Doc's Message

"The principle is competing against yourself, it's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before."
	- Steve Young (former NFL quarterback and Brigham Young University graduate)

Head Coach's Message / 9-12-06

The new swim season is upon us!  Welcome back to our returning swimmers and parents and a big welcome to all new CYAC swimmers and their parents.  Returning families, be sure to introduce yourselves to our newest team members.  

We had an excellent long course summer season of practicing and racing, which I am sure will carry over to the indoor season.   We had a lot of fun and swam well at the YMCA Regional Championships in Hickory, NC.   Allie Beckenstein, Madeline Bowe, Brenna Broadus, Anna Carta, Katie Roddy and Keenan Timko represented CYAC very well at YMCA Long Course Nationals in August; we had a lot of best times and a highlight was Anna making finals in the 200 free.   In addition, Natalie Cronk participated in five events at  Eastern Zones in Buffalo, NY in August.  Our June swimmer of the month was Madeline Bowe and the July Swimmers of the Month were Allie Beckenstein and Natalie Cronk - Congratulations!   It was also wonderful to see CYAC swimmers performing well while representing their summer teams at the JSL Championships.  

Our emphasis at practice during the first few weeks of the Fall session will be stroke technique and general conditioning.  Swimmers are encouraged to be prompt and to ask questions of the coaches as they wish.  I am pleased that Coaches Denise, Erin, Jen, Kevin and Shelley are back for another year on our coaching staff.  They all bring a lot of energy, knowledge and experience to CYAC and are enthusiastic about the start of the new season!  We wish Coach Dan Bledsoe and his wife well as they anticipate the arrival of their first child in January.   

We have two meets coming up in October:  a YMCA dual meet in Fredericksburg with the RAYS on Sunday, October 15 and a USA Swimming (USAS) invitational hosted by QDD at George Mason's Freedom Center in Manassas on October 21 and 22.  Swimmers of all ages and abilities are eligible for both meets.  Because the RAYS meet is an early Sunday morning (the only time they could get their pool) and early in the season, we will ask parents to sign up for this meet, as they do for a USAS invitational.  After this first dual meet, I will assume all CYAC members will attend subsequent YMCA dual meets unless I receive a written note one week prior to the meet.  We will emphasize dual meets and feel they offer a lot of advantages - the whole team can participate in a simple, half-day meet format with no entry fees and little or no travel, relays are included, there are no time standards, and they are fun.   We are working on scheduling at least three additional dual meets; please check the website and bulletin board at Smith pool regularly for meet news.  Our tentative meet schedule through April is posted on our website.   We will accept sign-ups for meets using our online meet entry process on the website (preferred) and by sign-up sheets posted on our team bulletin board at Smith pool.  

Our Big & Little Brothers and Sisters program will get going in November after the winter CYAC members join the team practices.  This is where we match up the younger and older swimmers on our team to help foster team unity, to help our older kids develop more leadership skills, and to develop the link between the different parts of our team.  Our CYAC/UVA buddy program will also continue with the pairings of interested CYAC families with a UVA swimmer.  We have found this to be a very rewarding and fun aspect of being on the CYAC team and it makes going to UVA swim meets much more fun and exciting.  The exchanging of information between the swimmers and the breakfasts/meals have made for some lasting relationships.  This opportunity will be for CYAC swimmers ages 9 & over on an sign-up basis.  

Attached to the newsletter is a copy of the USA Swimming time standards for each event, age group, and gender for short course yards (25yd. pools).  Qualification for events at some USAS meets means meeting or surpassing a certain time standard for that event/events.  The times must have been done in a USAS approved meet over the previous 1 1/2 to 2 years to qualify, but do not have to have been done in the same age group (a time done as a 9-10 can qualify for a 11-12 standard).  A "C" time is any time slower than a "B" or anyone who has not swum the event before.  A B/C meet would be open to any swimmer with times slower than BB times in those events.  An A/BB+ meet is only open to swimmers with times faster than BB but no upper time limit.  An A/B/BB/C meet is open to any swimmer with any time standard in any event.  A mini meet (or meet with the word "mini" in the title) has 8 & under events in the meet and there are no qualifying standards for 8 & unders.  Besides serving as qualifying standards for meets, the times are a very useful tool for motivation and goals.  Trying to reach the next level of time in an event is what we like the kids to shoot for as they progress through the season.   

We will have parents' meetings for each age group:  8 & unders, 9-10, 11-12, and 13 and overs starting in November -- times and places for the meetings will be announced ahead of time and will be for parents to ask questions; and I will talk more about what we are trying to accomplish in each age group and how we will go about it.  The meetings will last approximately 30 minutes.  

Equipment for each age group practices will remain the same.  All swimmers need to have goggles. Girls should be wearing caps (any type is fine) as well as the boys with long hair.  11-12 swimmers are encouraged to have their own fins, and 13 and overs should have fins and the Senior 2's should also have paddles.  All can be purchased at Downtown Athletic Store , but also at other stores in the area as well as in various catalogs.  I can answer any questions on equipment.  CYAC team suits will be available and recommended but are not required. CYAC team caps are required at meets and one latex team cap is supplied free to each registered swimmer.                                                                                                                              Go, CYAC!  Doc

Head Coach's Message / 6-17-06

After a very successful indoor/short course season, I hope everyone is ready to enjoy a short but busy outdoor/long course season!  The meets will come up quickly and we have already competed well in two long course meets - the Poseidon Classic in May and the RAYS' A/BB/B/C meet last weekend  - before we had started our long course training.  

Besides preparing swimmers for long course meets, our long course training holds a lot of other value, including providing the swimmers with the opportunities to train well with fewer distractions, to test themselves in the same size pool in which Olympians train and compete, and to enjoy training in fresh air!   The physical benefits of training in a 50-meter pool will carry over to the coming indoor season.   

We have 37 swimmers competing at the Commonwealth Games in Waynesboro June 25 and 26.  Parents and swimmers, bring your folding lawn chairs, sun block and look for the CYAC tent!  Let's hope for good weather, too.  This will be the first long course meet for a good number of our swimmers and our largest contingent at a long course meet over the last three summers.  

Quickly coming up in July will be Summer Awards July 7 to 9 in Lynchurg and YMCA Long Course Regionals July 14 - 16 in Hickory, NC.  Summer Awards events are open to those with times slower than Age Group Champs and Senior Champs.  Y-Regionals will be a team-travel for 13 & over swimmers.  There are no qualifying times for events shorter than 400 meters and BB time cuts for 400 meters.  Age as of May 1, 2006 governs Y-Regionals.  Parents of 12 & younger swimmers, please contact me if you want to discuss meet choices.   

Parents and swimmers, please help in encouraging your summer teammates to consider winter swimming with CYAC.  We will again have a booth at JSL Champs and an ad in the JSL Champs program.  Mark your calendars for our team registration day:  Sunday, August 27.  

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to our May Swimmer-of-the-Month, ANDREW PERITZ.  Andrew had excellent practice attendance this Spring and made remarkable progress during that time, having just moved up to the 9 - 10 age group.  He had an exceptional performance at the RAYS' meet, swimming in his first USA Swimming long course meet.  Andrew's enthusiasm for swimming is contagious!  Way to go, Andrew!!                        DOC  

Swimmer of the Month