Stone Ridge Sharks Families,

🏊 Great Job Tonight!

We saw a lot of great swims this evening and are proud of the effort our swimmers put forth. Meet results are attached.

⏰ Meet Entry Reminder

This is a reminder that meet entries are due tonight. Please make sure your swimmer is signed up before entries close.

🙋 Volunteer Jobs Open Tomorrow

Volunteer jobs for the remainder of the season will open tomorrow, June 18, at 8:00 PM. Please log in and select your remaining volunteer positions as soon as possible.

🚨 Practice Behavior Expectations

We need to address several serious concerns regarding swimmer behavior at practice.

Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in behaviors that do not reflect the values of the Stone Ridge Sharks. These issues have been occurring in both the 9–12 and the 13 & Over practice groups and must stop immediately.

Tomorrow, all swimmers ages 9 and older will receive a team-wide discussion regarding expectations. Please make every effort to have your swimmer at practice tomorrow, as this is a very serious conversation and the expectations moving forward will be made clear.

❌ Serious Offenses – Zero Tolerance Policy

The following behaviors are subject to a zero-tolerance policy:

• Racial comments or slurs
• Homophobic comments or slurs
• Ableist comments or slurs

Parents, we need your help with this immediately.

Before your swimmer comes to practice tomorrow, please have a serious conversation at home. These comments are not jokes, they are not harmless, and they are not "kids being kids." They are hurtful, disrespectful, and have absolutely no place on our team.

Swimmers need to understand that these comments are wrong. Every member of our team deserves to feel safe, respected, included, and valued. Respect for others starts at home, and we need families and coaches sending the same message.

Following tomorrow's team talk, any swimmer who makes a racial, homophobic, or ableist comment will be immediately suspended from the team for the remainder of the summer season.

For swimmers who do not reside within the Stone Ridge community, this will also mean they will not be invited back to participate with the team in future seasons.

There will be no second warning, no additional discussion, and no exceptions.

⚠️ Other Behavioral Expectations

We have also had concerns with:

• Swearing
• Purposefully putting down teammates
• Teasing, mocking, or excluding other swimmers
• Not listening to coaches and following instructions during practice

These behaviors negatively impact team culture and interfere with practices.

Tomorrow's team discussion will serve as a warning for all swimmers. After that discussion, swimmers who engage in any of the behaviors listed above will be suspended from the next swim meet. Repeated incidents may result in additional disciplinary action.

We expect swimmers to support one another, encourage one another, and treat teammates, coaches, and volunteers with respect at all times.

🗑️ Team Area Expectations

We also need to address the condition of our team area at tonight's meet. Quite frankly, it was left a mess.

Parents, please remind your swimmers that it is their responsibility to clean up after themselves. Coaches, team representatives, and volunteers work hard to support the team and should not be responsible for picking up trash left behind by swimmers.

Swimmers should:

• Throw away all trash
• Pick up all belongings
• Clean up food wrappers, drink bottles, and personal items
• Leave the area cleaner than they found it

Being a Stone Ridge Shark means demonstrating responsibility both in and out of the pool. Leaving trash behind reflects poorly on our team and shows a lack of respect for the facility, our hosts, and our volunteers.

✅ Moving Forward

Our expectations are simple:

• Treat everyone with respect.
• Listen to coaches the first time.
• Encourage teammates instead of putting them down.
• Keep inappropriate language off the pool deck.
• Help create a welcoming environment for all swimmers.
• Clean up after yourself at meets and practices.

The vast majority of our swimmers demonstrate these values every day, and we are proud of them. However, the behaviors outlined above require immediate attention and improvement.

Thank you for your support in reinforcing these expectations at home and helping us ensure that the Stone Ridge Sharks remain a team that is respectful, inclusive, responsible, and fun for everyone.

Go Sharks! 🦈