Thursday, December 25, 2008

Park Village Porpoises need a Head Coach!

The Park Village summer swim team is looking for a Head Coach! Our pool is located in Cary in the Park Village subdivision. We typically have around 100 swimmers and offer practices twice a day. Interested parties please e-mail your resume to Tracey at twasbill@nc.rr.com.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MOR offers Winter Swim League Beginning Jan. 12

The Marlins Of Raleigh (MOR) will hold its popular Winter Swim League (WSL) for swimmers age 6-13 beginning Jan. 12-March 26, 2009 from 7:15-8pm at both St. Mary's School on Hillsborough St. (Mondays and Thursdays) and Millbrook Pool on Spring Forest Rd. (Tuesdays and Thursdays). This clinic will teach swimmers proper techniques for all 4 competitive strokes, starts and turns. Swimmers will receive individual attention from MOR's professional coaching staff and have fun learning how to swim with efficient technique. There will be 2 fun mini meets. WSL is great for summer swimmers thinking about joining year-round swimming or who just want to get a head start on the summer season. Swimmers will receive a WSL cap and T-shirt. Space is limited and swimmers should be able to swim 25 yards of freestyle prior to joining. Cost is $185 for 22 practices. For more information go to www.marlinsofraleigh.com or contact Jonathan Watson at 01silversurfer@bellsouth.net or call 851-3000.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Summer Swim Coach

Highcroft Hurricanes Summer Swim Coach Wanted

Summary:

The Swim Team Coach acts as head coach for Age Group Swim Team. The Swim Team Coach is required to be coaching on the pool deck/or in the pool at all assigned practice times and scheduled swim meets. The coach is responsible for the planning, organization, implementation and coordination of all swim team practices. The coach should communicate effectively and diplomatically with swim team parents and hire, train, supervise and evaluate part-time coaching staff with approval of swim team board.

Qualifications:

Prior swim team head coaching experience and competitive swim experience required but not necessary if other experience exists. Knowledge of USS Swimming and Diving Rules and local swim conference rules and regulations. Certification in Safety Training for Swim Coaches or equivalent is required. CPR and First Aid training required. Must have a current and valid N.C. driver's license.

Please contact hcswimteam@gmail.com or 919-434-6050

Friday, September 26, 2008

High School coach wanted

[I was asked to pass this along...]

SWIMMING COACH NEEDED

Raleigh Charter has an immediate opening for a swimming coach. If you know anyone who is interested in this position, please have that person contact me as soon as possible.

Steve Efird, Athletic Director
sefird@raleighcharterhs.org or 919-715-1221

Monday, September 22, 2008

2009 Board of Directors Meetings

Seats and parking spaces at Board of Directors meetings have been tight for the past two years; we are simply growing too large for the Powell Drive Park facility. As I mentioned last year, we are running out of options with Raleigh city park sites and we need to consider other options. Thanks to several suggestions from members of the Board, we now have meeting places booked for every one of our 2009 meetings.

We’re going to do something a bit different this time. Instead of sticking with one location as much as possible, we’re going to spread our meetings around a bit, among three different sites (all of them still reasonably close to TSA’s geographic center). This will be slightly less convenient than having one main meeting place, but it will give us more experience with the different options that are available. I will definitely be soliciting feedback on all three venues during next fall’s post-season survey, and that feedback will in turn play a part in where we choose to book our 2010 Board meetings. So please come with an open mind, but do take note of what you do and don’t like about each particular location.

Board meetings will continue to be held at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of each month. The 2009 meeting lineup is as follows:

January 20th at the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC), located at 275 Convention Drive in Cary (Exit 291 from I-40, then turn left into Cary Towne Center mall at first traffic signal).

February 17th at University Club, located at 4200 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh (Exit 3 from the I-440 Beltline)

March 17th at Northbrook Country Club, located at 4905 North Hills Drive in Raleigh (Exit 7 from the I-440 Beltline, then right onto Lead Mine Road and right onto North Hills Drive)

April 21st at the TAC The April meeting has been canceled.

May 19th at University Club

Elections

I am pleased to announce that Mike Kaufman of Shepherd’s Vineyard has agreed to stand for the post of Vice-president in the upcoming officer election. However, we still lack candidates for the office of Treasurer. Please consider serving in this role. No experience is necessary! However, I would ask any current and former members of the Audit Committee to please think seriously about standing for this office.

Once we have at least one candidate nominated for each of the two offices up for election (VP and Treasurer), I will send out a link to an electronic ballot.

