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Greetings!
As we spring into March, our contributors have sprung into
action with some great stories and information. Since many of you are
close to kicking off your open water and triathlon seasons, this month's issue
includes Pool Open Water Training with open water champion Gerry Rodrigues.
These POW drills are an extension of the Out in the Open article from the Training and Technique department of the March-April issue of SWIMMER, which shipped last week. Coach Rodrigues will help you get your
athletes ready for open water, even if you train primarily in the pool.
Steven Munatones shares a story about a collegiate swim
coach and FINA official who saved an open water swimmer's life at the World
Championships. The obvious message is that coaches and officials need to pay
attention to their swimmers. But underneath that - the most compelling part of
the story - is that the swimmer involved is a world-class swimmer. If what
happened can happen to a swimmer of that caliber, it can happen to anyone.
Jim Halstead with Club and Coach Services gives us an
update on the ASCA Masters certification and the upcoming ASCA World Clinic. Kathy
Casey shares information that will help you make sure, when your swimmers break
records, that their swims are properly recorded and submitted. Also, many coaches
may not be aware of the insurance implications affecting those who coach from
the water. Important clarification and links are below. And finally, our hosts
in Atlanta are offering the opportunity for certified officials to get some
on-deck time at Short Course Nationals.
Swimming for Life!
Your Friends at U.S. Masters Swimming
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Quick Links for Coaches
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Club and Coach Services
 Northwest - Lisa Dahl
Southwest - Susan Ingraham
Midwest - Mel Goldstein
East - Jim Halstead
Marketing resources are available for USMS programs.
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Drills for Thrills
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by
Gerry Rodrigues
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Pool Open Water (POW) Training
Since many swimmers who like to swim open water don't
always get the chance to train there, we asked world-class open water swimmer
and coach Gerry Rodrigues for some pool drills to help with open water
preparation. He sent us a few that are sure to help even the most landlocked coach
prepare his or her swimmers and triathletes for the rigors of open water. The
first few drills he shared appeared in the March-April issue of SWIMMER. [Read More]
Gerry Rodrigues, world open
water Masters champion and overall winner of over 100 open water races, was
USMS Coach of the Year in 1992. He currently serves as swim coach to many
professional and elite age-group triathletes and international elite open water
swimmers. He is on the board of the World Open Water Swimming Association.
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ASCA Masters Certification
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ASCA World Clinic 2010 & Masters Certification
U.S. Masters Swimming is
pleased to announce an all-star lineup at this year's American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic in Indianapolis, Ind. In patnership with USMS, ASCA is
offering, for the first time, a Masters Level 1 Coaches Certification course.
Join Jim Halstead from USMS Club and Coach Services on August 30 and 31 for an
8-hour course for new Masters Coaches. Topics include: stroke construction and
correction; dry land training; risk management; coaching special needs swimmers,
open water swimmers and triathletes; workout development and management; and
"Build your Coaching Tool Box."
On September 2, join Coaches David Marsh and Patty Waldron for the Masters track, "Gold in the Water: How Your Masters Swim Team Can Support Your Age Group Program." Marsh, former NCAA championship collegiate coach, has been named National Coach of the Year eight times and has coached numerous Olympic swimmers. Waldron is head coach of the very successful SWIMMac Masters program in Charlotte, N.C. Coaches Marsh and Waldron will help you grow your Masters team and much more when they share their many years of experience at the highest levels in the swimming world.
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Coaching From the Water?
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Make Sure You Are Covered
There appears to be confusion about what supervision is
required at practices/workouts for the USMS insurance to be in place. The
requirement is that a USMS member or a USA Swimming certified member coach be
"directly supervising" the practice/workout. Direct supervision means
"line of sight." In other words, the coach cannot be participating in
the workout practice with the swimmers. That is not to say that a coach can't
be in the water supervising the practice/workout, but under no circumstances
can the coach be working out with the swimmers.
We have been asked the question if a lifeguard is on deck
can the coach then participate in the practice/workout. Unless the lifeguard is
a USMS member, the coach must still be directly supervising the
practice/workout.
More information about our insurance is available on our website,
in our Guide to Operations.
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What Rule is That?!
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with
Kathy Casey
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Record Breaking Swims: Making Sure They are
Documented
The Coach Asks:
One of my swimmers broke a record at a meet last fall. Why
haven't we seen it on the list of national records and on the World record list?
The Answer:
Check with the USMS recorder of records, Walt Reid. He can tell you if he has received
the documentation for that record and if there are any problems with it.
