What a great week! So many smiling faces! Great to be back with the Shark Summer Swim Team Family!!

Team Ice Cream Social

• Rescheduled to Wed, June 24th due to weather forecast
• Holmes-Foster Park
• 6:00-8:00pm on Wednesday
• Ice cream will be served at 6:00pm
• This is a free family event – everyone gets ice cream!
• Sign up so we have enough ice cream for everyone — please update your RSVP if you can/cannot make it on Wednesday
• NO Monday or Wednesday PM practice!

Tuesday, June 23rd — Team Gift Morning!!

We are going to hand out our team gift for the summer now, so swimmers can use them throughout the season! Be there Tuesday to see what it is and get yours! If you miss Tuesday, you can pick up your team gift on Thursday at the meet!

Thursday, June 25th – Home Swim Meet vs. Penns Valley, Juniata Valley, and Bellefonte

• Morning Practice:
  • Grilled Stickies: We need a few parents to help serve, please sign up here!
  • Gluten-free option sign-up
• Afternoons of meet days are great for some down time and rest. Stay hydrated, and eat some healthy carbs to have some good energy for the meet.
• Pizza Pre-Order: Order an entire pizza for your family at the meet!
  • Place your order by Wednesday, June 24th at 11 AM
  • 5:00pm pickup at the concession stand on meet day!!
  • Pizza will also be available by the slice at the meet
• Meet Details:
  • Deadline for event sign-up is Tuesday, June 23^rd at practice
  • The meet lineup will be posted Wednesday morning at practice for review—changes are accepted until noon on Wednesday
  • Meet Volunteers needed
  • Home Meet fresh food concessions needed
  • Arrive: 4:45pm    
  • Warm Ups: 5:00pm
  • Team Picture: 5:40pm on the hill near the slides
  • Meet Starts: 6:00pm
  • Meet Theme: Sharks and Team Gear – this is for swimmers and parents!
    • Team Gear will also be on sale during the meet 5:30-7:30pm!

Friday, June 26th – Modified Practice Times!

• 11 and Overs: 8:00-8:45am
• 5-10 year olds: 8:50-9:40am

Community Happenings!!

• Sat, June 27th – CRPR Cardboard Regatta
• Sat, July 25th – CRPR Pedal, Splash and Dash Triathlon

Make sure to check out and follow us on our Instagram page: @welchsharks

See you at the pool! Let’s Go Sharks!

Coach Marion

Arrive by 5:10:

• Review your event list posted at bath house
• Write Event/Heat/Lane neatly on hand or arm with sharpie
• Team meeting at 5:20 in the grass by the back fence! All swimmers.

Warm Ups (ready to dive in at the blocks):

• 5:30: 9 and under swimmers
• 5:40: 10-12 year old swimmers
• 5:50: 13 and over swimmers

During the Meet:

• QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME – See the BEST Assistant to the Head Coach at the Yellow Canopy, Dave Ulmer!
• 10 and 8 & under swimmers in the Medley Relay report to your end of the pool before the national anthem – that’s swimmers in all events #1 thru #4
• Free relays go to their end of the pool by event 55
• Seeding area is under the red slide
• The event being called to the seeding area is shown on a flip chart near lane 6
• Follow the pool rules
• Don’t run or roll on the hill

Race TIme!

• Be at the seeding area on time!
• Shake hands before the race
• SWIM FAST
• Shake hands after the race too!
• Ask for your time from the timers

After the Meet

• Check in with Coach Marion before you leave to make sure your races are done
• Because of a noise ordinance the meet must end by 10pm
• We will have the results and the score for the meet in the morning at practice!

QUESTIONS – See the BEST Assistant to the Head Coach at the Yellow Canopy, Dave Ulmer!

