Pacific Update
Week of February 1, 2021 |
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In this issue you will find information on upcoming swimming events and other information of interest to the local adult swimming community.
The next issue of the Update will appear on February 15, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 10, 2021.
Stay fit,
The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee
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Dryland Training for Pacific Masters Swimmers
February 7- March 28
Steve Trutane will kick off a new dryland instruction for mobility and strength. This program is a free benefit to USMS-registered swimmers. Movements are swim-specific with an aim to increase strength and improve efficiency without risking injury. In the past, Steve has offered regular dryland training to members of Albany Armada Aquatic Masters, YMCA of Berkeley, and Albany Community Triathlon. This program will run on a trial basis for Pacific Masters swimmers during the months of February and March. Go to Athlete Body Shop and click on the Zoom link every Sunday from 4:30-5:15 PM. |
TAM's Miracle Mile Postal Swim
January 1- February 28
Swim a mile in your own pool and help find a cure for lung cancer. TAM's Miracle Mile is unique because what you pay to participate is completely up to you. 50% of your payment is tax-deductible and will go to the Go2Foundation for Lung Cancer. Join us and swim for a cure! Information and registration. |
Splash & Dash Postal Sprint Pentathlon
February 1 - 28
To kick start the new year, Albany Armada Aquatic Masters will host the 5th annual Splash & Dash Sprint Pentathlon. It's short, fun and a bit speedy. In 2021, this tradition will be continued by switching to an online postal format. To participate, swim and get a time for any of the five sprint events (50 Butterfly, 50 Backstroke, 50 Breaststroke, 50 Freestyle and 100 Individual Medley) within the month of February. At the event's conclusion, we will host an online event for all participants and announce award winners. More information and registration. |
USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship
Through February 28
There is only one month left to participate in the USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship! See how far you can swim in one hour. Upon completion of the event, you will be able to compare yourself with others across the nation. More information and registration. |
USMS Winter Fitness Challenge: 30-min Swim
February 1-15
You still have time to get your year off to a fresh start with the Swim.com USMS Fitness Series and the Winter Fitness Challenge, a 30-minute swim that takes place between February 1-15. Whether you're just getting into swimming, starting back into it after a COVID forced break from the pool or pushing to see how fast you can go, the Winter Fitness Challenge is the perfect event for you to leap into the new year. More information.
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COVID Relief Grant Wrap-Up
2020 was a challenging year. Swimmers have lost pool time, staff has been laid off, and some clubs closed down altogether.
In July of 2020, USMS announced its COVID Relief Matching Grant Program. Pacific Masters immediately formed a 5-person committee and set about helping clubs apply for these grants. All 24 Pacific Masters clubs that applied were awarded grants. This impacted 3,506 of our Pacific Masters members (approximately 50% of our 2020 Club membership). In all, we awarded a total of $60,344, half from Pacific Masters and half from USMS.
These grants helped keep coaches on payroll, allowed more pool time, gave clubs breathing room to figure out their next steps and gave them a much needed boost.
The committee was happy to be part of something that benefitted our swim family and hopes that we can gather at the pool soon.
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Call for 2020 Coach of the Year Nominations
Deadline: February 19
In 2020, many Pacific Masters coaches found ways to provide unique alternatives to our normal pool workouts despite challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions. When clubs did start up again, our coaches worked hard to get as many of us into the pool as possible.
Do you have a coach that went above and beyond in 2020? Please consider recognizing their efforts by nominating your coach for the Pacific Masters Coach of the Year Award. Submissions should include a nomination letter along with a maximum of four support letters. A description of the award along with the nomination and selection process can be found here. More details can be found here. Nominations for Pacific Masters Coach of the Year are due Friday, February 19, 2021 and should be sent to the Chair of Pacific Masters.
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We're Going Green!
Terminating Paper Membership Cards Starting February 1
After much consideration and discussion, USMS will remove the option to request a printed and mailed membership card during returning member registration effective Feb. 1 at 12 a.m. EST.
If there are clubs that still require paper membership cards, please contact Chris Ottati, Administrator who will help your club work with the National office about the available alternatives. Printed membership cards will not be available for returning members for the 2022 membership year.
Members can access an electronic version of their membership card through their My USMS account for use on their iPhone or Android device, as well as save a downloadable PDF to their device of choice for easy access.
The National Office will continue to send new member welcome packets that include a plastic printed membership card to all new 2021 members.
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Coaches Clinic
Coach-to-Coach Mentoring
On Wednesday, February 3, 7:00-8:00 pm, Pacific Masters will host their first of six bi-monthly Clinics, Panels or Roundtables for Masters swim coaches and coaches-in-training. Stu Kahn, Head Coach of Davis Aquatic Masters, is our featured speaker in February. His talk will focus on Swim Technique: Best Ways to Coach Masters Swimmers. You will definitely want to hear his legacy talk for our coaching community and for masters coaches everywhere. Register here.
Dates throughout the year: April 7, June 2, August 4, October 6, December 1.
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Mornings with Rosemary
By Libby Page
We've been sharing some of our Update Editors' favorite swimming books to help ease the stress of the pandemic restrictions. Reading about swimming is not as therapeutic as actually being in the water, but it keeps us tuned in and has the potential to open our eyes to all aspects of our sport. See the full list here.
Rosemary Peterson has lived in Brixton, London, all her life, but everything is changing. The library where she used to work has closed. The family grocery store has become a trendy bar. And now the lido, an outdoor pool where she has swum daily since its opening, is threatened with closure by a local housing developer. Mornings with Rosemary is a charming and heartwarming story about friendship and love, featuring the life-changing relationship between an anxious young reporter and an eighty-six-year-old lifelong swimmer.
We are never too old to make new friends - or to make a difference.
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Swimming Through the "Cold"
As we swim through the winter months, there may be some frosty early morning training sessions when you question your sanity. Here's a little food for thought: the next time you think your swimming conditions are less-than-ideal, consider Yekaterina Nekrasova, who recently broke the under-ice swim in Russia. She swam 85 meters, under the ice, in -7.7 degrees Fahrenheit weather. Read about it here.
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