February 2026 Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE
February 7-8 - LA February Qualifier
February 15 - LA Last Chance
February 20 - Team Relay Meet & Friday Feast (details below)
February 21-22 - 10U State Championships
February 28 - LA 11 Over Last Chance
March 5-8 - 11-14 State Championships
May 8th - Swim-A-Thon
May 16th and 17th - Sextathlon Swim Meet @ DD
June 12th to 15th - 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
February 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
Relay Meet & Friday Feast – February 20, 5-7:30pm
Relay meet for all swimmers: 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Potluck dinner: 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Please bring a dish to share. 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 for the relays and dinner.
The 10U State Swimmers will not be included in the meet since the State Championship Meet begins the next day. They are welcome to cheer on our swimmers during the relays and then join us for dinner.
If you last name starts with:
A - E please bring drinks
F - K please bring desert
L - Z please bring main dish
Volunteers will be needed to support this event, please sign up here.
FROM THE COACHES
COACH JIM
Championship season is upon us. This is an exciting part of the swim season when all those hours of practice pay off. The recipe for a great end of season performances:
Opportunity
Preparation
Motivation
The end of the season meets provide the opportunity, you provide the motivation and the work you have done at practice is the preparation. So as you step up on the blocks, be excited, believe in the work you have done and take advantage of the opportunity.
Update on the David Douglas High School Team:
We finished the dual meet season with both the girls and boys team going undefeated for the season. The team is preparing for the district championship meet that will be held at David Douglas February 13th and 14th and the High School State meet that will be at THills February 21st and 22nd. Good luck to all our high school athletes no matter what school you will be representing.
COACH BOBBY
The Power of Visualization Before Championship Meets
As championship season approaches, the hardest work is already behind us. The hours in the pool, the early mornings, the tough sets—those have built the fitness. Now, the final edge often comes from what happens outside the water.
That edge is visualization.
Visualization is the practice of mentally rehearsing your race before you ever step onto the blocks. Elite swimmers use it constantly, but it’s just as powerful for every athlete on the team.
When you visualize, don’t just “see” yourself swimming—experience it. Picture walking onto the pool deck. Hear the crowd and the echoes in the natatorium. Feel the texture of the block under your feet and the tension before the start. Then swim your race in your mind exactly the way you want it to happen: a fast reaction off the start, smooth underwater kicks, strong turns, and a confident finish.
Why does this matter? Because your brain doesn’t fully distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. Visualization helps:
Build confidence by making the race feel familiar
Reduce nerves by replacing fear with preparation
Reinforce race strategy and technique
Strengthen focus when it matters most
Championship meets are emotional. The swimmers who perform best aren’t the ones who hope things go right—they’re the ones who’ve already seen themselves succeed.
A simple routine can make visualization part of your preparation:
Take 2–5 quiet minutes each day leading into the meet
Close your eyes and breathe slowly
Mentally swim your race from start to finish
If a mistake happens in your mind, rewind and replay it correctly
By the time you step onto the blocks, your body won’t be guessing what to do—it will be executing a plan your mind already knows.
Train hard. Trust your work. And see the race before you swim it.
COACH BRAYDEN
Hey DDAC Swimmers & Families,
This season has been awesome to watch. Across all squads, there has been a noticeable shift toward a stronger, more competitive drive, and it’s showing every single day at practice. With our biggest meets of the season right around the corner, it’s time to lock in and keep our eyes on the prize.
That prize looks different for everyone:
Chasing state times if you haven’t hit them yet
Training with intention so you can perform your best at the end of the season
That grit and focus you bring to practice now is what’s going to pay off when it matters most.
Gear Bag Shoutout 👏
I also want to give a huge shoutout to swimmers who are already coming to practice with their own gear bags. This is awesome to see. Having a dedicated gear bag shows preparedness, organization, and a commitment to getting better.
On the Silver Squad, shoutout to:
Zander Haney
Desmond Perkins
You guys are locked in and ready for action every day. Great job.
For parents looking to get gear bags, you can find plenty of options on SwimOutlet or wherever you typically purchase swim gear. DDAC is sponsored by Arena, so Arena gear is always encouraged and looks great on deck!
What Should Be in Your Gear Bag?
Bronze Squad
Kickboard
Pull buoy
Fins (preferably short fins)
Silver Squad
Everything from Bronze
Freestyle snorkel
Gold / Senior Squad
Everything from Bronze & Silver
Hand paddles
Having your gear ready means no matter what the practice throws at you, you’re prepared.
Training With Purpose
As we move through this month, let’s train with clear goals in mind. Know your goal times and understand what they require.
For example:
If your goal in the 500 Freestyle is 6:00, you need to know that means averaging 36.0 per 50. When you’re asked to hit goal pace in practice, that number should immediately pop into your head. This kind of awareness is what separates good training from great training.
Let’s keep building, pushing, and sharpening our focus so we can perform at our best when it counts most.
Let’s go DDAC!
– Coach Brayden
VOLUNTEER INFO
This is your reminder to submit your Short Course Season volunteer hours before the end of February. Volunteer hours do not get credited to your account unless you enter them. Please enter all completed hours by completing this form (which can always be found on the DDAC website under the Volunteer tab).
You still have the month of March to complete your volunteer hours. I will be doing a true-up at the end of March to make any necessary adjustments and credit accounts as needed.
If you still need volunteer hours for this season, I could use help with:
Stroke and Turn Officials - We still need more swim officials to ensure our meets run smoothly and that we are able to attend away meets. Your participation is vital. Becoming an official is not only a key way to support our swimmers, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to earn volunteer hours on an ongoing basis and enjoy some great benefits. Read more here.
Front Desk Volunteer Coordinator - I need someone who is knowledgeable about the front desk who is willing to be the point person for managing sign ups, sending out monthly updates and providing training once a month to new volunteers. This position would cover your volunteer hours for the season.
Outreach for Donations - Soliciting prize donations for Swim-A-Thon. Template provided along with a list of places to reach out to.
Email DDACvolunteer@gmail.com with any questions and thank you for volunteering!
SWIMMER’S OF THE MONTH
Senior - Austin Pham
Gold - Bella Pietrzyk
Silver 2 - Alisa Korf
Silver 1 - Ezra Junio
Bronze 2 - Pauline Adam
Bronze 1 - Donnie Carpenter
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY’S
02/08/2008 Averyl Pena-Maningo Senior
02/15/2015 Oscar Sams Bronze
02/05/2015 Hanna Starr Bronze
02/21/2012 Meredith Sweeney Bronze II
02/03/2013 Ethan Chen Silver II
02/12/2015 Emily Eschweiler Pre-Comp
02/13/2018 Stokely Franklin Bronze
02/09/2015 Peniel Habtai Bronze II
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