2008-09-28
USAS Convention - Part III
And now the denouement from the 2008 USAS Convention in Atlanta...
Saturday was a long day of meetings but somehow we all survived. Since 2008 was a Rules year, there were a bunch of rules changes that were brought before the House of Delegates for United States Masters Swimming.
We sit through these meetings so you don't have to ;-)
We read through a bunch of rules and reviewed committee recommendations. The end result will be on the USMS website shortly, but here are the relevant ones that affect AZ LMSC.
At Nationals, clubs will now compete either as Regional Clubs or Local Clubs. Awards are for 1-10 places combined, meaning there are no longer separate men's and women's club scoring awards. A Regional Club is defined as a club that has multiple teams that compete against each other within their LMSC but swim as one club at Nationals. Arizona is one such club, just like PNA, COMSA, Wisconsin, and NCMS. We will continue to compete against these clubs at Nationals as before. The change will be for clubs like Walnut Creek, The Olympic Club, NOVA, and FLAQ that compete at Nationals and at their local meets as one club.
2010 Short Course Nationals will be at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, which is the same pool that the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in. This facility has undergone a $45 million upgrade and is one of the premier aquatics centers in the world. It should be a great meet that everybody should enjoy. So mark your calendars for May 20-23, 2010.
2010 Long Course Nationals will be held in San Juan, PR. Yes, that is Puerto Rico my friends! Former Arizona resident/student/swimmer/coach/meet director Mark Gill is going to run this event in conjunction with the Puerto Rico swimming federation. This pool is a carbon copy of the Georgia Tech pool except that it has not been fully enclosed. The reviews of this facility are nothing short of outstanding. Plus, the swimming events will be held Monday-Thursday, August 9-12. There is also talk of hosting an open water swim that Friday after the meet is done. If you plan this one right, this event could lend itself well to an extended island vacation.
I will post a link to the rules changes when they are updated on the USMS website. That way, you can read through everything that was passed by the House of Delegates along with the committee reports that were submitted. It was an honor to represent Arizona in Atlanta and I think it was a worthwhile trip.
See you all back in the pool!
Saturday was a long day of meetings but somehow we all survived. Since 2008 was a Rules year, there were a bunch of rules changes that were brought before the House of Delegates for United States Masters Swimming.
We sit through these meetings so you don't have to ;-)
We read through a bunch of rules and reviewed committee recommendations. The end result will be on the USMS website shortly, but here are the relevant ones that affect AZ LMSC.
At Nationals, clubs will now compete either as Regional Clubs or Local Clubs. Awards are for 1-10 places combined, meaning there are no longer separate men's and women's club scoring awards. A Regional Club is defined as a club that has multiple teams that compete against each other within their LMSC but swim as one club at Nationals. Arizona is one such club, just like PNA, COMSA, Wisconsin, and NCMS. We will continue to compete against these clubs at Nationals as before. The change will be for clubs like Walnut Creek, The Olympic Club, NOVA, and FLAQ that compete at Nationals and at their local meets as one club.
2010 Short Course Nationals will be at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, which is the same pool that the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in. This facility has undergone a $45 million upgrade and is one of the premier aquatics centers in the world. It should be a great meet that everybody should enjoy. So mark your calendars for May 20-23, 2010.
2010 Long Course Nationals will be held in San Juan, PR. Yes, that is Puerto Rico my friends! Former Arizona resident/student/swimmer/coach/meet director Mark Gill is going to run this event in conjunction with the Puerto Rico swimming federation. This pool is a carbon copy of the Georgia Tech pool except that it has not been fully enclosed. The reviews of this facility are nothing short of outstanding. Plus, the swimming events will be held Monday-Thursday, August 9-12. There is also talk of hosting an open water swim that Friday after the meet is done. If you plan this one right, this event could lend itself well to an extended island vacation.
I will post a link to the rules changes when they are updated on the USMS website. That way, you can read through everything that was passed by the House of Delegates along with the committee reports that were submitted. It was an honor to represent Arizona in Atlanta and I think it was a worthwhile trip.
See you all back in the pool!
2008-09-26
USAS Convention - Part II
More news from Atlanta...
