Coaches' Corner - May 14, 2024

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Coaches' Corner - May 14, 2024

Good Afternoon Coaches,

Attached, please find the 2024 Southern Zone Age Group Championship Coaching Application.

If you or any of your coaches are interested, please fill out the application and send it to me no later than Saturday - June 1st, 2024.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
--
Mike Averett
Age Group Chair - Florida Gold Coast Swimming
fgcswim.org

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Coaches' Corner - May 5, 2024

2024 FGC SOARING EAGLE SCHOLARSHIP

The Florida Gold Coast (FGC) Local Swimming Committee (LSC) Board of Directors approved the creation of a Scholarship Committee in response to the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14, 2018, which included a local swimmer, Nicholas Dworet, as one of the victims.
The “Soaring Eagle Scholarship” will be awarded annually by the FGC LSC. 

The scholarship award is $1000.

FGC LSC SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled in final year of high school (Senior)
• Exhibit intent to continue swimming at the college level
• Hold 36 continuous months of registration in the FGC
• Submit via email an essay (minimum 250 – 500 maximum words): What life lesson have you learned through swimming and how would you coach the next generation using this experience?
• Email two letters of recommendation (one coach, one teacher)
• Phone interview with members of the selection committee may be requested by the committee

Candidates must also meet the following additional criteria:

3.0 GPA (unweighted)

Email a scan or photo of documentation for swimming in college (Verbal Commitment, email, National Letter of Intent)

Application Timeline:

2024 Applications will be open from May 5 – May 31, 2024

2024 Candidates will be evaluated by the scholarship committee June 1 – 10, 2024

Winner will be notified by either phone or email before June 25, 2024

Scholarship will be publicly announced on FGC website and possible press release to local media

Recipient will be awarded check before Finals, at LSC Summer Senior Champs

Funds will be dispersed to the athlete directly

Application Procedure:
Complete this Google Form and email all supporting documents.  Supporting documents and questions can be emailed to: [email protected]

To complete the scholarship application, please click here.

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Coaches' Corner - April 20,2024

Happy Saturday!

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Coaches' Corner - April 14, 2024

Happy Sunday,

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Coaches' Corner - March 29, 2024

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Coaches' Corner - March 25, 2024

Hello,

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Coaches' Corner - February 28, 2024

Coaches,

Hello Coaches,

Hello Coaches,

Good morning,

• USA Swimming is aware that there are issues with the updating of USADA Coaches' Advantage Tutorial certifications.  Please submit a HELP ticket if your profile is not updating once completing this course.  
• Please submit your Red Cross Certifications (CPR and Safety Training) as well as Concussion training to Coach Cavanah or myself for updating in SWIMS
• If you have issues with membership registrations, please reach out to either Coach Cavanah or myself for assistance

https://usaswimming.zoom.us/rec/share/JbfjccEvhW2dQY24UO5mlQdx-MRuqMqYy49XTlOQ1tvEhduyxN9F-3kMEvvnPGdb.w38SU7a215jR4jXt?startTime=1704818465000

Passcode: qVTFyr!0

ATHLETE SUMMIT INFO - please see email from Reese Balkcom, Athlete Rep, about the upcoming summit:

Here is the information to go with the google form. We are currently working on a flyer for social media. 

This goes for any athlete interested in our upcoming summit! Our Southern Zone Athlete Summit will be held on June 21st-23rd in the University of Louisville, with different workshops explaining not only how to be a better athlete but a mentor. With this summit you'll have a deeper understandng of communication, mental health, time management, and leadership.
Throughout the day, pool training, morning yoga, college recruiting, and university training will be provided. We will also be having an Olympic trials watch party so all of our athletes can get to know each other and watch their sport on the big screen! Only USA swimming athletes between the ages of 14-18 will be chosen to attend. Throughout this trip, all athletes will be travelling together, and all expenses will be paid for including travel, meals, and housing.
If interested, please complete the form listed below by March 7th.

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Coaches' Corner - January 23, 2024

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Coaches' Corner - November 12, 2023

Happy Sunday!

