Newsletter_November

TNT SWIMMERS

THEY GROW UP SO FAST

Congratulations to TNT swimmers who celebrate birthdays during the month of October: Kyle Simpson, 14 on 10/3; Emily Vincent, 13 on 10/7; Patrick Ward, 9 on 10/8; Zachary Vincent, 9 on 10/11; Madeline Ellison, 10 on 10/16; Sydney Jane Hendryx, 6 on 10/19; Ashley Szydel, 13 on 10/25; Another year older and another year faster!

TNT SWIMMING

SCHOLAR ATHLETE HONOR ROLL

Congratulations to those TNT swimmers who achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA during the first scholastic marking period. Thank you to those parents who submitted their swimmers names for this listing.

FIRST USA SWIMMING MEET

Nineteen TNT swimmers recently competed in their first ever USA Swimming Short Course Meet. Congratulations to the following swimmers:

Chris Bishop, Sarah Beth Carson, Broderick Costantini, Harrison Costantini, Kennedy Costantini, Brooke Dotson, Grace Dunbar, Anna Fouty, Kennedy Hendryx, Sydney Jane Hendryx, Lizzy Kolakoski, Miriam McCoy, John Brian O'Hara, Yuki Ou, Taylor Rodgers, Connor Schmidt, Emily Sherrod, Ginny Sherrod, Jackson Tunks.

GETTING THE POINT

TNT swimmers scored 854.5 points to win the second place team trophy at the CMSA Fall Invitational Meet, October 10 - 12 in Mobile. TNT's boy's squad accounted for 488.5 and the girls 366. Congratulations to the following swimmers who scored points for the team: Kyle Simpson, 76.5; Ben Turnipseed, 68.5; Jack Sledge, 68; Ashley Szydel, 65; Sarah Meehan, 62; Boyd Turnipseed, 58.5; Patrick Parish, 48; Griffin Fisk, 43; Will Anderson, 42; Alex Daly, 40; Lauren Kinsey, 40; Lauren Chastang, 27; Sahra El - Hamaki, 22; Ashley Kinsey, 20; Gracey Kahn, 20; Kennedy Hendryx, 20; Ryan Simpson, 16; Harrison Costantini, 14; Tommy O'Hara, 14; Emily Smith, 14; Kelsie Quale, 11; Madison Scharles, 10; Connor Schmidt, 6; Hannah Denham, 6; Lizzy Kolakoski, 3; Nathan Rothermel, 3; Carly Arnone, 2; Christopher Houston, 2; John Brian O'Hara, 1; Chris Bishop, 1; Frances Sledge, 1.

TNT RECORD BREAKERS

Twenty nine new TNT Team Records have been set so far during the 2008 - 2009 short course season . That's a lot of team record pins!

Congratulations to the following swimmers for setting new team records: Will Anderson, 13 - 14 boys 1000 free 11:32.13; Kellen Bullock: 15 - 16 boys 100 breast 1:10.65, 100 back 1:03.77, 200 breast 2:36.99; Griffin Fisk, 13 - 14 girls 500 free 5:39.59; Lauren Kinsey, 13 - 14 girls 500 free 5:40.44; Thomas Kinsey, 17 - 18 boys 500 free 5:43.99, 100 back 1:05.97, 200 free 2:09.05, 100 breast 1:17.29, 1000 free 12:11.00, 100 fly 1:07.50, 200 breast 2:42.35, 50 free 28.11, 400 IM 5:02.59; Sarah Meehan, 8 & under girls 50 breast 47.29; Kyle Simpson, 13 - 14 boys 500 free 5:07.75, 100 back 56.94, 200 free 1:53.59, 1000 free 10:44.55, 100 fly 56.25, 50 free 24.47, 400 IM 4:38.96; Ashley Szydel, 11 - 12 girls 100 fly 1:05.73,200 free 2:09.82, 500 free 5:49.12, 100 IM 1:08.45, 100 back 1:05.03, 200 IM 2:25.98.

SOUTHEASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

Nine TNT swimmers achieved new qualifying times for the 2009 Southeastern Short Course Championships, scheduled to be held February 26 - 29 in Nashville, TN. Congratulations to the following swimmers who made their new times at the CMSA Fall Invitational: Will Anderson, 500 free; Lauren Chastang, 50 fly, 50 back; Griffin Fisk, 500 free; Lauren Kinsey, 500 free; Patrick Parish, 100 IM, 50 free; Ben Turnipseed, 50 breast, 100 IM, 100 back, 50 free, 50 back; Boyd Turnipseed, 500 free, 200 free, 100 IM, 100 back, 50 free, 50 back, 200 IM.

