Hello Shark Families,
It’s hard to believe our last away dual meet of the season is this Tuesday! Where has the summer gone? With only a few weeks left, let’s make the most of every practice, meet, and team event.
We have some fun activities planned for both swimmers and parents this week, so be sure to check them out and join in on the fun!
Coach’s Corner
Hello, Sharks!
We are down to the final two weeks of practice before MICSA Finals takes over. While time is running out, we still have a chance to make those tweaks and improvements. The question is how do we reach those improvement goals? When I have talks with my Cranbrook team about this topic, the same quote pops up repeatedly.
How we do anything is how we do everything.
Looking at what we want to accomplish over the course of an entire season can seem huge. Broken down into small steps and daily victories, that huge dream is manageable. Start by choosing to have perfect streamlines off each wall. Decide that you are going to tuck your knees in fast each turn. Arrive 15 minutes early in shoes for stretching and drylands.
Soon enough the excellence devoted to one simple task will spread to the rest of your swimming. Make the choice to get better. Make the choice to be elite.
SHARKS ROCK!
Coach Paul
🏊🌊 Shark Week Practice Schedule
Refer to the calendar tab on the website for the standard group practice times.
🚨Friday practice (7/10) schedule change due to multiple swim meets Friday morning:
Makos, Tigersharks, and Fins: NO PRACTICE
Jaws & Hammers: Practice COMBINED from 7:30-9:30a
🏊♂️🦈 Upcoming Meets
All Swimmers should wear:
- Team t-shirt, team suit, and team cap
7/7 – BAC @ RR (Away Meet)
Bus Info
- Bus Sign-up available in the BAC App or Member portal. $25 each swimmer
- Arrive for Bus: 3:00p
- Bus Departs: 3:15p
Meet Schedule
- Warm-up: 4:15p
- Meet Start: 5:15p
If you don’t take the bus please make sure your swimmer checks in with a coach when they arrive and they are ready to get in the water right at 4:15p.
7/10 – OLCC 8 & Under Mini Meet
Meet Schedule
- Arrive: 7:45a
- Warm-up: 8:00a
- Timers Meeting: 8:45a
- Meet Start: 9:00a
Please make sure your swimmer checks in with a coach when they arrive. Be on the lookout for an email from me as it gets closer with more meet details.
7/10 GOCC Splash Bash 12 & Under Mini Meet
Meet Schedule
- Arrive: 7:45a
- Warm-up: 8:00a
- Meet Start: 9:20a
Please make sure your swimmer checks in with a coach when they arrive.
🦈 Upcoming Events & Important Dates
We have a fun few weeks ahead as we head into the final stretch of the season! Please take a moment to review the upcoming events, deadlines, and important team information below.
🧢 Dress Like Your Favorite Coach — July 8
It’s time to show off your Shark spirit! Swimmers can come to practice dressed like their favorite coach! If choosing a favorite coach is too difficult, wear your favorite Shark apparel and show your team pride! 🦈
🏊 Floats & Floats — July 8 | 5:00–8:00 PM
Grab your family, bring your favorite float, and join us for a fun evening at the pool!
We’ll be making a splash, enjoying dinner and ice cream floats on the terrace. Please remember floats take time to inflate, so plan accordingly.
Sign up: BAC App or Member Portal
Cost: $30
We can’t wait to see everyone for this fun family night!
📸 Swimmer Photos — Deadline Extended to July 12
The photo deadline has been extended!
You should have received an email from Visual Sports Network (VSN) with instructions to review and order your swimmer’s photos.
Please place your order by July 12 to receive FREE shipping to the Club. Orders placed after this date will be shipped directly to your home and standard shipping fees will apply.
If you did not receive an email from VSN, please contact them at 248.355.9525.
2026 COACH GIFTS
We are incredibly grateful for our amazing team of BAC coaches. Their dedication, energy, and enthusiasm have made this summer truly special for our Sharks. Whether in the pool, on the pool deck, cheering at meets, or even leading dance parties, they haven’t missed a beat.
This is an extraordinary group of individuals who have poured so much into our swimmers and we are so lucky to have them. Your BAC account will be billed $20 per swimmer to cover the cost of the coaches gifts.
If you prefer to opt out or contribute a different amount, please contact Jennifer Zumer at jzumer@bacmi.net by July 15.