No big news (yet) from the USAS Convention but things are happening. Rob Butcher, the new Executive Director of USMS, gave a speech this morning during the first House of Delegates meeting. I can tell you that not only does he bring a wealth of experience in marketing, he is passionate about swimming and about USMS. We are very fortunate to have a person of Rob's caliber in this crucial role.
I also had a chance to meet and speak with Rob briefly. He is an approachable and thoughtful person whom I look forward to working with. He also recognizes the potential for growth within Arizona and wants to work with us on expanding membership. Over time the ED will have an impact on our state along with the rest of USMS.
During the remainder of Friday, there will be reports from the various committees and task forces. There won't be much else to report, Saturday will be another story though. During that session a number of Rules changes will be voted on along with deciding who will host 2010 SCY and LCM Nationals. That will produce some interesting debate for sure...
So for now, that is all from Atlanta.
No big news (yet) from the USAS Convention but things are happening. Rob Butcher, the new Executive Director of USMS, gave a speech this morning during the first House of Delegates meeting. I can tell you that not only does he bring a wealth of experience in marketing, he is passionate about swimming and about USMS. We are very fortunate to have a person of Rob's caliber in this crucial role.
I also had a chance to meet and speak with Rob briefly. He is an approachable and thoughtful person whom I look forward to working with. He also recognizes the potential for growth within Arizona and wants to work with us on expanding membership. Over time the ED will have an impact on our state along with the rest of USMS.
During the remainder of Friday, there will be reports from the various committees and task forces. There won't be much else to report, Saturday will be another story though. During that session a number of Rules changes will be voted on along with deciding who will host 2010 SCY and LCM Nationals. That will produce some interesting debate for sure...
So for now, that is all from Atlanta.
2008-09-25
USAS Convention - Part I
And now the news from Atlanta...
First of all, Eastern time is three hours ahead of Arizona (effectively PST for now) and it really makes morning meetings difficult. Despite this, we had a productive Southwest Zone meeting earlier today. Here are some of the highlights.
Laura Winslow was nomiated as Zone Representative again. This is great news because she has been involved in swimming for many years in several different roles. Her breadth of experience and professional background will once again enable her to effectively serve in this role.
There will be zone meets again in 2009. Arizona will host the SCY Zone meet, SPMA will host both the LCM and SCM Zone meets. This was done to draw more California people (SPMA and SI) to one of our big meets. We also wish to continue encouraging our swimmers to swim in the big SoCal meets, especially if they are not going to Nationals. Together, we can offer the over 5000 swimmers in our Zone some great meets to swim in.
Lastly, the SW Zone Committee appointed me (Chairman Doug) to chair a committee on an open water swimming series. This would comprise featured open water swims within the different LMSCs within our Zone. SPMA has an open water series, SI has held events in the past, and AZ has restarted an open water series, now is a great opportunity to create a series of events that we can promote to all zone members.
The rest of today will consist of committee meetings that will not produce anything exciting. However, in the coming days there will be rule proposals and National Championships that will be voted on. Those will produce some lively debate and some major decisions. So stay tuned...
First of all, Eastern time is three hours ahead of Arizona (effectively PST for now) and it really makes morning meetings difficult. Despite this, we had a productive Southwest Zone meeting earlier today. Here are some of the highlights.
Laura Winslow was nomiated as Zone Representative again. This is great news because she has been involved in swimming for many years in several different roles. Her breadth of experience and professional background will once again enable her to effectively serve in this role.
There will be zone meets again in 2009. Arizona will host the SCY Zone meet, SPMA will host both the LCM and SCM Zone meets. This was done to draw more California people (SPMA and SI) to one of our big meets. We also wish to continue encouraging our swimmers to swim in the big SoCal meets, especially if they are not going to Nationals. Together, we can offer the over 5000 swimmers in our Zone some great meets to swim in.
Lastly, the SW Zone Committee appointed me (Chairman Doug) to chair a committee on an open water swimming series. This would comprise featured open water swims within the different LMSCs within our Zone. SPMA has an open water series, SI has held events in the past, and AZ has restarted an open water series, now is a great opportunity to create a series of events that we can promote to all zone members.
The rest of today will consist of committee meetings that will not produce anything exciting. However, in the coming days there will be rule proposals and National Championships that will be voted on. Those will produce some lively debate and some major decisions. So stay tuned...
