Hello Gator Families!

This is the first official email for our 2026 Glenridge Gators team! My name is Karen Cuda and I am the team coordinator/league representative for Glenridge.  My kids have been swimming with Glenridge since 2019 and this is my 5th season as team coordinator.  I am also a part time swim coach for TYDE of NWNC at the Jerry Long YMCA.  I'm a huge swim fan and loving sharing the sport with kids and their families!

Jayme Stuart will once again be our master of volunteer coordination and is my co-team coordinator!  She will be reaching out to volunteers to remind them of their assignments and making sure all of our spots are filled.  Keith Wilson is our second league representative and stroke and turn trainer!

We will have our first "official" practice next Monday, May 18th at the Glenridge pool and we can't wait to see everyone! While these last few weeks of May have everyone in a tailspin of obligations and activities, let summer swim be the fun and stress free sport that dovetails your child's school year into the best summer yet! I am putting a decent amount of information in this email so you may want to read this over coffee or lunch so you have some time to take in all of the information. Ready? Here we go!

1. 2026 Coaching Staff

This season comes with a few title changes, a few new faces and a lot of promise! This season I have stepped out of the role of head coach and into the role of League Representative. I will still be on deck helping our coaches - especially in the first few weeks of practice. Sydney Stevens will be our head coach for the season! This will be Sydney's 5th season with Glenridge and 5th season as a coach. In addition to Sydney, we have an outstanding coaching staff! Our assistant coaches include Melynn Holmes, Jackson Hartsough, Isabel Wilson, Brian Stratmann, Clemmie Pace, Jack Lee and Jenna Hartsough. Our Junior Coaching staff members include Chloe Cuda, Emily Stevens, Jackson Stuart, Morgan Cuda, Charlie Lee and Andrew Stratmann. All of these kids are responsible, polite and amazing ambassadors for summer swim. We are lucky to have the best coaching staff in the league!

2. New Families!

We are so excited to welcome 5 new families to our team! Please join me in welcoming the Richards family (Claire-14, Cormac-12 and Grant-10), the Rudd family (Julia-7), the Maedjaja family (Mattie-6, Mimi-8), the Lopez family (Avalon-6) and the Stratmann family (Brian-17, Andrew-12).  We are so excited that you have joined us!

3. Stroke and Turn Judges

As always, we MUST have stroke and turn judges to have a team!  If you were a stroke and turn judge last year, you were sent a link to take an exam to renew your stroke and turn judge certification.  If you have not taken the exam yet, please take it as soon as you can.  Here is the link to the test: https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/start/acce...

We need for parents of younger swimmers to get involved with being a stroke and turn judge.  Anyone can become a new S&T judge!  You will need to attend a training.  If you signed up to volunteer as a stroke and turn judge for a meet during our registration process, you MUST be certified as a stroke and turn official.  Right now there is only ONE training being offered for new stroke and turn officials on Tuesday 5/19.  I have not heard from the league as to whether they will schedule another training.  Here is the link to the sign up genius to RSVP your attendance.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49ACA92BAAFCC...

For any new stroke and turn judges, you are welcome to shadow more experienced S&T judges at our mock meet.  It is a great way to learn the ropes.

Anyone that renews their S&T certification or becomes a new S&T judge will have their names entered for a custom Glenridge YETI!!  Please sign up!  We can't have swim meets without stroke and turn judges!

4.  Team Suits

Our team swim suit is the same design as we have had for the past few seasons.  If you child's suit still fits, please wear it again.  If you need to order a new suit, you can order it from the team store.  https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/glenridgega...

If you have a suit that doesn't fit but can still be worn, please use our facebook page to advertise among the team!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1752221318453635/

If you need to try on a suit for size, I will have the fit kit at practice next week.  We have sizes from 22 all the way up to 36/38.

Team suits are optional, but encouraged.  If you don't want to order a suit, just wear a black swimsuit for meet days.  One piece suits for girls and jammer style shorts for boys are highly recommended.  Your child should be practicing and racing in a suit that will stay in place when they dive in the water in front of lots of people watching - if you catch my drift.

5.  Practices

Our practice schedule is posted on our team website:  https://glenridgegatorswinstonsalem.swimtopia.com/...

Practices can change based on the weather and pool conditions.  If you haven't do so already, please download the SwimTopia app on your phone and make sure you are set up to receive push notifications.  If we need to cancel a practice due to storms or the pool closing, we will send out push notifications and emails.  Once WSFCS schools dismiss for the summer, we will offer morning and evening practices.  Your swimmers may come to one or both practices offered.  

During the first two weeks of practice, we will be monitoring each swimmer's ability to swim across the pool for water safety.  If your child cannot swim the length of the pool on their own, they will not be entered into a swim meet until they are able to do so.  For swimmers in the 6 and under age group, if the swimmer cannot swim on their own they may be referred to our hatching program that will start later into the season.

6.  Swimmers' Code of Conduct

While summer swim should be fun, we also want to make sure we are safe in and around the water.  We expect all Glenridge swimmers to be good listeners and to be respectful to their coaches, parent volunteers and fellow swimmers.  Pushing and shoving in and around the water will not be tolerated.  All pool rules will be followed and enforced by Glenridge lifeguards and swim coaches.  Swimmers who do not follow the rules will be given reminders of the rules and will be asked to conform their actions.   Swimmers that do not listen to the reminders and/or engage in behavior that risks the safety of another swimmer will be removed from the activity.  

7.  Swim Meets

Our team is a member of the Greater Forsyth Swim League (GFSL).  During the season, the GFSL assigns each team to a division based on the size of your team from the previous season.  The GFSL creates a meet schedule whereby each team swims against six other teams from your team's division in a dual meet.  The season ends with a final meet where all 21 teams from the league compete against one another at the Greensboro Aquatic Center (the GAC) on Sunday, July 12th.  Each division in the league will crown a champion.  This year Glenridge will be swimming the the middle tier division.

A full list of our swim meets can be found here: https://glenridgegatorswinstonsalem.swimtopia.com/...

For each swim meet, a parent must "declare" their swimmer on our meet software.  You can declare on the website or on the Swimtopia app.  You must declare that your swimmer is attending a meet in order for your swimmer to be assigned to events. Declarations for all meets for the season are open so you can go ahead and sign your swimmers up for all of the meets you know that your family can attend. Declarations must be done no later than 5pm the day before a meet!  Once the declarations for the meet close, we will then assign events and relays based on a swimmer's progress made at practices and meets.  If you do not declare your swimmers, we cannot put them in the meet. 

We will have a mock meet on Thursday, May 28th as well as a parent meeting after the meet.  This is a great opportunity for new swimmers to experience a small scale swim meet and for new parents to understand the flow.  

8.  Questions?

If you ever have questions about the team, please feel free to reach out!  Our facebook page is a great forum to ask questions and get feed back.  If you ever need to ask me something directly, you can send me an email at [email protected] or text me at (304)654-4658.

Welcome to Glenridge!!

Go Gators!

Karen