Good evening Lightning Bolts,

We had our first win of the season! This year Two Rivers, Nazareth, HCY, and GPS are going to be vying for the top spots in the league, with Two Rivers and Nazareth being the favorites to win the league. As a result, we had a tough schedule right out of the gate. However, it was good to be able to have a bit of a more laid back meet against Bethlehem, and it also feels good to get our first win under our belts. :)

Score

• GPS: 408
• BTCC: 158

Meet Highlights

• 85 Improved Times
• 53% Improvement Rate - This is a rarity, three meets in a row with 50%+ improvement rates. We definitely are headed in the right direction. 
• Let's keep up the good work. :)

Team Spirit: For consistent and enthusiastic cheering

• Luella Visone, Maia Mercado, Jaiden Velez, Karla Flores Ceja, Aaric Grant, Kayden Cullen

Sportsmanship: For demonstrating honor, fairness, and appreciation towards competitors. This could be from shaking hands after a race, to conversations overhead by coaches between competitors, to any other observed actions that may fall into this category.

• Max Yatsenko, Emma Albright, Nathan Komon, Morgan Oest 

Excellence

• Evangeline Lau: Swimmers take your mark...... BEEEP!!!! In the 50 Free Evangeline and the BTCC swimmer dove off the blocks simultaneously, hit the water at the same time, then were tied stroke for stroke down the 1st lap and into the turn. At that point Evangeline executed a great turn. It was a snappy, quick flip, pushing right into a strong kick streamline... 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds... under the water. When she surfaced she was in the lead!!! Evangline demonstrated what we teach, a flip turn is really a flip push. You do not flip, turn to your front, then push off the wall. In a well executed turn you flip and push right into your streamline, so we train to flip push, not flip turn. This principle is what earned Evangline a 1st place and a new personal best time. Good job, Evangaline.
• Noely Arenas & June Perry: Noely completed her first 50 Fly race and June completed her first 100 IM race too. I know both must have been wondering, "Why did coach put me in this? I don't really feel ready." The thing is, nobody ever really "feels ready" the first time they do a new event. However, I know they have been working hard and believed they could. What earns them the shoutout though, is not necessarily doing an event for the first time, everyone has that experience in all events. What earns them this recognition, is that neither fretted, nor complained (at least not to me), nor avoided, nor asked to be taken out, nor showed any signs of hesitation. They may have been feeling all of that inside, but they had a job to do, a race to swim, and a lane to represent the team in. They held in check their anxiety, they stepped up, dove in, and got it done! After all, being ready is not a feeling, it's a decision. Well done, Noely and June. :)  
• Henry Hartman: In the 50 Breast Henry's goggles fell off on the dive. However, he did what he was trained to do..., ignore it. It happens to everyone at least once, and if you try to fix them you'll get DQ'd in anything besides freestyle. And in freestyle it won't make a difference because once you put your head back in the water, they'll leak anyway. So, trying to fix goggles during a race either will get you DQ'd or will make you slower. The only solution is to have the mental discipline to ignore it and push yourself harder, which is exactly what Henry did. He actually caught up to the BTCC swimmer, was out touched in a photo finish, but he did achieve a new personal best time! Way to go, Henry!

Coach Andrea's Shoutout's

Coach Andrea observed and was impressed with the following swimmers:

• Jaiden Velez: In the medley relay on the breastroke leg, Jaiden had a gorgeous turn and awesome pullout. 
• Aaric Grant & Henry Conover had very nice streamlines in their freestyle event.
• Bella Mckenna - She's one of our captains, which include Maika Alcoba, Nick Berger, and Gabe Visone. By default each of these individuals already exhibit good leadership skills, some charisma, and good decision making. They are excellent role models for our younger swimmers and can inspire our older swimmers, all while calmly implementing team directives I'm barking at them from across the pool, and still know how to get themselves ready to race even while under pressure. All of them are excellent at leading team cheers too, but Bella today took a more personal approach with our newer and less confident swimmers. She made it a point to offer personal encouragement to each before their races. Well done, Bella. :)

Full results are attached.

We have our uniquely designed 4th of July practice tomorrow, Friday, on July 3rd.

See you on deck,

Coach Drake