Dear Families: Here is the latest of what is up and coming. I apologize for its length (and I’m sure I’ll have something wrong), and tardiness. As always, feel free to pass on to others not on my list.
1) There will be billing statements printed next week and distributed in your family folders. Fees for some competitions: OSI 10 & under Chps. $3.50 per swim, $4 surcharge, TTSC Inv. $3 per swim, $1.50 surcharge, OSI 11-14 Chps. $3.50 per swim, $4 surcharge. After this month, I hope to “reconcile” and keep statements smaller and easier to read. Also, the advisory committee voted to put in place a late fee ($10) for monthly dues not received by the 15th of each month. 2) Please vote for your Advisory Committee, fundraising Committee by placing your ballots in the box with the folders at the pool. See Randy Rasmussen if you have any questions. 3) Upcoming meets: This weekend at the Multnomah Athletic Club is the OSI Senior Chps., March 6-10th is Senior Sectionals, March 16-18th is the Pacific Crest Chps. at Sheldon Pool in Eugene, March 23-25th is Age Group Sectionals in Federal Way, Wa., and March 20-24th is Junior Nationals in Orlando, Fl. With all these meets, I hope all of our team will compete somewhere, especially those with BC times at the Pac Crest Chps. Good luck to all!! 4) Competition schedule: 4/27-29 @ Lincoln City (if we get in), 5/4-6 THSC ABC Open, 5/18-20 CAT AB Invite (qualifiers only), also 5/18-20 WSC ABC Invite, 6/15-17 M.Morris Inv. @ Eugene’s Amazon pool for BC swimmers, 6/21-24 MHST AB Invite, 7/10-14 Sr. Sect’ls, 7/14-15 OSI 10 & under Chps @ Amazon, 7/26-29 OSI 11&over Chps. @ MHCC, 7/31-8/4 Nationals @ Indianapolis, 8/6-10 Jr. Nationals @ Indianapolis, 8/7-11 Western Zones @ Farmington, NM, and lastly 8/10-12 the BEND Invite. 5) Our spring break will be: March 19th - April 1st. Restarting April 2nd, at Willamette’s Sparks pool - hoorah!! The ONLY swimmers practicing during the break will be those who compete/qualified for AG Sectionals and Junior Nationals. 6) Which brings up group changes. All will be contacted about possible group changes/moves to the next level. If you have questions, contact the coach of the group of your swimmer for more information. 7) There will be another coach on deck starting upon our return from break. Her name is Amy Boudreau, currently coaching the Dallas Blue Dolphin Swim Team. Amy will be serving a number of roles - teaching some pre-comp classes, coaching AG1 & 2’s (with Robbert), and assisting myself with our returned group of Senior Preps. She is well thought of, and excited for this oppurtunity - so please welcome her, have patience as she learns our “system”, and introduce yourself to her. 8) The practice times for when we return will be: AG1 - Tu/Th - 5:15-6:15pm, AG2 - MWF - 5:15-6:15pm, AG3 - M thru F - 5:15-6:15pm, Senior Preps - M thru F, 6:15-7:30ish. These practices will be at Willamette’s Sparks pool. Seniors will practice with Kate at Chemawa M thru Th, 5-7pm, and at Willamette on MWF, 5-6:30am. Sat. am’s will be at Kate’s discretion and open to Senior Preps. She has decided to give Fri. nites off to the seniors for their various HS events. The senior schedule will change when school lets out to: M thru Sat. 6:30 - 9am at Willamette, Tu/Th 5-7pm at Chemawa. 9) Senior Preps - a return of this group, and a way to add some HS swimmers to our club. This group will be defined as a higher level of practice above AG3, yet designed for HS athletes who don’t have the aerobic capacity for our senior level group. This group has the option of practicing daily for 1:15-1:30, at nite, with Sat. am’s, and will be coached by Al and Amy. The fees for this group will be like past years - $75 per month. We hope this will break down the “gap” between our AG3′rs and Seniors, and add some HS athletes as well. Everyone will be a member of BRSC and have to pay the initiation plus USA registration fee. 10) We hope to add a couple Pre-Comp classes as well this spring. The description for these classes is: ability to do some swimming, learning some competitive techniques (free/back/breast), and will be 1/2 hour in length, taught from 4:45-5:15 (and if enough interest, 5:15-5:45) on Tu/Th. These classes will cost $20 for 2 weeks, with a class ratio of 5:1, and we hope to have 2 classes for each 1/2 hour. If you know of anyone interested, have them contact me - 503-370-6601. We hope to start them in mid-April, and will advertise them as well. 11) Spring tryouts will be April 14, Saturday, from 9-11am. Again, if you know of anyone interested, have them contact me at the # above. This will also be advertised in the newspaper later this month. 12) Sparks update: as mentioned several times already - we should be up and running by April 1st. There is still some work to do, adding a sealant to hinge points, new tile, and repainting (which takes 2 wks. to “cure”). But I hope it will be completed, filled and running by then. I know I’m ready to get back “home”. 13) We have had some great press this year, primarily because our swimmers have swam so well. But many have not received any notoriety, especially those pre-HS. Congrats should be given to: at 10 & unders Chps - Jeffrey Tran (won 2 breastroke titles), Alex Castanares, all three Clifford girls - Allie, Hannah, Hailey, Jacob Cochran, Evette Dow, Emma Harnisch, Allie Rasmussen, Cole & Mackenzie Rumrill, Keana Shorb, Sophie Showers, Carter Garfield, and Meredith Todd. At the 11-14 state Chps: Brittany Awalt, Megan Chong, Elliot & Emma Dow, Raymond Goeser, Jennifer Konick, Alex Lianopoulos, Brooke Mischkot, Rachael Nelson, Tori Simenec, Jackie Tran, Kyle Wicks, and Amanda Zaragoza. Many of these swimmers have also qualified for Sectional competition - which is another big step towards regional & national recognition.
My thanks to the advisory committee, headed by Randy Rasmussen. If you are interested in helping with the administration, guidance, fundraising, etc. of the club, I urge you to do so. Additionally, we hope to bring an officials’ clinic to Salem to train more officials. More plans!!!
Al Stephenson