Post-Season Survey

Almost half of this year’s 71 teams still have not completed the post-season survey. Please take care of this as soon as you can; every team must complete at least the nine questions in the “Team Information” and “TSA Committees” sections even if you choose to skip the rest of the survey. Teams that still owe responses are:

Apex
Bedford at Falls River
Black Horse Run
Brookstone
Dutchman Downs
Garner
Greystone
Haddon Hall
Highcroft
Holland’s Crossing
Jewish Community Center
Kildaire Farms
Lake Park
Lakemont
Lochmere
North Hills
North Ridge
Oak Park
Raleigh Racquet
Regency Park
Scott’s Mill
Scottish Hills
Seven Oaks
Silverton (
answers from second half of the survey got mangled by web-site; please complete another response that includes the team name and then skips down to the question about swim caps)
Springdale
The Reserve
University Club
Wood Valley (
survey was partially completed, but team size was omitted; please submit another response answering just the team name and team size questions)
Zebulon & Zebulon CC

Trophy Pick-Up

Surprisingly, almost half of the division champion trophies have not yet been picked up by the winning teams! Creative Images got tired of holding them for us, so I now have them in my custody. If you are the rep for one of the following clubs, please contact me to make arrangements to pick up your trophy, either at my home in Cary or at my workplace in RTP:

Abbington
Bedford at Falls River
Devereaux
Falls River
Heritage of Wake Forest
TCC at Brentwood
Weatherstone
Wendell

Monday, September 8, 2008

MOR to hold Fall swim league

The Marlins Of Raleigh Swim Team (MOR) will hold its Fall Swim League on Mondays and Thursdays at St. Mary's School from 7:15-8pm. The League runs Sept. 29 to Dec. 11th and the cost is $185.

Get involved in the excitement from Michael Phelps and the Olympics by continuing to swim this fall.

MOR held a Winter Swim League last year that was hugely popular with over 70 participants. This Fall Swim League will be limited to 50 swimmers. All swimmers must be able to swim 25yards freestyle.

The league will be coached by MOR's staff and swimmers will learn starts, turns, drills for improving technique and will serve as a stepping stone towards joining MOR's nationally ranked swim team.

For more information contact Jonathan Watson at 851-3000 or 01silversurfer@bellsouth.net

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Youth Sports Photography

Hello,

My name is Bill McLean, and I am President of McLean Digital, Inc. We are a youth sports photography business. Bob has invited me into your Blog so I could introduce myself to all swim teams.

I am interested in making partnerships with each swim team. We provide team/event and action photography for your clubs. A percentage of the sales from the team/event photography will be donated back to each organization as well as to TSA to provide scholarship funding.

I believe this would be a win-win situation for everyone (your swim team, TSA, and Mclean Digital). If anyone would like to get more information, please feel free to email me (bill@mcleandigital.com) or visit my website: http://www.mcleandigital.com.

Thanks for your time,

Bill McLean

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Post-season survey

I apologize for not having this ready sooner, but the 2008 TSA Post-Season Survey is finally available on-line at http://www.bodizzle.com/PostSeasonSurvey2008/2008Survey.htm. Many of the questions on this survey were requested specifically by various TSA Reps, so kudos to everyone who suggested additions. Thanks also are due once again to former TSA President Rebeccah Bodart for generously hosting the survey on her site.

Please fill this out by Labor Day, while your pool is still open and memories of the recently-completed season are still fresh. If your team has multiple reps or alternates, please coordinate among yourselves so that only one of you completes the survey. However, within that single response, you are encouraged to incorporate feedback from all individuals who shared the responsibilities of TSA rep for your team over the previous year.

Note that this survey is not the Fall Election for the two offices whose terms expire this year (Treasurer and Vice-president). That election will also be conducted via a web vote, but not until later this fall (or at the January meeting if no candidates are forthcoming before then). However, clubs must participate in both of the on-line polls (this Survey and the forthcoming Election) in order to receive attendance credit for the Fall Board (virtual) Meeting.

On the subject of elections, please contact any of the four current officers if you are interested in running for either of these offices yourself. Remember, both Ira and Nita have stated that they will not be returning to these posts, so all nominations are welcome!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Grievance Committee; Scholarship; Survey; 2009 Board Meetings

Hello again Reps,

The TSA Bylaws require the President to chair the Grievance Committee. That committee met this past week, and the proceedings are now available.

Also, one more reminder to encourage your rising senior swimmers to apply for the $1,000 Pool Professional Partnership Scholarship before the September 1 deadline. The company informed me Friday that they have only received “a couple” of entries so far, so the field is wide open for more applicants.

I will try to get the post-season survey out by next weekend. If you have any further suggestions for questions you would like to see on the survey, please send them to me ASAP. Also, if you have any ideas for better meeting places for next year’s Board meetings, please let me know. I will start trying to book next year’s meetings later this month.

Enjoy the rest of the summer,

Bob

Thursday, July 31, 2008

League and Division Champions

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all of your time and service to the swimmers as well as the TSA this season, I know it's an intense 6 weeks and your work is much appreciated! Below are the 2008 Divisional and Overall Champions. Congratulations to all of you. I spoke with Creative Images today and all of the trophies are ready to be picked up. Their contact information:

Creative Images
122 W. Chatham St.
Cary, NC 27511
919-467-2188

The Divisional and Overall Champion Winners:

TSA Overall Champion: Prestonwood Piranhas

Northern League Division 1 Champions: Seven Oaks Marlins

Northern League Division 2 Champions: Northbrook Dolphins

Northern League Division 3 Champions: Quail Hollow Amberjacks

Northern League Division 4 Champions: Harrington Grove Stingrays

Northern League Division 5 Champions: Falls River Black Racers

Northern League Division 6 Champions: Heritage of Wake Forest Betas

Northern League Division 7 Champions: Wendell Wave

Northern League Division 8 Champions: Bedford at Falls River Sharks

Northern League Division 9 Champions: TCC at Brentwood Seahawks



Southern League Division 1 Champions: Prestonwood Piranhas

Southern League Division 2 Champions: Shepherd’s Vineyard Killer

Whales

Southern League Division 3 Champions: Abbington Alligators

Southern League Division 4 Champions: Walden Creek Wahoos

Southern League Division 5 Champions: Devereaux Devilrays

Southern League Division 6 Champions: Glenridge Gators

Southern League Division 7 Champions: Weatherstone Sharks

Southern League Division 8 Champions: Eagle Ridge Soaring Eagles

Southern League Division 9 Champions: Charleston Village Crocodiles


Ira Planer

Educational Grant Winners for 2008 Announced

TSA Board Members,

I am pleased to announce that the following 20 individuals, having met all of the eligibility requirements, have each been selected as recipients of one of the 400 TSA Educational grants for the 2008 swim season.

