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CALENDAR
Feb 1 - Monthly fees due

Feb 5 - Open Swim 1-4pm.

Feb 10-12 - GA Qualifier @ GAC - team hosted event!

Feb 10, 11 - No practices

Feb 12 - No open swim. No masters.

Feb 17 - Sr/Prep 1 AM double 8-9:30am.

Feb 20 - Sr double 8-9:30am.

Feb 21 - Mardi Gras!

Feb 23-25 - Age Group State Champs @ Ga Tech

Gwinnett Aquatics is an affiliate of SwimOutlet.com. Use the link below to search SwimOutlet for some of the best prices on swim equipment. Be sure to use this link and your purchase will also support our program.

SwimOutlet

Team Suits, Goggles for Sale
   I have some team suits at a big discount listed below. I also have some goods kids goggles for $11 (mirrored) or $10 (plain) and some good competition goggles for $22. I also have a new Jr Snorkel for $20.

Girls flyback 24 -  $36
Boys jammer 24 - $25

Fall 2011 Awards
USAS Standard Breakers
IMX Scores
Fall 2011 Fast 5
Fall Attendance Awards

LC 2011 Recap
We had 10 swimmers achieve AAA or higher and over a third of the team achieved an A time or higher.

2011 Meet Results
Standard Breakers
Long Course Fast Five
All-time Top Ten
Attendance Award
LC Team Records

What (little) I've Learned in 30 Years of Coaching

I first started coaching while still in college in 1982. I was a very young and very unqualified head coach for Holt Swim Club in Lansing Michigan. Thirty years seems like an appropriate milestone to reflect on a few obervations about the sport and share them with you. In that time I've worked with over a thousand swimmers and watched the careers of thousands more.  Out of those were hundreds of young swimmer who were very talented and had early success whose parents were VERY consumed with, and involved in, their swimming. I've also had the priveledge to coach a handful of nationally compeititve swimmers and gotten to know a few score more. What is interseting is that those two groups have been with a few exceptions mutually exclusive. No matter how they try, parents cannot will their children to ultimate success. All they can do is porvide love and support and let their kids figure it out for themselves.
   Another observation is that fundamentals never go out of style. I've survived the Sprint Salo low volume fad in swimming as well as the carbo loading, then lo-carb fads in nutrition, and don't get me started on the various "self-esteem" philosophies I've heard espoused. Through it all it's been consitently repsorved that the kids who work hard, develop some mental toughness (which required the occasional failere!), pay attention to what they are doing, and live healthily have the highest levels of success
    These are just a couple gems I've picked up. If you were hoping for the single key to excellence, sorry. Maybe in another 30 years I'll have it.

Next Meet is GA Qualifier Feb 10-12
  The next meet is the GA Winter Qualifier next weekend, February 10-12, at the Freeman Aquatic Center at Greater Atlanta Christian School. This meet is for ALL swimmers. We are the hosts for the meet and all families will need to work (see below).

GA Winter Qualifier Info | GwinAq Entries | Psych Sheet

Organizing Underway for GA Qualifier
  Our first ever GaGa hosted short course meet is next week. We have had a great response from parents volunteering but still have a few families that need to volunteer for the remaining slots. Please sign up on the board at the pool right away. If you cannot find a slot to work contact me and I will see what we can work out. All families will be required to contribute toward this event, even if their swimmer is not particpating. Families who do not work at least two sessions will be charged $20/session. No show's will be $30.
   We also need to try to sell some ads for our program. We expect over 400 swimmers, making this a great advertising opportunity for some local businesses. Ads are $40 for 1/8 page, $70 for 1/4 page and $120 for 1/2 page. A business could be a meet sponsor for $400, getting a full page ad and their logo on the meet apparel. If you have a lead or would like to help with this, contact Eric Pingel.

Sr Swimmers Represent at High School County Champs
  Congrats to all our Senior swimmers who swam very well at High School County Champs this weekend. Ben Taylor won the 100 back and the Parkview boys and Brookwood girls, both with big GaGa contributions, won the meet.

Next Up is Age Group State Champs
  Two weeks after the Qualifier is the Age Group State Champs at Georgia Tech. This is a full three day meet. I will need to know about every swimmer who has a cut or could be in a relay the Monday after the meet so be sure to check you schedule before then.

Call for Officials
   We REALLY need more parents to train to become a USAS official.  We will be hosting a meet in February that we will have a tough time getting officials for (same weekend as High School state) and Age Group State in July. If you are interested Contact Steve Drew at: SDrew@ImageCounts.us  If cost is a factor Gwinnett Aquatics is willing to cover the costs of classes and background check.

Masters
   Masters now practice Tuesday and Thursdays at 5am as well as the 1pm Sundays. Get your New Year off right and join the group! Soon we will be adding a 6am time on Tuesday/Thursday.

Already Time to Start Thinking About Summer
It’s not to early to start thinking about summer.  Summer is when those swimmers who choose to train really hard make big leaps in their competitiveness.  All meets are Long Course with the first one being one we will host at Bransby Y the weekend after Mother’s Day.  If you would like to help organize that please let me know.
      Once school is out, practices will be T, Th, Sat morning and M, W, F afternoon for Blue/Gold.  Senior and Prep will double 2-3x/wk on MWF and swim at Bransby Y Tuesday and Thursday morning and Friday afternoon. 
    The most important meets are Sr Circuit July 14-16, 14U State July 18-21, and Sr State July 27-29. Those not going to State will have their last meet July 14-16. The most important time to NOT MISS practice for those going to State Meet is early July (including the week of July 4).  A late July (14U)/early August (SR) vacation would be optimal (unless you are hoping to qualify for zones or Juniors/Nationals). We'll have some fun activities, open water swims, Six Flags, and other meets including a travel meet for Senior and prep  (Gold teamers with qualifying times can travel with their family). We will be hosting the Age Group State Champs Wed-Sat July 18-21. We will need all our families to be around that week for this very large undertaking.
    We expect (and encourage) most of our age group swimmers, in addition to their training at GwinAq, to participate on a summer league team.  It's a great way to show off all you've learned (and recruit new swimmers to the program). For Blue team we recommend that they alternate swimming a day with GwinAq and a day with the summer league team. Gold swimmers should swim at least 3-4 and as often as 6 days weekly with GwinAq and occasionally with their summer league team.  1-2 days they could do both (preferably am and pm).  Prep should make all GwinAq workouts and only stop by their summer league teams to help out and communicate with the coach.  This summer Gwinnett County is NOT running their championship the same weekend as the Georgia State meet, but county is the same weekend as Sr Circuit and the Finale.
    As for Swim Camps, they are great for our younger swimmers and really help them focus, but are not recommended for older prep or any senior swimmers.

Fall Practice Schedule

Blue Team – M 5:30-6:45pm; Tu, Th 5:45-7pm; Wed 5-6:30pm; Sat 9:30-11am
Gold Team – Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 5:30-7pm; Wed 5-6:30pm; Sat 9:30-11am
Prep Team – M, T, Th 6:15-8:15/45pm; Wed 6:30-8am or 5:45-8pm;  
          F 6:15-8:30pm ;Sat 7:30-10:30 or 9:15-11:30am
Senior Team – Mon, Wed, Fri 3-6pm; Tues, Thurs 3-6:15 pm; Sat 7:30-11am 
                *Mon, Wed 5-6:30am for select swimmers

Gwinnett Aquatics

Results
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