Hangzhou Water Weekly

Water Weekly [February 9-13] 新年快乐

Training Next Week

All sessions on Friday 13th afternoon will be cancelled, the sessions this impacts is: Rainbow Squad, Blue Squad, and White Squad. Artistic Swimming has moved on this day as a one off time change 3:15pm - 4:15pm. We are canceling the other sessions to allow our local staff to leave work early on a very important holiday for them so they can maximize time with loved ones and start the Spring (eating) festival early!

Friday 13th early morning session from 6:15am-7:30am will continue as usual.

SSL Round 3 - HIS takes 3rd overall team!!

Hosting perspective

The Aquatics Department would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to all of our parents who have supported us at SSL R3 and throughout all events this year. For those who volunteer, you already know how much work goes into organising swimming events from a hosting perspective. Thank you, truly, we could not have done it without you.

The feedback from the SSL Coaching Community has been overwhelmingly positive. Several coaches shared that this was the most well-organised and aesthetically impressive SSL Meet they have ever attended.

A special thank‑you goes to Coach Nat for his exceptional planning. He was the driving force behind the meet, and we are fortunate to learn from his meticulous approach to event organisation. Hats off to Coach Nat!

Performance perspective

Hangzhou International School taking 3rd overall is a pivotal moment for our team, in the last 6 months we are creating an organised team structure with fair and reasonable expectations for success and participation.

With the coaches taking the lead on event selections and race strategy, our overall results were stronger than usual (and of course the home advantage), and the swimmers rose to the challenge with confidence and enthusiasm. Success at swim meets isn’t built on individual choices alone, it comes from trusting the process, supporting one another, and allowing the coaching team to make decisions that serve the whole group, while looking after each individual, striking a balance on a team is a balancing act.

Records broken listed by age range

11–12 Age Group

Individual Events

Maya M. – 31.80, 50m Backstroke
Maya M. – 2:27.91, 200m IM
Ophelia Y.– 36.33, 50m Breaststroke
Ophelia Y. – 1:08.33, 100m Butterfly
Alison S. – 30.19, 50m Butterfly

Relays

Mixed 11–12 200m SC Medley Relay
Maya Ma, Yihao Zhou, Alison Sun, Luke Petring – 2:06.49

13–14 Age Group

Individual Events

Shirley L. – 5:25.99, 400m IM
Shirley L – 27.65, 50m Freestyle
Jean M. – 25.73, 50m Backstroke
Jean M. – 52.02, 100m Freestyle
Jean M. – 25.51, 50m Butterfly
Jean M. – 23.35, 50m Freestyle

Relays

Mixed 13–14 200m SC Medley Relay
Jean Mao, Shirley Lin, Flynn Yu, Helen Zhong – 2:04.93

15 & Over Age Group

Individual Events

Simeon B. – 6:02.63, 400m IM
Simeon B. – 32.95, 50m Backstroke
Lin L. – 33.48, 50m Breaststroke
Lin L. – 1:07.40, 100m IM
Lin L. – 29.70, 50m Butterfly
Lin L. – 26.13, 50m Freestyle
Chen-Yen L. – 6:58.11, 400m IM
Chen-Yen L. – 1:11.22, 100m Freestyle
Naomi X. – 1:24.27, 100m IM

Relays

200m Freestyle Relay
Flynn Yu, Evan Hu, Lin Lai, Jean Mao – 1:42.95
200m Medley Boys Relay
Simeon Borsdorf, Lin Lai, Jean Mao, Flynn Yu – 1:57.6

Expectations

1. Minimum Weekly Training Requirement

Each swimmer must attend at least one (1) session per week on time with the right equipment including a water bottle.
If you have conflicts, please do your best to make up the session or by using prior communication.

We cannot provide high quality coaching when people do not come to training, or turn up late, or do not have the right equipment, please help us raise the bar, not lower it! Thank you for your attention on this matter.

2. Communication

If you are sick or cannot attend a session, you must email your coach.

Grade 6 and above: students are encouraged to email their coach themselves, parents please encourage them to work on building personal accountability.