Heather Ahmed-Lochmere
Lauren Bays-Greystone
Tracy Brader-Lake Park
Elizabeth Brunk-Stonebridge
Lindsay Cardamone-Planter's Walk
Andy Chansler-Wakefield
Michelle Detloff-Medfield
Beau Dove-Cary Swim Club
Hannah Facchine-Dutchman Downs
Brandon Fannon-Durant Trails
Nick Heyl-Summerfield North
Brendan Hipps-Scottish Hills
Amy Holsinger-Prestonwood
Charlie Johnson-Durant Trails
Katherine Kirk-North Raleigh
Jessica O'Shea-Silverton
Megan Peters-Northbrook
Bennett Rosenthal-Wakefield
Catherine Taylor-Kildaire Farms
Matt Werner-Graystone

Congratulations to all of our winners! The individual notification letters and checks will be going out to the winners in the next week or so.

The selection was performed by Bob Goudreau and myself on Sunday evening (7/27) using a double blind random drawing methodology, where random numbers were generated and then applied to the randomly-sorted list of candidates to determine the winners. Bob and I then simultaneously exchanged information to ensure 100% accuracy.

Whether our senior swimmers were grant winners or not, the entire TSA organization is extremely proud of all of the hard work, sportsmanship and dedication that all of our graduating swimmers have demonstrated over the years and we wish all of them the very best in their post high-school pursuits!

Keep on swimming!

Rick

Friday, July 25, 2008

Why are TSA meets held on Tuesday night?

Why are TSA meets held on Tuesday night?

I have asked this question to a number of people and no one seems to know the answer other than "that is the way it has always been".

With the number of kids in year round school in Wake County, Tuesday night is always a school night for some percentage of our swimmers (MDCC) and I would suspect many (most?) other teams are in the same situation. This year we had quite a few families who did not want their children scheduled in the later events (Fly and/or Free Relay) because it was a school night.

Are other clubs faced with this same challenge? If so, how are you dealing with it?

In other areas (e.g. Virginia where my sister's kids swim) meets are held on Saturday morning.

Between the school night i ssues and the constant battle with severe weather each season, wouldn't it make sense to consider holding meets on Saturday morning instead of Tuesday night?

I am sure there are pros and cons for any day of the week and no particular day will meet with universal agreement but I am curious as to how Tuesday night came to be the night when meets are scheduled.

Mike

Cary Rapids Swim Meet

FOR YOUR FAMILY !!

Produced & Directed By: Fit & Able Productions, Inc.

Saturday August 16

At the Triangle Aquatics Center

www.triangleaquatics.org

Novice, experienced novices, year round, summer league, masters....

ALL swimmers welcome.

On Saturday August 16, 2008 while the Olympic swimming events are taking place in Beijing you can become a champion at the Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary. Swimmers of all ages and skill levels can compete by age group from 5 to 95 years old. Younger more experienced swimmer can age up. PLUS family relays will bring the meet to a close allowing siblings, parents and grand-parents to team up for the FASTEST Family award.

MEET: Cary Rapids Swim Meet - Open to the public!

Date: Saturday August 16

Location: Triangle Aquatics Center next to the Cary Towne Center

275 Convention Dr. Cary, NC 27511 919-459-4045

Time: 9:00 AM Warm-up 10:00 AM Start - see schedule of events posted on August 10.

Fee: $5 per event per person for Individual Events, $2.50 per person (leg) for relays

for registrations prior to August 10, 2008

Information: And entry forms please contact fitandable@nc.rr.com OR www.fitandable.net .

** The Triangle Aquatics Center event viewing area is equipped with many large screen TVs

so you will not be missing the swim competition taking place on the other side of the world at the Olympics.

General Meet Information

a) The meet will be held under USA Swimming Rules.

b) The competition is an open meet for all swimmers, all ages & level.

c) Entries should be sent by using the entry form attached. The entry fee is $5 per individual event, $2.50 per person (or leg) for relay team entries submitted before August 10, 2008. Add $1 per person per event for entries post marked August 10 and later. Relay teams need to submit their forms together. Athletes on several teams should complete separate forms. Checks should be made payable to Fit & Able Productions, Inc. If you have any difficulty please contact Alisa Wright Colopy. Closing Date August 15 at 5 PM.

d) The program will cover the following age groups 6 years and under, 7/8 yrs, 9/10 yrs, 11/12 yrs, 13/14 yrs, 15 - 17yrs, 18/19 yrs, 20 – 29 yrs, 30 -39 yrs, 40 – 49 yrs, 50 – 59 yrs, 60 – 69 yrs, 70 and up. Age division is determined by age on August 16, 2008.


