January 2008 Archives

Hi Everyone! Now that we have all survived the day in the "rain forest" over there at the WSF Swim Meet, I thought it was time to touch base with everyone. But, before anything else, thanks for being so supportive and understanding of me as I sit or hobble around the pool deck! This time cannot go fast enough.

I want to touch briefly on several items.

Swim Meets.After the "Chicago Crew" swam so well a week ago, we came back with a second great group performance this past weekend! I am very proud of the willingness to get up and race; ask great questions about those races; and stay focused during the nastiest day of weather Coach Jennifer has ever had to endure coaching at a meet! At the WSF Swim Meet, the Red group accomplished 85% new best times!! STAY THE COURSE!

Now in moving ahead from this meet, I feel that we have been focused and therefore we have been able to secure more pieces of our individual puzzles to put in place. I think bigger pictures are beginning to appear for the Red Swimmers as we make our way toward the "final phase" of the short course swim season.

I don't want to fail to make mention of the "Swimmers of the Meet" for both the Chicago Travel Trip or the WSF Swim Meet. At the Chicago Meet we had one young lady that swam eight new best times! So, the Chicago "Swimmer of the Meet" goes to Logan Bianchi! This past weekend we had yet another young lady who went eight new best times!! And two young men who both swam six new best times in the meet! Our WSF Swim Meet "Swimmers of the Meet" go to Katherine Gonzales; Jack Travis and Chase Walter! Way to go and what a great job of racing!!

Final Phase of the Short Course Season. Last night-Tuesday, January 29th, Red had a team meeting to talk about where are we headed from here? I reviewed the season for them and spent a lot of time focusing on all of the positive growth that I have seen-both in and out of the pool within this group. We are now able to accomplish the goals of a workout on a daily basis because the group does a much better job in accepting the responsibility that they play within the workout.

To help each individual understand the goals that they want/are able to reach this season, we are doing several team building activities this week. Monday was a recovery day from the last several weeks of consistent work that the majority have done; Tuesday we had a lengthy team meeting to talk about focusing and moving ahead to the championship phase of the this season and dryland work focusing on the legs. Wednesday was just good old fashioned long course practice for two hours. Thursday we will hit the dryland session hard and then spend 60-75' totally focused on goal-setting . This is on an individual basis. We will look at our early season goals; time improvements that we have made; our current best times; what meets we have left to focus on and our time goals for Lost Dutchman; Regionals and reaching further to our last meet of the season.

Next week we will focus on working hard and precision work with drills.

Parent/Coach Conferences Informational Flyers.On Thursday, January 31st, please look for the flyers in your mailboxes. This is a great opportunity for parents to spend 15'-20' one-on-one with their child's coach. These are similar to Parent/Teacher conferences at school. Sign-up/Scheduling sheets will be available starting on Saturday, February 2nd. Please know that if you don't sign up, I will fit you in after finishing all of the other scheduled swimmers first. I want to be fair with everyone.

BEST Activity Calendar February-May 2008.Knowing that every one's daily lives are quite busy, I know how people like to get upcoming dates in their head and on their calendars. Following is the schedule, as of February 1st:

Friday, February 15-Monday, 18th=Lost Dutchman Meet (Entries are posted and in mailboxes)
Wednesday, Feb. 20th=BEST Parents Meeting (topics to be announced)
Feb. 28-March 2nd=Regionals (Reg cuts)

Friday, March 7th or Saturday, March 8th=Red End of Season Party!!!
Thursday, March 13-Sunday, 16th=Arizona State Age Group Meet (Q Times)
Friday, March 21st-Monday, 24th=Easter Weekend Break
Saturday, March 29-Sunday, 30th=Season Finale Swim Meet (Everyone)
Monday, March 31st-Tuesday, April 8th=BEST TEAM Spring Break
Thursday, April 3-Sunday, 6th=Far Westerns Swim Meet (Far Western times)

Wednesday, April 9th=BEST Resumes practices
Saturday, April 26th=BEST Long Course Intrasquad Meet

Sunday, May 4th=BEST Team Dinner and Awards Banquet

With everything that is going on in Phoenix; Scottsdale and Glendale this week, I sure hope your family can enjoy some of it...or just some quiet time at home! No Peyton...I will have to settle for little brother Eli! thanks for your continued kind words of encouragement and support. I am having a blast with your children. Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend!
-Coach Jennifer

Hello Everyone! After a week hiatus from my blogs, I have many items to share with all of you.

Practice Focus.With the last two months of the season upon us, the focus of practices will continue to focus on developing stroke technique and good habits. But, we will also spend more time on swimming longer distances. Of course the exact distances depend on the level of each swimmer. Also, our older, more experienced Rising Star Swimmers will work on faster intervals within practices as we prepare for our final meets of the season.

Late Season Schedule.Can you believe we are to February! And with the month of February, we only have two months left in our short-course swim season. Just wanted to briefly explain how the seasons end and begin. The final swim meet of the season for all of the Starfish and Rising Stars to compete in is the Season Finale. This meet is March 29-30th. The team will take a break the week of March 31-April 8th. Once we start again after the break, the schedule will remain the same until school is out for the summer. However, our meets will be conducted long-course (50 meters). When school is out, our tentative practice schedule (according to last summer) is three mornings and two evenings each week. We practice long-course in the mornings and short-course in the afternoons. The long course season will run through the end of July. At that point we will take another team break for early August. I would HIGHLY encourage everyone to continue with the team. Many of the young swimmers do take part in a summer league meet also. I will keep announcing this schedule as we approach it this spring.

