2007-2008 Coach Messages - by Coach Jim Hutcheson

6/30/08 6/20/08 5/2/08 3/25/08
2/14/08 2/5/08 1/31/08 1/25/08
1/22/08 1/14/08 1/6/08 1/4/08
12/27/07 11/15/07 11/7/07 11/6/07
10/28/07 10/21/07 10/4/07 10/1/07
9/27/07 9/15/07 9/4/07 9/2/07


6/20/08
  1. Registration forms and family registration fees are due TOMORROW – TUESDAY – JULY 1ST to reserve your spot on the team for next season. We need to have updated forms from everyone to confirm our data and groupings for the coming season. Please hand them into the front desk if you have not already done so remember that there is a pre-payment bonus of 5% for those paying in full by 9/1, and that we are re-initiating the credit card auto-payments this year thanks to Pauline’s tireless efforts. We really encourage as many families as possible to look into this option, and we are also investigating the feasibility of “bank-draft” payments at some point in the future.

  2. COUNTY MEET HELP NEEDED!!! We will need many volunteers for the support positions at the county meet (hospitality, concessions, manning an information table, awards, computer ops, etc.). Please contact Maureen (maureenk@spyswimming.org) or Kathy McCullough (Kathalyn21@comcast.net) before they have to contact you about helping at the meet. A reminder about the dates:

    13 and Overs: TUESDAY JULY 15
    9-10 and 11-12: WEDNESDAY JULY 16
    8 and Unders: SUNDAY, JULY 20

  3. WE NEED SPY SWIMMERS ON FRIDAY FOR THE FLOAT: We will be sharing a float in the parade with the Community Center, and need from 15-20 people to ride and/or walk along as we promote our team through the community again this year. Please plan on meeting at St Martins after practice (Spies and SL) or at 9:00 (INV, since you are optional on FR). Wear SPY shirts, etc – as much blue as we can get out there!!

  4. TRYOUT DATES – TALK TO YOUR SUMMER SWIMMING FRIENDS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED!!!

    WEDNESDAY, JULY 9TH
    WEDNESDAY, JULY 23RD
    THURSDAY, JULY 24TH

    ALL 10 AND UNDER COME FROM 7 TO 7:30 PM
    ALL 11 AND OVERS COME FROM 7:30-8:00 PM
This is important – it is how we fill out our roster and find the next batches of great young swimmers for our club! We really need as many fast kids from our communities as possible, and YOU are our best promotional voice by the excellence of your kids’ swimming and by your enthusiasm and encouragement of those seeking a great year-round club!

See you soon…keep up with the Olympic Trials Coverage each night at 8:00 PM (USA M-TH, NBC Fri) and online through Maryland Swimming’s new website (www.mdswim.org) – it’s great, and WE ARE REPRESENTED STARTING SATURDAY (a huge DEAL!!).

Jim and Crystee

6/20/08

 Hi everyone – a few updates from our early summer practices and general team information, a special request, and warmup times for this weekend’s GTAC meet at UMBC:
  1. Summer schedule is in effect – so far so good as far as turnout. A “gentle” reminder for those who have qualified or are seeking to qualify for Long Course Y Nationals: you must attend a minimum of 50% of the UMBC practices to be entered in the LCYN meet. These are our best opportunity to prepare and train for the biggest summer meet for our club, and we implemented this guideline five years ago so that there would be clear expectations for those seeking to represent our club at YMCA national meets, as often qualifying times are swum during the short-course season; you must train with us during the LC season to swim at nationals.

  2. As both an information gathering tool and as a test for our e-mail lists, please respond to this e-mail with where you will be attending school next year (not this year’s departing seniors, obviously!). This will enable us to market within the schools at which we have swimmers as we seek to build our club. By responding I will also know that your e-mail is valid. Thanks in advance!

  3. Registrations for next year are due by July 1st to reserve a spot on the team. We cannot finalize groupings and open spots until we know your intentions for next season, so please get those forms in by July 1st with your family registration fee! Just a reminder so we have all of our data in line when we go to fill out the roster.

  4. Please encourage your summer coaches to support the Anne Arundel County Summer Championships that we will be hosting for the umpteenth straight season. Having the meet back at SPY will be great to show off our new facility and our wonderful parents’ organization as we recruit new swimmers. The meet announcement is available on the website. If anyone could please send Crystee good contact e-mails for each club that will also help us to better communicate with the clubs as the meet draws closer.

  5. GTAC WARMUP TIMES FOR THIS WEEKEND:

    SESSION 1 (EVERYONE): 2:15 ARRIVAL, 2:25 WARMUP [SATURDAY AFTERNOON]

    SESSION 2 (10 & UNDER – SUNDAY MORNING): 7:45 ARRIVAL, 8:00 WARMUP

    SESSION 3 (11 AND OVER – SUNDAY AFTERNOON): 11:45 ARRIVAL, 11:55 WARMUP

See everyone somewhere along the line!!

Jim

5/2/08

 Hi everyone!

As a result of many requests from our team members, as well as a desire to begin our planning process for next swim season (yes…already!), I am sending out the registration information for the 2008-2009 season. Swimmers who were a part of our program last year are not required to “try out” again to maintain their spot on the team – we want each and every one of you back to continue your growth and development both as swimmers and as young men and women. All that is required to reserve your spot on the team for next year is to fill out the attached team registration form and return it with your family registration fee to the front desk. We need the form (one per family – all swimmers on one form) for database maintenance and updates, as well as for the signatures and waivers.

As a “call to action” (and because it REALLY helps our planning process) we are once again offering a financial incentive to re-register early this year. We did this for the very first time last year, and it was much more successful than penalizing those that were late with their registrations. Any re-registrations that are received by May 31st will pay only $125 for the family registration fee instead of the standard cost of $150. This is a good deal – every little bit helps! Please take advantage of this offer and register during May. All other re-registrations are due by June 30th in order to reserve a spot on the team for your child – we will fill slots from tryouts and our waiting list beginning July 1st.

