New England
Swimming
Wellesley
Community Center
Wellesley,
Massachusetts
January 5,
2009
Members Present: Laura Matuszak
(GMA), Kathy Dacey (UN-NE), Priscilla Davis (UN-NE),
Joe Frazier (BGSC),� Mariella
Allard (UN-NE), Mary Ellen Tynan (PSC), Matt Craven (SAC),� Bob Menck (UN-NE),
Jamie Bloom (WYST),� Pam Warner (UN-NE),
Ray Grant (SSA), Clare Foster (SAC) Guests:
Sherry Wingfield (NAS), Mary Riddell (NE-Office),
Rick Osterberg (Webmaster), Nadine Jesionek, Bill D�Innocenzo (MAG)
Priscilla
Davis (UN-NE) presented past Chair, Ray Grant (SSA), with a lovely clock in
appreciation of his service as Chair.�
Laura Matuszak (GMA) thanked Ray for his
guidance and support.
Quorum established at 7:10
p.m.
Secretary�s Report, Mary
Ellen Tynan (PSC): Motion made by Ray Grant (SSA) to accept the minutes of November 17,
2008 with minor typographical edits. Seconded by Priscilla
Davis (UN-NE). Motion passes.
Treasurer�s Report, Joe
Frazier (BGSC): Accounts are as follows as of January 4, 2009:
Checking
Account: $135,488.12
Certificate
of Deposit: $52,638.78
Money
Market Account: $128, 440.62
The
December registration fees and the awards (about $25,000) have not been
deducted yet from the checking account.
Reimbursement Requests, Mary
Riddell (NE-Office): Swimmers must have competed in three New England meets since September
to be eligible for reimbursement. Patrick Murphy (GMA), Taylor Grey (GMA) Clare
Foster (SAC), Margaret Hutchinson (SAC), Kelly O�Connor (YNS), Thomas Millett
(YNS), Elisse Lunde (BOSS)
and Melissa Parratto (SSA) have all requested
reimbursements.� All except Taylor Grey
(GMA) have verification of attending three New England meets since September.
Ray Grant (SSA) makes a motion to reimburse all but Taylor Grey (GMA).� Seconded by Matt Craven
(SAC). Motion passes.
Strategic Planning, Laura Matuszak (GMA): Peter Clark of the National Office will be here
April 24, 25 & 26, 2009.� Meeting
will start Friday afternoon and finish Sunday early.� The purpose of his visit is to help outline
our basic philosophies about promoting swimming within New England
Swimming.� Committee Chairs should come
up with some ideas of items that a really important to them.� There is no location yet.� Board members should plan to attend.
Short Course Calendar, Ray
Grant (SSA):
Review
of Senior Circuit Meet: Went very well.� Feedback has
been good.
12
and unders:� To be held
at the new Upper Valley Aquatic Center in Vermont.� Pool is being filled.� Should be all set.
Regionals: YNS will host the 5th
Regional site.� Team assignments all set
up and will be on website soon.� Mary
Ellen Tynan (PSC) asked for a clarification of which age group swimmer should
compete in at Regionals if they �age up� between Regionals and Age Groups and they have made the cuts for
their current age.� Ray Grant (SSA)
stated that the swimmer must swim in the age group of their current age, but
they may swim events that they have current cut times in to try to make the
next age group cut.
13-19
Age Groups:
NSSC is to host at MIT, however, we may not have use of the pool on Thursday
evening for the Girl�s and Boy�s 1000 freestyles.� Dan Warner (NSSC) is considering running the
distance events for Thursday night at Salem State College.
Seniors: No bides were received.
Upper Valley Aquatic Center is available, but New England Swimming would need
to run the meet. It is up to the Senior Committee to make the final decision,
but most of those committee members oppose running the meet this year due to
the weekend that is available. It is too close to Age Groups and Sectionals.
New
Meets added:
Two new meets have been sanctioned that are not on the calendar.� The New Hampshire State Championship Meet and
a YNS meet on January 17th.
Long Course Calendar, Ray
Grant (SSA):.� Bids for the long course season are due February
28, 2009.� Eastern Zone Sectionals are in
Buffalo August 6-9th. The U.S. Open begins August 4, 2009. Junior
Nationals begin August 10, 2009.�
Age Group Zones are tentatively set for August 12-15, 209. No
site has been determined yet for the Age Group Zone meet.� Location will probably be determined at the
Eastern Zone meeting in May.
