ELITE NEWS BULLETIN 1-03-08
TOUGH SENIORS CONQUER DIFFICULT TRAINING
TRIP:
Thirteen swimmers traveled cross-country last week for the
opportunity to train 11 times within a six-day span on Elite’s 7th
annual Winter training trip. Practicing at the
outdoor long course pool on the campus of University of California at Irvine,
the swimmers attacked the demanding workouts. As a result, the Seniors return
to New Jersey in incredibly great shape.
Elite swimmers conquered 11 grueling practices in 6 days (including starting the trip with 3 two-hour practices within a space of 19 hours!!!). Elite trained both long course (9 practices) and short course (2 practices) on a daily basis and swum approximately 11,000 meters each day (over 6 miles) during four hours in the pool and 1 hour of drylands (three swimmers actually trained all 11 practices long course!!). This is approximately twice the normal daily workload for the swimmers. The Seniors saved their best for last, as they completed a “practice from hell” workout consisting of 100 times 100 meters (long course) in just over 3 hours-approximately 6 miles of swimming!!!). The training trip was a first for 6 of the 13 swimmers.
Out of the pool and despite the overcast skies at the beginning of the week, the swimmers managed to muster enough energy to spend 7 hours at Disneyland in Anaheim! In addition, swimmers enjoyed a beach party (complete with swimming in the Pacific Ocean and a beach bonfire!).
Bill, Brandy and the Seniors would like to thank Rich Farnow, Laila Farnow and David Strand for their efforts as chaperones (which made the trip possible). In addition, they would like to thank ESCPO for paying for a pasta dinner one night and Jack Peay, who as a local Chili’s Regional Manager provided “Chili bucks” to the team to pay for a night at Chili’s in Irvine!!!!
Swimmers who participated were: Victoria D’Altrui,
Chris Dart, Corey Deatly, Tad Deatly, Venkatesh Duvvuri, Cassandra Farnow, Breana
Fitzpatrick, Amanda Grywalski, Dani Martinez, Alex Morrison, Sarah Peay & Michael
Strand.
ESCPO JAN 9TH
BOARD MEETING OPEN TO ALL:
All Parents are Invited - Open
ESCPO Board Meeting - Wednesday,
January 9th 6:15 pm at Newark Academy.
Please come and find out what the
ESCPO Board has in the works for the rest of the season and next year. Chair, Co-Chair or join a committee,
run for one of the open board seats,
submit a new idea for discussion, raise
a complaint, etc. The team needs
your help, so come and find out how you can become a more active supporter of
our swimmers.
CONSIDER OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH WORLD CLASS SWIMMING IN NJ:
It is not every
weekend that the opportunity exists to watch world class swimming in New
Jersey. But that opportunity will exist from Friday, Jan 11 thru Sunday, Jan 13
at Rutgers University. Consider bringing your swimming star to watch finals one
(or more) of those nights!
Each year, Berkeley
Aquatic Club hosts the Burgdorff Invitational Meet held at Rutgers the 2nd
weekend in January. What is special about this meet is that it is a long course
format rather than short course. Every 4 years, this meet takes on special
significance as it is one of the last opportunities for the nation’s best to
qualify for Olympic Trials (to be held this year in late June, 2008 in Omaha,
Nebraska). That entices many of the nation’s best swimmers to travel in January
to NJ to race.
Last year, in a
non-Olympic year, this meet attracted Olympian Katie Hoff (from North Baltimore
Aquatics Club), Pan-Pacific team member Elizabeth Beisel (of Attleboro-Mass
Bluefish), Olympic Trial qualifier Teresa Crippen (of Germantown Academy) and
Junior USA Swimming Team member Dan Madwed (of North Baltimore). Four years ago, this meet attracted Gary
Hall, Jr. and Olympian Anthony Irvin!!
Elite
swimmers will be participating in this meet. With luck, some of them will
qualify for finals and compete head to head with future Olympians! Consider
coming to a final and catching world-class swimming competing against our own
stars!!
ELITE TOP 10 ALL TIME SWIMS UPDATED:
The Top 10 All-Time Swims list has been updated thru Holiday Classic. Check out all the new times added to the list from this year’s great swims!!!
