2007-02-21
Masters in Moon Valley
Moon Valley Aquatic Club (MVAC) is adding a masters team! This will come as good news for masters swimmers in the North Valley who are looking for a team. MVAC has a strong Age Group team and will have a competitive masters team before long too.Dues are $60/month. Practices are at Moon Valley Country Club Monday-Friday 5:30-6:30 AM. Each practice is approximately 2000-3000 yards with a focus on technique, pace, aerobic conditioning for Tri's, and general fitness.
If you would like more information about this team, contact Coach Brad Grant via email or call him at 602-989-2905.
2007-02-18
Yahoo
Don't forget that Arizona Masters Swimming has a Yahoo group that anybody can access. The site is located here and anybody can view it. If you want to post however, you need to become a member of the site. There is no cost for this and you can use your regular email address for this.The idea is for the Yahoo site to be the place where swimmers can discuss issues, chat, download meet forms, and communicate. This is a group that is accessable anywhere, former members in other states or in other countries can access it. Think of the Yahoo group as a meeting place to connect or reconnect with fellow swimmers.
If you have anybody who is interested in Arizona Masters, let them know about this site. It complements the blog and is another tool that is available to members and prospective members alike.
Yahoo!
2007-02-12
Thunder!
The sound you hear in the East Valley is thunder, Desert Thunder to be exact. They have recently begun a masters team at two locations, one in Chandler (Chandler High School) and another in Mesa (Kino Junior High). This will enable masters swimmers in those communities to participate in a strong program.Some of you may recognize the name Desert Thunder from USA-S Age Group Swimming. Many of their athletes have done well in both Age Group and High School. Their coaching staff would like to expand into Masters and compete at a high level there as well.
If you would like more information about this team, contact Coach Bryan Crane via email or call him at 480-968-7706.
2007-02-11
Adult Swim School
Camilla Johansson Sponseller is starting a program to help adults become better swimmers. As many of you know, her list of accolades in swimming is long and distinguished. However, many of you may not know that Camilla is also a patient and skilled instructor with a passion for teaching others how to swim better. Her career and life have been focused on improving people's lives through fitness, particularly swimming.Many of us either know somebody who wants to improve as a swimmer or who needs help improving the basics. Now there is a program that addresses those needs. Here is some more information regarding the program:
There are 4 different levels that you can sign up for:
Level 1: This is for complete beginners. You will learn about water saftety, learn to float, tread water, and very elementary freestyle.
Level 2: This is for someone who is comfortable in the water but would like to learn the basics of Freestyle but have little experience of actual swimming. This is a good place for someone who is new to triathlon to start.
Level 3: This is for individuals that know basic freestyle or are beinning to learn basic Freestyle. You will learn everything from kick and pull to turns and dives. If you have a little experience in swimming this is the class for you. In this class you will also learn about swiming in a group setting and swim etiquette.
Level 4: This is for someone who is fairly proficient in Freestyle and wants to get more in depth instruction to improve their technique. At this leavel you will learn to swim all strokes and you will learn about swim lingo, swim etiquette and how to swim in a group setting.
All sessions are 60 minutes long.
Currently we are planning on starting out at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center on Tuesday and Thursdays at 6-7 PM and at the Student Recreation Center (SRC) (both at ASU) on Saturdays 10-11 am. First day of classes will be in the beginning of each month. We currently have open slots for March.
Please email Camilla if you have any additional questions about this program.
2007-02-10
More Press
By the way, here is a *much* better picture of me...
...ok not so much better. My wife is the photogenic one in our family.
If you or someone you know would make a good subject for one of these short articles, contact the publisher and she can take it from there.
2007-02-09
Short Course State Championship
This spring, Brophy will host the Short Course Yards State Championships. The meet will be held from March 30 – April 1, 2007 at the Dottie Boreyko / Brophy Sports Campus, located at 2902 East Campbell in Phoenix.The meet entry form will be on the website shortly, it is available in the Forms section of the public Yahoo site already. It will also be included in the next edition of the newsletter.
The fee for this meet is $35 and includes a comemorative t-shirt. Entries must be received by Monday, March 26th, 2007.
For additional information, contact Brian Pursley via email or telephone (602) 380-7586. You can also go to the Brophy website or call 602-264-5291 ext 6450.
2007-02-08
Social Event at Four Peaks
Many of you are already familiar with this venue from get-togethers after meets at ASU. This time you don't have to swim, time, or help in any meet! Just show up after work or after a workout and socialize with your fellow swimmers! Appetizers will be provided.
Four Peaks Brewery has won many awards for both their food and beer, if you have not sampled their wares you need to come out and give them a try. Their location is at 1340 East 8th Street in Tempe. If you need a map, go to Google and click on the Maps section then enter the address. You can also call them at 480-303-9967 or go to their web page.
Hope to see you out there!
