ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               10-06-08

 

DART, KOLOGY OFFICIALLY LISTED IN USA SWIMMING TOP 10!!!

K. STEARNS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS RELAY PARTICIPANT!!:

 

            Elite swimmers Chris Dart and Regan Kology have been officially listed as placing within the Top10 times for their age for the entire country during the 2007-08 season (Sept 1, 2007 thru August 15, 2008).

 

            Dart, who has since graduated from both high school and Elite and is now a freshman at Clemson University, placed in the top 10 in four separate events: 1) 3rd place as a 17 year old in the 100 LCM back-56.65-performance: British Olympic Trials 2) 6th place as a 17 year old in the 200 SCY Individual Medley-1.50.43-performance: New Jersey State High School Championships 3) 8th place as a 17 year old in the 100 back SCY -49.67-New Jersey High School Championships and 4) 10th as a 16 year old in the 100 SCY back-50.59-performance-Holiday Classic

 

            Kology, who aged up in May and is now a 12 year old, placed 10th as an 11 year old in the SCY 1000 free-11.14.66-performance- NJ Junior Age Group Championships. Kology also hovered near the top 10 this summer in the 400, 800 and 1500 LCM free events for 11 year olds; but was eventually finished just out of the top 10.

 

            Kaitlin Stearns, as a representative of New Jersey Swimming at this past summer’s Eastern Zones LCM meet, was part of a 10 & Under 200 m Free Relay that swum under the National Age Group Record (and won the race!). Although the time is not recognized as a National Age Group Record (swimmers must be all from the same team, not a collection of All-Stars), Kaitlin will receive a certificate from USA Swimming recognizing her accomplishment.  

 

EASTERN ZONE VOTES TO ADD 3RD ALL-STAR TO 12 & UNDER SCY ZONE MEET;

 

            At the USAS Convention in Atlanta last week, the Eastern Zone voted to accept a 3rd all-star swimmer in each event for 12 & Unders at all future Spring SCY Zone Meets. LSC’s will continue to pick 2 representatives for all 13 & Older events. This rule becomes effective as of this coming Zone Meet in April 2009.

 

            In the past, the “Spring Zones” meet allowed for only 2 swimmers in each event to represent an LSC (NJ Swimming is an LSC-stands for Local Swim Committee).

 

            Elite may directly benefit from this rule change, as Elite has a number of swimmers who are within the range of earning the right to represent NJ Swimming at the Spring 2009 Eastern Zone All-Star Championships. This rule increased the probability that more Elite swimmers will earn this right.

 

WAVEBUSTER TIME TRIALS MOVED TO TUESDAY, OCT 7:

 

            Due to the Newark Academy pool situation, Elite has moved the Wavebuster Time Trials to Tuesday, Oct 7 in order to give swimmers additional workouts prior to them competing. The trials will be from 5:00 pm to 8:15 pm.

 

            Timers and officials are needed and requested. Anyone who can volunteer should contact Carolyn Balbo at CBALBO@COMCAST.NET   

 

            Entries to Fall Festival and Halloween will be adjusted as a result of swimmers who qualify for Fall Festival as a result of these time trials.

 

RUTGERS WOMEN’S TEAM TO HOST “COLLEGE CONFERENCE CARNIVAL” ON JAN 16-17; ENTERTAIN FOR ALL, ELITE AGE GROUP RELAYS MAY PARTICIPATE:

 

            Trying to build on the swimming phenomena generated from the 2008 Bejing Olympics, Rutgers University Women’s Team will host a “College Conference Carnival at Rutgers University on Friday, January 16 & Saturday, January 17, 2009. Committed to competing are Rutgers, University of Florida, University of North Carolina and University of Richmond. All of these teams either won or placed 2nd in their respective conferences.

 

            As part of the festivities, Rutgers will coordinate 4 events that will hopefully impact directly on Elite Swimming: in the middle of the meet, Rutgers will schedule relay races for the top 8 teams in New Jersey (including southern NJ which is part of the Mid-Atlantic LSC) in both the 9-10 and 11-12 Age Groups. Based upon Elite’s recent past performances, relay teams from Elite should be invited to participate!!

