CAMEL’s Monitor program begins January 2

CAMEL families are reminded that each family is expected to work as daily monitor twice between now and the end of the season. For each swimmer they have participating with CAMEL, families are asked to sign up for one day on each of the two monitor calendars posted at the pool. One covers the period form January 1 through February 8 and the other covers February 9 through March 27. A full explanation of the monitor system and practice policies that CAMEL and Connecticut College have worked together to compile are available on the “Documents” page. To ensure each family has received the information, there is a sign-off form that needs to be returned to Mary Moriarty or to Coach Ann ASAP. The sign-off form is also available on the “Documents” page.

Changes to BRS meet

Please remember to check often on the “Meets” page for updates and changes to meets, especially in the last 10 days before each meet. There have been changes to the BRS meet including that warm-up times have been moved earlier by 1/2 hour for seniors and 1 hour for juniors. Timing assignments have also been posted.

Zone Meet

Swimmers age 9-18 that acheive USA “AA” times are encouraged to apply to participate on the Connecticut Zone All Star Team. Within the state, among those that apply, the top two athletes in each event who have at least a “AA” time get to represent CT at the Zone meet in Buffalo NY March 29-31. CAMEL has 38 athletes within the eligible age range; eleven of those athletes have acheived “A” times and five already have the requisite “AA” times. CAMEL athletes should be well represented at this prestigious and fun meet. As we pass the midpoint of the season, please remember to watch the website carefully to get the latest zone meet information and application documents. All CAMEL athlete’s times can be accessed by clicking on the CAMEL data “TMO” link in the middle of the right column.

Two Unique Practice Opportunities offered in January

1) CAMEL/CDOG Joint Practice & Mini-meet Saturday, January 6:

Though the times and lanes will be unusual, all CAMEL practice groups will have practice on Saturday, January 6. The changes are to accomodate for a unique opportunity to practice and compete with another team. The practices will all conclude at 10:00AM and will be followed by a combined meet with CDOG from 10:00AM-noon.

One half of the CAMELS will swim on a team with one half of the DOGS. This team will be the “CAMOGS”. The other half of each team will join to form the “DOMELS”. Times will be submitted to CTSWIM and therefor may be used to qualify for Regionals, Age Groups and Seniors. To adjust for the logistics of all groups practicing simultaneously and concluding at the same time, practice times and lanes are unusual and will be as follows:

• Dromedaries: 9:00 - 10:00AM, lane 1, warm-up/warm-down pool
• Bactrians: 9:00 - 10:00AM, lane 2, warm-up/warm-down pool
• Alpacas: 8:00AM - 10:00AM, combined practice with CDOG, lanes 1 - 5, main pool
• Llamas: 8:00AM - 10:00AM, combined practice with CDOG, lane 6 & 7, main pool
• Guanacos: 8:00AM - 10:00AM, lane 8, main pool
• Vicunas (Masters & College athletes) 8:00 - 10:00AM, lane 4, warm-up/warm-down pool

2) CAMEL’s 100/100’s on Sunday, January 14:

CAMEL’s fourth “Sunday Super Set”, the 100/100, is scheduled for Sunday, January 14. Bactrians and Alpacas (that enjoy distance challenges) are invited to join the older practice groups for an age appropriate version of the challenge. Due to the nature of the 100/100 challenge, practice times will be longer than typical, and are as follows:

• Dromedaries: No Practice on Sundays
• Bactrians: 3:00 - 4:45p (50 50’s)
• Alpacas: 3:00 - 5:30p (75 75’s)
• Llamas: 3:00 - 6:00p (100 100’s)
• Guanacos: 3:00 - 6:00p (100 100’s)
• Vicunas: 3:00 - 6:00p (100 100’s)

Swimmers should be suited up, on deck, and in the water warming up by 3:00PM. Due to the structure of the challenge, swimmers arriving after 3:05 will not be able to participate in the challenge, and instead will practice, self-directed, in the diving well. The challenge will begin promptly at 3:15.

CAMEL Welcomes 53rd Member

CAMEL’s membership has grown to 53 with the addition of Andy Pelletier to our Vicunas. Andy is the seventh to join CAMEL’s recently added Masters program.

CAMEL Holiday Party Thursday

The Holiday Season is here. Come share the joy with your CAMEL family.

Thursday’s practice will run from 6:30 - 8:00 for all CAMEL groups. The younger swimmers will have games incorporated into their whole practice and the older swimmers will have games during the latter portion of the practice. This will be followed by hot chocolate and cookies in the spectator balcony. At the conclusion of the evening there will be a goodie bag gift exchange. Anyone who brings a gift or goodies in a bag gets to take a bag. Suggested value of bags is $6-$10.