Age Group

Event Description for 25 yard pool


6 and under

25 yards or one length each of freestyle and backstroke


7 to 10 Years

1 length of the pool each of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, 100 IM


11 and Up

2 lengths of the pool each of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, 200 IM


Special Events & Relays

Vary in length – see registration details

e) The pool is 25 yards long with 18 lanes and anti-wave lane ropes. Warm-up lanes will be available.

f) Starts: Buzzer Start off blocks

g) The competition will operate without cards. Competitors must sign in on the sheets provided which will be in the entrance area of the pool. Sheets will be removed 30 minutes before the advertised start time of the session.

h) Results will be posted on the wall in the viewing area. A full list of results will be available on the TAC website after the competition on August 18.

i) Relay teams - Should have 4 different swimmers and they can swim in any order. A reserve name may be listed.

Relay team members must compete separate registration forms and submit them together with the teams entry fee.

j) Awards: Ribbons will be given to the top three finishers in each event and for the “Fastest Family” in the Family Free Relay

k) Entries to events may have to be restricted but will be accepted on a first come first served basis to encourage early entry. Any

rejected entries and entry fees will be refunded in full.

l.) Please do not bring food into the Triangle Aquatics Center. Concessions are available to swimmers and spectators.

m.) Parking is available at the Triangle Aquatics Center and the Cary Towne Center. Please park in designated areas only. Vehicles

illegally parked will be towed at the owners expense by the Cary Police.

n.) Volunteers: If you are not swimming but would like to have an important role in the meet please volunteer (see contact above)


The End (of the season) approacheth

[Originally emailed on Sunday 7/20]:

Hello everyone,

I hope you’ve all had a good season so far. It’s amazing how quickly it all rushes by, and now here we are, two days away from the final meets of the summer. Let’s pray that the weather on Tuesday is as cooperative as it’s been for the other meets this season.

A few things I’d like you all to keep in mind over the next few days…

1) Census: If you don’t already have an extra printed copy of your team’s roster (and remember, you’re supposed to give one to the other team’s rep before every meet), please put one aside for yourself before the season ends. You will need this information in a few weeks, when I send out the post-season survey. One of the most important questions on the survey is how many swimmers your team had this season. If you have a roster set aside, you will be able to answer this question quickly and accurately. (And accuracy is important – we don’t want people making estimates for this figure; we want hard numbers.)

2) Survey questions: While we’re on the topic of the post-season survey, now is the time to send me any suggestions for questions you would like to have on the survey. Some of you have already done this over the past few months – if you have, please send your suggestions in again, as otherwise I might lose track of them. Please send all survey suggestions in by the end of the month (July 31) so that I can prepare the survey itself for use in early August.

3) Officer positions: Vice-president Ira Planer and Treasurer Nita Dail will be stepping down after their terms end next January. Please consider standing for one of these posts. Ira and Nita (or I) can answer any questions you may have about the duties of each office (which, rest assured, are not onerous).

4) Grants: As Secretary Rick Rudd reminded everyone a few days ago, entries for the TSA Educational Grants drawing are due no later than 24 hours after the end of your last meet. Realistically, almost all your eligible swimmers will have already qualified for entry, so please send him the information sooner than that if you can. Rick and I will conduct the double-blind drawing of the winning numbers as soon as possible after the deadline, so please let him know in advance if you expect to send him anything later than Tuesday. We will announce the winners as soon as we have completed the drawing. Also, remember to alert your rising senior swimmers of the Pool Professionals Partnership scholarship. They must apply themselves for that scholarship by September 1st.

5) Division titles and trophies: As soon as the final meet results are posted, VP Ira Planer will determine the winner of each division, and the overall league champion. If your team page doesn’t already list your team’s full name (including the mascot part of the name, such as “Sharks”, “Dolphins”, etc.), it would be very helpful if you could add that now. Ira will double-check all the spellings before we send out the trophy order, so you will get a chance to review your team name before it’s engraved in metal. Make sure you are clear on how your team spells its name – TSA has one team of “Sea Dragons” and another of “Seadragons”, for instance.

Best of luck to you and your teams for the remainder of the summer!

Bob

Monday, July 21, 2008

WC Insurance

We just got our Worker's Compensation bill - over $2000 for a year. This seems extreme when we hire two coaches for about 20 hours a week for 12 weeks a year. I would be interested in learning what other teams are paying and who their insurance agent is - anything that can help me get a handle on this expense.

Thanks,

Jerry

Thursday, July 17, 2008

2008 Grant Drawings + Pool Professionals Scholarship

Board Members,

This is a friendly reminder to all clubs to submit names of eligible swimmers and coaches for the grant drawing to be held soon after our final meet. This is for the twenty $400 grants that TSA is sponsoring. Please study:

http://www.tsanc.org/about/documents/pdf/2008_Grant_Candidate_Rules.pdf)

carefully and make sure that any swimmer or coach you enter meets the eligibility requirements. Please submit name, address and phone number of each eligible candidate to me no later than 24 hours after the end of your final meet of the season. I will send you a reply confirming receipt of your information. If ALL meets are completed on Tuesday, I will e-mail the results of the drawing by Thursday noon. Don't let your eligible swimmers miss their chance to receive a grant.