Shark Tank Meet Success!! What a fun morning at the pool! Great swimming and cheering! Let’s Go Sharks! All the coaches are super excited for the season ahead! Let’s get ready for another great week:

Practice Notes:

• The kids did a super terrific job of following directions and being flexible with everyone learning what practice looks like. Thank you! It was an amazing 5 days of practice!!
• Hair Ties and Caps: If your swimmers have hair that covers their eyes, please pull it back in a secure hair tie or wear a cap. It makes a big difference when they practice!
• Thunder/Lightning: Swimmers love water and swimming in the rain is a treat! But we do clear the pool when we hear thunder or see lightning. If this would ever happen during practice, a text would be sent out with updates.

We have normal practice times Monday-Thursday this week

• Modified Practice Times for all remaining Fridays:
  • 11 and Overs: 8:00-8:45am
  • 5-10 year olds: 8:50-9:40am

Meet Sign Ups:

• Sign ups will be located in front of the lifeguard house at the pool during practices.
• Please sign up by marking an “X” under the events you would like to swim next to YOUR name
• Please do not sign up friends who you think might be there — let them sign up
• Other notes about arriving late or leaving early should be sent to Coach Marion by email ([email protected]) or by replying to team text messages — replies only go to Marion!
• Remember, coaches make the final event assignments, but they try to honor preferences when possible
• If your swimmer is not listed on the meet sign up sheet it means they are not registered for the team. Please call CRPR at 814-231-3071 to confirm your swimmer is signed up for the Welch swim team. Thank you!

Thursday – Meet Day, AWAY AT Park Forest!

Thursday Morning:

• Get your temporary Welch tattoo before you leave practice!!
• Breakfast snack for swimmers is BAGELS!
• We need a few more parent volunteers to help with breakfast

Afternoons of meet days are a great opportunity for some down time and rest. Stay hydrated and eat healthy carbs to have some good energy for the meet!

Thursday Meet Details:

• Deadline to sign up is Tuesday, June 16th at practice
  • Welch Coffee Cup Morning on Tuesday! Bring your Welch cup for free coffee!
• The meet lineup will be posted Wednesday morning at practice. Changes are accepted until 2pm.
• Volunteers Sign Up – Please sign up to volunteer! Most positions require no previous experience.
• Arrive at Park Forest by: 5:15pm
• Directions to Park Forest Pool
• Team Meeting: 5:20pm
• Warm Ups: 5:30pm
• Meet Starts: 6:00pm
• Meet Theme: Minions!

Family Food Donation Deadline, Friday, June 19th: Each family is asked to donate food items that are sold in our concession stand and support our team breakfasts on meet mornings. Please drop off donations any time during practice hours by Friday, June 19th (deadline extended!!). Click here to sign up for your food donation.

Looking Ahead – Mark your calendars:

• Monday, June 22nd – Welch Swim Team Ice Cream Social
  • Holmes-Foster Park
  • 6:00-8:00pm
  • Ice cream will be served at 6:10pm
  • This is a free family event – everyone gets ice cream!
  • Sign up so we have enough ice cream for everyone
• CRPR Cardboard Regatta
  • Sat, Jun 27, 8:30 AM at Welch pool
  • Build your cardboard boat at home and race it at Welch Pool! Register as a single racer or race with a buddy!
  • Register through CRPR

See you at the pool!

Coach Marion

Coaches Dane, Emily, Natalie, Reagan and Christine too!

Monday, June 8th is Day 1 of our 2026 Summer Swim Season!!

Sign up for meet volunteer positions, team events, and other donations – All of the season sign-ups are already available on our website, so you can plan ahead for the entire season. Here are a few specific links to get you started for the season!! Thank you!

• Family Food Donations: Due Mon, June 15th
• Shark Tank Inter-squad Meet: Sat, June 13th — We need timers and pancake helpers!

Officials Training – At each meet, several volunteers serve as stroke and turn judges. A free training has been scheduled! This is a great way for parents to help the team!!

• Thursday, June 11^th 7:30-8:30PM at Welch Pool
• We appreciate your time! Thank you!!

