In the water by 2:50, practicing until 3:50ish, then shaving down, then heading to the Ritter's for the pasta party until 8:00 pm.
State Girls:
Tuesday and Wednesday - Normal Practices until 5:30
Thursday - In the water by 2:50, practicing until 4:00ish, then back in at the conclusion of the MS Girls meet for a bit, then heading to the Ritter's for the pasta party until 8:00 pm.

Thursday the divers will head to Zeeland around 2:30. Warm-up is 3-5:00 pm and the diving starts at 5:00 pm.

Friday the divers have normal practice. Swimmers will leave right after school FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL...the last bus in line on the lower level. Warm-up is 3-5:00 pm and the meet starts at 5:00 pm. The meet should be done between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. The swimmers will be dropped off back at the HIGH SCHOOL.

Saturday the swimmers and divers will leave from our pool at 11:00 am. Warm-up is 11:00 am - 1:00 pm and the meet starts at 1:00 pm. The meet should be done around 4:00 pm. We will then head back to the Middle School cafeteria for a post meet get together. I am not sure if we will have school transportation home from the meet or not.

Next week Tuesday is the Holland Second Shave Meet. All state qualifiers (individual and relay qualifiers) are expected to attend and anyone else that wants to attend may come and swim as well. I need to have entries in by the end of practice on Monday so let me know if you are planning on swimming then. If you want to swim in the meet on Tuesday you should attend practice on Monday. We will not be practicing at our pool on Tuesday. We will meet on deck at the Holland Aquatic Center by 4:55 pm. We will swim a short workout either before the meet or during depending on your events.

Our end of season banquet will be Monday, November 23. We will eat at 6:15 pm and start the awards at about 7:00 pm. We will be doing a potluck. Freshmen should bring a cold dish, sophmores should bring a hot dish, and juniors and seniors should bring a dessert.

That's about it for now. I'm sure that I will think of something else soon. I will be sure to post any important info.

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'
Thanks
T

HS Boys Calendar

The HS Boys Calendar can be found by clicking here. Hopefully this will be the final copy. EDIT - I had the date wrong for the Zeeland Invite, the update is shown on the new calendar.

We will be having a parent meeting but it is not yet scheduled.

I'm looking forward to a great season.
T

MISCA Meet Info

The following is the list of swimmers heading to MISCA this weekend:
Kassi Aalderink, Emily Bussis, Hailey Fathman, Maddy Kempkers, Maddie Klenk, Brittni Ritter, Richelle Terpstra, and Liz VandeWege.

We will be meeting at our pool at 7:00 am for breakfast provided by Mr. Ritter. Warm-up starts at 10:00 and the meet starts at noon. I need to be there a little early to help with the set-up and registering teams.

EDIT!!!!
The psych sheet has been posted here. The meet should run until about 3:30 or so. With a stop for food that should put us home at about 7:30. It is a big day.

Please pack plenty of snacks, water, towells, warm dry clothes, etc. to help keep you comfortable. It may be beneficial to take along a compact folding chair as there is not much seating on deck for the athletes.

It is a fun fast meet if we are prepared to go fast. I am looking forward to a fun day.
T

BC Results

Click the title for results.

How much fun was the meet last night. It's amazing what we can do when we do it for our team mates. What a great team performance!
T

Monday Notes, Thursday's Meet

Our Meet for Thursday has been moved up to 6:00 pm instead of 6:30 pm. The bus will be leaving our pool at 4:20 pm.

From this Friday we are three weeks to Conference and five weeks to State. The number of hard practices are coming to an end. We need to make sure that we are staying vigilent, making sure that we are practicing the way we want to race.

The girls tapering for conference will start their taper in the next week and a half to two weeks and will be done with mornings next week Friday. The girls tapering for state will be about two weeks behind that.

It is shaping up to be a fun end of the season if we continue to do the little things well.

For the swimmers qualified for the MISCA Meet next weekend...we will be leaving on Saturday morning and returning Saturday night. The intitial idea was to spend the night Friday night but due to cost and our already busy week we decided to just go for the meet on the day.

Todd Ritter has some hotel information for parents for the state meet. The girls that are qualified will be staying together with the coaches in a seperate hotel. More specifics are on the way for the state meet weekend.

Don't Stop Believin'
T

Unity Christian Results

Click the title for the results. A good meet overall. Please make sure that you are giving yourself the down-time to recover.
Thanks
T

Northview Results

Results against Northview are available. Click the title.

Monday Meeting Info

Tommorows meet is at home against Northview. Be on deck by 5:15.

Thursdays meet is the re-scheduled Unity Christian meet instead of next Tuesday. Be on deck at 5:15.

We have three meets left to make MISCA cuts and to figure out how our lineups will look for our BC and HC meets. We are going to be trying some new things to hopefully squeek out a couple of extra points. I really want us to focus on swimming great on relays and enjoying racing over the next couple of weeks. This Friday marks four weeks to conference and six weeks to state. We need to continue to prepare for these key meets.

