Dixie Zone Top 10 and Records | Thanks to the Cavanaughs | Dixie Zone SCY Championships
A Swimming Story | Florida Mavericks | Why Join Masters Swimming?
2003 Annual Report | Dixie Zone Meeting Agenda | Core Objectives for USMS | USMS Dixie Zone Policies
Editor's note: I think there is a little confusion about our Dixie Zone Top Ten and Records. I reprint from our Dixie Zone Convention Minutes of September 2000: "The committee recognized and congratulated Dick Brewer and Ed Saltzman for their efforts in compiling and updating the Dixie Zone Records which had not been done since 1997. Ed produced these updated records in poster size form for the members to view. Ed stressed the importance for each LMSC Recorder to keep updated records and to make sure that documentation is provided for all records. It was also stressed that swimmers should realize that it is their responsibility to get these documented results to their LMSC recorder. Chris Gilligan suggested that it would be helpful to have this stated in the LMSC newsletters as a reminder for swimmers. Dick Brewer suggested that when LMSC Top Ten Recorders submit results for National Top Ten, carbon copies should be made and distributed to all LMSC Top Ten recorders within the Dixie Zone. The committee strongly supported this. Dick and Ed will each be responsible for Top Ten Results of certain LMSCs" Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina should submit results to Ed, and Southern, Southeastern, Florida and Florida Gold Coast should submit results to Dick. Dixie Zone voted to make the following requirement for Dixie Zone Meets: meet directors will be responsible for insuring that copies of meet results will be on a hard disk or sent electronically."
My comments: I do not think it feasible to update records with every meet! In fact, I think it would be a waste of time. FINA updates Masters records twice a year. USMS updates records once a year. My understanding of how this was to work for the Dixie Zone to make it easier for those doing the records was: Each LMSC Top Ten Recorder has to send a disk of all times done in the LMSC to the USMS National Top Ten Recorder. Then our seven Dixie Zone Top Ten Recorders would eliminate all times done from swimmers out of the Dixie Zone and 3 LMSCs would send their disk to Ed and 4 LMSCs would send their disk to Dick. Then the Dixie Zone Records for that course would be updated and between Ed and Dick we would get our Dixie Zone Top Ten Times. If someone wants to publicize how many Dixie Zone, USMS, and/or World Records were broken in a meet -- fine! Ed and Dick should not have to check every meet results for Dixie Zone Records. However, every LMSC Top Ten recorder must check results for USMS and/or World Records. These records must be submitted on proper forms with certain documentation. There seems to be some differences of opinion to the above. We must discuss this at the Convention in San Diego. ALL COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!
The GOLD COAST MASTERS wish to thank Debbie and Cav Cavanaugh for their continuing organization of the relays. Every year we have a number of swimmers that make All American because of the Cavanaughs. It takes time to organize the relays, fill out the forms with names and ages, pick up the cards, find the team members to whom to give the cards, see that the relays are paid for, and of course, simultaneously prepare yourself to swim. Also, introducing members of the relays that don't know each other and getting the teams to the blocks. Thanks Debbie and Cav for being instrumental in our relays success.
The Dixie Zone SCY Championships were held on April 26-27, 2003, in Savannah, GA. Scott Rabalais reports that there were 160 swimmers from 31 teams. The social was held on the water at the home of Savannah Masters swimmers Iris and Mike Dayoub with 60 competitors attending. The meet lasted five hours each day. In lieu of awards, each swimmer had his/her picture taken at checkin and it was placed in a folder and given to the swimmer before they left for the day. High Point awards were flower plants. Everyone was excited about coming back for Nationals in 2004. Combined team scores:
by Brett Sorge
Sent Tuesday, March 4, 2003. "I left about 1:30 PM today to go play 9 holes of golf at my Country Club. On arriving I immediately went up to the driving range. Next to me as I have frequently noticed her was a tall blond young lady hitting golf balls. The drives were about 240/250 yards and pretty consistent. You could notice the power being generated from her tall athletic form. Someone mentioned to me that her background was swimming. Being the nosy person that I am ... I walked up to her and said "hello" and told her that I heard she was a swimmer. She said yes. I then asked for her name. She replied "Darra Torres." I was floored. It turned out that she married one of our Doctor Club members. the story goes that he dumped his wife for her. She is around 35 now and in great shape. She apparently wants to play golf professionally and is taking lots of lessons from our local pro. She came across as every inch of an Olympic champion!"
The Florida Mavericks held their Spring Awards Banquet on April 24, 2003. Coach Paul Hutinger wrote:
"Welcome to the 6th annual Florida Mavericks team awards dinner, to recognize our swimmers for their 2002 achievements. It's hard for me to believe that we've come such a long way in our growth and numerous accomplishments, since our origin in November, 1996.
We are a diverse group of individual swimmers who have accomplished an unbelievable level of achievement. In USMS, we are rated #1 overall in the percentage of swimmers that have achieved Top Ten times and 2nd with All Americans. Our team also includes fitness swimmers who swim for their own well-being and triathletes, who enjoy the variety offered by running and cycling. Many of our teammates are swimming while overcoming adversities from surgeries, strokes, osteoporosis, polio, etc. My goal is to provide an atmosphere for the team that promotes physical fitness, personal challenges, teamwork, and camaraderie. It is most rewarding to be part of such a super group of Masters swimmers, who strive to develop their own unique journeys to excellence. Go Mavericks!