Swim Meets.
*WSF Swim Meet. A HUGE congratulations to everyone who swam this past weekend! We sure looked good in the water and had MANY new best times. With the two groups combined, we had 90% new best times!! Coach Mo and I were quite impressed with how well the young swimmers handled themselves in the cold on Sunday. The group is doing a very good job of remembering to come see the coaches after every swim. If your swimmer is not doing this, please help remind them that this is important to get feedback from the coaches about how they swam.
*Phil Levine Meet. Please remember if you are interested, I need to know by Friday, Feb. 1st. The meet information was placed in every one's mailbox on Monday. We are attending Saturday of the meet only.
*Remaining meets for short-course=
Phil Levine/Neptune Swim Club Meet (for everyone) Saturday, Feb. 9th
Regionals (must have Regional cuts-only Rising Star Swimmers at the present time) Feb.28-March 2nd.
Season Finale Swim Meet. (for everyone) March 29-30th.

"Swimmers-of-the Meet"For the WSF Meet this past weekend, we had so many great swims. It was very hard to figure out who was the outstanding swimmers of the meet! But based on the number of best times achieved, the Starfish "Swimmer of the Meet" was awarded to Ava DiStefano. She had five new best times! The Rising Star "Swimmers of the Meet" were awarded to two young ladies who also both achieved five new best times-Quinn Blake and Anita Dorsey! Congratulations to these three young ladies for doing a great job this weekend!

"Fun Days"Remember the emphasis of the "Fun Days" are used as a reward for their hard work and fast swimming achieved at each swim meet. It gives all of us a chance to unwind after each of the meets. We try to do something a little different each "Fun Day." Playing team games are the main focus. It gives the children a chance to get to socialize with each other in a more relaxed atmosphere than during practice. It should be looked upon as an avenue to help build team spirit and camaraderie. These always take place the Tuesday after the swim meets. I have been sending out an e-mail to all of the families reminding them of this day and the special schedule for it.

Coach/Parent Conferences Informational Flyer.These flyers will be placed in every one's mailboxes tomorrow-Thursday, January 31st. These will be conducted much like Parent/Teacher Conferences that you attend at school. This will be an opportunity for you, as a parent, to share 15-20' one-on-one with the coach. Sign-up/scheduling sheets will be available starting on Saturday, February 2nd for everyone to choose a meeting time. I hope everyone will take part in this opportunity. Please know that if you don't sign up during the regular scheduling time, it may be difficult to meet with the coach until everyone who has a conference time is taken care of. I want to be fair with everyone and give everyone their fair share of time.

BEST Calendar February-May 2008.
In closing, I would like to give you a glance of the BEST activity calendar from now-February through early May, 2008. I know many people like to get dates on their own calendar:

Saturday, February 9th=Phil Levine/Neptune One Day Meet
Wednesday, Feb. 20th=BEST Parents Meeting (Topics to be announced)
Saturday, Feb. 23rd=Starfish/Rising Stars End-of-Season Party (Bowling?)
Feb. 28-March 2nd=Regionals Swim Meet. (Need to qualify)

March 21-24th=Easter Weekend Break
March 29-30th=Season Finale Meet (for everyone)
March 31-April 8th=BEST Team Break

Wednesday, April 9th=Resume practices for Spring season.
Saturday, April 24th=BEST Long Course Intrasquad Meet

Sunday, May 4th=BEST Team Awards Dinner and Banquet

Thanks for reading I I know I covered a lot of details in this blog. Have a great weekend. Hopefully you can enjoy the Super Bowl and Super Bowl Sunday festivities; FBR Golf Tournament; the NFL Experience or just a quiet weekend with the family! (My support goes out to the Manning Family. If I can't watch Peyton, I'll take Eli!)

Take care! -Coach Jennifer

Entries for the Lost Dutchman Meet are posted and in the mailboxes. If you have any changes please let me know before the end of practices today (Wednesday, Jan. 30 - 7:30 pm).

Entries for the Lost Dutchman Meet are posted and in the mailboxes. If you have any changes please let me know before the end of practices today (Wednesday, Jan. 30 - 7:30 pm).

We have blocked 20 rooms for the Masters State Championships in Tucson at the end of March (28-30).

The team will be staying at the Windmill Suites at St. Philip's Plaza.
4250 North Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85718
520-203-0163/fax: 520-203-0168
520-577-0007
This reservation is under the Brophy Swim Club Team Masters 3/28/08-3/30/08 Group Code: 03/28BRO
The cost is $145.00 + 12.05% tax single/double occupancy.

**The cut off date for this reservation at the cost above is February 28, 2008**

First To The End
Freestyle Finishes

At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer tied for first in the women's 100 meter freestyle. The two Americans shared the victory stand and both were awarded the gold medal. At the 1972 Olympics, American Tim McKee wasn't so lucky. He and Swedan's Gunnar Larsson tied for first in the men's 400 meter IM. Race officials took the times out to the thousandths and awarded Larsson the gold medal by two one-thousandths of a second. That's less than the length of a fingernail. You can avoid agonizing finishes like McKee's by either growing your fingernails or by fine-tuning your finish with the following steps:
1. Stop Breathing: Figure out how far you can swim at your race pace without breathing. When you are that far from the wall, stop breathing and finish hard.
2. Bury Your Head: Keep your head in a neutral position and your eyes on the bottom through the whole race and especially at the finish.
3. Learn To Lunge: On the deck, stand with your back to a wall and reach as high above you on the wall as you can with one hand. Tilt your opposite shoulder down. Now do the same on your finish.
4. Finish With Your Fingers: Stretch your fingers forward, slightly flexed, to absorb the impact and avoid jamming them on the wall. If you palm the wall, you have to reach more than five inches farther than if you hit it with your fingertips.
Practice these and you will have the BEST finish.

