TNT Newsletter
The New Team on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay
September 2008
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
Congratulations to TNT swimmers who celebrate birthdaysduring the months of August and September: McClaine Costantini, 12 on 8/3; Makenna Mosberg, 9 on 8/5; Anna Fouty, 9 on 8/16; Chris Bishop, 10 on 8/19; Sarah Beth Carson, 11 on 8/20; Lauren Kinsey, 14 on 8/24; Bradley Helms, 14 on 8/25, Kellen Bullock, 16 on 8/26Mason Pitre, 9 on 8/27; Lola Mahner, 10 on 8/28; Kennedy Costantini, 6 on 8/29; Will Reeves, 8 on 9/8; Mirian McCoy, 6 on 9/14; Brooke Dotson, 12 on 9/16; Haley Miller, 11 on 9/18; Broderick Costantini, 11 on 9/21; Emily Smith, 8 on 9/21; Charlie Sledge, 6 on 9/24; AndrwSzydel 11 on 9/25; Griffin Fisk, 14 on 9/28; Ashley Kinsey, 15 on 9/29. Another year older and another year faster!
EXTRA SPECIAL
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.
Mason Pitre was chosen student of the week for the third grade at SFES last week.
Gracey Kahn was selected by the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce to represent Bayside Academy in the Youth Leadership Class of 2009.
Simon Boles made Jazz Band at Fairhope Middle School. He is also in the FEEF production of “Into the Woods, Jr”; he is Rapunzel’s Prince!! He will be performing in November!
Ashley Sydel was elected Student Council Vice President for Christ The King School.
Andrew Szydel was named 2008 Male Swimmer of the Year by the GCAL Summer League. He was honored by the Mobile Optimist Club at a Luncheon last month.
Andrew Szydel is playing football for the Christ the King Junior Division Team.
Nicholas Szydel is playing football for the Christ the King Midget Division Team.
Hannah Denham was elected Student Council Representative by and for her class at Spanish Fort Elementary School. Hannah also was one of 6 students out of the entire student body selected as finalist for Red Ribbon Student. She also was selected for 2008 Media Club and will report all SF Elementary individual grade activities to Baldwin Register.
SOUTHEASTERN SWIMMING SWIMPOSIUM
TNT is hosting the 2008 Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame and Swimposium weekend, October 4 – 5 in Gulf Shores / Orange Beach. All TNT Swimmers and family members are welcome and encouraged to attend. The weekend includes seminars for swimmers, parents and coaches, as well as a beachside banquet and dance. INFORMATION
Swimmer seminars will be presented by two of swimming's top motivational speakers and swim technique clinicians; Rowdy Gaines and Kicker Vencill. Both Rowdy and Kicker teach swimming technique and have stories to tell that will serve to inspire and motivate swimmers of all ages.
Parent seminars will be presented by USA Swimming Sports Consultant, Dave Thomas and Genadijus Sokolovus, USA Swimming Sport Science Director. Both presenters will present seminars designed to provide parents with a road map to help guide their swimmers toward their ultimate potential.
Included in the weekend festivities is the 2008 Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame induction banquet and dance. The event recognizes swimmers, coaches and volunteers who made a significant impact on Southeastern Swimming from 2006 through the summer of 2008. The banquet and dance will be held beachside at the Gulf State Park Pavilion in Gulf Shores and all TNT swimmers and parents are invited to attend..
USA swimmers and families from throughout Southeastern Swimming will be attending the event and all TNT families are enthusiastically encouraged to attend.
TNT HALL OF FAME QUALIFIERS
Congratulations to fourteen TNT swimmers who have qualified for induction into the 2008 Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame. These swimmers qualified for the HOF by winning an event at the Southeastern Championship Meet; winning an event at the South District, or by finishing in the Southeastern Swimming Top 5 Times Listings. You can find more information about the SES Hall of Fame HERE
YOU CAN DO IT
As you all know, TNT is hosting the 2008 Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame Weekend and Swimposium. All TNT families have a chance to jumpstart their fundraising accounts by soliciting sponsors for this event. Sponsorships will cost $500.00 each and we are limiting the number of sponsorships to the first 10 companies or individuals submitted. Each sponsor will be listed on our official HOF banner, which will be prominently displayed all weekend, starting at registration. The banner will then be posted at the Bounds Family YMCA in the pool area for the next year. The sponsors will be individually thanked at the awards banquet and will be included in the Press Release for the event, which will be submitted to the Mobile Press Register for publication. All sponsorships will be tax deductible for businesses as an advertising expense.