Coach Paul
P.S. Thought for 2003: Accent the positive; eliminate the negative."
by Gary Bastie
Why join Masters Swimming? Most people who have heard of Masters Swimming have HAD to ask themselves this question. During the 1500, 1650, Hour Swim, 5:30 AM practice, etc. -- I ALWAYS ask myself this question. Fair question, eh? Since most of us have always wanted an answer (even from our parents when we were small) that was more than "because I said so..." will want to keep reading. Since I'm not the smartest guy in the world, and no, you don't HAVE to tell me, I'd like to use a simple format to express some of the many reasons people join Masters Swimming. I won't do that, however (remember I said "I'd LIKE to do this," not "I WILL do this"), I'll give you some of the best reasons I could think of on short notice.
1. Because you get to use the pool more hours during the day/week for the same money as non-Masters. This is of great consolation, especially if you've done your 5:30 AM routine and the weather turns nasty before noon!
2. Because it forces you, in a gentle sort of way, to get/stay in a routine that can actually be beneficial to you (as opposed to most of your other habits). Peer pressure after high school, I call it. It works too. Why else would you get the newsletter and read this?
3. Because you get to know immediately if your suit's getting too snug (no, it wasn't from leaving it in the sun to dry) and you can do something about it. Heck, even if you don't do anything about it at least you know!
4. Because you can provide yourself with an emotional, spiritual, and illogical argument that you, ;yourself, will actually believe it is why you should have another helping of ... or why you are entitled to eat/drink what's been tempting you all workout.
5. Because there will be other people on the planet who feel the same way you do about some of the above. Actually, they TELL you so you never realize how weird you actually are compared to the rest of us. A great person (not me) once said, "If you think someone's normal, ;you don't know them well enough yet."
6. Because it's sometimes fun to work out. Oxygen deprivation causes this. Scientific studies have shown that if you swim long enough, hard enough, and forget to breathe, it seems "fun" for a short time before you croak.
7. Because it's fun to actually BEAT someone for a change ... even if you're sprinting and the 95-year-old guy next to you is kicking 1000 without fins or a kickboard!
8. Because it sets an example for the youth. When Coach Fred Lewis' kids come in and they can see a bunch of paunchy, slow, balding guys who barely fit into Speedos who are still at it, somehow you have to believe this "inspires" them.
9. Because there are members of the opposite sex working out at the same time and you are forced to be a little more "civil" than you normally would. For some, this is the only time of the day we ARE "civil" so there's a small contribution for society going on here.
10. Because you get to use neat stuff! Who else in society uses kickboards, pull buoys, hand paddles, fins, or pulls on lane lines to "get ahead"? Not only that, you get to show off to all your non-Masters friends with cool terms like "catch-up," "touch-pull," "swim-down," warm-up," and a host of others unfit to print.
Yep, you've got the edge on society and it's all because you're a Masters Swimmer! So, hold your head high, tell the world how great it is, convert some of your friends (or enemies) into Masters Swimming, and you'll be high dude on the totem pole in my book!
(Gary swims for St. Pete Masters)
Name of Position: DIXIE ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
Representative: JUNE KRAUSER
Since the convention I have mailed thre newsletters. The October-December issue contained a symopsis of the written committee reports at the USMS convention. The January-March issue was mailed in January. The April-June issue will have an entry blank for the Dixie Zone Long Course championships to be held in Greenville, SC. This championship was not on the calendar arranged at the convention buy Roy Dessloch volunteered to host this championship.
There was a difference of opinion concerning the sanctioning of meets and who could participate in the meet. After a few emails, Rob Copeland responded with: "It is NOT a violation of a member's right, for a host organization to limit entrance into a sanctioned event, because of club membership."
Also since convention, USMS has decided that Zone's cannot have bank accounts. All monies have been sent to the USMS to hold for our use. After we have used up our money, then USMS will fund the Zone.
The Florida Gold Coast Local Masters Swimming Committee held its 2002 Annual Awards Banquet on January 3, 2003, with approximatley 100 attending. This year's awards were beautifully embroidered towels. The Florida Local Masters Swimming Committee held its 2002 Annual Recognition Dinner on Saturday, February 9, 2003. Both were very nice affairs.
We look forward to our Dixie Zone LCM Championships in Greenville, SC, on June 28-29.
for Saturday, September 13, 2003 -- Meeting & Lunch, noon-2 PM
* The purpose of the Zone Representative Job Description is to list and maintain in one place all of the duties of the job of Zone Representative to the USMS Board of Directors. This JD refers only to those tasks that are the responsibility of the zone rep and shall be performed regardless of the nature of internal zone operations. Where appropriate, the zone rep may delegate performance of these tasks to other members of the zone.