2007-02-07
The Little Team That Could
Are we born competitors or are we made into competitors? In swimming, the answer may be 6 ounces of one and half a cup of another (okay, that's a flawed fluid analogy). But I digress. What I really want to say is that I witnessed the birth (or rebirth) of at least eight competitors during the recent Polar Bear meet hosted by Ford Aquatics in
Every Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. at what is arguably the most beautiful outdoor pool in
The Polar Bear meet last weekend changed all that. Eight Ventana Canyon Masters members entered the meet and double that number of teammates and supporters turned out to cheer them on (secretly scoping out the scene for a possible future plunge). Donning their bright pink caps, this spirit-filled team brightened the pool deck that chilly morning and throughout the sunny afternoon, racking up a sizeable number of points along the way. Apprehensive before the meet (What if I'm the slowest one? What if I can't pull myself out of the pool? What if I lose my goggles off the block?), their own times surprised them. The experience emboldened them. In the end, the waterlogged crew divvied up and swam four relays--back to back. (Even the other relay of 20-somethings was impressed by that.) Where were the other competitors? Rushing home to the SuperBowl, no doubt. But not these ladies (and one gent) in pink (he refused the pink). They stayed right through to the end!
The moral of this story is: No matter what kind of swimmer you are, novice to accomplished, if you hook up with the right team and the right coach, there is no end to what you can achieve. All you need to do is to surround yourself with a group that provides mutual encouragement and support, put in the effort, and take a few risks. Regardless of your times in the pool, you can always measure your results in fitness and friendships. That's what Masters Swimming is all about. See you in the pool. --June Hussey, Editor, Swim
2007-02-06
Sun Devil Invite
Warmups start at 9am and the meet will start at 10am sharp.
Entries must be received by March 3, 2007. There is a $25.00 fee for the meet, which covers up to five individual events plus relays.
If you have any questions, contact Meet Director Katy James via email or call her at 480-897-6411.
Also, there will probably be a get-together after the meet to replenish vital fluids so stay tuned for more details.
2007-02-05
Polar Bear Meet Recap
That said, there were people in parkas though...
The first meet of the year was a success, with over 100 swimmers in attendance. Coach Jim Stites of Ford Aquatics did an outstanding job as Meet Director and managed to get some swimming in too.
The meet results are posted here. You can also see some additional photos here, here, and here.
The meet ended before the Super Bowl started too so everybody had a chance to watch the game.
Well done indeed!
2007-02-04
Swimathon at the YMCA
Just wanted to give a little plug to our upcoming Swimathon - the 12 Hour Relay - on Sunday, February 11th. We are in need of one more team of up to 12 swimmers to swim from 7am to 7pm. The event is at the Lohse Family YMCA at 60 W. Alameda in downtown Tucson (phone: 520-623-5200). All funds go toward our scholarship program which provides opportunities for kids and families to participate in activities (basketball, swim lessons, swim team, gym membership) that they would not otherwise be able to afford.
Last year our YMCA alone gave out over $100,000 in scholarships to needy families in the downtown area. We would love for Arizona Masters to "represent" and bring a team. Alternatively, if you are a solo swimmer and would like to swim an hour or more, we have room for you, too! AND, if you just don't want to swim and would like to sponsor some of the existing swimmers, please send your tax-deductible donation to:
Lohse Family YMCA
Attn: Aquatics Department
60 W. Alameda
Tucson, AZ 85701
On behalf of all the families you will be helping, I thank you!
2007-02-02
Polar Bear Meet Notes
The weather looks like it is shaping up to be a beautiful day on Sunday. The forecast calls for sunny skies with temperatures in the low 70's. Keep in mind that it will start out much cooler than this in the shade on the south side of the pool. There will be no food for sale but coolers of Hydroboom will be located at various places around the deck. Please bring your own snacks.Warm up will begin at 9:00am. You MUST check-in for the 1000 & 1650 freestyle events by 9:30am in the pool lobby (check-in not required for other events). Those of you who did not submit a copy of your 2007 USMS membership card with your entry form are asked to show your card upon arrival in the pool lobby. Warm up lanes will be available on the east end of the pool once the meet starts at 10:00am. The diving well will not be available at any time.
The meet heat sheet is now available online at our Ford Aquatics website (events 1 & 2 will be deck seeded). A heat by heat time line is also included as a general guideline. Please understand that we will not wait for the timeline if the meet is running ahead of schedule. Hard copies of the heat sheet will be available in the pool lobby on Sunday.
200 yard relays will be swum at the end of the meet. Relay cards will be available in the pool lobby and at the announcers stand. Relay cards must be submitted to the announcer's stand by the conclusion of event #14 the 100y back. There is no charge for relays. If all goes well the meet should be over by 2:30pm.
All Polar Bear swimmers and officials are invited to join Ford Aquatics Masters immediately after the meet at Mama's Famous Pizza for a pre Super Bowl party. The pizza is our treat, the drinks are up to you. Mama's Famous Pizza is located at 4500 E. Speedway Blvd. in the Midway Business Park. Click here for directions from the pool.
See You Soon!
Jim Stites
Meet Director
Polar Bear Classic XVII
