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Pisces Connect Monthly  Newsletter  of  the  Trumbull  Pisces  

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Coach’s  Corner  By:  Coach  Bill  

In  this  edition  of  the  Coach’s  Corner  we  will  touch  on  the  importance  of  taking  a  break  during  the  meet  season,  as  well  as,  what  we  will  be  working  on  at  practice  in  the  next  few  weeks.    

As  we  head  into  this  time  of  the  season  when  meets  seem  to  be  happening  every  weekend,  we   need   to   remember   that   our   swimmers  need  a  day  off  every  once  in  a  while.  A  day  of  rest  is  sometimes  just  what  a  swimmer  needs  to   get   his   rhythm   and   strength   back.   I  recommend   taking   at   least   one   night   off  during   the  week  after  a  weekend  where   the  swimmer  has  swam  both  days.  I  urge  parents  to   explain   the   importance   of   taking   a   night  off   to   their   kids.   Everyone   needs   a   break  from  the  pool  sometimes!  

With   the   Pisces   hitting   their   stride   at   swim  meets  we  are  going  to  be  doing  the  same  at  practices.   This   upcoming   month   the   Pisces  will   be   focusing   on   race   endurance   and  stamina  in  the  pool.  While  we  continue  to  do  drill  work  for  stroke,  turns  and  starts,  we  will  also   be   starting   to   increase   the   endurance  level  during  practice.  Additionally,  we  will  be  instituting   a   new   warm   up   routine   for   our  swimmers  to  start  doing  on  deck  before  they  enter   the   pool   each  practice   and  meet.   This  makes   it  all   the  more   important   for   the  kids  to   be   at   practice   15   minutes   prior   to   the  start.     We   hope   that   these   changes   will  better  prepare  our  swimmers  for  the  meets.  

Welcome  to  the  maiden  issue  of    Pisces Connect !  

Black  &  Gold  Meet  Dec.  11th    

YL:  Pisces  vs  Bristol  Splash  Dec.  19th  Another  home  meet  for  the  Pisces  team.  Warm  up  starts  at  3:30pm.  

USA  Swimming:  Blue  Devil  Invite  Dec.  20th  Happening  in  New  Britain.  Check  out  our  website  for  details.  

A  Pisces  team  event  happening  at  Hillcrest  Middle  School.    Warm  starts  at  5pm.    

Ahoy Trumbull Pisces!

Pisces Connect is our team’s monthly newsletter where we aim to provide the Trumbull Pisces family a slew of information on team activities, meet results, Swimmer of the Month winners, and many other things. We hope you enjoy our maiden issue and we welcome your feedback to make this useful for everyone! GO PISCES!

A  Message  from  Michael  Redgate  President  of  the  Trumbull  Pisces  Team  

The  Trumbull  Pisces  Team  has  made   some  very  noticeable   improvements  since  the  beginning  of  the  season.  All  the  Pisces  swimmers  look  fantastic  in  their  new  team  suits.    The  Pisces  and  High  School  record  boards  along  with  our  new  timing  system  have  been  put  up.  The  Trumbull  Pisces  Board  would  like  to  thank  all  the  parents  and  our  coaches  for  their  support  in  helping  us  make   these  wonderful   improvements.   I   am   also   pleased   to  announce   that  our   3rd   Annual   Coat  Drive  was  a   success  again   this  year.   The  Spirit  of   the  Trumbull   Pisces   has   once   again  moved   outside   the   pool   as  many   families  and   their   friends   donated   over   100   coats   that  were   delivered   just   before  Thanksgiving   to   the   Bridgeport   Rescue   Mission.   If   anyone   has   any   other  ideas  how  we  can  give  back  to  our  community  please  let  the  Board  know.  

SWIMMERS OF THE MONTH

Every member of the Pisces team is special and contributes to the success of the group. They work hard everyday to better their skill and, in doing so, achieve the admiration of their coaches. It is with this in mind that the coaches have decided to recognize the standouts at each level every month as our Swimm ers o f the Month.

In this section, we present the first group of awardees. Read on and learn some interesting facts about them.

CONG RATULATIONS !

