October 2025 Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE:
Oct 6 - New Parent Orientation @ 6:30pm (all new families to attend)
Oct 11-12 - LA Fall Kick-Off - Parkrose Pool
Oct 13 - Chipotle Fundraiser, 5-9pm (Mall 205 location)
Oct 17 - All scholarship applications due (turn in at front desk)
Oct 18-19 - Vast Classic - Federal Way, WA
Nov 1 to 30 - See’s Candies Fundraiser
Nov 3 - New Parent Orientation @ 6:30pm (all new families to attend)
Nov 12 - Board Meeting @ 8pm on Zoom (anyone is welcome to attend)
Nov 21 - Friday Feast @ Pizza Baron with Silent Auction fundraiser
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Hello from the Coaches
Volunteer Info
Question of the Month
Stand-out Swimmers
October Birthday’s
Swim Meet Prep
Thank you to our official team sponsor Arena
RESOURCES:
Volunteer Hours / Event Sign Up / OSI Time Standards / USA Swimming / DDAC Facebook
Translated versions: RUSSIAN SPANISH VIETNAMESE
FROM THE COACHES
COACH JIM
DDAC Members,
Welcome back to another exciting year of swimming at DDAC. I want to take the time to look at all the areas of growth we accomplished as a swim community last year:
In the last year under the leadership of a great parent group we have added:
Pre comp swim group
Friday Feasts
A dryland program and dedicated dryland coach
3 new coaches to the staff (Jamie, Matt, Kendra)
A corporate sponsor committee
Math tutoring and outreach program
Received the Nike Community Impact Grant
Last year was an incredible year of growth for our program.
Looking forward to this year setting the goal to continue the community focus and we begin to increase our competitiveness in the State, Regional and National level.
In order for this to happen there are 5 areas of focus that will help us grow.
Dedication to the program and understanding the growth and demands of each level.
Developing habits of a high level program.
Meet attendance
Dryland work at home to increase flexibility, strength and athleticism.
Goals setting (knowing time standards at the state, regional and national level)
Improving in these 5 areas will increase our success in the water as we celebrate the community we have built out of the water.
Coach Jim
COACH BOBBY
Setting Goals: The Secret to Success in Swimming
If you’re a swimmer you’ve probably heard about the importance of setting goals. But why does goal setting matter so much for swimmers? The answer is simple: it helps swimmers stay motivated, focused, and excited about improving, no matter their age or skill level.
Swimming practice can be tough, especially when progress feels slow or you’re working on challenging skills like starts or flip turns. Setting goals gives young swimmers something to work toward every day, helping them:
Stay motivated through long practices and tough workouts
Build confidence by celebrating small improvements
Learn focus and discipline — skills that help in and out of the pool
Understand that success is a journey, not just a finish line
Goal don’t have to be all about race times. In fact, goals focused on skills or habits are often more rewarding. Here are three types of goals to try:
Skill Goals — “I want to improve my DPS in freestyle” or “I will streamline better every time I push off the wall.”
Effort Goals — “I will give 100% at every practice.”
Time Goals — “I want to drop 2 seconds in my 50 freestyle by the next meet.”
Swimming is about more than just races—it’s about learning, growing, and loving the sport. Setting goals gives swimmers a roadmap to success, keeping them motivated and helping them enjoy every stroke along the way.
Every great swimmer started with small goals and big dreams.
COACH BRAYDEN
We had a fantastic Saturday practice on 9/20, and I want to give a special shoutout to the swimmers who stood out for their exceptional effort and focus:
Topher, Eva, Christina, Frank, Xander, Desmond, Sebastian, and Claire – Awesome work!
Your energy and attitude were contagious, and it’s been amazing to see everyone pushing each other to get better each day. The team as a whole is showing noticeable improvement, and that’s something to be proud of!
Our 5 Focus Points:
We’ve been drilling down on five key skills, and the progress is showing:
Streamline off every wall
2-second torpedo (hold that glide!)
3 dolphin kicks
3 strokes no breathing
Counting your strokes each length
Keep these in mind during every set—mastering the basics leads to big breakthroughs.
October Focus: Know Your Times!
This month, we’re adding an important habit:
Get your time every time you finish a swim.
Knowing your times helps you track your progress and pushes you to set goals. The clock never lies, and learning to do the math, stay accountable, and understand your pacing is what takes a good swimmer to the next level.
Upcoming Meets – Let’s Go, DDAC!
