Announcements .. 2011 .. 2010 .. 2009 .. 2008

NEW * NEW * NEW * 

     Powhatan Secondary SeaStar Swim Meet Worker Sign-up:

Please take some time and check out our swim team worker rosters online. You can sign up for open slots, swap slots, etc. 

To access the sign-up use the password (please ask or see your email). 
Please sign up for an account to access all of the sign-up features. 

-Eric Dawnkaski

SeaStar Families, 

 Thank you all for your time and effort on Monday, we can't make this work without you. Our first meet ran very smoothly and we were able to finish at a reasonable hour for such a large meet. Many of our swimmers made champs times, we had a triple winner (Sarah Jones), a double winner (Katherine Quinlan), and many strong swims. 

Our second home meet is this Monday the 27th. I have attached the worker roster. Please check out the roster and arrange for replacements if you are unable to work your shift. Remember, every family needs to work half of the meet. 

Thanks for your continued strong support of our Team. 

> > GO SEASTARS!! 

> > -Eric Dawnkaski

Hello Seastar Families,

This is the concession volunteer schedule for our second home swim meet for Monday, June 27th. I'm short on volunteers for clean up. Please come down if you're able to help. If you have any questions, please respond to this e-mail or call me at 259-0185. Thank you.

Pretzel Pickup (4:30; already paid): Diane Joyner Ice Pickup (deliver by 4:00): Joe Broker

Setup and 1st Shift (3:30 to 5:30) Joe Broker; Stephanie Argue, Fiona & Jess Van Gheem

2nd Shift (5:30 to 7:30) Sarah Austin, Mary Phillips, & Karen Quinlan

3rd Shift (7:30 to close) Kristi McVey, Maria Buchite & ?

Clean up: Joe Broker, ? & ?

Hello Seastar Families,

This is the concession volunteer schedule for our first home swim meet for tomorrow, Monday, June 20th. Please disregard this e-mail if your name is not on the following list. If you have any questions, please respond to this e-mail or call us at 259-0185. Thank you.

Pretzel Pickup (4:30; already paid): Diane Joyner Ice Pickup (deliver by 4:00): Denise Webster

Setup and 1st Shift (3:30 to 5:30) Joe & Dawn Broker; Fiona & Jess Van Gheem

2nd Shift (5:30 to 7:30) Sarah Austin, Jennifer Monahan, & Karen Quinlan

3rd Shift (7:30 to close) Christine Hoskins, Kristi McVey & Maria Buchite

Clean up: Joe/Dawn Broker, Carol Wilson, & Jay Abella

SeaStar Families,
  I have attached the Worker Roster for Monday's Meet .  

Thank you all for volunteering. 

Please check out the roster and arrange for replacements if you cannot work your shift.  Remember every family needs to work half of meet.  It is only by your generous donation of time that we make these meets work for our kids.  

-Eric Dawnkaski

Hi Ladies,

Thank you all for signing up to help out with ribbon-writing and/or scoring for our Seastars this season.  I apologize for the short notice in contacting you, but we have only recently received our volunteer lists.  Although I know several of you are old pros at this, I think we have a couple of people who will be new to the table this year.

Ginny and I would like to have a brief refresher of scoring rules, reading time cards and ribbon-writing procedures before our first home meet vs. Kingswood next Monday.  If you already have attended a VPSU training session this season, you certainly are not required to come (and we know this is an extremely busy time for everyone), but it really would help to avoid some of that first meet craziness if we could all touch base beforehand.

If you are not available to meet at the pool Monday 20 June at 8:45am, please let me know, and we can find another time to go over any questions or take suggestions you might have.

Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing everyone by the pool!

Amy Dassler & Ginny VanWicklin

Amy Dassler
ardassler@cox.net

Hello Seastar families and swimmers,

Attached is the list for concession stand contributions for our home meets .  

This is separate from the water/Gatorade/soda contribution.  I have made the contribution list for all 3 home meets.  Each family contributes an item for one home meet only.  To make things easier, I have assigned an item to each family.  If you will not be able to attend the meet you are assigned to, please try and find someone to trade with.  If you can’t find someone to trade with, please let me know ASAP so I can find someone to bring that item and I will switch you to another meet.  If you notice someone whose email is missing, please let me know or forward this email to them please.

For those of you who are new to the team, the money we raise from the concession stand during our home meets are used to keep team dues down (ours are half of many of the VPSU teams) and to pay for items that we use during the swim season (ribbons, trophies, etc.).

Please email me and let me know that you received this email and can bring the assigned item.  Feel free to contact me with any questions. 

Thanks,

Heidi Muench

Hello Again Seastar Families,

It has been the tradition of the Seastars to provide donut holes & orange juice to the swimmers on the morning after a swim meet.  We have already had two groups graciously sign up to help for the first two meets, but we still need help for the four others.  The kids really look forward to the donuts so please consider helping us out!

Feel free to get together with a few friends.  This will help defray the cost of the 250 donut holes and 1 1/2 gallons of juice we need.  You will also need to provide the napkins and cups (there may be some left in the guardhouse so be sure to check before you purchase any).  The donuts should be by poolside by 8:30 so it will be ready after the first practice is over.
 
The dates that still need donut helpers are:

Friday, July 8th
Tuesday, July 12th
Tuesday, July 19th
Tuesday, July 26th

If you would like to help, please let me know.  

Kim Squire  mksquire@cox.net

I will be coordinating the social events for this swim season. We will be having a great summer!

I wanted to give everyone a head's up about all the fun so you can mark you calendars now. I will send out additional information about each event as each date gets closer !

Every practice after a meet night: Donuts for breakfast

Thursday, June 23rd: Tye Dye Day at the Pavilion (time TBA)

Sunday, June 26th: Powhatan Idol at the Clubhouse 4:00 -7:00 pm

Monday, July 11th: Pancake Breakfast after each practice

Monday, July 18th: Possible Movie Monday (we will try to have another too!)

Sunday, July 24th: First ever Seastar "Pasta Bowl" at the Clubhouse 6:00 -8:00 pm

Monday, August 8th: Seastar's Annual Awards Ceremony Potluck at the Clubhouse 5:30 - ???

Enjoy the long weekend and watch for more emails to come! • Kim Squire • mksquire @ cox.net

Great job on the first week of practice! I hope everyone felt welcome and that the kids had a good time. Please let me know if you have any questions, I will be glad to help and so would the coaches.

A couple of things:
~NO Practice tomorrow, Friday the 3rd due to a private function at the pool. See you Monday.
~Please let Kim Squire know if you would like to donate donuts for the mornings after our meets.
~A calendar will be out next week with all of the social functions for the summer....be looking for it.

Go Seastars!

Andrea Freeland

Hello Seastar Families!

I have updated the email list and I hope I have everyone's address correct. Please take note of the emails of friends and neighbors to double check spellings in case I missed one. Thanks!

Wow! Our first week of practice is almost upon us. Don't forget to check your handbook for frequently asked questions and information about practices and meets. The first day of practice will be on Tuesday, May 31st beginning for the little ones at 5:00. I will be at the pool that night if you have any questions.

Anyone interested in being a Stroke and Turn Judge or Starter, please see Eric Dawnkaski. The dates for those meetings are coming up quickly. You can visit www.vpsu.com for information regarding to where and when for those. Eric also sent out an email.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to call (345-6147). Go Seastars!

Andrea Freeland

Dear Seastar families,
 
Attached is the order form for Seastar merchandise!  Please take a look and order by Tuesday May 24th!  Molly would like to place the order ASAP so we can have our "stuff" by the time the season begins. 
 
With all of the cooler weather recently, a new Seastar sweatshirt (personalized no less) and a pair of sweatpants sounds warm and toasty after an evening of swimming!  Doesn't it?!
 
Any questions about this or swim team swimsuit orders can be directed to Molly at rhily@aol.com
 
 
Thanks! • Beth R.

Announcements .... 2010 ... 2009 .... 2008

Good Evening Seastars,

Just to clarify some confusion. The championship meet is on Sunday, August 8th 

Warm-ups for the 11-and older session are from 7:40-8:00 AM.

Warm-ups for the 10 and under session are from 12:30-12:50 PM.

The second session is starting earlier due to an expected early finish of the first session. The second session is currently slated to begin at 1:00 PM, which means we will be getting out earlier than expected. Make sure to leave your house early enough to make it to the pool in time for warm-ups, which means to account for the time needed to pass through the gate and get on base.

Also for all Seastars, don't forget about the Awards Banquet on Monday, August 9th.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and let's have a fun and fast championship meet!

GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Good Evening Seastars,

I was hoping to have specific warm-up times before I sent this e-mail out, but there have not been any specific times for teams set yet. Because of this I only have general information.

The first session is for swimmers ages 11-18. Warm-ups run from 7:00-8:20 AM and the meet starts at 8:30 AM.

The second session is for swimmers ages 10 and under and relay swimmers. Warm-ups run from 12:30-1:50 PM with the meet starting at 2:00 PM.

The following swimmers will be the relay swimmers and the relays are swum at the beginning of the second session:

Olivia Freeland, Ryan Satira, Kyle Evans, Devan Freeland, Emma Wood, Olivia Wood, Victoria Bennett, Megan Hoskins, Lauren Wood, Lauren Owens, Christian Shaner, Jared Shaner, Sam Jones, Braden Sutton, Logan Evans, Colin Wright

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, and once I get definitive warm-up times I will be sending an email out.

Thanks and GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Good Morning All,

This email is only for those swimmers attending the Summer Awards Meet. Our warm-ups are at 8:10 so try and get to Kingswood at about 7:50, that way you can be sure to get parking and into the pool on time. We are required to provide two timers for the entire meet so if you are able to time at any point during the meet we will be looking for timers. If you have any questions please respond to this email or give me a call (903-9856).

Thanks and GO SEASTARS,

Coach Matt

*******************************************************

Hello Seastars!

Just a quick thank you to those who donated canned goods/supplies at the last swim meet. We were able to bring two boxes of food and supplies to FISH this afternoon on behalf of the Powhatan Secondary Seastars.

"The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have." ~ Leonard Nimoy

Thanks again and for those swimming this weekend at the Summer Awards Meet - - - GO SEASTARS!!!

Sincerely, Andrew & Nicholas Lemmon Daniel & Matthew Mangosing

Please read this email to the bottom because it has a lot of important information. Thanks!!

~We lost tonight to Kingsmill (215-280) but we put up a valiant effort and had a lot of fun before, during and after the meet. The pizza, drinks and open swim proved to be a lot of fun.B-)

~Tuesday, July 27th is our last regular practice for swimmers who are not attending The Summer Awards Meet this coming weekend or those who have not qualified for the Champs meet. If you are unsure if your swimmer has qualified for the Champs Meet, please check the bulletin board or with Coach Matt.

~For swimmers that are going to the Summer Awards Meet this weekend or swimmers who have Champs Times, we will have a new and condensed practice schedule starting Wednesday, July 28th: 8:30-9:30 10 and unders 9:30-10:30 11 and overs **QUESTIONS?? See Andrea or Coach Matt.

~Our Annual End of the Year Picnic will be held the Monday night following Champs Meet on August 9th. Time: 5:30 is when the chowing down begins Place: Pavilion and Clubhouse 

Food: Families whose last name begins with 

• A-C bring a SALAD of some sort 
• D-L bring a MEAT or ENTREE type dish  
• M-S bring a SIDE VEGETABLE type dish
• T-Z bring a DESSERT type dish 

**Please bring a dish large enough to feed 10-15 people-thanks!

~The Awards Program will follow the meal with paper plate awards, trophies for ages 12 and under and a surprise for ages 13 and older....plus special recognition awards. We hope to see you there. Please send me back an email with your RSVP as either yes or no with a number of people per household attending. That way we can have enough drinks and paper products.

Thanks so much for all of your help and support this year. We had a wonderful regular season and I truly appreciate the work behind the scenes and the work that happened front and center.

Thanks again, Andrea

GO SEASTARS!!

Hello All Powhatan Seastar Families,

Please don't forget about the VPSU Community Service Project. We are collecting canned foods, hygiene products and cleaning supplies for needy families in our community.

