ELITE NEWS BULLETIN 10-19-09
DISTANCE DERBY 5
WEEKS OUT; PLEASE RESPOND TO CAROLYN BALBO’S COORDINATION EMAIL:
In order to help provide racing opportunities for our swimmers, Elite hosts or co-hosts New Jersey Swimming/USA Swimming sanctioned meets thru the swimming year (September thru July). Times from these meets are downloaded into USA Swimming’s SWIMS database (truly, the national swimming database for times, as in addition to USA Swimming meets, YMCA championship meets and NCAA championship meets are included in this database. One can access this database at http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=358&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US.
This year (Sept 2009 thru July, 2010), Elite will host 2 meets and co-host 3 meets. Co-hosting meets allows Elite to run meets without the full burden of hosting the meet. Hosting meets is a significant burden on the club’s membership (fully recognized by the coaching staff and appreciated). Both hosting and co-hosting meets provides our swimmers and swimmers from other clubs “splash” opportunities in racing situations. Next weekend, Hall Aquatics Club will be providing that opportunity for our club, as will X-Cel at Fall Festival on November 7 & 8. Thus, NJ Swimming is a community, and Elite needs to do its part as part of this swimming community.
The first meet Elite hosts each year is Distance Derby, to be held this year on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22 (5 weeks out) at Newark Academy. All Elite swimmers in the Senior and Wavebuster training groups are entered into this meet. Parents of every swimmer in the Senior and Wavebuster training groups (Gold, Black and Teal) are expected to work this meet in the sessions that their swimmer(s) are participating in as part of their parential obligation to Elite. Jobs include officiating, timing, concessions, admissions, coaches hospitality, set-up & clean-up.
Coordinating this year’s Distance Derby Parents is Carolyn Balbo (thanks Carolyn!). Carolyn will be emailing a questionnaire to all parents this week requesting preferences as to what work each parent prefers. Please respond to this email asap as it will help Carolyn create her work coverage chart. Carolyn’s email is: cbalbo@comcast.net.
If Carolyn does not hear from you, she will reach out again. A total non-response will require Carolyn to place those non-response workers in positions she needs filled, rather than their preference.
If a parent/family forsees a problem fulfilling their parential obligation, they need to contact Carolyn asap. In the past, parents/families have fulfilled their parential obligation by having a relative (grandparents or siblings) work, or even hiring a worker for their spot. Thus, there is almost no reason a parential obligation can be fulfilled.
Any family who does not fulfill their parential obligation will be jeopardizing their swimmer’s roster spot on Elite. We expect parents to step up and help when it is Elite’s turn to provide splash opportunities for the greater swimming community.
THE SEASON IS PROGRESSING: TIME TO RACE!!;
The season is progressing: it is now time for Elite swimmers to race!!
Even though the training at all levels at Elite is still aerobic based (and will be thru mid to late January), it is now time to race! Starting in late October and thru November, Elite will race to get updated times on its swimmers. These times will be used to enter swimmers in meets scheduled for January and early February. The best times of a swimmer has achieved through the season will be used to enter the swimmer into their championship meets in late February thru mid March, 2010.
This coming weekend is Hall-o-ween
& College Dual Meet; two weeks from now is Fall Festival and 5 weeks out is
Elite’s own Distance Derby. It’s time to rock!!!
PARENTS: PLEASE WATCH YOUR SWIMMERS SIBLINGS DURING PRACTICE:
Parents watching practice are urged to keep track of your swimmer’s siblings. Accidents have occurred in the past to unattended (and even attended) siblings.
Parents are reminded that their swimmers are covered by USA Swimming’s master insurance policy while at practice. Siblings are not covered by this policy. Caution is requested when dealing with swimmer’s siblings.
Parent also
need to be aware that the space behind the Newark Academy bleachers is very
dangerous. There are steel ropes holding the bleachers to the back wall. There
has been a accident involving a child and these steel ropes in the past and
parents are requested not to let anyone play or be behind the bleachers.
AGE GROUP COACHES ROLL OUT “STARS
FOR STARS” PROGRAM; DAILY MOTIVATION THE TARGET:
Head Age Group Coach Ashley Johnston is rolling out the new “Stars for Stars” program last week. The goal of this program is to heighten each swimmer’s daily motivation.
Conceived by coaches Ashley, Becky and Michelle (the 3 Wavebuster Head Training Group coaches), the Stars for Stars program will consist of a master chart of each training group posted at Newark Academy. Space on the chart will be provided for each swimmer in the 5 Age Group Training Groups (Wave Golds, Wave Blacks, Wave Teals, Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teals) allowing the coaches to award sticker “stars” to those swimmers who have earned a star.
Stars will be earned by swimmers on a variety of behavior and swimming feats. Following Elite’s core philosophy, this program is a positive motivational tool to help motivate swimmers to achieve more as people and as athletes.
Additional awards will be issued to those who accumulate a significant amount of stars. Ashley, Becky and Michelle are working out the details of this “super-star” recognition/award.
11-12 BOYS STATE RECORD BREAKING
MEDLEY RELAY 6TH IN COUNTRY; SAME BOYS 9TH IN FREE RELAY:
Elite’s
11-12 Boys Medley Relay that consisted of Ryan Sebastian (back), Zach Katz
(breast), Matthew Hong (fly) & Jeffrey Dong (free) which broke the New Jersey
State Record in the 200 LCM Medley Relay this past summer with a time of
2.09.43 was the 6th fastest Medley Relay time for that age group
nationwide during the Sept 1, 2008 thru August 31, 2009 period.