🏴☠️ Pirates & Pancakes Practice — July 15
Ahoy, Sharks!
Swimmers will enjoy a pirate-themed practice filled with treasure hunts, walking the plank, and pancakes with friends — all during their regularly scheduled practice time.
🦈 Shark Splash — July 18
July 18 marks our final practice of the dual meet season!
This is always one of the most fun practices of the year. Swimmers will get to swim in their PJs and enjoy fun relays.
We’d also love to bring back Parent Relays! Interested parents can join the fun — no perfect stroke required, just a willingness to make it across the pool! 😄
Please email swimteam@bacmi.net if you’d like to participate.
TEAM BANQUET UPDATE
We’re combining the team banquet with our beloved “Plates, Plaques & Pasta” night on 7/21 at 5:00 PM to ensure greater participation and team-wide recognition.
- All swimmers will receive their award plaques and paper plate awards at this event.
- Special honors (Brutally Aggressive, Most Improved, Coach’s Award, etc.) will be announced during the End-of-Season Party on 7/26.
🏆 MICSA Finals — July 24–26
Finals are right around the corner!
Please visit the MICSA Finals website for the latest updates, including event details, ticket information, and sponsorship opportunities.
The finals team will be announced no later than July 19. To help coaches with roster planning, please make sure your swimmer’s availability is declared in Commit by July 11.
Whether or not your swimmer competes at finals, we hope all BAC families will join us for the End-of-Season Party on July 26 — a celebration for the entire Shark family!
FINALS TECH SUITS – IMPORTANT INFO
As we gear up for Finals, we encourage all swimmers to wear a tech suit if possible. These suits are designed to enhance performance by reducing drag in the water.
If you choose not to purchase a tech suit, a good alternative is a tighter-fitting suit, ideally 1–2 sizes smaller than your swimmer’s regular practice suit. It should fit snugly (even a bit uncomfortably) and may take a few minutes to put on — that’s normal!
Note for 12 & Unders: All tech suits must be approved by Coach Paulbefore Finals. Please bring your suit to him for review.
Need a Suit or Have One to Share?
If your swimmer has outgrown their tech suit, or if you have a gently used one to pass down, we encourage families to donate or swap suits.
📦 Bring any tech suits you’d like to donate/swap to the first Monday practice of Finals week
End of Season Slide Show
Julianne Nienberg has kindly offered to create our end of season photo slide show again! If you have any pictures you would like to include in the slide show this season, please post pictures to the following album.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/B6FPYXtze8u85wKYA
🥞 Pancake Breakfast — Every Week
Don’t forget about our weekly Pancake Breakfast in the Shark Tank! 🦈🥞
Every week | 9:30 AM–12:00 PM
Swimmers can enjoy breakfast before or after practice depending on their schedule.
Open to all BAC members — we hope to see you there!
🏊 Stroke Clinics
Help your swimmer take their skills to the next level with focused, small-group coaching.
With only 5 swimmers per coach, these sessions provide personalized feedback to help improve technique, efficiency, confidence, and overall performance.
Cost: $20 per session
Sign up: Commit
Need to cancel? Please email Coach Paul at pellis@bacmi.net.
🥒 Shark Parent Pickle Event
Don’t miss the final Shark Parent Pickle event of the season!
Come out, have fun, and enjoy some time with fellow Shark parents before the season wraps up.
🧜♀️Shark Mom Mahjong Event
Special thanks to Laura Shullman for planning another fun day! See information below.
📅 Mark Your Calendars
- July 7 – BAC @ RR (AWAY)
- July 8 – Dress like your Favorite Coach day
- July 8 – Floats & Floats Family Night 5-8p
- July 10 – Splash BASH 12 & Under @ GOCC
- July 10 – OLCC 8 & Under meet @ OLCC
- July 14 – CCD @ BAC (HOME) SENIOR NIGHT
- July 15 – Pirates & Pancakes day
- July 17 – DYC Mini Meet 10 & Under @ DYC
- July 18 – Shark Splash (Last Team Practice of the Dual Meet Season)
- July 20-26 – Finals Week
- July 21 – Plates, Plaques, & Pasta Dinner
- July 26 – Finals Party & Team Banquet
Go Sharks! 🦈
Alyson
swimteam@bacmi.net