Most requested items are: 

• Canned tuna, ham or chicken, beef stew, chili, 
• peanut butter, canned/dried beans 
• Canned fruits and vegetables, 
• instant potatoes, pasta and sauce, 
• boxed meals, hearty soups Cereal, rice 
• Shampoo, deodorant, soap, diapers, toilet paper, 
• paper towels, laundry detergent, kitchen and bathroom cleaners

A box will be at the pool gate to receive any donations. Donations collected will be sorted and delivered to FISH at week's end.

Thanks so much, Andrew & Nicholas Lemmon and Daniel & Matthew Mangosing

Hello Seastars!

Whew! It is hard to believe we are at our last regular meet. Don't forget we will be having pizza and drinks after the meet plus we will keep the pool open for swimmers and families so don't forget to bring your suit.

I have attached the worker roster and I needed every family to make this happen. Some of you may be trying new positions this week but you never know, you might like your new job better. ;-)I want to thank many of you for being so helpful and working your slot with a smile on your face. Once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to the Broker clan for heading up concessions and to Denise Webster who has certainly earned her angel wings for always being Clerk of Course the ENTIRE meet both home and away. We all know by now that it does take a village to pull off a home swim meet. (you don't know it but Kindy Wood buys and freezes the delicious grapes the workers get to snack on...)

Thanks for all that you do and GO SEASTARS!!!

Andrea

Salutations Seastars,

The Summer Awards Meet is next weekend July 31st. The summer awards meet is a great opportunity for swimmers who have not achieved a championship qualifying time. I received information about the meet at the last second so I will be making rounds this afternoon and calling you to see if you would like your child to participate in the meet. The meet is a great opportunity for our swimmers and provides them with one final opportunity to make the championship meet.

Warm-ups for the meet are at 7:30. Ribbons are awarded for places 1-12 and is a great introduction to a championship style meet. I will send out later on today a list of swimmers that I would like to see participate in the Summer Awards Meet and even if your child isn't on the list that I send out, I strongly encourage you to enter your child in any event that you want them to swim.

If you would like your child to participate in this meet please contact me as soon as possible. You can reach me by simply replying to this e-mail or call me 903-9856. The only thing is that I need to know if your child is interested in participating in the meet by tonight. This is a great opportunity for your swimmer(s) to get a chance to race swimmers from other teams in Williamsburg and, as I already stated, is a great introduction to a championship style meet. Also, it is another opportunity for you and your child to spend an exciting day with the coaches. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in this meet and am really excited to finish the season up strong.

Go Seastars!

Coach Matt

******************************************************************

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who has already done their concession stand donation. Our last home meet is Monday night against Kingsmill. Here is the list in case you can’t remember if you were assigned for the last meet. It’s also on the website.

See you Monday night.

Heidi Muench

Hello Seastars!

Okay, I will admit that losing to Queens Lake last night after 3 tries did hurt a bit for a myriad of reasons...we drove there 3 times, we were missing huge amounts of kids, we swam empty point lanes last night, or we were only down 5 points going into relays...

BUT our kids did a great job both nights we swam. They swam with guts and character and I have never been more proud. :-DWe had some great swims but in the end, one team loses and one team must win.

Our last and final regular season meet will be Monday against Kingsmill. It is a home meet so every family needs to expect to work at least 1/2 the meet. If you have a preference, you can email me and I will try to put you there. No promises. :-S

We will have Buon Amici pizza/drinks for the entire team and parents after the meet plus keep the pool open for a bit afterwards. Yea!

Thanks, Andrea

GO SEASTARS!!

Good Afternoon Seastars,

As many of you know the meet was postponed again last night. We were able to make it through the end of the breaststroke events, and at the end of the breaststroke we are in a tie with the Eagles 135-135. The second half of the meet (backstroke, butterfly, and relays) is scheduled to take place tomorrow night, July 22, at the same time at Queens Lake. We have the usual warm-ups at 5:30 and it is extremely imperative that we get as many Seastars there as possible. We have had some amazing swims thus far and we need as many Seastar families there as we can get.

If you know that you or your child will not be able to attend tomorrow night, please respond to this email and let me know as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly. I appreciate all of the hard work that all of the parents and swimmers have put in thus far and hopefully we can come out of this three day meet on top.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.

Thanks for all that you do and GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Okay...our first weather related issue.....

~yes, the meet is still on. Just because it is thundering here doesn't mean Queens Lake has anything. ~ the meet cannot be called any earlier than 5:30 if the radar looks solid but that is not the case tonight. ~we will try to get the meet in tonight and we need everybody we can get...this is a close one!

GO SEASTARS!! Andrea

PART2 ******************************

Thanks for all of the effort put out tonight and the patience you each had for waiting around. We are on for tomorrow night same place and time. These things happen some times. X-(

I will be gone but I have attached the Worker Roster. If for some reason I have missed you, please see Mary Beth Hughes, our head timer, or Eric Dawnkaski, our VPSU representative. This will be an "All Hands On Deck" night. We have several families gone.

It is going to be a VERY CLOSE ONE so please come out again.

Thanks, Andrea

Team picture update:

The kids did an incredible job on the team picture on Friday!! I’d like to say thanks to the kids for their cooperation and to the adults that helped arrange the kids and helped me on quality shot control.

 There are two team photos options (just in case you don’t your child’s eyes are closed or he/she’s making a funny face, it’s probably better in the other shot.)

You can view the team photo at http://vawendy.smugmug.com/   in the seastars team photo gallery.

Printing is not currently available on that site. I’ve sent the photos to Melanie, and she’ll put them up on the seastars website so that you can print them out.

We also still have the option for an individual/team picture combo available for $15. You can see samples of what this combo looks like at http://vawendy.smugmug.com/   in the Individual photo/Team photo combinations gallery. The photo combination is presented in an 8x10 pop-out easel folder.

If you’re interested in purchasing the individual photo/team photo combination, here is the information you need to know:

1.       I can take the individual photos up through July 24th. If you want an individual photo taken, just email me to reserve a time.

2.       Payment must be made at time of photo. Satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are unhappy with the individual photo, I will be happy to reshoot the individual photo sometime before the 24th.

3.       There will be three  poses from which to choose. Examples of the are on display on the website listed above.

You do not have to purchase this combination if you want a team picture. Melanie will put the photo up on a site from which you can print. But since this is such a tradition for many team sports, we thought it would be nice to have the option available for those who are interested.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you’d like to reserve a time for an individual photo. 

-Wendy Nelson

Hello Seastar Families...ORDER FORM

The VPSU Championship meet is fast approaching. We have a large number of swimmers who have already qualified for the Championship meet. 
The deadline for ordering your Championship meet T-shirts is Tuesday, July 20. I have to submit the order for our shirts the next day. 

I have attached the T-shirt flyer as a pdf document. I will also have forms available at practice Thursday and Friday as well as at the meet on Monday. Additionally I will place some in the Red Binder in the guard shack. 

The artwork that will be on the T-shirt is on the top half of the attached pdf document and is also on the VPSU home page (www.vpsu.com). The cost per T-shirt is $10 ($12 for XXL). Checks should be made out to "PCSA Swimming" or "Powhatan Secondary Seastars" and turned in with the bottom half of the T-shirt order form to me (Eric Dawnkaski) by Tuesday July 20th. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

 -Eric

We will be taking the Seastars team photo this Friday at 9:15.

This year, we’re offering an individual photo/team photo combination for sale for $15. The photo combination is presented in an 8x10 pop-out easel folder.

A sample of the photo combination in easel is shown below (the seastars logo/text in the upper left corner is just an example and may be modified slightly):

If you’re interested in purchasing the individual photo/team photo combination, here is the information you need to know:

1. Individual photos will be taken this Friday, before the team photo, from 8:00-9:00am. If you want an individual photo taken, you must email me to reserve a time.

2. If you can’t make the Friday time slot, let me know and we can schedule a time next week.

3. Payment must be made in advance. Satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are unhappy with the individual photo, I will be happy to reshoot the individual photo sometime during the following week.

4. There will be three poses from which to choose. Examples of the poses will be on display Friday morning.

You do not have to purchase this combination if you want a team picture. For the past couple of years, I have made the team picture available on the internet for people to print themselves—I will do that this year, as well. But since this is such a tradition for many team sports, we thought it would be nice to have the option available for those who are interested.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you’d like to reserve a time for an individual photo.

-Wendy Nelson

Team picture reminds for everyone:
Remember: please wear your team suits for the team picture on Friday.
Please park in the parking area by the club house, not by the guard shack.
Have you always wanted to help arrange kids for a team photo? Great! Adult volunteers needed and appreciated!

THANK YOU to Debbie Bebout,
the coaches and all volunteers to make our  WeeStars feel so special today!

• July 10th password: sea4stars           !! PICTURES !!

Dear Seastar families,

We now have available a new batch of seastar t-shirts for sale. The shirts are gray or black with the Seastar logo (like the logo on our sack packs). Most of the shirts are short sleeve but we have a couple of long sleeve shirts as well. The cost is $8.00 each or 2 for $15. All money raised will be used to purchase new nylon backstroke flags imprinted with the Seastar logo.

T-shirts are limited to what we have on hand, so don't delay! Sizes are as follows:

Adult - small, medium, large, XL and 2XL

Youth - small, medium, large

Women's - small, medium, large, XL

Also, ONE OF A KIND - women's size large, white polo shirt with the seastar logo in red. $15.00

T-shirts will be available for purchase Monday morning at practice beginning at 8 am. Or to reserve yours (as sizes/colors are limited) contact Molly Dry at rhily@aol.com . Checks should be made payable to "PSST".

If you have any questions please contact Molly.

Thank you! Go Seastars!!!

Sincerely, Beth Robles

Great job Seastars!! Last night's meet was fun (for those who left early, we went to Brusters after the meet since we finished so early) and we have another one around the corner on Monday at home against Windsor Forest. When we moved up to Division 1, we expected to lose to Kingswood and First Colony but the 3 meets that really count are coming up. We can win these with some great times and team effort.

A few things:

~ "Movie Monday" for the 12:30 showing of Despicable Me...we hope you can make it!

~ After the meet, the pool will remain open for a while for our swimmers and families. Ice cream will be served!

~ I want to apologize that we have not yet replaced our backstroke flags. They are on backorder and will be here Monday. I know this caused some "oops" moments on the backstrokes but we are doing the best we can. The flags were destroyed during our recent vandalism at the pool and the shipping dates have continued to be pushed back.

~ Thanks to all of the parents who worked last night and especially the ones who stepped up to fill open spots. Please check the list and ask someone to switch positions if you are leaving early, we had some families that worked double time last night.

~ If your swimmer wants to swim an event in the next 3 meets, encourage them to speak to their coach before the meet.

~Please don't forget to use the Seastar Red Binder located in the guard shack to communicate to the coaches about your swimmer not attending a meet. If you signed up that your swimmer is not going to be at a meet, do not expect them to be added on the deck. The line ups and heats are made the day before with the coaching staff of the other team. On the flip side, if you did not put down that your swimmer is missing a meet, we expect them to be there to swim. When this happens, we leave open lanes and can lose points.

~ I will send out the Parent Worker Roster later today.  Here it is!!

Thanks for all of your help and support.
Andrea

GO SEASTARS!!

SeaStar Families-

The WeeStar SplashFest is scheduled for this Saturday, July 10th. Sixteen of our WeeStars are planning to swim! Sadly, Greensprings discovered one of their Lil' Gators had a birthday party conflicting with the meet and did not have enough of their remaining swimmers interested in attending.

At our meet on Thursday, I will be looking for a few more volunteers to cover some key positions... like Starter, Clerk of Course, Ribbon Writer and Scribe (positions calling for some maturity).

The attached document indicates which swimmers are expected and what their families agreed to provide for the Breakfast of Champions. I have also asked to have this posted at the pool. If any changes are called for, please contact me (814-6712 or e-mail) or Lauren Freeland (645-6137).

Debbie Bebout

Hello Seastar Families! I hope everyone had a relaxing 4th of July and that you are enjoying summer.

A few things:

~I have attached the worker roster list for Thursday's meet against First Colony. We have over 15 families on vacation this week so please be aware if we need some extra hands Thursday. If your name is not on the volunteer list, please see me Thursday and I will let you know if anything is open.

