April 2026 Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE
April 6 - First day of Long Course Season
April 6 - Front Desk Training @ 6:35pm
April 13 - New Parent Orientation @ 6:35 pm (all new families encouraged to attend)
April 17 - Friday Feast & Swim Swap
April 15 to 26 - Bottle Drop Give Earth Week
May 8 - Swim-A-Thon
May 16 and 17 - Sextathlon Swim Meet @ DD
June 12 to 15 - Ted Walker Swim Meet @ The Dalles and Annual Swim Family Camp Out @ The Deschutes River State Recreation Area
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Hello from the Coaches
Volunteer Info
Swimmer of the Month
April Birthday’s
Thank you to our official team sponsor Arena
Shop online at SwimOutlet to support the team! Select "David Douglas Aquatics Club" as your team and every purchase gives back to DDAC with a 10% kickback! https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/ddac
RESOURCES:
Volunteer Hours / Event Sign Up / OSI Time Standards / USA Swimming / DDAC Facebook
Translated versions: RUSSIAN SPANISH VIETNAMESE
FROM THE COACHES
COACH JIM
I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing spring break and are ready to get back to the pool and get to work. The spring season can be a tremendous opportunity for growth. Without any “big” meets in the near future it allows us time to focus on skill development, aerobic development and strength.
Often focusing on these items is not as exciting as preparing for swim meets, but really focussing in the spring on improving in these three areas will lead to great improvements in the summer championship season.
My goal for each swimmers is to concentrate on these areas:
Streamlining, Distance per stroke, making send offs without taking a break and how many pull ups and push ups you can do as well as working on squats in the weight room (for the older swimmers)
By improving our technique, getting aerobically in shape and getting stronger this spring, it will lead us to great success this summer.
COACH BOBBY
Diving Into a New Season: Starting Strong with Determination and Motivation
The start of a new swim season is more than just the first dive off the blocks, it’s a reset button. A chance to leave behind last season’s frustrations, build on past successes, and set the tone for what’s ahead. Whether you’re returning as an experienced swimmer or stepping onto the pool deck for the first time, this moment is yours to define.
Every practice, every challenging set, and every second shaved off the clock begins with one thing: determination. It’s the decision to show up even when you don’t want to, or when the water feels colder, or the clock feels faster, and motivation feels just out of reach. Determination is what transforms goals into habits and habits into results.
But determination alone isn’t enough, you need motivation to fuel it. Motivation can come from many places: a personal record you’re chasing, a teammate pushing you to go faster, or the simple love of the water. The key is to hold onto that “why” when the season gets tough, becaus it will. Long practices, demanding workouts, and mental fatigue are all part of the journey. What separates good swimmers from great ones is the ability to push through those moments.
This season, challenge yourself to set clear, meaningful goals. Not just outcome goals like winning races or qualifying for meets, but process goals: perfecting your turns, improving your stroke technique and stroke counts, or maintaining focus during every set. These small, consistent improvements build the foundation for big achievements.
Equally important is supporting one another. Swimming may seem like an individual sport, but every swimmer knows the power of a strong team. Encouragement from teammates, shared struggles, and collective victories make the journey more rewarding and keep motivation alive throughout the season.
As you stand on the edge of this new season, remember progress doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built lap by lap, day by day. Stay patient. Stay focused. And most importantly, stay committed.
So, take a deep breath, step up to the side of the pool, and dive in!!
This is your season, make it count.
COACH BRAYDEN
Hi everyone,
I just want to take a moment to emphasize how well this short course season went. Hats off to all of our swimmers who made it to a qualifying meet—an awesome accomplishment and something to be proud of!
As we transition into the long course season, I’m excited to see what this group can accomplish next. With that, I’d really like to see more swimmers consistently bringing their own personal gear to practice so we can maximize our time in the water.
Practice Gear by Squad:
Senior / Elite Group
Goggles (plus backup pair)
Swim cap
Fins
Kickboard
Pull buoy
Paddles
Snorkel (if used in your group)
Water bottle
Gold / Advanced Group
Goggles
Swim cap
Fins
Kickboard
Pull buoy
Paddles (as assigned)
Water bottle
Silver / Intermediate Group
Goggles
Swim cap
Fins
Kickboard
Pull buoy
Water bottle
Bronze / Developmental Group
Goggles
Swim cap
Fins (if available)
Kickboard
Water bottle
Having your gear at practice is more than just being prepared—it’s a sign of commitment to yourself and to the team. When swimmers consistently bring their equipment, it shows they are ready to work, focused on improving, and taking ownership of their development. It also allows practices to run more efficiently, keeps athletes engaged, and helps everyone get the most out of each set. Small habits like being prepared every day lead to bigger results over time.
Let’s come into this season hungry. I want to see determination, competitiveness, and a willingness to challenge one another every day at practice. That’s how we continue to grow and improve as a team.
Let’s get this season off to an amazing start!
– Coach Brayden
VOLUNTEER INFO
Volunteer Updates
Volunteer hour requirements reset every season.
The volunteer requirement is 10 hours per swimmer and is capped at 15 hours per family per season
Members who do not meet their volunteer commitment will be assessed $15 per hour not completed.