We are now offering private lessons to include videotaping above and below the water with stroke analysis . This is a hour+ lesson on the stroke or strokes of your choice. The cost of this private lesson will be: $65.00 for one stroke and $20.00 for each additional stroke/strokes.

This is a great tool to use in correcting stroke technique. Now you will be able to see what your coach can see and really understand the suggestions given.

See Coach Mark to set up a time for this.

Hi all! Here are some notes for this week…

1) For the most part, I was pleased with the swims this past weekend. It was a good mental test for the swimmers: they are tired, the weather was awful, and the meet was long course. The following swimmers achieved a best time ever at the meet: Scott Angell (200 Free), Matthew Carbajal (200 Back and 100 Back), Megan Mitchell (100 Free and 200 IM), Danielle Palbykin (200 IM and 400 IM) and Sally Wang (400 Free). Congrats! One thing that really showed at the meet was the swimmers that have been inconsistent with practice and how much their splits dropped off during the course of the race. These swimmers should try to get back on track and attend as many practices possible. It is not too late to have a great long course season. Swimmers cannot decide in February that they want to have a great Championship Meet in March. This needed to start from the beginning of the season. To those swimmers that have been working hard and attending practices, keep doing what you are doing. The rewards will come in March!

2) We will be going on a hike this Saturday (February 2nd) instead of swimming. Swimmers should meet at the pool by 7:45am and then we will head on out. Katie Herriot passed out a flyer yesterday for a brunch afterwards at her house. Thank you to the Herriot’s for doing this!!!!

3) Lost Dutchman entries and an information sheet were passed out last night. I will pass out the rest today to those that were not at practice.

4) Starting February 1st, there will be attendance requirements for the swimmers in Silver that want to go on travel trips (Sectionals, Nationals or team travel meets). This will be a minimum of 85% of their scheduled practices (This includes mornings).

That is all for right now.
Thanks!
Coach Kevin

Download file

Hi all! Here are some notes for this week…

1) Great job by the swimmers at the Westside Silver Fins Meet this past weekend! Out of the 80 swims for the White group, 65 of them were either first time swims in that event or best times ever! That equals 81%!!! Every swimmer in White achieved at least one best time ever! Congratulations to our two new Far Western Cuts achieved at the meet- Kyle McCoy (200 IM) and Ethan Wojciechowski (200 Free). Congrats! Swimmers of the Meet could have been anyone in the group but I selected the following 3: Cameron Heidenreich, Daniela Saucedo and Bella Valenzuela! Congrats!

2) We are looking at the possibility of adding a meet on Saturday, February 9. The meet will be at the West Chandler Aquatic Center. The meet will have one session in the morning with 7:30 warm-ups and 8:30 meet start. The events offered: 400 IM, 100 IM, 200 Free, 100 Back, 11& over 200 Breast, 50 Free, 100 Fly and 50 Breast. We are trying to see what kind of turnout we would get to see if we will do this meet. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in attending.

3) Lost Dutchman Entries are attached to this e-mail. They are also in the file folders along with an information page. The meet is February 15-18. We have no White group swimmers competing on Friday night (15th). Please read the information page I put in the folders and let me know ASAP if there are any changes. The swimmers entered in Lost Dutchman are: Garner Blake, Jack Blake, Cameron Heidenreich, Kyle McCoy, Matthew Mitchell, Brian Radcliffe, Connor Roman, Ethan Wojciechowski and Bella Valenzuela.

4) The practice schedule for this week is still the same as I sent out last week. Please make sure to note that Friday begins at 5:30 and ends at 7:00.

That is all for right now.
Thanks!
Coach Kevin

Download file
Attached are the results from the meet in Chicago. The meet was a success both in and out of the pool.Our swimmers swam fast and survived the sub zero temperatures, and the pool with a broken heater. Thank you to our coaches Kevin and Liz for the long days and endless enthusiasm. The trip wouldn't have gone as smoothly if not for our amazing parents. Thanks to everyone who made our team trip just a little bit better.

If you haven't placed your personalized cap order yet, this is your last chance. Email me this weekend (slee@brophyprep.org) and we will get you on the list. I can put the amount owed on your monthly statement. We will not be placing another order until June.
2 latex caps $15.13
2 silicone caps $25.95

Age Group
Saturday Start 2:00 p.m. Finish 12 & Unders 5:46 P.M. 14 & Unders 6:39 p.m.
Sunday Start 2:00 p.m. Finish 5:44 p.m.

NEW START TIME FOR SENIORS: 7:30 A.M. WARM UP; 8:30 A.M. STARTSenior
Friday Start 6:00 p.m. Finish 6:37 p.m.
Saturday Start 8:30 a.m. Finish 12:17 p.m.
Sunday Start 8:30 a.m. Finish 11:46 a.m.