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Coaches' Corner - October 22, 2023

Hello Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - October 18, 2023

Good morning,

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Coaches' Corner - October 17, 2023

Happy Sunday!

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Coaches' Corner - October 13, 2023

Good morning Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - October 11, 2023

Hello Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - October 9, 2023

Hello!

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Coaches' Corner - August 27, 2023

Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - August 12, 2023

Hello Coaches,

2024 Championship Schedule

***February 8-11 -  Southern Sectional Championship (TBA - waiting on confirmation of date)

Thank you, and if you have any questions, please let us know.

Christi Wathen

FGC Coaches Rep

Coaches' Corner - August 10, 2023

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Coaches' Corner - July 2, 2023

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Coaches' Corner - June 29, 2023

Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - June 28, 2023

Good Morning Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner  - June 26, 2023

Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - June 21, 2023

Coaches,

Coaches,

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Coaches' Corner - June 5, 2023

Hello Coaches,

LOTS of updates for you as you enjoy this Memorial Day:

HEAD COACHES:  Please make sure all your club information is accurate and up to date on the FGC website - (Contact, email address, mailing address & phone number).  If you have any changes, please email me or Coach Cavanah at [email protected]

The FGC BOARD met this past week and discussed several issues, including the Championship meets.  The following decisions were made and will go into effect this summer 2023 LC season: 

1) SFTL to move to the South BB Champs Meet (Summer 2023=Ransom) to help even out numbers;

2) Age limit.  The oldest group for the BB Meet is now 15 & Over;

3) Championship Penalties/Fines.  IF a swimmer misses an event, they are out of the next INDIVIDUAL event.  If the event missed is the swimmer's last event, the team will be charged $25 fine payable to the FGC;

4) Time Trials at Age Group Champs and Sr Champs are open to anyone - whether they are entered in the meet or not;

5) Sr Champs entries from outside of the LSC are now increased to 100 for the LC meet (from the current 80 athletes) and 150 for the Spring Meet;  

6) Sr Champs team scoring for the FGC teams only.  Individual scoring for ALL entered athletes;

7) The OW Qualifier is now called the FGC OW Championships;  

8) New entry fees for 2024 FGC OW Championships.

If you are planning on attending the Futures Meet in Ocala, FL, the FGC Board recommends doing your entry soon, as the athlete entry limit is 800 and it is expected to fill early.

ZONES Info - coach and athlete applications - now posted on fgcswim.org

OFFICIALS - If you have parents/volunteers who are interested in becoming an official, make sure they register with your team as an Apprentice Official, and then complete APT, Concussion Training, Background Check, and the Stroke and Turn Training.  They also need to contact Steve Goldman, Officials Rep, as soon as they register so he can guide them through the process:   [email protected]

 

FUN STUFF FOR YOUR ATHLETES

This is a giveaway that offers athletes the chance to be featured on social media and win a signed football.  Please share with your athletes.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iL_waoy_U

Submit video here: https://www.formpl.us/form/5753128732459008

Terms & conditions: https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/eventsdocuments/trials-2024/national-team-football-contest-official-rules.pdf

 

EDUCATION

The deadline to complete the Quality Coaching Framework Course has been extended until September 2024.  This is a change to previous emails I have sent out.

You should have recently received an email from USA Swimming about the re-design of the Education tab on SWIMS.  Please take a look at the new design/format.  Here is the email from USA Swimming:

Guided directly by coach feedback, USA Swimming has updated its education catalog, including a single location for access to all resources: USA Swimming University. 

USA Swimming University includes a redesign of USA Swimming’s Coach Certification Program, originally launched in September 2022. Key updates to the functionality and user experience were made to enhance the membership educational experience.  

Along with the updated Coach Certification Program, the University also includes Officials exams and access to membership resources like Athlete Protection Training (APT), Background Checks, Safe Sport Recognition Program (SSRP) and Safety Training for Swim Coaches (STSC). 

Key updates include: 

More efficient user experience 

Updated look & feel 

Ability to browse course offerings without logging in 

New and improved course offerings 

"USA Swimming’s new Coach Certification Program places decades of experience and wisdom at your fingertips. Whether as a helpful reminder or an insightful lightbulb moment, the required coursework will improve you as a coach and team leader.” – Chad Englehart, Splash Club 

Explore the updated Coach Certification Program and other USA Swimming University offerings by clicking here or logging into your USA Swimming Account here and clicking the “Education” tab at the top of the blue navigation bar. 