Please note the following highlights for the coming season:
  • once again, we will be offering a full range of competitions for all ages from 6 to 18, and from beginning year-round swimmers to national-level swimmers;

  • participation in both USA Swimming and YMCA competitions

  • we have limited fee increases to 3% - our smallest increase in more than 5 years, and still one of the best values among local year-round swim teams;

  • our plan is to maintain the current six training groups, allowing for more small group and individualized coaching;

  • a wonderful, refurbished facility that includes dryland equipment and training for older swimmers in our program;

  • highly motivated and trained coaches with many years of experience training and teaching competitive swimmers of all levels

  • a nationally recognized parents’ organization that conducts major competitions regionally.

We look forward to a fantastic season, and to building on the foundation of excellence that we have built over the past few seasons, and hope that each of you will choose to once again be a part of this team and organization – only great things await such fantastic young men and women!

We’ll look forward to seeing you poolside over the spring and summer, getting ready for fall!

Jim, Crystee, and the SPY Coaching Staff

P.S. If for some reason you will not be returning for next season, please e-mail Crystee or me to let us know why; it will help us look at improvements for our program as well as allow us to determine open slots in specific groups over the summer.

3/25/08

 Spies practice next week (3/31 through 4/4) will be with INV practice (there are only 4 spies not going to YNats) at their time slots, and will NOT include mornings. Please see Jim or Crystee with any questions. More details to follow if necessary.

Upcoming Meet Deadlines:

McDonogh (EST) Meet (Apr. 19-20) – DEADLINE CHANGED TO THIS FRIDAY 3/28 (because the webmaster will be in Florida and will not be able to update list). We need to submit entries over the weekend to ensure we are not closed out, so please get all signups to Cindy by Friday, as I will do entries on Saturday.

Navy (A and Faster Meet (elite)): DEADLINE ESTABLISHED AS 4/7. This is the Monday the YNats kids get back from FL, and will be a quick turnaround. Please sign up as soon as you know your availability. We will swim Saturday and Sunday except for those swimmers wishing to swim a 400 FR or 400 IM on Friday night.

We are holding these meets open as long as we can, but please be aware that deadlines ae deadlines for these – we often have to be EARLY with our entries to make sure we are in the meets (they all have subscription limits, and once the meet is full then no more teams are allowed in to swim – this can be a problem, and requires early entries and prompt action on your part to sign up).

2/14/08

 Hi everyone!

As we approach the end of the season for various groups, we are getting a lot of inquiries about spring training and meets for those continuing through the spring. As a reminder, all groups practice through March 7th, and all swimmers are encouraged to continue practicing hard through their final meet and even beyond. All 8 & Unders are expected to swim the Championship meet on March 2nd at HARY – we have a very good chance of placing highly at that meet with our age spread and strong talent this year among our Gumshoes. Private Eyes and Detectives practice through Districts. Sleuths, Investigators, and Spies all train through the spring and summer, as we do anticipate a full participation in the long course meets through the middle of July, and then Long Course YMCA Nationals in late July for those that qualify.

Attached is the information for our spring session that takes place from March to May. In the past, many swimmers have availed themselves of this opportunity to continue training and improving, and our younger swimmers use this as an introduction to Long Course meets with our team. If you have any questions, simply drop me an e-mail or talk with Crystee or me at practice. We try to be somewhat flexible, but at the same time it’s important to train with the appropriate group as much as possible. This session is by no means required – we know that for many it has been a long season and you’d like to do other activities; many of our swimmers, historically, have wanted to continue their progress in preparation for their summer clubs and next season.

Also, please hold the date for the SPY Year-End Banquet…Sunday, March 17th at SPY (in the gym); Mrs. Daugherty has been working hard wit other volunteers to prepare a great year-end celebration of our Seniors and all of our successes this season, with trophies for all and lots of good food. You will be receiving a flyer about this event within a week or so.

That’s all for now – think WINNING at these year-end meets!

Jim

2/5/08

 Anyone who has qualified and wishes to swim at the Maryland State LSC Championships Feb. 28-Mar. 2nd at Navy) must let Crystee know by Friday. This is an OPTIONAL meet for our faster swimmers who have made the cuts, but our most important meet is the YMCA District Meet the following weekend (March 8-10) at Laurel’s Fairland Pool. I have attached an eligibility list for your review, although more swimmers will probably qualify or add events this weekend at C&P’s. All swimmers who qualify (and some needed to fill out relays) will be expected to swim at Districts…it is not considered optional.

For our 8 & Under swimmers, our Championship meet will be March 2nd at HARY, hosted by Towson YMCA. This is a big deal, and draws teams from four or five different states. The kids compete as their age (6,7,8) and it is a team scored event. We try to have a big party/pep rally the Friday or Saturday before the meet, and this is their chance to shine and win the team a trophy!! All 8 & Under swimmers should plan on attending this meet!! Sign up online by Wednesday, February 13th.

That’s all for now!
Jim and Crystee

1/31/08

 REGULAR SCHEDULE OF PRACTICES THIS WEEKEND!! The dual meet is for 10&U only, so any 10&U that are swimming in the dual meet may opt out of Saturday morning Sleuth practice if they wish.

All Spies and INV should attend regular practices as we begin to look at Districts and MD States.

We will be posting a Districts Eligibility List online next week (after we have results from this weekend’s dual meet). If you know you have qualified, please sign up. ALL SWIMMERS WHO HAVE QUALIFIED ARE EXPECTED TO SWIM ALL THREE DAYS OF THE MEET (There is a Friday night session this year for Distance Free, and many will swim in that session – 500;s for 12&U, 1000 for 13&U and it is SCORED, so we need to represent!).

1/25/08

 Please look over for your C&P entries (if any). I have incorporated all the changes people have e-mailed or discussed with me this week – more than 60 changes. If I do not hear of any changes you would like by Sunday at NOON, I am sending this as our official entry file. You may still add, drop, or change until Sunday at NOON – then it is locked in for entries and fees. All swimmers who have not qualified for Districts should be swimming in this meet…many swimmers have not yet signed up, and yet this is the last “non-qualifying time” meet for everyone except the 8 and Unders. You have until SUNDAY NOON to request being added to the meet.

Also – reminder that:
PRACTICE IS ON THE REGULAR SATURDAY SCHEDULE TOMORROW:

SPIES 5:30 TO 7:15 A.M.

INV. 7:15 TO 8:30 A.M. (Everyone should be there, as there is no meet conflict of any kind this weekend!!!)