Hi all! Here are some notes for this week…

1) Great job by all the swimmers in Chicago! I was very pleased with the swims since we were working hard prior to the trip. This was great to see the swimmers step up and race after taking a week off for the holidays. Congrats to our two high point winners: Celina Li (11-12 Girls) and Chris Webb (13-14 Boys)! A new Sectional cut was achieved by Celina Li in the 500 Free. New Far Western Cuts were achieved by Elizabeth Keenan (200 IM), Sally Wang (200 Fly) and Chris Webb (100 Back). I was very proud of the swimmers out of the pool as well. This was one of the best travel trips I have ever been on!

2) Practice schedule for the rest of this week and next is attached to this e-mail. This is also in each file folder. There is no practice this Saturday due to the Westside Silver Fins Meet.

3) All swimmers will receive updated events for the meet this weekend today. I entered most Chicago swimmers in just Saturday events. Those that did not attend Chicago are entered Saturday and Sunday. Warm-ups begin at 7:15am both days.

4) We will go hiking next Saturday (February 2nd) instead of swimming. I will have more information out soon.

5) Lost Dutchman entries will be out early next week.

6) I will begin posting attendance numbers for the Silver Group. I talked about attendance the other day with the swimmers. We have some that have attended only 55% of the practices since the break. This is not acceptable for a swimmer at this level. Hopefully by posting numbers, this will motivate some of those swimmers to get their attendance up. Poor attendance could lead to a group change. Hope we do not get to that point.

That is all for right now.

Thanks!

Coach Kevin

We need your help getting some video and still pictures of the kids in the meet this weekend. If you want to be in the team video at the banquet in the spring, please take some video and pictures and get them to us. This especially applies to the kids in the senior session of the meet as they are the ones who usually are under represented. Thank you in advance for your help.

In the past few weeks there have been a few items missing from the girls' locker room. On January 3rd there was a pink Razor cell phone taken. The week of January 14th a black parka with red fleece interior was taken from the picnic tables on deck. It was brand new and unmarked (no name/no BEST patch). On January 22nd there was a USA sweat top and Vans shoes that turned up missing from the girls' locker room. Please check your belongings and if found, return these items to the office. It is a little disturbing that personal belongings seem to be disappearing even though BEST swimmers are the only ones using our facility at this time. Please respect other people's belongings.
If you have a parka that you are no longer using and would like to sell, please contact the office.

NEW START TIME FOR SENIORS: SATURDAY & SUNDAY 7:30 A.M. WARM UP; 8:30 A.M. START
Download file

Hi all! Here are some notes for this week…

1) Great job by Garner Blake, Patrick Rottman and Hailey Schramm at the Chicago Meet this past weekend!!!!! You guys lit the pool up with some fast swims! Congrats again!

2) The practice schedule for the rest of this week and next week is attached to this e-mail. Practice on both Fridays will be from 5:30 – 7:00. There is no practice this Saturday due to the Westside Silver Fins Meet.

3) Westside Silver Fins Meet this weekend….warm-ups are currently scheduled to begin at 1:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. The afternoon meet is scheduled to begin at 2:00pm. I will send out an e-mail if I hear anything different as far as times go. Entries are posted on the bulletin board at the pool.

That is all for right now. Thanks!

Coach Kevin

No MORNING practice on Wednesday, January 23.

Download file
Please read, sign and return or email your plans. Thanks!

Brophy East Swim Team - BEST
Gold Group Altitude Training Camp

The Gold Group will be training at altitude in Flagstaff the week of May 31-June 8, 2008.

This camp will be open to (and highly encouraged for) Gold swimmers who are not in summer school that week. If you are in school that week you will be able to still train at the BEST pool.
We will be training at NAU (2 x day) and staying at the Brophy Manresa Retreat. The pool at NAU is about a 20 minute van ride from Manresa. We will also be doing our meals at Manresa. The cost per swimmer will only be whatever the pool rental is, van gas and probably some entertainment costs (movie, maybe a meal out, possibly putt-putt, etc.). Actual per swimmer cost will be available soon, but should be very inexpensive.

(For those Gold swimmers who have their spring break the week of March 16 there may also be an opportunity for you to train in Flagstaff that week also. We would probably return on Fri. 3/21 or Sat. 3/22.)
(Remember, because we took a week off at Christmas we are not really taking spring break off this year. We do have off Fri. 3/21 through Mon. 3/24.)

Thank you all for the wonderful Christmas Cheer this season; the Rankin family really appreciated it. I wanted to also say thank you to all of you for your help with the tarps this season; especially my 5:30am crew. The membership numbers are great right now.--One more thank you for all of your support!

We will be Long Course Meters for about 3 weeks and quite often there after. We are gearing up for the Olympic Season and have quite a few of our Senior team members training for the Olympic Trials this Spring. As you may or may not know this is a Long Course event and we are trying to support our young athletes as best we can in their training. Thank you for your support and understanding with this and look for Brophy to represent the USA in 2008!

***A couple of minutes of stretching and arm swings before your swim workouts will protect your sholders in the long run. A good warm up and warm down is needed at every workout, please try to make time for it.***

Let's swim for life!! Ready Go!!

Coach Mark

More information to come soon on this!!

:Polar Bear Meet Feb. 3rd Tucson, AZ

:SCY State Championship Meet March/April (TBA) Tucson, AZ (we are looking into blocking rooms at a hotel for this meet, as soon as we have a date we will let you know). We hope to have a good number of people attending this--GO BROPHY!