Users will also find quick links to the University on the USA Swimming homepage  and as part of the Swimmers & Parents, Coaches & Team Leaders and Officials menu offerings on the website.

For additional questions please contact your Team Services Advisor or email [email protected] 

Good luck to all of you in this long course season.  If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.  Our next FGC Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th at 12noon via Zoom.

Thank you,

Christi Wathen

FGC Coaches' Rep

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Hello Coaches,

• Athlete Application
• Coach Application

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FGC Coaches' Corner - May 2, 2023

Hello FGC Coaches,

A couple of updates for you as we start the long course season....

A reminder that the course, Quality Coaching Framework, is still required of all coaches.  USA Swimming extended the deadline to June 6, 2023.  You can access the course in the Education tab of your account in SWIMS.

Also, below is some information about clubs or LSC’s that may want to set up visits to the Olympic Paralympic Training Center (OPTC) for 2023-2024.  Going into an Olympic year, the demand is high and we want teams and LSC’s to be aware of the process.  This is a positive step in providing good communication between HQ and our zone members.  See below.

Teams or LSC’s that are looking to utilize the OPTC for 2023-2024 should submit their request by May 8th to Jennifer Thomas [email protected].   Those who submit by May 8th will be prioritized in the fall.  Those submitted after May 8th will be considered after those who submitted prior to May 8th.  In an Olympic year, priority consideration is given to National Team Members in order of medal potential. 

In the fall of 2024, the pool will be closed for quad renovations from August 15 to December 1.     

Note that the daily OPTC rate is currently $90 per night for US Athletes, Coaches and participants. The foreign (anyone not eligible to represent the USA in international competition) Athlete, Coach and participant rate is $125.

Good luck to you all this summer!

Christi Wathen

FGC Coaches' Rep

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FGC Coaches' Corner - March 7, 2023

Good morning, FGC Coaches!

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FGC Coaches' Corner - February 27, 2023

The FGC Open Water Qualifier will be at FIU Biscayne Bay Campus on Saturday, April 8th.  This is a change of date from the FGC calendar.  The facility needs us to move the date of the meet.  Meet information will be posted ASAP.  

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FGC Coaches' Corner - February 19, 2023

Just a couple more updates/reminders for you....

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FGC Coaches' Corner  - February 13, 2023

Hello Coaches,

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FGC Coaches' Corner - January 25, 2023

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FGC Coaches' Corner - January 25, 2023

Good morning Coaches!

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FGC Coaches' Corner - January 8, 2023

Coaches,

FGC is seeking 2-4 athlete reps per team to be active members of the FGC Athletes Committee.  Please speak with your staff and athletes.  Send names, cell phone and email addresses for your athlete reps to [email protected] 

See the additional information below.

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FGC Coaches' Corner - December 20, 2023

Hello Coaches!

Some reminders as we finish up the year:

We are in the final days to get yourself, your swimmers, and your club registered for 2023.  Please let us know - [email protected] or [email protected] -  if you have any questions or issues.

Please don't wait on this registration process; there are often delays and/or issues that could affect your eligibility as a coach, swimmer, and team for 2023.

For ALL Education/Certification courses, please make sure to complete the Survey at the end of the course.  This is a requirement.

If you have duplicates in your rosters, please send them to either myself or Coach Cavanah so that we can merge the accounts.

USA Swimming extended the date for all coaches to complete Quality Coaching Framework to 6/1/23.  

Happy Holidays!

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FGC Coaches' Corner - November 28, 2022

As we finish the month of November, we are down to the last month to register ourselves as coaches, our clubs, and our swimmers.  Please review the information below to help you with the registration process.  The FGC Board of Directors met this month and I have included important updates for you as well.

REGISTRATION DUE BY 12/31/22:

- ALL coaches must register for 2023 in the SWIMS database (https://hub.usaswimming.org/landing)

- ALL teams must renew their club's registration for 2023 in the SWIMS database.  As of today, only 18 teams have completed their team's registration.  Remember, your swimmers will NOT be able to swim on 1/1/23 unless your team is registered.

