Soggy Log ~ September 8-12

Welcome everyone to the start of the 2009 – 2010 Swim Season. This is year two of our current quadrennial leading up to the 2012 London Olympics. I believe that we made real progress in 2008 – 2009 towards our stated goal of having a small group of KSS swimmers competing at the 2012 Olympic Trials, and hopefully we may even reach another goal of having a swimmer (or swimmers) earn a berth on the Canadian Olympic Team. While we are still a long way from these goals, the journey and the attendant work and preparation needed to achieve these goals begin again this week.

Of major importance to achieving our goals is the identification and development of new talent in the pool. I am very pleased with the number of new and returning age group members of our team; we have 51 registered Junior Sharks Swimmers (and counting) as well as close to 40 members of our competitive team. Welcome to all of you!!!!!! I look forward to watching the development of these swimmers skills and fitness levels over the next few weeks and months, and I am very confident that a new group of KSS “swimming stars” will evolve from these swimmers.

Finally, a belated congratulations to former KSS swimmer Katie Murdoch who was part of a Canadian 400 Meter Medley Relay World Record at the British Grand Prix short course (25 meter) Championships in early August. Katie led off the World Record swim with a sub 59 second Backstroke leg. Katie will be continuing her studies and preparation for the 2012 London Olympics at the University of Calgary this fall. By the way, she sends her well wishes for a successful 2009 – 2010 Swim Season for all our current KSS members.

KSS Competitive Time Trial + Junior Sharks Mini Meet + Pizza Snack + AGM + KSS 2008 – 2009 Awards Night ~ Friday September 25/09 ~ 4:00 – 8:00 PM: The KSS will sponsor a Time Trial (50 meter events) for our competitive swimmers and a Mini Meet (25 and 50 meter events) for ALL Junior Sharks Swimmers. Warmup will be 4:00 – 4:30 PM with the Time Trial & Mini Meet running between 4:30 – 6:15 PM. This will be followed by a short Pizza Snack for our swimmers & Officials from 6:30 – 7:00 PM; during this time our Annual General Meeting will take place in the Rotary Room from 6:15 – 7:00 PM. Then between 7:00 – 8:00 PM we will have our 2008 – 2009 Awards Night. The cost will be $5.00 per Swimmer, with parents FREE of charge. Please try to attend this special evening as we celebrate our swimmers accomplishments during the 2008 – 2009 Swim Season.

Our KSS Coaches Are Keeping Busy …. The following KSS coaches will be away for short periods of time during the next few weeks:

Janet Findlay who is coaching our CG4/Pre-Comp Junior Sharks Group plus our Teen Program will be away this week as she is competing in a multi-day Ultra-marathon in Alberta. Good luck janet, and look after those sore feet!!!!
KSS Associate Head Coach Edie Fisher will be away from September 28 to October 13 as she will be competing in the Ironman World Triathlon Championships in Kona, Hawaii. I will be joining Edie in Hawaii a few days prior to the Ironman Championships in October.
Junior Sharks Coordinator Crystal Martin will be away October 23 – November 2 as she will be Ireland for a short holiday and to run the Dublin Marathon.

Some Events to Mark On Your Calendars

Friday September 25/09 ~ KSS Time Trial + Mini Meet + AGM + 2008 – 2009 Swimmer Awards ~ Pool and Rotary Room ~ 4:00 – 8:00 PM.
Friday October 9/09 ~ 4:00 – 6:30 PM. KSS Competitive time Trial ~ NWO Region “Pre-Requisites” [200 / 400 / 800 Free and 200 / 400 IM] Time Trial.
October ~ Final Weekend to be determined ~ NWO Regional 11 and Over Educational and Training Camp ~ Kenora. Eligible Swimmers ~ Competitive Swimmers who have achieved the following Ontario Time Standards: 11 Year Old Swimmers ~ Ontario Junior Provincial Time Standards; 12 & Over ~ 1 Ontario A Time Standard or at least 2 Ontario B Time Standards; Training Standard (will be published later).

This Swim Camp will be run by our NWO Regional coaches and special guest coaches from the Swim Ontario education staff. We hope that this year’s camp will be run by either or both of Dean Boles (previously the Head Coach of the Region of Waterloo Swim Team and the University of Western Ontario Swim Team and/or John Vadeika, Executive Director of Swim Ontario and a former Head Coach of the Keyano Swim Team in Edmonton.

Participating swimmers will be named to the Ontario Summer Games I.D. Team, as the first step in the selection of a team to represent the NWO Region at the 2010 Ontario Summer Games scheduled for this coming summer in Sudbury.

October 23, 24, 25/09 ~ Great WOLF Invitational Swim Meet, Minneapolis area. A really good swim meet that the KSS attended last year. I hope that we will have a really large contingent of swimmers for this meet this season.
Friday October 30/09 ~ KSS Halloween “Mini Meet” and “Spooky” Fun Swim for Junior Sharks and CG3 + CG4 Swimmers.