:Masters Nationals May 1-4 Austin, TX

:Masters LCM State Championship Brophy swim club July--TBA

A Masters social is in the works for the end of February---more info to come soon!

Please be sure to stop by the office for the new Dryland Curcuit sheet. We recommend that you do this twice a week. See Coach Mark or Coach Taco if you would like to set up a demonstration of the circuit.

This means more strength, less injuries and faster swimming. Also recommended is a good warm up and stretching prior to your workout.

All Masters swimmers including lap swimmers must be registered with United States Masters Swimming and the *Brophy Swim Club Masters for the 2008 year.

Registration forms are in the swim office for both USMS and Brophy swim club. You may down load Brophys registration at our web site and you may get the USMS registration online @ AZLMSC.org --go to "join".

When you get the copy of your current registration card please bring a copy to the swim office to be put in your file.

THIS IS MANDATORY!

*Current members must re-register with USMS and will see our $50.00 annual membership fee on your FEB. bill.

Entries for the Silver Fins Meet on January 25-27 are done and posted. I did not enter anyone that was going to Chicago unless I heard from you before Wednesday night. Remember to let me know in writing or via email if you will not be attending one or both days - otherwise, consider yourself entered.

Entries for the Silver Fins Meet on January 25-27 are done and posted. I did not enter anyone that was going to Chicago unless I heard from you before Wednesday night. Remember to let me know in writing or via email if you will not be attending one or both days - otherwise, consider yourself entered.

We'd like to congratulate Chris and Celine on making the Western Zone Select Roster! Check out the link.

Download file

Hi all!

I am trying to get a feel if any of the following swimmers are interested in attending Sectionals in March. The date of the meet is March 5-9, 2008 in Federal Way Washington. The meet will be long course.

The Arizona Age Group and Senior State Meet is March 14-16, 2008

Swimmers are allowed to swim 6 events maximum. All swimmers are allowed 1 bonus event. Please let me know if you plan on going so we can start working on travel arrangements. Swimmers must have at least two qualifying times to attend. The qualifying period is March 8, 2007 - present.

Scott Angell – 2 events + 1 bonus

Matthew Carbajal – 2 events + 1 bonus

Taryn Collura – 2 events + 1 bonus

Celina Li – 6 events

Carter Smith – 3 events + 1 bonus

Chris Webb – 3 events + 1 bonus

Thanks!
Kevin

Following are reminders to update everyone.

Practice Schedule Reminders/Changes.Everyone should have gotten an e-mail on Monday a.m. with several practice time updates. Following are those and any new ones:
Wed. Jan. 16th=5-7:00p.m. (Chicago Swimmers done by 6:30-please be on time to pick them up!)
Fri. Jan. 18th=6;7:30p.m.
Sun. Jan. 20th=12Noon-2:00p.m.
Mon. Jan. 21st=Martin Luther King School Holiday/Practice=3-5:00p.m.
Fri. Jan 25th=6-7:00p.m.
Sat. Jan. 26th=NO Practice due to the WSF Swim Meet

Chicago & WSF Swim Meets.Good Luck to the nine Red Swimmers who are traveling to Chicago for the BEST Team travel trip & swim meet. Swim fast and have fun!!! (In that order!!)
For the WSF Swim Meet, following are some details to help everyone out with the weekend:
The meet is Saturday, January 26th & Sunday 27th. All 14 & Unders will swim in the afternoon both days. The meet location is the Southwest Valley YMCA, 2919 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ. (It is where we had our meet in November). Warm-up are slated to begin at 1:00p.m. both days. Meet starting at 2p.m. Please be on time! Everyone is expected to be in BEST team attire. The team shirts for Saturday are BEST Red ones & Sunday is BEST White ones. Good Luck! The entries are posted on the age group bulletin board.

"Coach/Parent Conferences" Informational Flyer. Next Tuesday, January 22nd, everyone will be receiving an informational flyer about Coach/Parent Conferences that I am wanting to organize and carry out. When I was a head age group coach in Indiana, I did these for several years and felt that everyone benefited greatly from the time spent to do them. Please make sure to take the time to read this important information that is soon to come your way. I will be sure to e-mail it out next week also.

Just to let you all know, I am having a blast with your children! I feel like we really have bonded a lot in the last several of weeks! We still have lots to work on, but we have made great strides in the listening; attitude; and effort departments! Thanks for sharing your great kids with me! have a great week!
-Coach Jennifer

This blog will be a short and sweet one. A change coming from my usual!

Practice Schedule Reminders/Changes.Following are practice schedule updates for the Starfish and Rising Star groups that are known through the month of February.
Sat. Jan. 19th=11:15-12:15p.m.
Mon. Jan. 21st=Normal Rising Star Practice @ 5p.m.
Sat. Jan 26th=NO Practice due to WSF Swim Meet!
Tues. Jan. 29th=Fun Day!!
Sat. Feb. 2nd=11:30a.m.-12:30p.m.
Sat. Feb. 9th=Practice TBA
Sat. Feb. 16th=Practice TBA
Sat. Feb. 23rd=11:30-12:30p.m.
Sat. Mar. 1st=NO Practice due to the Regional Swim Meet!

