Potomac Valley Voices

Mailing and Voices Schedule

by Dick Rankin

General Chairperson’s Corner

by Dick Rankin

In the last issue of Voices I promised that this newsletter would be coming to the web page and it has arrived. You can read not only this issue but all of the past issues there as well. Now we are about to embark on a new venture, a more dynamic newsletter. Effective with this issue, we will add news items to the web page version of the newsletter as they are written. This is principally designed for news that is fast breaking or perishable, such as changes to upcoming meets or record swims at the zone or national meets. The web page will inform you when the last update was made. Thus if you only read this hard copy version of the newsletter, you may miss several bits and pieces of information; some of which could be very important to you. More in-depth items of information will continue to be the mainstay of the hard copy version. For those of you who are already wedded to the web page, this more dynamic approach will take some time for the PVS contributors to fully embrace so I ask for your patience but it will happen. We now have the vehicle for providing you – the swimming community – with "just in time" information and we will get there.

For those of you who don’t want to come along on this ride, I need to hear from you because the train is leaving the station and picking up momentum much faster than even I anticipated. There is virtually no piece of information or form that we currently provide through our mailings in hard copy that can not be generated on the web. We will not leave you behind; PVS will continue to accommodate your needs but the "how" will be very dependent on "how many" of you there are. We have an opportunity to save considerable money with an increased dependence on the web and with rising costs I have every incentive, as well as responsibility, to provide the most information, in fact more information provided faster than ever before, at the least cost.

I have received a couple written or verbal concerns about the swimmer selection process for the Short Course Zone Team. I thank those of you who have called or written me, for we never really know how a policy or action of the Board is received unless we hear from you. Specifically, some parents do not understand the connection between the stated PVS policy that “participation on the Short Course Zone Team is designed to prepare our swimmers for swimming at the next level” and the selection criteria for 13 and over swimmers: selection to no more than 3 teams after reaching age 13; and selection of a 2^nd swimmer in any event that must have achieved a qualifying time equal to the 8^th fastest time in that event from the previous year’s meet. There may be others who don’t understand or disagree so let me try to clarify the Board’s reasoning. The answer to the first criteria is pretty straightforward. If a swimmer has swum on the Zone Team for 3 years as a senior swimmer and has not progressed to his national team, he/she most likely will not. Certainly, after 3 years that swimmer has been exposed to national level swimming conditions and another year on the zone team will not help. By limiting those swimmers to 3 years we will open up more spots on the team to swimmers who might achieve the next level. The issue with the 2^nd criteria is far more complex and is primarily based on recent experience. Frequently in the past, senior swimmers, who were the 2^nd fastest, made the team in only 1 or at the most 2 events; generally, they had a slim chance at prelims of qualifying for finals and usually they did not. Our experience has been that this swimmer goes to the meet for a variety of reasons but is not focused on the same things that a swimmer at a national meet is. Moreover, that swimmer is a distraction to his teammates and to the coaching staff. When a swimmer qualifies for a national meet, his/her team and coaches expect that swimmer to be very focused on swimming and helping the team; we want to mirror that experience at the zone level as well. It is true that we will likely take a couple swimmers who are top seed in an event that do not meet the 8^th place criteria. Our experience has been that our swimmers rise to the occasion and remain focused on performing their very best; if that turns out to not be the case, then we may eliminate them in the future. It is also our measured belief that swimmers who really want to make the Zone Team will zero in on that 8^th place time and beat it. That is based on a like situation when we previously had qualifying times; rarely did we not have sufficient swimmers make the cut. To the question will we leave an open lane because we don’t take a 2^nd swimmer in an event; we may if we have no one who is competitive in that event but more than likely we will pick someone already on the team to compete as the 2^nd swimmer. It is the Board’s hope that these criteria, which were not arrived at lightly, will create a much more positive experience for the Zone swimmer and one that will make a real contribution toward reaching the next level. Also, please be assured that this applies only to the Short Course Zone Meet and not the Long Course Meet in August, when we swim less like a team and more like individuals.

Lastly, it was like an "out of body" experience when I had the good fortune to be a spectator at the first ever (college) swim meet at the brand new University of Maryland Aquatic Center. You can expect to see your swimmers in that pool in the next year! Anyone associated with the university or even a resident of Maryland can be particularly proud of this facility. From the aspect of swimmer, coach, parent or spectator, it is one of the finest racing facilities I have ever seen and certainly without any doubt the finest in our LSC. It provides 2X25 yard or 1X50 meter racing venues and an out-of-spectator-sight warmup/warmdown pool. Seating is far superior to anything in our area in terms of both quantity and quality and the scoreboard is state-of-the-art. The concession stand is convenient to the stands and access to the deck can be controlled. My hat is off to the University and the Aquatics team there; they have truly built a facility for competitive swimming. If you’re in the area of the College Park campus, I recommend you stop by for a quick tour; they will love to show it off. It is next to the high rise dorms on the north side of Byrd Stadium (we will have directions in our facilities section of the web soon).

Officials Chair

FINA Makes Significant Rule Changes

Major changes in the competitive swimming rules generally occur every four years in connection with the FINA World Championships. At the championships held this past January in Australia, several rule changes were adopted.

