TNT Newsletter
The New Team on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay
February 2007
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKS
Welcome to new teammates, Joshua and Rachael Smith, who recently joined TNT. Joshua swims with Coach Ross in level 2 and Rachael swims with Coach Mary in level 1. Congratulations! You are going to have a lot of fun and learn to swim really fast.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
Congratulations to teammates who celebrate birthdays during the month of February: Sarah Meehan, 7 on 2/1 and Kelsie Quale, 13 on 2/ 28. Another year older and faster!
PRIME TIME
A record number of thirteen TNT swimmers have qualified in individual events for the Southeastern Short Course Championship Meet to be held March 15 – 19 in Nashville, TN. Congratulations to the following swimmers who have achieved SES “Cuts”. Will Anderson, Daniel Doucet, Savannah Ekelund, Griffin Fisk, Gabrielle Horst, Gracey Kahn, Lauren Kinsey, J.D. Powell, Tyler Powell, Kelsie Quale, Madison Scharles, Kyle Simpson, and Ryan Simpson.
EXTRA SPECIAL
Thank you to those parents who submitted the names of TNT swimmers for this listing. We are proud of our swimmers for their accomplishments in and out of the pool.
J.D. Powell's photography entry placed second in the local PTA Reflections competition. As a top finisher, his entry will be entered in the next level of this competition. J.D.’s YMCA basketball team is currently 3-1 on the season. Playing center, J.D. leads the team in rebounds and field goal shooting percentage.
Tyler Powell placed second in the photography Reflections Contest at the local level in his age group at Rockwell Elementary School and his entry will move on to the next level of this national competition. Tyler’s YMCA basketball team won the first game of their last double-header. Tyler, playing point guard, scored 6 points and led in steals.
Griffin Fisk was nominated as a United States Achievement Academy Mathematics Winner. She was awarded a Positive Office Referral for her Outstanding Behavior and 100% Average in her 1st semester of Math. She is one of three 6th grade students at Daphne Middle School selected to participate in a student focus group to gauge the effectiveness of the ShowMe Character Education program going on in Baldwin County Schools.
Ashton Prouty won 3rd place in the photography division of the Reflections Contest at her school. This year’s theme was "My favorite place". She entered a photograph that she took of the castle at Magic Kingdom. She will now represent her school at the state level.
Kaitlin Simison is participating in "Operation Adopt a Grandparent". This is a community service project where 5th graders from Rockwell Elementary visit "adopted grandparents" at Westminster Village in Spanish Fort. In addition, Kaitlin, Payton Pierce, and Gabby Horst will be singing with the Rockwell Elementary choir at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival in March.
Jordan Simison was one of four seventh graders selected for the Daphne Middle School Soccer team. Jordan was also inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at Daphne Middle School.
Simon Boles won 2nd place in the Arbor Day Poster Contest held by the 5th grade at Fairhope Intermediate School.
Savannah Ekelund participated in the 38th Annual Mobile Music Teachers Association Sonata Contest on February 3rd, held at the University of Mobile, earning a third place medallion. Savannah was also selected as an eighth grade piano student of the month by the Baldwin County Music Teachers Association, for the month of January.
Adele Mantiply took part in the 2007 Duke Talent Identification Program and qualified for recognition in the Sate of Alabama for English, Science and Reading. She also qualified to attend Duke's Academy of Summer Studies in Reading and Science.
Jordan Doucet participated in the 38th Annual Mobile Music Teachers Association Sonata Contest on February 3rd, held at the University of Mobile, and received fourth place and honorable mention. Jordan Doucet also was 1 of 4 sixth grade students to make the math counts team for Christ the King Catholic School; she will be competing Saturday, February 24 at the University of South Alabama.
Daniel Doucet, Jordan Doucet, Lauren Kinsey and Ashley Kinsey all represented Christ the King Catholic School in the 2007 Science Olympiad held February 10th at the University of South Alabama. Ashley Kinsey won 2 medals.
Daniel Doucet's 8th grade boys’ basketball finally won a game! Daniel scored 7 points.
Hannah Denham won 3rd place in the Spanish Fort Elementary School’s Reflections contest with her painting submission.
Andrew Szydel plays center for Christ The King's third grade basketball team, he leads the team in rebounds and they are undefeated at 4-0.
Nicholas Szydel plays in the Fairhope Hornets first grade basketball league. He plays forward, has made several baskets and is enjoying playing and learning with the team.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
This month begins a new feature of the TNT Newsletter which highlights individual swimmers. Considering the amount of time we all spend together, this will be a fun opportunity to better recognize the individuals who make up our team and to get to know each other. Because this is the first installment of Getting to Know You and was drawn up in a hurry, only one swimmer will be highlighted this month. Swimmers from each TNT training level will be included in future monthly newsletters.