CHASE RE YN OLD S Chase   is   8   yrs.   old   and   a   3rd   grader   at  Jane  Ryan.  His  favorite  stroke  is  butterfly.  He   loves   eating   Chewy   S’mores   Granola  Bar   as   a   pre-­‐race   snack.   Chase   looks   up  to  Michael   Phelps  as   his   role  model   and  favorite   athlete.       He   loves   seeing  Michael   Phelps   in   the   Individual   Medley   event.   Chase’s   other  sport  is  soccer,  and  when  he’s  not  being  active  on  land  or  water,  he  enjoys  reading.      

ISABEL LA SAN TIL LI In  her  own  words:    “The   backstroke   is  my   favorite   stroke   to  swim.   I   haven’t   been   to   my   first   swim  meet   yet,   but   I’ll   be   there   this   Saturday  [Dec.   5th   against   the   Watertown  Warriors]!    I   think   I’ll   have   cucumber  and  carrots   as  my  pre-­‐race  snack.    :)”   Isabella   adds   that   her   favorite   athlete   is   “Misty  Copeland.    She’s   the   first  African-­‐American  to  be  named  principal  ballerina  at  the  American  Ballet  Theater.”    Besides  swimming,  she  loves   “acting   like   a  monkey   on   the   playground   at   Jane   Ryan   by  swinging  on  the  bars.”  And  she  loves  writing  stories!    “Thank   you   coaches   for   picking   me!!!   I’m   so   happy   to   be   a  Trumbull  Pisces!”  

ALE XAND ER IVANO VICH Alexander   is   10  yrs.   old   and  a  5th  grader  at  Booth  Hill.  He  is  a  Pisces  old-­‐timer,  this  being  his  4th  year  with  the  team.  He  loves  breaststroke   and   noshes   on   healthy  Nature’s  Bakery  fig  bars  during  race  days.  His  favorite  athlete  is  Rob  Gronkowski  of  the   New   England   Patriots   and  enjoys   football   and   running.   This  young  dynamo   in  athletics   is  also  a   force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  class  with  Science  being  his  favorite  subject.    

CHL OE-LY N Z ALE NSKI Chloe’s   favorite   stroke   is   freestyle.   Her  pre-­‐race   snack   of   choice   is   Gatorade  Energy  Chews.  She  adores  swimmer  Katie  Ledecky.    Outside  of   the  pool,   this  young  lady   is   a   science   and   music   enthusiast.  She   loves   singing   or   simply   listening   to  music.  

Black  &  Yellow   Age  Group  

Seniors  

LACH EZ AR ALE KSAN DR OV

Lach’s   favorite   event   is   the   100-­‐yard  freestyle,  and  beef  jerky  keeps  him  in  top   form   during   race   days.   His  favorite   swimmer   is   one   Trumbull  Pisces’s   own   –   Alex   Jozwa.   He   also   enjoys   playing   soccer.  His  favorite  subject  in  school  is  Social  Studies.    

JACKI E D ALE Jackie’s   favorite   stroke   is   the   butterfly  and  loves  to  snack  on  granola  bars  during  race  days.  She  looks  up  to  the  champion  swimmer  Missy  Franklin.  When  she  is  not  practicing  at   the  pool,  she   loves  hanging  out  with  her  friends.  Her  favorite  subject  in  school  is  Language  Arts.      

P i s c e s C o n n e c t Dec. 2015 p.2

 

 

TRUMBULL  PISCES  AQUATHON  Friday,  Jan.  29,  2016  

The   Aquathon   is   the   biggest   fundraiser   of   the   Trumbull   Pisces  team.  It  is  a  fun  team-­‐building  event  where  our  swimmers  collect  sponsors   for   each   lap   they   can   swim   in   a   60-­‐minute   session.    In  previous  years  we  have  used  the  funds  raised  at  the  Aquathon  for  various   different   items,   such   as   new   lane   lines,   pool   time  at   the  YMCA  over  the  summer,  lifeguards  at  practice  and,  most  recently,  the   exciting   new   Trumbull   Pisces   record   boards   and   Timing  System!    It   is   the   expectation   that   each   swimmer   raises   at   least  $100   towards   the  Aquathon   fund.    This  year  we  have  moved  the  Aquathon   back   until   after   the   new   year   (Jan.   29th)   to   allow   for  more  participation  and  so  swimmers  can  gather  sponsorship  from  family  members  over  the  Holidays.      Prizes  will  be  awarded  to  the  swimmers  who  raise  the  most  money  as  well  as  those  who  swim  the  most  laps  by  age  group.  Sponsorship  forms  and  details  for  this  even   will   be   provided   to   each   swimmer   at   the   Pisces   Black   and  Gold  meet  on  Dec.  11th.      