SLEUTH 8:30 to 9:30 A.M. (getting ready to make some cuts at C&P’s!!)

 See you tomorrow or sometime soon at the pool!
Jim

1/22/08

 Two or three short items as we prepare for the end-of-season process over the next few weeks:

  1. HCY Dual Meet is for 10 & Unders only (as noted on website); HCY chose to forfeit the meet because they are sending their older kids to Dover for another meet. This is unfortunate, but does not really affect our preparation process, and will result in a competitive meet for our younger kids, as HCY is always strong in the 10 & Under age groups.

  2. C&P Preliminary draft entries are attached to this e-mail. For swimmers that have not qualified for Districts, this is your final chance to qualify, so all non-District qualifiers should be swimming. This is most certainly not the case, as reflected in this report. If you would like to swim, you MUST e-mail me directly with events and sessions (see website for details of meet) by Thursday night at 8 PM. The same goes for any changes to your events (you chose them J). I hope to submit the meet entries this weekend.

  3. I am also attaching District cuts for your review. As soon as I get a meet events file for Team Manager, I will generate an eligibility list of swimmers, but for now you should check your best times against the qualifying times to see if you would like to adjust anything for C&P’s to try to make the District meet.

This is important stuff – we have had a successful season and would like to have as many swimmers as possible swim at Districts and the higher meets, as well as begin looking at the spring LC meets. Basically, you need to swim as many meets as you qualify for at this point. I know it can be a little confusing, so feel free to contact either Crystee or me to review your options.

Talk to you at the pool!

Jim Hutcheson
SPY Swimming

1/14/08

 We have a solution to our Friday night crowding problem at SPY due to the early closure of the pool at AACC. Starting THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH, SPIES WILL SWIM FROM 3-4:30, FOLLOWED BY DETECTIVES FROM 4:30-5:30 PM.

There are a lot of special circumstances going on for the next week or so at the pool and in our older swimmers’ lives. To that end, I wanted to outline the schedule for the next few days through next Tuesday, January 22nd. Please print this out and make notes of changes that may affect your practice group.

Thursday (1/17): No a.m. practice for Spies (exams for AA Co.)

Friday (starting with 1/18): 3-4:30 for the SPIES at AACC and 4:30-5:30 for the Detectives

Saturday (1/19): 7-9 a.m. SPIES only (no dryland), CATY MEET

Sunday (1/20): Regular practice

Monday (1/21): SPIES 6:45-8:45a.m., INV 3:30-5:45 p.m. (depending on whether Severn is there or not, we may do dryland from 3:30-4). Everyone else is on their regular schedule.

Tuesday (1/22): No a.m. (exams for AA Co.) Severn dual meet at SPY. INV. 5-6pm dryland, PE & Detectives 6-7pm. Spies and Sleuths off.

Good luck. One more note about Saturday’s meet with CATY: this is our biggest rival, and due to yet another high school dual meet we will be missing many of our older swimmers, so it will be critical if we are to win this meet that everyone that swims swims well and does their best. Parking will be at a premium – please plan to park in the upper church lot, as there are at least two big events other than the meet going on at the Community Center that day (basketball tourney and a dance).

1/6/08

 TREMENDOUS JOB THIS WEEKEND – UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE SMOOTHEST WINTERFESTS EVER, THANKS TO THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF EACH OF YOU AS VOLUNTEERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF SPY SWIMMING!!

A couple of special thank yous are well deserved – these people, among others, went far above and beyond the call of duty, and have the thanks of not only our SPY coaches, but the entire meet. Time after time coaches would come up to Crystee or myself and rave about the job being done by many of the key meet staff, and we are proud to pass these kudos on to several of our parents:

John Sheppard – we could not have kept this meet running on time and accurately without his phenomenal eye for accuracy and detail in entries, results, and computer operations;
The Stoners (Mary Anne and Bob) – great spread in the hospitality room, and wonderful coordination of volunteers and refreshments in order to keep the coaches and officials hydrated and well fed throughout the very long weekend;
Chuck Schindler, Linda Praley, and Scott Burns – great announcing…ESPN will NOT be allowed to offer you bigger contracts to steal you away!;
Ken Barsa – thanks for your help in communicating and keeping us all on track through the preparation phases!!

And of course…

Maureen Kogut, Steve Golden, Joe Mullen, and Ray Calimer [the Gang of Four??] – keeping all of the paperwork, money, facility coordination, officials, and coaches straight all weekend is a tremendous task, and there were few (if any) issues that were not resolved immediately, effectively, and professionally for all concerned. What a fantastic meet you guys put on for all of us this past weekend at Maryland – and we, as well as all the other 45 teams present, appreciate it more than we can ever express.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT OF SPY SWIMMING! WE SWAM VERY WELL THIS WEEKEND AGAINST SOME OF THE BEST SWIMMERS IN THE COUNTRY, AND EVERYONE 1) HAD FUN 2) SWAM FAST AND 3) HAD A SMILE ON THEIR FACE AND JOY IN THEIR HEART !!!


JIM, CRYSTEE, AND THE COACHING STAFF

1/4/08
Reminders for this weekend!

  1. Arrival times are as follows:
    13 & OVER (all) – Each morning at 6:15 – we will warm up at about 6:30 to get lane space, then specific warm ups closer to 7:30

    12 & UNDER GIRLS: Saturday arrive 12:30, Sunday arrive 1:00

    12 & UNDER BOYS: Saturday arrive 1:30, Sunday arrive 1:30 (same both days)
  2. Reminders due to facility configuration:
    • we will sit near the office on the bleacher side of the pool – look for our banner and lots of blue
    • you may bring chairs, but may NOT dominate all the deck space…that’s why there are bleachers. All chairs must be on wall side of drains.
    • BRING FLUIDS TO DRINK AND LIGHT SNACKS, BUT THROW AWAY ALL TRASH WHEN YOU ARE DONE AS A MODEL TO OTHER TEAMS!!
    • Stay in the team area and follow instructions of coaches and assisting parents
    • Know your events and where the meet is – the scoreboard is great about that, but YOU must keep track
    • Be ready to swim fast ALL WEEKEND!!
    • If you qualify for finals, you are expected to stay unless there is a very good reason not to stay – we are past/prior to exams and school just started, so “studying” is probably not in the cards…if the coaches approve your not swimming, YOU must go to the scratch table and scratch out of finals


  3. VOLUNTEERS – WE’RE COUNTING ON ALL OF YOU TO HELP STAGE A PREMIER EVENT…I KNOW YOU’LL COME THROUGH WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND JOY IN YOUR HEARTS!!

