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Ensworth Aquatics Welcomes You!
Ensworth Aquatics welcomes all new and returning families to the 2019-2020 competitive swimming season!
For our new families, here is some information on how we communicate with the team.
Team Newsletter
Our bi-monthly circulates on Tuesdays. The Ensworth Aquatics staff utilizes this newsletter as the primary source of communication for the majority of team-related news, events, deadlines, etc. The newsletters are archived on our team website under the "Newsletter" menu.
GroupMe App
Parents, coaches, and staff use GroupMe to communicate last-minute updates, traffic issues, practice changes, lost and found, carpooling and much more. Each practice group has its own group text, and we believe if you ask any returning team members, they will confirm that GroupMe is an invaluable communication tool as it enables them to ask specific questions and plan activities particular to their practice group. Use this link to download the GroupMe app.
Click on the links below to connect with your swimmer's practice group:
Team Website & OnDeck
We are confident that everyone on our team has visited our team website by now, but beyond registration, it serves as the primary information tool for our team. Through our website, parents and athletes will commit to competitions, enter events, sign up to volunteer, access newsletters, review practice schedules, ch more. Be sure to "Sign In" to the website to view all content. Go ahead and visit www.ensworthaquatics.com and bookmark it!
OnDeck is TeamUnify's supporting app that allows our staff to communicate through our website directly to team members' mobile devices. OnDeck also presents our website content to users with improved mobile device usability. What this means is you can enter into swim meets and signup to volunteer more easily on your mobile devices. Use this link to download OnDeck.
Social Media
Ensworth Aquatics is on Facebook and Instagram. We would love for our team members to connect with us on social media.
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Team Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with our Team Handbook. The handbook is updated each year but contains important information including basic training group expectations, pick-up and drop off procedures, mandated USA Swimming Policies (Bullying Policy, Electronic Communications, Travel Policy), and much more. The handbook can be accessed from our team website, under the Competitive Team tab. It is the first item in the drop-down box.
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There is a lot of information to absorb, especially for our new members, and we do not want anyone to feel bombarded by it! The most important thing to know today is that this is the beginning of a wonderful adventure, one in which your children’s safety, development, joy, and opportunity to grow constitute the TEAM’s highest priorities.
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Coaching Announcements
Ensworth Aquatics is fortunate to have an incredibly gifted, caring, and thoughtful coaching staff. As we move forward with the season we will have some coaching changes and additions to groups.
- Stingrays: Erin Pryles, Glenn McCall, Victoria Bahr
- Dolphins: Skylar Findley, Erin Pryles, Kirstin Oakes
- Sharks: Christian Bahr, Victoria Bahr, Kirstin Oakes
- Juniors: Joe Goeken and Marli McIntire
- Senior 1: Glenn McCall
- Senior: Christian Bahr and Joe Goeken
- Marlin Group: Glenn McCall
We are hoping to finalize several additional assistants in the coming days and will inform you as soon as that is completed. The primary goal of bringing on extra help is to better serve each member of our team during practice. A second goal is to provide better coverage on days when a lead coach may not be able to be at practice.
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Protecting Your Swimmers
This past summer USA Swimming implemented the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP). This new policy is designed to safeguard athletes from potential sexual abuse by adults. All clubs are mandated to implement this new policy, which includes an Electronic Communications Policy that replaces the policy that has been in place since our club was founded. In order to finalize registrations, we ask that each family acknowledge the MAAPP. If you have not already done so, please use this link to complete the process.
