News for Swimmers

Seniors: Here is some info on recent events for the seniors:

2008 has gotten off to a great start and here are some updates for you. On the graduating senior front, the following have committed to a university this fall:

Tammy Choy- Loyola Maramount University
Liv Jensen- University of California at Berkeley
Alex Navarro- University of Pittsburgh
James Thivierge- Texas Christian University

We have several other seniors on the verge of making decisions, but I wanted to congratulate the seniors who have already made their choice.

On a personal front, Tisha and I had the great pleasure of going to Beijing, China last month for a week. We had a chance to visit some of the Olympic sites as well as some of the major tourist sites. We also got to watch a couple of Chinese teams train. Culturally, it was an amazing trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested!

The senior group just came off the heaviest training of the year during the holidays. Over a two week period, I threw everything at them including the kitchen sink. There were 10 seniors who managed to be 100% over the holiday period. They were:

Thomas Agasid
Tammy Choy
Colleen Fotsch
Donald Fotsch
Monica Garcia
Ryan Garcia
Liv Jensen
Kei Masuda
Michael Ngo
Mark Prior

Congratulations on a job well done!!

Our January meets include the Cal Invitational an Zone 1 North Championships. For the second straight year, PASA won the team title over DACA at Zones. There were numerous outstanding efforts made by the seniors, but I was most proud of the fact that they made posters for the team, lead cheers and stayed on saturday to cheer for the younger kids in the afternoon session. Thank you for a great team effort.

We will be competing in the following meets in February:

CAB Sr Meet- Feb 16th only
PASA C/B/A+- Feb 23-24
Clovis Sr Meet- Feb 28-March 2nd

I look forward to the upcoming competitions and best of luck to everyone for a successful spring!!

Thanks,
Tony Batis
Head Coach
Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics
650-328-6536

Minnows: Minnows

Welcome to the Minnows!

The Minnows group is designed to introduce swimmers to Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics in a lesson setting - these are group lessons. We will work on the drills and skills that swimmers will need to advance to the entry level group for our team, the Turtles. We will run the Minnows group through the fall (and possibly beyond)

Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays, with a first class from 3:00-3:30pm and a second from 3:30-4:00pm.

Sessions will be from September 11 - October 4, October 9 - November 1 and finally (for now) November 6 - November 29 (no class on 11/22)

Each session will be limited to 12 swimmers per class. Swimmers must register with USA Swimming (forms provided), and the cost of registration will be deducted from our annual team fee if the swimmer continues on to join the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics team.

Ricky Silva, Coach

Juniors: Junior Group Information

The following will be covered during the short course season:

• Strokes drills and skills for all four strokes
• Starts, turns and finishes
• Race planning and meet performance
• Goal setting for the short term (by season) and introduction to long term goal setting
• Team pride
• Education-basic knowledge of energy systems, nutrition, stretching and basic exercise physiology
• Having fun while swimming fast

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Junior+: Junior+ Group Information

Swimmers in the group must:

• Display a high level of stroke competency in all four competitive strokes
• Have at least 3 individual meetings and two video sessions during the season
• Maintain an average of at least 4 practices per week (7 practices offered)
• Ability to swim 15 x 100's freestyle on 1:20 or faster
• Attend at least 4 meets during the season and all required meets (these will be announced)
• Bring all required gear to all workouts
• Attend at least one am workout per month (these will start in October)

(Swimmers in seasonal sports should check with Ricky as per requirements for the group during these seasons-will be adjusted)

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Turtles, Dolphins, Sharks, Killer Whales, Age Group, and Advanced Age Group: Information for Swimmers about Practices

• Swimmers should attend practice as often as they can. Consistency is the key to improvement.
• Arrive at practice freshâ€"not exhausted from other activities.
• Be ready on deck at least 5 minutes before your practice group’s starting time. If you arrive late, please get changed as quickly as possible and then find your coach.
• Your coach will tell you which equipment you need and should bring to practice each day. Unless instructed otherwise, swimmers are expected to bring their equipment every day. Each piece of equipment should have your name on it.
• Always bring a water bottle.
• During practice, pay close attention to your coach. He/she will give you instructions throughout the workout. Think about the instructions your coach gave you while you are swimming.
• Swimmers should treat their teammates and the facility with respect.
• Every swimmer has a file folder for ribbons and awards, fliers and other announcements. Swimmers should check their file folder regularly before leaving the pool complex.

Turtles, Dolphins, Sharks, Killer Whales, Age Group, and Advanced Age Group: Aging up from one group to another

All groups at PASC are generally designed by age group. Within age groups, swimmers may be assigned to a group which is based on attitude, commitment and ability. A swimmer who is prepared to work hard, come to practice regularly and participates in competitions are typically more likely to move into the next group within their age group before one who devotes less time and effort.

Swimmers who move into a new age group (8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15 and up) should talk to their current coach for instructions upon moving into a new group. Generally, swimmers are moved when they enter a new age group.

Turtles, Dolphins, Sharks, Killer Whales, Age Group, and Advanced Age Group: Attendance at Practice

Practice expectations vary from group to group and generally increase the older the swimmer. The most dedicated swimmers will attend the majority of practices, but it is common for swimmers to miss practices due to other commitments. The coaches will help each swimmer decide on a consistent workout plan that is right for them.

Swimmers who miss 3 or more practices in a row should contact their coach to let them know their situation. Swimmers who plan to take extended time off to pursue other sports, or for other reasons, should contact their coach and, depending on the length of the time away from the pool, may consider switching to Associate Status.

Turtles, Dolphins, Sharks, Killer Whales, Age Group, and Advanced Age Group: Swimmer Behavior Expectations

• Swimmers must obey the rules of the pool facilities. These include no running on the pool deck and no diving in the shallow end of the pool.
• Swimmers must not enter the pool until their coach gives them permission to do so.
• No horseplay or roughhousing is allowed in the pool, on the pool deck or in the locker rooms.
• Swimmers should treat their teammates and the pool facility with respect. Failure to do so could result in a swimmer being barred from practice and/or a team event.
• Swimmers should listen to and follow the instructions of their coach while at practice or at meets.
• Swimmers should follow the directions of their coach and/or designated Meet Marshals or officials at swim meets. Unless in a designated take-off lane, swimmers must enter the warm-up pool using a 3 point entry.
• If you see someone doing something unsafe or an unsafe situation, please notify a coach immediately.
• Swimmers should not use inappropriate language to another swimmer or coach.
• Swimmers should not harass, tease or bully another swimmer or teammate.
• Proper behavior in the locker room is expected of all swimmers at all times. Proper behavior includes limiting showers to 5 minutes, respecting other swimmers belongings, not using inappropriate language and not participating in horseplay or roughhousing. Abuse of the locker rooms may result in a swimmer being barred from their use.