See you at practice tonight or at the pool this weekend – think FAST!!

Jim and Crystee
SPY Swimming Coaches

12/27/07

 Hi everyone – hope you had a great Christmas and are having a good break from school (although I wish I saw a little more of some of you at the pool L). Three BIG, IMPORTANT pieces of information need your immediate attention – one is a repeat of last week, but the others are new as we approach Winterfest and the second half of our season…
  • YMCA FORMS NEED TO BE IN NOW!!! I must submit these forms to the YMCA prior to Winterfest for liability reasons, and only about 50% of you have returned them. This needs to be done now!! It does not take but two or three minutes, there are copies at the desk as well as attached to my e-mail of last week, but IT MUST BE DONE!!!!! Please take care of that as soon as possible if you have not yet done so.

  • WINTERFEST JOB SELECTION – Please contact Maureen with your job preference for Winterfest. You can simply e-mail her the following information: Parent Name (one per family), Swimmer’s name, Sessions swimming, and job preference. Maureen will try to keep you in the same job each day, although some flexibility is necessary. If your swimmer makes finals, you will be expected to work that session. Keep in mind that everyone has known about this commitment for months, and that it is our primary fundraiser for the year – we MUST put on a successful meet that people enjoy attending. Thanks in advance for your help with this – Maureen’s e-mail should be full by Saturday morning J.

  • AACC SCHEDULE CHANGES – AFFECTS SOME GROUPS/ PRACTICE DAYS: The college has undergone a schedule change and has shortened the amount of time available for our practices; we must be out of the pool by 5:30 each day. This is not an utter disaster, but has required us to make a few practice changes for the second half of the season (through March, when all practices return to SPY anyway). The changes are on the website, but are summarized here for you information and planning:

    • MONDAY: No Private Eye practice – INV will practice until 5:30 PM.
    • TUESDAY: Private Eyes attend with Detectives 5:45-7:00 PM
    • WEDNESDAY: INV practice ends at 4:45, SL will START at 4:30 (warm ups) and go until 5:30.
    • THURSDAY: No changes
    • FRIDAY: Spies will go until 5:30 PM, while Detectives will practice with Sleuths at SPY 4:30-5:30.
One additional note about practices…we really need better attendance at practices, especially the Investigators and Sleuths. Saturday morning practices are important, and attendance has been really abysmal for these two groups even over the Christmas break. We cannot improve as a team without each swimmer improving individually, and swimmers cannot improve individually unless they attend, practice, and train to do so. We have a proud tradition of excellence on our club, and we have team goals for the remainder of the short course season that require everyone to work together – coaches, parents, and swimmers – to produce the best swimming possible at our remaining meets. Just some holiday food for thought – see you at the pool!

Jim and Crystee
SPY Swimming

11/15/07

 REMINDER: THERE IS A PRACTICE SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND FOR THOSE NOT GOING TO CONNECTICUT…CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR PRACTICE TIMES!!

A few reminders for this weekend’s gala event in Connecticut:

WARM UP/ARRIVAL TIMES:
FRIDAY: 13 & OVER: ARRIVE 12:45, WARMUP 1:00
12 & UNDER: ARRIVE 5:00, WARMUP 5:30 (allow time for traffic between hotel and pool – 2 lane road)
SATURDAY: 13 & OVER: ARRIVE 6:45, WARMUP 7:00
12 & UNDER: ARRIVE 12:45, WARMUP 1:00
FINALS: SWIMMERS 5:30, EVERYONE ELSE (IN COSTUME J) 6:00 – Dismissed at 7:15 after watching some of the finals
SUNDAY: SAME AS SATURDAY UNLESS NOTIFIED OTHERWISE – ALL SWIMMERS ARE RELEASED AFTER THEIR LAST SWIM, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT IN FINALS BEFORE LEAVING (Scratch if any doubt…there will be lots of “move ups”).


We will be needing timers and/or officials – I am awaiting word how many. Officials – please bring your whites just in case! Please be flexible as far as helping out – it makes us look good, and gives us a practice run for Winterfest!

A couple of “strange” things about this meet…
  1. You will not know heats and lanes until the last minutes before the session starts – don’t keep bugging the coaches about it! In order to keep empty lanes to a minimum, they get all the scratches from the teams, and then post heat sheets at each end of the pool about 5-10 minutes before the first race. Coaches will get a few copies of heat sheets, and we will need a couple of parents to help get things started and keep kids flowing onto the bulkhead (especially in the far pool). It will seem very chaotic, but it will work out – it always does!

  2. We usually sit at the far pool, in and behind the bleachers. Parents are welcome to sit in the bleachers near the pool their kid is swimming in, but we will not know until Friday night who is swimming in which pool on which days. The pools will switch from Saturday to Sunday. All finals are in the “North” (window end) pool. PLEASE MAKE SURE SWIMMERS REMAIN IN THE TEAM AREA DURING THE MEET!

  3. The road from the hotel to the pool is not long, but it is two lanes for most of the way – so leave a little extra time to get there. (12-15 MINUTES) Parking is somewhat limited – you can always drop the kids off, then park and walk back. Please cooperate with the traffic monitors in terms of where to park, etc.


We all look forward to an exciting weekend – this is many swimmers’ favorite meet, and a great honor to be invited by one of the premier YMCA swim teams in the country to participate in their meet. Look around, learn a little bit, and enjoy the experience – we’ll see you up there!!

The Coaches
Jim, Crystee, Maureen, and Peter

11/6/07

 I don’t ask very often for a lot of parent involvement or extra commitment, but this is different. Through graduation and attrition, we have lost a LOT of officials the past two years, and really need to re-build our corps of volunteers. Right now we have about eight or so, and functionally only four of those are consistently active at meets (and THANKS to them, of course!).