2008-09-23
Places to Swim List
...but wait, there's more! As long as you are going to visit the webpage, click on the Places to Swim tab and check out the new and improved list of AZ pools.
There you will find over 250 pools that are competition length (25Y, 25M, or 50M) and have lanes for lap swimming. All pools on this list have been validated recently and the addresses are correct. The phone numbers are listed too so you can call to confirm a pool is available for lap swimming before you arrive.
This list will be updated as new pools are discovered and constructed.
Enjoy!
There you will find over 250 pools that are competition length (25Y, 25M, or 50M) and have lanes for lap swimming. All pools on this list have been validated recently and the addresses are correct. The phone numbers are listed too so you can call to confirm a pool is available for lap swimming before you arrive.
This list will be updated as new pools are discovered and constructed.
Enjoy!
2008-09-22
Updated Team List
Looking for a team to swim with? Well, we now have a new and improved team list on our website. Click here to get the list of teams along with pertinent information on each one. We will certainly have more teams added to the list in the coming months so be sure to check this page regularly.
2008-09-21
USMS Partnership with Liberty Mutual
Last week, USMS announced a partnership with Liberty Mutual Insurance. This not only offers discounts on auto and home insurance, it also provides a special website and phone number (1-800-524-9400) just for USMS members. Get hold of Liberty Mutual and see if they can save you money and/or offer more service than your current policy. The savings could be substantial... Keep an eye out for additional discounts, promotions, and special offers both from USMS and from Arizona Masters Swimming.
2008-09-20
Hertz Rent-a-Car Discount
One benefit of USMS membership is discounts with selected companies. Just a few weeks ago, USMS announced a new program with Hertz Rent-a-Car. Members get a discount code (CDP#1812021) that they can use when making a reservation. So the next time you are making a reservation, use the discount code and save.
2008-09-19
La Jolla Results
Once again, a bunch of swimmers from Arizona went to the La Jolla Roughwater Swim. This event draws hundreds of people from all over the US and is one of the premier open water events in the world.As many can attest, being in San Diego in early September is a nice place to be...
For women's results, click here. Note that Suzie Fawcett scored forth in this competitive event!
You can get the men's results by going here. Arizona swimmers Steve Worth and Nate Moore scored third and forth respectively.
Then there are the Gatormen... These are the swimmers that swim all the way from La Jolla Cove to the Scripps Pier and back. That's three miles in the Pacific Ocean, which is longer than an Ironman(tm) distance swim.
Their results are here. Arizona swimmer Eric Mix got seventh overall (out of 486!), which is quite an accomplishment.
2008-09-18
Maui Wowi
When most 'zonies think of open water swimming events, we think of the La Jolla Roughwater Swims. But not everybody does...A few intrepid swimmers ventured to Maui, HI to participate in the ‘Aumakua open water swims. They did really well too judging by the results. Al Jaegers proved he has just as much speed in the ocean as the pool by taking first overall in the mile event. He was among five men who finished within 3/10ths of a second of each other. Kelsey Dickson showed that fast swimming runs in the family by finishing fourteenth overall and first in her age group. John Carl Becker from Tucson finished eleventh overall in the three mile swim and another Dickson (a guy named Kurt) finished just behind in sixteenth.
Great job team, you represented Arizona well!
2008-09-09
Dry Land Training Tips For Masters Swimmers
Clear the water from your ears, Masters Swimmers. The people at Performance Fitness want you to hear this: Dry land training is an important part of your competitive swim plan—and overall fitness. So if you’re not doing it, or don’t know how, you won’t want to miss this free seminar.
“Dry Land Training Tips for Masters Swimmers” will be presented by exercise physiologist Andrew Clark, at Performance Fitness, 2951 N. Swan Rd., Suite 101, at 11 a.m. on September 27. Clark, who owns Performance Fitness, says the free seminar is geared to those who can swim for miles and miles, but when it comes to dry land, are like fishoutawata.
Participants will learn:
· why weight-bearing exercise grows in importance with age
· how to safely introduce land-based exercises into your fitness routine
· specific exercises that may help you swim faster
In addition to this free seminar, Performance Fitness is offering registered USMS swimmers a special incentive: two months of membership for the price of one, for those who join by September 30.
For reservations and information, call 520-325-5455.
