Flying Fish News - 7/5/2020
For the calendar
We are offering a gradual return to swimming with short-term programming from Monday, July 6 through Sunday, August 2.

You'll find information about our July sessions here . (Our more senior swimmers -- shown in the photo -- got a jumpstart in Lake Michigan, guided by Coach Terry on the paddle board.)

We hope to expand our programming in August and again in September when renovations of the big pool are finished.

If you're interested in general information about returning to swimming, learn more at USA Swimming and Illinois Swimming Inc., which govern competitive swimming at the national and state level, respectively.
More about awards -- and marathon prizes, too!
In the last edition of the Flying Fish News, we shared photos of some of our outstanding swimmers. Here's one more: Clare Styslinger.

If any other outstanding swimmers have photos to share, please send them to Pete.

Also, look for information in the weeks ahead about picking up marathon prizes at the YWCA. We look forward to (finally!) rewarding our swimmers for a job well done.
Help make the Flying Fish a Safe Sport Recognized Club
We are committed to ensuring a safe, healthy, and positive environment for our swimmers, coaches, parents, and volunteers.

You can help us formalize this commitment and earn recognition from USA Swimming as a Safe Sport Recognized Club. How? By completing a free, web-based training session.

In order for the Flying Fish to receive Safe Sport recognition, we need 15 percent of parents and 15 percent of swimmers (age 12-over) to complete this training.
  • For Safe Sport training for swimmers 12-over click here.
  • For Safe Sport training for parents click here.

Our LSC is Illinois Swimming and our club name is YWFF. Parents, if you are not a member of USA Swimming (most of you aren't) you will need to create a free account. Note: The athlete training course takes about 25 minutes and the parent course is slightly longer.

New: As another option, athletes and parents can now attend Zoom meetings conducted by USA Swimming to complete this training. See the links below.

Parents : Every Wednesday 3:00‐4:00pm EST
https://zoom.us/j/93724361466?pwd=OVF4RFlNZFpaMHhqSEVVRGwzbmpQUT09
Athletes: Every Thursday 3:00‐4:00pm EST
https://zoom.us/j/97633664936?pwd=YnpXZmljME5PcldacW9ZQ0w5YTFIZz09
Fish out of water
What can you do when you're away from the water? We've got ideas:

  • Help the Flying Fish become a Safe Sport Recognized Club. See above.

  • Learn more about competitive swimming technique.You can access great instructional videos at GoSwim.

Here's more about what our swimmers (and former swimmers) have been doing away from the water:
  • Flying Fish alum Sinobia Aiden was one of the organizers of the "Evanston Fight for Black Lives" protest on May 31. A leader of this group of dynamic young people, she also addressed the Evanston City Council in June about the systemic disadvantages faced by Black residents and was a speaker at the recent YWCA Evanston/North Shore Equity Summit. Way to go, Sinobia!
  • Thunderfish Mira Littman created an original Black Lives Matter sticker (pictured), which she is selling to benefit YWCA Evanston/North Shore's domestic violence programs.You can email her to learn more. Bravo, Mira!
  • Chris Russo and Melinda "Min" King, who grew up swimming with the Flying Fish and returned as coaches, recently got engaged. Best wishes, Min and Chris!
  • Kristina Walsh, another Flying Fish alum and an artist and designer living in London, recently tapped into her swimming experience for a virtual exhibit and film she created. As she wrote to Pete, "I made an awards podium. . .more of a conceptual piece but swimming and your coaching style taught me that my competitors were actually friends and that I should work hard to become the best version of myself and not compare myself to others or 'win,' which is one of the reasons the podium dismantles into other shapes." Learn more about Kristina and her work here.
Thank you, Race Against Hate heroes!
Thank you to all of the Flying Fish families who were part of the "Race Against Hate. . .in place" this year. Whether you walked, ran, wore a shirt, participated in the panel discussion with Sherialyn Byrdsong, or attended the virtual Equity Summit, we value your engagement!

We hope to race in person again in 2021, like we did in 2019 as shown in the photo.
YWCA Flying Fish | 847-864-8445 | [email protected]| www.ywca-ens.org