A Letter to Our Stone Lake Family

As we wrap up our two seasons together as Stone Lake Swim Team Co-Chairs, we've spent a lot of time reflecting on what an incredible two years it has been. The overwhelming feeling isn't pride in what we accomplished—it's gratitude for the people we got to accomplish it with.

When we said yes to leading this team together, we did it for one simple reason: our kids love Stone Lake. We wanted to invest in something that had given so much to our families, and we hoped we could leave our mark and make an already special team even better.

Together, we did just that.

Over the past two years, Stone Lake has continued to grow in incredible ways. We welcomed the largest teams in our history—adding 10 swimmers our first year and another 17 the next. We celebrated back-to-back wins over Gower, sent a record number of swimmers to C&C in 2025, expanded our Guppy program and created a Guppy Meet experience our youngest swimmers could be proud of. We introduced Hot Heats, refreshed traditions like Swimmer of the Week and our Hype Chains, elevated our communication and social media, grew sponsorships beyond what we imagined, turned concessions back into a profitable part of our program, and—with thoughtful planning and careful stewardship—finished the season (99.9% sure) with a positive operating balance for the first time in several years. We're incredibly proud that we were able to continue investing in the swimmer experience while also putting the program on stronger financial footing for the future.

But those aren't the things we'll remember most.

We'll remember the early mornings and late-night phone calls. The countless texts with coaches, committee members, and volunteers. The hours spent talking through every possible scenario, trying to anticipate the hiccups before they happened so that, for our families, the season simply felt seamless. We'll remember the people who quietly stepped in to solve problems before anyone else even knew they existed. The parents who said "yes" one more time, the teenagers who became role models, the coaches who poured into hundreds of kids, and the volunteers who made impossible things look effortless.

Stone Lake has never been about two co-chairs. It's always been about a village.

One of the things we're most proud of is the team of people around us. We believed in putting the right people in the right places, empowering them to lead, and trusting them to make Stone Lake even better. The success of these past two seasons belongs to every coach, committee chair, volunteer, sponsor, parent, swimmer, and family who believed in this team.

We would also be remiss if we didn't recognize the incredible women who came before us. Holly Melton, Leora Riordan, Sara Ryberg, Jamie Whitlock, Jessica Clements, and Amanda Sopko each left their own unique mark on Stone Lake. They brought fresh ideas, structure, systems, traditions, and an unwavering love for this team. Every one of them poured their hearts into making Stone Lake better than they found it.

The truth is, we didn't build this team—we inherited an incredible foundation. Because of the countless hours they invested over the past decade, we were set up for success from day one. We simply had the privilege of building on what they so thoughtfully created, and we hope we've honored their legacy by continuing to move this team forward.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Pool Board. Serving the swim team means working hand in hand with the Board, and while we may have occasionally approached discussions with the passion of a college debate team, every conversation was rooted in the same goal: doing what was best for Stone Lake.

We are incredibly grateful for a Board that listened, challenged ideas, and partnered with us to find solutions that supported not only our swim team but also the safety, enjoyment, and long-term success of our entire pool community. We always left the table working toward the same finish line—and that's what makes Stone Lake so special.

Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for supporting our crazy ideas. Thank you for showing up, volunteering, cheering loudly, and believing in what Stone Lake can be.

Most importantly, thank you for raising kids who make this place worth pouring our hearts into. What a gift it has been to spend these two years working side by side, pouring everything we had into a place and a team our families love so much.

What a season. What a team. What a village.

Once a Stingray, always a Stingray.

With grateful hearts,

Barbe & Trina
Stone Lake Swim Team Co-Chairs

Thank you to our 2025 & 2026 Committee Members:

Co-Chairs--Trina Conley and Barbe Morris

Sail Reps--Hannah Metcalfe and Dan Stratton

New Parent Liaison--Jeanie Stratton

Volunteers--Laura Campuzano

Officials--Alvi Velez

Computers--Amanda Sopko and Ginny Watkins

Apparel & Merch--Erin Fuduric and Annie Singletary

Concessions--Corey Getson

Sponsorships--Adam Pfeiffer and Zandrea Pfeiffer

Social Events--Zandrea Pfeiffer and Meg Hooper (2025) Meg Hooper, Lauren Cooper, and Kate Thompson (2026)

2025 Divisionals Chairs--Amanda Sopko and Kelly Cloyd

Newsletter--Kelly Cloyd and Trina Conley (2025) Lauren Cooper and Trina Conley (2026)

Social Media--Trina Conley

Meet & Equipment Haulers/Schleppers--Brent Hawthorne, Clyde Gibson, and Dan Stratton

Please take a minute to fill out our 2026 End of Season Swim Team Survey. Additionally, the Board has compiled a Leadership Interest & Skills Survey to help build strong teams, spread the workload, welcome new faces, and continue making Stone Lake the wonderful community we all enjoy. Thank you!