Age Group Report
September 2000

As the new incoming Age Group Chair, let me first introduce myself. I have been an age group coach in the Potomac Valley LSC for nine (9) years. Previous to this, I was an age group coach in the Ohio LSC for three (3) years and the student assistant swim coach for Bowling Green State University for two (2) years. I have been a coach for sixteen (16) zone meets, have been a coach for a National Age Group Camp and have been a coach for an All Star Team. I hope to share this knowledge and experience with Potomac Valley Swimming.

Long Course Zones 2000:

The meet was in Buffalo, NY hosted by STAR from the Niagara LSC. The meet was run at two different sites for the morning prelim session. This worked out great for Potomac Valley. It gave us all a break between prelims and finals. For the teams that traveled together it presented itself with some obstacles. Meals together were hard to arrange, the pools were about 30 minutes apart for the buses to drop the swimmers off, more chaperones were needed and a team manager was now needed for two venues.

With the 10-under swimmers just having timed finals, I would have liked for them to run an award ceremony at the completion of each morning session.

More organization from the host LSC would have solved some minor problems in seating the teams and keeping spectators from the pool deck.

One of the problems Potomac Valley faces is the amount of coaches that travel to the zone meet to watch their personal swimmers and come onto the pool deck to talk to their athletes and personally warm them up. I could understand their frustration if they were turned away as a Potomac Valley coach, but we have not had the maximum number of coaches apply to be on staff for several if not all of the last 18 PVS zone meets. My frustration lies with limited lane and deck space for these coaches to interfere with rest of the Potomac Valley team. With no specific penalty from Potomac Valley, all the coaching staff and chaperones can do is ask them to leave the deck area. It puts the zone coaches in an awkward position to keep telling a coach to remove themselves from the deck, when in fact these are the same people that coach on the same home clubs and could have a vote as to who makes future zone staffs.

The PVS zone coaches did an excellent job.

The PVS zone managers (Linda & Thirl Crudup) log countless volunteer hours making sure we are provided with great zone experiences from the coaches to the swimmers.

14-under PVS Age Group Champs:

A time line and suggested events for the meet, all that is needed are qualifying times:

Friday

Prelims (2 courses Women 8 lane : Men 7 lane)

13-14 200 Medley Relay 3 heats 10 minutes

11-12 200 Medley Relay 3 heats 10 minutes

13-14 100 Breast 5 heats 10 minutes

11-12 50 Breast 5 heats 05 minutes

13-14 200 Free 5 heats 15 minutes

11-12 100 Free 5 heats 10 minutes

13-14 100 Fly 5 heats 10 minutes

11-12 50 Fly 5 heats 05 minutes

14-un 400 IM 4 heats 24 minutes

11-12 200 IM 5 heats 15 minutes

14-un 1000 Free (Timed Final) 3 heats 45 minutes

159 minutes

(Change course for 10-un Finals and Evening Finals to 1 course 8 lane)

Prelims

10-un 50 Breast 10 heats 15 minutes

10-un 100 Free 10 heats 25 minutes

10-un 50 fly 10 heats 15 minutes

10-un 200 IM 10 heats 35 minutes

Awards 30 minutes

120 minutes

Finals 100 minutes (2 heats for 13-14 : 2 heats for 11-12)

(Change course for next morning prelims)

Saturday

Prelims (2 courses Women 8 lane : Men 7 lane)

13-14 200 Free Relay 3 heats 10 minutes

11-12 200 Free Relay 3 heats 10 minutes

13-14 200 IM 5 heats 15 minutes

11-12 100 IM 5 heats 10 minutes

14-un 200 Breast 5 heats 15 minutes

11-12 100 Breast 5 heats 10 minutes

13-14 100 Back 5 heats 10 minutes

11-12 50 Back 5 heats 05 minutes

13-14 50 Free 5 heats 05 minutes

11-12 200 Free 5 heats 15 minutes

13-14 500 Free 4 heats 28 minutes

11-12 400 Medley Relay 3 heats 18 minutes

13-14 400 Medley Relay 3 heats 18 minutes

169 minutes

(Change course for 10-un Finals and Evening Finals to 1 course 8 lane)

Prelims

10-un 100 IM 10 heats 22 minutes

10-un 100 Breast 10 heats 23 minutes

10-un 50 Back 10 heats 15 minutes

10-un 200 Free 10 heats 35 minutes

10-un 200 Medley Relay 6 heats 20 minutes

Awards 30 minutes

145 minutes

Finals 90 minutes (2 heats for 13-14 : 2 heats for 11-12)

(Change course for next morning prelims)

Sunday

Prelims (2 courses Women 8 lane : Men 7 lane)

11-12 400 Free Relay 3 heats 18 minutes

13-14 400 Free Relay 3 heats 20 minutes

11-12 100 Back 5 heats 10 minutes

14-un 200 Back 5 heats 15 minutes

11-12 50 Free 5 heats 05 minutes

13-14 100 Free 5 heats 10 minutes

11-12 100 Fly 5 heats 10 minutes

14-un 200 Fly 5 heats 15 minutes

12-un 500 Free (Timed Final) 5 heats 35 minutes

14-un 1650 Free (Timed Final) 3 heats 60 minutes

198 minutes

(Change course for 10-un Finals and Evening Finals to 1 course 8 lane)

Prelims

10-un 100 Back 10 heats 22 minutes

10-un 50 Free 10 heats 15 minutes

10-un 100 Fly 10 heats 23 minutes

10-un 200 Free Relay 06 heats 20 minutes

Awards 30 minutes

110 minutes

Finals 90 minutes (2 heats for 13-14 : 2 heats for 11-12)