Details of the Week
WEEK of 7/20/26
Good morning!
We are adding more dates to the calendar for events during our upcoming season - see the calendar in Commit as well as the Important Dates section below and add them to your calendar now. Thanks!
MEETS: If your swimmer plans to swim at the Genesee Valley Park meet on 7/31 be sure to commit by 8pm TONIGHT! We are hosting the Sea Dragons Swim Club on August 4th (5pm warm-up, 5:45 start) for a dual meet at Merton Williams. This will be a short course meet that is appropriate for all of our swimmers. Please see the "meets" section of Commit to sign up by July 27th. Looking for more info about meets? Check out our Swim Meet Guide with helpful tutorials and info.
Save the dates now for meets in the 2026-27 season - these dates have been added to our meet information page and information will be updated as it becomes available. Please note that there will only be ONE Short Course Golds meet next year with all ages participating on the same weekend.
PARMA LIBRARY WINDOW: Every year HAST creates a display in the Parma Library window to advertise our upcoming season. This year the display will go up on August 3rd at 11am. If you have a swimmer that is available and interested in helping to decorate the window, please let us know. All materials are provided and board member Katie Caprino will be there to supervise.
SUPERVISION: Supervision is open for July, please sign up! Once signed up, the family member will come on deck, sit at the supervision desk, sign in on the sign-in sheet, and be present in case of emergencies. This is a very easy job - thank you for your help!
OFFICIALS: We are in need of more stroke and turn officials - please see the email sent out last week for more info and reach out to Katie Ellis (katieellis717@gmail.com) to get started. Our team cannot host meets in the future without more officials, please step up to help our team and also get your child's meet fees paid!
NEWSLETTER: Parents are frequently looking for information from the coaches regarding what each practice group is working on - here you go! This is our first Coaches Corner newsletter with another to come near the end of the summer. Be sure to read until the end as the information on page 4 is for everyone.
SWIM CAMPS: Several HAST swimmers have attended Fitter and Faster swim camps in the past. This summer there are several taking place in upstate NY, including a 3-day camp at Nazareth University in July and a 2-day camp at Roberts Wesleyan University in August. See this link for more info.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Please help our club by following, sharing, liking, and inviting others to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Please also consider writing a review of our team. Thank you to Ami DiGiulio for all of her hard work on our social media, flyers, advertising, etc.
CALENDAR: Please see the weekly schedule below for and also reference the calendar page in Commit.
Don't forget that Details of the Week is also available on our website every week.
IMPORTANT DATES - mark your calendars now:
7/23-26 - LC Champs in Buffalo
7/31 - GVP Meet (Commit by 8pm on 7/19)
8/4 - HAST Meet (Commit by 7/27)
8/19 - Parent Meeting Pups, 5:15, I/SP/S 6pm
8/21 - Last day of LCM
9/14 - First day of SCM for intermediate, senior prep, and senior swimmers
9/14-17 - HAST free trial
9/21 - First day of SCY for pups
9/30 - SCY Parent Meeting - Pups, 5:15, I/SP/S 6pm
Week of 7/20:
Monday: Pups - 5:15-6:00pm. Intermediate- 6-7:30pm. Senior Prep- 6-7:30pm. Senior- 5:30-7:30pm
Tuesday: Pups - 5:15-6:00pm. Intermediate- 6-7:30pm. Senior Prep- 6-7:30pm. Senior- 5:30-7:30pm
Wednesday: Pups - 5:15-6:00pm. Intermediate- 6-7:30pm. Senior Prep- 6-7:30pm. Senior- 5:30-7:30pm
Thursday: Pups - 5:15-6:00pm. Intermediate- 6-7:30pm. Senior Prep- 6-7:30pm. Senior- 5:30-7:30pm
Friday: Senior Prep/Senior - 5:30-7:30pm
Volunteering
HAST relies on parent volunteers for fundraising, social events, team pictures, apparel orders, and meet support. Volunteering time and skills directly benefits swimmers. Below are all volunteer opportunities:
Board Positions (Substantial commitment, dues discount provided)
- President/Vice President: Oversee daily operations, coach scheduling, pool rental, communication, membership/registration, policy updates, meet/event coordination
- Two Treasurer Positions: Manage finances, bank account, bill payment, payroll, reimbursements. Accounting background preferred
- Secretary: Record meeting notes, disseminate information, assist with meets/events
- Safety Coordinator: Handle safety and discipline issues, Athlete Protection compliance. May involve confrontation
- Volunteer Coordinator: Arrange and organize volunteers for events, track hours. Strong interpersonal and basic computer skills helpful
- Fundraising Coordinator: Organize mandatory and swimmer-benefitting fundraisers
- Meet Planning Committee Chair: Lead pre-meet task coordination, liaise between committee and board
- Social Media/Communications Chair: Manage team social media platforms
- Registrar: Manage seasonal and individual swimmer registration, USA Swimming registration. Technical skills helpful, busiest in September and April
Coaching
Seeking individuals with prior coaching experience or swimming background. Training provided for USA Swimming certification (club covers costs). Requires background check and Athlete Protection training. Flexible evening hours, free membership for swimming children.
Officials (Club covers all associated costs)
- Stroke and Turn (S&T): Ensure rule adherence during competition
- Requires 2-hour clinic, online test, annual Athlete Protection training, and background check
- Meet-only commitment, arrive at warm-up start
- Administrative Officials (AO): Manage computerized timing system to ensure accurate race times.
- Requires comfort with computer programs, Athlete Protection training, and background check.
- Some work can be done remotely, must be present at meets.
- Starter: Initiate races and monitor for false starts. Requires S&T certification first.
- Referee: Oversee entire meet, ultimate authority. Requires S&T and Starter certification first.
Computer and Scoreboard Operator
Assist AO with meet management software and operate the scoreboard during meets. Training provided by experienced parents. No formal requirements, must be present at warm-up start.
Lifeguards and Safety Personnel
Train lifeguards and pool safety personnel. Strong swimming skills and availability during practice hours needed.
Clerk of Course
Organize young swimmers before their races. Requires presence 15 minutes before meet start.
Runner
Assist table personnel with tasks during meets, post results, assist concessions. Requires presence 15 minutes before meet start.
Marshalls
Ensure safety and control access to the deck (requires one male and one female). Arrive 10 minutes before warm-up to monitor entrance and enforce deck rules.
Timers
Operate stopwatch and plunger, record times, and confirm swimmers in assigned lane. Requires presence 15 minutes before meet start.
Head Timer
Experienced timer to organize and assign lane timers, distribute/collect timing sheets, and provide backup watches. Ideally arrives at warm-up start.
Concessions/Program Sales
Assist with setup, sales, and cleanup. Concessions Coordinator needed to arrange donations and purchase items before meets. Arrive half hour before warm-up for setup, some stay an hour after to pack up.
Hospitality Room
Coordinate parent donations of food and supplies for coaches, officials, and volunteers during hosted meets.