Training has been going great and I am excited to continue seeing great swimming and diving!

Don't stop believin'
T

Unity Meet HAS BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY, 10/8

Due to a scheduling conflict with Unity Christian, they need to move our meet from Tuesday, October 13 to Thursday, October 8. The meet will still be home and will still start at 6:30 pm.

Zeeland Meet Results

Click the title for meet results.

Overall a good meet. Some great swims. Some so-so. Some not very good. We need to be excited to race at every opportunity. We have a couple of good practices coming up before we take Friday afternoon off for the festivities.

If you are going to watch the powder puff game, please make sure that you have enough to eat after practice and before the game.
T

Zeeland Meet, Homecoming, Saturday

Our meet tomorrow is at the Zeeland Natatorium at Zeeland West High School on 100th St. north of Riley St. We will be meeting at our pool at 4:45.

Practice on Friday will be 5:20-7:05 a.m. We will be meeting at our float on 48th St. by 3:45 pm. The parade starts at 4:15. We will not be practicing after the parade.

Saturdays practice will be 12-2:00 pm.

We are sitting pretty good on drinks and food for after practices. We should be set through next week. Thank you to everyone who has helped out with the supplies for after our practices.

We are getting in some great practices right now and we'll keep them rolling over the next couple of weeks. Keep up the hard work. Remember to enjoy the process of developing your potential.

As the weather is turning a bit colder it is a good idea to cover your head when your hair is wet.

Don't stop believin'
T

Wayland Meet, Saturday, SLEEP

Please click the title for results of our meet with Wayland. Good swims for how tired we were. We had some solid practices this week. We had a new state cut by Maddy Kempkers in the 500 Free.

Tomorrows practice is 12-2:00 pm. Use the late practice to sleep in a bit and relax. Eat a good breakfast when you wake up and come ready to roll at noon. We will be doing some start and turn work as well as using some of the toys and gadgets that we have around. It is my understanding that the girls are getting together after practice to work on the float for the homecoming parade directly following practice.

Please make sure that you are using your time wisely and getting plenty of sleep. Especially on the weekends.

Our core covenants sheet is available to sign before and after practices. Once everyone has a chance to sign it I will laminate and post it.

Our meet next Tuesday is at Zeeland West HS Natatorium. A great fast pool and we get to swim against some fast competition. It will be a fun meet.

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'
T

GR Christian Results

Wayland Meet

I just found out that our meet that is supposed to be tomorrow with Wayland has been moved to Thursday instead. I will update further when I can.
Thanks
T

Hudsonville Meet Results

Click the title for meet results.

Overall a good meet last night. New state cuts by Liz VandeWege in the 200 IM and 100 Breast along with the medley relay of Hailey Fathman, Maddie Klenk, Liz VandeWege, and Maddy Kempkers and the 200 free relay of Maddie Klenk, Aimee Geurink, Maddy Kempkers, and Brittni Ritter.

I realize that things get tough with three early mornings, schoolwork, tough afternoon workouts, etc. It is very important that you use your time wisely and get plenty of sleep. If you are sick, stay home and sleep it off. It is better to be totally down for a short period of time and get over your sickness than it is to drag it out for a couple of weeks.

Don't stop believin'
T

Monday Meeting Info

Two home meets this week. I am looking forward to being able to go fast in our own pool. We have some surprises in store for the girls tomorrow. Hudsonville tomorrow and Grand Rapids Christian on Thursday. Doesn't matter who we are swimming against, the goal stays the same...GO FAST and HAVE FUN!

We will have a table set up for the post-meet food on the west end of the pool lobby.

I will be leaving for the MISCA Coaches Clinic right after our meet Thursday night in order to get things set up for the clinic registration taking place Friday morning. Friday morning and afternoon practices will run as normal. Coach Smith will be here to take care of everything.

We are shooting for around 4,000 yards in morning practices. The girls need to make sure that they are eating enough for breakfast in the morning before they head to school. Also pack some snacks and a water bottle to sip throughout the day. It is easy to get dehydrated if you start your day at a big deficit.

We came out with a edited copy of our Core Covenants today. We will decide by Wednesday if we are going to change anything or if it is ready to go. Once we make that determination we will all be signing it and posting it at our pool.

Please make sure that you have snacks and water before each of our meets. It is important to stay fueled and hydrated leading up to our meets and practices. I may sound like a broken record but it is important.

That's all for tonight.
Thanks
T

Results for our meet with WO

Click HERE for our results with WO. I have been having trouble lately getting the meet results to post properly. Hopefully I have it figured out.

I find myself wondering where the fire that we have in practice goes to when we step on the deck for a meet. I thought we had it figured out last Tuesday but it went missing last night. Who will be our leaders on deck at our meets?

Looking forward to a good practice this afternoon and a fun meet tomorrow.

