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Greetings!
Thanks for all you do for your swimmers-USMS is well-represented on pool decks around the country.
Swimming for Life,
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For Your Multisport Athletes
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by Coach Scott Bay, Coaches Committee Chair
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Creatively improving open water preparation without the open water
You can spot them in your parking lot: those cars with the bike racks on top, sometimes with the bikes still in them. Along with the racks come the M-dot or oval stickers announcing the completion of something big. So big, it requires a decimal to fully explain it: 70.3, 26.2, or even 140.6. These are your multisport athletes. And they want something from you. Read more...
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 | High Performance Camp
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Greensboro Aquatic Center
 This outstanding camp is offered to Masters swimmers through the combined efforts of U.S. Masters Swimming, the Triangle Sports Commission, and the Greensboro Aquatic Center. The camp is limited to a small number of dedicated Masters swimmers who are committed to advancing their skills and performance. You'll be taught and analyzed by outstanding USMS coaches and professionals in the fields of sports psychology, physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, technique, and resistance and flexibility training. Read more... |
| Want to Grow Your Event?
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 Host a long distance or open water event!
If you've ever thought about hosting a long distance or open water event, what's held you back? The bidding process is open to any and all clubs interested in growing their events. Check out the Long Distance Championship page at usms.org for more information.
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| 2013 Long Distance National Championships
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 Check out the Long Distance Calendar of Events for these and other great open water swims. May 18: USMS 6-9 Mile Open Water Championship; Lake Mead, Boulder City, Nev. Online EntryJune 9: USMS 1-Mile Open Water Championship; Lake Del Valle, Livermore, Calif. Online EntryAugust 4: 1-3 Mile Open Water Championship; Pacific Ocean, Dana Point, Calif. Online EntryAugust 17: 2-Mile Cable Swim; Mirror Lake, Lake Placid, New York Online Entry |
| 45th ASCA World Clinic
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September 3-8 in New Orleans, La.
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| Three Arena Suits No Longer Legal
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 Three Powerskin Carbon Pros Not Legal
Effective May 7, three Arena technical suits are no longer legal in USMS competition. Arena waived FINA approval of its Powerskin Carbon Pro suits, and in accordance with USMS article 102.12.1D, Arena Powerskin Carbon Pro suits bearing the following FINA approval codes (found on the FINA stamp on the back of each suit) will no longer be allowed in USMS pool competition: AR220993 (women's), AR220994 (women's), and AR141364 (men's). Affected swimmers should visit Arena Support or Arena's FAQ page or contact Jamie Olsen at Arena for information about exchanging suits.
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| Summer Nationals Registration Now Open!
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 Don't delay! Sign up today for Summer Nats!
We're still catching our breath from Spring Nationals in Indy last week, but it's already time to start thinking about and signing up for the 2013 Marriott U.S. Masters Swimming Summer National Championship event to be held in Mission Viejo, Calif. August 7 through 11, 2013. Online registration for this exciting event that's returning to the OC is now open. Log on today and get registered for this fast and fun meet. Lots more information is available online. We look forward to seeing you in sunny southern California soon!
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| Spring Nationals on Video
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Check out recaps of all the action of Indy
If you noticed a camera crew running around on deck with 2008 Olympic silver medalist Emily Silver at Spring Nationals in Indianapolis last week, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. We got some amazing footage of the meet with Silver hosting interviews and conversations with swimmers at the meet. You can view all the videos online Enjoy, and don't forget to share these memories with your swimmers, some of whom may well be in the videos.
Also available online are videos of your swimmers races for preview and purchase. You can find a complete listing of events from Spring Nationals available to view and purchase from our friends at TakeitLive.tv
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| On-Deck Coaching at Pan Ams
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Bilingual coaches needed for international event
Coaches, if you would like to volunteer as an on-deck coach at the Pan-American Masters Championship, please contact Bill Brenner or sign up online. We especially have a need for bilingual coaches, which you can indicate in the comment box during online signup. If you're traveling to Sarasota in June, please consider working a shift or two as an on-deck coach.
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| Questions from Coaches
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with
Bill Brenner, Club and Coach Services Director
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Keeping your swimmers engaged
 Questions about growing your club, managing club business, or becoming a better coach? Club and Coach Services Director Bill Brenner has answers.
bill.brenner@usms.org.
Q: What are some effective ways to keep my swimmers enrolled in my program?
A: Membership retention is an important component of a successful organization. Although organic growth is often viewed as the most important measurement of success, retention is the key to evaluating the performance of the organization and those who serve it.
