ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               5-9-11

 

    “Cultivating Excellence in Academics, Character and Swimming”

 

SCY INTRA-CLUB MEET ADDED JUNE 4 AT NEWARK ACADEMY

FOR WAVE TEALS, MARLIN BLACKS AND MARLIN TEALS; 

 

            Elite will hold a SCY Intra-Club competition on Saturday, June 4 at Newark Academy for the Wavebuster Teals, the Marlin Blacks and the Marlin Teals training groups. The meet has been added to the meet schedule on the team website. Entries will be added shortly.

 

            In previous years, these training groups have attended a SCY meet during the spring session. This year, Elite was unable to find an appropriate meet in which to attend. The Elite Intra-Club meet will provide Elite swimmers in these training groups the opportunity to update their SCY times, which will help some swimmers to qualify for early season meets next fall.

 

            Coincidently, MBS will be closed the following day (Sunday, June 5); so this meet will also serve as a practice for the Marlins that weekend.

 

            Since this is an Intra-Club Meet, Elite will need to provide all the timers. Parents will be contacted by the timing coordinators to coordinate the timing assignments for the meet.

           

ELITE TO RENT MILLBURN MUNICIPAL POOL THIS SUMMER

FOR WAVE TEAL & WAVE BLACKS;

MARLIN BLACKS NOW PROVIDED OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN AT MBS

THIS SUMMER:

 

            Millburn has tentatively agreed to rent Elite the Millburn Municipal Pool, located just off Parsonage Hill Road (near JFK Turnpike) during the summer mornings. Elite will be renting the Millburn pool Monday thru Thursday, from 7:15 am to 8:30 am.

 

            The Wavebuster Teals will train all 4 days at Millburn; the Wavebuster Blacks will train at Millburn on Mondays and Wednesdays (alongside the Wavebuster Teals). The Wavebuster Blacks will also train at Springfield Municipal on Tuesdays and Thursdays (as previously set).

 

            Having the Wavebuster Blacks train at Millburn will free up space at Morristown-Beard School on Mondays and Wednesdays which will allow Elite to offer an optional Marlin Black practice on those days. The optional Marlin Black practice will be held from 4 pm to 5 pm. Elite will charge a per practice charge for the Marlin Blacks.

 

            With all changes made at Elite, the ultimate goal is to make the program stronger. The decision to rent the Millburn pool was based upon the following:

 

1)      Last summer, Elite rented the Cromwell Pool in Morristown. While Cromwell provided the space for the Wavebuster Teals to train in during June & July, the pool lanes were not wide enough and the pool was just not large enough to properly accommodate Elite.

2)      The Millburn Pool is a recently (within the last 10 years) renovated, 6 lane pool with additional space for coaches to work on stroke technique “outside” the pool lanes.

3)      The Millburn Pool is significantly closer to the Springfield Municipal Pool, which will help those families who have swimmers training at each location

4)      Renting the Millburn Pool will provide a consistent practice schedule for both the Wavebuster Teals & Wavebuster Blacks as all practices for both these training groups will be held in the am (rather than the alternating am and pm practices the previous summer schedule provided). The one exception is that the Wavebuster Blacks will still be offered a Friday pm practice at MBS

5)      The larger Millburn pool allows for Elite to offer two practices a week for the Marlin Blacks at Morristown Beard School, which training group previously had no summer practice time with Elite. This allows more swimmers training with Elite this summer.

 

            The updated Master Schedule for June 20th thru July 27th is now posted on the team website.

           

“NEW” PARENTS MEETING: WEDNESDAY, MAY 11;

 

            There will be a “New” Parents meeting on Wednesday, May 11 at 5 pm at Newark Academy. The meeting will review the structure of Elite for New Parents and provide time for new parents to ask Head Coach Bill Deatly questions. All parents new to Elite are highly encouraged to attend.

 

TIGER CHALLENGE THIS WEEKEND: ELITE CO-HOSTS MEET TO GAIN ACCESS TO LCM COMPETITION; PARENTS NEEDED TO RUN MEET:

 

            In order to insure entry into a long course meet early in the season, Elite agreed to co-host the Tiger Challenge 2011 at Princeton University on Saturday, May 14 & Sunday, May 15. All swimmers in the Seniors, Senior Preps, Wavebuster Golds, Wavebuster Blacks & Wavebuster Teals are entered into the meet.

 

            NJ Swimming is a community. For our swimmers to get splash opportunities, a NJ Swimming club must host a meet (man all the tasks/jobs needed in order to run the meet). As a team, Elite will participate in about 10 separate meets this Spring and Summer; at each of these meets, a host team is providing the splash opportunities for Elite Swimmers. Co-hosting the Tiger Challenge is Elite’s way providing our share of the burden in providing splash opportunities for our swimmers.

 

            Also, by co-hosting a meet, Elite is guaranteed to participate in the meet. Non-hosting teams have no such guarantee. Although the summer lcm competition has not yet started, almost all the meets already sanctioned and posted have been closed due to the tremendous demand. 

 

            The lead co-host team, Princeton Tigers Aquatic Club will man more than 50% of the tasks needed to run the Tiger Challenge.

