Swim Team Registration opens early April!! We will share the registration date once the league finalizes the meet schedule (it will be after April 1st).

We are so excited to kick off planning for another fun and successful season of the Ulmstead Ducks Swim Team! We are thrilled to welcome back our Co-Head Coaches – Trevor Brinton and Colleen Winans. 

We are very grateful to our returning gold sponsors –The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy and JP & Beth Rue and the Donut Shack - and bronze sponsor Reinheimer Orthodontics! We are looking for additional sponsors. Do you have a business you want to promote or a good connection with a local business that may want to be a sponsor? If so, email Karin Mottus at [email protected].

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU REGISTER

● Meets. There will be 5 swim meets on Saturday mornings. We don’t yet know which will be home vs. away but will provide this as soon as we have it. We will be competing against Admiral Heights, South Down, Downs, and Walden. The meets will be on:

o June 15, 22, 29

o July 6, 13

o Kids must swim in 2 of the 5 meets to qualify for a medal meet. All kids who swim in at least 2 meets will at least qualify for the bronze meet. Medal Meets will be: Bronze – July 17; Silver – July 20; and Gold – July 21.

Please hold the afternoon of Sunday, July 21 for the end of season party.

● Practices. See the practice schedule at the end. Practices are after school from Tuesday, May 28th through Thursday, June 13th. Morning practices go from June 17th through July 19.

● Swimming Requirements. Swimmers must be able to swim the length of the pool; this is a friendly-competitive team NOT swim lessons (although your child’s swimming stroke improvement is one of the goals of our coaches). If they cannot swim the length or your swimmer needs more help – YOU HAVE TIME – get them involved in lessons NOW (check out the YMCA and the Severna Park Community Center).

● Calling all High Schoolers! Do you have a high schooler who would be interested in swimming? We need more high schoolers to be able to compete against other teams (we can’t get points for races if we don’t have swimmers). High schoolers ages 15 - 18 who are not members of the Ulmstead Swim Club can join swim team at NO extra cost (they still have to pay the swim team registration fee). They can only use the pool for swim team purposes. Parents of these high schoolers are exempt from volunteering if desired.

● Parent Volunteers Make the Season Successful! It takes an Ulmstead village to make swim team fun and successful for our kids! Our network of parents keeps the team organized and allows our meets to run smoothly. Each family is expected to fulfill their required volunteer assignments. You select your volunteer positions when you register for swim team for the meets you plan to attend – it is first come, first pick. Please only sign up for volunteer positions you are willing and able to do! If you sign up for a position and then can no longer do it, it’s your responsibility to find a replacement.

See the job descriptions on the website under PARENTS – VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTIONS. The number of volunteer assignment requirements will depend on how many families register but will likely be for 2 full meets or an equivalent time frame depending on your assignment. Additional volunteers will be solicited for medal meets.

Stroke and Turn/Starter Update: We encourage parents who want to try something different to give Stroke and Turn Judge or Starter a try! While a short training is required, these are rewarding roles, and you are on deck to see your kiddo swim. If you swam competitively as an adult - in college, Masters Swimming or Ulmstead Triathlon, we need your help! Share your expertise with the Ducks this summer as a stroke and turn judge or starter.

Teens for Hire. We're creating a list of responsible high school or college-aged students who parents can hire to fill-in at a meet if they can't fulfill their job. If you know someone who is interested in being on that list, please provide contact info to Molly Wood at [email protected]. As a note, these substitutes can only cover roles that require minimal training - timer, backup/reserve timer, concessions, runner, bathroom stocker/floater, set up, or take down. All other roles require a swim team parent.

● Swimsuits. Kids may wear Ulmstead swim team swimsuits from last year or purchase a new one. We will have a swimsuit try-on May 30th 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the pool.

● New to swim team? We know it can seem a little overwhelming at first, but we’ve all been there and can tell you about what to expect. If you have questions, email Karin Mottus at [email protected].

REGISTRATION DETAILS

● Registration opens early April on website www.ulmsteadswimteam.org. Register, pay, and sign up for volunteer positions here

● Register by May 1, 2024 to get a personalized swim cap and t-shirt

● After May 15, 2024, a late fee of $50 will be charged per family

● You must be an Ulmstead Swim Club/Pool member to register (unless you are ages 15-18) – Pool membership registration began in March.

● The registration fee will be $150 per swimmer. If you have more than one swimmer, the registration will be $140 per swimmer. Registration fees cover swimmers AAU insurance fees, facility maintenance, various other swim team-related expenses, and Medal Meet league fees.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE

The weekday practice schedule while school is in session starts Tuesday, May 28th after school. Regular season practice will start on Monday, June 17th. No practice on Friday, June 14 due to the end of school year pool party.

Thank you to the Swim Team Committee for volunteering to make this season a success!

Director: Karin Mottus

Coaches: Colleen Winans, Trevor Brinton

GASL Rep: Jenn Womble

IT: Liz Norton

Assistant Director, Communications: Tanya Schwartz

Webmaster: Hannah Goldstein

Treasurer: Christie Mayr

Merchandise: Lindsey Blades, Stephanie Walsh

Volunteer Committee: Shubhangi Thompson, Molly Wood, Cory Cosgrove

Concessions: Maureen Coehlo

Special Events: Lindsay O’Dea, Jaime John