Also, make sure you communicate with your rising senior swimmers who are eligible to apply for the Pool Professionals Partnership Scholarship. This is a single scholarship worth $1,000, generously offered by Pool Professionals. See

http://poolprofessionals.com/about_news.html

for information and the application form. Unlike with the TSA Grants, swimmers must apply individually for this scholarship, so please pass this information along to your team. The application deadline is September 1.

Best wishes to all your eligible swimmers.

Rick

Additional Event Sheets

Board Members,

I've heard from a few of you that you have (or are about to) run out of boys and/or girls event sheets for 2008. Because some teams were coming up a short I had a small additional batch printed and will be picking those up today. If you are in need of additional event sheets, please contact me via my cell phone at 919-244-8852 so that you can make arrangements to pick up the additional forms you need prior to the final meet of the season next week.

If you like, you can also print them off from the forms section of the TSA website.

http://www.tsanc.org/about/forms.php

Thanks!

Rick

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Seeking Instructors! Tell your coaches and swimmers



Triangle Aquatic Center needs INSTRUCTORS
for August and the Fall/Winter season!!



Please spread the word at your pool and email me if you need a flyer to post and/or applications for interested coaches/swimmers.

Swimming background a must, certification preferred though not necessary since training will be provided.

Thanks!

Doracy Harrison
Program Manager
dharrison@triangleaquatics.org
459-4045 x 223
www.triangleaquatics.org

Sunday, July 13, 2008

2nd annual Lake Park Kids' Triathlon August 9th

I am posting this Kid's Triathlon Invitation on behalf of the Helene Lane, the Kids Triathlon organizer.
- John Gordon
TSA Rep, Lakepark


Hello Parents -

Registration is now open for the 2nd annual Lake Park Kids' Triathlon.

Race date is Saturday, August 9, 2008. The kids will compete by swimming, biking, and running on a course in the Lake Park neighborhood. Details at http://www.lakeparkswimclub.com/triathlon.html.

This year we'll be making up T-shirts for all of the kids (and volunteers), so the registration fee is (slightly) increased to $8.00.

Registration deadline is July 30th and this year the race cap is 70 participants. Go to the web site for your registration form and waiver. http://www.lakeparkswimclub.com/triathlon.html

We're looking forward to another great event. As always, we need parent volunteers to make this happen, so please indicate on the registration form how you'd like to help.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Helene Lane
274-8527 (cell)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Possible Conflicts for Meets on Night of 7/22

Fellow Board Members,

Thanks to Bob Wombacher of Walden Creek for catching the following.

Apparently the night of 7/22 coincides with open house / meet the teacher / curriculum nights at some of the local elementary and middle schools.

As this could impact the availability of many of your swimmers, you might want to get together with the TSA rep of the team you are due to swim against and discuss whether moving the swim meet to an alternate night would be mutually agreeable and in the interest of both teams. Remember that TSA rules allow for some flexibility as long as the change is mutually acceptable to both teams.

I'd recommend that you check with your local schools, parents and team managers to see how big of an impact this might have to your local neighborhood and then handle accordingly.

Rick

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Cary Rapids Swim Meet - Open to the public!

Novice, experienced novices, year round, summer league, masters..... ALL swimmers welcome.

On Saturday August 16, 2008 while the Olympic swimming events are taking place in Beijing ** you can become a champion at the Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary. Swimmers of all ages and skill levels can compete by age group from 5 to 95 years old. Younger more experienced swimmer can age up. PLUS family relays will bring the meet to a close allowing siblings, parents and grandparents to team up for the FASTEST Family award.

MEET: Cary Rapids Swim Meet - Open to the public!

Date: Saturday August 16

Location: Triangle Aquatics Center next to the Cary Towne Center

Time: All day - see schedule of events

Fee: $5 per event (discounts available for advance registrations)

For more information and entry forms please contact fitandable@nc.rr.com .

** The Triangle Aquatics Center event viewing area is equipped with five large screen TVs and free wireless internet so you can keep up with the swim competition taking place on the other side of the world.


Get moving & keep moving!
Alisa
Wright Colopy

Fit & Able Productions, Inc.
www.fitandable.net
fitandable@nc.rr.com
(919)673-4685

Fit & Able is a nonprofit company that promotes fitness to all age groups.

Thank you to Fit & Able Friends & Sponsors
The Blackwell Family Foundation
Carolina RailHawks - www.carolinarailhawks.com
Cary Family YMCA - www.ymcatriangle.org/Cary_Family.aspx
Forever Memories - www.ForeverMemoriesDVD.com
Gold's Gym in Cary - www.goldsgym.com/carykildairenc
Make An Impressions, Inc. - www.makeanimpressioninc.com
Releve Dancewear - www.relevedancewear.com
Triangle Aquatics Center - www.triangleaquatics.org

Paralympian will Visit your Swim Team

Tucker Dupree amazes and inspires adults and children, swimmers and non-swimmers - EVERYONE. Tucker is a young swimmer from Garner who has lost his sight due to a genetic disease and he is going to the Paralympics! If you would like Tucker to visit your swim team, youth group, business meeting or church please contact fitandable@nc.rr.com

Alisa Wright Colopy
Fit & Able Productions, Inc.
www.fitandable.net
fitandable@nc.rr.com
(919)673-4685
Fit & Able is a nonprofit company that promotes fitness to all age groups.