EXTRA SPECIAL SWIMMERS

Congratulations to the following list of swimmers for their extra curricular accomplishments. Special thanks to those parents who submitted the highlights of their swimmers activities outside the pool for this month's listing.

Nathan Rothermel tested and passed his First Candidate Black Belt on October 10th and has moved to Second Candidate Black Belt. There are three Candidate levels, and then he will be a First Degree Black Belt. So far, Nathan has tested and reached 14 belts to date, representing about 2 ½ years worth of work.

Brooke Dotson just completed the Red Cross Babysitting Class and is playing in a Sanctioned Tennis Tournament at The Club at Rock Creek.

Alex Daly was the Principal's pick for the month of September

Tyler Powell's U15 soccer team is currently 8-0 in season play.

Tommy O'Hara is the leading scorer on his Daphne Rec U10 soccer team, the Jaguars.

Connor Schmidt was selected to be in the media club at the Spanish Fort Elementary School. In Cub Scouts, he earned his handyman activity badge and the table tennis belt loop.

Will Anderson won 1st Place in the 10-14 age group in the Jubilee Race for Life 5K Run with a time of 20:32 and 12th place overall. Will also made the Scholars Bowl "A" Team at Christ the King Catholic School.

Gracey Kahn was nominated by her AP Biology teacher, Peggy Dyson, to attend a leadership medical forum at various sites throughout the United States for the summer of 2009.

Lizzy Kolakoski is playing a part in the school play at Bayside Academy.

Kellen Bullock has qualified for the Alabama State High School Swimming Championship Meet in the100 backstroke and 100 breastroke.

Lauren Kinsey recently joined the Fellowship Christian Athletes at Daphne High School.

Lauren Chastang is playing on the Spanish Fort 10-u Thrillers softball team this Fall.

Adele Mantiply is running cross country for Bayside Academy and is also a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a coach for the high school swim team.

Anna Ramsey was named to the All-County Volleyball team from Daphne Middle School.

Ashley Kinsey is in the IB Program at Fairhope High School.

Thomas Kinsey is running cross country for Fairhope High School. He placed 6th in the boys race at the Baldwin County Meet. He will participate at the cross country state meet in November. He is also swimming for Fairhope High School and has qualified for the state swim meet in three events.

Patrick Parish was recognized at the Fairhope Intermediate Schools Honors Assembly with a certificate for A honor roll and for perfect attendance for the first grading period. He also just completed Daphne fall soccer season for the U10 Tigers and was chosen to represent Daphne November 15-16 on the Daphne U10 All-Star team.

Preston Parish was recognized with a certificate of achievement for Keystone Keyboard Level 1 at the Fairhope K-1 Center and serves as a kindergarten reading mentor for his class. He also just completed Daphne fall soccer season for the U8 Hawks.

Hannah Denham was voted PTA rep for her 5th grade class at SFES + selected to be a Red Ribbon Leader Team Member for the school.

DRINK UP

"Hydrating," your body is another way of saying "drink." You need to drink during practice because your body is losing water while you exercise. This is because as you exercise your muscles produce heat, which raises your body temperature and makes you feel hot. Your body then cools itself by sending the heat to your skin in the form of water, or sweat, which is then taken away from your body and into the air through the process of evaporation.

Swimmers sometimes don't realize that they are sweating because they are already wet from the pool water. This can be bad because the more that you exercise, the more you will sweat and lose water from your body, which makes you "dehydrated." When your body loses too much water it can make you swim slowly and can even make you start to feel bad and sometimes even feel sick.

It is important for swimmers to keep putting water into their bodies during practice, especially if you are practicing for more than one hour. The best way is to bring a container with water in it to practice with you. Bottled water is expensive, so just fill a container with water from the faucet to drink. One of our level 5 swimmers who practices for 2 1/2 hours each day brings a big container with lots of ice in it, which melts and keeps her supplied with lots of cold, refreshing water to drink.

Some people like to bring "Sports Drinks" to practice because they taste good and the companies that make them say that they will help you to perform better. The reason that these kind of drinks taste good is because they have lots of sugar in them. Usually the sugar in sports drinks is made from high fructose corn syrup and can actually make you swim slower and also make you feel bad. It is the water in the sports drinks that is good for you, so just bring water instead.

EAT UP

All living things need food energy to live. If you are a human being, then you also need food to live. If you are a swimmer, then you are actually eating for three people wrapped into one person. The first person that you are eating for needs the kind of food that supplies energy to keep you going strong all day without feeling tired and getting sick.

The second person is the part of you who needs the kind of food to make your body into a strong, healthy adult. Growing your body into an adult is kind of like building a house. If you don't use the right materials when you build it, the house will wear out and you won't be able to live in it very long. But, if you use good materials, you can build a strong house that you can live in for a long time.

