GMAS SWIMMING CLUB GMAS Swimming Club : Jack Griffiths, Mathew Blake, Nick Button and Brent Blakers October 2015 BUNBURY OPEN MEDAL WINNERS THANK YOU SWA Qualifying Meet 24 th & 25 th October The SWA Qualifying meet in Perth was attended by eleven of our swimmers. Head Coach, Mihai, was very proud of their achievements at the first long course meet of the season as there were several PBs achieved of between 10 seconds and 20 seconds. Kaila Warner, Mathilda Reynolds and Ben Robinson qualified for the State Championships. Cara Viljoen is only 2.5 seconds from qualifying for the Australian Age Group Championships at 100BR and Jack Griffiths just half a second from qualifying for 50 FR and 3 seconds from 100 FR for the Australian Age Group Championships. The squad remains very focused and is training hard for the December State Championships and to qualify for the Australian Age Group Championships next year. Bunbury Open Carnival 1 st November We attended the Bunbury Open Carnival last Sunday with seventeen great swimmers aged between 9 and 17 years. Once again there were many PBs, some quite a considerable improvement on previous times. We are very proud of our medal winners, Jack Griffiths, Mathew Blake, Nick Button and Brent Blakers. Ethan and Oliver Miles did well for their first meet with Ethan only 1.8 seconds off a State Championship Qualifying time. Brent Blakers qualified for the State Championships at 50 FR and Jack Griffiths is only 0.10 seconds off qualifying for the 2016 Australian Age Group Championships in 50 FR. Coach Mihai was very proud of all the swimmers who attended and appreciated the support from the parents that came along. Garage Sale We would like to say a huge Thank You to Kim Blake & Family for hosting our club fundraising Garage Sale. This was a mammoth task and the day was very successful raising over $1,000. Many thanks also to the volunteers who helped in setting up and helping out on the day. We are considering making this an annual event. Website The GMAS Swimming Club would like to express our thanks to Brad Warner for his time and efforts to maintain our website. A behind the scenes job that is very important and much appreciated.
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB 2 2015/2016 Long Course Season Club Target Meets Please refer to the Almanac, hard copy or online, or speak to our coaches for further information 2015 Mandurah Long Course Challenge At: Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre Date: Sunday 29th November 2015 Entries close: 9pm Sunday 15th November 2015 (This meet is filling fast so get your entries in ASAP to avoid disappointment) 2015 South West Region Carnival (for those not volunteering to assist at the Ironman) At: South West Sports Centre, Bunbury Date: Sunday 6th Entries close: 5pm Monday 16th November 2015 2015/2016 SunSmart Open & Age Long Course Championships (qualifying times apply) Date: Friday 18th December to Monday 21st Entries close: 9.30pm SHARP Thursday 3rd 2016 SunSmart Rookie Meet Date: Friday 8th January Entries close: 9.30pm SHARP Tuesday 15th 2016 SunSmart Country Championships (Qualifying Times Apply) Date: Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th January 2016 Entries close: 9.30pm SHARP Tuesday 22nd 15th Harvey Open Carnival 2016 At: Harvey Pool, Hinge Road, Harvey Date: Saturday 13th February 2016 Entries close: Friday 29th January 2016 2016 Hancock Family Medical Foundation Junior Long Course Championships (Qualifying Times Apply) Date: Friday 15th Sunday 17th April 2016 Closing Date: 9.30pm Tuesday 5th April 2016 PLEASE NOTE: There are many other calendared meets during the long course season. Any swimmer is welcome to enter any meet however be aware that there may not be a coach present. 2016 Country Pennants (Invitation Only by the Club) At: Moora Swimming Pool Date: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB NOTICES Coach needed As our club numbers are growing rapidly we require an additional coach to be responsible for assisting with coaching our junior squad and other squads as required. If you know of anyone who has a swim teacher or coaching qualification and could be available for morning training sessions please email: president@gmasswimmingclub.com.au or gmassc@gmail.com or speak to one of the coaches on pool deck. Swimming WA Membership Just a reminder that Swimming WA Membership is now due. Can be completed on line at the swimming WA Website. Gym & Core Sessions with Mihai To get the most out of our training sessions I encourage all swimmers in the Crystal and Diamond squads to make a time for a one-toone meeting between myself the swimmer and the parent/s. The swimmers can let me know what they are wanting to gain from training and I can guide you in the best way to achieve this. This is also an opportunity to ask me any questions that you may have regarding training, nutrition etc. Please email me headcoach@gmasswimmingclub.com.au or call/text me on 0484 252 964 to make a time to meet with me. Parents and swimmers are invited to our squad information meetings which are another opportunity to learn about my expectations for each squad, nutrition, and my experiences. I will meet with the Amber Squad on Thursday 5th November and with the Crystal and Diamond Squads on Thursday 12th November. For the swimmers 14 years and over I encourage you to attend a gym session at 3.45-4.30pm every Thursday with me in the GMAS