ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               10-04-10

 

    “Cultivating Excellence in Academics, Character and Swimming”

 

 

STRAND OFFICIALLY NAMED TO USA SWIMMING’S SCHOLASTIC ALL-AMERICAN TEAM:

 

            17 year old Michael Strand was officially named to USA Swimming’s Scholastic All-American Team last week for the 2009-2010 Season. Michael achieved this prestigious honor by scoring a 3.5 Grade Point Average or better plus achieving at least a Junior National Standard Time (50.31 in the 100 yd back & 50.64 in the 100 yd fly. Michael was recognized at the Elite’s Annual Awards Banquet last March for this achievement. 

 

            1500 swimmers were named to this list, with 57 of those swimmers being from the New Jersey LSC. The countywide total is an increase of over 20% from the previous year! The Scholastic All-America program is open to all 10th-12th grade USA Swimming members who earn a 3.5 GPA or better and achieve a Junior National Bonus Time Standard or swim in a selected disability championship meet or the Open Water National Championships. 

 

            For more information regarding this prestigious award, please visit the USA Swimming Link: http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1582&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

 

ATTENDANCE STATS ARE VERY STRONG THRU SEPT; 4 OF 7 TRAINING GROUPS AVERAGING OVER 80% OR HIGHER SENIORS LEAD WAY WITH 86.25%!!! ATHLETES RECOGNIZED:

 

          Practice attendance is the foundation of improvement. Starting the season with good attendance (and thus, great work habits and a great aerobic base) is the way to faster swimming. Thru Sept, the Elite Swimmers showed their diligent work ethic by attending practice at an astonishing rate of over 80% as team!!! The Senior training group leads the outstanding Elite attendance race by averaging, as a training group, 86.25% attendance!!! The Seniors are followed by the Marlin Blacks (85.28), the Marlin Teals (83.00%), the Wave Teals (80.17%), Wave Blacks (79.60%), the Senior Preps

(78.84%) and the Wave Golds (74.60%).

 

At the end of the Season Awards Dinner, Elite swimmers with 85% attendance (or greater) will be presented with the Attendance Award. This award, plus attendance requirements for swimmers who want to be promoted, have positively motivated Elite Swimmers to come to practice for the past 6 years.

 

            90 swimmers, nearly half the team, are currently on track to win the attendance award (who have an 85% or higher attendance record) are (* designates perfect attendance!):

 

            Marlin Teals:  Miland Bangalore*, Sheetel Bangalore*, Cordelia Burn*, Nikhil Deokar, Jonathan Kao*, Hardie Kressler*, Ryan Lam*, Sophie Lawrence*, Will Nash, Dante Soriano* & Grace Zinn*   

 

            Marlin Blacks:  Isabella Beltran*, Natalia Beltran*, Schulyer Bunn, Benjamin Campbell*, Abby Hartwig*, Gabrielle Hayek, Alex Jacobs, Alyssa Levy, Delaney Smith*, Sachi Tanwar, Zowie Vukasinovic* & Doris Xia*

 

Wavebuster Teals: Megan Balbo*, Katie Brosnan, Eloise Burn*, Emily Fu, Meg Hawkins, Jennifer Huo, Erica Iizuka*, Monica Iizuka, Katie Iovel*, Audrey Kim*, Michael Macchia, Sandeepan Mukherjee, Joe Pick*, Natalie Pruitt, Brittany Sun*, Abigail Shvorin, Gian Soriano*, Will Stearns, Katie Tselepis & Claire Xu*

 

Wavebuster Blacks: Brielle Barba, Meggie Butler*, Jimmy Coyne, Corey Duren, Andrea Ferrell, Emily Gorham*, Alicia Iizuka, Karen Iizuka, Brandon Li*, Eugene Ng, Betsy Peinado, Danielle Peterson*, Jason Steinberg, Abir Thakur, Vivian Xia & Grace Xu*.