The same quartet also posted the 9th fastest 200 LCM Free Relay with their 1.56.29 time. This swim missed the NJ Record books by less than one second.
Both
times were performed at Summer Sizzle last June and both were top times for New
Jersey for their age group. Link for additional information is:
ELITE WELCOMES NEW COACH JESS
KURYLAK:
Elite has added Coach Jess Kurylak to its already stellar coaching staff last week. Jess will work extensively with the Marlin Training Groups (mostly the Marlin Teals) but will also be on deck during other training group practices as she absorbs the Elite philosophy.
A former New Jersey high school swimmer, Jess arrives at Elite thru her friendship with Coach Matt King, Michael Turkot and Patty Martin. Jess literally lives houses away from Michael & Patty.
Jess is a middle school special education teacher in the Rahway School System. Welcome Jess!!!
MEETS ON THE HORIZON MEANS
TIMING COORDINATION NEAR:
In
order for Elite swimmers to compete in meets (starting in 2 weeks!), Elite
parents are expected to provide assistance in timing. At non-Elite hosted NJ Swimming meets, Elite will be asked to
cover a lane or two each session of the meet. At Elite-hosted NJ Swimming meets
and at Elite dual meets, Elite will be expected to cover 6-8 lanes during the
sessions. As a condition of having a swimmer on Elite, each parent obligated
themselves to volunteer to help out when needed.
Carolyn
Balbo, Lisa Allocco, Jennifer Tortorella and Antone Balbo will coordinate the
timing assignments the week before those non-Elite hosted NJ Swimming meets
Elite attends (such as Hall-o-ween and Fall Festival. These volunteers have
asked the following:
“Please add the
following four email addresses to your e-mail address book to ensure you
receive important information regarding Elite Hosted Meets, Timing Information
for all other meets and Parent Association Information. Adding the e-mail
addresses will insure that these important e-mails do not go to your junk/spam
folder.”
Carolyn Balbo
-
cbalbo@comcast.net
Lisa Allocco -
lallocco@alcatel-lucent.com
Jennifer Tortorella -
jctortorella@gmail.com
Antone Balbo -
abalbo@comcast.net
FILMING AT MBS TO DISTRUPT ELITE’S
LOCKER ROOM USE SUNDAY, NOV 1ST:
Morristown-Beard will the site of a film shoot from Friday, October 30 thru Sunday, November 1st. Film crews will be using various parts of the campus.
On Sunday, November 1st, the film shoot will involve the Girls Locker Room facility in the Athletic Center from 12 pm to 6 pm. On this day, Elite will be allowed to train in the pool but will need to make some accomondations to the film crew. The tentative plan is to have the Elite Girl swimmers use the Boys locker room that day and the boys use the upstairs Men’s Bathroom as a changing and bathroom facility.
SWIM NETWORK VYING FOR YOUR INTERNET TIME:
Elite received this email from
Swimnetwork.com this week:
USA Swimming LSCs and Clubs-
For those of you who don’t know, Swimnetwork is a dynamic
and exciting online swimming destination that delivers timely and in-depth
content, expert editorial analysis, major event coverage, and compelling
entertainment. Attached is a button (jpg) for linking Swimnetwork.com to your
LSC or club website. This button is intended to share the content of
Swimnetwork with your members. We would love for you to become a part of the
“network” so please put the button on your website and then link the button to http://www.swimnetwork.com or simply
add the link to your LSC or club site.
As a bonus, if you post the button on your website and send
a screen shot or a link back to us. You will be entered to win a $150 gift
certificate to the USA Swimming videos and publications store. The store has
items ranging from parent videos to meet books. The winner will be drawn at
random on November 2nd. The winner must be either a USA Swimming
member club or LSC.
Also, please feel free to share Swimnetwork’s facebook fan
page and twitter page with your members. Please follow and become a fan! Twitter.com/swimnetwork and Facebook.com/swimnetwork
To check out everything that USA Swimming is doing with social networking click here – USA Swimming Social Networking.
TENTATIVE
LIST OF LEGAL SUITS POSTED ON TEAM WEBSITE:
USA Swimming’s tentative list of legal suits
is now posted on the Elite website, as well as USA Swimming’s website. FINA, the
world swimming federation, has not yet posted its list of legal suits. At such
time as FINA posts its list, USA Swimming will officially adopt this list as
it’s final legal suit list. USA Swimming (and Elite) will update its list upon
receipt of FINA’s list (not expected until December, 2009).
Swimmers and parents can check out the list at: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Suits/Reference List for Allowable Swimsuits 2009.htm
CLOTHING ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED
THRU ESCPO:
The Elite Swim Club Parents Organization is offering “Elite-wear” to anyone interested in buying clothing with the Elite logo or name on it. This items are great birthday and holiday gifts.
The link to the items available is: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Parents Org/ELITE 2009 Clothing.pdf
REGISTRATION
FORMS ARE NEEDED FROM THESE SWIMMERS:
Registration forms were provided to each swimmer in their welcome packets handed out the first day of practice. At this time, the following swimmers still have not handed in their registration forms:
Marlin Blacks: Ethan Blum, Andy Fresen
Wave Teals: Tabatha Georget, Rachel Hong
Wave Blacks: Lindsay Ellerthrope, Isabella Morreale, Gloria Xu
Wave Golds: Daniel Scherb & Jonas Singer
POOLS 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). While it has not happened this September so far, Newark Academy and Morristown-Beard have been down early in the season in prior seasons. In addition, winter storms (or even the threat of winter storms) will shut down the facilities.
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!
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!!!