gym. Swimming WA s Open Water Series (OWS) - Round 2 Busselton This is open to any of our club swimmers who wish to try an Open Water Swim. Swimming WA s Open Water Series (OWS) is widely recognised as the number one open water swim series in Australia and the 2015/16 season will see further growth in the sport with the introduction of new OWS Regional events. Adventure World Friday 11th December $55 per person (bus trip and park entry) Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own food & drinks or money to buy. Please place money in an envelope and pay now to your coach or a committee member to reserve your seat! These meetings will take place at 3.45pm in the VET 2 room at GMAS. To get to the VET 2 room, turn into the first gate on Joseph Drive, follow the road around to the right past the grassed area. The VET classrooms are the first block of rooms on your left at the edge of the grassed area, with young trees around the perimeter. To complement our pool training I will be organising a dryland core/strength session at 3.45pm-4.45pm on Wednesdays, in the VET 2 room commencing on Wednesday 4th November. This session is open to all squads and will be suitable for swimmers of all ages. The OWS Regional events are a joint initiative between Swimming WA (SWA) and Swimming Australia (SAL) with the objective to establish seven new regional rounds across the state by 2017. Location: Busselton Beach in front of the Goose Cafe Date of Event : Saturday 7th November, 2015 Distances: 500m, 1.25km, 2.5km, 5km Pre-registered Check-in: 6.00am-7.30am Late registrations: 6.00am 7.15am Briefing: 7.40am Start time: 8.00am Entries Close: Wednesday 4th November 2015, 5.00pm
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB 4 Ironman Every year the swim club volunteers to help out at the Iron Man, we assist in the bike leg at Station 3. This community event is also a major fundraiser for our club as Rio Tinto, the sponsors of iron man, provide us with a financial incentive to participate. This year we will have the dilemma (as we did last year) of choosing between a swim meet in Bunbury (region 1) and volunteering for the iron man. We understand that some of you may wish to participate in the swim meet and some of you enjoy assisting at the bike station. If you are unsure please talk with your coach or one of the committee members as we may be able to answer any questions that you have. Please think about which event you would like to support, if you are wanting to participate in the swim meet please talk to your coach about which events to enter into (Mihai will be the coach on deck at this meet). If you are wanting to be a volunteer at iron man bike station 3, please register your name as follows : http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/as iapac/ironman/westernaustralia/volunteer.aspx#axzz3oxu64dcg The aid station is Bike Aid Station 3 - Tuart Drive. From the Ironman website please note the following: Bike and Run Aid Station Assistants Volunteers at these stations partake in a range of activities: setting up and packing down the aid station, coordinating the provision of re-hydration liquids (water, cola, electrolyte, food) and providing a cheer squad to the athletes coming through! Aid stations are a crucial part of the event and we encourage team work, a positive and energetic environment for the athletes to push through their event. All aid stations are managed by a captain. It is recommended that volunteers handing items to the athletes be 14 years or older, however we welcome those under the age of 14 when supervised by an adult. This is the perfect role for a family to take on! Thank you for your continuing support of the club and we look forward to seeing you at one of the events on the day. Busselton Jetty Swim 13 th & 14 th February 2016 Volunteers and Participants The club is undertaking an offer to raise funds by providing volunteers for the Busselton Jetty Swim 2016. Please note item 4 below the payment will be to the club itself, not the individuals who attend. The proposal is that we provide a group of members who will assist with the setting up (on Saturday) and packing up (on Sunday) for the Busselton Jetty Swim at the foreshore on the weekend of 13 th and 14 th February 2016. From below you will note that it doesn t have to be the same group for Saturday and Sunday. Please email gmassc@gmail.com by 13th November 2015 if you are able to assist including your day preference so that we can advise the Jetty Swim organisers of our intent to volunteer. The criteria is as follows: 1. 15 to 20 people maximum can be separate groups 2. 4 hours Saturday 3. 3 or 4 hours on Sunday 4. $15/hour per person paid to the group itself, not the individuals who attend 5. Must be adults 6. No event shirts or towels to be provided by BJS those attending will be provided with hi-vis vests as for all other volunteers 7. Groups encouraged to wear their own group/sport attire during event, to promote their own club/organisation as a supporter of the event. JETTY SWIM PARTICIPANTS The GMAS Swimming Club are entering individuals and teams for the 2016 Busselton Jetty Swim. If you would like to participate, there are opportunities for teams of two and four. Please register your interest in being part of a team or advise us of your team at gmassc@gmail.com. www.busseltonjettyswim.org.au
