May Swim Camp for tonight Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11th are cancelled.

This e-mail will also be posted on our website www.swimfasst.com under “NEWS”

IMPROVISE, ADAPT and OVERCOME – we all have been doing this.

Just got.a call from the FISD Natatorium, the water is back in the pool (750,000 gallons). It is greenish, maybe from from the city water, not sure. They will chlorinate it today to fix it. But it should take (2) days to clear it up, and then the water hopefully will be back to normal.

So if you are signed up for the 25 yard swim test tonight or tomorrow night, please sign up for Wednesday or Thursday or next week. If none of this works out out for you, we will do it at your practice time when the 2021 FASST Summer Swim Team begins practices on Monday, May 24th. No worries, we are starting our practices on May 24th, which is one week earlier than almost all the other teams in Texas. Most teams begin after Memorial Day, so they start on June 1st.

We have 3 options for everyone who paid and registered for the May Swim Camp. Remember that the FASST summer swim team practices begins on May 24th.

Option #1 – If we begin on Wednesday, we will have a sign up for all swimmers in the Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu class to pick (1) extra class, since you are only missing one class (it would have to be opposite day you are signed up for now) – EXAMPLE, if you are in Mon/Wed you can pick (1) Tue/Thu class to attend, and vice versa. I will put the sign up sheet up later this week, depending if we swim this Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Option #2 – If Wednesday and Thursday is cancelled, then all swimmers can swim all 4 nights next week. Most of our coaches are college swimmers, and they will all be here next week (this is their last week of college), so we will have enough coaches, and plenty of lanes to handle everyone all 4 nights.

Option #3 – if you can’t do any of the above, you can get a refund for the May Swim Camp. Either (1) a full refund if you can’t do option 1 or option 2. or (2) half refund, if you can only do (2) nights next week. If you would like one of the refunds above, e-mail Coach Trent with your child’s name/age and if they were doing Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu.

Note: We will not do any refunds, until we find out about the rest of the week. So talk it over with you family and do what is best for you.

So sorry for all of this, but we are improvising, adapting and trying to overcome as best as we can. We are all READY to get in the water.

Welcome to the 2021 FASST Summer Swim Team – this is long, it will posted on our website.

FASST has been around for more than 40 years. We are a large swim team, the largest summer swim team in the state of Texas, even with only half the swimmers this summer, we are still the largest. But we take nothing for granted, we still give 100 percent, and we can always improve.

We have beginners, intermediate and state champion swimmers. We have fun! Life is short.

We believe that kids should do multiple sports/activities at a young age, and then age 13-14, they can pick what they like best, and really excel. We have had many college swimmers from FASST, (2) of them were college all-americans, and they both failed the 25 yard swim test, the 1st time they took it.

Our Board of Directors are as good as GOLD: Meghan Frost, Bob Bray, Ginny Lewis, Jessika Gustin, Clint McReynolds, Joel Bakian, Kay Buchanan, Kathy May, Joan Cetera. They work year round to get this team going. They volunteer so many hours for the FASST Swim Team plus many other things. Please be nice t them. Kathy May, just received the FISD teacher of the year award for Frisco ISD, her husband Kevin, a football coach at Plano Sr. High, got the Plano ISD teacher of the year a couple of years ago. The FASST BOD will do anything, to help you out.

FASST Coaches: for 2021, most swam for FASST, and now swim in college, they know the FASST way.

We are flexible: It is your money, your summer and your kid. If your have to miss a day, or family goes on a vacation, no big deal. It is summer, you only live once, enjoy those special moments with your family.

Swim meets: about 35 percent of our swimmers have never been to a swim meet. That is no problem, some join to learn to swim better, some join to get in shape, some join to help their “core strength” for other athletic events. If you have not participated in a swim meet, it is different than most sports, try and get with an experienced parent to guide you thru this.

Swim meet fees: probably $5,00 per person, includes swimmers, parents, anyone entering the the door. It use to be $3,00 per person, but all teams are losing money hosting meets. We pay around $2,500,00 – $,3000,00 to rent the pool, to host a Saturday swim meet. With less teams, at meets, equal less revenue. We will all still lose money renting a pool to host meets. NOTE: As of today this is what it is, this could still change, our region keeps changing it weekly.