The policy covers the following areas:
- One-on-one interactions
- Social Media and Electronic Communications
- Travel
- Locker Rooms and Changing Areas
- Massages and Rubdowns
Among other things, the policy requires that:
- All athletes 18 or older complete Athlete Protection Training
- All “Applicable Adults” adhere to the communications policy including discontinuing social media connections with minor athletes; copying an athlete’s parent during direct communication with the athlete; copying another adult during group communications to athletes
USA Swimming has provided additional information to help explain exactly who qualifies as an Applicable Adult and how the Electronic Communications Policy impacts those adults. In short, an Applicable Adult is a:
- USA Swimming non-athlete member and/or adult member
- Participating non-member (meet marshall, meet computer operator, timer
- LSC and club adult staff and board member
- Any other adult authorized to have regular contact with or authority over minor athletes
Please familiarize yourself with this policy. All team parents are expected to assist in volunteering to run swim meets, meaning that all parents at one point or another will fit the definition of an Applicable Adult.
We will continue to update information and provide guidance on this policy as USA Swimming issues it to its member clubs.
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Practice Information
Check out our team's Live Practice Schedule. Although practice times generally stay the same, we have created a live document to update parents about Ensworth campus events, swim meets, or other potential conflicts that might impact normal practice times.
We suggest families bookmark this page.
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Important Dates
Parent Meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, in the Ensworth Theater. Stingrays who are meeting their parents at the theater after practice will be escorted by Naomi Kitahara from the pool lobby.
Team Cookout on Saturday, September 21, 2019.
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We Need You
All swim teams need the support of parents, and Ensworth Aquatics is no exception. What makes us exceptional, however, is that we do not financially penalize families for not volunteering. This practice is industry standard, but it is one which our team has been able to avoid so far.
We need volunteers to run swim meets. It takes an average of 40 volunteers to run a single session at a meet. Some of the non-skilled roles that volunteers fill are: Timers, meet marshalls, concessions, and hospitality workers.
We also need volunteers to fill skilled roles at swim meets. The more parents we have in these roles, the fewer we have to rely on the small group we currently have to fill them. These skilled positions include: Being an official (starter, referee, stroke, and turn), meet director, AO, Hy-Tek computer operator, Colorado Time Systems computer operator.
Training is provided for all skilled positions and there is a lot of support. Most important, though, your involvement truly empowers our team to be able to offer your child the best competitive opportunities. Traveling to out-of-town meets costs a lot of money, and with the amazing pool we have, it is hard to justify traveling often. However, we cannot host meets if we do not get your support.
Please contact Naomi Kitahara (kitaharan@ensworth.com) if you are interested in learning a skilled position.
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Upcoming Meets
Visit the meet landing page on the website for
additional information.
September Open at Ensworth
September 21, 2019
Splash & Dash Development Meet
September 28, 2019
Check Eligibility
Orange & Black Intrasquad Meet at Ensworth
October 5, 2019
October Open at Ensworth
October 18 - 20, 2019
Sprint or Treat Development Meet
October 26, 2019
Check Eligibility
Martha Bass Invitational at Baylor
November 2- 3, 2019
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Swim Meet Registration
Ensworth Aquatics is a competitive swimming team. It is imperative that all team members take advantage of opportunities throughout the year to compete. Competition is not just a measure of a child’s progress, it is also a reward for their hard work at practice.
Our first meet is the September Open on September 21, 2019. All team members are expected to attend. Please let your child’s coach know if you have a conflict.
Signing up for a meet is easy, especially with the OnDeck app. Please review this article for information on how to use OnDeck. You can also sign up directly through the team’s website. Information on how to do that can be found in this article.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT FAMILIES ADHERE TO THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SWIM MEET!
Athletes who miss the registration deadline will not be permitted to enter into a meet.
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Hot Weather HydrationMarli McIntire, Certified Sports Nutritionist
Cracked lips, dry skin? Drowsiness, decreased energy or brain fog? Rapid heart rate and more frequent muscle cramps? Thirst? These are all possible signs of poor hydration, especially during hotter weather, and indicators you may benefit from modifying your hydration approach.
