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Pacific Update
Week of June 21st, 2021
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Hello!
In this issue, you will find information on upcoming swimming events being held in the next couple of months. Our monthly Pacific Masters Meeting will be on July 21st. We have a new event added to our Pacific Masters Pandemic Challenge Series as well as USMS Nationals! Entry deadline for USMS Nationals is today, June 21.
The next issue of the Update will appear on July 5, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Stay fit,
The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee
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Pacific Masters Community Talk and Social Hour
The Smart Goggle
July 8, Starts at 7:00 pm
Hear from Yuri Zhovnirovsky, the inventor and designer of The Smart Goggle, released by FINIS and powered by Ciye (Coach In Your Eye). Please join us for our July Community Talk and Social Hour. One lucky attendee will walk home (actually, we’ll mail it to you) with a new pair of Smart Goggles (must be present to win).
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A Conversation with Suzanne Heim-Bowen
Recorded from our June Community Talk and Social Hour
Last month, Suzanne Heim-Bowen shared with us how she was recruited to join a college swim team at age 50. Her sharing of the experience of being on the team led to a warm evening for all who attended. Watch the video and for an hour be enveloped by the wonderful Masters swimming community we are all a part of.
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Mountain View Masters: Non-Free Triple Threat ePostal
June 1 - 30
Only nine days left to conquer the most dreaded events in competitive swimming: the 200 fly, 200 back, and 200 breast. Enter your favorite event or two… or, if you want to be a triple threat at non-free, enter all three
Challenge yourself and use this as an opportunity to prepare for our Alan Liu Animal Pentathlon in the fall! (If we can’t host a meet, we’ll do another ePostal.)
VIRTUAL SOCIAL EVENT: Join us for a round of "Shots & Goggles" (happy hour!) via Zoom on Thursday July 15th at 5:30pm. A link will be sent out to participants after entries close.
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Pacific Masters Swimming: July ePostal Pandemic Challenge
July 1 - 31
To keep things interesting and motivational, the Challenges continue with Pacific Masters' July ePostal, geared towards distance swimmers as well as the sprinters among us.
The July Challenge will offer the 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast and the 50 free. Also included is our return-to-fitness benchmark 500 yard or 400 meter free, and 1650 yard or 1500 meter free. Information and Registration
For general information and current standings, check out the links below:
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USMS: 5K/10K ePostal National Championships
May 15 - Sept 15
Go looooong with a 5K or 10K swim this summer in a long course pool of your choice. This event, hosted by Swim Kentucky Masters, runs through Sept. 15.
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USMS Short Course National Championship
July 21-25, Greensboro, North Carolina
Entries due Tonight!!
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The 2021 USMS Short Course National Championship is planned for July 21-25 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
This meet, renamed from Spring Nationals just for this year, was postponed from April 29 - May 2 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Precautions will be in place with the meet split into sessions and a cap on the number of participants. See here for COVID Protocols
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Anticipating Open Water and Pool Competitions |
As our state opens up, some clubs are exploring the possibility of hosting events once again. As tentative dates are set, we will list them on our schedule page and announce them in our Pacific Update newsletter.
As of now, two local meets have been approved for later in the year:
17th Annual Alan Liu Memorial SCM Meet, Sunday, October 3
Pacific Masters SCM Championships, host WCM, Friday thru Sunday, October 15-17
Adding in the USMS LCM Nationals, scheduled for October 6-10, October is filling up fast.
Please keep in mind there are many hurdles for event hosts to overcome, and the tentative listing of an event is neither a guarantee that it will take place, nor that it will be open to all.
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Adult Learn-To-Swim Mentors Available
If you are interested, the ALTS Programming Committee at USMS is offering mentors to help start or grow ALTS programs in Pacific.
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Pacific Masters Monthly Meeting
July 21, Doors Open at 6:45, Meeting at 7:00 PM
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The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 PM via the Zoom platform. If this is your first time Zooming, we suggest you sign on a little early to ask questions and address technical issues. Even if you are familiar with Zoom, sign on early to say "hi" to your fellow swimmers. All members are encouraged to participate. Our monthly meeting reminder email will provide the Zoom link. If you are not on that list and would like to attend, please contact Chris Ottati Administrator, for details.