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/photopagemain.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. Dryland 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 hedl at normally scheduled times.
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 bring a dish.
WELCOME TO USA SWIMMING, INC.
As the National Governing Body for the sport, USA Swimming is responsible for the conduct and administration of swimming in the United States. In this capacity, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements the policies and procedures, conducts the national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition.
The national headquarters are located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Programs and services are provided to the membership through the national headquarters. Among the many services are publications, educational programs, fundraising activities, sports medicine programs, resources and general information about swimming-related activities. The headquarters staff is available to assist you in answering questions or providing general information about USA Swimming.
For USA Swimming mission and vision statements, as well as contact information visit the followig link: http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=21&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
USA Swimming provides tools designed to familiarize and educate parents about the great sport of competitive swimming. Parents of TNT are encouraged to please take advantage of these valuable resources in order to help your swimmer be the best he or she can be by visiting: http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=6&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US
Topics Include:
Swimming 101: The Basics
•
Everything You Wanted to Know About Swim Meets But Were Afraid to Ask.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Swim Meets But Were Afraid to Ask.•Glossary of Swimming Terms
Glossary of Swimming Terms•Basic Rules of the Sport
Basic Rules of the SportRole of the Parent
•Parent and Athlete
Parent and Athlete•Parent and Coach
Parent and Coach•Parent and Club
Parent and Club•Growth and Development
Growth and Development•Your Child’s Training
Your Child’s Training•Health Issues
Health IssuesNutrition Articles and Resource
LOCAL SWIMMING COMMITTEES
Within the United States, there are fifty-nine (59) Local Swimming Committees (LSCs). Each LSC is responsible for administering USA Swimming activities in a defined geographical area and has its own set of bylaws under which it operates. A House of Delegates with representation of athletes, coaches, members of the Board of Directors and clubs is responsible for managing the business affairs of the LSC. A map of, the LSCs, as well as links to each LSC can be found online on USA Swimming’s web site at: http://www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=43&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en
SOUTHEASTERN SWIMMING, INC.
The Southeastern Swimming (SES) LSC, of which TNT is a club member, administers competitive swimming within the geographic boundaries of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and Tennessee. TNT’s delegate to the LSC is Jan Mittemeyer, who also serves on two SES committees; Long Range Planning and Hall of Fame.
Due to the vast geographic size of SES, the LSC is divided into four districts, allowing swimmers to attend meets close to home. TNT resides in the SES South District, extending south from Montgomery and east to Panama City, FL and Dothan, AL.
Visit the SES web site for more information about the LSC at: http://www.seswim.org/
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, OF COURSE
There are three dimensions of swimming pools recognized for official times by United States Swimming: Short Course Yards (SCY), Short Course Meters (SCM) and Long Course Meters (LCM). Short course refers to competitions in pools that measure 25 yards and 25 meters in length. For example, the Bounds Family YMCA indoor pool is a 25 yard, short course pool. Long Course meters (LCM) refers to pools that are 50 meters in length. TNT's annual competition program consists of SCY meets from September through March, and LCM meets from April through August. TNT rarely if ever competes in SCM pools.
The main difference in these racing courses is that 1 meter is equal to 1.094 yards. As a result, races in meters take more time to complete than races in yards. Another difference is that long course events have half the number of turns than short course events because LCM events take place in pools that are 50 meters in length, as opposed to SCY events which are 25 yards or 25 meters in length. For example; a 50 LCM event is one length of the pool and has no turn, while a 50 SCY event is two lengths of the pool and has one turn. A 100 LCM event is two lengths of the pool and has only one turn, compared to a 100 SCY event with three turns; a 200 LCM event has only three turns compared to seven turns for 200 SCY event, etc.
Conversion tables are used to convert SCY times to LCM times and vice versa. You can find a handy conversion table HERE
THE BIG PICTURE
USA Swimming collects times swum in all sanctioned meets and includes them in a national times data base. The SWIMS data base is a valuable tool for swimmers, coaches, and parents, as it contains times for every USA registered swimmer, as well as individual rankings as at the LSC, Zone, and National levels. Any swimmer’s times can be found by visiting the USA Swimming web site HERE:
NATIONAL AGE GROUP TOP 10 TIMES
USA Swimming’s National Age Group Top 10 is an awards program that credits the nation’s fastest age group swimmers. Once the final listing has been tabulated, the top10 times in every event is listed by gender in the following ages: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Relay events are listed by age group: 11 - 12, 13 - 14, 15 - 16 and 17 - 18. These lists are compiled and checked in the fall and the final list prepared and announced prior to the end of the year.
