The TJCC Stingrays are proud to welcome our new Head Coach for USA Swimming and aquatics director Amy Behm. She brings new energy and swimming experience to our pool. Please read on to find about the fantastic qualities and qualifications that she brings to the Stingrays.
Swimming Accomplishments: Throughout Amy’s age group, high school and college swimming career, she set several school, State, Regional (now referred -to as “Zones”) and one Junior National record. She consistently ranked in the top 25 of her age group in several events- including breaststrokes and IM’s. Beginning as a 6&Under, Amy’s first NM state record occurred in the 50m free (while swimming breaststroke) and continued thru her age group career. In 1978 at the AAU Junior National Short Course Championships held in Durham, NC, Amy set a Jr National record in the 200 IM. Because of her performance at this National meet, Amy was invited to train with the US Developmental Swim Team the following summer in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. Here she met George McMillion who was instrumental in recruiting Amy to attend and swim for Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Amy swam for SMU for 2.5 years on a full swimming scholarship and set school records in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and 400 Medley Relay. She received All-American honors as well. Amy qualified for the 1980 Olympic Trials in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. Unfortunately, the United States boycotted this Olympics due to the US protest of the Russians invasion of Afghanistan. The following summer Amy swam for Schroeder YMCA out of Brown Deer, Wisconsin and finished 8th in the 400 IM at the USA Sr National Swimming Championships held in Brown Deer, WI.
From 1998-2007, Amy was Head Coach for St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe, NM. She was named the “2007-2008 New Mexico High School Swim Coach of the Year” and was New Mexico’s National NISCA Representative. Under her leadership, this small private school’s team (750 total enrollment - 7th thru 12th grade) grew from 4 socially oriented swimmers to over 50 disciplined, dedicated, team-oriented swimmers. Numerous school records, three NMHS state records, two HS All-Americans, one NMHS Swimmer of the Year, and one NMHS Coach of the year honors were recorded while Amy was Head coach for a short 9 seasons. Overall team rankings achieved were 3rd place for boys and 5th place for girls in a state where all HS swim teams, regardless of size, competed in one State Championship meet (5A-A). While coaching at St. Michael’s, Amy was an assistant coach at Kirtland Aquatic Club at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM for two years.
Our Southwest Classic Swimmers and coaches enjoyed a full weekend of sun, fun and FAST swimming- and believe me there was plenty of all of it (sun, fun and Fast swimming!). Numerous and huge drops were made from last years long course seasonal times to this years for all our swimmers and from the Spring Fling times to this weekend! But please don’t take my word for it! LOOK yourself! Far Western cut times were made! State Qualification times were made! “AA” and “A” times were made! We had a great meet! We also enjoyed a really nice time with eachother in the process! Coach Kiely, Coach Amy, the kids and parents had a nice time with eachother!
We are in the midst of creating a new Long Course Far Western Team of which should be very promising….. if all attend!! Summer is here and will go fast, so parents please plan accordingly for your childs success in this sport which THEY want to succeed in! Your kids work hard in practice, desire to achieve and are making goals to do so! They need your support to plan calanders that allow them opportunities to make advancements and goals as well as enjoy family activities that are of course important! Please make plans now to attend the “big” meets (far western, state, regionals, etc) that they earn the right to compete in! They have to make the times as well, so make plans to give them opportunities to make those cut times!
I am extremely happy with the progress the entire team is making! From our newbies in the “pre-swim team training group” all the way up to our Far Western Team which is forming fast!…. we are blessed! Let’s keep up the good work and if there is anything I can do for you…. please let me know!
Wow… have you been watching those Olympic swim races? Just when you thought there was “no way”…. our swimmers were going to beat thier competitors… they do! What amaziing touches, turns, starts, strokes, and DETERMINATION to do the best they can when it counts!
Each one of the greatest athletes in the world must take one step at a time… one lap, one set, one practice, one week, one month, one season….. (you get it!)…. one step at a time is crucial to the building of a solid foundation in anything we desire to excell at. This includes school, relationships, athletics…. you name it!
Now is the time for each of you young swimmers to look at the websites I have provided below for you. You will find qualification times for the least to the most skilled on our team. Those “newbies” or less experienced competitive swimmers you will need to make goals of technique, skill acquisition and confidence building- this will come with practice (so attendance is directly related to your success). More experienced swimmer will not only have our “newbie” goals…. but added to them, they will need to look at time standards for the Regional meet to aim for. Once you have obtained those standards, you need to begin looking at the Arizona State qualification standards and then the Far Western Standards. Along the way…. USA swimming has provide “motiviational” times which break down those “jumps” a little more and create motivation for the swimmers to achieve the qualification times they are heading for. Regardless which times you are hoping to achieve and improve to…. ALL our swimmers need to realize that what they do in practice is directly related to how they perform in the pool at thier event. Coaching staff is dedicated to each of you to give you feedback, instruction and constant encouragement to change bad habits, or make improvements in technique, execution, etc of skills/strokes. But the coaches don’t make the changes…. YOU DO! The sooner you make the proper adjustment, the sooner it becomes “natural” to you and the sooner you can let go of thinkinig so hard when you swim and just race!! When we race we want to be “instinctive”- so practice correct instincts in the pool DURING PRACTICE. ASK THE COACHING STAFF TO WATCH YOU AND GIVE YOU FEEDBACK IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED IT… OR HAVEN’T RECEIVED IT!
