For a final time this season...  Hello, my dear Sharks Families.

Now that the dust has settled, we've finally had a moment to reflect on what an unforgettable season we just shared.  We jumped in with both feet and gave it everything we had for two incredible months. It was fast, it was full, and it was beautiful chaos in the best way.  We celebrated countless Personal Bests, broke some team, and saw more proud, joy filled smiles than we could possibly count.

This season wasn’t just successful—it was special. One we’ll carry with us for a long time.  Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you were in the pool, on the sidelines, or behind the scenes, your heart and dedication made more of an impact than you know.

To our incredible coaches: thank you for your unwavering patience, expert guidance, and the heart you poured into every swimmer. You taught more than technique—you taught resilience, teamwork, and confidence.

To the YMCA: thank you for giving us the space (literally!) to grow and thrive—even when last-minute schedule changes had us all doing mental gymnastics. Your flexibility made it all possible.

To our swimmers: thank you for showing up with energy, determination, and just the right amount of silliness. You worked hard, played harder, and made us all proud every single day.

And to our amazing parents: thank you for mastering the art of the “Swim Taxi” (yes, first-time swim parents—those magnets are real! 😂). Your dedication and sideline cheers didn’t go unnoticed. This season wouldn’t have happened without your constant support.

None of this magic would be possible without every single one of you. So from the bottom of our hearts—thank you for helping make this season so special.

If you were not able to make the Pizza Party:

The mailboxes will remain in the swim club for the entirety of this upcoming week. After that, I will be taking them home with me. If you are unable to get to the Y this week, please let me know and we can work out something out.  There were also awards not labeled for 3 events at "Big Kids" champs.  We are in the process of getting those sorted so there may be a second "pick up" day at the Y.

So... Your swimmer wants to keep swimming? What are your options?

There are so many options... lessons, clinics, club teams. Here are some things to think about:

** How much (often) does your swimmer want to be in the pool?

** Does your swimmer participate in any other activities?

** How far are you willing to travel for practices?

There are many programs out there... something for everyone, but there is 1 club in particular that hold a very special place in the Midura hearts.

YMCA of the Jersey Shore (Formerly GMNY or Greater Monmouth) If your swimmer wants to jump right into the year round swimming world, I HIGHLY recommend the JSY program. Many of our coaches came through JSY, including Coach Gaby, Coach Prisha, Coach Maayan, Coach Zach, Coach Raf, Coach Matt and Coach Jude.   My own daughter swam there for 7 years... right up to graduation!  It is a very well organized and highly competitive YMCA program while still being very inclusive, nurturing and skills focused. They strictly adhere to all Safe Sport rules and regulations. You will have the option of training at the Red Bank, Wall or Freehold/Old Bridge locations. Your swimmer will have an assigned practice schedule at the discretion of the administration and coaches.

Tryouts for GMNY are on Saturday, August 16th and 23rd, at Camp Zehnder in Wall Township. Online registration is highly recommended. Full information on these tryouts can be found HERE.   If you are away and cannot make the tryout, alternate arrangements may be possible.

GMNY also offers a competitive swim camp at the end of August, at Camp Zehnder in Wall. Information on Competitive Swim Camp can be found HERE

More information on this program can also be found on our league website.

And so we've reached the end.  To our new families: We hope that you fully understand what we meant at our very first parent meeting when we said, We are a family. Because that’s exactly what we’ve become. The bond we share as Freehold Sharks is rare, and it's something incredibly special.  It is what keeps our swimmers coming back year after year (after year, after year...)

There’s truly nothing out there quite like this team. We will miss the energy, the laughter, the early mornings, the proud moments, and most of all—the people. Every single one of you brought something beautiful to this season and we hope that you all look back with pride, accomplishment and belonging.

When we are gearing up to open registration for the 2026 season, we will reach to our 2025 Sharks so that you will have first crack at the limited number of spots on our team. We hope you will all come back for another summer of Sharks Memories <3

With all the love and affection in our hearts,

Nicole & Sherrill