 

Wavebuster Golds:  Chris Balbo*, Emily Buckman, Morgan Conley, Elizabeth D’Altrui, Ariel Gelman, Aaron Levin, Katie McGrath, Ryan Miller, Charlotte Morrissey, Darragh O’Gorman, Nicholas Pachiolo, Kaitlin Stearns* &Cullen Walsh*.

 

Senior Preps:  Lindsey Giostra, Jess Gorham* & Gregory Macchia

 

            Seniors:  Matthew Ahlmeyer*, Maggie Nelson, Ryan Sebastian*, Andrea Shepard, Lindsay Stearns, Ryan Wyer*

 

COACHES MICHAEL TURKET & PATTY MARTIN RETURN FROM SWIMMAC FLUSH WITH IDEAS, LEARN FROM FROM DAVE MARSH, COACHING LEGEND & HIS STAFF;

 

          Continuing our efforts to be the very best swim program in the county, this past weekend Elite sent coaches Michael Turkot and Patty Martin to visit SwimMAC (Charlotte, North Carolina), one of the premier programs in the country, to learn from Coaching Legend Dave Marsh and his staff.

 

            Mike & Patty returned flush with ideas as to how to make Elite an even better program in both the Senior and Age Group level. These ideas will be presented by Mike and Patty to Head Coach Bill Deatly, whom will implement those “best practices” for Elite. One idea which will definitely become a reality: breakout buoys. SwimMAC uses breakout buoys, which are plastic poles covered with cushion and are attached to lane lines 5 to 8 meters from each wall to provide a tactile measurement as to how far our swimmers need to streamline off their walls before “breaking out” into their stroke. Mike will actually construct these breakout buoys for both NA and MBS.

 

            Bill Deatly will be attending a similar session with SwimMAC in North Carolina Oct 14 thru Oct 16. Bill’s focus will be more global, seeing how Elite can emulate the best of SwimMAC here in NJ on a club wide basis.

 

            Assuming this program works as well as anticipated, Elite plans to send other Elite coaches on a regular basis to pick the brains of the best of the best. Tentatively, Coach Cindy Ross is scheduled to travel to SwimMAC this spring.

 

SPECIAL DAY: 10-10-10 (THIS) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10;

“MIRACLE MAN” JASON LEZAK TO VISIT ELITE!!!

98 SWIMMERS REGISTERED!! 

 

            Absolutely, positively mark your calendar for Sunday, October 10th!!! The Elite Swim Club Parents Organization has tentatively arranged for world class swimmer Jason Lesak, best known for his come from behind anchor leg in the 4 x 100 Free Relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that caught the world’s fastest swimmer and gave the USA a “miracle” win (and finished Michael Phelps quest to win 8 gold medals!!), to visit Elite in an exclusive swim clinic. The event is provided in conjunction with Mutual of Omaha (a USA Swimming sponsor) and Josh Davis, a former Olympian and world record holder in the 200 free, who now coordinates such clinics.

 

            Reservations are now being taken (see attached flyer!!). The list of those who have registered is linked: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Olympian/Olympians/jason_lezak%20homepage.htm

 

            Lezak, whose anchor leg of 46.06 (still the fastest 100 lcm free split time ever), will spend 4 hours (tentatively 11 am to 3 pm) exclusively with Elite swimmers. The cost of the clinic has not yet been set, but ESCPO, with dues collected last year and this year, will offset the cost with a donation towards the total cost of the clinic. Davis, who thoroughly entertained Elite Swimmers in October 2007 when he hosted a similar clinic at Elite with teenage swimming phenom Kate Zieglar, will join Lezak at the clinic.

 

            Lezak is a two time Olympian, representing the USA in both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, and is one of the titans of USA Swimming. Jason participated this past week at the Pan Pacific Games held in his home pool in Irvine, California (also site of the Jr. Nats meet, which Michael Strand participated in). Jason has won 7 Olympic medals to date and is expected to seriously contend in multiple events for a third Olympic berth in 2012. Information regarding Lezak can be viewed at his website:  http://jasonlezak.com/pages/bio.html.