T

Map to East Kentwood

Click HERE for a map to East Kentwood.

Pictures, WO, and WMR

School is starting up and I think we are all excited to at least be getting into a routine. Make sure that you are getting good sleep at night and eating plenty of balanced food. Don't forget to pack some snacks to eat and water to drink throughout the school day.

Our pictures are tomorrow. The girls need to be on deck in their team suits lined up from tallest to shortest by 3:08. If they are ordering pictures they need to have their order forms and payment ready.

Our meet this Thursday is at West Ottawa. The bus will leave from our pool at 4:45 pm. Please use the time after school to get a start on homework, etc. Use your time wisely to make things easier for yourself.

West Michigan Relays are this Saturday. Diving warm-ups start at 8:00 am and the diving starts at 9:30 am. The girls will be teaming up to do and 11 dive championship list. Swimming warm-ups start at 12:00 pm and the meet starts at 2:00 pm. We will be leaving from our pool at 12:00 pm. WE WILL ONLY HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO THE MEET. The girls are responsible for their rides home from the meet. My guess is that diving will be done by about 11:30 and swimming will be done about 5:00.

We are sitting pretty good on drinks through the middle of next week. We should be good on snacks until then as well. Thank you to all who have helped with snacks and drinks. It is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
T

Quad Meet Results, Team Building, Pictures, Next Tuesday

Please click HERE for meet results for the quad meet from Tuesday. A lot of great swims and a lot of fun in the second half of the meet.

The team building overnighter went very well. We were able to get our Core Covenants on paper and start talking about what they look like. We also had a chance to write down some goals for the season and talk about them. Along with this we had a chance to play some fun games, eat some great food, and just hang out together as a team. Thank you to the Ritters for letting us invade their lawn and garage and Mr. Ritter went above and beyond taking care of the girls. Mrs. Bussis delivered with some great creamed turkey for dinner on Wednesday night and Mrs. Schierbeek was on hand to help with the cooking and feeding. Thank you to all the moms and dads that helped with food, etc. I think everyone had a lot of fun and we got some great things rolling.

Our team pictures will be Wednesday, September 9, right after school. The girls will be wearing their team suits. Please make sure that you have it ready to roll for Wednesday. If you think you might forget it with the first day of school, please pack it right now! Picture forms should have gone home today but will be available in the office up until picture time.

A reminder our practice on Tuesday will be 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Please make sure you get some good caleries before you come to practice Tuesday after the long weekend.
Thanks
T

Monday Meeting Info

Our meet tomorrow night is at Grandville High School on Canal St. We will be leaving from our pool at 4:00 pm. Meet warm-up starts at 4:30 and the meet starts at 6:00 pm. Grandville, Forest Hills Central, and Byron Center will be there. The meet should last until about 8 or 8:30. The girls will get a snack bag for the trip back.

We will practice Wednesday from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. The girls need to have a sack lunch for after Wednesdays practice. We will be leaving from the pool to head to the Ritter's house through our practice on Thursday. We will be doing various team building activities and some fun stuff. Please pack a sleeping bag, pillow, comfortable clothes, tennis shoes, and money for lunch on Thursday at Subway. The girls need to take along anything that they signed up to take to Kali's house for last week Friday as well. Please have everything ready to roll before practice on Wednesday. The girls will be ready to head home at the end of practice on Thursday at 5:00 pm.

Our practice for swimmers next week Tuesday will be 9:30 am - 1:00 pm instead of the listed time.

I will update with more info if needed.
Thanks
T

UPDATED MEET LOCATION Our Meet this Thursday, Friday plans, and FOOD

Our meet this Thursday will be at the Washington Street Elementary (which used to be the middle>> school). 538 Washington St., Otsego, MI 49078. We are going to assume a 6:00 start time. We are not 100% sure of that and hope to know by tomorrow for sure (we're waiting to hear back from Otsego). With the 6:00 start time we will be leaving from our pool at 4:30 pm. We should be back to our pool at about 8:30 pm. I will let you know as soon as I know if the start time is 6:30 instead.

Kali Zwiers has a sign up sheet for food items for Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning. The girls should let you know if they have signed up for something. It should be a fun time. Full info is available in the post below this.

We started with our food and drinks after practices today. We are quickly going through the food and drinks that we have. The chocolate milk and Sunny D are a big hit. We have enough drinks to get us through this week and enough food to get us through next week. Feel free to drop off any food or drink for the girls anytime the pool is open.

Check out the $22 practice suit special from Different Strokes Swim Shop two posts below this. It is available through September 1.
Thanks
T

Info for next week Friday

Friday, August 28
-Team Building Time =]
-Friday our practice goes from 8:30-12:00

-If everyone could bring a packed lunch for them selves after practice we will sit in the pool lobby and eat as a team.

-After everyone is finished eating we will head to Kali Zwiers house and set up some tents and relax by the pool and do some team bonding activities.