~Stroke and Turn workers only...this team typically doesn't "share" spots. If your name does not appear, consider wearing your blue and white in case we need bathroom or concession breaks...thanks!

~We will have a "MOVIE MONDAY" on July 12 before the home meet. The show is "Despicable Me" and it will be the 12:00 (ish) showing. If you work and your child needs a ride, ask a neighbor or older swimmer. It is a great way to beat the heat and spend time with the team.

~NEW THIS SEASON...Swimmer Report Cards. This year, the coaches and board decided that 2 times a season the coaches would write up a brief overview of each swimmer (that's a lot of swimmers!) in order to better communicate with the swimmers and parents. They will be given out tomorow at practice so please ask your swimmer to see it. This is our first time doing this so I am sure there will be tweaks so if you have any comments, please let me know. If your child is absent, ask Coach Matt for yours. This took over 4 hours for the coaches this week so I am very proud of their effort!

~I will send out the roster for Monday's Home Meet against Windsor Forest over the weekend.

GO SEASTARS!! Andrea

Hello SeaStar Families!

The WeeStar SplashFest for our team's six and under swimmers is scheduled for Saturday, July 10th from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. 
We will be hosting the Greensprings Gators this year. This annual friendship meet is one of the many special events that occur in our community. Please come out and support our youngest swimmers by cheering and/or helping to run the meet.

If your six and under swimmer isn't already signed up, contact Debbie Bebout (dcbebo AT wm.edu or 757-814-6712). Sign up soon to give the Coaches a chance to organize the Boys & Girls heats of 25 m Free, 25 m Back, 25 m Kick and Weelays! 
An e-mail reminder about family contributions to the Breakfast of Champions will be sent out by Tuesday, July 5.

Please contact Debbie Bebout if your non-WeeStar family can help out with the meet. A few positions call for maturity. Typically WeeStar parents are only asked to help if both parents are able to attend. The following positions are available: 

• Timers, age 6-10: Savor the power of the stopwatch! Priority goes to WeeStar siblings. Former WeeStars also welcome! One WeeStar Dad has been volunteered as Head Timer. 
• Scribes, age 11-?: Perfect position for those who can write neater and faster than 6-10 year olds :) 
• Runners: For those who like to keep moving. Take cards from swimmers to timers or from timers to ribbon writers. Good position for second parent since plenty of opportunity to watch the action! 
• Clerk of Course (adult): For people who likes to make order our of exuberant chaos... it woudl be great to find someone who knows a lot of WeeStars... 
• Ribbon Writers (teens and adults): Position comes with a seat in the shade. Each heat awarded ribbons for first through six place based on time cards. 
• Starter (teen or adult): Be the one to start all the action! 
• Breakfast of Champions host/hostess (adult): All the little athletes build up an appetite! Buffet doesn't open until all the events are over. After the athletes get a few items, other volunteers are invited to dig in. 
• Photographer: At least one parent/WeeStar... and Melanie Felbinger has agreed to capture some memories. Others welcome. 
• Water Deliverer for Volunteers (teen or adult): It can be hot in Williamsburg even at 9:00 am... Fill cups with water and deliver to the timers, scribes & ribbon writers a couple times to keep them refreshed.

Thanks for all your help! 

Debbie 
Email: dcbebo AT wm.edu 
757-814-6712 (cell)

We had a great meet last night and I am very proud of all of our swimmers, coaches, and parents! We lost to the team that has won every championship since I can remember BUT this time we swam them more competitively than ever. That was the goal and I believe we achieved it

It is easy to bogged down in the win/loss column but the bigger victories lie within our small successes...one new swimmer dropped 6 seconds from last week and was totally excited, we won our first relay within Division 1, we had swimmers attempt and succeed at new events, we had swimmers who DQ'd last week but learned from their mistakes plus we did it all as a team. Last night when 2 Kingswood moms commented on how well our team was swimming and how good we were, I commented back that the best part about the Seastars is that we win or lose as a community. These are our neighborhood kids-you have to live here to compete on our team and we like it that way. We truly have a team spirit that cannot be matched.

Our next meet will be next Thursday against First Colony at their pool. They are also a very successful team but we are ready. Please don't forget to use the red binder in the guard shack to let us know if you or your swimmer won't be here for the meets. Enjoy your week and the holiday weekend.

Thanks, Andrea

Dear Seastar families,

Thank you for your generous offers to provide donuts/juice for our swimmers on "ribbon day". There are still a couple of dates open, so let me know if you can help out.

Beth Robles

Hello Seastar Families!!

A couple of things:

~we are required to provide less workers at away meets...yea!! However, if we have an open slot and you can do it, please let me know when you arrive at the pool. This meet will be a long one since they only have 5 lanes

~There may not be an official Clerk of Course area for swimmers before the races-if that is the case, please help your swimmers find the coaches and Denise Webster. Denise always runs our cards so give her a big thank you as you pass by

~VPSU is urging our families to give to those in need this year...if you are able to bring a non-perishable food item to the meet, it would be greatly appreciated. It will give our swimmers a chance to give back to the community and show our SEASTAR PRIDE!!!

~I am continually updating email lists due to incorrect emails that were written on the sign up sheets, or my mental error and sometimes the paperwork ever made it to me. If you have friend or neighbor that is not receiving team emails, please let me know. Thanks!

See you at the meet!! Andrea

GOOD AFTERNOON SEASTARS!

I want to first apologize for the short notice of the practice cancellation this morning. The pool was not in working condition, because of some vandalism that occurred sometime during the morning hours after our great meet last night. However, that is in the past and we should build off the positives of our first meet of the season.

There are a lot of positives to take from last night's meet. We had a lot of new swimmers in the pool and they looked great. Granted there is always room for improvement, but there were a lot of great swims to start the season. There were 27 swimmers who made championship qualifying times last night, which is great considering we had a number of swimmers who were unable to attend the meet. Last night was a friendship meet so the score of the meet was not officially recorded, but we had a lot of great swims in the pool and there was great team spirit surrounding the pool.

I want to personally thank all of the parents who stepped up and volunteered at the meet last night. It was rather warm yesterday evening, so I know it must have been especially taxing on the body and mind. Eric Dawnkaski and Keith Freeland rose to the occasion, in Andrea's stead, and ran the meet with a brisk tempo, which helped get us out and home at a respectable time. Also, I am not sure which parents specifically helped out with the set up and take down of the meet/concession equipment, but a big thanks goes out to you as well. I really want to thank the concession crew, because I know the Joe and Dawn Broker get there well before the start of the meet to get everything set up along with the parent volunteers.

It was a great first meet, and there was only one thing that I ask for the next meet and that is if you are leaving the meet with your swimmer(s) or you know your swimmer is leaving please let me know. There was a relay that I had to pull last night because we did not have enough swimmers to fill the relay, so please please check out with me before you leave.

Next meet is Monday June 28 at Kingswood. If you know you are not going to be at the meet please write it in the red binder in the guard shack at the pool.

Practice as usual tomorrow morning. It is shaping up to be a great season and I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow morning.

GO SEASTARS!!!!

Coach Matt

IT'S BACK! THE SEASTAR TIE DYE PARTY 2010!!!

Dear Seastar families,

The team tie dye party will be held thursday, June 24th, 8:45-11:30 am (or until the last shirt is completed). Tables will be set up in the picnic pavillion by the pool with all of the materials needed for dying (except for the t-shirt). Swimmers should bring their own laundered t-shirt with them-any style preferably 100% cotton. If you'd like to decorate your shirt with your favorite team cheer or logo you can do so with permanant markers. After wetting, tying and soaking their shirts, swimmers can dye them with our special "seastar red" dye. T-shirts must soak for 20 minutes before applying the dye so swimmers may want to arrive early to tie their shirt and soak it while practicing. Otherwise it can all be done after practice. Swimmers needing assistance with putting rubber bands on their shirt need to be accompanied by an adult to assist them. We will have ideas/suggestions on hand on how to make different designs, etc. If you want to get some ideas beforehand, there's a lot of info on the web. I found some good ideas at "familyfun.com". If you've done this before, feel free to bring your shirt "tyed and ready to dye".

We could also use volunteers to help with set-up, tying/dying, and clean-up. Help from our older swimmers would be very much appreciated. I know there's some of you who have done this before!

Any questions, please ask. We hope to see you on Thursday!

Sincerely, Beth Robles tel. 229-1044

Hello Seastar Swimmers & Families,

Please bring your family donation of drinks for the home meet concessions to the swimming pool garage NLT June 19th.  The breakdown of donations is below:

EACH Family:  please bring one case of bottled water (16.9 oz bottles) and:

Last name begins with A-M: 
please bring, per swimmer (not to exceed two per family): 1 eight-pack of Gatorade (20 oz bottles) in red, orange, blue or purple flavors.

Last name begins with N-Z:
please bring, per swimmer (not to exceed two per family): 1 twelve-pack of soda (12 oz cans) of Coke, Diet Coke, or Sprite

NOTE:   Please print family names on the drink containers or cases so you get credit for your generosity!

Hello Seastars!!

You can tell the season is upon us by the flurry of emails-don't worry, it always gets done. I have attached the volunteer slots for Monday's Meet. I tried to honor the spots that were filled at sign ups and I also tried to ease the new Seastar Families with little ones in. I did fill in open spots so if you aren't sure what your job requires, please refer to the handbook.

Each family is responsible for working at least 1 half of each meet and some of our families work both sessions. (Kudos!) I appreciate the effort and time you put into this team but we all need to remember that we do this for the kids and our community.

Thanks again, Andrea

GO SEASTARS!!

Hello Seastar families and swimmers,

Attached is the list for concession stand contributions for our home meets. This is separate from the water/Gatorade/soda contribution. I have made the contribution list for all 3 home meets. Each family contributes an item for one home meet only. To make things easier, I have assigned an item to each family. If you will not be able to attend the meet you are assigned to, please try and find someone to trade with. If you can’t find someone to trade with, please let me know ASAP so I can find someone to bring that item and I will switch you to another meet. If you notice someone whose email is missing, please let me know or forward this email to them please.

For those of you who are new to the team, the money we raise from the concession stand during our home meets are used to keep team dues down (ours are half of many of the VPSU teams) and to pay for items that we use during the swim season (ribbons, trophies, etc.).

Please email me and let me know that you received this email and can bring the assigned item. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks,

Heidi Muench

A new swim team year is fast approaching!!

Yearly sign ups on Thursday, April 29th • 5-7pm
@ Clubhouse, Powhatan Secondary

Returning families - we can't wait to see your smiling faces and for any new families, please call Andrea Freeland (#345-6147) for information and any questions you may have.

• summer practice •  meet schedules • choose your volunteer spot • 
•  copies of a parent handbook • buy merchandise

We are welcoming back our coaches, Matt Dryden, Lauren Freeland, Kyle Evans, and Olivia Freeland.

Announcements .... 2009 .... 2008  ..... back to top ....

Well That was such a nice note and I am sorry our family had to miss the banquet last night, as Savannah is away at overnight camp...but THANK you to the coaches, team mates and parents for making our first year on the Powhatan Secondary Seastars a wonderful event!!Everyone has been so kind and welcoming and we look forward to many more years ahead!

* I called Savannah at camp and let her know she got “most improved swimmer” and she sent lots of thank-you’s!! Thanks so much! Holly Winslow (Savannah and Taylor)

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Coaches, Board and Parents, Thank you for a great season. Graham and Samantha enjoyed being on the Seastars for the third year. We appreciate all your hard work and support to the team. We loved all the pictures, thank you Wendy and Melanie. It is wonderful to live in such a great neighborhood. Everyone enjoy the rest of your summer.

The McLaughlins ( Jeff, Becky, Graham and Samantha)

Wow! What a season...it went by so fast and furious that I find myself reflecting on everything now because there was no time during the season.

Some special notes:

1. When we first decided to move to Williamsburg, my family insisted on moving to a neighborhood with a pool. We wanted the closeness and the family feel and we have been blessed to find that here. My two french students are in awe at how many friends our neighborhood has and how much fun the kids have. Tonight was a great example of that feeling.

2. I cannot thank the coaching staff enough. (if you missed the coaches relay, you really missed out...can you say a photo finish?) With 130 swimmers and over 50 families, it is very hard to please everyone. They have listened to kudos and concerns and hopefully, they will mostly remember the good times. I kept telling Matt that it takes 10 positives to make you feel better about one negative...food for thought.