Elite will not travel to Charlotte in April this year.
In planning out the end of the season, it has become quite apparent that organizing this trip would be too difficult to pull off this season. Thus, Elite’s competition season will conclude this winter with the New Jersey Swimming Championship meets.
ADDITION TO THE COACHES STAFF: AN OLD FRIEND!!
Starting late December, former Elite Swimmer Caitlin Ayres will join
the Elite Coaching Staff. Initially, Caitlin will be used in two capacities: 1)
as an extra hand on deck as she is trained to coach and 2) as a floater coach,
filling in when our other coaches have conflicts.
Caitlin swam for the Elite Swim Club
for 3 years: September, 2001 thru July, 2004. Caitlin went on to compete for
Rowan University, where she was Captain last winter. Caitlin has just finished
up her teaching degree and will be looking forward teaching in the area.
While at Elite, Caitlin was the
acknowledged leader of her training group. Her hard work and enthusiasm at
practice was an inspiration to her teammates and her coaches. We expect her
energy to rub off on all of us.
Parents are encouraged to introduce
themselves to Caitlin. To access Caitlin’s Elite swimming accomplishments,
check out the Elite top 10 list in the free, fly and back Open events!!
In addition to Caitlin, another old friend
will be helping out the Elite Coaching Staff over the holidays. Starting last
week, Stephanie Dart will again coach the Marlin level swimmers focusing on
stroke technique (especially breast and fly). Stephanie coaches many of Elite’s
stars at the Chatham Fish & Game Club.
CHANGE OF DATE FOR THE AWARDS
DINNER:
Please note that there has been a change of date for the 2008 Elite Awards Banquet. The new date is Sunday, April 6 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The dinner will be held at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany on Route 10 East as it has been for the past 3 years.
PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDENCE, LEVEL OF TRAINING
AND STROKE TECHNIQUE:
As we hit the mid-point of our training season, swimmers and parents are reminded that swimmers EARN their promotions by accomplishing 3 criteria thru the season. Coaches will make their recommendations for promotions starting in mid January and the promotion letters will be mailed in early February. No swimmer will be considered for promotion unless they comply with the following 3 criteria (and swimmers are reminded that they control this process, not the coaches);
1) great attendance as defined as follows:
a. over 70% for Marlin Teals, Marlin Blacks, Wave Teals & Wave Blacks.
b. over 85% for Wave Golds and Senior Preps
There will be no exceptions.
2) Training within the top lanes in one’s training group. Each training group has 2 to 6 different levels of training within the training group. A swimmer must be training within the top 2 training levels to be considered.
3) Great stroke technique. While swimmers are training in the top level of their training group, they need to hold their stroke technique. Each swimmer
is aware of those things they need to work on.
Each
swimmer is encouraged to talk to their coach regarding their current status and
things they need to do during the 2nd half of the season to earn a
promotion.
SICK? COULD BE YOUR LACK OF “AT HOME” SWIMMING DETAILS!!!
GOOD FOOD, WATER, SLEEP, DRESS WARM, REPEAT!
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 heaviest training (December & January), swimmers are “broken
down” or tired based upon the heavy swimming workload. To stay healthy, 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
phenomena 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 3 years ago 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!!!
SWIM MEET “LOST & FOUND” BROUGHT BACK TO NA; PLEASE CHECK
YOUR ITEMS AT HOME:
As anyone at Princeton this weekend knows, the crowded situation at meets creates a ripe situation where items are going to be left, lost or accidentally picked up by other swimmers. Swimmers and parents should know the following:
1) Items easily identified as Elite’s that are left at the meet are brought back to Newark Academy and placed in the lost & found.
2) Items with names on them are much more easily identifiable. If not already done so, write your name on all swim gear and team uniform items so they can get back to you.
3) As
a courtesy to your fellow swimmers, please check the items you bring home to
confirm they are actually yours. You may have accidentally picked up someone
else’s uniform, suit or goggles.
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!!! If you do not see what you need, email Bill at eliteswimclubnj@comcast.net