-Dinner will be Home-Made Macaroni and cheese made by Kali’s dad and other things that have yet to be determined…

-We will continue the fun all night and have a bon fire and make s’mores and continue to do lots of team activities that will be challenging and bring us closer as a team.

*Things needed to bring---
-Do not forget your packed lunch for after practice on Friday!

-We will discuss who has tents and if you have a large one, or a couple little ones please let Kali know and she will keep track of how many people are bringing tents to make sure we have enough.

-You will need a sleeping bag and pillow and warm clothes just in case.

-Please bring money along for ice cream. We will be going around 7:00 to get ice cream at the North Pole Ice Cream Shoppe.
-Don’t forget your suit for the pool where we will not be swimming yards =]

*-If anyone would like to bring snacks, drinks, cups, silverware, s’more items, or if anyone’s parents would like to help prepare dinner for the team please let Kali know so she can keep track of what all we will have.

-We will all be leaving for Kali’s house after we have finished eating in the pool lobby so parents will not be needed to pick up the girls after practice. But just in case any parents would like to come and help prepare food or just hangout the address is 3057 44th street Hamilton.

-Any questions feel free to ask Kali at practice or give her a call at 616-212-3164 or on the house phone 269-751-7551

-This is going to be a ton of fun and a great experience to get to know each other, I am excited to see you all there but if you can not make it for some reason please let me know!

$22 Practice Suit Special at Different Strokes

PRACTICE SUIT SPECIAL!!! $22.00 EA
*Offer valid until 9/01/09
*Please email size, quantity, and indicate if you will pick up or have it shipped out. Roxanne will contact you back via email with a total.
*Not valid with any other offers

PLEASE FORWARD ON TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SWIMMERS. THIS IS A GREAT OFFER FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY THAT THEY MAY REDEEM INDIVIDUALLY.
DIFFERENT STROKES SWIM SHOP

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR ORDERS TO:
Roxanne@different-strokes.com

Parent T-Shirts, This Friday, Next Friday, and beyond

A reminder that parent t-shirt orders are due this Friday. You can email me at etalsma @ hamiltonschools . us with the quantity and sizes that you need.

Friday, 8/21
The swimmers will be practicing at Bouws' from 7-9:45. We will be playing a game of ultimate frisbee after that and then heading over to the Pizza Hut on Columbia for the lunch buffet. The cost will be around $6 or $7. Divers are welcome to join us for the ultimate frisbee game and Pizza Hut. We should be done with lunch around 11:30 or 11:45.

Friday, 8/28
Kali Zwiers has put together a team bonding overnighter to be held at her house. I will have info to go home tomorrow at afternoon practice and will post the info sheet here as well.

Wednesday and Thursday, 9/2 and 3
I will be getting more information out about our excursion for these dates. We will be spending the night somewhere in tents and we will be doing some fun activities. I am going to try to keep the cost down to the minumum.

Thanks
T

Bouws Pool Practices

There is a threat of lightning for the morning. We will plan to meet at BOUWS POOL regardless of the weather. We will decide what to do from there. Sorry for the late notice.
Thanks
T

Food Request, parent meeting, updates

Two practices are in the books. We have been having fun getting to know each other a little bit and working hard at getting in shape. Our first meet is already two weeks from tonight. I am looking forward to seeing how things take shape. Coach Smith, Coach DeRoos and I see a lot of potential within our team. The work has begun at reaching that potential.

I would like to continue with our after practice snacks and drinks like we did last year by Monday, the 24th. I have room in the fridge for drinks and plenty of room for snack storage in the office so feel free to bring them in at any time.
DRINKS
We are looking for drinks with a fairly high sugar content and maybe some protien. Ideal drinks would be chocolate milk, capri sun, juice boxes, apple juice, etc. Don't worry if they are not individual servings...pouring into cups is not a big deal and much more cost effective.
SNACKS
Snacks with carbs, a little fat, and a little protien are great. Snacks such as crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, and cereal bars all work well.

PARENT MEETING
Our parent meeting will be at 5:30 pm on Monday, August 17 in the pool stands. We will be going over the handbook that everyone got on Wednesday so please bring that along. Suit, t-shirt, and warm-up orders will be due at the end of the meeting. I will have a fit kit for the girls to try on suit sizes at the Monday afternoon practice. This meeting is also a great opportunity for everyone to meet.

Next week we'll be practicing mornings at Bouws' Pool on 16th St. by the Holland Municpal Stadium. The girls are discussing carpooling and we'll try to have it nailed down by the end of practice tomorrow. We will be in the water 7:00-9:00 and then be doing dryland until 9:45. We will be making use of the Municipal Stadium for some of our dryland. The girls need to have shorts, good shoes, and anything else that they need to be comfortable for dryland.

Afternoons next week will be at our pool from 3-5:00.

A reminder that the start time for practices is when the girls are getting in the water.

