Chevington Woods Kingfish

Chevington Woods Kingfish Handbook 2025

Welcome Kingfish!

Whether you are a returning swimmer or new to our team – welcome! We are so glad you are here and we are looking forward to a fun-filled summer. Our team is not just about talent, we are a family! We swim together, play together and form lifelong friendships. We have been instilling a life-long love of swimming and creating lasting memories for 51 years! We are the Kingfish!

Meet the Coaches 2025

We are so excited to have four amazing coaches this year, each of whom has a wealth of knowledge and experience they cannot wait to share with our swimmers!

Senior Head Coach: Kevin Yates

Head Age Group Coach: Jay Schuh

Assistant Coach: Braden Hopkins

Assistant Coach: Marcus Schwartz

Evening Clinic Coach: Sydney Hopkins

2025 Kingfish Board

President: Christine Nadalin

Vice President: Katie Dominguez

Secretary: Samantha Hamaide

Treasurer: Molly Marteney

Find Us Online!

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://chevingtonwoodspool.org/

Facebook: Chevington Woods Kingfish

Instagram: @chevingtonwoodskingfish

Swim Team Eligibility

While we welcome swimmers at all ages and levels, we do require that our swimmers are able to swim the minimum distance for their age group (25 meters = 1 length of the pool for 10&U and 50 meters for 11&O).

All new Kingfish regardless of age or ability level are expected to come to our pre-season swim assessment to meet our coaches and assess their swimming skills.

Note: If you have a younger swimmer (6&U) who has more swim experience (i.e. swims club swim, has been swimming longer…) than your average 6&U and you believe they would benefit from more advanced instruction, please bring them to the assessment to discuss options with the coaches.

A note regarding 6&U swimmers: We love to see a love of swimming develop early and happily welcome our youngest group of swimmers onto our team. However, we require that ALL our 6&U swimmers can INDEPENDENTLY swim across the diving well. This skill will be assessed before any 6&U is able to officially be considered a Kingfish. If your child is unable to meet this requirement, we encourage you to register your child for swim lessons and hope to see you again next year. We are a swim team and our goal is to focus on teaching swim technique, not swim lessons. Please understand this requirement is for the safety of your child and our coaches.

Swimmer Expectations

We are not just a team; we are a family! We encourage each other, lift each other up and cheer each other on. Please note that we will not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying – any such behavior will be dealt with swiftly by our coaching staff and board if necessary. Such behavior does not reflect the values we, as Kingfish, strive to uphold.

Practice Expectations

Do your best to arrive to practice prepared and in a timely manner.

Be respectful to all coaches, swimmers and adults.

Respect the facilities.

Be attentive during practice.

Do your best.

Meet Expectations

Do your best to arrive to meets for warm up in a timely manner (15 minutes before your warmup begins).

Give your best effort in every event you participate in.

Check in with coaches after each event you swim in (and don’t forget to get a treat from the candy bucket!).

Maintain good sportsmanship in victory or defeat.

Act in a way that does not bring discredit to yourself, your team or the swim community.

Swim Practice Schedule 2025

Practices are held Monday-Friday (unless otherwise stated)

First day of practice: Tuesday May 27, 2025

6&U swim skill assessment will be held the morning of May 24 at 11 am. 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

7 am-8:15 am:15-18

8 am-9:15 am: 13-14

9 am-10 am: 11-12

10 am-11 am: 9-10

10:45 am-11:45 am: 7-8

11 am – 11:45 am: 6 and under

Tuesday, Thursday 

7 am-8:15 am: 13-14

8 am-9:15 am: 15-18

9 am-10 am: 11-12

10 am-11 am: 9-10

10:45 am-11:45 am: 7-8

Parent/Guardian Expectations

Our swimmers look to you as THE example of positivity, team spirit and good sportsmanship. We expect our parents/guardians to create a supportive and encouraging environment for all of our swimmers.

Remember: SWIMMERS SWIM, COACHES COACH, OFFICIALS OFFICATE, PARENTS PARENT

We Need You! We cannot do what we do without the help and support of our Kingfish parents/guardians and families! Parents/guardians are required and expected to support the Kingfish by supporting the team in various volunteer roles throughout the season.

Swim meets are conducted with parents/guardians serving as officials and volunteers in a variety of roles.

Team social events are organized and run by our parents/guardians.

Coordinating and managing the administrative and financial responsibilities of the Kingfish requires the talents of volunteers serving on the Kingfish Swim Team Board.