Signing up for swim meets: will be done online by the parents, the deadline is 9:00 PM on the Tuesday night, the same week as the meet. For example: If the swim meet is on Saturday, June 12, the deadline to enter for the meets is Tuesday, June 8th. If you miss that deadline, you miss the meet (no exceptions). It takes (2) minutes to sign up. We will send reminders each week.

Parents in the stands for meets: yes we will have some parents in the stands (this could change), but if you volunteer, you will 100% get to see the swim meets.

Circuit/Regionals/State meets: the circuit meets are the weekly meets, Regionals is on Friday, July 16 and Saturday July 17 and the State meet (we think will happen) will be July 29th thru August 1st in Corus Christi, TX. For ages 14 and under, you have to swim and qualify for the state meet, ages 15 and older automatically qualify for state. At least this is what has happened in the past 30 years. If things change we will let you know. The state meet, each age group competes in a 4 hour meet, so you aren’t down there all 4 days, unless you have multiple kids in your family and they swim on different days. We normally have around 150 FASST swimmers each year go to the state meet in the past.

Problems/Solutions: don’t be the part of the problem, be part of the solution. We aren’t perfect, and we always try and learn to do better. This year is new for us, with all the restrictions, etc. We normally have registration in February (with the 25 yard swim test during those days), we normally have a parents meeting, we normally have spirit wear, normally our ACTIVE registration works perfectly. But this year, is different, and we are going to get thru it.

Represent Frisco and FASST in a positive way: please be nice to others, sometimes we are treated bad, I think other teams are jealous, we are the Ohio State or Alabama to some. We aren’t any better, we have always run a great program, and other towns have grown just as much as Frisco, but we have fun, we make it where most of the kids want to come back. Just be nice, and represent the City of Frisco and FASST in a positive way. Plus our FISD high school coaches are great, Bruce Eubanks whom the pool is named after, has worked with us in stroke clinics for almost 15 years. And the FASST BOD, have always worked tirelessly to promote the FASST swim team

Practices: we start the kids out in age groups and then we put them put them with kids of same ability, some lanes are beginners, some are intermediate, some are advanced. They can move up during the summer, depending on their progress. Please be there on time, and ready to go.

Parents in the Stands for practice: for right now, no parents at practices, this could change. We do not make the rules, all are made by FISD. Honestly, at the stroke clinics since September, the kids have done better without the parents. In the past, parents have formed a walking club during practice.

Safety: is our #1 goal, to keep the kids safe. They wear mask to practice and meets, get temperature checked, until we get notified they don’t. We are not 100% accident free (no sport is)…….There will be some accidents, we go over all the rules, don’t run, keep you hands to yourself, etc., etc.

Sports parenting (for any sport): please don’t be that parent who yells and screams at their kid, or others. Please don’t be that parent that talks bad about coaches or others in front of kids, this is for any sport. Please always encourage your child and others. After a meet, no matter how they did, tell them you are proud of them, you love them…………we only live once, and life is short. This isn’t the olympics.

FASST High School Volunteer Coaches – we started this program 21 years ago. If you are going in to 9th grade or already in high school and would like to be a volunteer coach get with FASST BOD member Bob Bray at bobbray@sbcglobal.net. The FASST high school volunteer coaches, help with practices and meets, and other things, like equipment days. They get $10 per hour volunteered, that goes into a scholarship program, and when they graduate high school, the money is sent to their college. Plus they also get the volunteer hours counted for high school. We have given almost $60,000 in scholarships to FASST high school volunteers over the years. There are certain rules, and Coach Trent or Bob Bray can explain them to you. So if your child is interested being a FASSt HS volunteer coach get with Bob soon.

Setting a rumor straight – It is true that Coach Trent has sold his house and is moving to Hot Springs, Arkansas (where is has a house), He has lived in Frisco for almost 30 years. With last year and no swimming, times were tough to have 2 mortgages and no income. Coach Trent is still the owner/head coach for FASST and will continue to be the owner/head coach. Coach Trent will move back to Frisco in a year or so when “life” gets back to normal or the “new normal”.. For this summer, Coach Trent is looking to rent a room for 8 or 9 weeks, he will be in Frisco for 3 nights week (usually Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, attend the Saturday meets and drive back to Arkansas after the meet). If you know of anyone willing to rent him a room for the summer, please e-mail him at fasstcaoch@aol.com. He has let his assistant coaches run most of the practices for the past several seasons (well not last year), and Coach Trent will be at practices a couple a days a week and all the swim meets.