 

            Thanks to Susan Gorham and Antone Balbo, for coordinating this event.

 

ESCPO OFFERING NEW CLOTHING ITEMS FOR WINTER 2010-11:

ITEMS ON SALE UNTIL 10-10-10; CONTACT IS ALLISON NASH:

 

            The Elite Swim Club Parents Organization (“ESCPO”) is now coordinating “Elite-wear” for the Winter 2010-11 Season. This clothing is available for purchase by all Elite swimmers from now until October 10, 2010 (10-10-10).  New this year is an Elite embroidered fleece jacket, a blanket, a v-neck t-shirt, open legged sweatpants and a Elite logo and personalized swim backpack. Back by popular demand is the Elite rowing jacket.

 

            The order forms on now posted on the team website at: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Parents%20Org/Homepage.htm

 

            Allison Nash (ALLISONRNASH@MSN.COM) is the parent organization’s contact. Parents/swimmers can bring the forms and check to practice where it can be collected by ESCPO.

 

SWIMMING AND AUTISM; VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS WANTED:

 

            Somerset Hills YMCA has provided a program for swimmers to interact with children with autism called Saturdays in Motion. SHY is looking for swimmers to donate their time and money to interact with these children.

 

            Attached is a flyer with the information. For more information, swimmers can contact Art Raynes at araynes@wmands.com.

 

ESCPO HAS SCHEDULED ITS 4TH ANNUAL PARENT SOCIAL FOR FRIDAY, OCT 22:

PARTY TO RETURN TO CHATHAM’S FISH & GAME:

 

            The Elite Swim Club Parents Organization (“ESCPO”) is planning its 4th annual Parent Social for Friday, October 22nd from 7:30 to 10:30 pm at the Chatham Fish & Game Club in Chatham.  The Parent Social Invitation is now posted on the website under the Parents Organization tab and attached to this week’s memo email. The link is http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Parents%20Org/Homepage.htm

 

            We need people to help on the night of the Social (set-up and clean-up) as well as a few people to help with shopping. Please let us know when you RSVP if you can help.  Please RSVP to Carolyn Balbo at cbalbo@comcast.net. 

NEXT PARENT WORKSHOP (NUTRITION): TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 AT NEWARK ACADEMY:    

            The next planned Parent Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, October 19 from 6:45 pm to 8:15 pm at Newark Academy. The main topic of discussion will be nutrition for athletes.

            All Elite parents are welcome to attend.

NA OPEN HOUSES NOW A SCHEDULING ISSUE:

            The practice schedule during three Saturdays this fall will change as Newark Academy will no longer let Elite train during their Open House programs. For the previous 15 years, Elite was allowed to train during NA Open Houses.

 

            On October 2, October 16 & October 30, the practice schedule will change for the Wavebuster Golds, Wavebuster Blacks and the Wavebuster Teals; this groups will practice in mid day/afternoon at Newark Academy rather in the morning/mid day.

 

            The changed practice schedule will remain the same for all 3 dates. 

 

            Elite will be unaffected on the 4th NA Open House this fall as swimmers from the 3 affected training groups will be at a meet on Nov 13.

 

POOLS WILL BREAK DOWN; CHECK EMAIL AND WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION:

 

The unfortunate fact of swimming pools is that they occasionally breakdown. And usually when it is most inconvenient (like the beginning of the season).

 

Thru the email chain, a blast will be sent to all swimmers if practice is unexpected cancelled. In addition, a note will be placed prominently on the website front page announcing the cancellation of the practice. This note serves as a reminder that swimmers (not parents) should regularly check the team website and emails in case there is a last minute pool disruption.

 

            If there is a pool disruption & practice is cancelled, all Elite members are requested to reach out to their friends (phone, text, email) to let them know of the situation. Cover your friend’s back!

