Swimmers and Parents,

On our schedule we have listed the Waldo County Invite for November 12.  This is an optional meet scheduled the weekend between our practice meet (tomorrow) and our first league dual meet on November 19 (at PenBay).  I have been advised that we are limited to 40-50 swimmers, which I take to mean 50.  I suspect that if I asked "who wants to go" I would get double that, so I am going to give some guidelines about who should enter, and assuming I still get more then 50, I'll have to select who's going and who has to wait another week.  Those that want to go, but don't get selected will have first right to attend the second closed meet invitational on January 28th.

Here are the criteria that I am looking at for this meet:

• The event offerings are structured to allow swimmers a chance to compete in events not contested in regular YMCA dual meets (100's of fly, back, breast for 9-10, 11-12, as well the 200 IM, and 200's of fly, back and breast for 11-12, 13-14, 15-18).  There are no 100's of fly, back and breast at this meet for 13 and up.  The purpose of the inclusion of these events is to allow swimmers a chance at qualifying times (for the Maine Junior Olympics or other meets), so my first priority will be to look at those team members looking to qualify for JO's in those events.  That may take up 5-10 spots.

 

•  Second criteria is who has prepared themselves to successfully swim in an early season meet.  That means who has been treating swimming as their primary sport up to this point (coming to practice).  So priority will be given based upon the amount of times I've seen the swimmer's face at practice.

 

• Third criteria will be meet readiness.  I'll know a little more about this after tomorrow, but we have many new swimmers who are still learning the rules and the strokes, so if I think they would benefit from another week of practice, I'll lean towards holding them out.

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• The final criteria will be quality of sales pitch.  Don't just send me a name and say "Betty wants to swim."  Instead talk to your swimmer and find out why they want to swim and then sell it.  For example "Betty wants to swim because she's so nervous she's worried she'll have to wear Depends at the first dual meet and wants to overcome her fear."  

With that in the way of explanation I will open the door for volunteers.  To enter the meet e-mail me at [email protected].  Do not hit "reply" and send it back to the website, do not tell me on deck, do not facebook me or twitter me.  Just the e-mail as described.  I will be making a list on a sheet of paper and that sheet will be sitting next to my computer.  Other methods of informing me will just lead to my further confusion.

Mike

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