We really need a corps of 20-25 officials to help officiate at meets when we travel and fulfill our obligations as meet hosts. This enables everyone to share the load, and many hands make light work. Officiating is not hard for anyone who has any background in swimming, as a parent or as a swimmer. The training is FREE for you, and allows you to have the best view of the meet from right on deck. As opposed to summer meets, it is not the emotionally wrenching experience of looking all the kids in the eye and telling them they are disqualified…most of the notification is by paper and given to the coaches. The rules are not that complex, and you would really help the team by volunteering to become an official.

Nor is it particularly time consuming for training – ONE 3-4 hour class and then some shadowing at meets to help build your confidence if you wish.

Our class for this year will be on this Saturday, November 10th, from 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon (right after the second morning practice). The class involves some discussion activities, a video regarding the rules, and some classwork activities regarding determining official times (I told you it was simple – almost everyone has timed before!). There is a take home test that must be completed, but it is open-book with the materials provided for your review. All materials are provided, and with meets like Wilton, HARY, the 8 & Under meet vs. ASC, and the Towson dual meet coming up you will have several chances to officiate in a low-pressure atmosphere and learn the craft a little bit.

Please consider doing this for our team – without a solid corps of officials we cannot hold meets, including our two biggest fundraisers of the year – Winterfest and the Summer County Meet – and our club will slowly find itself invited to fewer and fewer meets around the region.

SATURDAY – 8:30 A.M. UNTIL NOON @ SPY – MATERIALS PROVIDED! I’M THE INSTRUCTOR, SO YOU KNOW IF NOTHING ELSE IT WON’T BE TOO BORING!! PLEASE HELP!!

Drop me an e-mail if you are willing to help us out…we really need a good turnout!!

Jim Hutcheson
Head Coach - SPY Swimming

11/6/07

 Hi guys!

AS we have done each year, we have allowed the captains to come up with a theme for Saturday night finals session at Wilton, as well as the hotel room windows and so forth . We do ask all swimmers to attend finals until at least 7 PM, in order to support their teammates and show some team spirit before heading off to dinner and bed (yeah, right…).

I have attached a flyer with this year’s theme, and the coaches look forward to seeing the creativity and team spirit that make this trip so much fun for our team every year. I have already heard from the people in Wilton, just waiting with bated breath to see what those crazy confederates from Maryland come up with for this year…

Have fun with this and work hard for the next ten days before this BIG meet!!

Jim Hutcheson
Head Coach - SPY Swimming

10/28/07

 Hi everyone!

We received the final meet information about next weekend’s meet in Easton this morning, and wanted to share it with you as soon as possible. Please note that there are a few changes from past years (those of you who have attended) with regard to team areas, etc.

ARRIVAL TIMES:

12 & OVER: ARRIVE 6:45 FOR 7:00 A.M. WARMUP (We only get TEN minutes, so you must BE ON TIME! On deck 6:55 in suit)
10 & UNDER: ARRIVE 12:45 FOR 12:55 P.M. WARMUP (same details as above…on deck 12:50 IN SUIT and CAP)


Our team area will be in the gym. Parents should plan on sitting in the balcony of the pool (except for a few we may ask to stay in the gym to help find/marshal swimmers for their events). TCY has requested that the gym be used for swimmers only, as it is a very crowded meet. There is a clerk of course in the gym to line swimmers up – all swimmers should report to the clerk of the course when their event is being lined up, and will be walked out to the pool (just like summer meets J). We will have events posted, including heats and lanes, in our team area of the gym.

There is food being served in the back hallway of the Y.

All swimmers should wear SPY SUITS AND CAPS ONLY!! We will try to have a supply of caps there, but these should have been ordered with your equipment. In the chaos of a meet, it’s hard for coaches to play supply manager also! Additionally, please wear your sweats/clothes out to the pool deck, including shoes. You really should not be undressed for your race until you are behind the blocks.

HAVE YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING!!! It’s hard to recover items that are not marked. They usually come back to the coaches, and if you think we know your suit size, shirt size, or shoe size, you obviously have mistaken us for your mother…

Make sure you check with the coaches (we will be on the deck near the locker rooms) after you swim for any feedback we may have. Then proceed through the locker rooms back to the gym or upstairs to speak with your parents.

Thanks for your help in making this a great start to our invitational season. We’re looking forward to showing off our new swimmers and seeing lots of best times and impressive performances!

Jim and Crystee
Head Coaches - SPY Swimming

P.S. A quick word about practice attendance. We have lots of swimmers who are jumping around from group to group without having checked with Jim or Crystee for permission. We try to be accommodating when we can for one-time special requests, etc., but for the most part we need to have swimmers practice with THEIR group, as our planning and grouping procedures are based on a combination of skill development, group size, and training needs. Please let US decide when your child is ready to move up/down/etc., as that is one of our primary functions as coaches.

10/21/07

 Hi Everyone and News about Wilton:

Here is the draft of the entries for Wilton. Please review and get back to me with any problems by Tuesday at Noon, as I will send the file out at 3:15 PM on Tuesday, after which there are no changes (except relays, which can change at the meet based on performance, as always).

Please check for the following:
  1. That you are entered in the meet (yes, we have had people travel to the meet without having registered before);
  2. That you have made your hotel reservations (info on website if you haven’t);
  3. That you are aware of session start times.
IF FOR SOME REASON YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST AND WANT TO SWIM, CONTACT JIM ASAP TO GET IN THE MEET. WE HAVE A SMALLER GROUP THAN USUAL GOING, AND ARE WILLING TO TAKE MORE IF YOU GET TO ME BY NOON TUESDAY.

For anyone that wants to do so, we are offering the opportunity for people going up early Friday to swim distance events on Friday afternoon/evening. Warm-ups for the older kids start at 1:30, with a meet start at 3:00 pm for the 500 FR and 400 IM. You could swim either or both. For 12 & Unders, warmups are at 5:30 with a meet start of 6:30 (200 FREE AND 200 IM). Not a bad deal, since you get to sleep in the next day for the afternoon session.

IF YOU WANT TO SWIM THE DISTANCE SESSION, YOU MUST E-MAIL ME BY NOON ON TUESDAY. PETER AND CRYSTEE WILL BE REMINDING PEOPLE TOMORROW AT PRACTICE ALSO. IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SWIM EVENTS THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY OFFERED AT OUR “REGULAR” MEETS.

