Details of the Week
WEEK of 6/15/26
We are excited for HAST Spirit Week this week! See the details at the end of this email - can't wait to see everyone's best towel substitutes tomorrow - prizes will be awarded!
MEETS: If anyone wants to swim at the July 11th meet reach out asap so that we can add you before the entries go in. The meet takes place at Burnet Park in Syracuse with an 8am warm-up and 9am start. This is a long course meet. Looking for more info about meets? Check out our Swim Meet Guide with helpful tutorials and info.
Save the dates now for championship meets in the 2026-27 season - these dates have been added to our meet information page and locations will be updated as they become available. Please note that there will only be ONE Short Course Golds meet next year with all ages participating on the same weekend.
RECRUITMENT: HAST is going to have our final free trial week of the season the week of June 22nd. There will likely be a small group of swimmers so the pup practices will still occur. If you know of anyone interested please send them to our Free Trial page or ask them to email hastboard@gmail.com. HAST is open to experienced swimmers year round - spread the word!
RED WINGS: HAST Night at the Red Wings returns this summer on July 1st. See this link for more information and to order tickets. Feel free to bring family and friends, we are looking forward to a fun night out!
PARADE: HAST walks in the Hilton Fire Department Parade every year - please RSVP on the Commit dashboard so that we know how many swimmers to expect. This is open to all HAST families whether they are registered for July or not. We will gather on Old Hojack Rd (exact location TBD) anytime after 6:15 and the parade will begin at 7pm. It ends at the carnival fairgrounds and parents that didn't walk with the team must pick up their children there. There is no practice that evening, come join us!
SUPERVISION: We have many pool supervision spots to fill in June and each family is obligated to complete at least two/season. Please sign up for supervision under "Jobs" in Commit. 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!
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:
6/15-18 - SPIRIT WEEK
6/30 - Last day of LCM #1
7/1 - HAST Night at the Red Wings (order tickets here)
7/6 - 1st day of LCM #2
7/11 - Syracuse outdoor meet
7/16 - HAST walks in Hilton Fireman’s Parade (RSVP in Commit)
7/23-26 - LC Champs in Buffalo (Commit by 7/13)
8/4 - HAST Meet
8/21 - Last day of LCM
Week of 6/15:
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: Practice for everyone 5:30-6:30 and ice cream in the pool area from 6:30-7pm
Friday: NO PRACTICE
SPIRIT WEEK DETAILS
6/15: Anything but a Towel - swimmers will bring their best towel substitute. Coaches will judge at the beginning of practice and winners will receive a prize. In the past we've done Anything but a Water Bottle and Anything but a Cap - you get the idea, bring the silliest thing you can find instead of a towel.
6/16: Chuck a Duck - we are doing this as a fundraiser on Saturday but it will be for fun on the 16th.
Pups will get their ducks from us at the start of practice and go up into the stands to throw them at the target in the pool. Some lucky volunteer will retrieve the target so we can see if anyone won. We will then dump all of the ducks in the pool for the pups to retrieve and any remaining time will be spent getting the ducks out or in free swim
Senior, senior prep, and intermediate swimmers will do the same at 6pm. Senior swimmers will have dryland practice from 5:30-6pm. Once the ducks are retrieved the older swimmers will have a regular practice until 7:30.
6/17: Games and Relays - We will follow the regular practice schedule and practice will be spent doing games and relays.
6/18: Water Polo/Open Swim/Ice Cream - Everyone will swim from 5:30-6:30ish, get changed, and then they will come back on deck for ice cream and we will be done at 7pm.
6/19: NO PRACTICE/JUNETEENTH
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.