National Administrative Duties
Zone Administrative Duties
LMSC Liaison Duties
In a previous issue of SWIM, USMS President Jim Miller outlined the benefits in establishing a set of core objectives that would give direction to the administration of USMS while bringing the USMS mission statement to fruition. The three objectives have applications on a widespread level, such as in the operations of our national committees, and on a local level, such as in how clubs and LMSCs may choose to focus their efforts. Here are a few suggested applications for each of the core objectives, listed in random order, and how we, as members, may benefit from their implementation:
SERVICE THE MEMBERSHIP
How can USMS provide more benefits to its members? First, we must ascertain just what our members want. A USMS membership analysis survey from 2001 indicates that many of our members desire more coaching. The survey says a large percentage would like to see additional product discounts as a benefit of joining. Also, there is a demand for more clinics and more facilities open for Masters training.
It should be the role of USMS to continue to provide the highest level of service to its members and member clubs. The first step to such greater attention to service may be establishing its importance as a core objective.
EDUCATE THE MEMBERSHIP
Take over 40,000 adult swimmers in the Information Age and there arises a great need for education, another core objective. Swimmers, by and large, have a desire to understand swimming as it relates to technique and conditioning, and USMS, with its access to sports educators across the globe (not to mention those in our own membership), is in a position to further educate its swimmers. Our coaches are a valuable resource, and we can offer educational programs to keep them at the cutting edge of swimming knowledge as it applies to adults. Our two communications vehicles, the web site and SWIM Magazine, can continue to bring information to our members in an expanded manner.
Education ventures far beyond just improved swimming skills, though. There is an enormous body of sport science, including physiology, psychology, nutrition, hydrodynamics and other yet-to-be researched fields that apply to our performances a athletes. Educating our members in regards to USMS organizational structures and processes is yet another area to be addressed.
BUILD THE MEMBERSHIP
If USMS is successful in servicing and educating its members, the result will be growth. Any increased participation in our clubs and programs results in the ongoing realization of our mission statement, which is "to promote physical fitness and health in adults by offering and supporting Masters swimming programs." Currently, a miniscule percentage of aquatic facilities are devoting time to Masters programs, and we are only at the tip of the iceberg in developing Masters programs, USMS is only three decades old, and perhaps in another three decades, we'll look back and see 2003 as the year we committed ourselves to putting many more swimmers in the pool!
prepared by Scott Rabalais, USMS Vice President
Dixie Zone -- The USMS Dixie Zone consists of the following local Masters Swim Committees: Florida, Florida Gold Coast, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeastern and Southern.
Dixie Zone Committee -- The Dixie Zone Committee consists of the Dixie Zone Representative and the voting delegates from the above LMSCs. The USMS Dixie Zone Committee shall meet annually at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention.
Zone Representative -- The Dixie Zone Representative shall conduct the business of the Dixie Zone. The Dixie Zone Committee elects the Zone Representative to a two-year term in odd-numbered years. The Zone Representative's expenses to the convention shall be paid by the Zone's LMSCs. Expenses reimbursed include round-trip coach airfare, 1/2 hotel room cost, airport-hotel ground transportation cost. The Representative's convention registration fee shall be paid from the Dixie Zone account.
Newsletter -- A Dixie Zone newsletter shall be published on a regular basis to the Dixie Zone clubs, convention delegates, and Dixie Zone LMSC chairmen and newsletter editors. Other copies are sent to the National Office, the USMS President, Zone Chairman, and Zone Representatives.
Top Ten & Records -- A Dixie Zone Top Ten & Records shall be tabulated and maintained by the Zone Recorder. The Zone Representative shall appoint the Recorder. Top Ten and Records shall be maintained in three courses: short course yards, short course meters, and long course meters. Swims by Dixie Zone members at all sanctioned or recognized meets inside or outside the Dixie Zone shall be considered for Zone Top Ten and Records purposes. All meet directors in the Dixie Zone are asked to send a copy of their final results to the Zone Recorder. Zone Top Ten & Records are sent to the Dixie zone clubs, convention delegates, and LMSC chairmen and newsletter editors.
Zone Championship Meets -- Three Dixie Zone Championship meets shall be held each year, one in each course. The championship meet sites for the following year shall be selected at the convention. A brief presentation will be allowed by each meet wishing to be considered as a Zone Championship. Meets will be selected in the following order: SCY, LCM, and SCM. If necessary, a written vote by the Zone Committee will determine the meet site. No LMSC shall be eligible to host a championship meet in the same course in two consecutive years, unless no other bids are considered. The Dixie Zone shall promote the championship meets by mailing a copy of the meet's entry form to the Zone clubs and LMSC chairmen and newsletter editors. The Zone championship meets shall also be listed in the Calendar of Events in SWIM magazine. In return, a $1.00 entrant surcharge shall be charged to the meet, payable to the Dixie Zone for assistance in handling the affairs of the Zone. It is requested that this fee be paid within thirty days after the meet.
Financial -- Two financial accounts shall support the activities of the Dixie Zone:
a) The USMS Dixie Zone allocation (currently $300) which is not a "carry over" amount,
b) The Zone championship meet funds, that is, monies raised through the $1/entrant fee at Zone Championship meets.
A report of financial activity shall be made by the Zone Representative at the Zone Committee meeting, and shall be published annually in the Dixie Zone newsletter.