ELITE NEWS BULLETIN 01-16-06
SPRING
SCHEDULE SET: SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN POOL TIME FOR 4 TRAINING GROUPS:
In
keeping with Elite’s efforts to become a more competitive swim program and to
provide its members with the very best product available, Elite has
significantly revised the training schedule for the Spring 2006 Session. This
practice schedule change is also expected to continue thru next the 2006-07
Winter season.
The new training schedule is the very definition
of efficiency: it provides more practice time for 4 training groups without
reducing the practice time for the remaining 3 groups!!! A copy of the Spring
Schedule is now posted on the website under “About Elite” and “Practice
Schedule.”
With
this change, Elite is formalizing the division within the program between Age
Group swimming (Marlin Teals, Marlin Blacks, Wave Teals, Wave Blacks and Wave
Golds) and Senior Level swimming (Senior Preps and Seniors). During the week, the Age Group training
groups will train at Newark Academy (unless unavailable) while the Senior Level
training groups will train at Morristown-Beard. Both pools will be ulitized
during the weekends.
The
change allows Elite to
offer more practice time and more pool space to the Marlin Blacks, Wave Teals,
Wave Blacks and the Wave Gold training groups without
changing the weekly amount of practice time for the Marlin Teals, Senior Preps
and Seniors. In addition and possibly even more important, all Age Group training groups will
have the entire 6 lanes at each practice for their entire practice. Lastly, Elite will formally limit each Age Group training group to 36
swimmers, thus providing each swimmer with ample space in which to train in
(maximum-6 swimmers to a lane).
The new practice
schedule provides the Marlin Blacks with practice 4 times a week (a 33%
increase), the Wave Teals 4 times a week (a 33% increase), the Wave Blacks 5
times a week (a 25% increase) and the Wave Golds will practice 6 times a week
(with an increase in dryland time, a 20% increase).
Remarkably, the
changes provide a much more streamline practice schedule: the same practice
times each day of the week for each training group (with only 1 minor exception
on Sunday for the Wave Blacks).
Parents should be
advised that the cost of each of the “expanded” programs will increase since
there will be additional costs associated with the additional practice time.
However, the cost increase will be less than the percentage increase in pool
time (a bigger bang for your buck!).
Be advised that
because of the increased pool time for these training groups, there will be less swimmers
promoted this winter into higher training groups for the spring session since the training “workload” will automatically increase significantly
for those remaining within their existing training groups. Swimmers moving into
the next higher training group will be close to “doubling” their training
workload (an issue the coaches will need to anticipate and monitor very, very
closely).
More practice time, more
room within practice and an easier practice schedule to remember: that
is Elite thinking!!!!
ASTONISHING
TIMES KEEP COMING:
DUVVURI, LI
QUALIFY FOR SUMMER ZONES AT BURGDORFF;
CONTINUED
DEVELOPMENT SEEN IN INTRACLUB MEET;
WAVE BLACKS
CONQUER DISTANCE:
Gathering momentum from last
weekend’s (Winterfest) strong performance, Elite swimmers continued their
impressive swimming this weekend in 3 separate meets:
Burgdorff:
Competing in the only winter meet
held in a long course venue (50 meters), Elite’s 3 representatives Priya
Duvvuri, Michael Li and Carolyn DeMeo shone brightly at the prestigious
Burgdorff Invitational held this weekend at Rutgers.
In her opening event, 12 year old
Duvvuri rocketed to a 2nd place finish in the 50 backstroke, in a
time of 35.72 which time qualifies Priya to represent New Jersey Swimming at
the Summer Eastern Zone Meet in August. Moments later, eleven year old Li
matched Duvvuri by placing 3rd in the 50 meter breast event, also
posting a zone cut with a 38.73 time. Li followed up with another zone cut on
Saturday in placing 6th in the 100 breast with a 1.27.22 time.
Twelve year old Carolyn DeMeo also swam impressively as she placed 10th
in the 50 free with a 30.96 time.
IntraClub:
This weekend’s IntraClub meet was
the start of the 2nd round of meets held at Morristown-Beard.
Swimmers competed in the same events and distances (IM, free and back) as the
initial meet back in October. Proving the theorem that practice makes perfect,
almost every event saw 90% best times posted- many with impressive 3-5-7 second
drops.
As one will note from reviewing the
results (now posted on the website), there were literally dozens of great
swims. Particularing impressiver was 7 year old Emily Goad’s 17 second drop in
100 IM, Katie Gorman’s 6 second drop in the 50 free and Kaitlin Stearns 6
second drop in both the 50 free & 50 back.
