WELCOME

The Stillwater Starz is a developmental summer swim team and a member of the Naperville Swim Conference (NSC). A volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our mission is to develop confident, capable young swimmers and foster a love of competitive swimming in a safe, supportive, and fun environment.

Our swimmers range from 4-18 years of age, and most are residents of the Stillwater subdivision and other nearby communities in southwest Naperville, Plainfield, and Oswego. For our youngest swimmers, their time on the Starz is often their first experience with competitive swimming. It’s also where many of our returning swimmers, some of whom now swim year-round in club and school programs, got their start. Join us this summer, and find out what fun you can have when we shoot for the Starz together!

Starz Roundup: Breckenridge Highlights and Looking Ahead to Classic & City Championships

Lea Fortkamp

Good Afternoon, Starz Families,

  

Championship Week is upon us! We hope that those swimmers who RSVP’d to tomorrow morning’s Champ Week Kickoff Lunch and Games Event on the patio are looking forward to it. 

What a spectacular meet we had last night against Breckenridge. I couldn’t be more excited about our team’s performance. The pool was positively glowing with energy, and my post-meet reports revealed tons of new personal bests, which is the #1 goal of any developmental swim program. Finally notching a win against our perennially strong southside rival (a win we've not seen in at least in the seven years my family has been with the team) was just icing on the cake.

This year, the Starz swam to a 6-2 record in the regular season, a testament to our growth and to the dedication and personal improvement of our swimmers at all levels. There will be years when we win more dual meets and years when we win less; so much depends on the swimmers that each team has available on a given day. Teams go through life cycles, too. Older, accomplished athletes move on and newcomers discover the sport and begin to improve. As a team that’s been steadily growing for the past few years, it's deeply gratifying to watch our swimmers experience the sort of individual and team success we’ve had this year.

Last night, while I was watching our 7/8 girls swim their final, fast relay under a night sky, in a pool filled with glowsticks, surrounded by screaming fans from both teams, I found myself teary eyed (not for the first time this season). Last night, for me, is what it’s all about. It’s what the work is for.

 

Thank You

You learn what "team" really means when facing adversity. Last week, when our original Breckenridge meet was rescheduled, several team parents stepped up to help, filling in for other parents whose prior plans conflicted with yesterday's makeup date.

Yesterday, when some of us arrived for the meet at 3:45 p.m., we discovered that the natural gas to our grill and kitchen stovetop wasn't working properly. Once again, multiple parents immediately mobilized without hesitation or complaint, wheeling personal gas and charcoal grills from their own decks and patios to the clubhouse and retrieving propane cans from their garages. During the meet, when more hands were needed to work our multiple backup grills, still more parents volunteered, slipping on plastic gloves and slinging burgers, ensuring that our top-notch concessions stand served two of the largest teams in the area with barely a hiccup.

Thank you. Thanks for helping out, and thanks for your willingness to do more than your fair share!

 

 Upcoming Events

 

Champ Week Kickoff Party

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 17

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m

This party is for ALL swimmers who RSVP’d—not just those attending a championship meet. Come celebrate your Classic- and City-bound teammates, enjoy lunch and a sweet treat, and play some games with your coaches. Swimmers’ food is included!

This is a dry party; please have your swimmers wear comfortable play clothes. Note that there will be no supervision provided between the end of swimmers’ practices and the beginning of this gathering. Please remain on-site with your swimmer if he or she plans to stay at Stillwater Club until the party begins at 11:00. Once it does, supervision will be provided by coaches and party volunteers. You are welcome to remain on site of drop and go!

ALL RSVP’d swimmers are invited to join in the fun as we send of this season’s championship teams into the post-season. Those championship teams are:

 

High School Invitational at Naper Carriage Hill

Tomorrow, Thursday, July 17

Pool Opens/Swimmer Check-in: 4:30 p.m.

Warm-Up: 4:45-5:15 p.m.

Worker Check-In: 5:00 p.m.

(Timers: George Tersiev and Faria Masood/Zishan Ahmad. Don't be late, or you'll miss the mandatory timers meeting!)

Meet Start: 5:30 p.m.

**Workers, swimmers, and families should keep in mind that parking at this meet is often very tight. Expect to park on neighborhood streets and walk to the pool; plan your departure from home with this in mind!