3. I have missed Trish Dillon many times this summer and often wondered what she would have done about certain situations that came up. Even though she has left us, there have been many friends to pick up the workload-thanks Molly Dry, Teresa Evans, Cindy Satira, Eric Dawnkaski, Denise Webster, Ginny VanWicklin, Amy Dassler, Dawn & Joe Broker, Tammy Lynch and Susanne Esch.

4. It is amazing how we always fill our volunteer slots and kudos to the parents who stepped up and pitched in. Thanks to Dan Wood, Todd Shaner, Dan Maize, Kim Owens, Lana Godoy and Larry Wood for trying new slots like Starter and Stroke and Turn Officials. It does make a huge difference. Make sure you thank one of our wonderful photographers when you see them also and thanks to Wendy Nelson for providing her services for the team pictures. Mrs. Felbinger does a great job on the website-it is very cool.

5. We lost a couple of division meets but there were 3 teams who finished 2-2 including us. A tough but competitive division and I think it helped us swim faster. We had the 3rd highest Champs Meet Entries, more than we have ever had before. Hopefully, we will improve that number each year. Finishing 7th was awesome too!

6. We will be having our end of the year Board Meeting the end of August. The board and I would appreciate any input you can offer- what went well? What could we improve and most importantly...how?!? Maybe if you have a lot of suggestions, you could step up to fill some slots. Fresh faces and ideas are welcome.

Thanks for being so supportive my first official year. I have said "never again" several times but am willing to give this a whirl one more time. Maybe think about joining one of the year round clubs or Rec. Racers through the Rec. Center. See Matt if you need suggestions.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. GO SEASTARS!!!!!
Andrea

Hello Seastar Families!!

This has been a very busy season and it is almost over. We are ready to host our end of the season banquet.

When: this Monday, July 27th 
Where: The Pavilion Area 
Time: gather at 6:00 and eat at 6:15

The team will be providing drinks plus hot dogs and Pierce's BBQ but we have requests for sides:

Families beginning with letters 
           A-H bring desserts 
           I-Z please bring a salad or large vegetable
Throw away bowls and utensils would be best so we don't have tons left over to clean up.

Due to technical difficulties (and out of towners), we will not be having our annual slide show BUT we will be having our annual Coaches Relay Face Off...yea! Who will win...Coach Jay's team or Coach Matt's team??????? 
We will also have a free swim after the banquet.

Parents- we would also love to have our parent relay tradition continue (you know the kids love it), please let me know by email if you are interested in competing and I will make up the teams. We would like to have enough for a free relay set and a medley relay set so please specify which one you would like to be on.

Trophies, movie gift cards and paper plates will be awarded so don't miss out.

Please RSVP by Friday evening so I can get a good head count for Pierce's and for paper products.

Best of luck to all swimming at the Champs Meet Sunday...GO SEASTARS!!!

Thanks!!!

Andrea Freeland

Seastar families,

I want to thank everyone for their contributions for the concession stands for our home meets. I appreciate all who accommodated my last minute changes and those who traded when they were going to miss their assigned meet. What a great season we had. Thank you, Dawn Broker, for heading up the concession stand again this year.

Heidi Muench

Sea Stars pictures:

Pictures from Mondays meet are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/vawendy

Team pictures are up, also at http://picasaweb.google.com/vawendy or on Melanie’s shutterfly site http://ps4seastars.shutterfly.com/

You’ll see three copies of the team picture—they’re all the same, they’re just for printing different sizes: 8x10, 5x7 and 4x6. If you would like a copy of the team pictures, you can download and print them, or you can order prints through shutterfly or the picasa site. FYI, when you place an order through Picasa or Shutterfly, you are dealing directly with them—I’m not part of the transaction.

Great season, Sea Stars! Good luck at champs!

Wendy Nelson

Dear SeaStar Families,

The WeeStar SplashFest of 2009 was a wonderful experience for our younger team mates and our Windsor Forest visitors. Some swimmers even made it across the pool for the first time in a new event! Participants went home with as many as three ribbons for individual events, a ribbon for the wacky coed 125 meter Weelay, full tummies and big smiles.

The SeaStar community provided an "ocean" of help. Despite an average age of eight, the timers were enthusiastic and focused on making sure each swimmer got a fair time. Older kids mastered the meet referee, sweeps judge, runner and time recorder positions. Parents contributed to the "Breakfast of Champions" and graciously helped as height advantaged head timers, colorful ribbon writers, organized clerk of course, long-legged runner and masterful photographer.

Special thanks to the Coaches who helped on Saturday: 
* To Coach Lauren for providing decorations and gift bags, devising heats that were fun for all the kids, working really hard to make sure our WeeStars were ready and jumping into the pool when a swimmer needed extra encouragement
* To Coach Jay for being a patient yet efficient starter 
* To Coach Matt for taking care of pool set up, serving as the announcer and a memorable interpretation of our National Anthem

This wonderful tradition might hit the road next year. Windsor Forest plans to hold their first ever Tadpole meet next year and invite the WeeStars. Next year's swim season is expected to be compressed again. Weather permitting perhaps a solo meet can be held early in the season to give next year's WeeStars and their families some extra special memories.

Go SeaStars!

Debbie Bebout

Seastar Families,

I want to congratulate everyone on a great swim season! We completed our season last night with a number of great swims. During this season we have seen 14 new team records set. In addition to the records, we have seen the most swimmers qualify for the championship meet since I have been the swim coach, so congratulations to those swimmers.

The new swim schedule for swimmers going to the Summer Awards Meet and the Championship meet are as follow:

10 and under: 8:00-9:00 
11 and older: 9:00-10:15

If you are wondering if your child has qualified for the championship meet I have attached the list of swimmers who have qualified. Let's finish up the season strong!

GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Hello Seastar Families!!!

One last meet for the regular season and it is away at Williamsburg Community. It is located behind the Blooms on Richmond Road close to Ace Hardware. Don't forget to stop into RITAS for a late night snack if you are up to it!

We have a few holes in timing-please email me if you want to sign up. Since this is an away meet, families should only work 1 shift if possible. Thanks!

The WEESTAR Meet was a huge success again...thanks to Debbie Bebout and all of her hard work getting the Splashfest organized and Coach Lauren for the Weestar Goodies. We had tons of help from little ones to adults.

I also want to give a shout out to our team photographers - Mrs. Felbinger and Mrs. Nelson do a great job and we all appreciate it. The website looks great!

See you Monday- Andrea

PS-
anyone want to buddy up for donuts on Tuesday one last time? It should be a big turn out since we have pictures that same day.

Good morning Seastar Families,

just want to remind you that all information, order forms, lists, volunteer rosters .... and the links to hundreds of photos .... are all available at our Seastar Webpage

www.powhatan-seastars.org

I will burn a DVD ( $5 ) for everyone who is interested to get all the photos I have taken (as on the shutterfly page): ps4seastars.shutterfly.com password: sea4stars 
Village Green Meet1/Meet2 * vs Fords Colony * Indigo Park * vs. Kingsmill ... and the Weestars Swim on July 11th

5$ and your address counts as an "order"

Unfortunately I will be out of town for the rest of our swim season and can not take any more pictures.

Go Seastars, enjoy your summer

- Melanie Felbinger -

Greetings,

I have attached a list of swimmers who are really close to their championship times that I would like to see participate in the Summer Awards Meet next Saturday. This is just a suggested list based on times and if you would like your swimmer to participate and they are not on the list I highly recommend it. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Thanks, Coach Matt

Hello Seastar Families!!! It was a tough loss on Monday (about 100 points) :-(( but our kids did their best against a very good team that has been in Division 1 for years.

Some important notes:

1. I have attached the Volunteer Roster for our meet tomorrow night against First Colony . (.. here .. ) 
As you can see, we have LOTS of open spots. We need to provide extra workers at home meets plus concession workers. Please step up and fill in where needed. If you want to email me, please do and I will have a final version at the meet. We may need families to work 2 shifts this last home meet. A special thanks to the families who have been doing this already when needed.

2. Along those same lines, Dawn Broker needs 7:30-end Concessions helpers tomorrow night. At the Kingsmill meet, we made over $1000. Thanks for all of the donations.

3. We will have a team pizza party after the meet and keep the pool open for 30 minutes.

4. Our last regular season meet will be on Monday at Williamsburg Community. (behind the Ace/Blooms on Richmond Road) On the way home, we will plan on stopping by Ritas, they are open until 10:00.

5. TEAM PICTURES will be on Tuesday, the 14th at 9:00 SHARP. We will be ready to shoot at 9:00 and will not be adding swimmers after that time. Please have swimmers arrive by 8:45 and if you are driving to the pool, please park in the Clubhouse Parking Lot. Please wear your team suit and if we could get 5 parents to stay and help, it would be great. We will not be holding practices that day but we will be giving out ribbons. I apologize ahead of time for any families that will be out of town that day but there is no way to get 100% participation. A kudos goes out to Wendy Nelson for heading this up again this year!

6. Mini-Meet sign ups are due to Matt asap. There is fee per event that the team pays so please make sure if your swimmer is signed up, that they show up the day of the meet. Thanks.

7. End of the year picnic !!!! Can you believe it? It has been a quick (and busy) season. Our team picnic will be at the pavilion on Monday, July 27th at 6:00. More information will follow as soon as we finish our meets.

Whew!!!! That is all I need to share with you (I think) but I appreciate all of your patience and help. 

GO SEASTARS!!!!

Andrea

Dear SeaStar Families,

The 2009 WeeStar Splashfest is shaping up. Looks like we will have more than ten WeeStars making waves in the Powhatan Secondary pool with as many as 25 six and under Windsor Forest Tadpoles and Frogs. The parents of both team's athletes will be providing breakfast snacks for swimmers and volunteers. Still need a few more volunteers, especially in the position of "Time Recorder" since the average age of our VERY ENTHUSIASTIC timers is approximately eight. People that can write both legibly and fast are urgently needed as well as a head timer.

Important Reminders and Approximate Schedule: ... see flyer ... 
July 11th is this Saturday, only four days from today. 

8:15am Powhatan Secondary swimmers should be at the pool ready to warm up; Parents should leave breakfast items under canopy to left of kiddie pool

8:40am All volunteers needed on deck to make any needed adjustments in the volunteer line-up 

8:45am Meeting for all timers and time recorders 

9:00am National Anthem with ALL swimmers gathered behind the blocks with cards for their first event Following first two events, swimmers should return to the starting blocks to get cards for their next event 

9:45am Kick board races in progress Breakfast buffet open to swimmers as they complete the kick board event and dry off; Parents please help kids select a few goodies (save room for an ice pop!) then move away from the table for the next heat of swimmers 

10:00am Swimmers have passed through the buffet area and other volunteers can help themselves to whatever is left

10:10am Award of ribbons and ice pops to individual swimmers 

10:45am Finish clean up 

11:00am Pool opens so meet related activities must be concluded

Please see the attached file for the list of anticipated swimmers, breakfast contributions and current volunteer position assignments. I could still use a few volunteers to make sure the meet goes smoothly. Please see me before the SeaStar meet on Thursday or send me an e-mail if you can help and aren't yet on the list or are on the list and would rather help in a different capacity :)

Thanks bunches,

Debbie Bebout

Greetings Seastars,

We have only 2 dual meets remaining which means that your swimmer(s) has three final chances to make a championship qualifying time. There are a number of swimmers that are within a second or two of making their championship time. In addition to the final meets against First Colony and Williamsburg Community, there is also a mini summer awards meet held at Kingswood (which is about a 5-10 minute drive from Powhatan Secondary) that your swimmer can enter to make a championship qualifying time. The only catch is that the entries are due by Saturday Jul 11th, and there is very little turn around from the distribution of the meet information and the submission of entries.

The meet is on Saturday July 18 and is set up in 1 session this year. Warm-ups for the meet are at 7:30. 
Ribbons are awarded for places 1-12 and is a great introduction to a championship style meet. I will send out later on today a list of swimmers that I would like to see participate in the Summer Awards Meet and even if your child isn't on the list that I send out, I strongly encourage you to enter your child in any event that you want them to swim. 
The cost of entry for each individual event is $2.50, so if you wanted your child to swim the maximum of 3 events the cost would be $7.50.