Again, please look these times over. Compare where you are and know where you are goinng and then determine within yourself how to get there! PARENTS! Help your swimmers with this please! You are a huge positive resource that your swimmers have on “thier side”- help them understand where they are, give them help in determining where they can go, and help them be responsible for thier part. This will develope your child in more positive ways than you can possibly imagine!
TEAM- Together Everyone Achieves More! That’s what we are TEAM!!
Short Course season is around the corner. Hope all are refreshed and settled into school by now. The following are reminders:
training fees are due! Please take care of this prior to Mondays practice sesson. You can call the sports/fitness courtesy desk to make payment if necessary.
ALL swimmers need to bring running shoes, socks, suits, goggles and Caps for practices.
First two weeks of practice we will be heavily weighted in stroke acquistion and refinement in prepartion for the upcoming season. When in the water, drills, skill, explaination, etc will be emphasized. As always, throughout the season we will refer to these concepts to the general group as well as on an individual basis… but taking advantage of the first two weeks could prove very beneficial to the swimmers overall season performance! One practice builds upon the other just like academics!
New faces! We are getting numerous inquiries for tryouts… I anticipate many new kids joining our team as well as returnees… please make a point to welcome new kids (and returning kids for that matter!). Remember how you have felt when you entered into a group of kids and didn’t know anyone- how refreshing it was when a smiling face introduced themselves and helped you when you needed it! (i.e.offer assistance- get someone new a kick board, etc.). This applies to parents as well!!
On behalf of Kiely, Michael, Coleman and myself- we are looking forward to seeing all you back on Monday!!
Please join the TJCC Stingrays parent board members poolside (under the big green tarps on the north end of the pool) at 4PM on Thursday 9/25. We would like to discuss this past Saturday’s Fall League meet, Splash & dash and any other topics on your mind… We hope you can make it!
Wishing all families a wonderful Yom Kippur and days off from the swimming team today and Thursday- enjoy your family time together!.
Friday 10/10- regular practice for silver, pre-gold and gold..
Friday 10/10- last day to sign up in blue book for 10/19 Fall Festival #3 meet in Tucson.
Saturday 10/11 - Ventana meet . Be at pool no later than 8:45 am ready for warm up… which will begin at 9:00… do not be late please!!.
Coaches will need to cover this meet since there are now 35 swimmers entered from the JCC. Therefore, there will be no scheduled practice on Saturday! If you are interested in getting a workout and working out on your own…. let me know. This would apply only to the silver/pre-gold and gold groups who regularly workout on this day…. Last Saturday we only had 4 swimmers at Saturday practice (good for you Christian, Hannah, Julian and Michael- although Michael was suppose to be at the meet in Phoenix!!)……….
Sunday- Oct 12th Splash-n-Dash last one of the season- let’s all participate and celebrate our victories!!
Monday 10/13/08- JCC closes at 6:00 pm so practices are as follows:
white/blue/silver- 4:00-4:45 only…
pre-gold/gold 4:45-5:30 only- be in suit behind blocks ready to get in at 4:45!
Tuesday, 10/14- JCC Closed- no practice
Tuesday, 10/21- JCC Closed- no practice
Wed 10/22- resume regular practices with no scheduled holiday interruptions until Thanksgiving!! Hope everyone is envigorated and ready to work hard, cuz here we go!!…..
Nov 7th- last day to sign up for Fall Festival Champs. Nov 15th- Fall Festival Champs held in Pheonix….
this is a team championships meet and all stingrays should be willing to attend this meet and thus sign up! We are limited in the number of entries/event and thus we will be taking our fastest swimmers who sign up!
Stingrays- Young and Old had an outstanding day of competition on Saturday the 15th in Phoenix. Many, many best times, regional and state qualification and Far Western Zone times were achieved. “Chunks” of time were taken off by most and smiles were abundant- from swimmers, parents and coaches alike! It was a great day for the stingrays swimmers and one to share the good news with our team members who were unable to join us in our Championship meet! Congrats to all who contributed to the overall team placement as listed below. Stingrays competed head to head with Scottsdale Aquatics, Arizona Marlins, Desert Thunder, El Dorado Aquatics, and Arizona Gauchos (all teams considerably larger in size and depth than the Stingrays). Our kids combined an amazing team effort taking us to a** 3rd place Stingray team finish**- behind first place Scottsdale and 2nd place Arizona Marlins! This was a great feat for a considerably smaller, younger, less experienced team!