WSF Swim Meet.Just so everyone is on the page concerning the upcoming meet next weekend, January 26-27th, here are a few details to help everyone. The Starfish & Rising Stars (all 14 & Unders) swim in the afternoons-both Saturday and Sunday. The meet is located at the Southwest Valley YMCA (where we swam at the November meet), 2919 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ
Warm-ups are estimated to start at 1:00p.m. both days and meet starting at 2:00p.m. Please be on time for warm-ups! Everyone needs to wear BEST team apparel. Saturday we will wear Red BEST shirts & Sunday we will wear White. The entries are posted on the age group bulletin board.

"Coach/Parent Conferences" Informational Flyers.Please check your mailboxes for flyers next Tuesday, January 22nd. I will e-mail this information out to everyone at that time also. I conducted Coach/Parent Conferences (much like Teacher/Parent) for many years when I was the Head Age Group Coach in Indiana. I am trying to get this organized for late January to early February. Please make sure you read this very important info coming soon!

Spring/Summer 2008 Practice Schedules.As people/families begin to make preliminary plans for the upcoming spring and summer, I am beginning to get questions concerning the spring & summer schedule for the Starfish and Rising Star groups. At this point in time, I cannot give you the confirmed schedule for the upcoming summer, but I can estimate that it will be close to the schedule that we ran last summer. It was as follows:
Present Schedule runs through the end of the school year.
The changeover to the team's summer practice schedule will most likely go into effect either the week of June 2nd or 9th.
The summer schedule ran through late July, with the majority of August off for vacation and the start of school.
Last year's schedule (summer 2007)=Mon/Wed/Fri 11:15a.m.-12:15p.m.; Tue/Thu 4-5:15p.m.; Sat. 11a.m.-12Noon.
The Starfish were schedule for Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Sat
More precise information will follow in late February.
The Rising Stars were offered everyday, except Sunday.
The Starfish and Rising Stars were offered four meets last summer season.

We do now have the ribbons for the Glendale Gauchos Swim Meet in December.
Have a great week!
-Coach Jennifer

The schedule for Monday, January 21st afternoon:
3-5:00p.m. Small Pool=Blue & Red;
3:30-5:30p.m. (Gold=6p.m.) Long Course=Gold/Silver/Bronze
5-6:00p.m. (White=6:15 or 6:30) Small Pool=White & Rising Stars

Coach Mark will cover practices during the Chicago trip.

Monday, January 21 --> 3:30-5:30 pm practice (no change)

Friday, January 25 --> Coach Mark will cover practice

Saturday, January 26 --> No Practice

Just a reminder to parents of the BEST TEAM POLICIES on "Pool Deck Coaching and Management":

Pool Deck Coaching and Management
Parents are requested to refrain from consulting with the coaches or swimmers during training and competition. A distraction of this kind could prevent the coach from providing the supervision required by the other swimmers. Consequently, parents will be expected to remain the designated spectator areas. During certain meets, the team area may be restricted to competitors only and family members will be encouraged to sit in an adjacent section. Again, consistent with the need to establish a focused, distraction free environment for the swimmers, parents who wish to occasionally watch the workouts will be requested to do so from under the building eaves or in the grassy areas surrounding the pools. The presents of a parent at the training sessions on a regular basis is generally counterproductive to the progress of the swimmer. Brophy policy requires that the folding chairs be restricted to the meeting rooms.

Thank you for your cooperation.

2008 Zone Select Camp swimmers announced (1/11/2008)

USA Swimming has selected the swimmers eligible to participate in the 2008 Zone Select Camps. Camp locations and coaching staff are being finalized and will be announced shortly.

See complete roster at www.usaswimming.org

Coach Mark will be covering practices during the Chicago trip.

Monday, January 21 --> Blue practice 3:00-5:00 pm

Friday, January 25 --> Coach Mark will cover practice

Saturday, January 26 --> No Practice

Download file

White Practice Schedule
(January 14th – January 21st )

Monday, 1/14 6:00 – 7:30 Swim

Tuesday, 1/15 6:00 – 7:30 Swim

Wednesday, 1/16 6:00 – 6:30 Dryland
6:30 – 7:00 Swim

Thursday, 1/17 6:00 – 7:15 Swim (w/ Red)

Friday, 1/18 6:00 – 7:30 Swim (w/ Red)

Saturday, 1/19 10:00 – 11:30 Swim (w/ Red)

Monday, 1/21 5:00 – 6:15 Swim

Silver Practice Schedule
(January 14th – January 21st )

Monday, 1/14 3:30 – 5:00 Swim
5:00 – 5:40 Dryland
5:45 – Chicago Meeting

Tuesday, 1/15 3:30 – 4:00 Run
4:00 – 6:00 Swim

Wednesday, 1/16 3:30 – 5:00 Swim
5:15 – 6:00 Dryland

Thursday, 1/17 3:30 – 5:30 Swim (w/ Gold)

Friday, 1/18 5:30 – 7:00am Swim (w/ Gold)
3:30 – 6:00 Swim (w/ Gold)

Saturday, 1/19 8:00 – 10:35am Swim (w/ Gold)

Monday, 1/21 3:30 – 5:30 Swim (w/ Gold)

Happy New Year! I certainly hope that everyone enjoyed the holiday season and are back into the swing of things! It sure was nice to have the swimmers back in the water this week. both coach Mo and myself noticed how happy, fresh and excited they were all at practice. The big thing that we noticed is how well everyone was listening again! It is amazing what a small break can do for children of this age can do to help keep things fresh and exciting for them!