We have had a parent step up to take care of setting up meals for after home swim meets and a parent has stepped up to take care of parent t-shirts. If there is anyone that is willing to set up breakfasts for after morning practices let me know.

I am looking forward to a great season!
T

Practice after Age Group

I will be around the pool with practices starting next Monday, July 27 from 8:45-10:45 am.

I can't coach the girls starting August 1 until the start of our season. Girls can practice next week with me. After August 1 girls are more than welcome to come in during lap swim (Monday-Friday, 5:45-7:45 am) or open swim (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 1:30-3:30 pm, and Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 pm).

I will be around for any boys that are interested through the start of the girls season on August 12. After August 12 the boys can come in during lap swim or open swim times (see above).

Let me know if you have any questions.
T

HS Girls Calendar

Click on the title to view the calendar for the 2009 Girls Swim season. Practice and meet times may change so be sure to check back here for the latest info.

I will post practice times for the late summer for boys and girls that are interested in staying in the water. Boys, I am trying to work out some times for you guys to get in the water after the girls season starts.
Thanks
T

Memorial Day Parade

The boys team will be riding in the Hamilton Memorial Day Parade.

We need to someone to get something for the guys to ride on. A hay wagon and truck or tractor would work out very well. Anything else that will fit 25 guys will work as well. Let me know if you come up with something. The transportation will need to be lined up on the west side of the football parking lot by 8:00 am on Monday.

We also need a couple of guys to take care of getting enough candy for the team. If you are willing let me know and I will get you some cash to get the candy.

All swimmers and divers need to meet at the parade line up by 8:30 am Monday. Please wear your Hamilton Swimming and Diving gear.
T

State Champ Rings, Tulip Time, Age Group

The Josten's rep will be in next week Tuesday, April 28 before school (starting at 7:15 am) to size people for State Champ rings. She will have order forms available at that time as well. The cost will be around $150. There is a picture of what our rings and design will look like in the high school office (ask Connie where it is and she will point you to it). You are not required to get a state champ ring but we are making them available for those that want to purchase them. If you are planning on buying a ring, please be there Tuesday before school to make sure that you get sized properly and get an order form.

We have been invited to participate in the Saturday Tulip Time parade. I think that it will be a fun experience. We need to have something to ride on (either a couple of cool cars or a haywagon or something fun). If you have an idea and the means to make it happen let me know. I will have more specifics as far as time frame, etc. later.

The summer age group calendar is posted on the pool's webpage. I am hoping that we will have a guest coach that will be able to start working with all the varsity swimmers on Tuesday, May 26. I will not be able to coach you until Wednesday, June 3. If you have the means...you should be swimming this summer as much as possible.
T

State Champ T-Shirts

The school store has State Champion T-Shirts available for sale. They are black shirts with a very sharp design. The shirts are $10 each and are available to anyone that would like to buy one. You can stop by the high school office during normal school hours to pick one up. I also have a couple of each size at the pool office. They are available in sizes Small through 2XL. All proceeds will benefit the Hamilton Swimming and Diving programs. Thank you to Mr. Stoel for putting the order together.

Pizza, DVD's, etc.

I am looking forward to some Fricano's Pizza tonight. I'll see everyone there at 6:30 pm.

If you would like to buy a DVD of the pep assembly and the video that was shown during the pep assembly, you must stop by Mr. Behnke's room and drop off $4 by this Thursday, March 26.

Today, I took five of our state team around to all of our elementary schools. What a great experience this was. I think our guys had as much fun as the elementary kids did. It was great to see how much the kids looked up to our boys. I hope that what we said and how we carried ourselves this past season has a positive impact on the kids that we saw today.

T

Pictures and Video for slide show

WOW!!!! I still don't think that it has fully sunk in what our boys have accomplished.

If you have pictures please send them to Mark Behnke at mbehnke@hamiltonschools.us . If you have video please burn to disk and bring it to the high school as soon as possible Monday morning. If you do not have the ability to put the video on disk, they have the ability at the high school to transfer it to digital media so feel free to bring in videos on tape as well. I will be working with Mark to put together a slide show for Tuesday morning. The more we have the better it will be.

We'll see you at the high school for the assembly at 8:45 am and at the middle school cafeteria for our celebration at 6:30 pm.

Have a great rest of the weekend.
T

2009 STATE CHAMPIONS!!!!

What a legacy!
CONGRATULATIONS!

Awards Night Dinner

HAMILTON VARSITY
SWIMMING AND DIVING

AWARDS NIGHT DINNER

We will be having our awards dinner on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 pm in the Middle School cafeteria. This night is for the varsity athletes and their parents. If siblings need to attend that is ok.

We will be doing a potluck dinner and then awards. Please bring the following:

Freshmen: Hot dish
Sophmores: Hot dish
Juniors: Dessert
Seniors: Salad of some kind

We will have the paper products, silverware, and drinks taken care of.