We depend on our parents/guardians to be active, involved and supportive of our swimmers. In order to be considered in good standing with the swim team and eligible to serve on the board or the leadership team parents/guardians MUST volunteer during the swim season. Remember – teamwork makes the dream work!

Commitment

We understand that this is a summer swim team and encourage all our families to enjoy precious time together during summer break. We also understand that many of our swimmers have additional summer commitments. However, please remember, the more time and energy you put into anything you do in life, the bigger the reward. What you and your family can commit to and what works best for your schedule is up to you. HOWEVER, there are a few things that we do ask of our swim families…

Parents/guardians MUST volunteer at meets (the only exception is if your family is out of town on vacation OR if you serve the swim team in an exempt role (i.e. head official, member of the board, scorer, official, team breakfast coordinator…If interested in any of these positions please email or see a board member for more information ). Swim meets are complex and require all hands on deck to run smoothly. We literally cannot run our meets without the help and support of our parents/guardians. If you are new to swimming or unsure of what each job may entail, please be sure to read over the volunteer position descriptions (available on our website or via email by request) or ask a board member. We are happy to help you find the best and most rewarding volunteer position for you.

All parents/guardians must volunteer in some capacity in at least 3 regular season meets (3 volunteer credits). If your swimmer(s) participate in Champs (the championship meet at the end of the season) you are also required to volunteer for that meet. Champs is different from the regular season meets due to the all hands on deck needs of a swim meet of this size.

Note: If you would like to opt out of the volunteer requirement or have special circumstances, you may petition the board to pay an opt out fee of $250. This must be requested, approved and paid in full before the first meet of the season.

If you do not serve in an exempt role, fulfill your volunteer requirement or pay the opt out fee at the beginning of the season, you will be charged the $250 opt out fee at the end of the season.

If you plan to participate in Champs, our championship meet at the end of the season, you MUST have participated in at least 3 regular season meets. If you are not able to fulfill this requirement you are still welcome to swim with our team, however, you will not be permitted to swim in Champs.

Registration and Pre-Season Information

Important Pre-Season Dates 

Registration opens for existing swimmers: Sunday March 16, 2025

Registration opens for new swimmers: Sunday March 30, 2025

Kingfish Kickoff and New Swimmer Assessment: Saturday May 24, 2025 10:30 am – 12 pm

Registration closes: May 31, 2025, at 8 pm OR when we reach maximum capacity (220 swimmers)

First day of practice for all swimmers: Tuesday May 27, 2025

Important note regarding Chevington Woods Pool membership requirement: Chevington Woods Pool is operated by the Chevington Woods Recreational Club. Because we are a private club, all swimmers MUST have a pool membership to utilize the pool for practices for legal/insurance purposes. Please purchase your pool membership before you register your family for the swim team. We will not be able to approve team memberships until your pool membership has been purchased and confirmed.

To confirm pool membership: When you receive confirmation of your pool membership email proof of membership to [email protected] in order for your swim team membership to be activated. Confirmation of pool membership will be checked by both the swim team as well as the pool.

Please note: You will be unable to receive any Kingfish email communication or attend practice until your family has been activated in the system, so please make this a priority.

Refund Policy

Refunds will only be given if:

Your swimmer does not meet the skill requirement for their age group

After a one-week trial period, you decide that you no longer wish to or cannot participate in the swim season.

*No refunds will be given after Saturday May 31, 2025. We aim to have all refunds processed and issued by June 14, 2025.

Fees

Swimmer fee: - $150 for the first swimmer, $125 for the second swimmer and $100 for each additional swimmer. In addition, there is a one-time non-refundable league fee of $13 for each swimmer.

Team suit: Purchase of a team suite is not required. However, we ask that if you choose not to purchase a team suit, that you do purchase a suite that is royal blue or black. Team suits are available through Swimville USA. Information regarding design, sizing, price, and ordering will be sent out via email.

Team Cap: If your swimmer is wearing a cap during competition, league rules require that they wear a team cap. Caps will be available for purchase at the Kingfish Kickoff as well as throughout the season in the team office or at swim meets. If you need a cap, please see one of our board members for assistance.

Team Merchandise: Team shirts are available to order pre-season. We do a pre-season order to ensure our families have their items by the first week of practice. All information regarding available merchandise for the season will be made available to all our families via email.

Communication

Clear communication is of utmost importance to us so you will hear from us often.

During the swim season, our weekly team newsletter will be sent out every Sunday evening via email. This newsletter will include all important information regarding the week ahead and all upcoming important dates and events.