Team  Store  Updates  The  team  jackets  and  backpacks  

have  been  ordered.  We  are  hoping  that  they  are  delivered  prior  to  

Christmas.  Most  of  the  team  t-­‐shirts  and  

team  caps  that  swimmers  receive  as  part  of  registration  have  been  distributed.  Marc  Kosak  will  be  at  the  Black  and  Yellow  Meet  on  

Friday,  Dec.  11th  to  complete  the  distribution  of  these  items.  

Personalized  caps  will  be  in  this  week  and  will  also  be  distributed  

at  the  Black  and  Yellow  Meet.  Team  suits  have  also  been  completely  distributed.    

 If  you  have  any  questions  please  

contact  Marc  Kosak  at  Marc.kosak@greenwichhospital.org  

 

 The  Sports  Authority  is  holding  another  promo  event  that  will  

benefit  our  team.  Check  out  details  on  the  attached  flyer.    

FREQUENTLY  ASKED  QUESTIONS    Do  you  have  a  question  about  the  Pisces,  meets,  or  swimming  in  general?    You  can  send  your  question  to  mkivanovich@att.net  and  we  will  work  with  Coach  Bill  to  answer  it  in  the  newsletter!  Here  are  some  questions  we  have  received  so  far:    How  do  I  find  out  a  swimmer’s  best  times?  Depending  on  the  type  of  meet,  you  can  look  up  a  swimmer’s  best  times  in  a  couple  of  ways.    For  USA  swim  meets,  you  can  query  a  swimmer’s  best  times  using  the  FAST  database.    Go  to  www.ctswim.org  and  click  on  the  link  for  “search  FAST”.  Then,  select  “Swimmer  –  Best   Times”   from   the   query   selection   list,   and   search   on   the   swimmer   name.     This  will   generate   a   “Best   Times   Report”   for   the  swimmer  that  details  their  fastest  times  for  all  events.    For  best  times  from  Yankee  League  meets,  see  the  Swim  Meets/Events  tab  on  the   Pisces   webpage:   https://www.teamunify.com/SubTabGeneric.jsp?team=cttp&_stabid_=74620.   Yankee   League   best   times   are   updated  periodically  and  at  the  end  of  the  Yankee  League  season.        What  is  a  seed  time  and  how  are  seed  times  used  in  swim  meets?    When  Coach  Bill  registers  a  swimmer  for  an  event  at  a  swim  meet,  he  needs  to  submit  a  “seed  time”.  The  seed  time  is  the  fastest  time  the  swimmer  obtained  in  the  past  for  that  particular  event.  This  time  determines  who  the  swimmer  competes  against,  which  heat  he  or   she  will   compete   in  and  which   lane   they  are   assigned.   If   the   swimmer   is  swimming   an  event   for   the   first   time,   he/she  will  be  entered  as  a  "no-­‐time"  or  "NT".    In  most  swim  meets,  "NT"  swimmers  usually  swim  in  the  first  heat  of  the  meet,  followed  by  swimmers  with  the  slowest  seed  times.  The   following   heats   have   swimmers   with   gradually   increasing   seed   times,   and   swimmers   with   the   fastest   seed   times   compete  against  each  other  in  the  final  heat  of  the  event.  A  swimmer  with  the  fastest  seed  time  in  their  specific  heat  are  assigned  to  the  center  lane,  and  the  swimmers  with   the  next   two  best  seed  times  are   to   the  right  and   left.  Swimmers  with   the  heat's  slowest  seed  times  have  the  outside  lanes.      

Prom

o  Ev

ent  

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