3. Meet Protocols

Swimmers who sign up for meets must follow all team protocols, including:

Being present for warmups (anyone who does not attend warm-ups will be removed from the relay, if we do not have enough people to swim the relay we will cancel the relay of that age group, we need to create team accountability that your actions impact other people).
Attending all team meetings during the meet and being on time we can engage in warm-up that is suitable for our ability and in hope engage in a dry-land warm-up. When we have a cohesive team we can begin to raise the bar and engage in land warm-ups and have team meetings that inspire confidence and tips for success!

4. Event Commitment

Swimmers must compete in all events assigned to them by the coaching staff or be clearly discussed and reviewed before the entry deadline set by the coaches.

SSL Round 4 at The British International School Shanghai, Puxi

Who for: Student-athletes on our team in our Blue, Yellow, Gold and White Squad's that are 9 years old and over on the meet day. For those who would like to be selected for the ALL-STAR meet should swim at this event. Also, this event will be the last SSL Round before the Championships are held. Swimmers must have gained two (2) qualifying events to make our Championship Team and swim 1x per week with our school team.

Date: March, 21st 2026 (1-day event).

How to sign-up?: An invite will go out via SchoolsBuddy, please consent if you would like to go and decline if you will not attend. Those who consent will be sent further information next week, including team hotel booking links etc. Generally, information only goes out to people who express interest.

Teams competing: BISSX, Dulwich Suzhou, SSIS, YCIS, NIS, SASPd and HIS.

Pool: SCM, 6 lane.

Scoring: 1st -16th, Age-group 'high point trophy' 1st, 2nd and 3rd, all events will be combined with other pods (all events are timed finals).

Events (see below): Three (3) individual events permitted per swimmer.

Swimmer of the Month

Written & publish: Friday 30th January, 2026 by Cheryl Philp

Water Weekly [February 2 - February 8]

Training Next Week (Updated)

Please note a change to Monday PM training for both the Yellow and Gold Squads. The session will be adjusted to a 1‑hour practice, ending at 4:15pm.

As these swimmers will have been at the pool throughout the weekend, coaches will focus this session on reflection, reviewing video footage of their swims, and light recovery work. Swimmers should use the earlier finish to head home, rest, and ensure they stay on top of any outstanding coursework.

SSL Round 3

Detailed information for SSL Round 3 was shared yesterday (Thursday, 29th January) via a SchoolsBuddy notification. Please review that message for full logistical details.

Parent Access & Hall Procedures

No parents from any schools should be in the sports hall.
Each team, including HIS, will receive a set number of passes allowing designated adults to enter the hall to support the coaching team with marshaling children.
Parents using these passes are acting as volunteers and will be assigned specific roles once inside the hall.

Leaving After Your Races / Departures

Student‑athletes are free to leave once all of their races are completed.
Before departing, swimmers must check in with Coach Alan and Coach Lynn in the sports hall to confirm they have no remaining races.
As there will be no awards ceremonies on Saturday or Sunday, swimmers who have finished all their events may leave.
Lower School swimmers must not leave alone.
It is polite and expected that swimmers go and thank their coach on deck before they leave.
Important: If a swimmer leaves early and subsequently misses a relay without prior clarification, please note that they will not be selected for future relay teams until they can demonstrate reliability and commitment to the team. This protects fairness for all teammates and maintains the integrity of our relay squads.

Monthly Movers

KK. L., & Terrance. X., have been promoted from the Blue Squad to the Yellow Squad. Both boys have been working extremely hard on developing their skills, and their steady progress has not gone unnoticed. Their commitment, consistency, and positive training habits have earned them this well‑deserved promotion. Congratulations again to both boys!

KK. L., Grade 3

Meet Cancellations for the Spring Season

The following Spring season meets have been canceled:

Dulwich Puxi LCM - May, 2026
- Has been canceled due to on-going facility renovations that will not be completed by May 2026.
Vietnam Meet - May, 2026
- Since China Trips clashes with the dates of the Vietnam Meet, our department made the decision to cancel this trip.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

SSL vs Beijing ALLSTARS

We would like to share an important update regarding the selection procedures for the upcoming SSL vs Beijing All-Stars Meet, May 30-31th, 2026. The league has recently revised how swimmers will be chosen for this new event.