Date For
Annual Meeting, Laura Matuszak (GMA): Eastern Zone meeting is May
9, 2009.�� Annual Meeting will be May 2,
2009 at 8:30AM.� Committee meetings will
not start until 11AM and will end at 1PM.
Club Leadership, Laura Matuszak (GMA): Peter Clark of the National Office will be in New
England March 7, 2009. He is also going to run Club Leadership and
Business Management School (CLBMS). It will be the same weekend as 13-19 Age
Groups.� Three clubs have to take this
training and many others should be encouraged to attend.� Mary Riddell (NE-Office) will try to book the
Wellesley Community Center.
Athlete�s Report, Clare
Foster (SAC):� No report at this time.
Official�s Report, Bob Menck (UN-NE):� Congratulations to Walt Meissner (GMSC) and GMSC for a well run Senior Circuit
Meet.� Nearly 339 Officials are now
registered and most of the apprentices are fulfilling their commitments.
Coaches� Report, Jamie Bloom
(WYST): �Going to have meetings at the Regional and Age
Group meets. Laura Matuszak (GMA) suggested
developing an agenda ahead of time.
Technical Committee, Ray
Grant (SSA): The
committee will wait until after the short course season to meet so they can
identify and prioritize all the issues.
Other:
Mary
Riddell (UN-NE): Reminded coaches that many need new background screens as of
12/31/08.� She addressed the new USA
Regulations for any person coaching.� In
February, New England Swimming office hours will be changed from Thursdays to
Fridays.
Sherry
Wingfield (NAS): Sherry asked if USA Swimming has been doing
anything about the drain issue.� Rick
Osterberg (Webmaster) summarized the Virginia Graham Baker Pool and Drain Act.
Enforcement began December 18, 2009.� The
Consumer Product Safety Commission said that the first priority will be for
spas, jacuzzis and wading pools. Compliant drain
covers must have a stamp on the cover.�
Ray Grant (SSA) commented that all Certified Pool Operators (CPOs) were notified about the legislation.� Sherry Wingfield
(NAS) also suggested that the board consider asking for 2 year bids on
championship meets.� Unfortunately, many
pools cannot be booked 2 years out.
Bill
D�Innocenzo (MAG): Senior Circuit Meet was a great experience
and great competition.� They could have
used more administrative help.� Laura Matuszak (GMA) commented that Walt Meissner
(GMSC) put together a report of the meet and would support the Senior Committee
in having more meets of this level.� Matt
Craven (SAC) reported that the purpose of the circuit meets is to have one
here, one in New York, etc.� 334 swimmers
attended the meet with 1700 individual swims.�
Two National Age Group Records were set. Out of the 45 members on the
National Team, 6 are New England swimmers.
Bob
Menck (UN-NE): There was an incident at the NCAC meet this past
weekend.� Bob Menck
(UN-NE) was checking Coaches� credentials.�
There was a non-credentialed coach responsible for a large group of
swimmers.� What protocol should be
followed?� Laura Matuszak
(GMA) and Mary Riddell (NE-Office) will send a letter to the team.
Rick
Osterberg (Webmaster):� Hy-tek
Standards and entry information for Sectionals are now posted on the
website.�
Nadine
Jesionek: Nothing to report.�
Her pool has been shut down for drains and will open up tomorrow.
Kathy
Dacey (UN-NE): Awards were ordered.� They will cost $25,000.� Richard Quick of Auburn has an inoperable
brain tumor.
Laura
Matuszak (GMA): She asked for clarification about the new
suit restriction. It will go into effect in May in 12 and under Age Group
competition.� Laura Matuszak
(GMA) asked why the 15-19 Regional 400 IM cut for the girls is 30 seconds
faster than for the boys.� She also
reported that Dan Warner (NSSC) wants to run 1000 freestyles the same night as
the 1650 freestyles at his Regional meet.�
Ray Grant (SSA) suggested that he run them as time trials as that
session is never full.
Next meeting � Monday, March 23, 2009 at 7PM at the Wellesley Community
Center.
Motion
to adjourn made by Priscilla Davis (UN-NE), second by Mary Ellen Tynan (PSC)
Motion passed.
Respectfully
submitted,
Mary
Ellen Tynan , Secretary
New
England Swimming