If you would like your child to participate in this meet please contact me as soon as possible. You can reach me by simply replying to this e-mail or you can just catch me before or after practice. The only thing is that I need to know if your child is interested in participating in the meet by this Saturday. This is a great opportunity for your swimmer(s) to get a chance to race swimmers from other teams in Williamsburg and, as I already stated, is a great introduction to a championship style meet. Also, it is another opportunity for you and your child to spend an exciting day with the coaches. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in this meet and am really excited to finish the season up strong.

I just wanted everyone to have an opportunity to take advantage of an extra opportunity to qualify for the championship meet.

GO SEASTARS!

Seastar Families, 
We are fast approaching the end of our regular season. Many of our swimmers have already qualified for the Championship Meet in one or more events, congratulations! 

Championship Meet qualifiers for our team are posted at the pool. 

If you would like to order a Championship Meet T-Shirt for your swimmer or for anyone else in your family, the deadline to place the order is Saturday July 11. 
T-shirts cost $10.00 ($12 for adult XXL). I have attached a pdf of the T-shirt flyer. I will also have flyers availabe at the meets on Monday and Thursday. 
Typically there are not very many extra T-shirts ordered, so please make sure to get your order to me by Friday. 

Thanks 
 - Eric Dawnkaski -     order form

Hello again Seastar Families!!

Wow! What a great meet on Monday against Indigo Park-we won 296-194. Great job! We even finished in time to make it to Brusters for some well deserved sweets.

Please mark your calendars after reading these important announcements:

1. Attached you will find the volunteer roster for the Kingsmill Home Meet on Monday. There may be a few changes from the parent meeting but it will be very important for 100% of our families to work. Please find your own replacement if you are unable to work your spot.

2. We have a big meet Monday night so please let Coach Matt know if your swimmer will be unable to make it that night. We need to swim a full roster to keep up the Division Race and we are looking for more Champs cuts!!

3. The Volunteer Roster for the First Colony Thursday Night Home Meet will be sent out on Tuesday. That will be our last home meet of the season and we will be having a pizza party for the Seastar Families after the meet (plus keeping the pool open hopefully if it isn't too late)

4. What are the plans to get us fired up for the Kingsmill Meet you ask??? According to the coaching staff, we will be invading the New Town Cinemas Monday afternoon for the 12:00 showing of Ice Age 3....our annual MOVIE MONDAY!!!!!! Please arrive early and wear your Seastar Shirts! We hope to see everyone there.

5. We will be having practice on Friday, July 3 and Monday, July 6.

6. Debbie Bebout is heading up our Annual Weestar Meet-we would appreciate any support, especially from the teenage set. Look for emails coming from Debbie. A special thanks to her for heading up this very cool and fun event! The date is the 11th at 9:00am.

7. If you have not donated your families drink supplies to the Concession Stand, please do so. See Dawn Broker if you have questions. Since Dawn runs such a great concession area, we have been able to not raise dues for 2 years. A HUGE thanks to her and her husband, Joe, for doing this hectic (and usually thankless) job.

We have a lot on our schedule and more events planned in the next couple of weeks. I am working on a Pasta Bowl Covered Dish Dinner for Sunday Night on the 12th. Hang in there, it will be over soon.

As always, we have the greatest swimmers and parents ever! 

** Andrea **

Dear SeaStar families,

The 2009 WeeStar SplashFest is scheduled for Saturday, July 11. 
Our WeeStars (6 & under swimmers) will host the Windsor Forest Tadpoles. This short "mini-meet" will give our teams' young and inexperienced swimmers an opportunity to earn ribbons for the 25 Free, 25 Back and 25 Kick board events. 

All are welcome to come cheer on the WeeStars. It would also be especially helpful to get older kids and/or parents to help out with timing and other meet positions including announcer, starter, referee, clerk of course and ribbon writer. 

Parents of participating swimmers are asked to bring contributions to the "Breakfast of Champions". See (or respond here) to sign up a 6 & under swimmer, volunteer yourself or an older child to help at the meet and indicate contributions to the breakfast.

Participating swimmers need to arrive at the pool by 8:15 am for warm-ups. Volunteers are needed by 8:45 am. The meet will start at 9:00 am. Coach Lauren needs to know which 6 & under swimmers are planning to attend to cluster the kids into reasonable heats. The breakfast buffet will be opened after all the events while the ribbon writers are finishing up. Ribbons and popsicles will be awarded to all participating swimmers before the pool opens at 11 am.

Don't forget your cameras ;)

FYI: Due to the brevity of the VPSU swim season this year and the rescheduling of the teams first meet, this will be the only WeeStar meet this year. 

Seastar families,

Thank you to everyone who brought their concession stand contributions to the Fords Colony meet. Our next two home meets are next week on Monday, July 6th and Thursday, July 9th. I realized I missed several emails on my first attempt at sending out the contribution list. I hope I have everyone on the list this time. If you notice someone whose email is missing, please let me know or forward the email to them please.

Attached is the updated list for concession stand contributions for our home meets. I have made the contribution list for all 3 home meets. Each family contributes an item for one home meet only. To make things easier, I have assigned an item to each family. Please email me to let me know you received this email and will/will not be able to bring the item assigned to you. (If you already contacted me, you do not need to do so again.) If you will not be able to attend the meet you are assigned to, please let me know ASAP so I can find someone to bring that item and I will switch you to another meet. Thank you to those who are arranging the changes on their own.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Hi Seastar Families, 2 down and 4 regular meets to go!!!!

A couple of things for the next meet:

1. Directions to Indigo Park are on the www.vpsu.com website. 

2. There is only street parking available-there will be volunteers to help you find a spot but this is a great meet to carpool with neighbors. Hint,hint... 
3. I have attached the volunteer roster . Please be aware that IP has fewer lanes so we will have extra timers that will not be needed. We do have an opening still in Ribbon Writing so maybe someone will jump over to that spot. 

4. This is a Division Meet and will count in the standings. Let's swim fast!! 

5. Even though Indigo Park is a smaller team, with the loss of lanes, it could be a long meet BUT hopefully, we can make a stop by Brusters on our way out. I will call ahead to let them know we are coming. 

6. Swim caps are in-yea! Coach Matt will have them on Monday at the meet. 

7. Is there anyone interested in buddying up with a friend to provide our traditional Donuts and Juice for the day after the meet?

Thanks for all of your help and let's have some fun on Monday- GO SEASTARS!!!!

Andrea

Seastar Families,

As most of you have heard, our pool experienced a fairly destructive episode of vandalism on Wednesday night. Fortunately, with the help of our swim coaches, lifeguards and a handful of Seastar families, we were able to get the pool and the deck back in shape for practice tomorrow morning. The pool will then open at it's regular time - 11:00am. On behalf of the pool committee, I want to sincerely thank all of the guards, coaches and parents that helped us out today. What a great group we have!!!

Sorry for the inconvenience of being closed on such a hot day, but we will be up and running tomorrow! We appreciate your patience. Please take a moment to thank the guards/coaches for all their hard work the next time you see them on the pool deck.

Thanks again, Cindy Satira

Congratulations all Seastars and Parents!! That was an exciting meet all the way through the relays. Our Division will be tight this year and it looks like we have a great shot to be Division 2 Champs.

A special and well deserved thank you to the volunteers. Parents stepped up when needed and all of our slots were full. Last night when I was waiting for the meet results, a Fords Colony parent commented on our "army of volunteers". It is always great to hear other teams recognize our organization. We were training a lot of new positions and things went very well.

The Volunteer List for our Village Green Meet tomorrow night will be up in the air. I am taking down the original list from last week and filling in empty spots when we get to the meet. There are several empty spots and we will need every parent available. I appreciate each and every single one of the parent volunteers.

Go Seastars!!! Andrea

Just a reminder about the contributions for the concession stand for tomorrow. Thanks to all of you who have responded. If you haven’t responded, if you will have a problem bringing the items for tomorrow. In reviewing the email list, I realized that some emails may have inadvertently been left off the original email and I apologize. I realize that this is short notice. If you are still able to bring the assigned item, that would be a great help.

    Concession Contribution Sheet 2009

Here we go, our first home meet of the season!

As always, we have several families on vacation and there will be a need for some families to work more than 1 spot to make this meet a success. Thanks a bunch in advance!!!!

I will not have time to fill your spot if you are unable to fulfill your obligation between the pancake breakfast and the meet set up. Please call neighbors to help you. If you have questions, please let me know.

Remember 5:00 warm ups and come hungry to support our concession stand. A big thank you to the Brokers for helping us out this year with that HUGE undertaking.

Thanks, Andrea   Volunteer Sheet for June 22nd

We will be having our first pancake/waffle breakfast on Monday after each practice at the Pavilion. I spoke with several moms at the meet on Thursday but in case I missed you, please pack a griddle and a flipper if you have time to help. Hopefully, we won't blow any circuits this year!

I will provide all mixes, drinks and supplies. I will also have bow supplies for all girls who need one for this season. Don't forget our home meet on Monday and that we have 5:00 warm ups. I will be sending out the Volunteer List tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks! Andrea

Seastar families,

Attached is the list for concession stand contributions for our home meets. I have made the contribution list for all 3 home meets. Each family contributes an item for one home meet only. To make things easier, I have assigned an item to each family. Please email me to let me know you received this email and will/will not be able to bring the item assigned to you. If you will not be able to attend the meet you are assigned to, please let me know ASAP so I can find someone to bring that item and I will switch you to another meet.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Heidi Muench

Thanks for all of the patience and help tonight-it was a good call since I just got off of the phone with a representative from Village Green and it is still thundering.

The make up date is next Wednesday (24th), same time and same place. 
We will have warm ups at 5:30 and as most of you discovered, traffic can be difficult. Our events will begin where we left off which was the 15-18 year old girls IM.

I know some of you are questioning if driving down again is worth it and it really is! The kids have worked very hard. There is a VPSU rule that says all swimmers must swim in 3 meets to qualify for the Champs Meet on July 26 at Fort Eustis. It makes it imperative to make all of the meets that you can but we all understand that vacations and camps happen.

Please let Matt know if you are unable to make it to the home meet against Fords Colony on Monday or the away meet at Village Green on Wednesday. The volunteer slots for Wednesday will remain the same with minor changes due to absences.

Look for the Volunteer List for Monday soon along with a date for pictures.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email me.

Thanks again, Andrea

Hello Seastars!

Just a few reminders before our first meet at Village Green. If you have any questions, please email or call me. (345-6147)

1. All directions to away meets can be found at www.vpsu.com. This site is also good for information and standings. 

2. Village Green does not have a lot of parking and most of the spots are on the street. Please carpool as much as possible. 

3. Please come prepared with towels, goggles, and a great team spirit. if your swimmer is not going to be at the meet, let Coach Matt know asap. 

4. All swimmers need to check in with the coaches before they swim and after they finish. Also check with the coaches before you leave the meet because we are swimming new relay teams and we are swimming extra relay teams. 

5. If you are unable to work your volunteer slot, please find someone to replace you. I will be sending out a volunteer roster for the next meet Sunday.

Thanks, Andrea

Hello Seastar Swimmers & Families,

Please bring your family donation of drinks for the home meet concessions to the swimming pool garage NLT June 19th. The breakdown of donations is below:

EACH Family: please bring one case of bottled water (16.9 oz bottles) and:

Last name begins with A-M: please bring, per swimmer (not to exceed two per family): 1 eight-pack of Gatorade (20 oz bottles) in red, orange, blue or purple flavors.

Last name begins with N-Z: please bring, per swimmer (not to exceed two per family): 1 twelve-pack of soda (12 oz cans) of Coke, Diet Coke, or Sprite

NOTE: Please print family names on the drink containers or cases so you get credit for your generosity!

Joe Broker

Don't forget that the first practice is tomorrow, Tuesday, the 26th. 

The practice schedule is: 
5:00-5:45 All 6 and unders 
5:45-6:30 7 and 8 year olds 
7:00-8:00 9-10 year olds 
8:00-9:00 11 and older

The parent meeting will only take a few minutes and you can attend the meeting during your child's practice. If you have more than one child, choose any time. The meetings will be held in the pavillion. If you are unable to attend Tuesday night, there will be a make-up meeting on Wednesday night at 7:00.