We’ve got some exciting meets on the calendar:
Legacy Start-Up Meet @ Parkrose
BIG Travel Meet @ King County Aquatic Center (for Senior, Gold, and select Silver swimmers) – A world-class pool and a great chance to race against top competition!
Let’s bring our energy, our skills, and our team pride to every race. The more DDAC swimmers on deck, the louder we cheer, and the stronger we compete.
Thanks for all your hard work—keep showing up, giving your best, and supporting each other. Let’s crush October and race with heart.
LET’S GO DDAC!
VOLUNTEER INFO
Urgent Call: Become an Official for Our Swim Team!
We are in critical need of more swim officials to ensure our meets run smoothly and that we are able to attend away meets. Currently, we have only two parent officials, but given our membership size, we need at least six. We are required to provide officials at every meet we host and attend—and our team has even been turned away from meets due to our lack of officials.
As we enter the short course season, 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 and enjoy some great benefits. Please review this info document for detailed information on the roles, benefits, and steps required to become an official.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out. Our two trained officials are happy to answer questions and share their experience with you.
FUNDRAISING UPDATES:
Eat Chipotle on October 13th and help David Douglas Aquatics Club.
From 5:00-9:00pm at the Chipotle at 10090 SE Washington St, mention the fundraiser at checkout and they'll donate 25% of the proceeds to the Club!
You MUST show the flyer or mention David Douglas Aquatics Club BEFORE you check out to make it count! The more supporters you bring in, the more our swimmers benefit!
Order online and pick up Chipotle for your fundraiser by using the Promo Code MXNVEAP on the Chipotle app or website. Please note that fundraiser online ordering is only valid through pickup during your fundraiser’s scheduled date, time, and assigned restaurant. Online orders will only count for pickup through the official Chipotle App or on their website.
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, November 21st
7-10pm
Pizza Baron
30% of ALL PIZZA purchased goes to the fundraiser!
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Fred Meyer’s Community Rewards
Link your Fred Meyer community rewards to support DDAC! Every dollar you spend at Fred Meyer helps support the DDAC swim team. Sign into your Fred Meyer account and choose to support the David Douglas Aquatics Club. Don’t have an account? No worries! It is quick and easy to set one up. It’s a win win! You earn points and give back to the club at the same time! It’s effortless fundraising! Share with friends and family!
Bottle Drop
You can help raise money for David Douglas Aquatics Club by recycling your bottles and cans. It's easy! Fill up a BLUE bag with empty Oregon deposit containers. When full, cinch the bag securely and drop off at any Bottle Drop Center. There is a square white sticker already on the bag that labels it as part of the DDAC fundraiser and can also be used to open the drop box door when you scan it. Pick up bags at the front desk. Friends and neighbors can do it too so spread the word and take them a blue bag!
Check out the new system and sign up here: https://ddac.as.me/
If you have any questions, please email andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org. Feedback is welcome.
STAND-OUT SWIMMERS
Let’s recognize our Stand-Out Swimmers of the LC 2025 Season
Aaron Lei – Unbelievable Improvement based on relentless dedication
Lucien Wick – First Time State Qualifier!! Outstanding LC Season
Ivy Nguyen – Took BIG Steps forward in her swimming. Sky's the limit!!
JJ Taekker – Made a big shift to become more competitive every day. Excited to see what’s next.
Alisa Korf – Super Attitude, Improving very quickly, extraordinary potential.
OCTOBER BIRTHDAY’S
10/14/2015 Alice Nolan Bronze II
10/04/2013 Grace Peterson Bronze II
10/17/2007 Austin Pham Senior
10/25/2012 Netanya Weldemariam Gold
10/16/2012 Carlie Wood Gold
10/16/2012 William Worthing Gold
10/24/2012 Alexander Ashmore Gold
10/23/2013 Noelani Doherty Gold
10/08/2011 Levi Harris Gold
10/20/2015 Ezra Junio Silver I
10/23/2013 David King Bronze
10/15/2014 Charles Nelson Silver I
10/14/2015 Kevin Minh Nguyen Silver I
SWIM MEET PREP
If you are new to swimming or if your swimmer has never attended a swim meet before, please watch this video with your swimmer to help prepare for our upcoming meets. It gives a great overview of what to expect at your first swim meet, including pre-meet prep, day of details and why in the world you might want to pack a Sharpie!
BOARD MEMBERS
Jennifer Robinson – Member Representative
jennifer.robinson@ddacswim.org
Halle Cisco – Marketing & Communications
halle.cisco@ddacswim.org
Jamie King – Member Representative
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