On meet weeks, you will receive an additional email on Monday evening containing all meet specific information. *Please note: if the meet happens to fall on a day other than the usual Wednesday evening, information will go out at least two days prior to the meet.

Swimtopia has the ability to send alerts. We will be using this as a way to keep all of our families updated on which events are being called to the bullpen during meets as well as all weather-related updates. Please be sure to turn on notifications so that you receive these updates.

We will also utilize the Heja app as an additional method of communication. Please be sure to download the app (both parents/guardians and swimmers) and join our team using our team code MT-097759. This is a great way to have the ability to quickly communicate important information to our families so please be sure to download it and join our team.

If ever you have questions about anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our board members – we are here to help in any way we can.

Youth Leadership Opportunities

Our Kingfish Youth Coaching Program is back this year! Each year we look for 21 energetic, hardworking, dedicated Kingfish swimmers who are interested in leadership opportunities with our team. Swimmers who are 12 (as of June 1, 2024) are eligible to apply for these coaching positions. Details regarding available positions including job descriptions and qualifications, as well as a link to the Kingfish Youth Coaching Program application will be sent via email to all existing Kingfish families in late January/early February of each year. All Youth Coaches will be selected by the Board and Kingfish Coaching staff and contacted by March.

2025 Youth Coaching Positions

Captain (6)

Junior Coach (16)

Volunteer hours: If you are an older swimmer (12-1 in need of volunteer hours, please reach out to Christine Nadalin [email protected] . There will be multiple opportunities to earn volunteer hours for any swimmers who are interested.

Regular Season Meets

Our meet schedule is set each spring (typically around March/April) by our swim league (the Tri-County Aquatics League or TCAL). Meet dates and times will be communicated to all families as soon as this information is available.

Swim Meet Basics:

Typically our swim season consists of at least 6 dual meets (3 at home and 3 away – sometimes this will differ depending on scheduling needs).

Our home meets are typically on Wednesday evenings with a start time of 5:30 pm. Warm-ups typically begin at 4:30 pm.

We typically have at least one Saturday morning meet – the Pickerington Tri-Meet – where we have the opportunity to compete with the other two Pickerington Swim teams (Pickerington Tiger Sharks and Huntington Hills Froggers). This meet is a lot of fun and provides a great atmosphere for some friendly competition within our own community.

Our away meets are typically either on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings depending on the hosting team’s availability.

Please remember to go online and “declare” your swimmer before each meet. The deadline to declare swimmers will be clearly communicated. If your swimmer is not declared for a meet by the deadline, they WILL NOT be able to be added and will be unable to swim in the meet.

How to declare your swimmer:

Log into swimtopia

Scroll down to upcoming meets

Click on the meet you are declaring for

Click on meet sign up

Click on edit

Select your swimmer

Select your response

Click save

Coaches select each swimmer’s events and these are made available to our families prior to each meet. In addition, all entries are posted at practice on the day of the swim meet.

Our Youth Coaches will be available at the meets to help all of our younger swimmers (and parents) navigate the meet.

Always carry a sharpie! Coaches, officials and volunteers keep track of swimmers by their name being written on the back of their shoulder. Swimmers keep track of their events by writing them on their arm. Write your child’s events for the meet on their arm in the following format – event number, heat, lane, stroke.

Example:

We will have a Kingfish Spirit Tent at each meet. There will always be a board member or well-seasoned swim adult in this tent to answer questions or assist in any way needed throughout the duration of the meet.

We will have a bullpen at each meet. Bullpen is a fancy word for the area used to organize and line up swimmers before each event. Volunteers (including junior coaches) will be in the bullpen to get swimmers lined up correctly. Please be sure to have your swimmer headed to the bullpen area 2 events before their event begins.

Event numbers are typically posed near the bullpen at each meet. We also will have a dry erase board at our Kingfish Spirit tent that is kept updated throughout the meet. Families will also be updated on which events are being called to the bullpen via the Swimtopia alert feature and/or the Heja app. Please be sure your Swimtopia notifications are turned on and that you have signed up for and downloaded the Heja app.

Please make sure your swimmer checks in with one of the coaches after each of their events for feedback. Even if your swimmer is done with their events, please do not leave the meet without talking to the coaches to ensure that they are not needed for a relay. We have a candy bucket at each meet, so make sure your swimmer does not forget to get a treat after each event.

Swim meets are long and there will be a lot of waiting (fun fact: most swim meets last 3-4 hours). This means there is a lot of time to hang out and have fun with friends! Suggestions for items to bring – folding chairs, pop up sports canopy (for shade), lawn blanket, all the snacks, card games, cooling towels, sweatshirts (in case your swimmer gets chilly once the sun goes down), Kingfish spirit.