Here is getting to know Frances Sledge, TNT level 3.
Frances is 9 years old and has been a member of TNT since August 2003. She has lived in Fairhope her whole life and has two brothers, Jack and Charlie. Jack also swims with TNT in level 2. Her mom and dad’s names are Karen and Joe.
Frances is a 3rd grade student at Christ the King Catholic School and her favorite subject is Science. She likes to read and her favorite book is The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman. Her hobbies include drawing, building tree forts, climbing trees, and playing violin.
Frances’s favorite animal is a horse, although she would love to have a pet dog. She won a hamster in a drawing contest a couple years ago, but unfortunately it died. She now has a pet goldfish named Fishy that she won at the CKCS Pumpkin Festival last October.
FASCINATING FOOD FACTS
Mr. Ken Haney of Thomas Wellness Center will be hosting TNT’s 3rd Annual Interactive Nutrition Seminar, Saturday, February 24th from 12:30 – 2:00 PM, at the Thomas Wellness Center in Fairhope. The seminar will include an appetizer, main course, and dessert for all attendees.
During the meal, Mr. Haney will reveal his TOP 10 essential nutritional elements found within the main food groups, and will explain how they contribute to positive growth developmentally, as well as athletically. Finally, Mr. Haney will answer questions that parents and swimmers have about what, when, and how to eat.
IT’S OFFICIAL
Dave Smith from Southeastern Swimming will be visiting TNT to give clinics for Stroke and Turn Judges and Starters. The clinic is scheduled to be held at the Bounds Family YMCA on Saturday, February 24. The Stroke and Turn clinic will begin at 9:00 AM and the Starters Clinic at 11:00 AM. This is an excellent and convenient opportunity for parents to begin the three step process toward becoming a certified USA Swimming official.
TNT will cover the cost of any parent who becomes a certified USA Swimming official, as well as the cost of the annual USA Swimming membership renewal for those who work the minimum number of 6 volunteer sessions per year. Stroke and turn judging is easy to learn and will get you out of the spectator section and onto the deck where you will be a valuable contributor. All families who are not yet volunteering as meet officials are encouraged to have at least one parent in attendance.
SHORT COURSE AWARDS DINNER
The date for TNT’s 3rd Annual Short Course Awards Banquet will be Tuesday, March 13, 2007, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Christ the King School gymnasium. The banquet will include dinner and award presentations for all swimmers of TNT. Please mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend. You can view photos of last year’s banquet at http://www.swimtnt.com/Pics_SC_Awards_Dinner_06.html
SWIMMERS ON THE BIG SCREEN
Keep an eye out for the new swimming movie, “Pride.” Based on true events, the film tells the inspiring story of Jim Ellis, a charismatic school teacher in the 1970s who changed lives forever when he founded an African-American swim team in one of Philadelphia's roughest neighborhoods. Directed by Sunu Gonera, this life-affirming drama stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow, Crash, Ray), Bernie Mac (Guess Who, Oceans 12, Bad Santa) and Kimberly Elise (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Manchurian Candidate, John Q). You can view a trailer of the film at http://www.pridefilm.com/site.php
THE GOOD GUYS
TNT thanks those supporters who advertise their business on our web site. Proceeds from advertising sales help us with operational expenses and allows TNT to provide low cost, competitive swimming instruction to children of all ability levels. Please visit http://www.swimtnt.com/advertisers_page_06-07.html to learn more about the services our advertisers offer.
Americas Home Mortgage
A-Safe Online Backup Service
Booth - Alberstadt Insurance Agency
Bounds Family YMCA
Cricket Realty and Management
Chris Myers AutoMall
Coldwell Banker, Kitty Ruzic - Realtor
Cotton’s Restaurant
E.G.M., L.L.C
GMAC Real Estate - Horst & Co., Inc.
James M. Boles, D.M.D., P.A.
KONE, Inc. Elevators and Escalators
Mary Beth Mantiply, Attorney at Law
Primary Transportation Services, Inc
REMAX by the Bay, Judy Niemeyer - Realtor
Shannon Thomas Arndt, Attorney at Law, P.C.
Sledge’s Custom Building, Inc.
Springdale Travel Agency
Steven Kinsey, M.D. F.A.C.S.
Thomas Hospital Infirmary Health System
Threaded Fasteners, Inc.
Vokert & Associates, Inc.
Watermark Design
Waterville USA, Inc.
FEEDBACK
Please direct questions, comments, corrections, or suggestions regarding information contained in this newsletter to Jan Mittemeyer at swimtnt123@aol.com or by phone: 599-1019 cell.