2021 FASST 25 yard swim test – at FISD/Bruce Eubanks Natatorium

All new swimmers, ages 10 and under to the FASST swim team must do a 25 yard swim test. There are exceptions: if you have been in stroke clinics, ages 11 and older, or have been on a swim team before, you do not have to do the swim test.

Dates for swim test: Monday, May 10, Tuesday, May 11, Monday, May 17, Tuesday, May 18 and Wednesday, May 19.

Times for test: 6:45 PM
Location: FISD/Bruce Eubanks Natatorium

things to know

1. Have student outside the entrance no later 6:35 PM, with suit, goggles and towel

if you are later than 6:35 PM, we will not be able to do the swim test that evening.

2. Have a mask on when entering and leaving the pool

3. We will walk them in to take test, and bring them out around 7:00 PM

4. No parents are allowed in the FISD Natatorium

5. Must sign up online at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Jfaj1Clh5fAYl-M8UIPr1AA_VvQ5GT_jcJarUBzAXE/edit#gid=1224291184

If none of these dates work, get with Coach Trent, we will come up with Plan B.

It is always good to go and practice before you come, like at the FAC, or any other indoor pool. Sometimes the young ones do not make it across the pool the 1st time. But 93 percent of them make it the 2nd time. Swimming is a very important “life long skill” to learn, if your kid goes to a pond, lake, or neighborhood pool, etc. So a summer with FASST will give them the opportunity to gain this “life long skill”.

We are going to plan B for 2021 FASST Summer Swim Team practice sign-ups, (this e-mail and all future e-mails will be on our website at www.swimfasst.com under the topic “NEWS”. The practice times usually work out for everyone, if not, we can discuss/negotiate and make it work out. You practice at the same time all summer, can’t switch every week. To sign-up go to this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Jfaj1Clh5fAYl-M8UIPr1AA_VvQ5GT_jcJarUBzAXE/edit#gid=1644740833

2021 FASST Summer Swim Team Practice Schedule – Practices begins May 24th (we practice Monday thru Thursday at the FISD/Bruce Eubanks Natatorium).

Returning members can sign up for practices online, beginning today Tuesday May 4th

New Members to the FASST summer swim can sign up for practice online beginning, Thursday, May 6th.

You stay with the same practice time all summer. If you sign up for 10:00 AM, you stay with 10:00 AM all summer, etc., etc. (1) We do not have room to switch around every week, and (2) it is not good for the swimmer to switch and get new coaches every week.

The 6:45 PM class is for all kids age 11 and under, who can’t get to practice in the morning because of parents working. So, please let the the working parents sign up for the 6:45 PM practice time first.

Morning Practice Schedule – 10 AM & 11 AM (sign up online) for all ages

Evening Practice Schedule – 6:45 PM (sign up online) & 7:45 PM for ages 12 and older (read below)

The 6:45 PM class is for all kids age 11 and under, who can’t get to practice in the morning because of parents working.

7:45 PM there is no sign up for this practice time (the 7:45 PM class is for ages 12 and older, you do not need to register for this. What if my kid age 12 and older wants to practices at 10 AM or 11 AM, no problem, just sign them up for one of those classes. But if your child is age 12 and older, and the the 7:45 PM is okay, you don’t need to do anything but show up for practice at that time, so again no sign up, just show up).

May Swim Camp News – It will begin the week of May 10th, and not the week of May 3rd.

The Frisco ISD Natatorium was closed for March and April to re-surface the pool. I went to the FISD pool yesterday, and they are running one week behind.

So we are adding time to each session to make up for missing next week. We kind of anticipated this was a possibility, that is why we charged less for May, than we have all the other months, plus we are adding some time back for each evening. We will make it right.

Session 1 – will still begin at 6:45 PM, and will now end at 7:35 PM (we added 10 minutes to the end)

- the original time was 6:45 PM – 7:25 PM

Session 2 – will now begin at 7:25 PM, and will now end at 8:15 PM

- the original time was 7:30 PM – 8:10 PM (we are starting 5 minutes earlier & end 5 minutes later

So, so sorry for this, but the pool just isn’t ready yet, and we can’t swim until they get the work done, and put water back in the pool. IMPROVISE, ADAPT and OVERCOME.