We will start with dinner at 6:30 and start with awards around 7:00.

Thanks
T

More State Meet Info

If there is anyone willing to head up the feeding of the troops for Thursday before we head to Rochester Hills please contact me.

Each qualified athlete will be given $30 for food. I will be required to turn in receipts for each of the $30 that is given out. On Saturday evening I will be asking the boys for either $30 in receipts or receipts and money that total $30. We will probably go to the Olive Garden on Friday night and we will go out for whatever the guys want on Saturday night. Breakfast will be provided at the hotel. Each of the swimmers will need snacks for during the meet Friday and Saturday. I will accept receipts towards the $30 from snack foods that are purchased ahead of time as well.

Diving Regionals are Tuesday starting at 5:00 pm at East Grand Rapids High School. I will be attending along with any other swimmers and parents that are interested in attending. The swimmers will be practicing 2:30 - 4:00ish.

The pasta party for Wednesday night has been moved to the Breuker's. I don't think the guys were all to excited to cram into our house. A good problem to have when all the state qualifiers don't fit into the coaches house!!! We currently have 14 individual qualifiers with a chance for all 4 of our divers to make it through regionals. We will be heading over to the Breuker's at about 4:30 or 4:45 pm. We'll be done by 8:30 or so depending on if they decide to watch or movie or not.

I will post more info as it becomes available and relevant.
Thanks
T

State Meet Info

Click on this title for info about the Division 3 State Meet. There is a link (Division 3 Meet Info) with info specific to the Division 3 Meet in the middle-left of the page. It covers parking information, directions to the pool, ticket sales, when doors will open, and many other things.

The Next Two Weeks and Conference Meet Results

Very good job by all at the conference meet. We definitely put up some fast times. It will be fun to see how fast you will all go at the state meet. Click the link above for the full results.

The schedule for the next two weeks is below:

Monday: Practice 3-5:30 pm

Tuesday: Practice 3-5:00 pm, Second Shave Meet at Holland Aquatic Center. We need to be on deck by 5:30 pm. Any swimmer that wants to swim can swim in this meet. I will be emailing entries in today after practice. The meet starts at 6:00 pm and will be done around 7 or 7:30.

Wednesday: The Middle School Boys meet from Thursday got changed to Wednesday. We will have practice 5-7:00 pm.

Thursday: Practice 12-2:00 pm.

Friday: Practice 12-2:00 pm.

Saturday: Practice 12-2:00 pm.

Monday: Practice 3-4:45 pm

Tuesday: Practice 3-4:30 pm. Divers will be at regionals (diving starts at 5:00 pm). I will be heading over to East Grand Rapids as soon as we are done with practice to watch the diving regional.

Wednesday: Practice 3-4:15 pm. We will then head over to my house for a pasta party. We will be done by 8:30.

Thursday: Practice 3-4:00 pm. We have a middle school boys meet. During the meet the guys will shave down. At 5:00 it would be nice if some parents could bring in some pasta, etc. for the boys so we can eat before we leave. I would like to be on the road to Oakland by 5:45 or so. We will be heading straight to the hotel and may order some pizza before bed or something like that. I will be taking everyone’s cell phones when we get to the hotel Thursday night and I will return them Saturday after the meet. If there is an emergency and you need to get a hold of your swimmer or diver, feel free to call my cell at 616-886-4303.

Friday: We will leave the hotel early to head to a pool to do a loosen-up swim and then come back for breakfast. We will leave for Oakland at about 9:45. Warm-up starts at 10:00 and the meet starts at 12:00 pm. The swimming should last until about 3 or 3:30pm. The diving will start as soon as the swimming is done. We will head back to the hotel and relax for a bit or watch diving. We will then head out to eat. After dinner, we will hang out at the hotel and watch or movie or something. In rooms by 10:00 and lights out by 11:00.

Saturday: Same drill in the morning. The meet should be done around 3:30 or 4:00 pm. We will probably stop for something to eat on the way home.

While we want the support of parents and fans during our state meet, we would appreciate it if the team could be left alone Thursday night through Saturday at the hotel, etc. We want to give the boys the best chance possible of success and fast swimming. This will help them focus on the task at hand and make

If you have any questions leading up to the state meet, please call or email me.

Let’s get ready to go fast and dive great!

T

Zeeland Meet Results and Conference Meet Info

Click the title of the message for meet results. Sorry for being slow getting these up. A fun meet overall with some good times.

Because of the cancellation of the MS Boys meet we are able to change today's practices to 3-5:30 for state swimmers and 3-4:30 for those tapering for conference.

Please continue to make good choices in and out of the pool.