Stingray 6 & Under swimmers comprised of Clarissa Peress; Meghan Burns and Luke Hinderaker did an outstanding job of competing and racking up points! Lots of talent to look forward to from these young talented individuals! Our 8 & Unders Stingray swimmers comprised of Katie Devore; Ruth Beadle; Isabelle Neuschatz; Sophie Holtzman; Abby Hemmings; Dalen Hinderaker were all very competitive in their individual events and relays. They showed great enthusiasm, team unity and confidence in their swims- great job kids! Keep an eye on these kids! Stingray 10 & Under point scorers were: Lexy Hansen; Zoe Holtzman; Natalia Orbach-Mandel; Nicole Parks; Noah Pensak; Andy Duffield; Martin Hocheder; Ryan Blanchard Joanna Galons; Abby Devore. This group of kids swam really well, taking large chunks of time off their personal bests while making many BB, Regional and state QT’s along the way! Way to go!…. 11/12 age group Stingrays consisted of a power packed group: Hayley Flanigan; Bridget Norman; Christina Matz; Joseph Parks; Julien Galons; Bonnie Diamond; Krista Duffield; Hannah Orbach-Mandel; Layla Anderson; Jedediah Dawson; Dakota Kordsiemon; Matthew Jeffries; Reed Wallace; Michael Li. These kids contributed considerably to our overall success and showed huge improvements in times. New and improved Regional, State and Far Western QT’s! Wow! 13/14 year old Stingrays…. This being our oldest group of individuals competing at this championship meet for the Stingrays provided leadership in many ways: Georgia Matz; Lindsie Jeffries; Jordon Belton; Alex Urman; Matthew Kautz; Erika Hocheder all scored valuable points, but also provided support/encouragement and mentor ship to their younger teammates. While doing so, they surpassed many individual best times taking the TJCC Stingray swim team to an outstanding overall top 3 team finish! Way to go TEAM!
Outstanding swims at the Fall League Championships!Kudos to parents who drove up, cheered, timed and had an overall memorable day! Our/your kids success is directly reflective of the commitment and sacrifice(s) which you make that allow them these valuable opportunities. If they haven’t said it…. we will.. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO PARENTS- you are a major key to our success and we know it!
Congrats to all!
Your loyal coaching staff- Amy, Michael, Coleman, Kiely
Greetings from the Stingray coaching staff. On behalf of all of us (Kiely, Coleman, Michael and Amy) we want to wish you a wonderful upcoming holiday time. We are all aware of the busyness of this time of year and the planning that goes along with it…. thus we hope this information proves helpful to you and your families during the Holiday School break and planning for swim practices. Please keep in mind that swim practice during the winter months is important and shouldn’t be neglected, nor is family and time with friends. So please try to plan time for your silver, pre-gold and gold swimmer to continue their training if at all possible.
Beginning on Dec. 22nd, our white and blue group swimmers will take a two week break. These groups will start up again beginning on Jan 5th with their regular practice times. Many of our kids have “graduated” from their group to the next higher group. A separate email will be forth coming making this special announcement to recognize these kids and their efforts and progress!
Also beginning on Dec 22nd- Jan 2nd: silver, pre-gold and gold groups begin practice at 4:00 pm. Silver ends at 5:15 pm. Pre-gold ends at 5:45. Gold ends at 6:00 pm. A few exceptions exist during these two weeks:
No practice Dec 25th and Jan 1st.
Dec 24 and Jan 31st: Practice in morning for pre-gold/gold only starting at 8:00 am.
Saturday practices will be 8-10:00 for silver/pre-gold/gold.
We are hoping this allows our developmental swimmers (white & blue groups specifically) time to do more things with family and come back to us fresh and excited about swimming. We are also hoping this allows silver/gold and pregold groups to continue training, and provides adequate time during the day to enjoy their families, etc.
Our swimmers in all color groups are doing so very well and we want to continue to help them improve in their swimming as well as become well rounded individuals and family members. Please enjoy them and allow us to enjoy them as well. We know how much we sincerely appreciate the privilege to coach your kids! They are a real gift to us. If you have any questions or if there is something we can do for your family- let us know! If anyone is interested in private one-on-one instruction during this time which can proves very beneficial to white and blue group kids especially, please let us know. Renumeration for these lessons would need to be run through the JCC sports & fitness desk, but coaches would be able to give them based upon thier schedules.
Many of the meets that we attend can take a while to get ‘official results’ back to us. Results from older meets done under the auspices of USA Swimming and Arizona Swimming can be found from the USA Swimming Site’s Archived Meet Search form.