Swimmers who participated were:
Lindsay Anderson (2), Arlynn Baer (3), Sam Barback (3), Ricky Baum (3), Eric
Binder (1), Courtney Brosnan (3), Katie Brosnan (1), Meg Brosnan (3), Ryan
Buckham (3), Taylor Campolattaro (3), Monica Carty (2), Emma Cherry (3), Isabel
Cherry (2), Brannon Cho (3), Joshua Choi (3), Brittany Clark (2), Ethan Cohen
(3), Marshall Cohen (3), Daniel Collins (3), Victoria D’Altrui (3), Peter Davey
(3), Tad Deatly (3), Parker Dixon (3), Shelby Dixon (3), TJ Dougherty (1), Amy
Duren (2), Sam Duren (3), Noah Eagle (3), Caroline Ellis (2), Helena Elston
(2), Brandon Faris (1), Madeleine Faust (2), Andrea Ferrell (3), Spencer Fisch
(3), Audrey Gammel (3), Hannah Gleason (3), Emily Goad (3), Katie Golway (1),
Alexandra Gordan (1), Dominique Gordon (3), Katie Gorman (3), Lydia Gracey (2),
Andre Guacelli (3), Julia Guacelli (3), Duncan Hall (3), Chris Inglese (2),
Brent Jones (2), Zackie Katz (2), Gregory Keiser (2), Victoria Keiser (2),
Kristen Kellstrom (3), Mark Kellstrom (2), Michael Kellstrom (2), Brandon King
(3), Regan Kology (2), Emmie Lai (2), Ricky LaSalvia (3), Aaron Levin (2),
Jessie Lowe (3), Robert Maloney (3), Danille Martinez (3), Sarah McGrath (2),
Brendon Miller-Radest (3), Ali Morreale (2), Isabelle Morreale (2), Madison
Munoz (2), Julia Muro (3), Kendall Murray (2), Maggie Nelson (1), Dara O’Gorman
(3), Christina Pick (3), Michelle Pick (3), Chris Plunkett (2), Katie Ragan
(3), Collin Reilly (3), Katie Rouse, Taylor Savarese (3), Amanda Scherb (1),
Jonathan Scott (3), Claire Serruto (2), Andrea Shepard (2), Kaitlin Stearns
(2), Lindsay Stearns (3), James Sullivan (3), Lexi Tedesco (3), Grace Thompson
(2), Sydney Todd (2), Jennifer Torre (3), Spence Turkington (3), Michael Wang
(3), Caroline Watt (1), Julia Watt (1), Sarah Weinbrom (3), Nicole Weissman
(3), Paige Willian, Alex Wolfson (2) & Maggie Woodruff (3).
WAVE BLACKS
DISTANCE:
For the Wave Blacks, they actually
competed in two meets this week as they held a practice distance meet (400 IM
and 500 Free) at Newark Academy on Friday nite. Most swimmers were competing in
these events for the 1st time.
Being distance events (were conditioning is so important), the great
times posted were particularly impressive (and a sign of good times to come).
Particularly impressive were 10 year old Peter Davey (who chose to swim in both
events) posting a 6.03.47 in the 400 IM and a 6.45.88 in the 500 Free, 12 year
old Emmie Lai’s 6.00.45 400 IM, 12 year old Ali Morreale’s 6.18.63 in the 500
Free and 10 year old Courtney Brosnan’s 6.14.82 in the 400 IM.
Preparations are underway for the biggest party of the season: Elite’s 11th annual Winter Swim Team Banquet!!! This year’s party will be held Sunday, March 26, 2006 from 12:00 am to 4:00 pm.
This year, Elite will again be at the Hanover Marriott, located at 1401 Route 10 East, Whippany, New Jersey. This facility can accommodate up to 700 people!!! The last 4 Elite banquets have had an excess of 350 people each!!!
Further
details about the banquet will be provided in the future. As for now, MARK
YOUR CALENDAR!!!
TRAINING GROUP PICTURES:
SAT, JAN 21:
The Parents Organization is planning a “Memory Book” to be presented all Elite Swimmers at the Team Banquet. In preparation of that book, Elite will be taking photos of the each training group on Saturday, January 21 (each training group practices that day).
All swimmers should arrive 15 minutes early to their practices that day and come with their Elite team suit.
SWIM MEETS ON THE
HORIZON:
Elite’s meet schedule will gather momentum again in January. Upcoming meets include:
1) Sunday,
January 22: Intraclub Meet at Morristown-Beard School. Meet information
is posted.