Jim and Crystee
Head Coaches - SPY Swimming

10/1/07
  1. Meet deadlines for sign-ups:
    • October 5th – Opening Gun: All new swimmers and whoever else wants to get a meet in before Wilton

    • October 10th – Dual Meet (home) against HARY: Spies and mainly new swimmers. We may have to trim this meet a bit as far as number of swimmers in each age group to accommodate the facility schedule.Please be patient, as it is very important for the first meet that we keep the size and facility impact under control, as it will be the first major event in the renovated Community Center.

  2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SUNDAYS!!! The Community Center is CLOSED on Sundays to all activities except SPY swimming. Because of this, we MUST REMAIN IN THE POOL AREA ONLY during practices. We also must use the “old” entrance to get into the pool (near the therapy pool). The lounge, although nice, is OFF LIMITS, as is the lobby and outer hallway. We will also not be able to check mailboxes on Sundays. We cannot afford to lose the privilege of using the pool on Sundays, so we ask for your support in adhering to these guidelines until such time as the situation may change. Thanks for your support in this!

  3. SWIMATHON NEXT SUNDAY!! Our first SPY Swimathon in more than 10 years is scheduled for next Sunday, October 14th. You all have received pledge sheets in your mailboxes, and I know we can count on you to fill up those sheets and get lots of sponsorships to support our program and getting some new equipment for the renovated pool. Every swimmer is important, as much for team building as fund raising. Even the coaches are getting in on the act with a coaches’ relay where each coach will swim for 30 minutes (albeit VERY SLLllllooooooooooowwwwlly). Look for special prizes, such as a Pizza Party for the group that raises the most money as a whole (just think – isn’t eating pizza more fun than swimming laps???). I know we can reach our team goal of raising $10,000 or more next Sunday – get out there and find those sponsors!!

  4. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING REMINDER Our annual membership meeting is next Tuesday, October 9th, at SPY. Everyone received the information about this event, and the coaches will be available during and after the meeting to help you with any questions about upcoming events, practice groups, etc. Jim will be hosting a forum for parents of NEW swimmers to discuss any concerns or questions – hopefully our communication has been good, but there are always questions by this time of year. Please try to have at least one parent from each family represented at this meeting, as we will need to start discussing upcoming events such as Winterfest (our big meet in January that we host at the University of Maryland).


As always, thanks for your support!!

Jim Hutcheson
Head Coach - SPY Swimming

10/1/07

 Great job at the Freestyle Meet this weekend – a lot of good time drops, and most swimmers got a good start to their season. A couple of issues did come up at the meet that we would like to address so that future meets go smoothly, especially as we have more swimmers involved over the next month or so leading up to Wilton, HARY, and the other bigger invitationals:

  1. All swimmers need to report to the coaches immediately after they swim. When we are looking to give feedback and time splits, it helps to have the kids come over right away rather than going to see their parents, friends, etc. first. Sometimes by the time they arrive to the coaches’ area, we have moved on to other swimmers and can’t remember everything we need to relay to them. Please help to remind your swimmers of this team procedure.

  2. All swimmers are to wear SPY team suits and SPY caps ONLY!! The coaches usually have a few extra caps on hand for purchase, but better yet please buy a couple of caps for your children that use them. NO OTHER CAPS SHOULD BE WORN, as this takes away from the professionalism and team appearance that we are so proud of as an organization. Please adhere to this – we don’t want to be overbearing about it but is an important part of being a part of a team.

  3. While we realize that it is no always possible (based on facility, etc.), it’s always nice for out parents to sit together whenever possible. This helps promote new friendships and a team camaraderie that carries over to the kids. We are known for the spirit and enthusiasm of our parents, and we want that whenever possible!

  4. IMPORTANT! According to USA Swimming and YMCA Swimming rules, parents are not allowed on the pool deck during meets (except for where facility constraints do not allow for a separate spectator area). We need to adhere to this policy. We had many parents coming down onto the deck at ASC, and such violations of the safety guidelines could result in our swimmers being removed from the meet or our team being fined up to $100 per violation. Emergencies will arise now and then that require parental involvement, but the coach is supposed to be the person in charge of teams on the deck, and we need to honor that regulation. Additionally, we would ask that if you as parents have any issues with facility rules, meet personnel, etc. that you come to us and let us as coaches try to handle the situation. The people running these meets are volunteers, and are not trying to offend or make any parents miserable; they have a job to do, and by and large they do it very well and very politely. For parents to get into confrontations with meet officials reflects very poorly on our team, and can cause problems for our club and our swimmers through the season. Thanks for your cooperation in helping to preserve our reputation for excellence and enthusiasm within the swimming community!

  5. We were really proud of the “little guys” that swam longer distance events this weekend. They really stepped up and showed a lot of courage and skill in doing new things – that’s a wonderful attitude for young swimmers to have rather than a “if I can’t win, I don’t want to do it” attitude. Great job everybody!

  6. REMINDERS: Opening Gun (Nov. 3rd) meet deadline is October 5th, and first dual meet deadline is October 10th (for the 20th). ALL NEW SWIMERS should sign up for Opening Gun. We will probably need to limit the signups for the dual meet to keep the meet manageable, but we will handle that once signups are complete. SWIMATHON FORMS ARE IN YOUR BOXES AT SPY – Please get as many sponsors as possible so that we can raise some extra money for training equipment at the pool.

Jim Hutcheson
Head Coach - SPY Swimming

9/27/07

 Hi Everyone!

A few news items and notes for this weekend and beyond that everyone needs to aware of:

  1. WARMUPS FOR THIS WEEKEND: Warmups are at 7:00 a.m. both days at ASC this weekend (4:00 Friday afternoon). Please be on time for the meet warmup so that we are well prepared to swim. This is a nice kickoff to the season, and the sessions usually don’t last that long. Let’s swim fast to see where we are after early weeks of practice.

  2. COMMUNITY CENTER ENTRANCES: Please use the main (new) entrance of the Community Center now that the entire facility is open. The therapy pool (old) entrance is for use only for morning practices, and even in the mornings we will be exiting through the main doors. All entry to the pool should be through the locker rooms, and no wet bodies should be out in the hall. As the weather gets colder, that will be important to stay healthy by not being out in the hallway wet and wrapped in towels while the cold air streams into the lobby.