Always remember – hydrate to dominate!

If anything comes up last minute that will prevent your swimmer from swimming in the meet, please be sure to communicate that information to our Head Coach ASAP so that adjustments can be made.

At the end of the season, our league hosts a huge championship meet (CHAMPS). All the teams from the league participate in this meet. *Please note: in order to swim at CHAMPS, each swimmer MUST have participated in at least 3 regular season meets. This is a league rule and cannot be altered to accommodate individual swimmers.

Evening Clinics

One of our main goals is to give our swimmers every chance possible to improve and develop their swimming technique throughout the summer season. One of the ways we do this is through our evening clinics. Our evening clinics provide our swimmers with an opportunity to focus in on specific skills and techniques in a small group setting. Our evening clinics are free to participate in, however, each session is limited to 20 swimmers. In order to allow as many swimmers as possible the opportunity to participate we ask that you take a close look at this year’s schedule. Sign-ups for each week’s clinics will be sent out with the weekly newsletter. There will be 15-18 available slots for each clinic, allowing coaches the benefit of last minute recommendations for swimmers they feel would benefit from that week’s focus. Any last minute remaining spots will be communicated the day of each clinic and available on a first come first serve basis. Please only sign up for clinics that you really feel your swimmer would benefit from. Evening clinics will be offered on Tuesday evenings for our younger swimmers (10&U) and on Thursday evenings for our older swimmers (11&O) from 8 pm – 9 pm. Please plan to arrive by 7:45 pm to allow for time to warm up.

Team Social Events

The team that plays together stays together! Our team is about more than just swimming. Throughout the season, our Board and Leadership Team plan a number of fun social events for our swimmers and our families. A few of the events in the works for this year include:

Team Breakfasts

Themed Home Meets

Hula at the Poola

Spirit Week (the week leading up to Champs) – Tour de Yates

Pasta Party (complete with parent relays)

End of Season Awards Banquet (dress up event)

All specifics for each of these events and more will be communicated leading up to each event.

Team Breakfasts

On Thursdays following meets throughout the season, we gather together as a team family (parents and families are encouraged to attend) for a potluck style breakfast and recognize the amazing accomplishments of our swimmers from the meet prior.

All swimmers age 7 and up are invited to meet at the pool at 9 am for a fun swim. The 6&U will join at 10 am for breakfast (meets can run late so we like to let our youngest swimmers – and parents - get some much-needed rest). Swimmers will be awarded meet ribbons and swimmers of the meet will be recognized. Each family should plan to bring a food item to share with the rest of the team. Please look for a food sign up in communications before each breakfast.

Team Fundraising

One of the ways we use to help try keep our costs down for our families is through a number of fundraisers throughout the season. Our Goal is to make these easy and fun for our families. We are always on the lookout for fresh ideas so please do not hesitate to reach out to our Fundraising Chair (Ali Adams) or a member of the board if you have an idea.

Championship Meet (CHAMPS)

CHAMPS will take place on Wednesday July 16, 2025 at Dresden Swim Center located at 1330 Main Street Dresden, Ohio *Rain date: Thursday July 17, 2025

Please note: In order to participate in the Championship meet each swimmer is required to swim in at least 3 regular season meets.

Specific details regarding this season’s Championship meet will be finalized by TCAL as we get further into the season. Please be sure to regularly check our weekly Kingfish Newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest information.

End of Season Awards Banquet

At the end of the season, we will celebrate in style with an end of season team banquet. We ask that everyone dress for the occasion and wear their Sunday best. We will share a meal and all of our swimmers will be recognized for all of their hard work put in during the season.

2025 End of the Season Awards Banquet: Saturday July 19, 2025

Tri-County Aquatics League (TCAL)

We are a member of the Tri-County Aquatics League (TCAL). Our league consists of 12 teams from around Central Ohio – Baltimore Sea Lions (BSL), Canal Winchester Dolphins (CWD), Chevington Woods Kingfish (CWK), Dresden Dorados (DD), Groveport Fighting Fish (GFF), Huntington Hills Froggers (HHF), Johnstown-Northridge Jaguars (JNJ), Logan Hurricanes (LH), Moundbuilders CC Piranhas (MCC), Pataskala Porpoises (PAT), Pickerington Tiger Sharks (PTS), Valley View Gators (VV).

We are looking forward to an amazing season! WE ARE THE KINGFISH!