Hello Woodfield families -- we made it! Congratulations to one and all on completing the strangest Woodfield swim season ever. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you stuck with us this summer. Thank you, parents, for believing in us and putting your trust in us. I hope that next year we’ll be back to normal, and we can look back on all this and laugh. (Or not.)

Short season, long email … I’ve got a lot of thank-yous to offer here, starting with the coaches running the show.

Our head coaches, Jake Hegarty and Emma Markland, worked long hours to figure out the intricacies of the meet software for these unprecedented “virtual” meets and devise safe, socially distant practices for swimmers. The assistants and juniors -- Julia O’Neal, Logan Busbee, Ethan Moland, Charlie Miller, Sophie McGuire, Natalie Schulz and Chloe Schurman -- worked all year long under tough new conditions to keep the pool and your kids safe. If you see any of the coaches around the pool, please let them know how much you appreciate what they did.

Tara Murphy was an absolute gem; anything that worked well in the last half of the season was her doing. She got the budget under control, handled all accounting, and organized the end-of-season gifts and towels. Like Jake and Emma (and me), she had to learn this all her first year on the job. Nothing like getting thrown in the deep end, right?

Dan Walsh was a rock, locking down our computer issues in a year in which nothing was the same as usual. There’s a lot that happens up in the clubhouse while the meet goes on, and Dan handled all those problems and questions with ease. Dhari Rohrer once again kept the ribbons rolling, making sure all your kids could stack up all those blue ribbons.

Thanks to the Woodfield Board for keeping the pool in great shape and providing us a fun and safe home field. Proud to say this year that no opponent scored a single point in our pool, and that's the first time we can ever say that. 

Gratitude to Meredith Hegarty, too, who handled our t-shirts and coordinated volunteers at every meet. A big thanks to all the volunteers, too … not gonna lie, though, you volunteers got off a little easy this year. You’re going to look back fondly on a calm little hour-long timing shift when it’s next season and you’re wrangling hordes of little ones in the bullpen again!

And speaking of those little ones -- a big thanks to all the swimmers who participated in this strange season, from the terrified young paddlers to the crusty 18-year-old veterans. It was weird and unsettling and I hope we never have to do anything like it again, but I’m tremendously proud of all the swimmers who put in the hard work over the last six weeks. Way to go!

There’s not much summer left, but please enjoy it and stay safe. Registration for 2021 starts in just a few months … who’s ready to swim again?

-Jay

PS. We’ve still got some stickers still arriving for all the swimmers; we’ll figure a way to get these to you in the coming days. Swim team reunion up at the pool next week, perhaps?