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Latest BBD Updates...

Practice Changes for Week of 2/6 Updated 2/5/12

There are changes to the regular practice schedule for this week. Please check regularly for mid-week changes. All upcoming changes can be found on the Practice Schedule page.

Pasta Party for 8 & Under Swimmers Updated 2/5/12

8 & under pasta party will take place on Monday, February 13th at the YMCA immediately following the 4:30 practice. All 8 & under swimmers are welcome.

Meet Entry Updates Updated 1/31/12

It is championship meet season and you must keep a close watch on the website and watch the deadlines closely. There is no ability to accommodate late entries so it is your responsibility to ensure you have your swimmers registered online by the deadline. We understand it is complicated and if you have questions please email Susan Withrow at svarnerwithrow@comcast.net.

District meet: Entry deadline was Friday, February 3. This is the last chance for your swimmer to achieve a Y State Cut. If they achieve a Y State Cut at this meet, you must email Susan Withrow (svarnerwithrow@comcast.net) by 10:00 p.m. on the day of the District meet with the event, time achieved and the “bonus” events they want to swim at the Y State Meet.
The Y State Meet: Packet is posted on the Schedule and Entries page. The deadline for entry is Wednesday, February 15. Your swimmer can swim three individual events. Even if they only have one or two state cuts, they can sign up for bonus events to swim a max of three individual events. If your swimmer gets a cut at clusters it is your responsibility to enter the Y State Meet online by the deadline. If your swimmer does not have a cut now, they register for the District Meet by February 3. If they achieve a Y State time at the clusters meet your swimmer will be removed from the District Meet and you will not be charged entry fees. But, you must register them online for the Y State Meet by the deadline Wednesday, February 15.

Cluster Meet Information

Volunteer Sign Up Updated 1/30/12

Please be sure to sign up early to volunteer to help at the Cluster Meet. It is the responsibility of parents to volunteer for at least one session per swimmer you have on the team. Please email Heather Pape at heatherpape1232@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thank you in advance.

Cluster Meet Advertising Opportunities Updated 1/30/12

Cluster Meet Advertising Packet. Please contact Jane Fletcher at JaneFletcher@comcast.net for inquiries.

Beverage Donations Updated 1/30/12

Please bring the following beverage donations to the meet for our concessions stand. Proceeds benefit BBD Boosters

Last Names A- D           Gatorade (8-Pack)
Last Names E - H           Vitamin Water (8-Pack)
Last Names I- M            Case of Water
Last Names N - Q          12 Pack of Sprite
Last Name R                   12 Pack of Coke
Last Name S - V             12 Pack of Diet Coke
Last Name W - Z            Chocolate Milk (eg. Land O' Lakes or Guernsey) (4 Pack)

Coach's Corner Updated 1/31/12

Indy! What a great weekend in Indianapolis!

First, let me thank the coaches: Mike, Anne, Kate and Collin who took a day away from their “day jobs” Friday to drive the six hours to Indy to lead our swimmers. It was worth it! The Indy Meet attracts premier teams from all over the Midwest and our swimmers certainly made an impression! Here are the highlights:

The boys were in first place overall going into the Sunday night session.
John Schihl (15-17) qualified for the national meet in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.
Maggie Pyett (15-17) and Jack Russell re-qualified for the national meet
Allie Russell was the top 11-12 year old girl in the meet, Ava Suchara was third overall in 11-12. Oliver Cafferty was third in 9-10 boys overall.
Joe Edwards (11-12) qualified for his first zone meet in the 200 free.
Megan Clement (9-10,) Genevieve Hoppen (9-10) and Jonah Venos (11-12) qualified for the US State Meet.
We also picked up a plethora of other cuts as well.
Our relays were excellent; we had first places in five of the sixteen relays contested and several second and third places.
11-12 girls medley and freestyle relays (Katie Minnich, Allie Russell, Ava Suchara, Camille Rochaix) - 1st Place
13-14 boys’ medley (Mark Blinstrub, Jack Russell, Mitch Buccalo, Bobby Powrie) and freestyle (Max Threlkeld, Jack Russell, Mark Blinstrub, Bobby Powrie) - 1st Place
Boys 400 free relay (Addison Williams, John Schihl, Miles McDonald, Gus Kouvaris) - 1st Place

Congratulations to everyone involved! We are really proud of all of you!

Kevin

Coach's Corner Updated 1/24/12

Dear Swimmers and Parents,

Last night, we had one of our monthly board meetings. As you can imagine, we get a lot accomplished at these gatherings. Last night we discussed plans for putting on the Eastern Cluster Meet, incentives for the swimmers, the practice schedule adjustments we need to make when one or more of our pools become unavailable, as well as plans for our National Team who will be swimming that meet and a new venue in a new city (for the first time in memory the meet will not be in Fort Lauderdale where all of our accommodations and arrangements had been time tested…)

It’s also an opportunity for the board to give me feedback that they get from our parents. We understand that age-group swimming is a complicated affair for parents, compounded by the fact that we are a dual YMCA and US team. We try our best to give you all of the information you need in a timely fashion and coaches and board members are available to answer your questions. All of us are committed to having the best possible organization.