Merry Christmas and Chag Sameach!

CAMEL Swimmers attend CAT Meet

Eight swimmers represented CAMEL at the CAT Meet this past weekend. 17 of the 28 swims (61%) were new personal lifetime best times. Carolyn Romano was named “Swimmer of the Meet”. On a busy holiday season weekend, Carolyn Romano competed both days acheiving 4 new personal lifetime best times including taking another 9 seconds off her 200 Free. Carolyn cheered her team mates when they were there and pushed herself when she was the only swimmer still at the meet! Congrats Carolyn. Improved Swimmer awards went to Jessica Charron and Sammy Kokomoor for 100% best times and to Jackie Kokomoor for total seconds dropped (16.82). The “Swim of the Meet” was awarded to Brian Hughes for his 400 IM. Brian tied his lifetime best time of 1:09 Fly going out in the first 100 and still brought the race home in a season record time of 4:57.50. Jessica Charron also set a new season record in the 11/12 Girls 50 Back and Sammy Kokomoor set two new 8 and under Boys season best marks, the 100 Free and the 50 back. Those two times were also all time CAMEL records. Congratulations Sammy! Adelaide Taylor and Brian Hughes both qualified for Age Group Championships. All-time CAMEL Records and Season Best Times can be accessed on the “Goals” page. CAMEL results and the full USA result can be accessed on the “Meets” page.

Are endurance swims good for technique development?

This is a common time of year to hear swimmers ask, “How come we work so much more on stroke technique at the beginning and end of a season?”. It is true that group stroke instruction and drills are incorporated more often at the beginning of a season to introduce each skill and at the end of a season to fine tune each skill. However, while technique can be introduced and fine tuned in the form of slow swimming and drills, to be truly effective, technique needs to be worked on within the context of hard endurance swims for it to be truly integrated into an athlete’s strokes. Every endurance swim is an opportunity to dig in and focus on “holding it together”. In an often quoted article, USA Swimming’s biomechanics coordinator, Russell Mark, offers some advice on the importance of working on technique in mid-season endurance practices. Mr. Mark points out that technique is something that every swimmer can always improve and work on to get faster times. The following is an excerpt from Mr. Mark’s article that specifically references the benefit of endurance work to the ultimate development of good stroke technique:

“Many swimmers incorrectly think that you have to be doing drills or slow swimming in order to work on technique. The truth is that every time you swim – whether it is warm-up, a main set, or even warm-down – is an opportunity to improve your strokes. In fact, the most important time to think about good technique is when you’re tired and swimming hard in practice. Holding your stroke together during those tough times in a workout make it easier to have good technique on the last lap of a race when your body hurts a lot. That’s when it matters the most.

Here are some other helpful tips Mr. Mark offers in his article:

• Changes take time, so be patient. Bad habits need a lot of focus and work to turn into good ones.
• Every swimmer is different, so what works for someone else might not work for you.
• Listen and learn from your coaches because they see you swim every day and know your stroke best.
• Watch yourself swim on video if you have the chance. It’s easier to make changes if you can see what you’re doing right and wrong”.“

13/O Distance Camp

CT Swimming is offering a Distance Camp on Saturday, December 30th at Central Connecticut State University, 8AM to 12 Noon. This article has been edited; a small portion was deleted. Llamas and Guanacos are strongly encouraged to participate in this unique experience. The cost is $35 (nonrefundable) and the deadline for registration is Wednesday, December 29. Details and Registration are available on CTSWIM’s website.

Meet page updated

The attendance list for the combined practice and mini-meet with CDOG is posted. There are five families that still need to respond. Responses were due by Sunday, December 10. Please check the list for accuracy. The meet entries for the February 2-4 BEAR meet and the Feb 16 & 17 WAC meet are posted, please check those for errors and omissions also. Preliminary age group relays and current individual qualifiers are updated weekly on the “Meets” page. Timing assignments and meet updates for upcoming meets also reside on the “Meets” page. Swimmers and families attending the CAT meet this weekend should check the CAT Timing Assignments and should check the CAT Updates & Changes daily.

CAMEL Welcomes 52nd Member

CAMEL is pleased to welcome Kameal Kalkhoran. Kameal will add depth to the 8/U squad and will participate with the Bactrian practice group. Kameal is the club’s 52nd member. CAMELS are on the move!

