Dear Fellow Stingray Parents, 

My name is Amy O'Donnell, and I am writing to you on behalf of the Stingrays Swim Team Board and our Chairperson, Clay Lohnes. As our summer season comes to an end, I wanted to reach out to all of you to share our family's experience with summer swim team and ask for your commitment to help support our small neighborhood team for years to come. This is our family's 18th year with the swim team (yes, we are that old!). It has been an important part of our four children's lives and is a special feature of our community. There are not many opportunities where families with children of all ages and abilities can participate together on the same team (and for a very low cost!) and that is why summer swim team is so special. Our 4 kids loved to swim with their "neighborhood family" every year until they age out, filling their summers with fun traditions and memories. The friendships and connections we have made through swim team have truly been a blessing for our family. We want this experience to be available for everyone in our neighborhood. That is one of the many reasons my husband, Erick, and I have volunteered to serve on the Swim Team Board as Treasurer for the last 7 years. 

Our very small team really does take a village to run, and I have to admit that I did not even realize all that went into it until we were several summers in. While some things have changed over the years, one thing that has never changed is the fact that at some point every family needs to take on one of the special volunteer roles on the team. There are many moving parts that make summer swim team run, and we have a limited number of families to make it happen. The wonderful part is that there are many roles with different levels of commitment and responsibilities to choose from; some jobs only work during the 3 Home meets, some can be done from home in your own time, some are more social or technical in nature, etc. There really is a position for everyone, depending on your strengths, interests, and availability! We do not all need to be the Chairperson (currently Clay - yay Clay! We love you!), but we all must do something in addition to the minimum 4 volunteer slots for meets per summer. The team can not and will not continue if we do not have all the board positions and special roles filled. It is never too early or too late to step up. As the neighborhood ages and our team goes through a turnover of families, we have a lot of job openings right now. This is the time to grab the position that speaks to you and will be a good fit!! Shadowing a role for the remainder of this year and/or next summer, will make it much easier to take over the position, so we are trying to get people lined up now. Some of the roles that need to be filled next year or in the next 1-2 years are: Volunteer Coordinator, Social Chairperson, Treasurer, Sponsor Coordinator, and Concessions Chairperson. Other roles that may need replacements in the near future are TSA Representative, Stroke & Turn Judge, and Starter. Please think about what role would be a good fit for you and ask questions if you are not sure or just curious! The saying "many hands make light work" really does apply to this team, and we need your help now. 

Please join us in continuing to provide a wonderful experience for our children, future Stingrays, and our Reserve 'family'. Feel free to contact Clay, Beth Eades, or myself for more information and to volunteer. Thank you so much for your help and support! We look forward to hearing from all of you! 

Thanks, Amy