 

            As currently scheduled, the 11-12 Boys and Girls Relays will participate at approximately 7 pm Friday night and the 9-10’s will participate at approximately 7:45 pm on Saturday night.

 

            Elite will be entering teams and assuming our teams are accepted to participate, will notify those swimmers who have been selected to compete.

 

            Rutgers will also be planning other entertain activities at the meet such as Synchro Diving & Big Man Cannonball Contests, Masters World Record 3-Meter Diving Contest and Clown Diving.

 

ESCPO (ELITE SWIM CLUB PARENTS ORIGANIZATION) SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR:

HOSTING SOCIAL FRIDAY, OCT 17 & HOLDING TWO FUNDRAISERS:

 

            Following last years very successful social, we are looking forward to another great evening.  This year the social will be on Friday, October 17 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm.  Same location as last year- Chatham Fish & Game. We are looking for a few people to help with organizing this great event. Please grab a friend-old or new-and let us know if you would like to help. Please contact Sandi Niccolai at sandnic@aol.com

 

            ESCPO is also conducting two fundraisers: the first is a clothing sale. Attached and also posted on the website under ESCPO is the 2008 order form.  The sale includes Elite gear:  shorts, flannel pants, yoga pants, sweat pants, jackets, the Elite rowing jacket, and a polo shirt for adults.  Not included on the order form are great fleece hats for the colder weather.  They are perfect to keep in swim bags for $12.  Orders and payments are due by October 10th in Bill's mailbox at Newark Academy in the ESCPO folder. 

 

The 2nd fundraiser other sale is a Yankee Candle sale.  The candles make great gifts.   ESCPO earns 40% of the sales.  Delivery is four to six weeks after order receipt.  Completed forms and the payment are due by October 19 in Bill's mailbox at Newark Academy in the ESCPO folder also.  The money raised by ESCPO is used to fund events for the swimmers such as the Pizza and Movie Night plus the Olympian visit.  It is also used for the Personal Best Ribbons and the Memory Books that the swimmers receive at the banquet.  Any questions (or if you didn't receive your Yankee Candle sale packet), please contact Allison Nash at allisonrnash@msn.com.

         

WITH MEETS FAST APPROACHING, SWIMMERS & PARENTS ARE REMINDED OF

TEAM SUIT, UNIFORM & RELAY POLICIES:

 

            With meets on the horizon, Elite will begin its competition season that will run thru the middle of March 2009. Elite teams act as a unit and follow procedures set forth by their coaches. Elite has several policies all swimmers and parents need to understand and follow regarding competitions. Elite Simmers are expected to know and follow these procedures:

 

1)      Elite has a team suit policy. Each swimmer is expected to wear their team suit at all non-end of the season championship meets

 

Elite swimmers perform in their team suit until championship season. Each swimmer is provided a team uniform (the entire uniforms are in and will be disturbed shortly). Elite swimmers do NOT wear technically advanced racing suits at any non-championship meet (with exceptions made for a swimmer trying for a state record or a sectional level or higher qualifying standard). Elite coaches believe that the swimmer makes the suit, rather than the suit making the swimmer. Thus, we hold back using these types of suits (fastskins, FS-II, aquablades, etc) until our championship season, when we bring everything together (training, positive mental attitudes, stroke technique and fast suits). This guarantees that swimmers will be excited to perform their best when their best is required! Coaches can and will remove a swimmer from a meet if they are not in the proper team racing attire.

 

Please note Elite will follow the new USA Swimming rule which does not allow 12 & U athletes from performing in technologically advanced suits (fastskins are ok as long as they are the correct suit-no neck, arms or legs below the knee coverage) but LAZR’s or equivalent are not acceptable.

                 

2) At every meet, wear your correct t-shirt!!

