We've adjusted our preseason practice schedule: Redfish will now practice from 5:45-6:30 pm on Wednesdays. This change will be in effect on Wednesday, Sept. 18, Wednesday, Sept. 25, and Wednesday, October 2. Friday preseason practice for Redfish will remain the same: 6:15-7:00.

All preseason practices are at the YWCA.

Don't forget to sign up for meets! You'll find an updated version of the fall meet schedule here and an updated sign-up form here. ( We updated these documents because we were able to add Whitefish and Redfish to the LFSC Monster Mash meet October 26-27. All White and Red swimmers age 12 and under are eligible for this meet, including 8-unders.)

Please check the meet schedule for eligibility before you sign up. Sign-up forms for those participating in October meets were due September 12. If you're not participating in October meets, your sign-up form is due October 7.

You can turn in your completed meet form via hard copy in Pete's folder or by sending him an email. Make sure you include your swimmer's name!

If you were unable to register your swimmer during our scheduled registration hours, please email Pete to set up a time to register -- before September 19.

Even if your child is joining us later in the fall, you need to complete registration by next week because we must send our roster of swimmers to USA Swimming (the governing body of swimming) by the end of next week.

You'll find information about groups, practice times, and fees here.

Stop by the YWCA on Saturday, September 14, from 11 am to 4 pm to order your team suit and purchase additional swim equipment, like goggles, from our vendor, All-American Aquatics.

We strongly encourage everyone to attend the fitting and try on suits because brands are sized differently and can't be returned once they're customized with our logo. Remember: We ask all swimmers to purchase a team suit each year. Suits stretch with minimal wear and we want our swimmers to be well equipped for both practice and meets.

Greenfish are not required to purchase a team suit, but if your Greenfish would like a team suit and any other equipment, we warmly welcome you to stop by.

Swimmers age 11-14 are invited to attend a workshop about being a "triple-impact competitor" on Sunday, September 29, at the YWCA from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm -- with pizza and pool playtime afterward.

What's a "triple-impact competitor"? It's one who works to improve one's self, one's teammates, and the sport as a whole by learning from mistakes, treating everyone with respect, and understanding how positivity leads to success.

We can accommodate the first 25 swimmers who sign up.

Parents also are invited to a workshop about how to support their children in these goals. The parents' workshop is set for 12:45 to 1:45 pm on the same day. (Sorry, no pizza and pool playtime for parents!)

Swimmers can attend their workshop without parents attending the parents' workshop and vice versa. The workshops may require a small fee, but we'll send more information about that next week. In the meantime, please email Pete if you and/or your swimmer are interested in attending.

These workshops are conducted through a partnership between the Flying Fish and the Positive Coaching Alliance.

If you have been using a locker in the locker rooms or would like to rent one, please renew or fill out a locker rental agreement at the front desk by Monday, September 30.

Locker rentals are available for swimmers in Goldfish, Diamondfish, Platinumfish, and Thunderfish, and are $60 for six months and $90 for one year. Consider sharing/renting a locker with a friend!

You don't need to be a swimmer or have competitive swimming experience to officiate at swim meets. All you need is a desire to learn more about the sport and how to ensure fair play.

Illinois Swimming is hosting three clinics for those interested in becoming officials on Sept. 22 in Naperville, October 5 in Palatine, and October 20 in Highland Park. Learn more here.

If you have questions, please contact Harry Samuels, a former Flying Fish parent and official, at [email protected].

We're so proud of the Flying Fish females currently representing their high school swim teams at ETHS, New Trier, Loyola, St. Ignatius, Northside, and others. This story highlights some of our girls at ETHS. The Wilmette Beacon also did a story noting some of our Loyola girls. If you subscribe to the Beacon, you can read that story here or you can find a print copy at several locations in Wilmette.

To all of you mentioned and to our high school girls everywhere we say, "Go Fish"!

Engage with YWCA Evanston/North Shore

Mark your calendar for our annual YWomen celebration, which will be held on Saturday, November 9, at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago.

Tickets will be available online in late September. In the meantime, you can read more about the event here.