Stroke Clinic Benefitting Blind Paralympian


MEET: Swim Technique Stroke Clinics and Swim Trials Viewing Party - Open to the public!
Date: June 30 & July 2, 2008
Location: Triangle Aquatics Center next to the Cary Towne Center
Time: 7:00 to 9 PM
Fee: $5 per Clinic
To Benefit: Paralympic team member Tucker Dupree and his family to offset the
cost of their trip to Beijing for the Paralympic games. Tucker is a young
swimmer from Garner who has lost his sight due to a genetic disease.
For information: Contact fitandable@nc.rr.com

USA Olympic Swimming Trials

Swim Technique Stroke Clinics and Viewing Party

June 30 & July 2, 2008

Triangle Aquatics Center, Cary NC

You are invited to watch the best swimmers in the USA vying for a slot on the USA Olympic Team during the week of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials broadcast on USA Network. Participants will have the opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge at clinics provided by the best coaches in the Triangle from four area USA Swim Teams (WAVE, RSA, YOTA & MOR) followed by a Trials Viewing party. Participants who register in advance for Both clinics will receive a discount. Walk in registrations are welcome too!

Proceeds go to support Paralympic team member Tucker Dupree and his family to offset the cost of their trip to Beijing for the Paralympic games.

Tucker is a young swimmer from Garner who has lost his sight due to a genetic disease.

Going blind was only a bump in the road for Tucker as he continued to pursue his dream of competing in the international arena.

No Swim Team Experience Required to Participate. Novice Swimmers Welcome!

#1 Breast & Fly Clinic

Starts & Turns will be covered give available time

#2 Free & Back Clinic

Starts & Turns will be covered give available time

Monday, June 30

7:00 – 7:50 PM Clinic

Wednesday, July 2

7:00 – 7:50 PM Clinic

8:00 – 9:00 PM Viewing Party

8:00 – 9:00 PM Viewing Party

__________________________________________________________________

Get moving & keep moving!
Alisa
Alisa Wright Colopy
Fit & Able Productions, Inc.
www.fitandable.net
fitandable@nc.rr.com
(919)673-4685
Fit & Able is a nonprofit company that promotes fitness to all age groups.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Newspaper deadline CORRECTION

I misspoke when I asked everyone to try to post their meet results by 10:00 PM each Wednesday. The News & Observer has changed their deadline to 8:00, so we need you to post your scores by 7:45 at the latest. Note that we need only the score that early, not the rest of the meet results (new records and triple- and double-winners), so you can split the task into two pieces if you want. So please perform step 2 from the result-entry screen (shown below) as soon as possible after the meet so that we can hit the newspaper deadline. You can then log back out and return at any later time to complete the remaining steps – but remember that you must complete them all by no later than 24 hours after the end of the meet.

Steps To Enter Result From A Dual Meet

1. Select the meet to enter the data for.

2. Enter the SCORES and STATUS for selected meet.

3. Enter the DOUBLE WINNERS (Six and Under only).

4. Enter the TRIPLE WINNERS (Seven and Up only).

5. Enter the POOL and/or TEAM RECORDS for the selected meet.

Monday, June 16, 2008

The 2008 season begins!

I hope everyone is ready for the first TSA dual meets coming up Tuesday! I have a few miscellaneous reminders on that topic…

  • The list of officially TSA-certified Stroke & Turn Judges is available here. Thanks to Tony McCullough and his Clinics Committee for holding all the training clinics, and to Vice-President Ira Planer for keeping track of judges certified by USA Swimming and other authorities. If a team finds itself lacking a properly-qualified judge at a meet, the rules for determining the next-best alternatives can be found here.
  • Remember that the home team’s TSA Rep is responsible for logging in to the TSA web site and posting meet results within 24 hours after the conclusion of the meet. Meet scores entered on the site by 10:00 PM Wednesday will be printed in the “Scoreboard” page of the Sports section of Thursday’s News & Observer every week, so don’t delay! All of you should have logged in to your TSA web site accounts by now to look around at the “results” entry page, so please do this ASAP if you haven’t gotten to it yet.
  • Both teams’ TSA Reps should be familiar with the duties enumerated in the TSA Rep Meet Checklist. Remember to bring hard copies of your team roster and your team records (as well as pool records for home meets) to every meet.

Tuesday’s weather forecast is looking good so far (cross fingers!), but every Rep should be familiar with section 102.7 of the TSA rulebook in case inclement weather rears its head again. Remember that our minimum postponement in cases of thunder or lightning has increased to 30 minutes this year (but if the host pool has an even stronger policy, that interval applies instead.)

May all your swimmers have exciting and fulfilling seasons!

Bob

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Stroke and Turn Clinic and breaststroke question

Thanks to Marcia Dettloff for instructing at the Stroke and Turn Clinic in Cary June 3! And thanks to Oxxford Hunt for hosting the standing room only clinic for TSA judges.

