Draft Minutes until approved at the 2013 Spring Competition Committee Meeting

 

Potomac Valley Swimming

Competition Committee Meeting

Lee Graham Community Center

7319 Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA 22042

January 9, 2013

 

·         Attendance – Bill Marlin-PVS, Manga Dalizu-PVS, Mark Murray-FBST, Bruce Andersen-HACC, Scott Bryant-PVS, Heather Purk – LMAC, Brian Pawlowicz-NCAP, Meghan Thiel-NCAP, Evan Stiles-AAC, Emily Menard-PVS, Derek Young-AAC, Bob Walker-ASA, Bob Petraites-JFD, Dave Crocker-RMSC, Chris Schlegel-ASA, Brad Bowser-MACH, Steve Menard-AAC, Tom Ugast-NCAP, Pete Morgan-NCAP, Clayton Joyner-VLAC, Parker Ramsdell-YORK, Greg York-PVS, Dan Jacobs-MACH, Riley Eaton-PVS, John Ertter-PVS, Paris Jacobs-PVS< Luke Trafton-SNOW, Chris Huott-MSSC, Heather Coulson Haddock-MAKO, Mike Kraeuter-BWST, Merari Chollette-ERSC

·         Call to Order – The meeting was called to order by Senior Chair, Bill Marlin at 7:00.

·         Approval of Fall CCM Minutes – Motion to approve the minutes from the Fall Competition Committee Meeting, seconded and approved.

·         Club Bids to host 2013-2014 SC PVS meet dues today

·         Club Meet bids

o   Last call for meets April 1-August 31, 2013 (last opportunity)

§  4/6-7/13 – MAKO, Spring Invite, GMU

§  4/13/13 – PAC, 10 & U Spring Penguin Meet, Fairland

§  5/3-5/13 – RMSC, Spring LC Classic, KSAC

§  5/31-6/2/13 – RMSC, Maryland States, Rockville

·         Motion to accept the meet bids for the new meet bid for April 1-August 31, 2013, seconded and approved.

o   First call for meets Sept 1-December 31, 2013 (first opportunity, can add meets at the spring meeting)

§  10/5/13 – MSSC, All Freestyle Meet, Fairland

§  10/6/13 – PEAK, All Freestyle Meet, PGS&LC

§  10/5-6/13 – MAKO, Fall Invite, GMU

§  10/19-20/13 – YORK, Halloween Mini Meet, Madeira

§  10/26-27/13 – MSSC, Fall Senior Meet, Fairland

§  10/26-27/13 – PEAK, Senior Circuit 1, PGS&LC

§  10/26-27/13 – AAC, Fall Gator Mini Meet, Washington-Lee

§  11/10/13 – YORK, Friendship #1 Mini Meet, Madeira

§  11/16-17/13 – FAST, Odd Ball Challenge, Fairland

§  11/24/13 – NCAP, Pilgrim Pentathlon, Claude Moore

§  12/5-8/13 – MACH, Turkey Claus, UMD

§  12/6-8/13 – MSSC, Christmas Champs, Fairland

§  12/7-8/13 – YORK, Reindeer Mini Meet, Providence

§  12/7-8/13 – MAKO, Holiday Invite, GMU

§  12/12-15/13 – NCAP, Tom Dolan Invite, UMD

·         Motion to accept the meet bids for the new meet bid for September 1-December 31, 2013, seconded and approved.

·         Election for Assistant Coaches for SC Spring Zones – Ballots were handed out. Reminder that each team is allowed one vote.

o   All ballots were counted. Motion to accept Steve Menard, Megan Thiel, Chris Schlegel, Matt Pelletier, Josh Travis and Scott Bryant as assistant coaches for the 2013 SC Spring Zone meet, seconded and approved.

o   Motion to destroy the ballots, seconded and approved.

·         Election for Head Coaches for LC Summer Zones – Scott Bryant is the only coach nominated for the Head Zone coach.

o   Motion to accept Scott Bryant as the Head Zone Coach for the Summer LC Zone Team by acclimation, seconded and approved.