Meet Schedule.Just want to make sure everyone knows the upcoming meets.
Jan.26-27=WSF Meet. At this meet the 14 & Under swimmers swim in the afternoons. At this meet, it primarily consists of 100's as the focus for each stroke. They do offer the 50 Free. This meet is looked at as a challenge meet for everyone. We will enter all of the Rising Star group and most of the Starfish group. Please let me know if you do NOT want to have your swimmer(s) entered or if after you see the entry, you have questions, let me know ASAP!! The entry will be posted on Monday.
Feb.28-Mar.2=Age Group Regionals. Must have Regional cuts/time standards to qualify. We have approx 10 Rising Stars who are eligible for this meet at this time.
Mar. 29-30=Season FinaleEveryone is eligible for this meet.

Attendance.Beginning at the end of this month, January, I will begin posting the monthly attendance percentages. When we are focusing on improvement, CONSTISTENCY is the key at this stage of development for an athlete!! I will also post the months of September-December, 2007.

Attention...We have a LOST ParkaWe know how much the swimmers take pride in their parkas. Well, some one picked up Lou DiMuro's parka by mistake. He has a parka that says Travis in it. Will everyone please check to make sure they have the right parkas! Thanks for your help! Lou's was taken on Monday,January 7th.

Next week-January 14th's BlogIn next week's blog, parents I will have information concerning upcoming BEST Parent Meetings & Coach/Parent Conferences.

In closing, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU for every one's generosity towards me this Christmas!! Not only in the monetary gift from the team, but also in the many wonderful gifts that i received from both the swimmers and their families! Thank you...not necessary, but very much appreciated!

Thank you all so much for your continued support of BEST, your wonderful children and of the coaches!
-Coach Jennifer

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that you have survived the first week getting back into the swing of things! The Red group sure has a lot to feel good about and be proud of! What a fantastic start to 2008 they have had in the pool! Great efforts and attitudes have been the highlight of the new year for me so far! (Nothing to complain about here!)

January Schedule Everyone should have received the paper copy of the Red January practice Schedule in their mailboxes on Monday. I have also e-mailed those out to every family. Remember, the details of every day for Red are found on this schedule. I really believe this helps the swimmers and parents to know what is going on a little better and know what we are doing and what to expect and when.

Meet ScheduleJust a reminder about the upcoming meet schedule for January and February. The meets in January are the point of the season where the hard work of November, December, and Holiday Training will really show and make an impact for many swimmers. We are still in the work phase of the season, but we are also in the phase of the season where the meet performances are taking on new importance in the way that we are prepared. Following is the upcoming meets that involve Red Swimmers:
Jan. 17-21st=Chicago Travel Trip/Swim Meet. Good Luck to the nine Red Swimmers who are going to Chicago!
Jan. 26-27th=WSF Meet. I will be doing this entry next week. Please let me know if you are NOT attending.
Feb. 15-18th=Lost Dutchman. Need qualifying times. Most times are faster than National BB times, but slower than Arizona Q Times. I will update everyone on who has cuts for this meet.
Feb. 28-Mar. 2nd=Age Group Regionals. Must have Regional times.

Monthly Attendance Stating at the end of January, I will be posting the attendance for the month. These will be displayed in percentages also. I will also post the attendance averages for the months of September-December 2007. I think is the indicator which shows who has truly been consistent in their attendance, therefore efforts too. When we are looking at improvement, not only time improvements, but also in skill improvements, consistency speaks loudest at this age and stage of progression.

Next week-Week of January 14th.In next week's blog, I will include information concerning upcoming BEST parent Meetings and information about Coach/Parent Conferences.

Thank you so much for your continued support of BEST, your children and of me! I want all of you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed our week of Holiday Training!! I could not have asked for any more of the swimmers who were in attendance and our attendance has averaged right at 75% for the first two weeks of the new year!
-Coach Jennifer

The $50 BSC Masters annual registration fee will be included on your February Statement. If you have any questions regarding the annual registration fee or any other matters please contact the office or ask your coach.

In January, all BEST swimmers twere assessed a $56 fee for the 2008 USA Swimming Registration fee. To avoid putting both annual fees on one statement, we have chosen to put the $50 BEST Annual Registration fee on the February statement. If you have any questions regarding either registration fee please let us know.

Download file

Hi all!

Attached is the meet flyer for the Westside Silver Fins Meet in January.

Also, if you are having trouble opening my meet entry file, please check your file folders at the pool. I put each swimmer’s events in there. I have an older version of word and it might cause some problems.

Thanks!
Kevin

Download file

Hi all!

Attached is the meet flyer for the Westside Silver Fins Meet in January.

Also, if you are having trouble opening my meet entry file, please check your file folders at the pool. I put each swimmer’s events in there. I have an older version of word and it might cause some problems.

Thanks!
Kevin

Download file

The U.S. National Junior Team won eight medals – three gold, four silver and a bronze – on the first night of competition Friday at the 2008 Victorian Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Leading the way for the Junior Team was Ashley Evans, who took first in the women’s 1500m free in 16:39.19.

The women’s 800 free relay led the team with a gold and silver. The quad of Dagny Knutson, Ashley Evans, Lauren Perdue and Kate Ziegler swam to gold in 8:09.17, while the team of Emily Kelly, Katie Gardocki, Stephanie Peacock and Natalie Adams scored silver in 8:13.29.