- ALL swimmers must register for 2023 in the SWIMS database.  Remember, Club Admins need to send your team’s registration link to your families.

- ALL officials must register for 2023 in the SWIMS database.  Remember, Club Admins need to send your team’s registration link to your officials.

COACH CERTIFICATION / EDUCATION

- See attached 2023 Coach Membership Requirement Checklist

** New requirement:  ALL coaches must complete the Quality Coaching Framework (QCF) prior to 12/31/22.  Swims -> Education -> Course Catalog -> ALL courses.  There is a Spanish version of this course.  It is free, and takes between 60-90 minutes to complete.

- You can easily check on your expiration dates for all certifications on your Dashboard under your membership card in SWIMS.  The Education tab now allows us to do all certifications/requirements in one place.

- USA Swimming is recommending that when in the Education tab, we always use ALL Courses (vs My Courses) when searching for a course.

FGC Disclaimer = *New registrations, acknowledgement of coach course completion and other related actions performed on the USA Swimming website can take up to 24-72 hours to appear.  PLEASE be prepared to allow this additional prep time to complete everything on time".

SWIMS ISSUES

- Duplicate Member ID's for swimmers:  We are now able to fix the duplicate member ID’s; please send these to either myself ([email protected]) or Coach Cavanah ([email protected]).  We need the following information in order to merge the accounts:  swimmer name, original member ID, new member ID.  Do NOT send to USA Swimming.

- For those of you who use TeamUnify and your athlete is showing as renewed in SWIMS, but not in TU; or if they are missing the 23 badge in TU, do the following:

  Go into your club in SWIMS.   Go into your Athlete roster, and look for the swimmer.    Click on the edit button on the far right, and go into their profile.  Click on their last name or first name, add a space, and remove it. This will activate the SAVE function.    Click on Save.  The swimmer should appear correctly in TU.

MEET HOSTS

There is a new requirement for sanction that was adopted at this September’s USA Swimming House of Delegate’s meeting.  This rule is effective 1/1/23; all meet hosts must include the following in their meet information when they request sanction:

- Rule 202.4.11:  A description of the medical supervision (e.g., lifeguards, EMT, AED device, etc) available to athletes participating in the meet.

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS – all time standards to be posted on fgcswim.org

- Age Group Champs (formerly Junior Olympics) will be bringing back the 100 IM for the 13-14 age group in the Spring 2023.  Click here to see all the new qualifying times.

- Age Group Champs relays will have a time standard for 2023-24.  Click here.

-  The 13-14 200 medley was calculated using 45.9% of the 400 medley.  That is within .3% of all the 11-12 and 13-14 freestyle relays.  The slowest of the controls was used.

- Senior Champs will be making the following changes as of the Spring 2023:

- Relays will be Open age group.  Relay-only swimmers are allowed in this meet.     There will be qualifying times for relays

     - There will be a 15&over age group for all Individual events.

     - Time Trials will be available for ANY swimmer in the meet.

     - Qualifying times to come out soon.

SAVE THE DATE & REGISTER FOR EVENT

January 27, 2023:  Florida Panthers vs LA Kings FGC Swim Night at 7pm.  Please check out the Save the Date Flyer that is attached.  Please have your swimmers register for the event, as it will determine the number and cost of the tickets.  Ticket prices TBA dependent on number of registrations.

ATHLETE REPRESENTATION NEEDED ON THE BOARD

Coaches, please send 2-4 names of high school athletes on your team who might be interested / willing to be representatives on an athlete committee for the FGC Board.  Send names to: [email protected] or [email protected]

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES for possible FGC trips:

**March 24-26, 2023:  All-Stars – Indian River (All Stars is currently being evaluated for a meet format change - stay tuned for more information regarding the meet format.)