Penalties for failure to meet the volunteer commitment will be invoiced at the end of the season or upon member termination, whichever comes first.
You have the entire long course seasons to complete hours for long course (April - August)
Any hours not fulfilled (and submitted) by the end of July will be billed on August 1st. For any volunteer hours fulfilled in August your account will be adjusted
Hours can be completed by the athlete(s), family, or friends.
If you are interested in volunteering at the front desk in April and May, please sign up here. The next training will be provided on Monday 4/6, right after Bobby’s team meeting (roughly 6:35pm). Please RSVP to andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org if you plan to attend the training.
If you have questions about volunteering, please email andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org.
Friday Feast:
To kick off the Long Course Season, our next Friday Feast will be April 17th. This is a wonderful opportunity to share a meal, to connect with other DDAC families, celebrate our diversity, and create lasting memories together. Pre-comp families are welcome to join us for dinner
Practice for all swimmers: 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Potluck dinner: 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Please bring a dish to share. If you last name starts with:
A - N please bring a main dish
O - S please bring drinks
T - Z please bring dessert
Volunteers will be needed to support this event, please sign up here.
Swim Swap:
Many of our families have been lucky to receive gently used suits and gear passed down from other swimmers. Inspired by that generosity, the DDAC Swim Swap Spot was created.
The idea is simple: bring any swim gear (suits, fins, goggles, etc.) that your swimmer no longer needs, whether it’s outgrown, unused, or just not a fit anymore. These items can then be picked up by swimmers who may need them, making it easier for everyone to participate without extra cost or stress.
Guidelines:
Please only bring items in good, clean condition (used or new).
Items must be washed, if previously used.
New items are also welcome — we all know how kids sometimes change their minds or outgrow things before they’re even used!
Collection and Distribution:
We will have a spot set up at our next Friday Feast (4/17) for people to donate items. Feel free to look through these items and take what you need.
A volunteer will be needed to organize and support the Swim Swap Spot. If interested, please read the task list and sign up here.
Scholarship Update:
Families that submitted scholarship applications for LCS will be notified of their approval status the week of April 13th. Please reach out to Heather with any questions.
BottleDrop
BottleDrop Give is celebrating Earth Day by hosting their 6th Annual Earth Week Give campaign. Save up your cans and bottles NOW so you can turn them in between April 15 – 26 to earn DDAC a 20% match on all deposits. Blue bags are available at the front desk. Hand them out to friends, neighbors and coworkers.
New to Bottle Drop? It's easy! Fill up the BLUE bag with empty Oregon deposit containers (whole cans only, nothing crushed). If you include a lot of glass, make sure it is not more than 20lbs. When full, cinch the bag completely closed and tie it securely. There is a square white sticker already on the bag that labels it as part of the DDAC fundraiser. It can also be used to open the drop box door when you scan it. Drop the bag off at any Bottle Drop Center or Bottle Drop Express. You can search here for the location closest to you.
Swim-a-Thon will be on May 8th!
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and it is a great way to raise money for our Club. Our athletes raise money by swimming as many lengths of the pool as they can within two hours. Swimmers ask people in their community to pledge money per length, or make a flat donation in support of the team. It is a really fun event and there are fun prizes too. More info coming soon!
Additionally, corporate sponsorships can be a huge benefit to any sports team. If your company, or someone you know, would be willing to sponsor our team, provide a flat donation, or has a matching program, please connect with Andrea or Heather.
SWIMMER’S OF THE MONTH
Senior - Elliot Huelshoff
Gold - Danni Schommer-Ceja
Silver 2 - Frank Raskauskas
Silver 1 - Kevin Nguyen
Bronze 2 - Penny Habtai
Bronze 1 - Flora Provenzola
MARCH BIRTHDAY’S
04/10/2014 Maxwell Kue Bronze
04/01/2013 Bryan Li Silver II
04/20/2012 Leon Lohrmann-Riggs Silver II
04/18/2013 Charlotte Robinson Gold
04/17/2015 Ettlin Solbjor Pre-Comp
04/14/2015 Abigail Wright Pre-Comp
04/03/2016 Furyan Abdullah Silver I
04/23/2015 Sesen Beyene Bronze
04/26/2015 Nathan Chen Bronze
04/11/2014 Naomi Fledderjohann Bronze II
04/24/2012 Daphney Flores Gold
04/29/2012 Lily Huynh Bronze
04/14/2010 Tierney King Senior
BOARD MEMBERS
Jennifer Robinson – Member Representative
jennifer.robinson@ddacswim.org
Halle Cisco – Marketing & Communications
halle.cisco@ddacswim.org
Jamie King – Coach
jamie.king@ddacswim.org
Coaches:
bobby.deroest@ddacswim.org
brayden.franzke@ddacswim.org
James Bowe – President
jim.bowe@ddacswim.org
Crystal Mandery – Vice President
crystal.mandery@ddacswim.org
Jennifer Lindeman – Secretary
jennifer.lindeman@ddacswim.org
Heather Franklin – Treasurer
heather.franklin@ddacswim.org
Andrea Guillet – Volunteer Coordinator
andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org