Natalie Adams collected a bronze medal in the 200 butterfly (2:12.38). Kaia Simmons followed in fourth place (2:12.80) along with Ashley Evans in sixth place (2:15.42).

U.S. swimmers flexed their long distance muscles on the fourth day of the meet, led by a sweep in the women’s 800 freestyle. National Teamer Kate Ziegler set an example for the Junior Teamers to follow when she posted the winning time of 8:28.66. Katie Gardocki followed suit in second place with 8:42.31. Ashley Evans closed the event out at 8:43.43 to earn the bronze.

We will keep you posted on more results.

For more details on the meet go to the USA Swimming website at www.usaswimming.org

Please wish Coach Jennifer a very happy birthday when you see her on deck today!

Hi all! Hope everyone had a great New Year! Here are some notes for this week…

1) The practice schedule for this week is attached. We will be going 6:00 – 7:30 Monday –Thursday. Friday will be 5:30 – 7:00. Saturday will be 10:00-11:30. The will be 30 minutes of dryland on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during those times. Please make sure the swimmers have appropriate clothing and shoes for dryland (running shoes, not sandals).

2) Westside Silver Fins will be running a meet January 26-27. The age group session will be in the afternoon. Please let me know ASAP if you cannot attend. I will e-mail and post swimmer entries later this week.

That is all for right now. Short and sweet.

Thanks!
Coach Kevin

White Practice Schedule
(January 7th – January 12th)

Monday, 1/7 6:00 – 6:30 Dryland
6:30 – 7:30 Swim (Short Course)

Tuesday, 1/8 6:00 – 7:30 Swim (Long Course)

Wednesday, 1/9 6:00 – 6:30 Dryland
6:30 – 7:00 Swim (Long Course)

Thursday, 1/10 6:00 – 7:30 Swim (Long Course)

Friday, 1/11 5:30 – 6:00 Dryland
6:00 – 7:00 Swim (Short Course)

Saturday, 1/12 10:00 – 11:30 Swim

Hi all! Hope everyone had a great New Year! Here are some notes for this week…

1) Attached is the practice schedule for this week. We are back to normal schedule. This includes morning practice Wednesday and Friday.

2) West Side Silver Fins are running a meet on the weekend of January 25-27. We will not swim Friday night. If you cannot swim Saturday or Sunday, please let me know ASAP. There will be a Senior Session in the morning on both days (Long Course). Age Group session will be in the afternoon (Yards). Please let me know what session you will attend if you are 13-14. I would like to have all the 13-14 year olds swim the Long Course session to get some updated times. If there are any problems or questions, please let me know.

3) Please double check with your swimmer to make sure they have all necessary training equipment for practice.

That is all for right now. Please make sure swimmers are attending as many practices as possible. This is a very important time in their training. Success at the end of the season starts from day 1.

Thanks!
Coach Kevin

LOST
Pink Razor Cell Phone
in girls’ locker room
on Thursday, Jan. 3rd
REWARD
contact the office

Although the Rubin family has chosen to remain very private in this time of great sorrow, we would like to share a little information about the loss of Udo Rubin, father of Gold swimmer Mark Rubin. The BEST family will remain with their family in both thoughts and prayers.

Personal Memo from Wendy Rubin
____________________________________________________________________________________


It is with unbelievable sorrow and a heavy heart that I inform you that my husband, Udo, lost his six-month very courageous fight with stomach cancer Tuesday morning, December 18th. While our children, Jennifer (23) and Mark (16) and I did everything we could to help him fight this insidious disease and find solace in the fact he no longer has to suffer, we are nonetheless stunned and devastated over our loss. Udo was only 59 years old, very athletic and in great health.

Through preventative, simple procedures such as mammograms and colonoscopies, much headway has been realized in breast and colon cancer. Gastric cancer only becomes symptomatic ‘when it is too late’. Please give serious consideration to undergoing an endoscopy every few years, as well. Early detection is everything and the prognosis for a full recovery is indeed very promising!

A retired lieutenant colonel and fighter pilot in the German Luftwaffe, Udo received a Masters Degree in German Literature at ASU and found new passion in teaching German at Paradise Valley Community College. He didn't just teach the language. He taught global awareness, tolerance of cultural differences, critical thinking and achieving personal success through education and academic excellence. His lectures were very well received. Many of his students of all ages have communicated with me that he was the teacher or individual in all their years who has had the most impact on them. Although very ill, Udo continued to teach until until the beginning of December.

As a tribute to Udo’s legacy, the globally thinking ideals and high standards he instilled in his students, an

Udo Rubin Foreign Language Academic Excellence Scholarship

Has been established at the Paradise Valley Community College. A donation may be made at the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation. To make a donation, go to http://www.maricopa.edu/resdev/donate.php and select the method by which you wish to donate, or call (480) 731-8407. Remember to reference the Udo Rubin Foreign Language and Academic Excellence Scholarship fund when making your donation. Any amount of donation that would reward an excelling student holding a full-time job to lessen the burden of surmounting student loans would be sincerely appreciated.

I wish you all a truly wonderful holiday season with your families and friends. Too frequently do we forget in the stress of day-to-day life that which is really important and how very precious really every moment is. I can't thank you enough for your collective support, and I look forward to seeing you all again in the new year.

Fondly,
Wendy.