  3. MAILBOXES: Please note that the mailboxes are back after two years in folders! Check your mailbox regularly for information and awards – at least every time you come to practice. There is a payment box available at one end of the mailboxes for payment envelopes also – please feel free to use that if nobody is available at the desk, or if you forget to mail payments.

  4. THANK YOU FOR OUR WEIGHTS!!: Several parents helped bring back our weight equipment from storage limbo last weekend. That help was a critical step to getting our weight program back on track for the older kids. We still need a maintenance call from the vendor, but at least it’s on site and we know that things will be back to normal soon. Thanks to Messrs. Breen-Franklin, Golden, Mullen, Wentworth, Muha, Blunt, McCullum, McCullough, Schindler, and a couple of others, including some swimmers.

  5. SIGN UP FOR MEETS!!: Deadlines are coming up for our first dual meet (October 20th) and Opening Gun (Nov. 3rd in Easton). Please sign up by October 5th for Opening Gun (all new swimmers should swim, others are welcome to swim to get a meet in before Wilton) and by October 10th for the dual meet. Also the deadline for the Wilton Thanksgiving Meet in November will be October 29th. This is a meet that as many swimmers as possible should plan on attending – it is a great meet to make friends, meet new people, and has NO CUTS – so all of our swimmers at all levels can swim and show that Maryland Pride!! We will be reminding people at practices about this regularly, but try to get this planned for early! Hotel information for Wilton is available online under the meet schedule.


We think that’s all for now – keep up the good work, and we’ll see you poolside!

Jim and Crystee
Head Coaches - SPY Swimming

P.S. Thinking about Wilton and the evening “parent meetings” in the downstairs establishment each night got me to thinking about this year’s first trivia question…What was the name of the local bar where Jack, Chrissy, Janet, and Larry hung out on Three’s Company back in the 1970’s?? Coaches’ brownie points to the first few people that respond with the correct answer!!

9/15/07
A couple of things at the end of a mostly successful first week of practice…

  1. Please be aware of the practice schedule. There are a few new time slots for different groups, and it’s important that we take advantage of as many chances to practice as possible. This is especially true for the younger groups, as we have re-balanced time and shifted sites this year after a settled schedule for three or four years.
  2. ASC FREESTYLE MEET: ENTRIES ARE POSTED!! Please check your entries and let Jim know by Saturday at 3:00 PM if you have a strong desire to change into or out of certain events. I did take the liberty of entering several people in the 1000 on Friday to get a little more exposure for distance swimming – so please check it out and let me know. I have to turn in the entries tomorrow night or Sunday morning.
  3. NO GUM OR FOOD ON DECK: It is extremely important that we take care of our relationships with the Community Center and AACC – to that end please avoid having gum at any pool or bringing food on deck at SPY. There is also a “clear fluid only” policy at AACC that we need to adhere to. This seems to be a big problem during dryland, but it is critical that we not mess up a brand new facility, and nothing does that faster than wads of gum left everywhere like after the dryland session on Thursday.
  4. GROUP MEETINGS: I’m going to hold off at least one more week, as this week we have a Board Meeting on Tuesday and we are waiting for a little more clarity on room availability. As always, if you have specific questions, please e-mail me and I will reply as soon as I can.
  5. HELP WANTED!!: We are very close to getting our weight room opened back up. Our equipment has been in storage for almost two years, and we need to get it back to SPY from a storage unit in Severna Park (at a private home). Steve Golden and I are working on the logistics of this move, but we are going to need some manpower to move the stuff. If you have time and/or a truck to help move the equipment we would really like to have a couple of hours of your time either next weekend (we could coordinate it with practices possibly) or the following weekend – unfortunately it will be coming together during the next few days, so I don’t have all the details yet. Just drop me a line if you are willing to help us out with this worthwhile project that will benefit all of our team for years to come. I know the kids are excited to be so close to having the weight room back, and parents will have access also for workouts, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!

I think that’s all for now – see you at the pool!

9/4/07

 Hi Everyone:

While I’m sure that I can never answer all of the questions you may have regarding the start of practice, I would like to take a few minutes to outline some things that will make the start of the season go more smoothly for your swimmers and our team. These highlights fall into three general categories: practice guidelines, team schedules, and communication.

  1. PRACTICE GUIDELINES: This is often one of the issues that need the most explanation for younger swimmers, especially those new to the winter swimming experience. While meets are meets, it is the practice environment that is the most different between summer and winter swimming. Keep in mind that all of these guidelines are meant to help your swimmer (and through them, our team) become better swimmers and progress as rapidly as possible within our system. Some of the basic tenets of practice habits and success include:

    • Try to be on time and ready to go at the assigned practice time. Stragglers delay the entire group from getting an efficient start and cause a lot of repeated instructions and draw the coaches’ attention away from the kids in the water to those trying to get into the water. Especially frustrating is the mad scramble for caps and goggles after the swimmers have been out ondeck talking to each other for several minutes prior to practice!;
    • Always be quiet when the coaches are giving instructions. If you don’t understand an instruction, speak up, but try to listen closely, as an explanation usually accompanies the instructions;
    • Wear nylon or lycra bathing suits (especially boys); “trunks” do not work well with the more intense practices, and often affect the kids using proper techniques because of the fatigue that ensues. Girls (and boys with long hair) should wear caps, and everyone should have two pairs of goggles with them;
    • Treat the locker rooms as you would the home of someone hosting you for an event; just because they are public does not mean that they are not to be kept clean, and proper behavior is a must. We can always use a little additional adult supervision in there at the beginning and end of practice, especially for the younger groups. No food or drink should be consumed in the locker rooms, and under no circumstances is glass ever permitted in the pool area or locker rooms. IF IT IS NOT YOURS, DO NOT TOUCH IT!! This avoids a lot of problems with equipment, suits, etc. disappearing and having to be tracked down later;
    • Try your best to follow any instructions or feedback the coaches give you; it may not always make sense at the time, but many drills and practice sets are designed with an end in mind that will only happen if an honest effort is made to do it the way the coaches want. Those who listen and try do very well; those who are not open to feedback tend to struggle and become frustrated.
    • If you are having a problem with another swimmer, please come to the coach. Do not argue, stop in the middle of the pool, or ask the parents to become involved. The coaches will adjust lanes and groupings for the benefit of all swimmers if necessary, although we like to promote socialization when possible also.
    • WHILE PRACTICE CAN SEEM CHAOTIC DURING THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO, IT WILL SETTLE DOWN. COACHES WILL ADJUST GROUPINGS AFTER TWO WEEKS OF PRACTICE IF NECESSARY FOR BALANCE AMONG GROUPS IN TERMS OF NUMBERS AND ABILITY OF SWIMMERS. THIS TENDS TO ESPECIALLY AFFECT THE PRIVATE EYES, DETECTIVES, AND SLEUTHS. WE THANK YOU OR YOUR PATIENCE AND WILL DO OUR BEST TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH YOU – PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO THE SAME WITH US (BUT ONLY AFTER PRACTICES OR BY E-MAIL…WE SIMPLY CAN’T STOP WHAT WE’RE DOING TO TALK TO YOU DURING PRACTICEJ).


