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Junior National Shoutout Congratulations to Rob McCall, Kas McIntire, and Hannah Neilsen for qualifying for the 2019 Winter Junior National Championships! Rob and Kas made their first-ever qualifying times at our Holiday Classic, Rob in the 200 Backstroke (1:49.52) and Kas in the 1,650 Freestyle (15:45.90). Hannah, who already had a cut in the 100-Meter Breaststroke, qualified for the first time in the 200-Yard Breaststroke (2:18.07).
Kas and Rob will join Morgan Carteaux at the meet this weekend in Atlanta. Morgan was already qualified in the 50 Freestyle and will also compete in the 100 Backstroke and 100 Freestyle. Good luck to our Ensworth Aquatics swimmers as they race some of the top 18 and Under talent in the United States!
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Holiday Classic - Success Beyond the Numbers
99%. That is the percentage of swimmers who went at least one best time during our Holiday Classic. Really.
74% of the Ensworth Aquatics swims in the meet were also best times, a number that includes both prelims and finals. So if an athlete qualified for finals with a morning swim that wasn’t quite a best time, but still went a lifetime best in finals, their morning performance is factored into that 74%.
What does all of this mean? It means that your kids swam really, really, really well!
There was a little concern that swimming in our home pool at a big meet might be anti-climactic for a lot of our athletes. There is a thrill in getting to travel, stay in a hotel, and compete in a different pool. But the numbers speak for themselves, and the thrill is most definitely NOT gone!
As coaches, we design our seasons so that athletes are prepared to be their absolute best at their biggest meets. For our Senior swimmers, that sometimes means not going many best times until the end of the year. But even our older athletes were 66% on best time performances, with 96% of them going at least one lifetime best.
There were nearly 200 first time swims for many of your kids, whether it was an 11-year-old competing in the 200 Backstroke for the first time or a senior taking on the 400 IM for the first time. Obviously those first-time swims don’t factor into best time percentages, but two hundred first time swims is wonderful. It means that our kids are living up to our new T-shirt slogan: Any Time, Any Place, Any RACE!
The numbers speak for themselves, but the camaraderie is never captured by the numbers. We don’t see our 10 & Under boys’ heartfelt cheering during a hotly contested relay in the numbers. We don’t see teammates lined up by the side of the pool during Kas McIntire’s 1,650 in the numbers. We don’t see friends behind the blocks when Rob McCall made the Junior National cut in the 200 Backstroke in the numbers. And we don’t see handshakes or the team cheer tunnel to other teams’ swimmers after a tough race in the numbers.
We are more than a team of numbers and statistics. Sure, we all feel better when we see that 99% of our kids went best times in our home pool, but as coaches and parents, we should feel most satisfied by the team your kids are building, the message our parents send to other teams through their kind hospitality, and the joyful interest and enthusiasm our coaches have in kids beyond their accomplishments in the pool.
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Meet Photographs
Special thanks to Meg Reuthe who took some terrific photographs at the Holiday Classic. Click on any image to visit the photo album on Google.
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It Takes a Village (and Then Some)
By the time of this reading, this past weekend’s meet might feel like a distant memory. That is often the way it goes with all-encompassing endeavors: The preparation, anticipation, and execution are all so overwhelming that once it’s over, it seems as though it happened in another life.
Ensworth Aquatics did host its first-ever prelim finals meet this past weekend. Teams from across Tennessee and Kentucky came, and hundreds of kids swam incredibly well. Every visiting coach in attendance said the same thing, “We’ll be back next year.” They came for the competition and the facility, but they will come back largely because of the people who put on this great big show.
The most repeated comments I heard were, “Everyone is just so nice,” and “This meet is running incredibly well.” These kinds of comments aren’t what we hear because of good coaching or fast swimming from our athletes. We hear them because of involved, enthusiastic, supportive, and kind parents willing to do what it takes to put on such a complicated event.
Hallmark hasn’t invented the card that can properly thank our parents for their efforts. From our tireless Meet Director, Claire McCall, to our intrepid Meet Referee, Alex Hughes, to our troubleshooting tech specialist Brian Lucy... we had exceptional volunteer support. I am loathed to name anyone’s name for fear of leaving someone out and it is so important to me that every volunteer understands their support, time, and effort are greatly appreciated.