Stingrays return home from Far Western Zone meet held in Morgan Hill, CA…… Tired, happy and ready for a break!! The team comprised of three 11/12 girls (Reed Wallace, Alexis Souza, Krista Duffield); one 11/12 boy (Dakota Kordseimon); one 13/14 girl (Bonnie Diamond) and two 13/14 boys (Matt Kautz, Jordon Belton) competed in one of the country’s top age group competitions. More than 1100 swimmers, from over 12 states, ages 18 and under were there to finish their short course seasons for 2009. Highlights of TJCC Stingrays swimmers are as follows:
Top 10 place Finishes:
Krista Duffield- 50 free (4); 100 free (4) ; 50 back (4)
Reed Wallace-100 free (10)
Dakota Kordseimon- 50 breast (5)
Jordon Belton - 100 free (6); 50 free (6)
Lifetime Best Swims Achieved:
Krista Duffield
50 free 25.48
100 free 56.49
50 back 29.66
50 fly 29.22
Alexis Souza
50 back 30.85
200 back 2:21.89
100 breast- 1:15.04
200 breast- 2:40.09
100 IM 1:06.02
Bonnie Diamond
50 free 25.49
500 free 5:20.00
100 back 1:04.35
200 back 2:14.39
Dakota Kordseimon
50 breat 32.07;
Matt Kautz
100 breast 1:06.79
Jordon Belton
100 free 48.72
200 back 2:10.18
NEW TEAM RECORDS!!
11/12 Girls:
50 Free- Krista Duffield 25.48
100 Free-Krista Duffield 56.49
50 back- Krista Duffield 29.66
13/14 Boys:
50 free- Jordon Belton 22.64
100 free- Jordon Belton 48.72
500 free - Jordon Belton 4:56.46
Congratulations to all The Far Western Zone Team Swimmers. Each performed wonderfully and each have things they know where to improve. It was a great meet, an enjoyable time, and a memorable moment with good friends!! See you at the pool on the 20th!!
A very talented and fun loving group of Stingrays attended the Memorial Day weekend Cactus Classic held in Phoenix at two pools (one in Tempe and one in Scottsdale-simultaneously!!). The results are listed in the hotlinks below- check ‘em out!! Swimming World was covering the event you can see all the results and recaps there and even some videos from the finals. The Stingrays place 13th of 54 Teams (from all over the world…)
To summarize, TJCC Stingrays took a team of our top 15 swimmers to attend this prestigious qualifying standard meet. Leading the way was Zoe Holtzman, Abby Devore, Katie Dev ore, Nichole Parks, Reed Wallace, Natalia Bach-Mandel, Hannah Bach- Mandel, Layla Anderson, Brooks Fail, Martin Hocheder, Matt Kautz, Jordon Belton, Bonnie Diamond, Erika Hocheder and Dakota Kordseimon. Our devoted Coach Kiely Lavery guided our 12&Under swimmers to multiple best time achievements. Special congratulations to Martin Hocheder who achieved two new Far Western Zone qualification times which brought him back to finals in the evening as well! Way to go Martin!!…. Reed Wallace consistently dominated her competition as she finaled, scored and finished in the top three consistently of every event she swam. Brooks Fail started this high performance squad out with a great 400 M free race on Friday night which placed him 4th overall!!
Coaching our 13&Over squad as well as the evening Finals session was Coach Amy Behm. Our power packed group of Stingrays lit up the pool in Finals every evening! Special Congratulations to Jordon Belton who has officially qualified for his first Sectional Time Standard (by .01) in the 50 freestyle. Also, to Matt Kautz who “surprised even himself” and smoked his competition in the 100 breast receiving the only gold medal for the Stingrays team (you can see the race ). Reed Wallace, Erika Hocheder, Dakota Kordseimon, Martin Hocheder, Brooks Fail, Jordon Belton and Matt Kautz all finished in the top 9 within their events throughout the meet.
Fast swimming wasn’t the only thing these Stingrays enjoyed… it was also a time to nurture relationships with family and friends; grow as individual and enjoy being a part of a warm, welcoming and encouraging team of swimmers, parents and coaches. Stingrays are AWESOME- there is no doubt! Congratulation to each of you for your outstanding performances.
Greetings Stingrays. It’s been quiet around here without our kids splashing around!! I see Coleman, Kiely, Mindy and myself a little lost to be honest with you (though very happy for the break!!). We hope our kids and thier families are enjoying thier time off and are getting ready to begin the school year. Attached are flyers for schedules (meets & workout times). Pre-Gold!! Please check your workout time schedule—- yours has changed slightly from what it has been in the past.
Our current enrollment looks good and most all our “regulars” have secured a spot for thier fall season training. Good to know we’ll start where we left off and grow from there! We had a great season this summer and are looking forward to another this fall/winter.
Don’t hesitate to encourage your quality friends who desire to be apart of a suppoertive, competitive swim team to come and try us out You bring them to us…. we’ll get them swimming fast!!
The USA Swimming Short Course Schedule has been updated ( August 24, 2009 ). We will be working to get the Calendar updated with JCC Closures and Meets
The TJCC Stingrays team is proud of its team diversity and welcomes children of all abilities, races, religions and backgrounds. We are thankful to be housed and financially supported by the Tucson Jewish Community Center, which has provided us with a top-notch facility and outstanding staff for many years. Each year our coaches and Board put together a practice schedule and meet schedule that coincides with the JCC holiday closures and also serves our diverse membership. As most of you know, due to the depth of our pool and the lack of diving blocks, the JCC cannot host USA swim meets. Our team competes only at meets that are hosted and scheduled by other teams, and we cannot control the dates and times of these meets.