 

Classic Championship Meet (PM Session)

Saturday, July 19

Neuqua Valley HS

Positive Check-in: 1:25-1:40 p.m.

Swimmers arriving after 1:40 p.m. will be scratched.

Stillwater Worker Check-In with Heather: 1:15 p.m.

Stillwater Warm-Up Begins: 2:05 p.m.

National Anthem: 2:40 p.m.

Meet Start: 2:45 p.m.

You can find the Classic PM meet packet, site map, and team area map HERE. More detailed information on meet timeline, worker check-in and mandatory meetings, etc. will be sent later this week.

Please know that we are required to submit scratches to the table no later than 1:40 p.m. If your swimmer has not checked in and is not physically present in the team area before this time, he or she WILL be scratched from the meet. If your swimmer is scheduled to swim a relay, lateness or absence could also deprive others of an opportunity to swim. Don’t be late; honor your meet commitment.

Please allow time, too, for travel and parking. While Neuqua is close, their parking lot is under construction, so you should anticipate a walk. More to come. Watch your email!

  

City Championship Meet

Friday, July 25 (15-18)

Saturday Morning, July 26 (7/8, 9/10)

Saturday Afternoon, July 26 (11/12, 13/14)

Naperville Central HS

More information to come!

  

MEET WRAP-UP: Breckenridge at Stillwater

  

The Starz were definitely shining last night—even brighter than those glowsticks! Congratulations to the following swimmers, each of whom earned one or more new personal bests last night vs. Breckenridge:

 

Congratulations, too, to the following Starz swimmers, each of whom earned new City qualifying times at last night’s meet:

Marissa Conner, 50FL

Grace Jones, 50FR

Taryn Kram, 25BR

Ekaterina Lagankina, 25BK, 25BR

Emma Todevski, 50FR

Russel Cook, 25BK

Arnav Kathuria, 100IM

Avyan Kawdia, 50FR

Henry Rosensweet, 25FR

Shyam Sahani, 50FL

 

Final Practices: When Is My Swimmer’s Season Complete?

 

If your swimmer is finishing his or her season this weekend at Classic or will not be participating in a championship meet, his or her final practice is:

Wednesday, July 16 (TONIGHT): PM Group Swimmers

Friday, July 18: AM Group Swimmers

 

If your swimmer is finishing his or her season next weekend at City, his or her final practice is:

Wednesday, July 23: PM Group Swimmers

Friday, July 25: AM Group Swimmers

Note that next week's practice times may be adjusted slightly based on our coaches’ training objectives and swimmers’ needs. Please watch your email for more information if your swimmer will be practicing until City.

 

 

Next Week, Following City: Our End-of-Season Celebration

 

 

The Starz are keeping our end-of-season party laid-back and casual this year after a season of hard work by all!  

We’ll gather at Stillwater Club one last time on Sunday morning, July 27, at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate a fabulous summer season. No pricey, catered lunches for little ones who eat only frosted cookies! Like last year, each family will bring its own brunch or lunch food, perhaps teaming up with neighbors or team buddies to develop a potluck-style menu that best suits their needs. Eat on the patio, under the new pool deck gazebo, or set up your tent in the team area grass.

Pack a cooler of whatever you’d like to drink (and whatever insulated tumbler you need to drink it), then YOU decide! Will it be sandwiches, charcuterie, fried chicken, Indian favorites—maybe you’ll even bust out the camp grill! The possibilities are endless! Bring your camp chairs, folding tables, tailgate tents, and yard games; whatever your family needs for laid back, outdoor fun!

The Starz will provide dessert for all in attendance plus games and music.

 

Order of Events:

11:00 a.m.

Awards on the Pool Deck (sit anywhere on deck, facing the record board)

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Mealtime, Socializing, and Open Pool

1:00-1:30 p.m.

Fun Family Relays

 

In the event of inclement weather, the party will shift to the following day, Monday, July 28, from 5:00-7:30 p.m.

If your family plans to attend, PLEASE RSVP using THIS FORM so that we can better plan dessert purchasing. Your RSVP also ensures that your swimmer’s award will be available for presentation at the party, so don’t forget! The deadline for RSVP’s is next Wednesday, July 23.

 

Thanks for reading and have a great week! Classic families, look for more in a separate email, coming soon!

 

Lea 

Starz Parent Board