A year ago we sent 90 swimmers to Louisville in December for the Cardinal Classic. It was the third year we attended that event. The deck was crowded. The parents had to pay to be spectators and, if they had kids in multiple sessions, had to leave the deck after the morning session, queue up, and pay again. It is likely most families spent between $500 and $1,000 that weekend to travel. As a team, that means we probably invested more than $50,000 to travel to Louisville. We have never been to that meet and swimmers and parents said, “Boy, I can’t wait to go back there.”
So we created our meet. We invited teams and played host. Our families got to sleep in their own beds, save money and time, and swim in our own pool. The people who came to compete want to come back again. Some even asked if we could host a prelim/final long course meet. We are a destination city and facility. But we can only do it with your help.
I put out the call every single year for volunteers. This past weekend is the best example of why your involvement is so vital. If we cannot host, we will have to travel. If we do not all share the load when hosting, we will have to pay to swim in some other town.
We are blessed with the best high school facility in the entire country, and with the most selfless parent base I have ever been privileged to be around. While this is supposed to be about simply thanking all of you who did so much, so selflessly, to put this meet on, I cannot separate the thanks I feel from the reality that we need more help from more parents, and more often. We need apprentice Meet Directors. We need more officials. We need more computer operators. We need every family chipping in, in some capacity.
Last year we sent nearly 90 kids to Louisville. Last weekend 184 of our swimmers competed in our home meet. To all of you who pitched in, THANK YOU! Swimming at home is a burden and a blessing. The burden is on us to put on the show, the blessing is that we get to put on the kind of show that has people understanding who we are as a team. And THAT is what makes them want to come back. Be a part of it!
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Marshmallow Mini
Ensworth Aquatics hosts the annual Marshmallow Mini Championships this weekend. For detailed information regarding the meet, use this link.
Warmups for the Marshmallow Mini will begin at 12:00 p.m., and the competition will start at 1:00 p.m. If you have not already signed up to volunteer, there is still time. Click here to volunteer for the meet.
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Practice Schedule
Live Practice Schedule is updated with our holiday training schedules through winter break. Please review this information! If you know you will be traveling during the break, please contact your swimmer's coach to make practice arrangements while away.
Senior/Senior 1 Final Exam Practice Schedule Please check the practice options offered during exam week.
Holiday Training starts Monday, December 23rd
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Upcoming Meets & Events
Click on the swim meet links to access meet and hotel information.
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Swim Meet Registration
Signing up for a meet is easy, especially with the OnDeck app. Please review this article for information on how to use OnDeck. You can also sign up directly through the team’s website. Information on how to do that can be found in the article as well.
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Birthday Shout Outs
Here are upcoming birthdays for athletes through December 16, 2019:
Lucy Trailov – December 5
Leah Jackson – December 8
Jonathan Henschel – December 10
George Mabry – December 14
Emily Melton – December 14
James Jensen – December 15
Lilly Robertson – December 15
Your teammates wish each of you the happiest of birthdays!
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Senior/Senior 1
HO-HO Holiday Brunch
Saturday, December 21, 2019 after practice (10:30am) to 1:00 p.m. at the Mason’s House: 22 Bancroft Place, Nashville
Main dish (egg casseroles) and drinks to be served. If your last name begins A-L please bring a sweet side dish (think fruit, yogurt, danish). If you’re last name begins with M-Z bring a savory side dish (think bacon, bagels, potatoes) to share. Also, please bring a wrapped gift (Max. $20) to swap for a Secret Santa exchange!
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Holiday Pasta Potluck
Saturday, December 21, 2019
6:00-8:00 p.m. Hosted at the Mason ‘s house: 22 Bancroft Place, Nashville
Pasta, bread and drinks will be served.
If your Last name starts A-L please bring a side dish to share. Last names M-Z bring a dessert to share. Also, please bring wrapped gift (max. $15) for Secret Santa game! Hope you all can make it!! Questions, please contact Margaret Mason at 865-809-2613
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Jumping into the Holidays
Monday, December 23, 2019
1:00 p.m. at Defy Nashville
1647 Mallory Lane, Brentwood
The festivities will begin with 90 minutes of jumping, followed by pizza and crazy cap exchange. Please give Fran Spurrier $17 per person via Venmo (Fran-Spurrier) or give Fran cash or check at practice. RSVP has been extended to December 13.