This year a number of the meets fall on Jewish holidays. After consultation between the Parent Board, Coach Amy and the JCC Management, we made some adjustments to the fall meet schedule. The team will not attend the September 20th Sprint Meet as it falls over the Jewish High Holiday of Rosh Hashana. The team will attend the October 3rd and October 10th Fall Festival Meets which fall, respectively, during the Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret holidays. The coaches and Board fully understand and respect the fact that some of our swimmers may not attend these October meets due to their observance of the holidays. We also appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our non-Jewish swim families. Finally, we added a Season Opener Meet to the schedule for Sunday, September 13, 2009, at Flowing Wells Jr. High school pool. This meet offers a variety of races for every age and ability level. More information and registration for this meet will be emailed shortly, but put it on your calendar now!
In addition to the meet schedule changes, please see below for the practice changes and cancellations for September, 2009. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Coach Amy or our team president, Nichole Hocheder, by phone at 299-3000 or at tjccstingrays.
Thank you!
TJCC Stingrays Coaching Staff and Parent Board
September, 2009 Practice Schedule Changes and Cancellations
Monday, 9/7/09 - Labor Day: Platinum/Gold/Pre-Gold practice 4:00-5:30 pm (JCC closes at 6:00pm). No practice for White, Blue and Silver.
Sunday, 9/13/09 - Season Opener meet added!
Friday, 9/18/09 - Erev Rosh Hashana: No practice for all color groups (pool closes at 4:00 pm).
Saturday, 9/19/09 - Rosh Hashana: No practice (or swim meet) for all color groups (JCC closed all day).
Monday, 9/28/09 - Yom Kippur: No practice for all color groups (JCC closed all day).
Oct 17th (poolside) 10-10:45 am SWIMMERS & PARENTS
Kiely Lavery (coach & nutritionist) offers free tips on healthy eating habits for the family!!!
Learn about……
the importance of hydration
What to eat before and after practice
Quick & Easy ideas for breakfasts for you & family
Much, much more.
This is just the tip of the ice berg! Nutrition is a HUGE part of our kids growth, health and performance. Our lives are full of activities and our kids practice hard. They need fuels their bodies can use with proper nutrients and recovery times to assure positive results now and into the future!
Please come join us for this complimentary event specifically designed for the TJCC Stingray Swim Team Family!
Please correct your calenders to reflect the change in dates to our Fall League Champs.
Previously we had the dates to be 7&8th of Nov…. they are now and will be on Saturday,
Nov 14th (prelims in Oro Valley) and Sunday Nov 15th (finals in Scottsdale).
Meet information for these championships will be going out after I collect Fall League #3’s entries (to lessen confusion!). If you are unable to commit to swimming on Sunday the 15th, we cannot have you swim on the 14th, as this meet advances only the top five finishers from Saturday to finals on Sunday. Finalists who advance to Sundays swims will be apart of a “regional team”! This “regional team” will be comprised of the top 5 finalist from the Saturday Tucson meet and will compete against two other “regional teams” who l advance to their “regional team” by finishing in the top 5 of their Saturday preliminary meet held in Phoenix! Should be a really fun two days!
For now, please write these two dates… Nov 14 & 15 on your calender and make sure you keep them clear for a great weekend of swimming, friends and fast times!
Results from this weekends Fall Festival #2 swim meet are attached. A great showing by our Stingray Swimmers! Many, many best times and several new Regional and State qualifications were made!! Our kids looked good and are showing definate signs of improvement. Kudos to coaches, swimmers and parents for the commitment, work and dedication all are putting in! It is definately a privledge to be apart of such a dynamic and supportive group of individuals who come together and really seem to enjoy eachother- on the deck and off. Some really outstanding swims were made - one in particuliar was Julien Galons in his 200 breast; another by Georgia Matz in her 200 fly (both made State Qualification times!); other swimmers took huge chunks of time off! Please take time to check out the results… Congratulations Stingrays. You did a great job this weekend and we hope you’ll join us again this week to make corrections and improvements in areas we found “in need” at this past weekends competition (relay starts, breaststroke turns, backstroke turns, butterly timing, finishing race(s) stong).
See you at the pool!
note: I will try to get some pictures from the meet up tonight
Please put on your calender January 16th thru Monday Jan 18th. These are the Arizona Dual Meet Championships. This is a really great meet for our team and kids! It brings us together more than any other (even state!)…. We would like to begin our recruitment for this meet now so you can hold these dates and plan on entering your swimmer.