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB 5 Checklist Entry for Mandurah Long Course Challenge Entry for Open Water Series Busselton Consider other events to enter Swimming WA Membership Book for Adventure World Attend Squad Information Meeting Arrange one-to-one meeting with Mihai (if required) Consider dry land sessions Register to volunteer at Iron Man Nominate to volunteer or participate in the Busselton Jetty Swim Save the Date Club Time Trials Sunday 13 th December Geographe Leisure Centre GMAS Swimming Club Coaching Contacts: Pearl and Amber Squad Coach CJ Ph: 0407 448 026 Email: secretary@gmasswimmingclub.com.au Crystal Squad Coach Steve Robinson Ph: 0499 523 856 Email: steve@fishr.net.au Diamond Squad Head Coach Mihai Ph: 0484252964 Email: headcoach@gmasswimmingclub.com.au Any queries should be directed to the committee via the club email gmassc@gmail.com
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB 6 Our first swim meet Ruth Miles Having joined the swimming club earlier in the year we had been waiting for an opportunity to attend our first swim meet. The Bunbury Open Carnival was announced for the 1 st of November and it seemed the planets had finally aligned and we would be able to sign up. Once you become a member of Swimming WA, your details are in the system so registering on-line is a relatively straight forward affair. It is a pay per event scenario and you can save all the details to pay for all events and swimmers in one easy payment. After a bit of discussion, we decided the boys would both swim in four events each. As they have no previous time recorded they are entered with NT (no time) and will generally race against others who also have no times recorded. As Ethan and Oliver are a bit older we didn t seem to have too many nerves the night before but I did send them off to bed early so they would be well rested for the day ahead. Packing enough food was my main concern. We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs before we left home and an esky with Sushi, Cheese & Crackers, Grapes, Strawberries, Fruit & Nut Mix, Carrot Cake Muffins, Protein Balls, Rice Crackers and plenty of water. I m not sure how we would go passing the Nutritionist Test but it all looked pretty healthy to me and passed the teenage swimmer test. We did not buy any other food (except for a coffee) during the day and no-one complained they were hungry, including mum and DAD. Thankfully we had been advised to take about three towels each which was good to know. One towel was reserved for the shower after the final swim. During the week I realised we did not have swim club shirts but after a couple of emails and phone calls we found some shirts for the boys to wear on the day (thanks to Julie) with their GMAS school shorts. We did however only have one cap and thought they would have to share but we were kindly offered someone else s spare on the day which was a great help. Thanks to Sandra and Phil on this occasion. On arrival at the venue there was a huge queue of people waiting to get in. There were over 250 swimmers from 27 swim clubs along with parents and coaches etc so it is important to arrive early so that you are not too far down the line and the swimmers can make the most of warm up time. It is best to buy a program on arrival before they are sold out. Each club is allocated seating (so you can t just sit anywhere). You need to find your tribe and sit together. Warm up lanes are also allocated to each coach with only one lane for practising starts. We did play musical chairs for a bit until everyone was settled. Mihai likes all the swimmers close to him and the front, with mums & dads in the seats behind. With warm up complete, the swim meet veterans pulled out their highlighter pens and found their events in the program and then wrote their event numbers on the back of their hand. (Note to self. Take a pen and highlighter as well). Each club is rostered to help with time keeping throughout the day. On this occasion our club had to provide two timekeepers for one lane. This was divided into one hour time slots so be prepared to put your name down. It is not a difficult task and gives you an opportunity to really focus on the swim rather than chat. There are actually three time keepers on each lane so you all grab a buzzer and press it when the swimmer touches the wall. The advice from our fellow time keeper was: don t watch the swimmer or look at your buzzer, watch the wall and react when the hand touches the wall. There was a white board advertising the event number for marshalling. Once your event number is on that board the swimmers move into the marshalling area and then onto pool deck for the race. There are a number of officials watching every race and swimmers are disqualified for errors. We witnessed a submerged backstroke swimmer and a lane intervention I think. Overall we had an enjoyable day, and the boys have both said they would like to sign up for another meet. Our moment of the day would be the look on Ethan s face when he realised he won his heat and then finding out he did a really good time. It was great to see the kids encouraging one another and the support of the club for all their swimmers. The quote of the day was: Why do I feel so tired now when I only swam 300M. We usually swim 3000m at training. Thanks to Mihai for ensuring that we were where we were meant to be at the right time and Steve for following up on a time discrepancy issue.
GMAS SWIMMING CLUB 7