Water is one of the most important nutrients athletes need to achieve overall health and performance goals. Now that school has resumed and dual sports (many of which are outside) are underway, hydration is more important than ever.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes should not lose more than 2% of their body weight from fluid loss when exercising. For example, if an athlete weighs 120 pounds, he should not lose more than 2.4 pounds during a workout. Quick Conversion:
1 liter of water is 2.2 pounds
240 ml = 8 ounces
1 liter = ~32 ounces
8 ounces = 1 cup
To ensure that athletes stay healthy, safe, adequately hydrated, and to promote optimal performance during hectic sports seasons, follow these general guidelines:
- 24 hours prior to an event: consume a nutritionally balanced diet and drink adequate fluids
- 2-3 hours before working out: consume 17 ounces of fluid (~2 cups)
- 30 minutes before working out: drink 6-8 ounces of fluid (3/4 - 1 cup)
- Every 15 minutes during workout: drink 4 ounces of fluid (1/2 cup)
- Directly following training: drink 12-16 ounces or more of fluid (1-2 cups)
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What type of fluid should Athletes consume?
For an activity that lasts less than one hour, water should be your go-to drink of choice. If the athlete is training at a moderate or high-intensity level for longer than one hour, sports drinks may be useful to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes caused by sweating. Additionally, the intensity of the workout will likely cause carbohydrate reserves in the muscles to decline, along with blood sugar, decreasing overall energy.
When ingesting water or sports drinks, take small sips (less than 4 ounces at a time) to avoid stomach issues. The body can't absorb large amounts of liquid at a time. The exact amount needed varies among athletes according to weight, amount of sweat and sodium loss, and the intensity of the activity. Refer to the guide above for a starting point.
Final tips
- Hydrate regularly throughout the day, not only when training or performing.
- Eat your water by consuming high water content fruits and veggies like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, oranges, cucumbers, bell peppers, and lettuce.
- Incorporate sodium and potassium-rich foods in your snacks and meals such as potatoes, bananas, coconut water, and yogurt. Nuun tablet are great for sodium replacement.
- Use Sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade only when training at moderate to high intensities for over one hour.
- Drink water even when you "don't feel thirsty". Your body won't always alert you of thirst.
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Gearing Up for a New SeasonEvery new and returning Ensworth Aquatics Competitive Team member will receive a team t-shirt, latex cap and bag tag at the start of the short course season. We will notify you when the shirts/tags are ready for pick up next month.
Athletes can also purchase additional team caps and spirit wear from the natatorium concessions during meets. Caps and spirit wear will be invoiced to the member's account. We will try to open the concession stand during practice, but we need volunteers in order to operate the store. If you are interested in staffing the concessions stand, contact Naomi Kitahara.
Be on the lookout for team flash sales during the season where you can purchase special order items.
Additional team gear, including warm-ups, swimsuits, backpacks, and equipment can be purchased directly at All American Swim. Visit the Team Gear page on our website for instructions on accessing our Ensworth Aquatics Online Store. Watch for our "fitting day" next month where All American will visit us.
To help our families who may have equipment/apparel they no longer need or have outgrown, we have a Swap Shop page (under the Competitive Team menu) where we will post any swim team-related items you want to sell, trade, or give away. This includes apparel, swimsuits, equipment, training aids, etc. Please email description/photo to Naomi Kitahara. Alternatively, you can also post on the Practice GroupMe.
What your swimmers need in their equipment bags:
Stingrays: Goggles, Cap, Athletic Shoes, and Speedo Trialon Fins
Dolphins: Goggles, Cap, Athletic Shoes, Speedo Trialon Fins, Pull Buoy, and Snorkel
Sharks: Goggles, Cap, Athletic Shoes, Speedo Trialon Fins, Pull Buoy, Snorkel, and Paddles
Juniors: Goggles, Caps, Athletic Shoes, DMC Short Fins, Pull Buoy, Snorkel, and Paddles
Marlins: Goggles, Caps, Athletic Shoes, DMC Short Fins, Pull Buoy, Snorkel, and Paddles
Seniors: Goggles, Caps, Athletic Shoes, DMC Short Fins, Pull Buoy, Snorkel, and Paddles
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