I will have the sign up sheets for volunteer slots, extra liability and registration forms and a copy of the practice schedule for the season.

Thanks, Andrea Freeland

Greetings Seastars,

I have decided to go with the same practice schedule that we have used in the past for the weeks until school gets out. Regarding practices after school gets out, I will need to take a look at the final numbers of each age group, which I won't have until after the first practice week, to determine what age group practices when. For those who do not remember the practice schedule from last year here is the schedule:

6 and younger: 5:00-5:45 
7-8: 5:45-6:30 
9-10: 7:00-8:00 
11-18: 8:00-9:00

If you know of any conflicts that your swimmer may have with the current schedule please feel free to contact me. We are a little over a week away from the first practice, so rest up and get ready for an awesome season!

GO SEASTARS!

        Coach Matt

Attention All Seastar Parents and Swimmers,

The swim team is looking for two new junior coaches. We are looking at swimmers that are currently on the team to fill these open positions. The time requirements for the new coaches would be 45 minutes a day (Monday-Friday) from May 26th until the end of the swim season. The new coaches would be working primarily with the 6 and under and the 7-8 age groups. If you have a swimmer that is between the ages of 15-18 that would be interested in interviewing for the position please send me an e-mail sometime before next week. We are hoping to conduct interviews sometime next week and we will keep you posted on days and times if your swimmer is interested.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Coach Matt

Dear Seastar Parents,

It's time to show your SEASTAR SPIRIT! This year we have the following items available for purchase:

*Car Magnets: show off your seastar spirit around town, buy a car magnet! The magnet is printed in red & black on a white magnet measuring 6' X 4'. Cost is $5.00 each or 2/$8.00.

T-SHIRTS: This year's t-shirt will be red with "Powhatan Secondary Seastars" imprinted on the front in white (same type style as last year's t-shirts only adding the Powhatan Secondary). There will also be a teal ribbon design on the left shoulder in support of Ovarian Cancer research. We are offering both long sleeve and short sleeve t-shirts this year.

*Seastar short sleeve t-shirts: Red with white imprint. Cost is $10.00 All t-shirts are Anvil brand 100% (preshrunk) cotton t-shirts (same quality as last year).

T-shirt sizes: Youth sizes: small/ medium/large Adult sizes: small / medium / large / xl AND xx-large and above add $1.50/shirt.

Adult women's sizes: same quality shirt, just cut to fit a women's shape better & shorter sleeves women's - small / medium / large / xl

*Seastar long sleeve t-shirts: Red with white imprint. Cost is $12.00. All t-shirts are Anvil brand 100% (preshrunk) cotton t-shirts (same quality as last year).

T-shirt sizes: Youth sizes: small/ medium/large Adult sizes: small / medium / large / xl AND xxl and above add $1.50/shirt. No women's sizes available in long sleeve.

HOODIES!!!!: Hooded sweatshirts in black or gray with "Seastar" imprinted on the front. You can also have your swimmers name or initials imprinted on the back for an additional $5.00. The "Seastar" imprint is the same as the one offered 2 years ago - collegiate print that looks weathered.

Black hoodie with red imprint or gray hoodie with black imprint.

SIZES: Youth sizes: small/ medium/large - for youth XL order adult small - Cost = $23.00 Adult sizes: small / medium / large/xl AND xxl and above add $1.50/shirt - Cost = $25.00

You can order by return e-mail or by printing and returning the attached order form to Beth Robles or Molly Dry by Tuesday, May 12th. Items must be paid in full at time of order. Please make checks payable to 'P.S.S.T.'

Deadline for ordering is Tuesday 12 June. It's highly unlikely that we will be placing an order once the season begins so ORDER NOW! We will be placing our order with the company the following day to ensure we have our shirts asap, so please don't delay.

Any questions please call Beth at 229-1044.

Andrea Freeland

Dear Seastar parents,
 
It was suggested that there may be many swim team swimsuits that are no longer being worn but that could be worn by another swimmer.  In the interest of saving some $$$ and raising much needed funds for our team, we will be having a "Recyclable Swimsuit Sale" at tomorrow night's swim team sign-up.
 
If you have a "gently used" Seastar swimsuit from a previous year that is not going to be used anymore, please bring it/them to the swim team sign-up tomorrow evening at the Clubhouse and donate them to the team.  All donated suits will be available for sale for $5 with all proceeds going to the swim team.
 
Thank you!
 Beth

Announcements .... 2008 ........ back to top ....

Just wanted to let you know that we will be copying the 2008 Seastar video onto DVD's for anyone who is interested in owning a copy. It is $5.00/DVD. To order one, e-mail me and let me know how many.

Thanks for a great season and for being the BEST swim team in Wmsbg!

Hello Seastar families!

I just want to let everyone know I am recovering from the surgery and that I have finished my first round of chemo and am doing well (as well as anyone who has just injected their body with harsh toxins!). My parents are taking very good care of me and Walter Reed Army hospital is just 20 minutes from their house, so I am in a good situation as far as that goes. Of course I miss everyone and wish things were different, but this is what it is! I hope to come home around the 21st of August if the second round of chemo goes as planned.

Sorry I have not answered e-mails before now; I had some technical difficulties along with some physical limitations…It was just too overwhelming for awhile.

Words fail me when it comes to thanking all of you for your kind words of support, well wishes and prayers. The cards and meals are so very appreciated, and have boosted my morale tremendously. I am so very fortunate to live in such a wonderful neighborhood with such good caring people. You all are the greatest!

I hope everyone enjoys the picnic and games tonight; I can’t wait to see the pictures! I hear there will be some interesting relays too! Thanks to all you parents who have stepped up to plan and prepare for this; especially Andrea Freeland and Susanne Esch (and I know there are many others!). And to Coach Matt and the assistant coaches; I am so grateful that you kept the team swimming and didn’t miss a beat!

This email is addressed to the swim team parents, but I know many other neighbors sent cards and meals. If you know someone who did not get this e-mail, please forward it to them. Thanks…and have fun tonight!

Go Seastars!

~Trish

It is that time of year again...and here are the details:

What: Powhatan Secondary Seastars End of the Year Party 
When: Sunday, August 3rd 
Time: Gather at 5:30 and eat at 6:00 **check details below 
Where: the Clubhouse and Pavilion

**Please RSVP by Wednesday to me the number attending from your family**
               

Notes: 
*1. The board will provide the meat and drinks but we are asking each family to bring a LARGE side dish to share. If your last name begins with A-M, please bring a veggie dish and if your last name begins with N-Z, please bring a dessert.

*2. Award presentations will begin as soon as we finish eating followed by a slide show of the pictures from this season.

*3. Dillon Gift Card Tree- If you are interested in helping out the Dillon family, we are offering a "Gift Card Tree" at the picnic. Suggestions are gas cards, restaurant cards, or grocery cards among other things. There will be a place to put your cards and notes on the tree. Thanks for your thoughtfulness in advance. It is nice to give back a little bit since they have done so much for not only our team but our community.

*4. PARENT RELAYS!!!!!! This is a first for us but we are going to give it a shot. After the awards and slide show, we are going to do female and male heats of free and medley style relays. We would like to ask one parent (we'll take more) from each family to participate. Please send your name and your stroke preference to . This is a great way to show our kids that we really do know what we are talking about when we give them pointers after their races :) Plus it will be TONS of fun!!!!

There will also be coach and Seastar Kid Races.

Don't forget to contact Maria and reply your RSVP to me. Thanks for a great year!!!!!

Andrea Freeland

Greetings Seastars,

This e-mail is intended for everyone that signed up to attend the Summer Awards meet this Saturday. The meet is at Kingswood Pool and the warm-ups for the 10 and under session is 7:40 and for 11 and older the warm up session starts at 12:40. The morning session starts at 8:15 and the afternoon session starts at 1:15. If you have any other questions about the meet don't hesitate to ask me after practice or shoot me an e-mail.

Thanks,

Coach Matt

The Sea Stars team picture is up here 

The first three pictures are the same picture, but with different cropping. Select the appropriate picture before sending to print. (for instance, if you selected the 4x6 picture, but tried printing it at 8x10, it would cut off the people on the sides.)

I hope this makes sense. If it doesn't, please let me know.

-Wendy

Greetings Seastars,

Congratulations on a great meet last night! We may not have won the meet, but our swimmers had some fast times in the pool. Nine team records fell last night and four new swimmers qualified for the championship meet. Considering we are strictly a neighborhood swim team and the team we swam last night recruits swimmers from around the peninsula, our team did extremely well. I was very proud of the way our swimmers swam and the way they handled themselves around some stiff competition and now that our win streak has come to an end it is time to start another one next season, right?

Also, thank you to all the parents who made this season such a success, especially those who stepped up and volunteered at the meets. It was a long season and the large number of volunteers we had made the meets run a lot smoother and faster. Since the regular season is over we will be adjusting the practice schedule and everyone who is participating in the Summer Awards Meet and Championship Meet are expected to attend. If you are wondering if your child has qualified for the championship meet, I have attached the most recent list of Championship Qualifiers.

The new practice schedule:
8:00-9:00-   10 and under    
9:00-10:00- 11 and older

Thanks again for an amazing season and don't forget about the Awards Banquet Sunday August 3rd!

GO SEASTARS!    Coach Matt

Good Morning Seastars,

I realized that I failed to include the time for The Dark Knight movie and that is 11:50. Also, we are going to do team pictures on Tuesday July 22 at 9 AM, so mark your calendars. Finally, just a friendly reminder for the Summer Awards meet this coming Saturday, I need to know if you want your child to swim and the entry fee either tomorrow or Tuesday.

Thanks and GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Helllloooo everyone.....it is Andrea Freeland again trying my best to replace Trish Dillon. Susanne Esch and I drove up to see her Wednesday and she was in GREAT SPIRITS!!!

For the Dillon family, we are going to offer a "Gift Card Tree" at the end of year party for those of you who are interested in pitching in. This is another reminder of what a great place we live in....but we already know that!

These are the slots I have for Monday's meet:

Timers 1st half- Satira VanWicklin Maize Nelson Butler Carper Conrad Emerson **We need one more

Timers 2nd half: Wright Lynch Schmidt Coughenour Creech Freeland **We need 4 more

Clerk of Course: Dassler/Webster

1st half scoring: Bloodgood **We need 1 more

2nd half scoring: **We need 2 people...please help!

Ribbon Writers...all filled up, yahoo! 1st half: Nason Castleman-Argue

2nd half: Stachowiak Mulholand

Sweep Judges are filled...Yea!!!!

Stroke and Turn: Freeland Bebout **WE NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our team does a great job of stepping up...let's keep it up. Please email me if you would like to work a certain spot, if all spots don not get filled....I will be looking for you! Ha.

Thanks and Go Seastars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday Seastars,

Our last dual meet for the season is this Monday, July 21, against Queens Lake. It is an away meet so our warm-up time is at 5:30 so try to arrive at the pool 15-30 minutes early to guarantee a parking spot and deck space. In case you haven't noticed we have yet to lose a dual meet and Queens Lake has yet to lose a swim meet so this meet will determine the regular season champion for Division II, so it is kind of a big deal. This means that everyone should eat healthy this weekend and Monday, and don't do anything too strenuous like build a house or heavy landscaping.

Also, it is Movie Monday! Swimmers 12 and younger are going to see Space Chimps at 12:00 and the 13 and older swimmers are going to be viewing The Dark Knight, to get everyone fired up before the big meet later on that night. After the meet we will be grabbing some ice cream at Bruster's to celebrate a season of hard work.

Just one last reminder if you are interested in entering your child in the Summer Award's Meet next Saturday I need to know on Monday. Finally the end of the year Award's Banquet will be held on August 3rd the day right after the championship meet and hopefully this year the weather stays away.

Have a great weekend and if you have any questions don't hesitate to e-mail me,

Coach Matt

Greetings Seastars,

We have only 1 dual meet remaining which means that your swimmer(s) has two final chances to make a championship qualifying time. There are a number of swimmers that are within a second or two of making their championship time. In addition to the final meet against Queens Lake, there is also a mini summer awards meet held at Kingswood (which is about a 5-10 drive from Powhatan Secondary) that your swimmer can enter to make a championship qualifying time. The only catch is that the entries are due by Tuesday July 22nd, and there is very little turn around from the distribution of the meet information and the submission of entries.