Coaches, in particular, should evaluate their performance based on their athletes' willingness to renew their membership. Keeping the swimmers engaged has proven to be the most important aspect of membership retention.
So how can you keep your swimmers engaged and enrolled for the long term? Here are a few ideas:
- Know your swimmers. What are your swimmers' names, their goals, and their interests away from the pool? The coach should know.
- Don't get caught in a rut. Challenge your swimmers with new and creative workouts, drills, and events. Encourage them to participate in the Nike Go the Distance challenge, postal events, pool competitions, open water events, clinics, and other activities in which your program participates. For those members who don't want to swim at a particular event, ask them to volunteer. After seeing the event up close, they might feel more comfortable and swim in the next event.
- Communicate with your club. Write a weekly or monthly e-newsletter. Include a calendar with focus events for your program as well as birthdays and other special occasions.
- Share the load. Identify individual members' skills and talents and build a support team with those members willing to devote their time and talents for the benefit of the program. Creating a support team can help balance the dynamics of the program and keep the members engaged.
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What Rule is THAT?!
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with
Kathy Casey, USMS Rules Chair
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Differences between USMS and FINA rules that could be encountered at next month's Pan American Masters Championship.
 Q: What are some of the differences between USMS rules and FINA rules that our swimmers might face at the Pan American Championship? A: The Pan American Masters Championship is a UANA meet, and UANA follows the FINA rulebook, with some modifications. Some of the rule differences that could be encountered are: - In FINA competition, swimmers age 18-24 are not allowed to participate. UANA has adopted a modification of FINA rules to allow them to compete in the Pan-American Masters Championship, however they are not eligible for any FINA records or rankings. This applies to individual events and relays (any relay with an 18-24-year-old member will not be eligible for FINA records or rankings). 18-24-year-olds are eligible for USMS records and rankings.
- Swimmers could be required to swim two-to-a-lane in freestyle events 400 meters and longer (FINA rule MSW 3.8).
- FINA requires notification of disqualifications via posted code in the meet results (FINA rule MSW 7).
- Filing a protest may cost money (100 Swiss francs or its equivalent, which is refunded if the protest is upheld; FINA rule GR 9.2).
For a more complete list of FINA rule differences, see pages 150 to 151 in Appendix B of the 2013 USMS Rule Book, which can be viewed or downloaded at usms.org. FINA rules and regulations can be viewed at fina.org. For any questions about rules contact Kathy Casey, USMS Rules Chair |
| Certification Opportunities
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Become a certified USMS coach
 The USMS Coaches Committee and Club and Coach Services have developed new curricula for Levels 1, 2 and 3 USMS Masters Coach Certification. The new courses are taught in classroom settings throughout the country. Participants receive a "Certificate of Participation" once they finish the class. If participants wish to become certified, they must join ASCA and deliver to ASCA the completed tests from the coursework and the application for USMS/ASCA Masters Coach Certification. ASCA will grade the tests, process the applications and deliver the certificates. Level I & II June 22, 2013 McLean, Va.- Online Registration June 29, 2013 Orlando, Fla. - Online Registration Sept. 6, 2013 New Orleans, La. - Online Registration Sept. 11, 2013 Anaheim, Calif. Nov. 9, 2013 Chicago, Ill. Level III (Level II a prerequisite) June 1, 2013 Alexandria, Va. - Online Registration Sept. 11, 2013 Anaheim, Calif. Sept. 28, 2013 Novato, Calif. Oct. 12, 2013 Indianapolis, Ind. Nov. 10, 2013 Chicago, Ill. (Contact Bill Brenner for more information)
Visit the usms.org website to find the dates and locations of our certification courses in 2013.
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| Club and Coach Services
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Need help getting your club up and running?
Club and Coach Services Director: Bill Brenner
Club and Coach Services Coordinator: Mel Goldstein
Free marketing materials are available for USMS programs. Caps, stickers, brochures, etc.
Small club? Just starting out? Don't have an advertising budget? We have created free templates that you can use to promote your program, your swim meets and your open water events. |
| Masters Coaching Opportunities
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Looking for a coach? Looking for a club?
USMS maintains a discussion forum on usms.org to match up coaches and clubs. 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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| Media 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 health, wellness, fitness and competition for adults through swimming. It does so by partnering with more than 1,500 adult swim programs across the country; promoting information via the bimonthly member magazine, SWIMMER, monthly e-newsletters, STREAMLINES, and website, usms.org; and by sanctioning and promoting pool, open water and virtual events and competitions. More than 55,000 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 USMS 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 bimonthly publication. |
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The 2013 ASCA World Clinic will be in New Orleans, and will feature very elite and exciting international speakers. The complete 