The record application for World records must be submitted within 60 days of the record-breaking swim. An application received more than 60 days after the swim will not be considered for a World record, and there are no exceptions.
There is no specified time limit for submission of the application and documentation for National (USMS) records (105.3.8). However, as soon as possible is encouraged by the language of the rule ("immediately following performance"). As a coach, you can help that process by checking with the meet director and/or the administrative referee to ensure that the documentation for record-breaking times achieved by any of your swimmers will be submitted in a timely fashion, particularly to meet the 60-day application deadline for World records.
Required documentation includes the record application form (only one form required per swim as it is for both the national and world records) with the referee's signature, the timing tape or the card with timers' signatures, a copy of the official meet results, and a copy of the certification for course length, if it's not on file already or if it's a bulkhead pool. The swimmer must submit proof of age (copy of birth certificate or passport) to the USMS Recorder unless that proof of age is already on file with the USMS Recorder. Be aware that means that all four swimmers on a relay must submit proof of age for a National or World relay record.
Important: World records cannot be set at "Recognized" meets, only Sanctioned ones. As a final note, it always saddens us greatly to learn that a swimmer has lost a National or World record because the application and documentation wasn't submitted on time or at all. It happens more often than one would think.
For any questions about rules contact Kathy Casey, USMS Rules Chair.
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An Open Water Swimming Hero
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by
Steven Munatones
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A True Story of an American
Collegiate Swimming Coach
FINA's 25K (15.5-mile) open water swim typically takes
between five and six hours for the world's best marathon swimmers to finish,
depending on the water and weather conditions.
The open water swimming events at the 2009 World Swimming
Championships were delayed because of bad weather. Of these races, the 25K race
was held under the most difficult conditions. Strong winds and turbulent seas
were difficult on everyone involved - from the athletes in the water to the coaches
on the feeding pontoons.
It was under these conditions that FINA official
Rick Walker of Southern Illinois University became a hero and reminded us how
diligent and observant race officials, judges and coaches must be when
participating in open water swimming events. [Read More]
Steven Munatones, world champion marathon swimmer, is a USA Swimming National Team open water coach, board member of the World Open Water Swimming Association and the creator of The Daily News of Open Water Swimming.
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Calling All Officials
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by
Ed
Saltzman
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Opportunity to Officiate at Short Course Nationals
May 20-23, 2010, Georgia
Masters will be hosting the 2010 U.S. Masters Swimming Short Course National
Championships at Georgia Tech. If you are a certified official and are
interested in working all or part of the meet, this will be an N2/N3 evaluation
event. You will be able to go for any N2 rating and all N3 initial ratings.
We
have three great evaluators lined up so we should be able to handle all the
requests. We expect to have approximately 2,000 swimmers in attendance - ages
ranging from 19-99. If you've never worked a Masters meet you're in for a
treat. You'll receive the usual great hospitality, great commemorative polo
shirt, and the gratitude and thanks from all the swimmers in attendance. Glenda Orth will be the meet referee. Please fill out the
application and email it back to Glenda before April 15, 2010.
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Coaching Opportunities
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Looking for a Coach? Looking for a Team?
USMS maintains a discussion forum on usms.org to match up coaches and teams. The Coaching Forum
has several current threads posted; check back for frequently for
updates. And remember, if you are hired in a position or you hire a
coach, please update your posting to save time for others who follow
you to this helpful forum.
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Please Support USMS Partners!
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Affinity Partners
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About Us
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About U.S. Masters Swimming
 U.S. Masters Swimming, founded in 1970, is a membership-operated national governing body that promotes adult health, fitness, wellness and competition through aquatics. It does so by partnering with more than 1,000 adult swim clubs across the country that offer swim fitness programs, promoting information via the bi-monthly member magazine, SWIMMER, monthly e-newsletter, STREAMLINES, and usms.org; and by sanctioning and promoting pool, open water and virtual competitions. More than 50,000 adults are registered members of U.S. Masters Swimming.
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About STREAMLINES for Coaches
U.S. Masters Swimming encourages all U.S. Masters Swimming coaches to subscribe to STREAMLINES for Coaches. However if you would rather not receive this update, please do not click the unsubscribe button, as that will remove you from all other U.S. Masters Swimming National Office mailings. Rather, please click on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this email. Here you can select to discontinue your STREAMLINES for Coaches service or sign up for the monthly members' newsletter, STREAMLINES, and/or STREAMLINES for Volunteers, a quarterly publication.
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