Willow Creek II Swim Team

Good afternoon Wahoos!

First, an update from this past week. As promised, we touched on all the different strokes in practice and did an in-depth review of race skills including starts, turns, and relay basics. All in all, it was a very successful first week of morning practice before our first meet of the season! While I think we have resolved most of the confusion surrounding the change in schedule, I have also included it as a reminder:

• 7:00-8:00am - 9-10 Year Olds
• 8:00-9:00am - 7-8 Year Olds
• 9:00-9:45am - 6 & unders
• 9:15-9:45am - Minnows (no practice on Fridays)
• 9:45-10:45am - 11-12 Year Olds
• 10:45-11:45am - 13 & Older

Tonight, be sure to stop by the Willow Creek 2 Pool for our Bring Your Own Food family picnic and Kona Ice. We will continue handing out minnows pairing cards if you missed practice this morning but this information can also be found in the consolidated list sent out to everyone earlier today. If you are willing and able to stay after the picnic to help set up the pool for tomorrow meet, we would greatly appreciate it!

Warm ups start at 6:30 am tomorrow morning but more detailed information about the schedule was sent out by the parent reps today via email. 6 & unders are the only age group not required to warm up but please still confirm that you are on your way with either me or one of the parent reps. Otherwise, I expect to see all other competing swimmers bright and early on the pool deck tomorrow morning! Please keep in mind the coaches will be taking attendance at stretching…

All relay entires have been completed but do not show up in the Swimtopia App. You can find this information in the finalized meet heat sheets also communicated by the Parent Reps.These relays are by no means solidified for the season but will be considered for our meet lineups going forward.

If you are interested in private lessons, don’t forget to contact the coach you are interested in working with directly and to sign up for stroke clinics! I look forward to seeing you all at the picnic tonight but as always, please reach out with any further questions or concerns!

Thank you,

Kate Rutledge

Dear Wahoos Families,

Due to the inclement weather this past week, I have fewer practice updates than usual. We were still able to complete some IM work yesterday and are looking for a great week ahead.

Please note that there will be no practice today or Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Morning practices will begin on Tuesday, May 26, and we are excited to welcome many of our Minnows swimmers as they begin their Wahoos journey!

Tuesday and Wednesday will also feature our first evening stroke clinics of the season, focused on Butterfly. Please sign up on the website if your swimmer plans to attend. The end-of-week newsletter will include additional details about the start of our upcoming private program with our coaches which will be sent out by the Parent Reps tomorrow.

This upcoming week, practices will focus on preparing for our first home meet. Swimmers will review the meet warm up, continue practicing starts, and complete our first team cheer of the season as we get ready to compete.

Go Wahoos!!!

Thank you,

Kate Rutledge

Hi Wahoos,

Happy Friday and thank you for a great first week!

This season, urgent updates like scheduling changes and important announcements will continue to come through the Parent Reps or the weekly Wahoos newsletter. In addition, I will be sending optional weekly “Coaches Corner” updates with practice highlights and additional reminders.

This past week focused on an introduction and review of the four strokes, with an extra emphasis on freestyle and backstroke for 6 & unders. We spent time getting to know one another, reviewing pool rules and practicing racing skills like starts, turns and underwater work. Many of our newest swimmers learned these skills for the first time and did an amazing job. With a few weeks to go until our first meet, the Wahoos are already looking strong and ready for a fantastic season!

Next week, we will begin incorporating some Individual Medley work before splitting into focus groups for stroke development. Swimmers will have the opportunity to work with more of our coaching staff and continue refining relay starts.

As always, my contact information can be found on the website under the Coaches section. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. I’m always happy to share more about our season goals or ways we can best support your swimmer.

Thank you,

Kate Rutledge

Dear Wahoo Families,

Welcome to the start of the Wahoos swim season! My name is Kate Rutledge and I am excited to serve as Head Coach this season. You can find my contact information, along with details about our coaching staff, under the Coaches tab on the website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns throughout the season!

A special welcome to our new families who I look forward to meeting in the coming weeks. And to our returning families, welcome back! I’m so excited for the season ahead.

Our first practice is today, Monday May 11th. Practice times are listed below but can also be found under the Practices tab on the website:

• Afternoon Begins - Monday, May 11 (after school Monday - Friday)
• 3:45 - 4:30 pm - 9 - 10 year olds
• 4:30 - 5:00 pm - 6 & unders who swam during the 2025 season
• 5:00 - 5:45 pm - 7 - 8 year olds
• 5:45 - 6:30 pm -11 & older

And lastly, don’t forget to wear your favorite Wahoos gear to spirit day to celebrate our first practice! I look forward to kicking off another fun and successful season this afternoon.

Please come ready to swim today!

Go Wahoos!

Sincerely,

Kate Rutledge