The third person that you are eating for is the athlete in you. Athletes are people who use extra energy to play sports. As a swimmer, you need to eat the kind of food that will supply your muscles with lots of energy during practices and meets. Eating for your athlete self is like fueling a racing car, or in your case a racing boat! Your body is like the hull of the boat and should be lean in order to cut through the water, while your heart, lungs, and muscles are like an engine that needs the right mix of fuels to make the boat go fast.

The best way to get right amount and the right kind of food for your daily energy needs; your personal growth; and your athletic needs, is to eat foods that taste good and are also good for you. Think again of building your body like building a house. Make your foundation, or the floor that your house sits on from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Make your frame, or the walls that hold your house up from low fat dairy products and lean meats. If you eat a good mixture of these foods you will also get plenty of vitamins and minerals into your body, which will act like the roof of your house and will protect and help you from becoming tired and sick.

The best way to fuel your racing boat is to make sure to put the right fuel in it. Some fuels burn up quickly, especially sugary ones. The best fuels are the ones that you can get lots of mileage from, like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These fuels also have lots of water in them, which will also help to keep your engine cool, even when you are racing at top speed.

Information for parents about swimmer nutrition can be found online in the Parent Section of USA Swimming: www.usa-swimming.org

TNT PARENT PERSPECTIVE

BEFORE THE BIG TIME

Most Olympians didn’t start out with gold stars on their foreheads. In fact, many of them were just like your child might be, working hard at practices and having fun in the pool. So just because your child might not be at the top of the heap right now doesn’t mean he should give up his hopes and dreams. That next big swim could be just around the corner. Many of USA Swimming's National Team athletes did not experience early success. They did not specialize in the events they now swim. Read this article in the Parent Section of the USA Swimming web site.

There is also a very telling study regarding long term swimmer development conducted by Genadijus Sokolovas, USA Swimming Director of Sports Science. TNT Parents are encouraged to read his study on the Parent Perspective page of the TNT web site.

PAYMENT POLICY

As you may or may not know, Terri Kinsey is a TNT parent volunteer who maintains account balances for our team. She performs this essential task as her way of supporting the program, helping to insure that each family has an accurate monthly assessment of their debits and credits, while also paying team bills, coach’s salaries, taxes, etc.

Families can help Terri in a couple of ways when making payments to TNT. Please do not send payments in cash. Cash does not leave a record of payment, often leads to account balance discrepancies and puts payments at risk if lost or stolen. Families are directed to please make payments to TNT by check or money order, itemizing on the check exactly what the payments are for. Itemizing saves considerable time and confusion when crediting family accounts, and makes life a lot easier for our volunteer bookkeeper.

TNT CALENDAR

TAKE YOUR MARK…BOO!

TNT's fun and popular Halloween practices are scheduled for levels 1 & 2 on Thursday, October 30 and for level 3 on Halloween, Friday, October 31. Special activities include pumpkin races, Halloween mask relays, and swimmer goodie bags. You can view photos from previous years at http://www.swimtnt.com/Halloween_07.html

Thursday, October 30: Levels 2A and 2B practices will be combined into one practice this day from 3:30 - 4:30 PM. Levels 4 & 5 practice will be moved forward one hour from 4:30 - 6:30 PM. Land training will be held from 6:30 - 7:30 PM.

Friday, October 31: Level 3 practice will be held at the normal time, from 3:30 - 5:00 PM on Friday. Levels 4 and 5 will be held at normally scheduled times.

HOLIDAY WREATH FUNDRAISER

Holiday Gift Wreath orders are to be turned in to Debbie Anderson at the pool on Tuesday, October 28th or Wednesday, October 29th. Regular wreath order totals are to be e-mailed to her at Wande1964@aol.com by Friday, October 31st. This fundraiser has been particularly successful for families during the past three years. These decorative wreaths and miniature Christmas trees are of high quality, are an easy sell, and also make for great holiday gifts. Top TNT sellers will be awarded the following prize amounts at the TNT Christmas Party: 1st prize, $100.00; 2nd prize, $50.00; 3rd prize, $25.00.

IT’S OFFICIAL

Dave Smith, a lead official with Southeastern Swimming, will present a clinic for new (8:00 - 10:00 AM) and renewing (8:00 - 9:00 AM) Stroke and Turn Judges on Saturday, November 1 at the Bounds Family YMCA. Dave will also conduct a Starters Clinic from 10:30 AM - 12:00 Noon for parents who have at least 1 year of stroke and turn certification.

Becoming a USA Swimming, certified official is important to the success of our program and to the sport of swimming in general, which means that is also important to the success of our swimmers.