·         Eastern Zone News – The Sectional meets has opened up the opportunity for disability swimmers & finals opportunity for disability athletes. This year both the Northern and Southern Sectionals meets will be open (Southern is Short Course, Northern is Long Course) to any teams in the Zone.

·         Reports

o   Safe Sport – The Safe Sport handbook will be coming out in about 2 weeks and will be sent to each club. It will include information on bullying, sexual misconduct, travel, etc. USA Swimming has a link on their website with all information. As approved in September at the USA Swimming Convention, each club must have a policy regarding safe sport posted on the team’s website, you must have it now, do not wait until you need it.  There is a Safe Sport meeting at the end of the month in Colorado with members from around the world to report where we (USA Swimming) are now. Several representatives from PVS will be in attendance; Greg York, Riley Eaton, Paris Jacobs and Emily Menard.  

§  Parent Track – We have over 10,000 families, only 700 families have gone through the training. PVS is the 5th largest LSC and we are way behind in having parents participate in this important training. Please stress the importance of this training video and make sure your parents see it.

o   Sr. Chair –

§  It has been two years since the new background screening protocol came out. For many coaches their Level 2 background screening due by February. Reminder if any coach has any certification that have expired they are no longer allowed on deck until all certs are up to date.

§  Anti-bulling policy must now be posted on your website, if your club does not have their own then at least link to the USA Swimming policy. It is there for clubs to use if needed.

§  Travel Assistance applications – Reminder of due dates: Jan 1 for Seniors, Jan 7 for Juniors – if you did not turn it in, it will have to go in as appeal

§  IMX – Entries are due Jan 22. USA S will be proofing the scores, from a single season (all last year, all this year, etc)

o   AG Chair –

§  Diversity Announcements (see report)

§  Thanks to Shelley Gesker as Zone team manager for the all the years, she is taking a break and thank you for all of your hard work.

§  JO’s – will be at UMD, Numbers: 1,040 qualified (2012) 1100 in 5745 splashes (2013).  We look like we will be at 5,200 splashes this year if the numbers hold true according to the past few years.

·         Format – The goal is to go back to 2 sessions (12 & Over, 9-10)

§  April 14 and 21 – possible dates for camps (level 2 – JO’s and below and Level 3 upper JO level) – Looking to see if clubs are interested in coaching any camps?

·         Contact Manga if you are interested.

o   Coaches Reps – There will be an ASCA clinic in Herndon, Feb 10 . On Feb 9 a level 3 school and swim America program. Sunday will be an advanced freestyle clinic.

§  Coaches felt the fall meets ran well.

§  A reminder to all coaches please Contact Scott or Emily, the PVS Coach’s Reps if there is anything you would like to see discussed or brought up to the Competition Committee or Board.

o   Athlete Reps –  no reports

o   Open Water – Members from PVS have been talking with DC and other departments, we have now made some progress at opening up water ways within PVS boundaries. It is no longer illegal to swim in the Potomac; however it has to be an event. There is a fee for the event and an application process.  You can have a practice on one day and the event another day. Maryland has continued to wash their hands of this issue and are leaving it up to the Park Service as to when you get out of the water. National Harbor is available, and there are a couple of events there scheduled this year, the only stipulation is that you have to use the commercial docks. The water is clean, unless there is a heavy rain in the days prior, they you may have to cancel your event. 

§  If clubs want to run host Open Water events, please contact Kurt Thiel, he can work with you get things set up.

§  Eastern Zones, Kurt is the OW meet referee and there will be a 1K on the Sunday at the conclusion of the meet.

o   Board Members –

§  Everyone is aware our policies for equipment rental has changed. Please see all new policies (thanks to Carrie Tupper at UMD)

§  PVS is still offering a subsidy program for team to purchase their own equipment, if you are interested talk to John Ertter about all the details.