Shark Tank – Black vs. Gold Meet Saturday, June 13th Meet Details

• No sign ups are required – Just Show Up!
• We do need a few volunteers to make the meet run!
• Arrive 7:40AM. Team Warm Up at 7:50AM (on land!). Meet starts 8:00AM.
• We move quickly through all the age groups swimming 25s of all the strokes
• It’s a great way to practice being in the seeding area on time for each race!
• Team Swim Caps will be handed out for you to show your team pride at meets!
• Team Apparel will be on sale! We have recycled (gently used) suits for $5!
• Bring $1 for a plate of pancakes and a juice box to keep you energized for the morning!

Getting Started:

• Team Suit Try-Ons available Monday and Tuesday at practice and Saturday at the Shark Tank meet (7:30-8:00AM)! Try your suit on BEFORE practice when swimmers are dry!
• Hair Ties and Caps: If your swimmers have hair that covers their eyes, please pull it back in a secure hair tie or wear a swim cap. It makes a big difference when they practice! We have practice caps available at practice for $5.
• Apparel Sale: Welch gear will be on sale at our first two practices, Shark Tank meet and home meets on June 25th and July 9th! We have:
  • T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Jibbitz, Hats and more!
  • Team Suits!! Ready for cash and carry!
  • Recycled suits (You can donated gently used suits to the team store to be sold!)

We can’t wait to see our swimmers and families again! Plan to arrive a little early on the first day of practice to make sure you don’t miss any announcements from the coaches. We will have a welcome/Q&A session for parents during the first day of practice too(8:10 and 9:10am by the front gate). As a reminder, here are practice times for the first day:

• 6:45-8:00am – 13 and over
• 8:00-9:00am – 9-12 year olds
• 9:00-9:40am – 8 and under
• PM Practice 8-9PM for swimmers 11 and over

See you at the pool!

Coach Marion

Coaches Dane, Emily, Natalie, Reagan, and Christine!!

Great to see so many of you at yesterday’s Info Session! We are looking forward to a great season! Let’s Go Sharks!

If you missed us yesterday at Welch, no worries! All the team info is on the team info link above and we will have parent meetings during the first two days of practice (8:10am & 9:10am) for important details for the summer!

Looking ahead:

• Suit try on days — There are several more opportunities for suit try ons (your swimmer must be dry). Saturday, May 30th 8:30-9:30am at Welch pool, the first two days of practice (June 8 & 9) and at the Shark Tank meet (June 13th). Team Suits — Suits are available for order from our SwimOutlet team store.
• Swim evaluations still available — If you are considering swim team and would like to know if your child is ready for Welch this summer, please contact Coach Marion to schedule a swim evaluation on Saturday, May 30th or June 6th, between 8:30-9:30am. Evaluations will take about 20 mins.
• 2026 Welch Calendar — Don’t forget to add the meet schedule and events to your home calendar!
• Sign up for meet volunteer positions, team events, and other donations — All of the season sign-ups are available on our website, so you can plan ahead for the entire season if you’re in summer mode already!

Have a great rest of your school year! Finish strong with a smile!

See you at the pool soon!

Coach Marion

Here is how to get ready for the 2026 Welch season:

• 2026 Team Info — We’ve provided the latest information about the 2026 season. You can also find links to register your swimmer through CRPR(Registration is now open!).
• 2026 Family Contact Form — Please provide your contact information for this summer, so you don’t miss important team updates.
• 2026 Welch Calendar — We’ve added our team info day, first day of practice and champs! Meet schedule and team activities coming soon!
• Team Suits — We’re using the same suit designs as last year. Suits are available for order from our SwimOutlet team store.

Mark your calendars for our team information session on Saturday, May 16th from 11:00AM-1:00pm at Welch Pool. Our coaches will be there to answer questions, try on team suits, purchase a limited number of cash-and-carry suits, and purchase team apparel. We can’t wait to see you there!

If you are considering swim team and would like to know if your child is ready for Welch this summer, please contact Coach Marion to schedule a swim evaluation on Saturday May 30th or June 6th, between 8:30 and 9:30. Evaluation will take about 20 mins.

Regular practices will begin on Monday, June 8th.