Meet Director's Path to Tranquility

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”
-Confucius

It has been a busy weekend processing entries and planning for the meet. Tropical themed music is played during warmups and during the break in the middle of the meet. Trying to keep the meet fresh, new music is substituted in and out of our play list each year. There are the annual standards (Margaritaville, Limbo Rock, Jump In The Line), but there are always a few new ones thrown in. Because the song list is now large, we can retire a tune and bring it back in a few years so the play list always changes.

This year, the new ones include Wipeout (surfing tune), Under The Sea (Little Mermaid), Luna Barranquillera (Columbian salsa), and the Macerena. I had to edit the last one down - my brain can only listen to about 2 minutes of it.

The play list is not just thrown together. No, no, no! It is carefully assembled with thought and tested like a fine cabernet. The warmups begin slowly as swimmers are entering the pool, stretching, and getting their bearings. Reggae, and melodic Hawaiian tunes start out from the sound system to tease the palate. As warmups progress, the noise level increases, and sprint lanes are started, the rocking calypso and latin rhythms are belted out. Later the pool begins to clear and swimmers begin settling in - the mellow steel drum tunes then drift through the air. The playlist for this year is now set. I've always wanted to be a DJ.

Problem entries to date:

• With the online USMS registration, there have been no outdated registration cards submitted to date. However, three entries did arrive without registration cards. Emails were sent to all. The first swimmer eventually sent in a copy of her card, but unfortunately, it arrived after the 500 free that she entered was filled. I told her she would be placed on standby - if one of the Florida swimmers on hold (who entered the 500) decides not to come, she's in.
• The second swimmer said she was registered, but had not yet received her card. I pointed her to the USMS web site to download a copy last week. Nothing yet - I think she just pulled an excuse out of . . .
• The third was a bit of a problem. The guy sent the payment receipt for his registration attached to his entry. After contacting him by email, he said he would send me the card. Minutes later, I received yet another copy of his payment receipt. I wrote back explaining that the payment receipt does not indicate his team, age, USMS number, and is not his card. I attached a copy of my card as a sample. No reply to date.

The baseball caps and maracas pens arrived on Friday for our new swimmer souvenirs and coconut relay prizes.

Still no lap counter cards. The local high schools have their regional season end meet the day before our meet (not at this pool). That means Plan B - borrowing their lap counter cards - may not be possible - from any high school. This issue is turning into one big headache.

More workers were recruited with another email and with personal pleas after Saturday's workout. Still some slots need filling.

66 entries to date, and 2 pending
Expecting a boatload of entries the day after Monday's holiday and after weekend