Here are some burning issues…..

We still need parents to be vigilant about dropping off and picking up swimmers. Please don’t drop your child off at a practice until you are sure a coach is there. Come into the buildings to get your swimmer. This is a huge safety issue and several parents are creating a liability for the team by not following these procedures.
The Cluster Meet has always been a required meet for all of our swimmers, as are all championship meets for which they qualify. The only exception would be boys who are swimming on middle school teams who also have Q1 times (AA) because they are restricted to two meets during their middle school season and we want them for Y States and AAs.
Parents volunteering at Clusters is also required. This is the complaint that I hear from board members that bothers me the most. We ask that each family volunteer for the sessions where their children swim or take on a role before or after the meet. The load is light if everyone helps and it is part of being on a team.
The only way the team gets proof of times from middle school or high school meets is if you get them to us in a timely manner. The procedures are on the website. Allowing your swimmers to use these times is a huge advantage to them, but you have to supply them or they can’t be used.
If you are going to the Indy Meet and your swimmer doesn’t achieve the cut, please pay the fines while you are there. Not doing so puts the team in jeopardy to return to the meet and it is one of our favorite meets.

Now for some good news…we had four eight and under swimmers swim the 500 for the first time! Fuzail Ahmed, Justine Murdock, Ilye Wallace and Will Withrow each made us very proud with their performance at last weekend’s meet! Congratulations to all of them! We’ve had lots of great swims at recent meets. Patrick Olmsted broke the team record in the 11-12 1,000 freestyle and Camille Rochaix qualified for the AA meet in the 400 IM.

Kevin

Coach's Corner (Championship Meet Edition) Updated 1/22/12

Please read carefully….Our mid-season meets have been remarkable, and we are heading into our championship season. Here is a re-cap of what to expect in the next few weeks.

All swimmers are required to participate in the championship meets for which they are eligible. Every swimmer is eligible for at least two meets regardless of age or ability. This requirement must be fulfilled this season in order for a swimmer to be invited, and guaranteed a spot, on the team next season.

Our first championship meet is Clusters. (February 11-12 ) The entire team swims in this meet, one session per age group. We host this meet so we expect that every parent is volunteering to help put on a great event. Eight and under swimmers may select their events. Swimmers 9 and up may select theirs as well but they should select the events where they have the best chance to get a state time and avoid those in which they have already qualified. Time Trials will be offered after every session of the meet and all 9-12 swimmers should do at least on time trial in an event that is not offered in the meet (100s and 200s of stroke, 200 and 400 IM or the 500 free.)

The second championship meet is the YMCA Eight and Under State Championships/ District Meet. (February 18-19) All eight and unders swim in the State Championships and this represents the end of the season for the eight and unders unless they have qualified to swim in the 9 and up YMCA State Meet. Currently, we have two young ladies who have done so. The District Meet is for any swimmer who has not yet qualified for the YMCA State Meet. If they qualify for the State Meet at this meet they continue on to the State Meet. Otherwise this marks the end of their season.

Next, we go onto YMCA State Meet at Jenison (February 25-26) This is required of all qualifiers except high school boys. Each age group swims one session. There will be time trials offered at this meet and I encourage all 9-12 swimmers to participate in at least one in an event that is not offered in the meet.

The US 12 and Under State Meet (March 9, 10, 11) is next. All qualifiers must attend. This is a three –day meet. We may invite a few non-qualifiers to attend in the 9-10 girls and 11-12 girls to swim in relays if we do not have at least eight individual qualifiers by that time. (This is a US Meet where swimmers swim their actual age, some of our finest swimmers have “aged-up.”) In the event that a swimmer has qualified in more than six events that they enter all of them and we will look at the psych sheets at the meet and determine which six they will actually swim.

The YMCA Zone Meet (March 16,17,18) in Canton, Ohio. All qualifiers attend

The YMCA National Meet (April 2-6) in Greensboro, North Carolina. We expect all qualifiers to attend.

There is one other meet that comes up during this period and that is the Junior Olympics Meet March 2-4. This is the “last-chance “ meet for swimmers to get Q1 (or AA) times to qualify for the US Twelve and Under Meet. Only swimmers with a legitimate chance of qualifying should enter this meet. Depending on the entry, there may not be a coach at this meet.

I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions, please ask a coach.

Kevin

BBD Contact Information

For general questions and more information on the Birmingham Blue Dolphins, please contact Mike Venos @ michael.venos@gmail.com or Carolyn Schena @ carolyn.schena@proforma.com.

For inquiries about 2011-2012 BBD Swimming, please contact Head Coach Kevin Fogarty @ kfogarty@ashmi.org. Thank you.

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Page last updated February 05, 2012

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