Stingrays will be competing against 8 other Teams:
Arizona Swimming Gauchos (Phoenix team)
DTAC (Phoenix team)
Westside Silver Fins (Phoenix team)
Scottsdale Aquatic Club (Phoenix team)
NEP (Phoenix team)
EDAC (Tucson team)
Swim Pasadena (California team)
Curl Burke (Washington DC team)
There are four meets total that occur over these 3 days. If the meet is run as it has in the past, we will have one duel meet on Saturday, two on Sunday and then the FINALS will be held on Monday. Swimmers advance to finals based upon swim times from three previous dual meets the day(s) prior…. coaches go to a “bid” meeting on Sunday eve and we get in as many of our swimmers as possible. We have families that go each year and swear to the fact that this is the funnest, family oriented meet of the season! It is a Non Time Standard meet, so kids trying to make regional, state or far western times… it’s a perfect meet to attend. The Stingrays always swim fast here and we expect no different this year… So… head up! Let’s get ready to rumble on Jan 16-18th (Martin Luther King holiday weekend!). Remember, if you are unable to stay on Monday (due to work), we do have parents who will be staying over and if your swimmer makes finals on Monday- they’ll be happy to take care of them and bring them back to Tucson on Monday afternoon!!
Registration for returning SAAA swimmers: March 25th @ 4:00 poolside.
Registration for new “want to be” stingray SAAA members: April 19th poolside.
Please bring a copy of swimmer’s birth certificate at registration.
Team suit fitting to be on Date to be announced soon. Cost $42.50 + tax for girls; $27.50 + tax for boys. Payment is due with your order. If you miss this event, please go to Patio Pools located at: 2512 N. Campbell Avenue to purchase or order your child’s suit. Additional fees maybe applicable to late orders- so try to make our fitting. Team suits are mandatory and should be worn for swim meets only (not practice!). Training suits are available at Patio pools as well.
Our Championships meet(s) will be held on: July 21st-22nd, 2010. Please mark your calendar(s) and make sure you are able to attend these championship dates.
2010 Meet Schedule will be posted soon.
Practice times and starting dates:
Sign ups/Enrollment: 1st day of practice - April 19th
Skill evaluation will be held on April 19th at 4:00 pm. All SAAA Swimmers are asked to attend this practice to allow coaching staff to place swimmers in training groups and assign schedules accordingly.
NOTE: Coaches will move kids into/out of groups for the first two weeks of practice in order to adequately meet all our swimmers needs.
Practice schedule(s):
Monday through Thursday April 19th thru May 27th *
Group
Times
Group 1(White):
4:00 -4:45pm*
Group 2(Blue):
4:00 -5:00pm*
Group 3(Silver):
4:00-5:15pm*
*Practice Times may change slightly when schools are out, but will continue in the afternoons.
**Practice may be cancelled or dismissed early due to lightning.
Fees for SAAA Swim Season:
$250 JCC Members
$350 JCC Non-Members
$60 for SAAA “add-on” for current USA Swimmers. (This $60 fee is in addition to USA swimming fees for summer long-course season.)
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is Sunday, April 11th. Go to
http://www.komensaz.org/ to register and join the “Amy’s Army” team.
The Board will purchase race shirts for the swimmers. Family members
who would also like to have a shirt can place their orders at the same time
and a price will be determined based on participation (will be less than
$10/shirt). In order to insure timely deliver of the shirts, participants need
to send their shirt sizes to Alison DeVore by March 20th. The shirts are
available in Sm, Med, L, XL (Adult sizes only). Email your shirt sizes to
alison@devore-family.com .
Good Day Swimmers-
We have an exciting week ahead with 2 SAAA meets on Monday & Tuesday and then the Southwest Classic starts on Friday at the U of A pool. We have 19 swimmers signed up for the meet, a terrific response! The competition will be OUTSTANDING. Not only will most of the U of A swimmers be competing, but the Australian National Team will be at the meet and the Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL, one of the premier High School programs in the country, will be here too! This is basically Olympic caliber swimming that we will be competing with this weekend. Even if you’re not in the meet, it will be a great time to see some amazing swimming, each night at 6:00 - 8:30.
Some important items about the week ahead:
There is NO Practice for GOLD/Platinum Groups on Friday or Saturday this week…you should be at the meet.
There is NO Practice for the WHITE/BLUE/SILVER groups on Monday & Tuesday due to the dual meets….HOWEVER, we will have the Platinum/Gold dry-land work-out on Monday afternoon.
Be thinking about the EDAC Meet on June 26. Entries will be due to me on the 17th. EVERYONE with a USA registration should be swimming this meet!
That’s all for now. Have a great week of swimming.
If I can help with anything, let me know. Coach Brian
Good Evening Swim Team -
What a terrific Southwest Classic weekend! The weather was perfect (for Tucson in June), the competition was terrific (many Olympians in the “A” finals at night) and Amy was there to give us all inspiration and coaching. Lots of terrific swims across the board from almost all of our swimmers….highlighted by our own Brooks Fail taking home the High-Point trophy for the 10&U Boys AG. While the individual swim performances were too many to mention, I was very pleased with how we swam given the stage of the season we are in. As with most meets, there were some swims that are best left in the past, but it also appeared to me a few common theme’s were present among them. A quick reminder of some simple steps to make a swim meet a success:
Begin preparing the night before. Eat a good dinner and get to bed early to ensure a proper 8+ hour rest.
