POTOMAC VALLEY SWIMMING VOICES

Vol. 2 No. 2

December, 1997

General Chairperson's Corner by Dick Rankin

This is the time of year when Us swimming announces the winners of various honors and as usual, Potomac Valley swimmers garnered their share of recognition. 16 PVS swimmers were named Scholastic All Americans (high school student athletes with a 3.5 GPA who competed successfully at national meets). Chris Derks was named to the Open Water All American Team and Tom Dolan, Brian Retterer, Brian Walters, Jeff Somensatto, Scott Werner, Lindsey Ertter, Molly Freedman, and Lauren Stinnett were named to the USS All American Team. Of Special Note, Lindsey Ertter has been named to the 97-98 National Junior Team and Tom Dolan is a member of both the National A Team and the USS All- Star Team, composed of the highest ranking swimmer in each event. Congratulations to all of these outstanding men and women!!!

I was premature in announcing in our last voices that we were now officially on line with the PVS webpage. By the time you read this we will in fact be up and running on www.pvswim.org.. As we grow electronically. nearly any information you need regarding Potomac Valley, will be avalible on our website and much faster than we could provide on paper.

I want to thank John Hirschmann, Officials Chairman, and all the club officials Chairs who participated in the 3rd Annual Club Officials Get-Together in October This annual meeting was well attended and the enthusiasm was very visible. Our swimming clubs need all the parent volunteers they can find to support this great competitive sport. PVS may be in the top in terms of quality of officials but we are only average when it comes to quantity. Support your local Club Officials Chair by getting involved. If you are going to be at your swimmers meets, why not spend some time working on deck where you get the best view?

Just a reminder, our LSC workshop is coming up this Spring. Read Sue Gosline s updates in the Voices She will be needing plenty of help and support.

As anticipated last issue, the Board has adopted a new policy toward the Short Course Zone Championship Meet. You will be receiving information from the Zone Team Manager, Linda Crudup.

On behalf of all the PVS Board, I want to wish you Happy Holidays.

LSC WORKSHOP by SUE GOSLINE and JAN WOLFF

Memo to all PVS coaches, swimmers, and parents Mark your calendar for the weekend of April 25 and 26, 1998. The PVS workshop is a fabulous opportunity to meet others involved in the swimming community. A number of well known and respected people from across the country will be presenting (as well as Olympians). Take part in one of the four different areas to learn:

    1. Coaches
    2. Swimmers
    3. Parents
    4. Officials

PVS has several goals for this workshop:

    1. Have fun
    2. Meet new people
    3. Learn something new
    4. Get motivated
    5. Recognize our own

We are still looking for volunteers interested in helping with this event. There are jobs large and small. If you can help, please call Jan Wolff 703-256-3049 or Sue Gosline 703-354 6161.

Athlete Rep by Amanda Sovik

I attended the USS convention in San Francisco this fall, there the athletes were expected to do two things; attend meetings in which USS issues were discussed and to play a mean game of Australian Ruled Football. I can assure you, I tried my best at both.

There were about 100 athletes this year. All 59 LSC s were represented as well as a few Olympians. We were required to attend meetings each day. We discussed National Team issues, rules and regulations, and different ways to get everyone in the LSC involved. One important issue that the athletes discussed was weather or not a portable strobe light should be a requirement at every swim meet where a deaf swimmer is involved. This way the athlete can see it, even in backstroke. All the athletes supported this rule. It was passed at the House Of Delegates meeting the next day.

We also attended a meeting in which we voted on the candidates for the Athlete s Appreciation Award. This award goes to someone who has helped US Swimming, and it is the athletes way of saying thanks. It is a huge honor, and PVS is now lucky enough to have two members who have received it In 1993, Arvydas Barzdukas won the award. He has done an incredible amount for Potomac Valley, USS, and the athletes. This year Barb Shycoff was voted to receive the award. She was once the Athlete Rep for PVS, and now she is the Chairperson for USS Board of Review.

Not only did I learn a lot in San Francisco, but I even got to leave the hotel a few times to see the city. It was a great experience, and so much fun!!!!

The USS Convention by Dick Rankin

USS held its annual convention in San Francisco, CA, this fall. These are the convention highlights from my perspective:

  • This was the first opportunity for most to meet the new USS Executive Director, Chuck Weilgus, who will be a dynamic leader. In his keynote address he defined his role as the “business of swimming” and he set 3 goals: promote the sport; build the base; and strengthen the Olympic pipeline. He clearly sees himself as the catalyst for change.
  • Dave Davis posthumously received the Kenneth J. Pettigrew Award for outstanding volunteer service to the officiating community and Barb Shycoff received the Athletes Appreciation Award for her service as a former Athletes Vice President.
  • There was a lot of discussion about replacing the Spring Championship with another kind of event, possibly club-oriented. Swimming is the only Olympic sport with 2 championships.
  • USS will become the 1st Olympic sport to conduct a championship meet for all categories of disabled athletes. U of Minn. will host the meet next June.
  • The 1st volume of PEAK( Parents Education Awareness Kit) is now avalible. PVS has purchased one and we are encouraging our clubs to do the same. It costs $80 and contains booklets, study guide , and video. This kit is for parents of new swimmers and mini-meeters; kits for older age groups will follow.
  • A club manger handbook is in the early stages of development; it will deal with the business end of club management.
  • Outreach, public relations and marketing will receive considerable attention in the coming years as we emphasize growth of our sport.
  • Next summer s Long Course Zone Meet will be in our backyard; it will be held at 2 outdoor facilities in the Baltimore area.
  • Kerry Ellet has been elected Chairman of the USS Age Group Planning Committee; this is one of the most critical committee positions in USS, for it sets the policy for age group swimming in the US
    • .

    Key rule and legislation changes:

  • FINA start rule (use of the whistle to position the swimmers) will be used at national level Championship meets (does not apply to LSC level meets)
  • Swimmers qualifying for Spring Nationals may swim one additional event for every event for which they qualify.
  • The head coach (coach on record) for any USS member club must be at least 18 and every coach must complete a coach s education program during his/her initial year of membership.

    • REGISTRATION by Mary Ann Henderson

    Fall is the busiest time for registration. By the 31st of December all returning athletes, new athletes, clubs, and non- athletes must be registered. To date we have registered or registered 1, 8562 athletes and 352 non-athletes. Last year we registered 6,272 athletes and 36 clubs.

    One of the problems we have concerning registration is the lack of complete information when the athlete transfers from one team to another. If an athlete has ever registered with a team and then chooses to swim with a different team, the athlete MUST indicate the team with which he/she swam AND the date of their last competition representing that team. All registrations are done on a computer program which automatically rejects a “new Athlete” if that person has been previously registered. There is a USS rule which requires that an athlete swim unattached for 120 days before representing a new tea, but may not swim under the new team s name, score points for the new team, or swim on one of its relays. All coach non-athletes must have current certifications in CPR, First Aid, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches in order to be certified US Swim Coaches.

    No swimmer may participate in a meet or practice(after a 30 day trial period) with a US registered team without registering with USS.

    Although we are one of the smallest LSC s in the USS, we are the sixth largest in terms of active athletes. Proportionally, we are not as well represented by non-athletes . The discrepency seems to be diminishing in the 1997-1998 swim season. My closing plea would be to parents and other adults to join USS and help with the meets. You will make great friends, enjoy the athletes, and have a front row view!!!!

    Editor s Notes Becca Peck

    Here s to a Great Holiday filled with laughter and a very Happy New Year!!!