An awards program consists of certificates awarded to the Top10 swimmers of each sex in each recognized event according to age. The awards are made for both short course yard and long course meter events. In addition, the fastest swimmer in each event receives a pin. Awards are also made to relay teams in the same way. You can view the National Age Group Top 10 Times HERE
AGE GROUP TIME STANDARDS
Motivational age group time standards are established every four years by USA Swimming in order to measure age group swimming performance on a national scale. The scale is percentage based according to the NAG Top 10 Times for every swimming event, in the following age groups according to gender: 10 & under, 11 – 12, 13 - 14, 15 – 16, and 17 - 18. Times that fall within 5% of the 10th place time in the nation are AAAA times; times within 10% are AAA, 15% AA, 20% A, 25% BB, and 30% B.
Time standards are mainly used as a motivational tool for swimmers to gauge their improvement based on a national scale. TNT recognizes the improved time standards of our swimmers by listing them in all post meet competition reviews and by awarding specialty, black and gold “Improved Time Standard” ribbons. TNT swimmer time standards can be viewed on the Best Times page located on TNT’s web site at: http://www.swimtnt.com/BEST_TIMES_MAIN.html
Time standards are also utilized by host teams to limit the size of certain meets. For example, because our Local Swimming Committee (LSC) encompasses such a vast geographical area (Alabama, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle), the annual Southeastern Championship Meets are generally restricted to A – AA times as qualifying standards in order to regulate the length of meet sessions. Conversely, time standards are also employed at other meets like the South District meet in order to limit entries exclusively to non – Southeastern Championship qualifiers. You can view USA Swimming’s current age group time standards HERE
TOOL TIME
Swimming World Magazine has a wealth of information about the sport of competitive swimming and is an entertaining and valuable tool for parents and swimmers. Visit the website for more information: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/
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.
Kyle Simpson
Jack Sledge
Ashley Szydel
Andrew Szydel
Ben Turnipseed
Will Anderson
Lauren Chastang
Alexander Daly
Emily Feldvoss
Connor Funke
Annabelle Kahalley
Sarah Meehan
Tommy O'Hara
Patrick Parish
JD Powell
Americas EZ Mortgage
A-Safe Online Backup Service
Baldwin County Bonding Company, Inc.
Ben M. Radcliff - Contractor, Inc.
Bryant Bank
Bounds Family YMCA
Cricket Realty and Management
Daniel C. Deese, DMD
E.G.M. L.L.C.
Fairhope Health Foods
Goodyear of Daphne
Hartmann, Blackmon & Kilgore, P.C.
INEOS Phenol
Jan K. Finney, Accountant
J.H. Wright & Associates
J & M Marine and Industrial, LLC
KONE, Inc. Elevators and Escalators
Mary Beth Mantiply, Attorney at Law
Morris Ready Mix, LLC
Performance Contractors, Inc.
Salley Trucking, LLC
Shannon Thomas Arndt, Attorney at Law, P.C.
Sledge’s Custom Building, Inc.
Steven Kinsey, M.D. F.A.C.S.
Sunflower Cafe
T. Leavell & Associates, Inc.
Tameron Honda - Eastern Shore
Thomas Hospital Infirmary Health System
Threaded Fasteners, Inc.
Volkert & Associates, Inc.
Watermark, LLC
Waterville USA, Inc
AN OPEN LETTER FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS
Dear Friends,
Our words cannot convey the gratitude we have in our hearts for all of the prayers and kindness from all of you to our family these last few months. Adele’s illness is the scariest thing we have ever been through and your constant outpouring of prayers and encouragement were such a comfort. We saw proof positive during Adele’s ordeal that the parents and swimmers of TNT live the Beatitudes!
Since our words fail, we will have to borrow from good old Saint Paul: “I thank God for you every day.”
Thank you again,
Jan, Mary Beth & Adele
FEEDBACK
Please direct any comments, additions and/or corrections to this newsletter to Coach Jan Mittemeyer at swimtnt123@aol.com or
call 251-599-1019.
