Hello AP Dolphins,

We hope everyone is having a wonderful day with family and friends.

The 2026 swim season is finally here. The 1st day of practice is TOMORROW! We are so excited to see all of our swimmers at the pool.

Practices will be Monday-Friday with times as follows:

• 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm – 6&Unders
• 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm – 7/8s
• 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm – 9/10s
• 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm – 11/12s
• 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm – 13s and up (Fridays will be 11s and up from 6:30-7:30)

NOTES ABOUT PRACTICES

•This week will serve as our introduction week. Coaches will begin with introductions, assign lanes, and review team rules and swimmer expectations. Please note that this portion will take about 30 minutes on the first day, and swimmers aged 6 and under will most likely not be in the water during that time.

•All swimmers will need swim fins. These can be purchased from retailers such as Amazon or SwimOutlet—the sooner you have them, the better. When selecting fins, please ensure they are swim fins (not dive fins) and fit snugly. Fins that are too loose may fall off or cause blisters. Here is an amazing link for all sizes: https://a.co/d/0ebGIrDt

•NO DOGS ALLOWED – Sacramento County Health Code prohibits animals from the fenced pool area (Service animals are okay)

•Please put all bikes in the bike racks. The park district prohibits bikes from being leaned up against the fences near the entrance or anywhere along pool gate.

VOLUNTEER JOBS SIGN-UPS

Lots of questions about when volunteer jobs sign-ups will be. Sign-ups will open for 6&U families on 4/24/26. Sign-ups for all other families will open on 4/25/26. More info to come soon.

DOLPHIN DUOS

Dolphin Duos is back! The purpose of this buddy program is to develop team cohesion and spirit. An older swimmer will be assigned to a younger swimmer, who will be buddies for the season. Buddies are expected to support and cheer each other on at meets. Participation in the buddy program is voluntary. When considering the program, please make sure you can commit to being a buddy and participate in buddy activities. Sign-ups begin on April 1^st. Sign-up by clicking the green “RSVP” next to the Dolphin Duos event in the Calendar on our website: https://www.apdolphins.org/swim_meets.

Buddy activities are scheduled for the following:

5/9 – Time Trials (Details to Come)

5/30 – Home Meet (Details to Come)

6/20 – Home Meet (Details to Come)

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

We're thrilled to announce an opportunity for our community to get involved and support our swimmers in a big way! We are seeking sponsorships to support the team and your partnership could make a splash! If you or your company is interested in becoming a sponsor or you want to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to our Fundraising Chair, Rachele Wagaman at [email protected].

NCSL

Did you register with the Northern California Swim League (NCSL)? If you have not completed this step yet, please do so ASAP. Click here to register. After you complete registration with NCSL, please email a copy to our AP Registrar at [email protected].

IMPORTANT DATES

For those already mapping out your summer, be sure to mark your calendars with the 2026 swim meet dates listed below.

• 4/01/26-4/20/25 – AP Dolphin Duo Sign-ups
• 4/06/26 - First Day of Practice
• 4/24/26 – 6&U Only Families Volunteer Jobs Open
• 4/25/26 – Volunteer Jobs Open for all

• 5/09/26 - AP Time Trials @ Arden Park
• 5/16/26 - Dixon @ Arden Park
• 5/30/26 – Del Norte @ Arden Park
• 6/3/26 – Team Pictures @ 4:30pm
• 6/06/26 - Arden Park @ Fair Oaks
• 6/12/26 – Lapapalooza – AP Swim Fundraiser
• 6/20/26 – Galt @ Arden Park
• 6/27/26 - Arden Park @ West Sacramento
• 7/11/26 – Laguna Creek @ Arden Park
• 7/18/26-7/19/26 - Gold Rush Swim Championship
• 8/1/26-8/2/26 – Sacramento Valley Meet of Championships

All of these dates have been added to the Calendar on the AP Dolphins website and can be found by clicking this link: AP Dolphins Calendar.

Please check out our website for more details www.apdolphins.org. Be sure to download the mobile app platform for our site, SwimTopia.

You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/APDolphinsSwimTeam and on Instagram at https://instagram.com/apdolphins

See you at the pool!

Leah Lind

AP Dolphins Communications