 

Each swimmer is provided with a team uniform consisting of two Elite t-shirts, a sweatshirt and a racing cap. Swimmers are expected to wear the team uniform at the meets (it is the swimmer’s responsibility to know which t-shirt to wear on which day of the competition. This information is listed within the meet information of each meet on the team website. Smart swimmers pack both t-shirts so they can never be wrong!). Swimmers are expected to wear the t-shirts (to keep warm, and thus increase the possibility of performing well) at all times at meets when they are not performing. Thus, Elite swimmers look like a team (psychological advantage to Elite) and are the best prepared to perform well. Swimmers and training groups will be penalized if swimmers are not in the team uniform at the meet.

 

3)      Any pre-meet relay combination is subject to change at the meet!!!

 

             At several meets during the season, Elite will enter teams in relays (Fall Festival of X-Cellence Meet being the 1st meet). All swimmers entered in

             relays prior to the meet are done so tentatively. This means the coaches will be determining the fastest relays on the day of the meet. Thus, a swimmer

             who is tentatively scheduled to perform a relay could be removed and a swimmer who is not listed could be inserted. Changes will be made on the

            day of the meet based upon performances at the meet that dictate a change in the relay combination. We want our 4 fastest swimmers to represent

            Elite in the each relay (spectacular and mediocre performances will factor into the coaches decision making process!).

 

4)      We have new racing caps this year. Those are the caps to be worn.

 

Elite will be sporting new racing caps this year. No one is to wear an “old” Elite cap during an Elite competition. The uniform now calls for the new cap.

 

MEET ENTRIES TO “MEET OF X-CELLENCE” (FORMERLY FALL FESTIVAL) & “HALL-O-WEEN” POSTED; EVENTS DOVE-TAILED, SOME ENTRIES WILL BE ALTERED BASED UPON TIME TRIAL RESULTS:

 

            Hard as it may be to believe, Elite will be sending in entries for two NJ Swimming Meets within the next few days. In order to insure Elite is accepted into these meets, these entries will be sent prior to team’s internal Time Trials scheduled for next Tuesday.  Please note that the original entries will be modified to reflect the time trial results (particularly if swimmers post new silver level times and can be entered into Meet of X-Cellence).

 

To insure we get as much data on our swimmers as possible, where possible the meet entries for both meets will be dovetailed (swimmers will swim the widest variety of strokes and distances as possible between the two meets. This is done early in the season to establish new yard times/baselines for each swimmer).

 

            Below is the strategy behind these meet entries:

 

1)      Meet of X-Cellence has qualifying times (which are Silver qualifying times). Any swimmer who qualifies for 1 event in a session can swim up to 3 events in that session. Where logical, Elite will enter a single event session qualifier into a second or third session event

2)      All Seniors, Senior Preps, Wave Golds, Wave Blacks and Wave Teals whom have qualifying times are entered into Meet of X-Cellence

3)      Hall-o-ween has no time standards

4)      All Wave Golds, Wave Blacks, Wave Teals & Marlin Blacks are entered into Hall-o-ween

5)      Where events are offered in one meet but not the other, the team’s individual entries will be slanted towards those events only offered at one meet.

6)      Entries will be amended if swimmers who previously did not qualify for Meet of X-Cellence post Silver qualifying times at Wavebuster Time

     Trials.

 

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 and 3) an Elite Code of Conduct form. The Code of Conduct form will be reviewed and signed by each swimmer at their 1st practice. Parents will also need to sign the Code, which is the ticket into Elite.

 

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

 

TENTATIVE MEET SCHEDULE NOW UPDATED:

 

      The tentative Winter 2008-09 Meet Schedule has now been updated. It is posted under Meet Schedule. 

 

       Please be advised that meet dates change during the season due to pool availability. Thus, Elite's meet schedule will be updated from time to time thru out the season. Please have your swimmer constantly review the meet schedule for meet entries, dates and session times!!!              

                                                                                                                                                                                    

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!!!