A little rain, a little cold, a nice little gift from Viking...

The last two meets have been challenging.  First the meet on July 17: we drove through
blinding rain and a truly spectacular thunderstorm to arrive ready to swim at Valois Pool.  The storm ended just in time for our Dolphins to swim.  We were fortunate however that the thunder and lightning abated.  The rains however did not, and everyone on deck was soaked through!  Thankfully it was a hot evening so it was more refreshing than anything.

Valois, one of the top teams in our division, showed us their strength, but we fought hard and managed to keep our score above 500 points!  We can be proud of our performance that evening.  
 
This week, on July 24, we suffered another loss, to another top-ranked team in our division: Lakeshore Pool.  This time it was biting cold and a shortage of swimmers that led to our
defeat.

 At each meet there were a few families who had said they were coming but decided not to come out, possibly because of the weather.  We missed your swimmers!  Remember:  we swim RAIN OR SHINE, HOT OR COLD!  Even a thunderstorm will pass, as last week's storm did, just in time for the meet to begin.  As for this week, hoodies, sweatpants and hot
chocolate were the perfect antidote and the kids all said it was warmer in the pool than on the deck! 

We must show up so as not to forfeit the meet to the other team.  These are the rules of our league and we must abide by them.  In a situation where thunder and lightning stop a meet and it has to be rescheduled, as has happened twice this season, we are required to make that decision at the host pool with our swimmers ready to swim if the storm clears.  

The rosters are set and it is unfortunate if swimmers who were expected don't show up:  it sometimes means that relays get cancelled and that is disappointing for those who looked forward to the relay.  If illness or a sudden change occurs, please advise the coaches at westmount.dolphins@gmail.com.  We are a team and as such we need every available swimmer on deck and ready to swim: we want to avoid having empty lanes!
 
If you were unable to get your swimmer to those meets because you did not have a ride you can always arrange with another member or meet at Victoria Hall at 5:15pm.  All members with room for more passengers should be passing by Victoria Hall at that time to see if there are any swimmers looking for a lift.  
  
A friendly reminder to all that we are guests at all of the pools we visit whether it is for meets or practices.  We must ensure that we are respectful by using appropriate speech and
actions towards our hosts, our teammates, coaches and parents wherever we are. We want to be examples of true Dolphins spirit wherever we go!
 
On another note, we were extended a special invitation by our friends at Viking Pool:  they have graciously offered us the opportunity to attend their free swim on Saturday
evenings for the remainder of the summer.  Click on INVITATION and you will find their touching message.  Print their message and bring it with you to gain access to their pool at
a special guest-rate.
 
Check out the Competitions section for updated records and results. We look forward to meeting  you all next week at CAVIP!  Maybe we can rally and win this one!