News from the Pool- Week of July 14
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, July 15- last day to RSVP for End of Season Block Party Meet
Thursday-Sunday, July 17-20- Sectionals (qualifiers only)
Saturday, July 19- Block Party and Awards Day (all swimmers)
Saturday, July 19- last day of the Summer season (qualifiers will continue for two more weeks)
Monday, July 21- last day to order personalized caps (delivered to the pool in late August)
Thursday-Sunday, July 31-Aug 3- Far Westerns (qualifiers only)
*see more for next season here: 2025-2026 season events list with links
BHS PRACTICE SCHEDULE
LINCOLN PRACTICE SCHEDULE
WITH GRATITUDE: We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all BAY families for your unwavering grace as we navigated numerous location changes this summer. While being away from our usual summer home in Willow Glen presented challenges and led some families to leave the program or cancel lessons, we successfully steered through the turbulence, keeping our team united.
Behind the scenes, we faced difficult decisions, including laying off staff for the first time due to reduced sign-ups from the location changes and extensive family travel. We also engaged in daily conversations with various school district departments and relentlessly sought grant money and other funding sources to cover pool rents that were eight times our usual rates. We are incredibly proud that our team persevered, proving our resilience despite the roadblocks.
Every day, we encourage our swimmers to embrace challenges, trust their coaches with new techniques, and push past their perceived limits. This summer, our staff learned to apply these principles daily: never stop growing, adapt constantly, remain flexible in the face of obstacles, and stay focused on our goal—to provide an environment where swimmers learn life lessons applicable both in sport and in life.
Thank you for entrusting your swimmers to our programs. Your family’s commitment to Swim South Bay’s holistic approach has been instrumental in navigating this season and the past 17 years of our team’s existence.
BLOCK PARTIES: These two hour events are for ALL SWIMMERS IN ALL GROUPS and are a great way for swimmers to try out racing by competing against only our team. Ribbons for all participants in each heat and snacks post-meet. RSVP for the final one of the season on the “events” page of the site under the 7/19 Block Party. We will host an awards ceremony at the end of the Block Party. Both events are for ALL swimmers in ALL groups. Come celebrate with us!
RENO RECAP: While the meet morphed into two different meets, our travelers enjoyed their time in the gorgeous facility while learning what altitude does to your breathing plan in races. We had quite a few best times (with some massive drops), many finalists in the Senior meet, a handful of heat winners and took advantage of all the fun that the city had to offer (the river, trampoline park, hotel pools, arcades, thrift shops, incredible restaurants and the circus we happened across. Not sure how we missed the street dance party on Saturday night… but it sure looked like fun!) We hope your family will consider attending this meet next year. I’m here if you have questions. Mark your calendars for July 10-12, 2026.
SECTIONALS: Best of luck to Senior swimmers Aly Cutforth and Hannah Soetaert as they head up to Novato for the Speedo Sectional Championships this Thursday-Sunday. It's going to be a FAST meet!!!
2025-2026 SEASON REGISTRATION: If your swimmer will be joining us in the Fall, registration is open to everyone. Be sure to register ASAP to secure your preferred location/group/time. ALL swimmers in ALL groups will need to register for the new season. Swimmers are NOT automatically enrolled in the new season.
2025-2026 CALENDAR PREVIEW: Almost all of our events for the new season are on the events page. If you’re more of a “list person”, you can preview it here (we’re still making updates along the way.) It’s very important to follow the RSVP deadlines. I feel this can be the season that we can all get your RSVPs in on time!!!
JOHN MUIR UPDATE: Well, the district is still working on it so we’ll finish our afternoon season at Lincoln. I am so grateful for your flexibility and willingness to move with us for the summer.
CONDO FOR SALE: Coach Claire is selling her family’s condo on Leigh. Interested? Let me know and I’ll connect you.
COLLEGE ESSAY SERIES: Our final essay comes from Coach Marisa’s own son, whom Swim South Bay and the lesson program was started for. He’s in his final year of college (studying to be a nurse) and while he doesn’t swim as much as he used to, he knows he feels better after a chlorine dip and can be found teaching swim lessons in Reno in between clinical rotations in the hospital.
WHAT BAY HAS DONE FOR ME, by Miles Cozort (Bellarmine College Prep ‘22, University of Nevada, Reno ‘26): I wanted to share my perspective on the profound impact swimming has had on my life. Through 13 years of competitive swimming, I've developed determination, confidence, and a healthy understanding of adversity—qualities that are difficult to cultivate elsewhere. The sport also helped me forge lifelong friendships and instilled in me the importance of consistent exercise and a continuous drive for improvement, which has extended beyond the pool into my academic and personal life. I am incredibly grateful to my BAY coaches, whose unique perspectives and guidance were instrumental in shaping my swimming journey and entire childhood. Being a part of BAY has been one of the most formative experiences of my life. I will always advocate for Swim South Bay and my sport, as it has given me so much, and I believe it can do the same for anyone who fully commits to it. You get out of it what you put into it.
LINKS:
2025-2026 season events list with links
Team store (password: BAY)