Marcia has the Clinic handout, swimming videos and notes for USAS Officials on her web site(Scroll down for TSA information):
www.caryopto.com/officials.html

Clinic Handout:
www.caryopto.com/Officials/Documents/TSA/TSA%20Clinic%20Notes.doc

Here is the information requested concerning Breaststroke:
At www.tsanc.org in the “About” section you can find Official 2008 Tarheel Swimming Association rules under “TSA Forms.” See Article 101.1.2 on Breaststroke (page 7) which states “the hands shall not be brought beyond the hip line, except during the first stroke after the start and each turn.”

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

KIT/ATP TRIATHLON SERIES

TSA, you asked and we listened...
NEW FOR 2008
Age Group Awards . Relay Teams . Team Challenge . Series Awards
  • Swim teams can now challenge each other
  • Training sessions included in the registration

Cary Park . Meadowmont . Eagle Ridge . Brier Creek

Details on the race pages at www.kidsintraining.com
(919)372-7032
Note - Tri at Cary Park late fee deadline has been extended to June 6

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Summer Championship meets

Many teams have been asking for information for both the JC meet and the SWIM meets in July. Many teams have been emailed the information, but if you haven't or would like the information anyway, please visit the Marlins of Raleigh website at www.marlinsofraleigh.com. The meet information is posted there.

As we get closer to both of the meets, this website will have updates and changes.

We are looking forward to a great summer of swimming and good luck to all of the teams!

May Meeting Minutes Now Posted

Board Members,

The minutes of the May 2008 TSA Board of Directors meeting are now posted here.

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of this information.

Thanks!

Rick

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Summer Tune-up Clinics at Triangle Aquatic Center - Next weekend!

Triangle Aquatic Center is offering three different Summer Tune-Up Clinics on Saturday, May 31st. These are a perfect way to work on swim team skills as the season begins! Coaches will focus on long axis, short axis, and starts & turns.

Please pre-register by Friday, May 30th.

9am -10am: Free/Back
10am -11am: Start/Turn
11am -12pm: Breast/Fly

$10 each

To register,contact the TAC front desk at 459-4045 or stop by the facility at 275 Convention Drive (beside Cary Towne Center mall). Check out these programs and others at our website.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

2008 Meet Management Material Pickup

Board Members,

As you know, the meet management materials for the 2008 swimming season will be available for pickup this evening at our May Board of Directors meeting. If you are unable to pick up your materials tonight, please send an alternate individual to do so. If you do not pickup your materials at tonight's meeting, it is your reponsibility to make your own arrangements to do so through one of the following two gentlemen:

Brian Pate has the materials for the North League
djbrian@bowtiemobiledj.com

Steve Soost has the materials for the South League
sasoost@us.ibm.com

Your cooperation is appreciated in following these procedures for obtaining your meet management materials for 2008.

Special thanks goes out to both Brian and Steve for their hard work in obtaining the materials and assembling the packages for you. Please do pass along a word of thanks when you pick up your materials from them this evening!

I look forward to seeing you all at the Board meeting tonight!

Rick

Monday, May 19, 2008

May Board of Directors meeting

Remember, our final in-person Board meeting of 2008 is coming up tomorrow night (Tuesday, May 20) at 7:00. We will be at our usual meeting place at Powell Drive Park. If you can, please print and bring your own copy of the meeting agenda and the March Meeting Minutes; a limited number of hard copies will be available for those unable to bring their own.

The Board meeting proper should be quite short, which will allow us to distribute meet management materials and then adjourn directly into our annual Meet Management Clinic. Everyone is welcome to stay for this clinic, but it will be most useful for new TSA reps and for new clubs (including exhibition teams). If you are unable to attend the clinic but have questions, be sure to read the meet organization document on the TSA website and to familiarize yourself with some of the other resources on the site.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Coaches Clinic in Cary

We have scheduled another Coach's Clinic for Thursday June 5. The location is Lochmere Highlands Clubhouse. The time will be 7:00 P.M.

Thanks to Lochmere for hosting a clinic again this year!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Stroke and Turn Clinic in Cary

We have scheduled a Stroke and Turn Clinic for Tuesday June 3. We would like to thank Oxxford Hunt for hosting. The time will be 7:00 PM.

For directions see http://www.tsanc.org/src/club.php?club_id=32.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Swim for Smiles Youth Triathlon, June 1


I was invited by Bob Goudreau to post information about our upcoming YOUTH-only triathlon held on June 1st in Chapel Hill, NC.

The Swim for Smiles Foundation is excited to announce that registration is OPEN for its 2nd Annual Youth Triathlon to be held on June 1, 2008 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Last year’s event drew over 240 participants and this year’s has been expanded to accommodate at least 350. Open to kids from ages 7-17, the Swim for Smiles Youth Triathlon is a USA-Triathlon (USA-T) sanctioned event and includes two different courses so that ALL levels of participants are accommodated.

Beginners can select a
Short Course triathlon that includes a 100-meter swim, a 2.5-mile bike course and finishes with a short 1K (0.6 miles) run. And, Long Course participants will begin with a 250-meter swim, transition to a 5-mile bike course and then finish with a 3K (1.8 miles) run. The Swim for Smiles Youth Triathlon will start on June 1st at Chapel Hill Country Club’s heated pool, move to a neighborhood bike ride and end with a golf-course run. This is considered an easy triathlon and it designed for all levels of youth participants.

