PCST Weekly Update - May 6, 2024

PCST Weekly Update – Monday May 6, 2024
PCST Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/swimpcst/?hl=en

Practice Schedule Changes
- Upcoming Practice Changes May 6 – May 18
Senior (Frank Brown)  – No Practice May 11-13
Junior (Frank Brown)  – No Practice May 11-13
Age Group 2 (Frank Brown) - No Practice May 13
Age Group 1 (Frank Brown) – No Practice May 13
Senior Group (Mosley) – Check with Coach Steve for Details
Age Group 2 (Gulf Coast) – MHS begins May 8, No Practice May 13
Age Group 1 (Gulf Coast)  – MHS begins May 8, No Practice May 13

GCSC / MHS Practices
Gulf Coast State College will be concluding its spring semester this week.  As in past years, we will be moving our GCSC practices to Mosley High School.  Our final spring practice at GCSC will be Tuesday, May 7, with practices beginning at MHS on Wednesday, May 8.  Age Group 1 will again be practicing 6:00-7:00pm, Age Group 2 6:00-7:30pm, and PreTeam 6:00-7:00pm.

May Meet Ironman Traffic
The Ironman Florida Half-Triathlon will be taking place during our Saturday morning session.  The bicycle race will cross Rte 98 at Pier Park Road (over by Dicks Sporting Goods at Pier Park North) which will cause stoppages and back up on US 98 approaching Frank Brown Park from 6:30 AM – 11 AM, so plan your arrival plans accordingly.  We have had 45 minute delays going half mile to the park entrance from the east in past years.  More information regarding the meet will be sent out later this week.

May Meet Volunteers
Volunteer Signup for our upcoming home meet in May is available online.  PCST needs your time and help to provide a great meet and racing opportunity for your swimmers!  Please be sure to sign up to volunteer your time and energy to help our swimmers compete to the best of our abilities.

2024 Southeastern Summer Championship
The qualifying times for July’s 2024 Southeastern Summer Championship have finally been released by Southeastern Swimming.  These time standards include Short Course and Long Course qualifying times, however the meet will only be conducted as Long Course.  Swimmers achieving at least one qualifying time will be eligible to compete in Huntsville this July.  Time standards are posted on the PCST website under the following link: https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/sepcst/page/times/time-standards

Practice Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs
Parents MUST remember to escort your swimmers to the gates of PCST used facilities, as well as come to the gates to pick up your swimmers.   Our facilities regularly ask us to abide by these policies for safety reasons, as well as protection from the occasional events of facility closures or weather (no swimmers likes to be stuck outside)!  Your help and time is greatly appreciated.

Register with USA Swimming
USA Swimming has changed the way your swimmer will be registered.  They have implemented a new Online Membership Registration for all USAS members beginning September 1, 2022.  ALL PCST swimmers, officials, and coaches will need to follow the link below to merge their previous membership information to a new account and USAS ID.  (DO NOT use your previous account login). 
Any PCST swimmer who joined the competitive team after August 1, 2022, will need to follow the link to set up an account and pay for a 2022-23 USAS Membership immediately!
ANY PCST swimmer who has not completed this registration is not allowed to train or compete until registration is completed and verified.
2023-24 USA Swimming Registrations open on September 01, 2023.
https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/7F0E41DA9B8087

Become a PCST Official!!!
PCST regularly needs officials to host meets and run the consistent and high-quality competitions we have become known for.  Each PCST meet must have certified USA-S certified officials conducting the meet for each swimmer to receive official credit for their swims/times.
Information for becoming an official is available under the Resources->Parent Resources area of the PCST website.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact our PCST Officials Point of Contact.

Team Vendor – Swim and Tri!
Swim and Tri is the official team vendor of PCST!  Swim and Tri is one of the largest and most well respected swimming equipment vendors in the country.  Paul and Patrice Wolfensberger are wonderful people who have built what started as a small swim shop in Knoxville, Tennessee into a shop that serves swim teams across the country.  We are very excited to be partners with Swim and Tri.  Make sure to check out the Swim and Tri PCST Team Portal and look for all of the great discounts.  You can access the Team Portal by clicking the Swim and Tri logo on the PCST Home Page (toward the bottom of the page), or by using the Team Portal code PCST_FL.  http://www.swimandtri.com/Scripts/TeamView_PanamaCitySwimTeam.aspx

PCST Team Store Ordering Instructions!
Several items such as T-Shirts and caps can be billed to your account through the PCST Team Store.  Items in stock will be sent to your child at swim practice.  Please send any order to Coach Phillip Wood at Swim4PCST@gmail.com.  For items available through the PCST Team Store, please click the following link:  https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/sepcst/page/resources/team-store

Mark Your Calendars! – Upcoming Events and Deadlines
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming PCST Team Events and Deadlines
May 11-12 - (Swim Meet) - PCST Home Meet in PCB, FL (All PCST Competitive Team Swimmers)
June 7-9 - (Swim Meet) - GPAC Tom Lalor Invitational in Pensacola, FL (All PCST Competitive Team Swimmers)
June 16-23 - (Swim Meet) - US Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, IN (qualifiers)
June 21-23 - (Swim Meet) - Richard Quick Invite in Auburn, AL (AG2 & above)

Long Range Planning
Please note the schedule of the following events which will take place several months from now
July 6-7 - (Swim Meet) - GPAC Invite in Pensacola, FL (All PCST Competitive Team Swimmers - Non-SES qualified)
July 19-21 - (Swim Meet) - Southeastern Summer Championship in Huntsville, AL (qualifiers)
July 27-28 - (Swim Meet) - Coast Sand Dollar Short Course Invite in Destin, FL (All PCST Competitive Team swimmers)

PCST Sponsors & Affiliates
Steve’s Bike Shop - https://stevesbikeshop.com

PCST is currently looking for sponsors and partnerships to help support our young swimmers and growing program.  If you have or know of a business that would like to contribute help to a local non-profit organization, please pass them the following informational link: https://www.gomotionapp.com/sepcst/UserFiles/Image/QuickUpload/pcst-sponsor-form-2020-updated_068779.pdf