Looking ahead to the OK Green Conference Meet next weekend:
WEDNESDAY:
The sleep you get Wednesday night will affect how you perform on Friday. Get a good night's sleep.
THURSDAY:
Diving warm-ups: 3:00 pm - divers will leave from the HIGH SCHOOL right after school. Doors to the spectator area will open at 4:00 pm.
Diving starts: 5:00 pm - Divers will complete their first eight dives.
The captains are putting together pasta party information for the swimmers for Thursday. We will have to sneak practices in around the MS Boys meet but I think that everyone will be done with practice by 5:45 or so. The sleep you get Thursday night will affect how you perform on Saturday. Get a good night's sleep.
FRIDAY:
Swimming warm-ups: 3:00 pm - bus will leave from the HIGH SCHOOL right after school. Doors to the spectator area will open at 3:30 pm.
Swimming starts: 5:00 pm - top 24 swimmers in each individual event and all relays will come back and swim on Saturday. Each team may only have four swimmers in the top 16 to score. If any swimmer of a teams four swimmers do not make the top 16, they will swim in the C final as exhibition along with the next fastest swimmers from all other schools on Saturday.
Normal diving practice.
SATURDAY:
Warm-ups: 11:00 am - bus will leave from our pool at 10:45 am. Doors to the spectator area will open at 11:30 am.
Swimming starts: 1:00 pm - Diving will run between the 50 free and 100 fly.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• Conference Meet T-Shirts will be available for sale only on Friday night. Divers if you want a shirt make sure that you have somebody get one for you.
• Doors to the spectator area will open one hour before the start of diving prelims and 1.5 hours before the start of swimming prelims and finals.
• Zeeland will have a professional photographer (Rissley Photography) to take pictures at all three sessions. They will have a booth set-up to view and purchase pictures during the meet. The pictures will also be available for viewing and purchase on the web for 30 days after the meet. Info for online will be available at the meet. They will not be allowing anyone else on deck to take pictures.
• We will be swimming and diving at the Zeeland West Natatorium where the Zeeland invite was held. This is different then the highschoolsports.net listing for the meet.
  

Results vs HC

Good overall meet tonight.

New state cuts by Steve Durham in the 100 Free, Brad Voorhorst in the 500 Free, and Joey DeGood in the Breast. Keep up the good work boys.

Practice for Friday is 9-12. MISCA swimmers and divers will be leaving shortly after noon. Please bring lunch to eat as we will not be stopping on the way.

T

Results vs Hudsonville

Great meet last night. A lot of season best and lifetime best swims! We can swim fast at the drop of a hat. Doesn't matter the conditions, how tired, or how sore. Just think what will happen when we get a chance to rest.

New team and pool record for Jordan Moses in the 100 Free. New team and pool record for Maison DeJonge in the Breast (1:01.21!!!!). New state cuts for John Anthony LaPorta and Bryce Scholten in the 200 Free. New state cut for Bryce Scholten in the 500. New MISCA cuts for Brad Melpolder in the 200 IM and Steve Durham in the 50 and 100 Free. With thier wins last night Brandon Helmkamp, Channing DeJonge, and Ryan Overhiser qualified for diving regionals to join Matt Tyink who was already qualified.

After three very solid days of practice (I would say the best three consecutive days of practice this season) we found that we can still go fast. If that doesn't motivate you to continue to work hard I don't know what will.

Great job guys!!!!!
T

Concession Workers for Saturday

If we have some parents that would be willing to help in the Athletic Booster's concession stand it would be greatly appreciated. At the present time there is not enough people to staff the stand. If we could get a couple of people to help out from 7:30 - 9:45 and another couple to help out from 9:45 - 12:00ish that would be helpful. No experience necessary. Let me know by emailing
etalsma @ hamiltonschools . us or calling me at 269-751-2459.
Thanks
T

Weekly Items

Our meet this Thursday is at home against Hudsonville. Should be a good one. Normal meet times...on deck at 5:15, warm-up at 5:30, meet at 6:30.

We are about two weeks out to taper for conference and 3-4 weeks out to taper for state. It is vitally important that we stay connected every day to what will help us perform our best. These can be the toughest weeks to stay "with it" mentally. We must be diligent in our preparation.

Not everything will go perfectly from here to the end of our season. We need to be mentally prepared to deal with the bumps that will come along the way. A lot of our success will depend upon how we handle any adversities that we face. The only thing we can control is ourselves and how we think.

Our quote for this week deals with this idea...

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

Which type of man will you be. When life tries to break you down, break it back!

Please take 5-10 minutes a day and mentally rehearse great swims/dives. Go through your normal meet program and see and feel yourself putting together that perfect race.

We have a fun couple of weeks ahead of us. Stay focused mentally and do the little things right!
T

Results vs Unity/Calvin

A pretty good meet last night. We had some really good swims and some ok swims. It is inevitable that we are going to have a bad swim from time to time and that is ok. It will all work out in the big scheme of things.

New team records were set by Jordan Moses in the 200 IM and Maison DeJonge in the 100 Breaststroke.