USS practice is to have its rules be consistent with those of FINA and to implement the change on the same schedule. Accordingly, starting with the PVS Junior Championships on March 5, several changes in the rules will be implemented. Interestingly, the only stroke where no changes were made is backstroke.

Two of the changes are more restrictive.

The requirement for the head to surface in butterfly by 15 meters after the start and after each turn generally had been expected. However, this requirement also was added to freestyle. Also, for both strokes, for the remainder of each length after 15 meters, some part of the swimmers body must remain above the water surface.

Three of the changes are more permissive.

The requirements for a forward start have been relaxed. A swimmer may now step up and assume any position on the starting block. The requirement for the feet to be an equal distance from the forward edge was deleted. The swimmer may in fact have one or both feet on the forward edge. At least one foot must move to, or remain at the forward edge on the command to "Take your mark"

Changes were also made regarding the turns in both breaststroke and butterfly. The intent of the changes is to permit the swimmer to drop the shoulder prior to a touch.

In breaststroke, the shoulders no longer need to be in line with the water surface throughout the race. However, the requirement that the "arms move simultaneously and in the same horizontal plane" has NOT changed.

Similarly in butterfly, there is still a requirement from the beginning of the first arm pull for the shoulders to remain in line with the water surface. However, the shoulders are no longer required to remain in this position after the last arm stroke is taken prior to a turn.

The PVS Officials Committee will make sure PVS officials are informed about the rule changes and that all meets starting March 5 are properly officiated in conformance with the new rules.

PVS Workshop

As we mentioned on as earlier PVS newsletter, our LSC is hosting a workshop in conjunction with USS at the Fairview Park Marriott on April 26, 1998. This conference on Sunday will begin with a group session at 10:00 am, where Jackie Van Heest of USS, will discuss the care and feeding of athletes. Registration is required between 9-10am for all; participants. Lunch will be held from 12-1pm.

The afternoon sessions will begin at 1:30, with educational tracts for coaches, parents, and officials. The parent workshop will be led by the Somensottos. They will moderate a panel of professionals, including Suzie Tuffy, a USS sports psychologist. The officials tract will be led by Charley Mallery, a University of Miami Professor and National USS official. One of his topics will include communication between officials, coaches, and parents. The session for coaches will begin with two well known professionals in sports psychology. The second hour will be discussing how coaches can effectively communicate with others.

Simultaneously, at Providence Recreation center, coach Kerry Ellet and USS Olympians will be conducting a “Gold Medal Clinic” for PVS swimmers.

Cost for the day workshop is $35.00 per person. This includes morning refreshments and lunch. Spaces for the workshop have been allotted per club. See your head coach if you are interested in participating. We will be maintaining a waiting list if spots should become avalible and your clubs allotments have already been filled.

Sunday evening, PVS is hosting a banquet to honor our own. Attendance is limited and reservations will be accepted on a first come basis. The reception will begin at 4:30 with a fashion show sponsored by aardvark. At the banquet, we will honor PVS Zone, Junior and Senior National Swimmers, as well as former PVS Olympians. The entire swimming community (both summer and winter) is invited to participate in the banquet, at the cost of $40.00 per person. Contact a PVS Head Coach for an invitation (or call one of us). Please note on your reply, your preference for an adult or swimmer meal.

At the banquet we hope to honor a PVS Coach and Parent of the year. We invite your nominations and request a written justification as to why you feel this person is deserving of this award. Nominations should be submitted to us by 3-31-1998.

PVS and USS are very excited about this unique workshop opportunity for you and your swimmers. Come and help us celebrate our own. Send your reply by April 15,1998 to assure your participation. Sue Gosline 703-354-6161 Jan Wolff 703-256-3049.

Scholar Athelete

Due to a printing error, the list of 1996-97 Scholar Athlete recipients in the 1998 Aquatics Guide is incomplete. The Potomac Valley Swimming Committee is proud to recognize those athletes who earned this award. To receive this award, the athlete has to maintain a 3.5 average in both National Time Standards and in academic pursuits. The following is the complete list of athletes who earned this noteworthy award during the 96-97 academic year.

PVS Championship Meets

Changes in Swimming Finals

In the past, if there was an unexpected empty lane during finals of a championship meet, the alternate would only have an opportunity to swim if this occurred during the slowest (usually bonus) heat. This limited the opportunities for alternates to swim when there were unforeseen absences.

Previously, USS rules precluded such heats from being swum fast to slow. Accordingly, following discussions at last spring's Competition Committee meeting, it was decided to submit a proposed rule change to USS that would give each LSC added flexibility. The USS House of Delegates approved this rule change last September. PVS has decided to utilize this option at its Junior and Senior Champs this month.

As a result, the Finals (fastest) heat will be swum first, followed by the Consols and then the Bonus (slowest) heat. If there is a absence in the Finals heat, the fastest available swimmer from Consols will be moved up to Finals. Similar adjustments will then be made to the Consol and Bonus heats because of the newly created empty lanes.

In order to allow the process to occur expeditiously, the heats will NOT be reseeded. Rather each swimmer being moved to a faster heat will swim in the lane that would otherwise be vacant.

New terminology is also being introduced so that USS will use the same terms as are used in international meets. What was the Final Heat will now start to be referred to as the A-Final, the Consolation Heat will become the B-Final and the Bonus Heat will become the C-Final.