Change in League Selection Process

Originally, the intention was to select the fastest 16 swimmers in each age group and event from the Shanghai/Hangzhou region. However, the league’s Chair has updated the process to keep selections equitable and in line with school values.

Each school will now be allowed to send a maximum of four (4) swimmers.
If overall participation numbers are low after all schools submit their entries, additional spots may become available.

To ensure fairness and consistency across the league, selections will be based primarily on results from SSL Round 4, rather than the Championships. This is due to the short timeframe between the Championship Meet and the All-Stars event, which limits preparation and evaluation opportunities.

The league made this change to:

Promote balanced representation across all schools
Uphold morals, ethics, and values shared across the SSL
Avoid a competition dominated by only a few high‑performing programs
Provide a more inclusive All‑Stars experience

What This Means for HIS

With the new 4‑swimmer limit, the HIS coaching team faces the challenging task of selecting a small group from a talented pool of 8–12 swimmers who have shown All‑Stars potential.

Next week, the coaching staff will hold a collaborative meeting to confirm our team’s selection method and to ensure our approach is:

Transparent
Fair
In alignment with league expectations
Supportive of student‑athlete development

Coach Cheryl's Proposed Selection Criteria

To guide this process, we may plan to use a weighted selection rubric, ensuring decisions are data‑supported and easy to communicate.

HIS All‑Stars Selection Rubric

Primary reference: SSL Round 4 results using the flowing categories in a percentage, that can be discussed by coaches.

A. Round 4 Performance

Event performance using time standards or comparative rankings, points gained for the team.

B. Contribution to the All-Stars Team

Relay value
Versatility and ability to cover multiple events
Overall competitive readiness

C. Consistency & Reliability

Attendance at meets thus far
Training commitment to HIS team
Coachability and race preparation, with showing respect to coaches and our renewed structure since August 2026

D. Representation & Sportsmanship

Upholding HIS values
Leadership
Team-first behaviour

Once the initial four swimmers have been selected, HIS will also name alternates, in case the league releases additional spots after evaluating submissions from all schools.

We will provide clear expectations ASAP.

Water Weekly - Jan 26 - Feb 1

Cancelled Training – Friday 30th January

Please note that all training is cancelled next Friday, including:

Yellow & Gold morning training

All after‑school sessions

This cancellation allows staff time to prepare the pool and facilities for SSL Round 3. All sessions will be cancelled on SchoolsBuddy, with a reminder sent closer to the date.

SSL Round 3 – Hosted at HIS (Jan. 31 – Feb. 1)

Entries Closed - Final Check

SSL Round 3 entries have now been finalised, updated and sent out in the HIS Quick Info Group. Each entry has been selected intentionally, aligned with athlete development and team strategy.

From Monday, we can no longer make changes to events, only scratches.
➡️ If there is an error in events, please contact us immediately.

Parent Volunteers – Final Reminder

Thank you to those who have already signed up! We are still seeking parent volunteers to support running this home meet. Your time and help are essential to a successful weekend - thank you for supporting our swimmers.

Team Clothing Reminder

Rocket Science Team merchandise should be arriving shortly.
All swimmers are expected to wear at least one item on competition days to help build team culture and identity.

ACAMIS Junior Updates

ACAMIS Junior Photos – Wednesday
Photos will take place next Wednesday 28th.

Students should bring HIS or Swim Team‑specific clothing for the shoot

Swimmers not normally attending Yellow Squad training should arrange alternative transport. Pick‑up will be from approximately 3:45pm onwards
Those who do regularly train will take their photo and then go to The Wave to finish their regular swimming session.

Training Reminder: ACAMIS Junior swimmers are strongly encouraged to sign up for at least one morning session on Tuesday and/or Thursday (6:15–7:30am).

General Reminders

Please notify your child’s primary coach if they are sick or injured

Student‑athletes should aim to be on deck 10 minutes before training

All meets, entries, and attendance policies remain as outlined previously

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support and communication. Hosting SSL at home is a big moment for our program, and we’re excited to welcome teams to HIS this coming week.