We need to continue to focus on great training. Enjoy the dwindling opportunities in practice and make the best of each day.
T

Varsity Monday Info

Our meet tomorrow is against Unity Christian at GRANDVILLE HIGH School at 6:30 pm. This is the same place that we had our Grandville meet. The bus will be leaving at 4:40 pm for a 5:30 warm-up and 6:30 start.

We are five weeks out to conference and seven weeks out to state. I am always amazed at how fast the time between Christmas break and conference and state goes by. We need to make the best of every practice session that we have between now and then. We are starting to swim faster in practice on a daily basis. We will continue to put in some big yards but we will mix in more and more fast swimming over the next couple of weeks. Let's make the most of our dwindling opportunities.

MISCA Meet info has gone home to those swimmers and divers that are already qualified. If you want to make a MISCA Meet cut it needs to be done this week or next. I will need to send entries in next Saturday, February 7. This is a fun meet to go to and as a bonus it is held in the pool that we will be at next year for our state meet, Eastern Michigan University.

Practice this Saturday will be 9-11 am so that our boys have the opportunity to head to the Dow Center to watch the Hope-Olivet meet at 1:00 pm.

Next week Saturday we are hosting the WMSL "B" Championship meeting. We will be meeting during lunches tomorrow at the high school to talk sign-up for jobs for the meet. We need all swimmers and divers to participate to make this event a success. Our program will receive part of the proceeds from running the meet.

Next week Thursdays meet against Hudsonville has been changed to a home meet. 5:30 warm-up and 6:30 meet start.

If you donated any of the Austin peanut butter crackers, I have them in my office. As of right now I haven't heard if they can be returned or exchanged but they are in the office if you would like them.

Our middle school boys are starting practice this afternoon. Please be considerate of them and treat them kindly. They are the future of what we are doing right now. Remember the legacy that this team wants to leave!

Stay tough, have fun, and keep swimming fast!
T

Results vs BC

A pretty good meet tonight. New state cut by Austin Fathman in the 50 Free and he has some black and blue heels to prove it. Some really great swims and some pretty tired swims mixed with some sickness.

If you are not feeling well, don't come to practice!!!!! Stay home and get better.

LEGACY!!!!!!

T

Varsity Boys Updates

Our season continues to roll along. Our meet tomorrow is against Byron Center and we are looking forward to swimming fast. On deck ready to roll at 5:15.

Please be taking care of yourselves. Eat well, sleep plenty, and make wise choices away from the pool. If you feel the need, take a day and sleep to get over whatever is bugging you.

We are four weeks out from the start of taper for conference swimmers and six weeks out for state swimmers. It will be here before you know it.

We are, and will be doing more race pace efforts in practice over the next couple of weeks. We need to be going after it all out when it is prescribed in the workout. If you do not you will not get near the benefit that you are supposed to. Give the best of yourself everyday in practice.

MISCA Meet info went home today with those swimmers/divers that are qualified. If you don't see it from your athlete soon, ask them for it.

State hotel information is available by contacting Vicki DeJonge at dvdejonge @ verizon.net.

I have extra parent t-shirts available for sale. They are $15/shirt and I have two x-larges left and four larges left.

Our parent night will be on February 17 when we swim against Zeeland. Each swimmer and diver went home with an info sheet from Mr. Haggerty. If you haven't seen that sheet yet, ask your swimmer or diver for that info.

It would be easy to be satisfied with where we are right now. Please remember that the enemy of being great is being good. Do you want to be a part of something good, or something GREAT!!!!

Have a great night and get ready to go fast tomorrow and beyond!!!
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Wayland Meet Results

Great job tonight. We really saw some of the benefit of the great training we put in over Christmas Break. Even though we had 5 very tough practices already this week, you guys came out and swam very well.

Remember, practices are 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday, and 12 p.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday.
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HC DIII Invite Results

Click the title for the results.

Great job today. We got some new state cuts and even lowered two team records.

I am looking forward to a great week of practices next week and a chance to swim around a bit next Thursday.
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Results vs Grandville

Click the title to view the results.

Great meet overall. We were definitely tired tonight but still swam well. If we swim well and lose a meet we need to be ok with that. Coming off two meets on Friday and Saturday, we did a good job of coming back today. We all can be proud of how we swam tonight. Continue to show your grit!

On another note, Bob Klapthor sees us in a tie for 1st in Division III right now with Cranbrook. This weekend will be a good chance to see how we sit against Cranbrook and Lahser as they will be swimming in the Cranbrook invite on Saturday while we are at the HC DIII Invite.

I am looking forward to some good practices to finish out the week and getting ready to go fast at our meet Saturday.

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South Haven Invite Results

Another good day today. We backed up the swims from yesterday well. A new state cut by Joey DeGood in the 100 Fly. Great swims and good diving.

Looking forward to a great week of practices and meets next week.
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Zeeland Invite Results

Click the link for results.

Not a bad meet at all. A lot of great swims.

Get ready to go fast tomorrow as well.
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