News and Announcements

Weekly News Aug 5 | Sept 2 FUNDRAISING NEWS: Did you know? Click the link above to enter Amazon and a portion of your purchases will support Blue Streak Aquatic! New Fundraising Project -- Good for You and Good for Blue! Future Training Facility Unveiled [See Jim Wood's entire presentation!] [Get all the details!] We are instituting new Fund Raising Project that will benefit all. We have enrolled in the Shop with Scrip program that enables us to purchase a variety of Gift Cards from many different vendors. You will receive an allotted percentage toward you fund raising commitment based on the vendor chosen. [Learn More] Tryouts Announced Berkeley Aquatic tryouts will be held on Tuesday September 7 th & Wednesday September 8th  at 5:30PM. Athletes only need to tryout out one night. There is a link (Try-Out Information) with all of the tryout forms that you will need as well as the information the club will need to conduct the tryout. All perspective athletes must complete a USA Swimming registration and any athlete that was registered with another club must also complete a NJ swimming transfer form. Each athlete must also provide a check for $200. This fee is refunded if your athlete is not selected. If selected the $200 deposit is applied to the yearly dues. Please disregard any fees associated with the USA Swimming registration or transfer form. Those fees will be billed after selection to the team.  This season, in order to expedite the check-in procedure, we will be accepting paperwork prior to the tryout dates. That can be done one of two ways. It can be dropped off at the Berkeley Aquatic Club located at 649 Springfield Ave in Berkeley Heights prior to August 6th (please place paperwork in the President's mailbox) or mail to Chet Lawson 41 Castle Way Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. The documents included should be the USA Swimming registration form, the transfer form if applicable and a check for $200 for each athlete.The check should be  made out to BSA(the parent organization for BAC). Checks will not be processed until after tryouts.     Expectations for Parents at Swim Meets As we enter the long course season we thought it was time to remind old parents and inform new parents about some expectations for PARENTS at swim meets. 1. Parents are not allowed on deck at meets. At the BAC pool, this means that parents must stay on the bleacher side of the pool. They should not be on the far side of the pool, in the marshaling area or behind the blocks (unless timing, running or officiating or going to the bathroom) At other meets, such as at Rutgers, this means remaining in the stands. Do not come down on to the pool deck. If you are on the pool deck, the meet safety marshals will ask you to leave and will probably take your name and team and report you to your swimmer's coach. The host team is required by NJ Swimming to keep parents off the deck. When we are the host team, one of the most unpleasant parts of our job is removing parents from deck. Having to remove a BAC parent is the worst of all. There is no good reason for a parent to be on deck unless a child is badly injured or ill.

The following are NOT valid reasons to be on deck: To give your child food or a water bottle To find your child's heat and lane To look at results To remind your child to kick hard or end strong or whatever other COACHING you think he/she needs To locate your child so he/she won't miss his/her race To locate your child so you can leave Swimming is great for teaching your child, even your young child, personal responsibility. The older kids will help the younger children find their lanes and heats. The coaches will coach the swimmers in practice. Your child will sometime miss a race and the world won't end but it will probably be the last race he/she will miss. Arrange with your child ahead of time for the child to meet you in the stands AFTER the meet so you don't have to go find him/her. 2. DO NOT bring any pets to any meet. This includes "purse dogs," birds, cats, snakes, hamsters, etc.. 3. DO NOT argue with, engage in a discussion with or even approach officials or timers to complain about a call or time or situation involving your child. If proper procedures have not been followed, the coach will address it with the appropriate official. Arguing with an official is a valid reason for removing the parent from the meet. 4. Don't Coach Your Child After each race, the swimmers will warm down (if there is a warm down pool), speak to their coach for splits and a debrief and THEN come to see you. Be encouraging and upbeat with your swimmers. Don't coach-say, "Great job!" Or, "What did your coach say?" Or, "How did you feel about the race?" It can be very confusing for children when their parents are giving one piece of advice and the coach another. Let the coaches coach!

Thought for the Day

It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever -- the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.~ Vince Lombardi (1913-1970, American football coach)

Blue Streak Aquatic, Inc., the parents' support organization of Berkeley Aquatic Club, is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that supports the Berkeley Aquatic Club's competitive swim teams. The club is run by a volunteer Board of Directors elected from the membership. For more information, visit our Parent's Handbook

Blue Streak Aquatic, Inc.
P.O. Box 215
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922

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