 

WANT TO SAVE $? LET BILL KNOW PRIOR TO ENTRIES SUBMITTED

THAT YOUR SWIMMER WILL NOT ATTEND A MEET (OR A SPECIFIC DAY OF THE MEET):

EVENTS TO DOVE-TAILE TO UPDATE WIDEST VARIETY OF TIMES:

 

            Swimmers who know they are not available for all or part of Elite meets should email Bill early early as possible. These emails will actually result in the family saving 50% of the entry fee (credit to be posted on the swimmer’s next bill).

 

            All swimmers (and parents-with the exception of the Marlin Teals) are expected to participate and work Distance Derby (Nov 20 & Nov 21) during the sessions that their swimmers are participating)..

 

            Any parent who knows their child is NOT available for one or more of these meets (and if they are not available for 1 day of a 2 day meet) should email Bill NOW!!!

 

            Swimmers and parents should note that Elite’s philosophy is to dove-tail entries for several meets. This gives the swimmer the opportunity to update the widest variety of events and distances.  

 

REGISTRATION FORMS IN WELCOME PACKETS NEEDED BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:

 

                With the exception of new Elite swimmers (who filled their paperwork out during tryouts), all Elite swimmers will receive a “Welcome Folder” containing paperwork which we ask prompt attention be given to.

 

Within each swimmer’s folder are: 1) an Elite Membership form  2) an Emergency Contact Form 3) Consent and Release Form and 4) an Elite Code of Conduct form. The Code of Conduct form will be reviewed and signed by each swimmer at their 1st practice.

 

In addition, there is a memo in the welcome packet regarding Parental Obligation with regards to each swimmer participating at Elite. As a consideration of having their child(ren) members of Elite, parents are committing to 1) pay their club dues promptly 2) time as needed at dual/intraclub/USA Swimming meets and 3) participate in jobs at the Elite hosted USA Swimming Meets (Distance Derby, 9-10 Silver Bronze Championships and 13-19 Silver Bronze Championships (one only needs to work at these meets if their swimmer is participating. The only exception is that the 8 & Under parents must participate at the 9-10 Silver Bronze Championships).

 

It is critical that these forms be returned to each swimmer’s Head Training Group Coach as soon as possible so that each Elite swimmer is registered (and thus insured). Swimmers should hand their paperwork  as soon as possible (2nd practice would be terrific!!).

 

PARKING AN ISSUE AT NEWARK ACADEMY (& MORRISTOWN-BEARD):

 

            There is a distinct shortage of parking spaces at Newark Academy, especially on weekdays between 5:15 pm and 6:30 pm. Parents are welcome to “drop off” or “pick-up” their swimmers by the field house entrance during this time period if the driver remains in the car. If a parent is coming into the building, they are requested to park in the “upper” lot and walk thru the school to reach the pool.

 

            Please remember to drive slowly thru the parking lots and do not park in the fire lanes, as the Livingston Police will ticket improperly parked cars.

 

            Morristown-Beard School parking has eased as a result of the completion of the school construction. Parents are reminded not to park anywhere designated as fire-lanes!

 

OFFICIALS & COMPUTER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO RUN MEETS:

 

          To effectively run meets, Elite needs a variety of parents to volunteer their time and efforts during these meets. This season, Elite will again be strongly encouraging those parents who have an interest to become New Jersey certified officials.

 

            To run New Jersey sanctioned meets, certified officials are a necessity. Currently within New Jersey Swimming, there is a shortage of officials certified. Elite, while having more officials than most NJ Swim Club is still understaffed and thus, under represented officiating meets. In addition, Elite likes to have officials present even when we run our dual meets/intraclub meets, as the officials provide significant feed back as to areas the coaches need to focus upon.

 

            In addition, this year Elite continue to build up its volunteers with regards to the electronic running of the meets (touch pads, timing console & processing the data coming thru both into Elite’s computer). If you are computer savvy or have an interest, please let Bill know!!

 

We are always in need of developing our Parental Talent as well!!! 

 

Anyone with interest in either volunteer position should contact Bill as soon as possible.

           

WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK THE WEBSITE:

 

            If you have questions about Elite, your first source of information is Elite’s website located at eliteswimclub.org.  When in doubt, first check the website!!!