HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING

Attention ALL Coral Shores Swimmers! Officially High School Swimming has begun. In order to swim for Coral Shores HS Team, every swimmer must present a completed physical form. To obtain the required form, please visit the school office or see Coach Jon Olsen. Everyone is encourage to experience the world of water! If you think you can ... take a chance, hold your breathe, and dive into a wonderful athletic experience of SWIMMING! See you at the POOL! FYI: High School Swim Schedule is posted in the Annoucements of this blog. First Meet is Wednesday, Sept 2 at Gulliver-3:00 PM Warm-up.

Congratulations to Junior Olympic Swimmers and Zone Competitors

FKSC (Florida Keys Swim Club) had several swimmers who qualified to swim at Junior Olympics in Fort Lauderdale July 23-26. We had three qualifiers for finals: Kelsea Volland, Tori Volland, and Evin Zekthi. Unfortunately weather dominated finals on Saturday evening and the swimmers did not have the opportunity to come back and show their true dominations of the pools. As the weather dictated, FKSC was successful in bringing home 1 Gold Medal, 3 Silvers, and several 4-8 place finishes. We are very proud of the many personal best times marked by the FKSC team. While the these times may not have earned points, a medal, or a ribbon, they do prove how champion swimmers continue work hard to remove seconds from personal times. Personal best times are acccomplishments and proof that training hard is rewarding! Keep up the hard swimming FKSC!

CONGRATULATIONS to KELSEA Volland for achieving 2nd High Point at the Junior Olympics and for her representation and support at Zones in Orlando Florida. Her experience was a personal gain in making new friendships and appreciation for coach techniques and challenges. Thank you Kelsea for swimming hard and representing the Southern Region and FKSC in swimming!

A Sad Good Bye to Mark and Welcome Jon Olsen

We are sad to say good bye to Mark Hill who has been with our club for 2 years. Mark has developed FKSC into a functioning developmental team that has performed well at meets around the southern division of the State of Florida. As FKSC transitions, we are proud to be lead by Jon Olsen, a Gold Medalist from the Olympics and veteran coach to these athletes. Jon will continue Mark's vision for the swimmers of FKSC. He will work side by side with Nick'O' through September 2009 before he announces his appointed assistant coach.

Practice Cancellation during JOs

Practices will be cancelled Friday July 24th and Saturday July 25th due to the coaching staff being away at Junior Olympics. Practices will resume their normal schedule on Monday July 27th.

Time Away

Just wanted to leave a quick side note, I will be away from the Keys from Friday July 17th until Tuesday July 21st for a wedding reception back home. Mark and John will still be around to run practices, with Nico, Elyse, and Andrea helping out. I will be back on Wednesday for some work before JOs, and if last night's practice was any indication we are definitely prepared for the meet! Keep swimming fast, keep getting lots of sleep, and please keep the coaching staff informed of how your body feels. The culmination of our season is rapidly approaching, and its time to make the Keyfish a regular name at Junior Olympics!

-Coach Dan

Div IIs

Just wanted to note a GREAT success at DivIIs. With numerous top 3 finishes and 100% personal bests throughout the ENTIRE meet the swimmers who attended definitely have reason to be proud of their performances. Junior Olympics are just ahead and it has become clear that FKSC is a leading force in the Gold Coast.

Meet entries are going in Wednesday morning for Junior Olympics, so it is more important now than ever to get your entries to me. I have finished most swimmers but need to make a few corrections before I submit them, if an athlete's availability changes I must know before Wednesday at noon. We are bringing more swimmers to JOs than ever before, so lets keep swimming hard in practice, and focus on eating healthy/sleeping extra out of the pool.

Id like to make a personal note of recognition as well for Mark Hill. The success of this club is based largely on his performance over the past years and I would like to wish him the best and applaud him for all the success I know he will have at Michigan. Even though I have only been with the club for two months I will always hold what I have learned from him of the utmost value and consider him a personal mentor. Mark's dedication to the club was unwavering from the start of his time down here, and I feel indebted to him for the opportunity he has provided for John and myself to take the club to the next level. I feel that I can speak for the entire club when I congratulate you for your acceptance of such a high position in the swimming world, you will be missed.

-Coach Dan

Wave Makers: Session 3

Andrea Cole will be joining the coaching staff starting with the July 6th Learn to Swim program. Andrea just graduated Washinton College in Maryland. We are excited to add her swimming and coaching experiences to our coach staff. Elyse and Andrea will be running the Learn to Swim program. Now we will have two coaches working with the younger age groups. Andrea and Elyse are both really excited and we can't wait to see everyone Monday July 6th.