2) Sunday, January 29: Dual Meet vs. Tidal Wave at Morristown-Beard School
3) Saturday, February 4: Dual Meet vs. Clifton B & G Club at Clifton
4) Saturday, February 4 & Sunday, February 5: Junior State Championships (14 & Under Championships) at Raritan Valley Community College. Meet information is posted
5) Friday, February 17 to Sunday, February 19: Senior State Championships at Seton Hall University Meet information is posted
HIGH SCHOOL SWIM MEETS REEK HAVOC ON ELITE SCHEDULE:
For the next 6 weeks, high school swim meets will reek havoc on Elite’s weekday practice schedule. Almost every day in the next two weeks is affected.
Please check the website schedule each day for practice changes!!
OLYMPIAN TARA KIRK COMING (SOON) TO ELITE; PRICE INCREASE AS
OF JANUARY 14:
Charismatic
breaststroker Tara Kirk, an Olympic Silver Medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games,
will visit Elite on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Elite
is now taking reservations for the clinic-and smart swimmers have already
signed up. There is a special Tara Kirk webpage on Elite’s website: check out
her accomplishments!!
Currently, this event is very much UNDERSCRIBED. If this
fundraising event is not well supported, it is unlikely that Elite would
provide this very special event in the future. In addition, after January 14,
the price for admission will rise from $50 to $65.
Tara will be at Morristown-Beard from 2 pm to 6 pm. Tara will 1) discuss her swimming experiences (including the 2004 Athens Olympics), 2) stretch and warm-up swimmers 3) give stroke instruction and 4) get into the water and swim with Elite swimmers!!!
Tara will be the 6th Olympian who has visited visited Elite for a (4 hour) stroke clinic. Past Olympians to visit Elite are: Dr. Ron Karnaugh, Tom Wilkins, Jenny Thompson, Janet Evans and Neil Walker.
Originally from Washington State, Tara is a graduate of Standford University and an 11 time NCAA Champion!! Also noteworthy is that Tara, and her sister Dana, were the 1st sisters to qualify for the same US Olympic Squad.
Tara is known for her ever present smile and gracious personality. One can check out Tara’s career by going to the USA Swimming website (usaswimming.org) and reading her bio under “swimmers.”
THINKING SUMMER? THINK SUMMER SWIM CAMPS!:
Although the hot sun and humid weather seems millions of years away, summer is only 6 months away and top notch swim camps are already taking registrations for the summer of 2006.
When planning the upcoming summer, please consider sending your Elite swimmer to one of the numerous swim camps.
Each summer, numerous Elite swimmers spend a rewarding week (or two) at a summer swim camp. The benefits of such a camp are: 1) individual attention by reknown swim coaches 2) an increased knowledge of the sport of swimming and 3) personal growth that occurs as a result of “being on one’s own.”
The formula that seems to work best is finding an Elite friend to spend the week with at the swim camp.
If you are considering sending your
swimmer to a swim camp, now is the time to do the research and make decisions
(many of these camps are sold out by mid-Spring). On
the website, under Swim Camps, there is a list of swim camps. Many of these
swim camps close out in late February and early March!!!
Thinking about summer? Think Swim Camps!!
SICK? COULD BE YOUR LACK OF “AT HOME”
SWIMMING DETAILS!!!
Are you sick? Got
the flu, strep or a bad head cold? Your sickness is probably caused by
your own lack of swimming details!!!
Since we are
heading towards our championship season (late February/March), this is the most
crucial segment of your training season. Each swimmer needs to practice their
“at home” swimming details: drinking lots of fluids, eating properly and often,
getting enough sleep and dressing properly for winter.
There are
literally dozens of swimmers that ignore these vital “at home” swimming
details, and most of these swimmers end up missing significant training and/or
actually missing their meets because they do not live their “at home” swimming
details. These swimmers literally shorten their training seasons due to their
sickness!!!
One new swimmer
phenonem that is just plain crazy is the “sandal/no sock look” in zero degree
weather. Swimmers who dress like this are literally begging to get sick. One
Elite swimmer actually got frostbite last year due to not dressing properly on
the way home from swimming on a particularly cold night. Ever tried swimming
with frostbite?
Be a winner: do
your swimming details at home and at school, in addition to at the pool!!!
SUMMER LONG
COURSE MEET SCHEDULE REVISED:
Adjusting to the
increased participation in summer “long course” competition, New Jersey
Swimming has announced a restructure of the schedule of its championship meets.
To meet the additional
interest in summer competition (last summers meets were terribly overcrowded),
NJ Swimming will hold a Bronze Level Meet this summer in addition to “moving
back” the Junior Olympic competiton.
Junior Olympics will be held Friday, August 4 thru
Sunday, August 6, 2006 at Rutgers University. 12 & Under Silvers will be
held Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 at Rutgers (same weekend as in the
past).13 & Older Silvers will be held Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23
at Rutgers (same weekend as in the past). Bronze Championships will be held on
Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 in Bayonne (at an outside venue!).