**April 15-16, 2023:  Open Water Champs (qualifier for Southern Zone Open Water Champs) – TBA

**June 2-4, 2023:  Southern Zone Open Water Champs – Sandhill Sandsharks – Seven Lakes, NC

**July 26-29, 2023:  Southern Zone Sr Zone Champs (Tupelo, MS) and Southern Zone Age Group Champs (Cary, NC)

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FGC Coaches' Corner - 11/05/2022

Coaches,

Click on the links for the new  2023-2024 FGC Age Group Champs Time Standards for individual events and relays, as well the explanation for the changes below.  I had already sent the time standards to you, but there were questions about the reasoning behind them, so we want to keep everyone up to date.

FGC Age Group Champs (Formerly JO’s) has some major changes for 2023-24.  Please see below for specific changes and the reasoning behind them.

1.  Name change from JO’s to FGC Age Group (AG) Champs.  The term Junior Olympics (JO’s) is no longer permitted for use by the United States Olympic Paralympic Comittee (USOPC).  This ruling was emphasized at the 2022 USA Swimming Annual Business meeting in September.  During the meeting LSCs were specifically asked to stop using the term, per the USA Swimming rule book.  FGC renamed our Age Group Champs meet at the October Board of Directors meeting to comply with the ruling.

2.  New individual time standards have been posted for the 2023 and 2024 SCY and LCM seasons.  FGC moved to adjusting the AG Champs time standards every 2 years back in 2021 after the post COVID champs meets resumed.  Under the current policies and procedures the next time the standards will be updated will be September 2024 for the 2025 SCY season.

3.  Relay time standards for the AG Champs meets have been created for 2023-24.    Many coaches asked questions regarding relays and the level of swimmers participating in the AG Champs meets.  Both 2022 SCY and LCM meets were reviewed.  A comparison was made between the number of teams who finished the race legally, the aggregate B times and aggregate BB times.  Relay standards for 10 under and 11-12 age groups were set at the B time standard.  13-14 were set at the BB time standard.  

Liz Kershaw

Age Group Chair

FGC Coaches' Corner - 10/29/2022

Coaches,

As we finish the month of October, the push to get swimmers, coaches, and teams registered for 2023 is upon us.  Please review the information below to help you as you navigate this process:

COACHES

See the 2023 Coach Membership Requirement Checklist here

** New requirement:  ALL coaches must complete the Quality Coaching Framework (QCF) prior to 12/31/22.  Swims -> Education -> Course Catalog -> ALL courses.  There is a Spanish version of this course.  It is free, and takes between 60-90 minutes to complete.

USA Swimming is recommending that when in the Education tab, we always use ALL Courses (vs My Courses) when searching for a course.

Duplicate member ID's for swimmers:  please send these to either myself ([email protected]) or Coach Cavanah ([email protected]).  Do NOT send to USA Swimming.

TEAMS

Please renew your team's membership by 12/31/22.  Swims->Club->Club Renewal. 

APT ADVICE

• Swims->Education->Course Catalog->ALL Courses (vs My Courses)
• Use an updated version of Chrome or Firefox
• Complete everything on the screen - right down to the x to close it out
• Take 1 of the 4 primary courses:  Core, Refresher 1, 2, or 3

OUTREACH MEMBERSHIP *new criteria to qualify*

Coaches / Club Admins:  please make sure you can verify that your family/swimmer meet the criteria below before sending them the Outreach Membership link for your team.

The FGC extends an outreach membership to all children who meet certain Federal Guidelines. Clubs wishing to register athletes under these guidelines shall complete the athlete Information section on the FGC Outreach Program form, and submit a minimum of three (3) items from the list below to the FGC Registration Chairman PRIOR to submitting the registration online:

1. Aid to families with dependent children

2. Social Security Disability Insurance

3. Federal Housing documentation

4. Federal Food Stamp documentation

5. Section 8 Public Housing

6. Temporary assistance to needy families

7. Medicaid

8. Application letter written by the member (required)

 

Failure to provide the minimum required documentation of three (3) of the following, may result in a fine of $200 to the team or the member, as well as upgrading your membership to a premium membership.

MEET HOSTS

Get your registration meet file to either Coach Cavanah ([email protected]) or myself ([email protected]) by the Tuesday of the week of the meet.  Since parents are now doing their own registrations, teams need time to get that done