Senior Recognition Night at Gulf Park

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Where: Gulf Park will host University Swim Club - 528 Pensacola Road

When: Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Time: Arrive at 4:30, warm ups begin at 5:00 & the meet will begin at 6:00 sharp. All swimmers should be at the pool, settled, and ready to get in the water at 4:45 pm. Please check in your child at the check in boards.

We will be swimming all events during this meet. There are 70 events. Typically, swimmers will swim 2 individual events and 2 relays. Please do not leave the meet until your child has completed all of their events. Free relays are the last event and if one child leaves, this scratches an entire relay.

Senior Recognition: We will be honoring our Gulf Park Senior Swimmer at this meet. Please help us recognize them! This is such a fun tradition at Gulf Park. We will be taking a short break after the medley relays. The Seniors will change into their super secret outfits and swim a fun relay. Please join us in honoring our 2 Seniors - Kassidy Cooper and Lucy Evers.

Workers Meeting: Promptly at 5:30. Please remember to volunteer for a job at each swim meet. There are still several spots to be filled.

Spirit Theme: Don't forget to show your BLUE SHARK SPIRIT! This week's theme is USA!

Availability: Go to the team website https://gulfpark.swimtopia.com/and sign into your account. On the home page you will see the USC Meet under the Upcoming Events Header and under the 'Schedule' Tab. Click on the meet to declare your child's availability! Click on Meet Entry, then click 'Edit'. Click the arrow icon for each child and select ATTENDING or NOT ATTENDING. Even if you are not attending, please LET US KNOW! This must usually be done at least 3 days prior to each swim meet for your swimmer to be scheduled properly in the meet! It is best to go ahead and mark your swimmers availability now for all meets; you can always go back and edit later if the need arises - especially since we have another meet on

Volunteers: We require each family to provide a volunteer for at least 1/2 of the meet, and if possible if each adult works 1/2 of the meet it would be GREATLY appreciated. It truly takes a village to put on the meet and we need all hands on deck!! Go to the team website https://gulfpark.swimtopia.com/and sign into your account. Disregard current times on the site if different as they are incorrect. The first half of the meet covers events 1 - 35 and the second half covers events 36 - 70.

Check in with your Volunteer Coordinator, Misty Whaley, when you arrive at the meet - should be around 5:00.

Parking: I'll tell your mama, I'll tell your friends

I'll tell anyone whose heart can comprehendSend it in a letter, baby tell you on the phone,

Please don't park in the upper lot off of Cedar Bluff Road!

Very Important!  The upper parking lot is always reserved for staff, emergency vehicles and people with disabilities. If you try to park in the upper lot, you will be asked to move your vehicle. Our lower lot will be reserved for our visiting teams. Gulf Park will utilize the lot at Cedar Bluff Elementary School. It is CRITICAL that you be mindful of the residents in the neighborhood when street parking. Please do not park in the cul-de-sac, do not block driveways, and only park on ONE SIDE of the street throughout the neighborhood. It is critical that you do NOT park in the upper pool lot off of Cedar Bluff Road or block that driveway - we must keep that clear to allow for emergency vehicles. Parking is available at Cedar Bluff Elementary School as well.

(Please take note of the one side of the street parking regulations or you may have to leave the swim meet to move your car!)

Food: We urge you all to "Eat at the Meet." We'll have hamburgers and hotdogs as well as other snacks and treats in the Shark Shack!

Remember WE need your help with donations!!

What to Bring: Towels, folding chairs, goggles, swim cap and a sweatshirt. A sharpie is also handy for jotting your events on your hand for reference. Many kids also bring hand held electronics, books or playing cards to pass time between events. (Please be mindful that swimmers are responsible for all of these belongings.)

Chairs/Setting Up Your “Camp”: The chairs/tables will be moved from under the pavilion. Families can set up their stuff here. Please do not set up in the grassy area next to the pool pump area.

Misc. Notes...8 and under parents: Please help your little ones get to Clerk of Course on time. Pay attention to the order of events (the event number is on display at the starters table) and direct them to the blocks where a volunteer will line them up. Please bring them to the clerk of course for relays, we will need assistance separating them and getting them to the correct sides of the pool. At our pool, all events finish on the Cedar Bluff Road side of the pool!

*Please be sure to check the bulletin board when you arrive to get your child’s events/heats/lanes. Typically, these are written on your child’s arm or hand like this Event–Heat-Lane. For example, if your daughter is 7 years old and is swimming the IM Heat 1, Lane 1, you would write it on their arm/hand like this 1 - 1 - 1. If they are swimming 25 freestyle, heat 2, lane 3, you would write it like this 11 - 2 - 3. I also write my kids’ events on my hand so I’ll know what they are swimming!

*Download the Swimtopia App. This is a great way to get information and your child’s swim times, events, etc. There may be a fee to access all information.

*It is especially important to take note of relays. Please be aware that Free Relays are the last events of the evening. If your child is scheduled to swim the Free Relay and will be unable to stay for that event, it is imperative to let a Meet Director or Coach know as soon as possible. Remember the relays affect all 4 scheduled swimmers and in many cases a swim meet score is decided by these last events.

Reminder: No smoking or alcohol at swim meets. Per GKAISA rules, all smoking and alcoholic beverages are absolutely prohibited at the pool area in all GKAISA meets - Dual, Tri, Relay and Championship.

Traditions: Gulf Park Blue Sharks have been swimming since 1970, and we have many time-honored traditions. In addition, at the end of every home meet, the whole team dances "The Time Warp" and leaps into the pool. These traditions began long before us, and will continue as long as there is a Blue Shark at Gulf Park!

THANKS and See You TUESDAY! If you have questions, please ask! We are happy to help!

Go Sharks!

Kimberly Evers

Meet Director

We Love Our Sponsors!! Andy's Frozen Custard, Aubrey's, Brazeiros, Pizza Rio and Providence Advisors Group - Thank you for your support of the Gulf Park Blue Sharks!