TNT will cover the cost of USA Swimming membership for any parent who becomes a certified USA Swimming official, as well as the cost of the annual membership renewal for those who work the minimum number of 6 volunteer sessions per year. Volunteering as a USA Swimming meet official also offers tax deductions for expenses or per diem.

You can find a wealth of information about officiating online on the USA Swimming Web site.

FALL FEAST, FUN AND FESTIVITIES

All TNT swimmers and family members are cordially invited to our 5th Annual Fall Picnic, scheduled to be held Sunday, November 2 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at Beckwith Camp and Conference Center. Admission to the center is $5.50 per person ages 6 and older; $2.75 for ages 3 – 5 and children under the age 3 are free. Activities include swimming, fishing, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. Families will be asked to please bring a dish.

THANKSGIVING PRACTICE SCHEDULE

TNT will tentatively hold practice for regularly scheduled Thursday groups on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. Level 4 & 5 will practice from

8:00 - 10:00 AM with land training from 10:00 - 11:00 AM. Level 1, both level 2 and level 3C will practice from 10:00 - 11:00 AM.

TNT CHRISTMAS PARTY

TNT swimmers and family members are invited to our 5th Annual Christmas Party, scheduled to be held from 5:00 - 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 14th, at the Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church in Fairhope. The party includes a buffet dinner, DJ dance and a holiday crafts table. Swimmers will also receive the annual coach's gift. You can view photos from last year's party at http://www.swimtnt.com/Pics_Christmas_Party_07.html

TNT REVIEW

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER

TNT Swimming recently hosted the 2008 Southeastern Swimming Fall Meeting and Hall of Fame and Swimposium Weekend, October 3 – 5. More than 350 swimmers, family members, coaches and team delegates from Alabama, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle attended the event, held at dual locations in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. Special thanks to parents who served on TNT's Planning Committee, including: Debbie Anderson, Leslie Bullock, Terri Kinsey, Marcie Kinsey, Mary Beth Mantiply, Laurie Simpson, Karen Sledge and Sue Ann Turnipseed.

The special weekend's festivities began Friday evening with welcome receptions for swimmers, coaches, and SES board members. The swimmers were greeted at registration with a specially designed cake, courtesy of Amy Boles and served poolside at the Holiday Inn Express. Coaches and SES Board Members met at Tacky Jack’s Tavern and Grill and were treated to a seafood buffet courtesy of Swim Stuff, TNT's swim apparel provider.

On Saturday, former Olympic gold medal winner, Rowdy Gaines presented a 4 hour Swimposium for more than 150 swimmers at the Bodenhamer Recreation Center pool in Gulf Shores. Gaines, also known as the “voice of swimming,” as heard on all NBC swimming broadcasts, including this year’s Olympic games in Beijing, was assisted by professional swimmer, Kicker Vincell, who together provided instruction on proper competitive swimming mechanics, as well as starting and turning skills. The Swimposium concluded with a question and answer period, followed by an autograph and photo session.

Dave Thomas, USA Swimming Sports Development Consultant and the Southern Zone Director, presented a seminar titled "Successful Sports Parenting," to more than 75 parents at the Gulf Shores Civic Center. The seminar provided parents with a road map to help guide their swimmer toward their ultimate potential and included information on nutrition, growth and development, training and competition, as well as motivation and goal setting.

Genadijus Sokolovas, former Sports Science Director for USA Swimming, provided coaches with a four hour presentation including talks on long term competitive swimming development and performance testing. Sokolovas has tested the bio motor abilities of every USA Olympic swimmer, including the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Swimming Teams.

Saturday’s festivities concluded with attending families gathered beachside at the Gulf State Park Pavilion for a sunset dinner buffet and dance, held in honor of more than one hundred swimmers who were awarded specially embroidered towels as mementos for qualifying for the Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame.

Eleven swimmers from TNT were honored during the ceremony, receiving commemorative, embroidered towels in recognition of their induction as members of the 2008 induction group. TNT honorees included: Will Anderson, Alex Daly, Annabelle Kahalley, Lauren Kinsey, Sarah Meehan, Patrick Parish, J.D. Powell, Kyle Simpson, Jack Sledge, Andrew Szydel, Ashley Szydel and Ben Turnipseed.

In addition to the commemorative awards, all SES Hall of Fame honorees received special goodie bags. Included in the bags were items donated from local Baldwin County businesses. Most notable were free passes to Waterville, USA donated by owner Joe Warrington.

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_07-08.html to learn more about the services our advertisers offer.

FEEDBACK

Please direct questions, comments, suggestions, or corrections regarding information contained in this newsletter to Jan Mittemeyer at swimtnt123@aol.com or by phone 599-1019.

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