Marlins look to make big splash

The NEOR AGM in Sudbury saw a num-ber of board members in attendance; some representing TMSC (Tracy McCartney, Cheryl Holland, Angela McGann, Phil Doucette) and some as part of their NEOR board responsibilities (Ron Lapointe, Chris Salvador). The regional meet schedule was decided and this will provide TMSC with the information needed to plan for our season. The final meet schedule will need to be approved at an upcoming board meeting however we can let you know that the December NEOR #2 Developmental Meet will be held in Kirkland Lake. The only meet that will be hosted in Timmins will be NEOR #3 Developmental Meet. The complete meet schedule will be posted (on the website!) as soon as it is approved.

Although you can go online and place your order whenever you want, the official order is every 2nd Thursday at 9:00 am. This is when your order is processed and your bank account is debited. The gift cards for TMSC are all sent to the club and will be picked up by Jocelyne. She’ll be at the pool the following Thursday or Friday with your cards.

Once you are signed up, you will get a reminder e-mail for the week that you can order. An alternative is to set your order up as ‘recurring’ so you recieve the same order each time.

In addition to the basics like food and gas there is a great list of retailers to choose from. What a great way to Christmas shop for those hard to shop for family members! You will also be able to get gift cards from Shop and Support which offers some different retailers from Fundscrip. Jocelyne will let you know when she is placing an order and you give her a cheque payable to TMSC.

Although reaching your commitment in gift card fundraising may seem difficult it is definitely achievable. If you do reach your commitment and continue to participate, a portion of what you raise is deposited in your swim account…a great way to pay meet fees or for equipment for your swimmer.

Registration is now done. Special thanks to Angela McGann for her hard work in making sure that the 69 swimmers from 52 families are part of the Marlins for the 2011-12 season!

The newsletter got some positive feedback and we hope that you will continue to find the content helpful. Without a suggestion for a new name we have gone back to the one from a previous newsletter from TMSC. Of course we are always interested in suggestions if you’re feeling creative.

Representatives from TMSC attended the Swim Ontario AGM September 23rd to 25th and the North Eastern Ontario Region (NEOR) AGM October 1st and 2nd. Along with educational and networking opportunities, the meetings allow those in attendance to have a voice in the decision making that sets the framework for competitive swimming. See highlights from the meetings on p. 2.

TMSC will once again participate in the Santa Claus parade on November 5th. The theme this year is “The Magic and the Music of Christmas”. Chantal Riopel will be looking for volunteers (parents and swimmers) to design and decorate the float. As in previous years, all Marlins simmers are invited to ride! Stay tuned for more information as the parade date nears.

The board and the coaching staff have been working throughout the summer to prepare for the season and although some things are still ‘in progress’, we are ready to have Marlins back in the pool.

The board is aware that despite our best efforts, some of our families don’t feel like they are getting all the information they would like.

We are trying to find the right balance of getting you the information you need without filling your e-mail inbox to the point that you don’t want to look at anything we send out.

There is a lot of information that we need to get to parents and swimmers so we are trying some new things to make sure that everyone feels like part of the club. This newsletter is one of the ways we are going to try and get more information out and the goal is to produce it on a monthly basis. It is hoped that the content will provide you with what you need to know to be part of a competitive swim club and specifically, part of the Marlins.

We are also pleased to announce that the website is undergoing an update. TMSC applied successfully for a NEOnet grant that provides funds to non-profit organizations to improve their web presence. Changes are underway and we hope that we can make the website a place you want to check in on regularly.

The bulletin boards at the pool are also a great way of checking in and seeing what is happening while you wait patiently for your swimmer to change. Take a deep breath…swim season has begun!

Thanks to a large contingent of volunteers led by Ron Lapointe and Chris Salvador, the event raised over $6000 for the club.

A special thank you goes out to the club members who participated and those who generously volunteered their time. TMSC will be hosting the triathlon again in 2012 and the organizing committee will be looking for volunteers to assist in having another successful event.

If you are interested in taking a more active role in the planning, Ron would love to hear from you.

So you thought a swim meet was a swim meet? Guess again.

Short Course (SC) meets – A short course meet is one that happens in a 25 m pool. Short course season is from September to February.

Long Course (LC) meets – A long course meet is one that happens in a 50 m pool. In our region the only 50 m pool is in Sudbury. Long course season is from April to June (with Provincial and National meets in July). TMSC swimmers may train in a SC pool, but they do participate in LC events.

No Sanction Blackout – In case you wondered why March wasn’t part of SC or LC…Swim Ontario has a rule that there are typically no sanctioned (approved) meets in March while the swimmers switch over from SC to LC. If a meet isn’t sanctioned, the times the swimmers achieve don’t count.

Top Fish Meets – Top Fish meets are meets for swimmers 11 years of age and younger. There are typically two Top Fish meets in our region each season and if your swimmer is within the age requirement, it is a great way to introduce them to competition in a format that is focused on encouraging newer swimmers.

Developmental Meets – There are normally four Developmental meets in our region during the swim season. These meets are for all age groups and can also be a good way for your swimmer to get enthusiastic about competing.

Championship Meets – These meets typically have qualifying times that swimmers must have achieved at a previous meet to qualify to swim. Swimmers who place in the top 6 or top 8 (depending on the number of lanes at the event) of their age group earn points for the team. The team with the most points at the end of the meet gets a banner and bragging rights.

Team Champs – Clubs from across the province are divided into three divisions for a championship meet. Depending on the division, clubs can only bring a set number of swimmers to compete. TMSC is in Division 2 allowing 30 swimmers to attend.

Provincials / Nationals – As swimmers improve, getting a provincial or national time becomes their quest. Each swim has a time based on age that will qualify the swimmer to attend and compete against the best. It’s not an easy goal to achieve but it is a powerful motivator for many swimmers.

Invitational Meets – Invitational meets allow the host club to set their own rules with respect to qualifying times, events and prizes. They can involve travel outside our region but provide swimmers with the opportunity to see some different competitors.

Time Trials – Throughout the season, sanctioned time trials are held in Timmins for our swimmers. These provide an additional opportunity for swimmers who are trying for qualifying times or prerequisite times.

Blue vs Gold (aka The Elf Extravaganza and Spring Fling) – These sanctioned meets occur in December and in the spring with half the TMSC swimmers on the Blue Team and half on the Gold Team. Team spirit is an absolute requirement! Noise, cheer competitions and dressing up in team colours are just a few of the ways that a lot of fun is added to these meets.

Your swimmer’s coach can help guide you in what meets are recommended. The sign up lists for meets only include swimmers that qualify or should consider attending. Remember, no meet is mandatory but competition can show your swimmer that all that practicing has a purpose.