  2. TEAM SCHEDULE: I have posted a team schedule for meets on the website. All meets are signed up for through the website (we will go over this more in depth at our group meetings later this month). Please try to meet all entry deadlines – it is very difficult to manage our team if everyone wants to sign up late for meets and events. It’s a very simple process to sign up; you simply click on the link to do so with your swimmer’s age and which sessions (if a multi-day meet) you wish to attend. In general we would like swimmers to swim entire meets instead of one day of a two or three day meet; we do understand that sometimes prior commitments happen. The weekends we would really like everyone to commit to are as follows: at least one meet prior to Wilton, the Wilton Invitational in November, the HARY Classic or Capital Classic in December, and Winterfest in January. All of our swimmers will be eligible for at least one year-end meet, and there are many opportunities for more meets throughout the year. Swim as much as you want – meets are the “fun” part of swimming! You will generally get updates on a regular basis about which meets are being signed up for, reminders about deadlines, and suggestions about who we would like to see swim at certain meets. This is another topic that I’m sure you will have questions about as we move through the year – always feel free to drop me an e-mail any time.

  3. COMMUNICATION: I tend to probably overcommunicate at times, because no matter how many times we announce things at practice, post things on the board at the pool, post items to the website, and e-mail out information, somebody seems to miss the message. We have more than 200 swimmers this year, and our goal is to make sure that everyone stays up to date not just on swimming, but on our organization as a whole and its success. Most of my communications with you will be specific to swim practice, meets, and team events. Other out-of-water issues and events will be communicated by our parent board, Chaired by Ann Lloyd and with representation from each practice group. All of my messages that are for the team as a whole will be e-mailed to you, as well as posted on the swim team page of our website. This generally happens about once per week – usually Wednesday or Thursday so that special announcements about the upcoming weekend (meet directions and warm-up times, schedule changes, and the like) can get out ahead of time. I’m sure that at some point during the year I will make an error or you will miss a message – I hate it, but it does happen, so I will apologize in advance for any inconvenience or miscommunication. A couple of things YOU can do to keep this from happening will minimize the damage and keep the flow of information coming:

    • Make sure your e-mail program allows all communication from the spyswimming.org domain, and specifically from my e-mail address jim@spyswimming.org . It’s amazing the number of times people find my e-mails in their junk box (BEFORE they actually choose to treat them as such J);

    • Check not only your e-mail once per week, but the swim team home page at www.spyswimming.org to make sure you get the latest information;

    • Check the mailboxes that will be at the pool regularly – and that your children haven’t sent any papers there to the nether regions of their swim bags to dissolve into eternity;

    • Check the bulletin board regularly about team announcements;

    • READ EVERYTHING!! Sometimes the information may not pertain to your swimmer’s group, but by knowing about things ahead of time you will not miss those items that DO matter for your swimmers. This is especially important for parents of our 8 & U, as they tend to have some separate events and meets from the remainder of the team just because of the developmental nature of that part of our program.


I don’t want to inundate you with too much more right now; I will probably follow up with another e-mail around the end of the week with all of the things that the rest of the coaches and team staff tell me I’ve forgotten. In the meantime, please accept all of our staff’s sincere welcome and appreciation for being a part of SPY Swimming, and rest assured that we will do everything in our power to make this an enjoyable family experience for you and your children. You will meet a lot of great people, have a lot of fun, and improve dramatically as a part of our team this year. Final Key Points:

  • PRACTICE STARTS MONDAY, 9/10/07 ACCORDING TO FALL SCHEDULE;

  • TEAM SUIT AND EQUIPMENT SIZING NIGHTS (AT SPY):
    • WED. 9/12
    • FRI. 9/14
    • TUE. 9/18
    • WED. 9/19


  • FIRST MEET SIGNUP (LAST YEAR’S TEAM MEMBERS ONLY): ASC FREESTYLE MEET DUE NEXT WEDNESDAY 5 PM!!!! SIGN UP ON THE WEBSITE!!


See you at the pool (I’ve been waiting all month to say that J!!),

9/2/07
  1. Optional workouts this week are for SPIES ONLY (T/W/TH 3:30-5:00)!! There is not enough locker room space (they are fixing the drainage issues in the main locker rooms) for both Spies and INV. Sorry for the miscommunication.

  2. JIM IS BACK ONLINE (after several issues related to his living in his mother-in-law’s basement with his family L)!!!! Everyone should have received a test message from Jim on Sunday, September 2nd. If you have not received such an e-mail, please e-mail Jim right away with your name and Practice Group so he can check against his master e-mail list. There seems to be a bad address in the Spies Group, as he has received no responses from that group, which normally means there is an incorrect e-mail address somewhere on the list that blocks the remainder from getting a message. IT IS CRITICAL THAT IF YOU CHANGE E-MAILS, YOU LET JIM KNOW AS SOON S POSSIBLE, AS THAT IS THE PRIMARY MEANS OF COMMUNICATION DURING THE SEASON!

  3. There will be a big e-mail coming this week (either tomorrow or Tuesday) going over early season deadline dates, meet schedules through Christmas, and other things like equipment ordering, etc.


Looking forward to a great start the week of the 10th! Check those e-mails!!

Jim

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