§  Over the last few years, the amount of money spent on Zone travel has gone up quite a bit. The expenditures are typically more than what is budgeted. How as coaches do you perceive the Zone Meets? This is a large budget item and the board has been looking at it the past several years.  Where do you, as coaches, see PVS going with the zone meet. Do we want to send a team that can win? Or just one that has the kids who are simply interested in going.

·         First someone wants to know; how much is contributed by the LSC is how much is the family responsible for?

o   Families have been paying $500-525 and the LSC is covering about $300 per swimmer worth of experiences.

o   Summer 12: athlete fee $525. Based on projection (catering, hotel and # athletes) should have been even except we had 202 athletes and the expenses were more than expected. In order for the LSC to stay with the current approved budget, each athlete fee would have had to be $700+.

·         The board is making efforts to bring the budget back in line and to stay with what the House votes on each year.

·         What do you want us to do? If we are going to support 202 kids then we need to decide how. Who is picking up the tab

·         If you have thoughts of where PVS should be and our support of a budget item. What do you think is a fair number to ask the parents to pay?

·         The primary concern is summer meet when we typically way over shoot the budget; however we will look at the spring meet as well.

·         How long has it been since we name the summer team and everyone else is on their own? (It has been a long time, it can be done, but it has to come from the ccm body and the board can vote)

·         There was a straw poll to see if the body was interested in setting the maximum number of kids allowed that fit within the budget and capping the team who is funded. The majority of the vote was yes.

o   Age Group Coach of the Year – As a reminder it will be for April 2011-August 2012.

·         Old Business – no old business.

·         New Business –

o   Board Action Items – New Policy for balancing meet entries for PVS Open Meets – A policy was discussed and amended to put forth to the board for approval. No CCM vote is necessary. This policy will allow more time for balancing entries for the PVS Open meet and the moving of clubs from site to site in order to maintain a better balance. It will also allow club, who are moved, more time to update/change their entries based upon a change in venue only. No service fee should be assessed to these teams is the wish of the body.

§  Move the meet entry date back to the previous Thursday (14 days out).

o   Registration Fines/Officials Fines

§  There are fines being issued for not having enough Officials. The policies do state that all athletes must be registered, not just USA Swimming registered. There is a secondary policy available for learn to swim only swimmers as a much reduced rate.

§  There are letters to be sent out regarding fines for non-registered athletes.

§  Any club receiving a fine does have the right to appeal.

§  An athlete is considered registered once the registration is in the Registrar’s Inbox, so even if you remember at the very last minute, email it in.

o   Coaches Continuing Education Grant reminders ($500) – Reminder that there are five offered each year.

o   Graduating Seniors – Reminder send any graduating senior’s college choice to the PVS Admin to post on PVS website.

o   Club Distance meets vs. PVS Distance meets – The distance qualifying policy does not apply to club meets. It only applies to PVS Distance meets (Open meets), as a club running distance events you can set any qualifying policy you want or you do not have to even have a policy.

o   Motion to go back to 8 total coaches for Spring Zones instead of the 9 total coaches – (head, assistant head and 6 assistant coaches), seconded and approved.

o   Motion to add the 400 IM to the 18 & U Champs on Friday, seconded, approved

·         Motion to swim the 400 IM as an Open and score as an individual using the 14 & U NFT, seconded and approved.

o    Motion to eliminate ribbons awarded at PVS Open Meets effective June 1, 2013 seconded and approved.

o   Water Temp at some facilities and height of blocks – Cub Run (Friday night really warm for distance events), also felt that Lee District was a little too warm for the Distance meet.

§  Is this too warm and how do we handle the temperatures on an LSC level.

§  Bill M – as a meet director suggests to contact the facility prior to the meet to remind the aquatic directors to drop the temperatures.

§  Blocks at LD are they retro fitted? The direction of tread and the height are a concern.

·         Set Spring Competition Meeting – May 15, 2013

·         Adjourn, seconded and approved.