Ft. Lauderdale International Age Group Competition

This past weekend we took a small group of swimmers to a meet in Ft. Lauderdale. To make the time standard for this meet the swimmer had to at least have an A time standard or better. Normally an A time standard is also considered a Junior Olympic time standard. So in essence this meet was a lot like JO's with the exception that it is bigger, faster, and not limited to only swimmers in the Florida Gold Coast. To put it all in perspective there are about 1,000 kids at this meet from all over the country and the world and in some cases a AA time standard did not make the finals!

I point those facts out because when noting the success we had at the meet it is important to realize the scale of competition. And success is something we tasted much of. That is no small feat! In fact, since my time here I have gone to this meet three times and we have never had as much success as we did this year. In the past 2 years I have only had 2 finals qualifications. This year our swimmers combined for a total of 20 finals qualifications. A final qualification means that you not only scored points for the team but also placed in the top 10. Of those finals we left with a gold, a silver, and three bronzes.

The success at this meet only reinforced the fact that although we do things differently down here we are still doing things right. There were times when I would look around at other coaches yelling at their swimmers during a warm up, or watched swimmers sit around and complain during rain delays. During the rain delays we didn't complain. We controlled the things we could and our team did active stretching and visualisation. During warm up we as coaches trusted the swimmers to act professionally and warm themselves up. They did just that! The thing that makes the success of these swimmers so sweet is that the success is truly theirs. They know what they needed to do to get the job done and they did it...all by themselves. Nothing is more dangerous than a smart, fast, self actualized, self sustained and self motivated swimmer. Well, we brought 7 of those so I cant say I'm surprised with the results.

There is still much to improve, however, and perhaps that is the best part. We are achieving so much and we still have so much to learn. This meet has gotten us really excited for the upcoming DII Championships and Junior Olympics. Keep checking for updates! Until then...Back to work!

View meet results at: http://www.flaswim.com/realtime/2009iagi/

Evin is a happy baby

Despite the weather we had some great swims this weekend, recap coming soon, but wanted to share this picture of the correct way to do the happy baby stretch with the club. Evin truly is a happy baby...

Lean To Swim Session 2

Here are some pictures from the second session of the learn to swim.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Elyse.Corwin/Session2LearnToSwim?feat=email

Great Swims at Metro Meet!

Aside from the random weather in Tamiami, we had some great swims this past weekend at the Metro Meet! Every swimmer had at least 1 personal best and aside from the rain on the Saturday afternoon session everything went great. FKSC once again dominated by putting up an unprecedented 18 first place finishes with only 10 athletes attending! Congrats to the swimmers who did make the trip up to the meet, and a special congratulations to Jade Bascilius on her first JO cut. Im sure more will follow. The FL International meet is looming on the horizon, and it is more important now than ever that we push into long course training so we are ready when the time comes to perform.

"Hard work always beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." (John Wooden)

Swimmers; take the time everyday to think about what you are swimming, why you are swimming it, and how your body is reacting to training. TALK TO THE COACHES! We cannot help you with problems if you do not address them first.

Parents; keep your kids healthy, lots of food and lots of rest. Try to get a snack to each swimmer no more than 20 minutes after practice. Even if it is a granola bar, it will go a long way in replenishing the nutrients that are consumed during training.

With championship season looming overhead attendance is more crucial than ever. We have 5 weeks to get the kids in shape before Sub-JOs, which will be the summer highlight for many of our swimmers, lets focus on getting to practice, getting the work in, and getting lots of rest!

-Coach Dan

Wave Makers Session 1

The first of four sessions of the Learn to Swim program ended today. Congrats to all the swimmers as everyone graduated with honors! Each swimmer showed improvement every day and came excited and ready to learn to each lesson. We all learned from each other and most importantly we all had a lot of fun doing it. If these kids can enjoy swimming now it will become a sport that they can use for the rest of their lives. Also, thank you to all the parents who shuttle their kids around so that their kids can lead healthy lives.

If you would like to view pictures from the first session please click on the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/Elyse.Corwin/Session1LearnToSwim?feat=email

Spots are almost full for the session starting June 8th. Please make sure you call to reserve a sport as soon as possible. Keep checking for updates.

LC Meet at FIU

So we had our first long course meet of the season and I would say that it was a great success. Of the first 24 events swum we had 14 first place finishes! And that doesn't even include the swimmers that placed in the top 8. I would say that every swimmer that we had placed in the top 8 in their respective events. It just goes to show that even thought we are a small team most teams would rather we stayed home... and I love it!