Eat a balanced breakfast at least 1 hour before getting in the pool.
Stretch your mussles for 10+ minutes before pool warm-up.
Put on proper sunscreen protection and stay in the shade when possible.
DRINK LOTS of fluids and eat healthy snacks during the course of the meet. Dehydration is a common culprit to poor swimming results.
Warm-down, when possible, after every event, no matter how short your race is.
Look forward to each and every swim as a chance to improve. If you have a negative approach to your swim….guess what will likely be the result!
Swim meets are the reason we put in the hours we do at the pool. BIG meets like the Southwest Classic are a terrific opportunity to test our performance against the world. Don’t forsake those hours of practice with improper preparation the hours before a meet…both physically and mentally!
And the same is true for our summer dual meets with SAAA also. Every race, no matter the pool or the competition, is an oppotunity to test yourself. Prepare for the test, just like you would in school.
Lots to prepare for in SAAA this week with dual meets both Tuesday and Thursday!
Speaking of meets. Our next USA meet in the EDAC meet on June 26. Please have me your meet entry wishes by this Thursday at NOON. Remember, this is a ‘No Time Standard” meet….if you are in town and signed up for USA Swimming, you should be at the meet.
As always, any questions/concerns, let me know. Brian
The 6 and unders back and free are right before the 8 and under back and free.
There are blocks and the swimmers are doing dive over starts meaning they will stay in the water after their race until the next heat dives over them :)
There will be a snack bar.
The pool is only 4 lanes so be prepared for a longer meet. They are very efficient though!
I hope you’ve had an enjoyable Father’s Day and you’ve offered a lavish and relaxing day for the Father figure in your household. I spent a few hours on Mt Lemmon today to get a break from the heat. Took a hike with the family and the dog in 75 degrees! What a treat.
We have a BIG week of Swim Team this week, with preperation and action items for the July events to come:
SAAA Meet Tuesday night AT HOME against Ventana Canyon. It’s Hawaiian theme night, so dress appropriately.
EDAC Meet is this coming Saturday, June 26. We have 21 swimmers entered. Session I begins with warm-up at 7:00 AM. If you are only doing Session II, be there at 11:30 AM. Hoping to have lots of new State times recorded this weekend.
Speaking of States - the Meet Flyer is attached. Those that qualify already or will this weekend at the EDAC meet, should begin to think about the 6 events that you’d like to swim over the course of the meet.
I have secured a dozen rooms at the Courtyard Marriott at the special rate of $79 beginning on Thursday, July 22 thru the 25th. I need to submit a list of names for the rooms by the 29th. Please send me your intentions with room preference (King or 2 Queens) by the 29th. The room includes:
We will have one more meet before the last AG State Entry deadline. The Regional Meet is July 16-18. You may make a NEW State time at this meet and enter that event with your new qualifying time Sunday night. If you still have a goal time to make after the EDAC meet this weekend, plan on Regionals to make it.
Due to the EDAC Meet this weekend, we will NOT be having practice on Saturday, June 26. No practice Tuesday evening due to the SAAA Home meet. All other practices will remain the same.
Have a good week and let me know if I can help with anything.
Good Day Swimmers- BIG Couple Weeks ahead of us and I can hardly contain my excitement to see some FAST swimming!! Some important dates and action items coming up:
Jordon Belton and** Matt Kautz** had a terrific showing at the Senior State Meet this weekend. Both made finals in some events and had some very good times, despite the intense heat in PHX this weekend. Actual results to follow at a later date.
TUESDAY, JULY 13 is a MUST attend evening at the J if you are in town. Picture/Meeting/Dinner-Fundraiser NIGHT begins at 5:00. Pictures will be offered by our celebrity photographer who is known simply as “Sam” in his photography circles. Parent Meeting will occur simultaneously with Kiely, Kyra and I - lots of good stuff on the agenda you won’t want to miss. Then it’s off to dinner as a team at Beyond Bread on Campbell, with a portion of your purchase that evening coming back to support the team - so be hungry!
Regional entries are in and we have 23 athletes entered and beginning the meet on Friday, July 16. See last weeks update for meet flyer.
PRACTICE this week is normal, through Friday AM….NO PRACTICE SATURDAY.
NO Afternoon practice for GOLD/PLATINUM
Normal afternoon practices for White, Blue, Silver
SAAA Championships begin on Wednesday, July 21 ….lots of details about this at the meeting on the 13th. If you can’t make the 13th and plan to swim at Championships you should call Kiely this week. (520.360.5338)
STATE Meet entries are due to me by this TUESDAY, JULY 13. However, if you plan to make a NEW QUALIFYING TIME at Regionals and swim that event at States you MUST:
PRINT off the back page of the AG States Meet Flyer (see last weeks update for flyer) and BRING IT with you to the meet.
Fill in the “Arizona Swimming - USA Swimming Entry Card” WHILE YOU ARE AT REGIONALS and HAND IT TO ME BEFORE YOU LEAVE ON SUNDAY. I have until noon on Monday to enter any NEW Times in order to be eligible to swim at States.