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Open Water National Championship Bids
Open through August 1
Want to host an Open Water National Championship in 2023? The bidding process is now open through Aug. 1.
Hosting a National Championship provides a lot of far-reaching exposure which can help your event grow significantly. Bidding information and detailed instructions are available on the Open Water National Championships page.
Selection will be based on the overall suitability of the bid received, area in which the event is to be held, safety, and the annual event schedule as a whole. Applications can be completed online. Download the Bid Instructions and FAQs document for more information.
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USMS Try Masters Swimming Month |
USMS has designated July as Try Masters Swimming Month*. This fun, informal invitation is a great way to introduce new swimmers to Pacific Masters and grow our numbers.
Do you have a friend or neighbor who likes to swim, but thinks they're not good enough to join a team, or prefers to swim only for fitness and/or recreation? Maybe you know of a graduating high school or college senior now finding themselves searching for top-notch competition?
Try Masters Swimming allows newcomers to experience our welcoming organization first-hand, and find a schedule and program that suits their individual needs. Click here to read how Masters Swimming is the answer to all your adult swimming needs.
*Pacific Masters recognizes that this July time frame may not work for many of our member clubs due to COVID restrictions still in place in your county or at your facility. We will support a Try Masters Swimming Month later in the year, possibly October, when we anticipate conditions will be more favorable. If you wish to participate in July, please do. If you wish to wait until the later date, please do. If you wish to participate in both, please do! More information about Try Masters Swimming, with resources for clubs, can be found here.
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Congratulations to Kerry O'Brien
Inducted Into Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame!
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Long-time swim coach Kerry O'Brien of Walnut Creek Masters has been inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame. Kerry recently retired after coaching the Walnut Creek Masters for over 40 years. He was voted USMS Coach of the Year in 1987, and in 2008, was awarded the Grassroots Coaching Award. That award is now known as "The Kerry O'Brien Coaches Award".
Kerry has had a huge impact on the Pacific Masters Organization with many varying contributions. He shared his winning coaching techniques by over-seeing informative clinics. Kerry was often one of the guest coaches at our Annual Meeting morning swim practices, always with a kind word, packing loads of great advice into a 30-minute time slot.
He has been an inspiration. He helped swimmers learn to swim, break records, and win awards. He even babysat some of the babies for the parents who brought their kids to swim practice.
A great coach is able to help you beyond your swimming life and Kerry has done that for countless athletes on his squad. Congratulations Coach Kerry, for this well-deserved award.
Read the article in Swimming World Magazine here.
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University of San Francisco Masters Team Seeking Swim Coach
The University of San Francisco Masters team is seeking candidates for the Masters practice times in addition to the highest level for the Youth Swim Team.
USF is looking for an experienced coach or coaches who can motivate swimmers through effective communication and reinforcement. USMS and/or USA Coaching certifications are optional, but a bonus! For a complete job description, additional details and/or to submit a resume, please contact Clare at [email protected].
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Before Michael Phelps, There Was Mark Spitz
7 Olympic Gold Medals in 1972!
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The Olympic Trials have sparked excitement for the up-coming Tokyo Olympic Games and brought to mind some heroic efforts of the past. Many older Pacific Masters swimmers certainly know the name Mark Spitz. His iconic poster hung on the wall of this Editor's college pool, inspiring the team to achieve their goals, or at least complete the yardage of that day's practice.
Mark attended the Mexico City 1968 Games, coming away with 2 golds, a silver and a bronze. By the Munich 1972 Games, he was poised to win, earning an unprecedented 7 gold medals, making Spitz a national hero and a household name. His record held until Michael Phelps took the lead, winning 8 golds at the Beijing Games in 2008.
Hear all about Mark's experiences in this interview with Mel Stewart (Olympian, 2 golds and 1 bronze in the 1992 Barcelona Games). He touches on many subjects including the political upheaval at both Olympics he attended. He drops famous names: Doc Councilman, George Haines, and Gary Hall Sr. He explains the origins of his unorthodox warm-up routine. And, for some levity, he explains the very good reason he wore the same swimming suit for all his events.
Mark Spitz is humble after all these years, acknowledging somewhat of a relief at Phelps' take-over of his record. As he told his friend, "Michael, you have now gone from the hunter to the hunted."
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