Congrats to all the swimmers that participated in the last meet. Aside from individual placement ALL the swimmers did personal best times in the races that they swam. It was great to see because I didn't rest or prepare for this meet at all. All of the kids that swim in this meet have been swimming really hard for the last 2 months with very little rest. In fact on the first day of the meet I had 3 swimmers who swam both the 400IM AND the 1500 Free. Tough kids!

After seeing that success I am excited to get into the summer. We have a new coach Dan Sorenson who just arrived and I am sure that Dan will contribute to make our team even stronger. I am excited for the bigger meets coming up because I think we are ready for the competition.

Keep checking for updates!

All Star Meet

We had three swimmers attend the All Star Meet. I was excited to have the kids experience a meet that goes beyond a Junior Olympics. They learned a lot about continuing a taper and racing hard week after week. Sometimes a swimmer can get stuck thinking that Junior Olympics is the fastest meet. It IS fast but now we are seeing that JO's is important but it is only part of the path leading to bigger and better things.

I was also glad to hear that our swimmers got to experience things like swimming on fast relays. We are a small team and don't necessarily have enough kids to swim a relay and I think it is important for kids to view swimming as a team sport as well as a individual sport.

I would also like to report that one of our swimmer was voted captain of their age group. This was quite an honor for him to bring back to the team.

Congratulations to ALL swimmers who competed in ANY meet over the last season. We now move to Long Course Season. Keep Checking for updates.

2009 Junior Olympic Championship

We took 5 swimmers to the JO's in Coral Springs this weekend and I am so proud of our group. They are well on their way to becoming skilled performers. The trouble for most swimmers is taking what you learn and turning it into a best time or a performance that you are pleased with. At this Junior Olympics I stood by and watched swimmers pull the skill out of them when the moment was right. They weren't past or future. They were NOW!

Aside from the mountain of best times, 3 of our swimmers qualified for the All Star Meet in a total of 10 events. We had 6 performances that ranked in the top 3 with one of those performances crowning our swimmer a Junior Olympic Champion.

There has been so much work that went into this last season and the best part is that it payed off. We are having so much success and we are STILL LEARNING! I cant imagine what this team will look like when they reach a higher level of the sport.

Thank you to all parents for you commitment to your children and you commitment to the team. Without your influence and commitment we would be nothing

All of that being said it is back to the grind. Some of the swimmers will be preparing for the All Star meet, while others look ahead to the upcoming Long Course Season. I personally cant wait to get going again. Keep checking for updates!

Thank You

Dear Swimmers and Donors,

Friends Of The Pool and Florida Keys Swim Club would like to extend our warmest appreciation and gratitude for your involvement in the 2009 Spring Swim A Thon. With your help we achieved our goal. That is no small task! A community’s programs and facilities are only as strong as the community’s members and I am proud to say that with people like you our great programs and facilities will be strong for many years to come. Please look for more programs being offered this summer at the pool as we use this money to get things moving. Thank you again for your contribution!

Sincerely,

Mark Hill

Head Coach: Florida Keys Swim Club/ Fighting Manatee Swim Club
Member: Friends Of The Pool

Division II Championship

I am a bit late with this posting but the past weekend we brought a small gorup of 4 swimmers to the Division II Championship meet. This meet is a JO qualifying meet and in fact we could not enter any kids on the team wo already had thier JO cuts. In a way the small number represents the success and amount of kids who do have thier JO cuts.

The kids did great. 3 of the 4 kids made a final and of those kids the finalist placed in the top 6. There were a few new JO cuts and a few who keep getting closer and who WILL get thier cuts very soon. I am lucky to not only have fast swimmers but young fast swimmers as 2 of the swimmers that went to DII were 10 or younger.

Keep up the good work. Now it is time to focus on JO's. Our goal is to get swimmers into the All Star meet. To qualify a swimmer must get top 6 in thier respecitve event. I know they can do it! Stay posted for updates.

Meet at FIU

I was glad to get back into the swim of things at such a nice facility. The FIU pool is a great new pool that I hope continues to host meets. And I am sure our swimmers feel the same as the team swam great! After a long winter break it was nice to see the kids back on the deck of meet and swimming just like there had never been a break or lull in practices. Team energy was back too! I love to see our swimmers cheering for each other and supporting each other. Meets are the best way to get a swimmers head back into the game and I know that the swimmers on this team were getting the competetive itch so I am glad that things are back in swing!

Congrats to all the swimmers who got thier JO cuts and continued to improve thier personal bests. We are back to another few weeks of training before Division II's and then fiannally JO's to top off the short course season.

Stay updated and please let us know if you are planning on swimming in these upcoming meets.