The meet is on Saturday July 26 and is set up in 2 different sessions. The first session is in the morning (starts @ 8:15) and is for swimmers who are 10 and younger. The second session is in the afternoon (starts @ 1:15) and is for swimmers 11 and older. Ribbons are awarded for places 1-12 and is a great introduction to a championship style meet. I have attached a list of swimmers that I would like to see participate in the Summer Awards Meet and even if your child isn't on the list that I have included with this e-mail, I strongly encourage you to enter your child in any event that you want them to swim. The cost of entry for each individual event is $2.50, so if you wanted your child to swim the maximum of 3 events the cost would be $7.50.

If you would like your child to participate in this meet please contact me as soon as possible. You can reach me by simply replying to this e-mail or you can just catch me before or after practice. The only thing is that I need to know if your child is interested in participating in the meet by next Tuesday. This is a great opportunity for your swimmer(s) to get a chance to race swimmers from other teams in Williamsburg and, as I already stated, is a great introduction to a championship style meet. Also, it is another opportunity for you and your child to spend an exciting day with the coaches. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in this meet and am really excited to finish the season up strong.

Thanks, and there will be more information about the Queens Lake meet coming out tomorrow. I just wanted everyone to have an opportunity to take advantage of an extra opportunity to qualify for the championship meet.

GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Hello there Seastars!

I have a few announcements for Monday's practice and meet:

1. We will be having Cereal Monday after each practice. Each family is asked to bring 1 box of their favorite cereal to share with the team. I will provide the milk, juice, and paper products. I hope we have a good turn out!

2. Great News! Fords Colony has agreed to let our team use the News Road Gate (the one closest to us) instead of the one on Longhill from 4:15-5:15 ONLY!!! If you arrive after 5:15, you have to use the Longhill gate. No exceptions.

3. We are short from the original Volunteer Sheet this week. Please remember that every family must work at least 1 shift and we may need to work the entire meet in some capacity. We have over 100 swimmers and some teams work all of the slots with only 40 swimmers. The pool has 8 lanes so we need extra timers BUT the meet will go faster.

1st half timers: Satira Van Wicklin Maize Monahan Nelson R. Wood D. Wood Kelly King

2nd half timers: Wright Lynch Creech **We need help!!!!!

Clerk of Course: Webster

Scoring: Emerson **we need help!!!!!

Ribbon Writer: Nason Castleman-Argue **we need help second half!!!!

Stroke and Turn: Freeland Bebout **WE NEED HELP!!!!!!!!

Sweep Judge: **Believe it or not, we don't have one for 1st half Evans

                     Thanks!! Andrea Freeland

Greetings Seastars,

Our next swim meet is on Monday night against the Ford's Colony Killer Whales and because this is an away swim meet our warm-ups are at 5:30pm. For those of you who don't remember going there last year or are new to the team this year, it takes a while to get in through the gate so make sure you leave early enough so that you are there in time for warm-ups.

In preparation for our Ford's Colony meet we are having a cereal party. After each swim practice we will start a new party for those swimmer's finishing up practice, and I ask that swimmers only attend one party so they are not partied out for the meet later on in the day. We are asking for each family to bring a large box of their favorite cereal to share. Paper products (bowls), milk, and juice will be provided.

If your child has qualified for champs and you would like a VPSU Championship Shirt ($10, $12 for XXL) please let Andrea Freeland know at the meet on Monday or . The orders are due by July 16th, so the sooner you let Andrea know the better.

So how do you know if your child has qualified champs? If you are wondering if your child has qualified for champs I have attached an up to date list of swimmers who have qualified, check it out.

How many more opportunities does my child have to qualify for the champs meet? We have two regular season meets remaining and there is also something called the Summer Awards meet the weekend before the Championship. The Summer Awards Meet is a championship style meet that gives our swimmers one last chance to qualify for the end of the year championship meet. I highly encourage everyone who does not have a championship time to participate in this meet, because it is a great introduction into a championship style meet and the swimmers get large ribbons if they place at the meet. If you would like more information on the Summer Awards Meet or if you would like to know how close your child is to a champs qualifying time, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks and GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

To all of my fellow SeaStars with red stained fingers,
 
WOW!  Today's tie dye event was a BIG success and great fun!  Thanks to all who helped with set-up, tie dye instruction/assistance and clean-up.  With everyone pitching in things went very smoothly.  I just wanted to follow-up with some instructions on caring for your newly dyed t-shirts:
 
1)  Leave tied t-shirt in the plastic bag for at least 12 but preferably 24 hours - this will help the dye set properly.
 
2)  When you're ready - remove the t-shirt from the bag and rinse it in cold water to remove excess dye.  After a minute or two, take off the rubber bands and continue rinsing until the water runs clear.  NOTE:  You may want to do this outside, in a stainless steel sink, in a bucket or somewhere that won't pick up the dye.
 
3)  As an added help to remove all of the dye, you can do a final rinse with vinegar water - a cup or so of vinegar to 1/2 a sink of water.
 
4)  Wring, shake & hang the shirt to dry & enjoy!
 
I can't wait to see all of the different SeaStar spirit shirts at the meet on Monday!   See you then!
 
Beth

Dear Seastar families,
 
In order to have the t-shirts ready for the meet on Monday, the team tie dye party annouced for Monday has been moved to this Thursday, July 10th 8:45-11:30 am (or until the last shirt is completed).  Tables will be set up in the picnic pavillion by the pool with all of the materials needed for dying (except for the t-shirt).  Swimmers should bring their own laundered t-shirt with them-any style preferably 100% cotton.  If you'd like to decorate your shirt with your favorite team cheer or logo you can do so with permanant markers.  After wetting, tying and soaking their shirts, swimmers can dye them with our special "seastar red" dye.  T-shirts must soak for 20 minutes before applying the dye so swimmers may want to arrive early to tie their shirt and soak it while practicing.  Otherwise it can all be done after practice.  Swimmers needing assistance with putting rubber bands on their shirt need to be accompanied by an adult to assist them.  We will have ideas/suggestions on hand on how to make different designs, etc.  If you want to get some ideas beforehand, there's a lot of info on the web.  I found some good ideas at www.familyfun.com  
If you've done this before, feel free to bring your shirt "tyed and ready to dye". 
 
We could also use volunteers to help with set-up, tying/dying, and clean-up.  Some of our older swimmers help would be very much appreciated.   I know there's some of you who have done this before!
 
Any questions, please ask.  We hope to see you on Thursday!
 
Sincerely,
Beth Robles
tel.  229-1044 

Hello everyone!

Team picture will be tomorrow morning at 9:00! Please wear your team suits!

Older kids—I know it’s not your regular time slot, but please be there at 9:00 for the picture—you are such an important part of the team, and the little ones really look up to you.

Matt will be announcing this at the end of each practice. We will also announce tonight at the meet.

If any parents are available to help corral children in the morning; I can use all the help I can get!

Thanks  - Wendy - 

Dear Seastar families,
 
The SeaStar merchandise order is in and will soon be ready for pick-up.  I will sort it this evening & bring the orders to the 4th of July parade/celebration at the clubhouse tomorrow morning.  If you'd like, you can also pick up your order from me - I live on Ewell Place.  Just give me a call and I can be ready for you.  Any remaining orders will be at practice on Monday.  If you didn't place an order for SeaStar merchandise, you can still get in the spirit and purchase a car magnet (or 2) and/or a SeaStar water bottle.  Cost of the magnets are $5 each or 2/$8.  The water bottles are $3.  Just reply to this e-mail, give me a call or see me at practice in Monday.  The magnets will also be on sale at the concession stand Monday night.  Any questions, please let me know.  See you soon!
 
Sincerely,
Beth Robles
(Andy's mom - 6 & unders)
tel. 229-1044

Wednesday, July 2nd 2008

Hello Seastar families!

What a great friendship meet!  Thanks to all who helped out and made the Powhatan Secondary family stand proud!

Our next meet is at home and it is the LAST home meet for the season!  Hard to believe we are already nearly half way through the season!  This is a very important meet for many reasons, but the reason I want to address is the fact that this is the last home meet we will have the Brokers running the concession stand. 

We really need some people to volunteer to take on the concessions for the next season, and Dawn Broker and I talked at length about this and thought it would be much less daunting if two or three families worked together.  If you think this could be a good fit for you (and a friend or two), please e-mail me; we need to talk!  There are only three home meets each season; you would not have to do any other volunteering!   And I have another incentive that could make the job even more appealing!  Talk with Dawn and Joe during this last meet to pick their brain and see how they do things. 

Many of you have noticed that we do not have a fund-raiser scheduled this season (such as the swim-a-thon).  We were able to meet our financial needs, in large part because of the success of the concessions.  If we don’t have a concession stand next summer we have a couple of options: raise the registration fee substantially with little or no break for families of multiple children, or do multiple fundraisers next summer, or a combination of both.

On a different note, the volunteer schedule for the next meet is attached…as you can see we are still in need of people to fill spots.  Please e-mail me with your job preferences. 

Last but NOT LEAST:  Check out our new website!  www.powhatan-seastars.org 

Thank you to Melanie Felbinger for designing the site and making it so informative!  Check out all the links; she really has done a great job!  Anyone who would like to post photos may do so; just e-mail Melanie for more information.

See you on deck!

~Trish

Dear SeaStar Families,

The first WeeStar SplashFest of 2008 was a wonderful experience for our younger team mates. All participants went home with three (!) ribbons for individual events, a first place ribbon for the Weelay, full tummies and big smiles.

Thanks to all who helped make the meet go so smoothly. Numerous older siblings and/or SeaStars were excited to be able to help with timing and starting. Many WeeStar and/or SeaStar parents graciously helped with timing, the "Breakfast of Champions", ribbon writing, announcing, Clerk of Coursing, taking pictures, cheering, etc. With four events for all participants in less than 45 minutes, having copious volunteers gave WeeStar parents more time to enjoy watching and cheering on their own WeeStars. THANKS!

Special thanks to all our Coaches:
To Coach Lauren for providing adorable, personalized decorations, devising heats that were fun for all the kids and working really hard to make sure even the youngest participants were ready for the backstroke event.
To Coach Sarah for all her work with the more experienced and/or older WeeStars and helping out at the ribbon table.
To Coach Jake for leading the WeeStars in a rousing cheer.
To Coach Matt for taking care of pool set up and serving as announcer for the ribbon award ceremony.

If you couldn't be there, make sure you check out the cute pictures at http://ps4seastars.shutterfly.com?a=1 (Case sensitive password: sea4stars) posted by Melanie Felbinger.
NOTE: Additional pictures (I believe from Molly Dry) were recently added to the album.

Mark Your Calendars: The second SeaStar SplashFest is scheduled for 9:00 am Saturday, July 19th. The young Windsor Forest Tadpoles & Frogs have accepted our invitation to provide some friendly competition. WeeStar participants will need to be at the pool by 8:15 am to give both teams time to warm up before the meet.

See you at the pool,
Debbie Bebout

Dear SeaStar families,

The first WeeStar SplashFest will start at 9:00 am this Saturday, June 28th. This short "mini-meet" will give our teams' young and inexperienced swimmers an opportunity to earn ribbons for the 25 Free, 25 Back and 25 Kick board events. All are welcome to come cheer on the Wee Stars. It would also be especially helpful to get a few more older kids and/or parents to help out with timing and some other meet positions.

Participating swimmers are asked to arrive at the pool by 8:30 am for warm-ups (and warm-up recovery). Coach Lauren (laurenefree@cox.net) is working hard to cluster the kids into reasonably matched heats... if you haven't already let Trish, Lauren or I know your plans it would be best to contact Lauren directly. Contributions to the "Breakfast of Champions" will help keep the kids busy while the ribbon writers finish up. Ribbon awards will be distributed for each heat of each event before the pool opens at 11 am.

Don't forget your cameras ;)

FYI: The Second 2008 WeeStar SplashFest will be held July 19th. The Windsor Forest Tadpoles have been invited to generate some friendly competition.

Debbie Bebout       

Sunday, June 22 2008 •

Dear Seastar Parents,  

If you will be helping at the meet tomorrow in any capacity, read no further.   