Important note on REST and HEALTHY EATING the next couple weeks….NO more sleep-overs, get to bed early each night, limit the junk food and DRINK LOTS. We should hit next weekends Regional Meet and the following weekends State Meet very well rested with a ton of energy. The only way to do that is lots of rest and good eating. The way you prepare outside the pool is as important as in the pool!
Good Day Stingray Swim Team-
I hope you all have had a wonderful break and are looking forward to our return to the pool as much as I am on Monday. We’ve got a lot to catch up on in this weeks update, so without further delay:
Monday, August 16th is registration for the Fall Season. We’ll be set up to answer questions, complete paperwork and evaluate swimmers as needed by 3:30 or so. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and hearing about your late summer adventures now that school has begun for everyone.
There’s been a simplification and slight modification to the season fees. We’ll have those printed off at the registration desk, but they are also available on the web-site tucsonstingrays.com
found a great iPhone App last week….GoSwim. It has news, videos and technique content for all age swimmers. It’s run by a guy I swam with back in Maryland. If you have an iPhone, check it out.
SAAA Summer Championship results are posted on the web-site at swimsaaa.org. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and klick on Meet Results, then find the San Pedro league and klick on Results.
AZ State Meet results are posted on the web-site at sundevilaquatics.com. Klick on Age Group States and find the results. I will have medals and ribbons from this meet with me on Monday.
I am still trying to retrieve the Regional Meet medals and ribbons. My apologies for this. I will let you know when I have them to distribute.
Our Team Dinner out at Beyond Bread netted the team an extra $200, just for eating dinner! Thanks to all who came out that night. We’ll be arranging a similar event in the Fall sometime.
The Meet Schedule for the fall will be available on Monday. We’ll be doing the State Fall Festival Series with local competition at the Ventana Canyon and U of A pools prior to the Championship event in Phoenix. We’re looking at a couple other travel meets as well.
Coaches will be moving out and in over the next couple weeks. Coleman is returning on Monday, Irena will be leaving us at the end of the month and Kiely will be off to motherhood. You’ll see some new coaches on deck over the next couple weeks, please introduce yourself and welcome them to the Stingray family.
Finally, a HUGE THANK YOU for the Night-on-the-Town gift you shared with me at the summer season closing party. It is very much appreciated, but my biggest reward is the great swimming you all did to finish out the year. I’m so proud of all of you and what was accomplished this summer. I’m looking forward to a terrific fall season.
I look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday. If you need anything prior, please let me know.
I hope you all had a chance to watch some of the Pan Pacific Games Swimming on TV today. That Ryan Lochte has really made a statement with his hard work this summer. I can definitely see some of you in a meet like that in the future.
Until that day comes, we are setting the stage for our own BIG swimming season with a continued emphasis on DRY LAND, KICKING and DRILLS this coming week. The things I saw on TV today are the same specifics we are working on….low, straight-arm recovery with a big kick in FLY…head straight and shoulders rotating on BACK, a shooting arm recovery and strong kick in BREAST and no cross-over with a huge kick on FREESTYLE. So we are on our way!
A few updates for you this week as we get things going:
September is a big month for Jewish Holiday and we have several days where practice will be impacted by JCC hours. The days impacted, as provided to me, are; 9/8 @ 6pm, 9/9, 9/10, 9/17 @ 4pm, 9/18, 9/22 @ 6pm, 9/23, 9/29 @ 6pm, 9/30 (if no time mentioned, club is closed all day). For days where the club closes at 6:00, we will likely have a regular practice day with an early release for GOLD/PLATINUM….all other days we will have to cancel practice. I will send reminders on those weeks that are impacted, but mark your calendars today.
We had a good first week with a much more efficient registration process thanks to our band of volunteers! Once I have the final numbers I’ll share the comparison to last year and any other amazing facts. THANKS to all for a good process this year and our volunteers for donating their time.
I interviewed several coaches last week and have chosen a couple to move forward with. Once those selections are final, I will share the specifics of our new staff.
MEET Schedule - my apologies, but this is not complete yet. I hope to distribute a schedule by next weeks update.
SILVER Group - my apologies for the confusion around the practice time on Friday. In speaking with the coaches, it appears the Friday SILVER practice disappeared late 2009 due to pool capacity and hours, however, it has remained on the web-site and registration forms. In speaking with many of you, I’d like to try and bring this back with a 3:30 to 4:15 practice. This time may change depending on the number of GOLD/PLATINUM swimmers that are consistently at the 4:00-5:30 practice on Friday. Let’s try it at 3:30 for a couple weeks and see if we can change it. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
As the season takes shapes and you notice new kids with you in practice, make a point to introduce yourself and make them feel at home with the Stingrays. One of the things I was immensely proud of this summer was the sportsmanship we showed in the pool with all of our meets….let’s make sure we show the same to our own teammates.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. See you tomorrow.
Brian