Swim A Thon

To All Community Members,

Friends Of The Pool is a new 501(c)(3) organization created by local community members that focuses on seeing the continued enhancement of existing swim and dive programs in the Upper Keys. It is also our purpose to actively create and support new swim and dive programs that include, but are not limited to, USS registered age group and masters teams, adult fitness programs, summer teams, swim and dive camps, basic learn to swim programs, and other aquatic programs.

On March 21rst, Friends Of The Pool will be hosting its first annual Swim-A-Thon, sanctioned by USA Swimming, at Founders Park to raise money for the aforementioned swim and dive programs. We are happy to announce that a generous local private donor has offered a dollar-for-dollar match for all funds raised during this drive. We invite all ages because even if you raise $2 and swim 2 lengths (50yds), you can still help us raise $4! No distance is too small!

Also, when you are finished swimming you may participate in a swim clinic or contest. There will be food, games, and other fun events for the family to enjoy. We encourage members of the family that are not swimming laps to still come cheer and enjoy the festivities. It is our goal to involve as much of the community as possible. We want to show that with the communities’ help, and only with the communities’ help, our beautiful facilities can be put to its proper and maximum use.

Friends Of The Pool is a organization that is open to all members of the community. We welcome you to find out more about becoming a member by visiting our booth on the day of the event.

If you have any further questions regarding the Swim A Thon or the Friends Of The Pool organization please do not hesitate to contact Eliza Combes by phone at 305-393-1051, e-mail markhill_67@hotmail.com

Sincerley,
Rob Dixon President
Mark Hill Head Swim Coach

Swim A Thon Questions

How do I raise money?
First you start with an amount of laps you would like to swim. For now lets say you want to swim 10 laps. You would have to raise $10 at $1 per lap. Each swimmer can have several donors with each donor supporting a portion of your final amount or one donor to cover the cost of all your laps. The donors could be friends, family, co-workers, or even yourself. REMEMBER THAT A $10 DONATION IS MATED BY OUR PRIVATE DONOR AND IS REALLY A $20 DONATION.

Where can I pick up a donation form?
I have sent out a form to many of you, however, I will leave plenty of sheets at the pool so please feel free to stop by Founders and pick up a form.

Where is the money going?
The money will be going towards the aquatic programs. Half of the donations will go towards helping the Florida Keys Swim Club which is the local USS registered age group club team that practices here in the upper keys. The other half will go to Friends of the Pool who are focused on building new programs.

Are donations tax deductible?
Yes!

Who counts the laps?
You do! We will have some lap counters helping , however, the honor system will have to be in effect.

Any rules?
No swimmer can swim more than 200 laps and no swimmer can swim for more than 2 hours.

Will there be anything else going on?
Yes! We will have food, games, contests, and clinics going on throughout the day.

Where can I get more information?
Please e-mail me markhill_67@hotmail.com

Bad Weather

It would seems silly to apologize for things I can't control such as the weather but I must say that I do feel really bad. I feel like in the last month cold weather and cold pool temps have led to freezing of our regularly scheduled practices. I am not happy with it but I do want to say thank you to all of you that are patient and continue to give your support. Without the hardcore regulars we are nothing. The pool temp today was 71 and Founders. Please feel free to voice your concerns about the heating with Founders Park Management.

I know that many of you that live in Islamorada have not gotten a chance to swim because Founders Park has been cold. I encourage you to try to come up north to Jacobs. The pool there has been 79-81 during most of these fronts and we have been swimming in full strength. Over 15 kids swimming in the Junior group alone. I am trying my best to keep the kids swimming despite the weather so during these fronts I make decisions based on pool temp. and will reschedule if necessary. I apologize if it is sometimes last minute as I check the temp during the cold front on the day of workout and make decicions accordingly.

Hopefully we are rolling through the last of our cold fronts. In no time at all we will be complaining about the summer sun. Please continue to check the website for information regarding the club, especially updates regarding practice changes due to the weather. I appreciate all the support.

New Year

Well I hope everyone has enjoyed a much needed vacation. I for one am excited about getting the team back into the pool. We have meets and events coming up that I am certainly focusing on and I know we have a lot of work in front of us. For next week we will start practice again on Tuesday. I only have enough pool space for the senior group and we will be swimming from 6-8pm @ JAC. On Wed we will have practice for all groups at the normal times. 4-5pm for the junior group and 5-7pm @ Founders Park for the senior group. Thursday will be the same as Tuesday with no junior group and Friday will be the same as Wed.

Sorry for all the confusion and thank you for your patience as we cater to the college programs who help keep these pools in business. On the right I have posted the schedule for the rest of the winter. You will see that everything is back to normal.

Hope everyone had a great New Year and I will be looking forward to seeing you at the pool. Keep checking for updates.