If you are sitting back hoping that the volunteer list will fill up without you, it doesn’t seem to be working this time.  To those who don’t volunteer; surprise us!  Everyone knows who you are anyway, so why not break out of the mold and do something?  It makes the meet go by faster and it can be fun!  E-mail me with your choices: all the yellow blocks need to be filled.

 Thank you in advance for stepping up!

 ~Trish

Greetings Seastars,

I just wanted to clarify some things before tomorrow. We decided that we will not be going to the movies tomorrow, instead we will be having a social event after the meet. The movie day will be next Monday June 30, before our second First Colony meet. We swam them extremely close the first time and hopefully we can make them sweat a little more the next time we swim them, but first things first we have to be ready to go against the Windsor Great Park Waves.

Everyone has to be ready to swim their fastest tomorrow night, which means stay out of the heat and make sure the swimmers do not exert much if any physical energy during the day. It should be a fairly close meet, so it is important that everyone is ready to go. This is our first regular season meet that counts towards the division standings so let's start out strong and keep the streak alive.

On another note, the championship qualifying times have been posted on the VPSU website (www.vpsu.com). So far we have had over 20 swimmers qualify for the championship meet, and there are many swimmers who are really close to getting their champs cut. We have had a strong start to the season, so let's keep things going against Windsor Great Park.

GO SEASTARS!

Coach Matt

Sarah

Saturday, June 21 2008

Hello Everyone,  

The meet line-up is posted at the pool; please, please, please let Coach Matt know if your swimmers will NOT be at the meet.  While many think swimming is an individual sport, the team depends on YOU!  Last meet quite a few swimmers were no-shows; no-shows directly impact the other swimmers, the coaches, the clerk of course and the announcer, thus increasing the length of the meet.  Please don’t be a no-show!  And along those lines, please check out with Coach Matt before you leave the meet: don’t assume your child has done so.  Relays are not lined up until after the backstroke event, so Coach Matt assumes everyone is still on deck unless he is told otherwise.

Attached is the volunteer list: we have many openings that need filling: please e-mail me with your offering and I will gratefully post it!

The food donation list has been sent out; to those of you on the list, thank you in advance for contributing a salad or fruit for 8-10 people or another item on the list. 

We are looking forward to a fantastic first meet that counts for division standings….

Go Seastars!    Trish Dillon

Saturday June 21 2008

Greetings all you fabulous Seastar families!  

Saturday June 28th will be our first Splash fest for the Weestars!  That’s right, we have a special event for our youngest (6 & Under) swimmers.  We will start this “mini-meet” at 9 a.m. (warm-ups will be earlier) and we will be finished before 11. You are encouraged to bring something to the “breakfast of champs” table; in the past families brought juice boxes, cereal bars, muffins, etc to share.

To all parents of 6 and under swimmers: please let me know as soon as possible whether you will be coming to the splash fest, and what type of role you would like.  We need timers (older swimmers are encouraged to help out here!), ribbon writers and a starter.  And bring your cameras; there will be plenty of “Kodak moments”.

Everyone is invited to cheer on our Weestars; please stop by even if you don’t have a 6 & under! 

See you on deck!     Trish

Hello Seastars! 

Our first meet is upon us!  Tomorrow we host First Colony in a friendship meet at home.  The meet starts at 6 p.m. but the swimmers need to be at the pool, ready to warm-up at 4:45 p.m.  The line-up for the meet (who swims what event, in what lane) is posted in the covered swim team bulletin board on the guard shack wall, next to the pool concession window. If there are any last minute changes to your child’s availability please let Coach Matt know as soon as possible.

The team concession stand will be under the pavilion behind the clubhouse as last year.  Plan to feed your family at the Seastar concessions!  All proceeds go to back to the team.  Dawn Broker sent out an earlier email listing the volunteer schedule for the concession stand. 

Attached is the volunteer list for all pool side jobs for the meet: please review what you have signed up to do, or if you have not signed up for anything, please choose a spot high-lighted in yellow (those are the jobs we need filled).  There are plenty of families who have not signed up to volunteer in concessions or on deck; we need everyone to make the meet run smoothly; please find a spot and e-mail me with your preferences as soon as possible!  If you have questions or concerns, feel free to call me: 784-8184. 

Let’s go Seastars! 

Trish Dillon

Dear Seastar Parents,
 
Many of you have requested Seastar beach towels so we have added them to the list of available items.  The towel is a heavy weight, large black towel with the original Seastar logo on it and can be personalized.  Your child's name will be embroidered on the towel in red (makes it hard to misplace).  The cost of the 1st quality, personalized beach towel is $27.00.  If you'd like to order one, just add it to your order form.  Please remember to let us know what you'd like to have monogrammed on it (name or initials).  Thank you!
 
Beth Robles

Dear Parents,
 
It was brought to my attention that some families may have had trouble opening the previous order form that was sent out.  To correct this, I've attached the same form as a "pdf" file which most should be able to open. (Thank you Melanie)  In addition, here is some additional information regarding the current merchandise order.
 
1)  The seastar t-shirt is available in youth sizes S/M/L so just make a note on your order form is you'd like one of these sizes.
2)  If you don't have an order form you can turn in your order on a piece of paper.
3)  The Weestar shirt is printed on a red t-shirt and the Seastar shirt on a white t-shirt.  All of the designs will be posted by this afternoon - thanks for your patience.
4)  Molly or myself will do our best to be at the pool on Tuesday morning during practice to collect the order forms/payments.  If we cannot, there will be an envelope or box in the guardshack area to collect orders.
5)  All orders are due by the end of practice on Wednesday June 18th.  We will be placing the team order with the t-shirt company that afternoon to ensure we get our shirts in a timely manner.
6)  The team swimsuits are in and will be at the pool on Tuesday for pick-up.  If you haven't yet received yours, please pick them up at that time.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Thank you!
 
Sincerely,
Beth Robles
tel.  229-1044

Dear Seastar Parents,
 
It's time to show your SEASTAR SPIRIT!  This year we have the following items available for purchase:
 
*Car Magnets:  show off your seastar spirit around town, buy a car magnet!  The magnet is printed in red & black on a white magnet measuring 6' X 4'.  Cost is $5.00 each or 2/$8.00.
 
*Sack Packs (backpacks):  Back by popular demand, the cinch-style nylon backpack.  Available in red or black with our logo in white and PERSONALIZED with your seastars' name.  Cost is $12.00
 
T-SHIRTS:  Since we had many wonderful design submissions, we are offering 2 types of t-shirts this year. 
 
*Weestar t-shirts:  The winning design for the 6 & under seastars submitted by the Felbinger family will be printed on a red t-shirt in gray/black/white.  Sizes are below & cost is $10.00.
 
*Seastar t-shirts:  The winning design for our team shirt, submitted by the Lemmon/Mangosing family, will be printed on a white t-shirt with the team name in red on the front & the seastar design in red/black on the back.  Cost is $10.00
 
All t-shirts are Anvil brand 100% (preshrunk) cotton t-shirts (same quality as last year).
 
T-shirt sizes:
Child sizes:   small/ medium/large
Adult sizes:  UNISEX - small / medium / large     AND   x-large and above add $1.50/shirt
  
Adult women's sizes:  same quality shirt, just cut to fit a women's shape better
         women's - small / medium / large / x-large (add $1.50)
 
All designs will be available for viewing Moandy morning at the guard shack at the pool (check the enclosed bulletin boards).  You can order by return e-mail or by printing and returning the attached order form to practice on Monday or Tuesday mornings.  Items  must be paid in full at time of order.  Please make checks payable to 'P.S.S.T.'  
 
Deadline for ordering is Wednesday 18 June, 12 noon.  We will be placing our order with the company that afternoon so please don't delay.
 
Any questions please call Beth at 229-1044 or speak with Beth or Molly at practice this week.  One of us will also be available at the parent informational meeting scheduled for tomorrow night.

Greetings everyone:

Below is the long awaited summer practice schedule: 

6 years and under- 8 A.M. -8:45 A.M.
7-8 years - 8:00-9:00 A.M.
9-11 years - 9:00-10:00 A.M.
12-18 years - 10:00-11:00 A.M.

If you have a conflict, please talk to or e-mail Coach Matt. 

If you have made your donations of beverages for the concessions, thank you very much! However; we still need the rest of you to bring your assigned drinks.  You can bring them to practice or If you bring it during the day, any lifeguard can put it in the garage for you; just remember to put your family name on the drinks!

Thank you...

Have a great (HOT!) weekend!

Trish

Hello everyone,

Announcing the first annual Seastars T-shirt design contest! 

Coach Matt wants a new T-shirt, but he's not clever and artsy enough to design it himself!  So get your pencils sharpened and creative mojo going; the winner gets a free t-shirt and his/her work will be worn/displayed all over town!  The deadline for entries is June 1^st.  Entries can be hand sketched or computer generated on plain paper (8.5x11), with the name, address and phone number of the artist on the back.  Submit entries by hand or via e-mail to Coach Matt or myself.   And parents, this contest is open to you too; fire up the adobe photoshop and get cracking!

I'm still not sure I have everyone on my mailing list so please forward this anyone who you think may not be getting it. 

Swim Practice starts Tuesday, May 27^th, according to the following schedule:

             6 yrs and under: 5:00-5:45 P.M.

7-8 yrs: 5:45-6:30

(6:30-7:00: Coaches dinner)

9-10 yrs: 7:00-8:00 P.M.

11-18 yrs: 8:00-9:00 P.M.

There will be some swimmers who will have conflicts with these hours: please e-mail Coach Matt to let him know if your child(ren) will not be at practice.  See the cc line above for his address.

Also a friendly reminder- Please do not try to talk to the coaches during practice hours.  They are responsible for the safety of our children; a conversation with a parent is a major distraction.  Coach Matt always comes to the pool early before the first practice, and is available for a quick conversation after practice.  Or if you have a lot to say, e-mail him with the information or ask him to meet with you when it is convenient. 

And finally, please consider getting trained as a stroke and turn judge, referee, or meet director (training dates can be found on the www.vpsu.com website).  We are finding ourselves in the unusual position of being one of the biggest teams in the union, yet we have no "second string" referee or meet director.  We may have to ask other teams to bring their own referee or worse yet, forfeit a meet!  If you have some prior competitive swimming experience (it doesn't have to be recent or at the college level!), the referee job may be a good fit.  If you are a leader, organized and somewhat familiar with how a swim meet is run, the meet director could be a good fit. 

Hello everyone! 

 Thursday, May 1^st is the annual swim team registration night.  Please plan to stop by the clubhouse between 5 and 8 P.M. this Thursday with your checkbooks and calendar, to take full advantage of all the essential resources gathered in one room! Not only can you register for swim team, you can

snag your favorite volunteer jobs for the meets, (first come, first served!)

have your children fitted for swim team suits,

make your pool membership payment (you must be a member of the pool in good standing to join the swim team),

meet the coaches, Matt Dry den is returning and Sara Murphy is joining us as assistant coach. Lauren Freeland will be our "apprentice coach"...

and, and, and...(I feel like I'm forgetting something

Download and complete the attached registration forms (word documents) to avoid the long lines.  We are currently working on a new website, but for more information on the Virginia Peninsula Swim Union, go to www.vpsu.com

AND...

Calling all judges, referees, score keepers and starters!  Our pool will host one of the stroke and turn clinics this year!  This is your chance to get trained as a meet official!  This job is for you if you have ever swum competitively or have children who are serious swimmers. Our club house will be the site of the June 5^th training, starting at 6:30 P.M.  (You know you've always wanted to try it...now's your chance to get trained).  I will be out of town for two, possible three meets, so some folks will have to step up to be trained for the meet director/referee job. Get trained and I will help you learn the ropes!  For more dates for training at other locations, go to http://www.vpsu.com/user/2008%20VPSU%20Officials%20Clinic%20Schedule.pdf

You can attend any training clinic that best suits your schedule.  We are especially encouraging first timers to come out and try it!

This promises to be another great season; once again we are in Division II! 

Please forward this e-mail to any new members of the greater Powhatan Secondary neighborhood who might be interested!

See you on Thursday!

Tricia Dillon
President,
Powhatan Secondary Seastars