 

SEBASTIAN & SLEPIAN NAMED TO EASTERN ZONE SELECT CAMP:

1ST ELITE SWIMMERS TO BE SO INVITED: 

         

            Last January, USA Swimming named two Elite swimmers, Ryan Sebastian and Sarah Slepian to its Eastern Zone Select Camp to be held May 19th thru May 22, 2011 at Penn State University. It is the first time any Elite swimmer has been named to this camp (although these camps are only a few years old).

 

            Ryan and Sarah were selected on the basis of their total IMX score in comparison to all other swimmers their age within the Eastern Zone (Maine thru Virginia). This is a score is created by USA Swimming that assigns a specific point total to each time achieved in the following 6 events: 200 IM, 400 IM, 500 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast and 200 Fly.  This score is meant to be a motivational tool for swimmers to compete within these grueling events. Any swimmer can go onto USA Swimming’s website and find out their IMX score.

 

            Congrats to Ryan and Sarah!!

   

SENIORS HEADED TO TUCSON, AZ THIS COMING WINTER!!

 

            The Elite Seniors annual rite of going on a training trip will be to Tucson, Az this coming December.

 

            While Elite has traveled to Arizona 6 times before, this will be the 1st time in Tucson, the college town for the University of Arizona. The Elite Seniors will practice 12 times in 6 days, and expect to train at least 6 times long course.

 

            The Elite Seniors will fly out on December 26 and return on January 2, 2012.

 

STEARNS ANNOUNCES 9th ANNUAL ELITE-A-THON TO BE SATURDAY, MAY 21: BILL TO SWIM FOR JAPAN RELIEF:

 

The 9th Annual Elite-a-thon fundraiser will be held Saturday, May 21st at Morristown-Beard from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

 

Like all past “Elite-a-thons,” this year’s event will be structured so each individual participating will be raising money for the “charity of their choice.” A suggestion list of charities and accompaning information is to be provided by Seniors Lindsay Stearns, the fundraiser head who is coordinating this year’s efforts. Lindsay will provide information directly to swimmers at a Sunday practice in May. Last year’s charity list is posted on the website.

 

In a tradition begun 7 years ago, Bill will swim approximately 2000 yards to raise money for his yearly charity. This year, Bill will raise money to support the American Red Cross’s relief efforts in Japan, following the devastating earthquake and tsumani suffered this past winter.

 

            All Elite swimmers and parents are encouraged to participate thru swimming or donating. Anyone can donate to a swimmer’s cause or to Bill’s cause. 

 

Information will be posted on the website under “Elite-a-thon” later shortly. Please follow the directions (do not go out soliciting for money alone!!!) and keep track of your pledge totals!!! 

 

BILLS SENT OUT ELECTRONICALLY:

 

            Two weeks ago, Head Coach Bill has emailed the Spring/Summer 2011 bills to each family. If you have not received it, please send Bill an email.

 

PARKING AN ISSUE AT NEWARK ACADEMY:

 

            As we head into the Spring 2011 Session, parents are reminded that there is a distinct shortage of parking spaces at Newark Academy, especially on weekdays between 5:00 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.  Newark Academy is also now requesting the cars do not idle. Obviously, if the lot is not crowded, parking in the lower lot is acceptable.

 

            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.

 

PARENTS: PLEASE BE PROMPT IN PICKING UP SWIMMERS:

 

            Parents are requested to be prompt in picking up their swimmers at the end of practice. Recently, especially after the Wave Golds on weekdays and the Wave Teals on Saturday, swimmers have had to wait 30-45 minutes after practice for their ride.

 

            Bill has asked the coaches to remain at practice until the last child has been picked up (for the obvious safety reasons). Coaches are more than willing to do so occasionally. But Elite coaches have other full time jobs and several are attending school in addition to their primary jobs and coaching. It is unfair to ask the coaches to spend an additional 30-40 minutes waiting for parents to pick up their children.

 

            Elite is prompt about ending practice on time. Please help out the coaches by being prompt to pick up your child.

 

TIMING COORDINATORS ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN RESPONDING TO EMAILS:

 

            Parents of Elite swimmers are asked to 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

Sanjeeta Mukherjee -        sanjumukhe@gmail.com         

Sue Duren -                            sueduren@aol.com

Antone Balbo -                      abalbo@comcast.net

 

NEXT UP: TIGER CHALLENGE; GO ELITE!!!; MEET INFORMATION POSTED; PLEASE RESPOND TO TIMER COORDINATORS EMAILS:

 

            Elite’s next competition will be the team co- hosted Tiger Challenge Meet for all swimmers in Seniors, Senior Preps, Wavebuster Golds, Wavebuster Blacks and Wavebuster Teals this Saturday, May 14 & Sunday, May 15 at Princeton University. To fulfill their parental obligation, all parents of swimmers are expected to time. Information regarding this meet is posted on the team website at: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Meet%20Schedule/homepage.htm. Please have your swimmer get in the habit of checking this page on a regular basis (and report back to you about details such as warm-up times, entries, meet locations!).

 

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!!!