Thank you reception for CAMEL parents and CAMEL Masters

CAMEL parents and CAMEL Masters are invited to a reception in their honor in Lott Natatorium’s spectator balcony during the last 15 minutes of each practice on Wednesday evening, December 13. The CAMEL USA age group team is hosting the reception to thank the CAMEL parents and CAMEL Masters for all they did to make the Frostbite Frenzy fantastically fast and fabulously fun!

Frostbite Frenzy Results Posted

The Frostbite Frenzy was fast! 25 Meet Reocrds fell including five by CAMEL athletes: Adelaide Taylor (100 Breast & 200 Breast), Steph Novotny (500 Free) and both 13/14 Girls Relays, 200Free: Rhiana Blake, Adelaide Taylor, Eva Nelson, Dana Tricarico and 200 Medley: Rhianna Blake, Adelaide Taylor, Eva Nelson, Meghan Brown.

240 of the 294 CAMEL swims (82%) were new lifetime personal best times with nearly half of the 43 CAMELS participating acheiving 100% personal lifetime best times: Matt Bean, Weston Blake, David Burstein, Sarah Burstein, Jessica Charron, Jake Erickson, Luke Erickson, Jesse Gardner, Sarah Giblin, Brian Hughes, Lillian James, Ana Kirkpatrick, Kara Kirkpatrick, Rachel Kokomoor, Sammy Kokomoor, Rachel Kreit, Karly McNeish, Jocelyn Rogers, Taylor Strelevitz and Lindsay Warner.

60 new season best records were set. View

9 new all-time CAMEL Short Course Yard Records were set. View

Swimmer of the Meet was awarded to Rachel Kokomoor. Rachel’s unique ability to support her teammates when it is needed the most and her desire to challenge herself to be the most she can be contribute to the success of all CAMELS. Jesse Gardner was recognized for Outstanding Swim of the Meet for his 200 Back. Jesse’s hard work and attention to detail in practice shined through from his indredible start to his awesome finish. Sarah Giblin (200 Back) and Jessica Charron (500 Free) were also recognized for outstanding swims.

CAMEL results and full USA results can both be accessed on the “Meets” page. Season Best times and CAMEL SC Records can be viewed on the “Goals” page. Photos may be submitted to Coach Ann and can be accessed by clicking on the “CAMEL Pictures” link in the middle of the right column on the home page.

Llama Song

Many CAMELS have requested a link to “The Llama Song”, by Burton Earny be posted. Beware, though CAMEL’s Llamas are fascinated by it, the song is comparable to “I Know a Song That Gets on Everybody’s Nerves” and “The Song That Never Ends”. Here is the link from albinoblacksheep.com: Llama Song

Senior Travel Meet a Success

CAMEL seniors literally “kicked off” their trip with a soccer challenge before departure. Brian Hughes prevailed in the five on one winning 2-1. The fun continued right through to the end with Meghan Brown challenging and defeating Max Sullivan in a hot sauce eating contest after the team’s Mexican dinner on the way back to New London. Meghan and Max then tested if taking off one’s shoes and socks, squeezing the soft spot on the bottom of your foot while sticking your tongue out of the car window and making elephant noises really helps stop burning and nausea.

Sandwiched in all the fun, there actually was some fast swimming. Numerous season best times were achieved and three CAMEL team records fell. Adelaide Taylor’s 200 Breast set a new 13/14 Girl’s record of 2:37.91 as did Stephanie Novotny’s 2:39.80 in the 15/18 Girl’s 200 Breast. Brian Hughes posted a 2:33.01 passing the old CAMEL record in the 13/14 boy’s 200 Fly. CAMEL’s newest senior, Steph Lawton, added strength to the CAMEL relays helping them go 1-4 and 1-5 and bring home medals in both the 200 Medley and the 200 Free. Taylor Strelevitz was recognized for outstanding improvement. Taylor improved over 72 seconds in her 5 events and now has three National “B” times. Swimmer of the Meet was awarded to Dana Tricarico. After flying by her competition to win five events, Dana’s willingness to swim whatever leg of each relay that was best for the whole team displayed the phenomenal grace and teammanship she has become known for. The team was led in and out of the pool by team captain, Stephanie Novotny. Full USA Results and CAMEL Results for the Senior Travel Meet may be accessed on the “Meets” page. Updated Preliminary Age Group Realys may also be accessed on that page. Team Records and Season Records both reside on the “Goals” page.

Please share trip photos with the whole team by submitting them to Coach Ann. After submission, photos will be posted on the team web site and may be viewed by clicking on the “CAMEL pictures” link in the middle of the right column of the home page.