Every finisher receives a medal and the top three finishers of each age group will receive prizes (last year's prizes included iPod Shuffles, Ironman watches, movie tickets and a two grand prizes: Nintendo Wiis)!

For more information on the Swim for Smiles Youth Triathlon or the Swim for Smiles Foundation, please go to http://www.swimforsmiles.org/.

We have also created an event poster/flyer that we would love for you to consider posting at your pools and swim team sign-up events. It can be found by clicking here. We will be more than willing to print as many as each team would like and send them to you if you prefer to hand them out (or we can give it to you in e-mail form to send to your entire team).

100% of all funds raised from this triathlon (and every Swim for Smiles event) goes to the North Carolina Children's Hospital. We are proud to have raised over $17,000 last year for the hospital and with your league's help, we can beat that total this year.

Finally, the site also includes details on how to volunteer for the triathlon and how to become a sponsor, but if you want more information on either, please feel free to call me, Gary Kayye, at 868-3358 or e-mail me at gkayye@kayye.com.

Thank you!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Coaches Clinic on Wednesday, May 28

The first Coaches Clinic will be May 28. The time is 7:00 PM and the location is Northbrook. Jonathan Watson will be the instructor.

Learn to be a more effective coach and promote good sportsmanship, ways to motivate swimmers and their families, and more. Each club is required to be represented at this clinic. Attendance will be taken.

Directions:
NORTHBROOK COUNTRY CLUB (4905 North Hills Drive, Raleigh)
• From I-440, take Exit 7 (if coming from south) or Exit 7B (if coming from north) onto US 70 (Glenwood Avenue) westbound
• Turn LEFT at the first traffic signal after the I-440 interchange onto Lead Mine Road
• Turn RIGHT at the next traffic signal onto North Hills Drive.
• Turn LEFT into the club parking lot just past Northbrook Drive, which will be the third street on the right.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Assistant Coach Position

The Reserve Sting Rays have a new opportunity for an assistant coach position for this season. We have a great team with committed head coach and parent support.

Please direct any leads or interested persons to sas1710@nc.rr.com and jdecandio@nc.rr.com .

Thanks,
Steve

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Clinics

Greetings busy TSA Reps! Your Clinics Committee has been finalizing details for this season's clinics. Here is what we have scheduled for you:

STROKE AND TURN JUDGES (Mandatory; choose either one):
Tuesday [corrected from Wednesday - Bob] , May 6, 7:00 PM at Planter’s Walk clubhouse in Knightdale
(clinic could last almost two hours)
OR
Thursday, May 22, 7:00 PM at Jewish Community Center

STARTERS (Recommended, but not mandatory):
Tuesday, May 27, 7:00-8:00 PM at Medfield Pool in Raleigh/Cary

COACHES (Mandatory): We have instructors lined up for two clinics; locations and dates are being agreed upon. We expect to announce these in a few days.

(CONTACT Tony McCullough ASAP with corrections or if interested in arranging another clinic.)


DIRECTIONS
PLANTER’S WALK CLUBHOUSE (901 Lynwood Road, Knightdale)

From North Raleigh and Northern Wake County
· Take I-540 East to Exit 24B (Business US 64 East, a.k.a. Knightdale Boulevard)
· Follow the directions in the “From Knightdale Boulevard” section below

From Wendell and Eastern Wake County
· Take US 64/264 West to Exit 423 (I-540 West)
· Take I-540 to Exit 24 (Business US 64, a.k.a. Knightdale Boulevard)
· Turn right (Eastbound) at the top of the ramp
· Follow the directions in the “From Knightdale Boulevard” section below

From Raleigh and Southern and Western Wake County
· Take I-440 to Exit 14 (US 64/264 East)
· Take US 64/264 to Exit 423 (I-540 West)
· Take I-540 to Exit 24 (Business US 64, a.k.a. Knightdale Boulevard)
· Turn right (Eastbound) at the top of the ramp
· Follow the directions in the “From Knightdale Boulevard” section below

From Knightdale Boulevard
· Stay in the right lane and take the first right (past the I-540 interchange) onto Lynnwood Road to enter the Planter’s Walk subdivision
· If Lynnwood Road is closed due to construction, take the next right (Hinton Oaks Boulevard) and catch Lynnwood at the roundabout
· Take your second left after the 4-way stop into the clubhouse/pool parking lot at 901 Lynwood Road
· The pool parking lot is reserved for our visitors. If the parking lot is full, feel free to park on one of the side streets. Parking on Lynnwood drive is not recommended.

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (12804 Norwood Road, Raleigh)
From I-540, take Exit 9 to NC 50 (Creedmoor Road).
Head North on NC 50/Creedmoor Road.
Turn LEFT at the traffic signal onto Norwood Road.
Cross over Old Creedmoor Road and you will see the Jewish Community Center on the left.
Take a LEFT into the JCC. If the parking lot is full, you can park in the lot at the church across the street.

MEDFIELD POOL (1401 Baker Road, Raleigh/Cary):
From I-40, take Exit 290 to NC 54 (Chapel Hill Road) westbound.
Turn RIGHT at the first light past the I-40 interchange, onto Trinity Road.
Turn LEFT at the third side-street onto King Lawrence Road.
Take the first LEFT onto Baker Road.
The pool is on the RIGHT where Baker ends at Philips Court.