Siblings are welcome for both jumping and pizza – the more the merrier - they can cheer on the cap exchange but aren’t expected to participate. Contact Fran Spurrier 615-491-0825 .
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Dolphin Holiday Party & Crazy Swim Cap Exchange
On Thursday, December 19, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hospitality Room, our Dolphins will celebrate the holidays with pizza, hot cocoa, and cookies. Dolphins should bring a wrapped crazy swim cap. (These can be ordered from numerous websites.) to exchange in a gift swap.
Group Coordinator, Lindsay Sanford, will need some volunteers to bring cookies, hot cocoa, and decorations.
Dolphins will swim a shortened practice and will need to be picked up at the usual time. Email lindsaysanford1@gmail.com to RSVP and if you can help with cookies, cocoa, or holiday decorations.
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Stingray Crazy Sock Exchange
On Monday December 23, after practice in the Hospitality Room, Stingrays will celebrate the holidays with hot cocoa, cookie decorating, and the annual sock exchange. Each Stingray needs to bring a wrapped pair of fun socks to the party.
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Ensworth Aquatics Gear
Speedo Merchandise & Equipment
Price drop! Thanks to All American Swim, our team suit prices have been lowered. Additional team gear, including warm-ups, swimsuits, backpacks, and equipment can be purchased directly at All American Swim or online. Visit the Team Gear page on our website for instructions on accessing our Ensworth Aquatics Online Store as well as the equipment requirements for each practice group.
To help our families who may have equipment/apparel they no longer need or have outgrown, we have a Swap Shop page (under the Competitive Team menu) where we will post any swim team-related items you want to sell, trade, or give away. This includes apparel, swimsuits, equipment, training aids, etc. Please email the description/photo to Naomi Kitahara. Alternatively, you can also post on the Practice GroupMe.
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USA Swimming - Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy
This past summer USA Swimming implemented the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP). This new policy is designed to safeguard athletes from potential sexual abuse by adults. All clubs are mandated to implement this new policy, which includes an Electronic Communications Policy that replaces the policy that has been in place since our club was founded. In order to finalize registrations, we ask that each family acknowledge the MAAPP. To access our full outline of the policy, follow this link to visit the information page on our website.
Use this link to complete the acknowledgment as soon as possible. This is a required step in USA Swimmings registration. Naomi Kitahara will be contacting all team members who need to comply.
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Ways to Stay Connected
GroupMe App
If you have not already joined your swimmers' GroupMe, please consider doing so. Parents, coaches, and staff use GroupMe to communicate last-minute updates, traffic issues, practice changes, lost and found, carpooling and much more. Each practice group has its own group text, and we believe if you ask any returning team members, they will confirm that GroupMe is an invaluable communication tool as it enables them to ask specific questions and plan activities particular to their practice group. Use this link to download the GroupMe app.
Click on the links below to connect with your swimmer's practice group and parent reps:
Parent Reps
Stingrays - Jessica Horne & Maureen Kolton
Dolphins - Lindsey Sanford
Sharks - Fran Spurrier
Juniors - Margaret Mason & Susan Emrhein
Marlins - help needed
Senior1/Senior - help needed
Team Website & OnDeck
We are confident that everyone on our team has visited our team website by now, but beyond registration, it serves as the primary information tool for our team. Through our website, parents and athletes will commit to competitions, enter events, sign up to volunteer, access newsletters, review practice schedules, much more. Be sure to "Sign In" to the website to view all content. Go ahead and visit www.ensworthaquatics.com and bookmark it!
OnDeck is TeamUnify's supporting app that allows our staff to communicate through our website directly to team members' mobile devices. OnDeck also presents our website content to users with improved mobile device usability. What this means is you can enter into swim meets and signup to volunteer more easily on your mobile devices. Use this link to download OnDeck.
Social Media
Ensworth Aquatics is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click on the icons below to connect with us through social media.
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