Happy Holidays From Coach Alisha

Last Weekly Update: End of Season Wrap Up, Meet Results & Happy Holidays!

Thanks for an amazing season Aquadawgs!

Good job at the meet on Saturday! I am sorry for the few minor technical difficulties at the start of the meet, but once we got going I think it went smoothly. I was proud of our swimmers, I saw a lot of best times. It is sometimes hard to do this when the weather gets cooler. But the swimmmers were doing a good job of staying warm and swimming FAST. 

Here are the meet results.

Ribbons will be handed out today at practice.

Don't forget to register for next season. I know the holidays get busy but January is right around the corner and spots are limited. Next season will be Jan 12- Mar 7. I have talked to some swimmers already, but if you think your swimmer is ready to move up to the next group please ask me and I will let you know if they are ready. A lot of factors go into my decision to move swimmers up. 

The last practices are TODAY (December 16). There will be NO practice December 18th.

Over winter break there will be some swimming on TV. Besides the olympics, swimming only is aired on TV about twice a year, so mark your calendars! On Sunday December 21st from 3-4pm EST on NBC the FINA short course world championships will be on. I would encourage all Aquadwags to try to watch this if they can.

I have been talking to some swimmers about fins lately. Some swimmers have the scuba type fins that don't really work well for practice. They are not very flexible and cause some swimmers to develop bad kicking habits. 

If your swimmer has this type of fins I would encourage getting a swimming training pair before next season. 

swimoutlet.com has fins for $16.99. I just bought a pair myself. This would make a great christmas gift. 

Find the link here. 

Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday!

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: End of Season Meet & Info + a fun video

Thanks for another great week Aquadawgs!

This last week we worked on some pacing (best average swimming) and IMs. Beginners also worked on some introductory flip turn work. This week we will be focusing on technique, speed, starts and turns in preparation for our swim meet.

Our last meet of the season is this Saturday, December 13th the Ahwatukee YMCA (7:00 am) Please remember to bring your meet form to me no later than Thursday, December 11th. Please dress WARM (being extra everything, and dress warmer than you think you need to) for the swim meet. Refer to this previous post for more specifics on how to dress for winter meets.

Our last day of practices will be Tuesday December 16th and Wednesday December 17th. We will be doing the 12 days of Christmas swim for our final practice.

Remember to start registering for next season. It may seem far away now, but Christmas break will fly and we will be back in the pool in no time. 

Also don't forget about the holiday gift guide swimming gifts make great Christmas presents. 

Over winter break there will be some swimming on TV. Besides the olympics, swimming only is aired on TV about twice a year, so mark your calendars! On Sunday December 21st from 3-4pm EST on NBC the FINA short course world championships will be on. I would encourage all Aquadwags to try to watch this if they can.

Here is a fun video I saw on Facebook this week. Enjoy!

"When You Say You're a Swimmer" from Chris Shimojima on Vimeo.

Coach Alisha
alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Aquadawg Holiday Gift Guide!

Kids are making their holiday lists and what a better gift to give than SWIM GEAR!

I have had many of my swimmers and parents ask me about swim gear for holiday presents. What to buy, where to buy it from and other questions.

So as a result I have decided to make a Aquadwag Holiday Gift Guide.

This is simply a list of what I think are the best swimmer gifts.

As always, the best place to get swim gear is swimoutlet.com. They have the widest selection and best prices.

If you don not want to shop online and are looking for a store to go to the best one is Ski Pro: 1924 W Rio Salado Parkway Mesa, AZ 85201. This Ski Pro carries most of the team gear for the big teams in the valley so they tend to carry the most swim gear all year round.

Female Swimsuits:

• Best Brands: Speedo and Nike.
• Polyester: If you want a suit that will last...look for a polyester suit. Polyester suits have little stretch so some kids find them a little uncomfortable but they last way better. I have had some of my polyester suits for over 5 years and they are still perfectly wearable.
• Grab Bags: If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to a brand name suit grab bags on swimoutlet.com are a wonderful option. When you buy a grab bag you don't get to pick the specific suit you want. You pick a size and they send you a random suit of that brand (some of the grab bags are specific cuts of swim suits and will just be a random print). If you child is not picky this is they way to go. You usually get a really good deal on an otherwise expensive suit. But as a caution these swim suits are FINAL SALE. 
• Sizing... in the swimming culture swimmers wear their suits small. I find that some of our Aquadawgs are buying suits way too big. Consider going to Ski Pro trying on suits and then maybe buying one online. You want it to be tight but not uncomfortable. For point of reference I typically wear a 28. 
• Some of my favorites (women sizes):
• The most popular swim suit style: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/nike-swim-cut-out-tank-swimsuit-grab-bag-8114452/?color=
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/nike-swim-vibration-cut-out-tank-8114709/?color=9325
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-endurance-+-razor-dot-free-back-training-swimsuit-8114569/?color=11933
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/nike-swim-electric-rio-cut-out-tank-8114699/?color=43178
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-endurance-+-water-grid-touch-back-training-swimsuit-8114566/?color=212
• This one has a tie back which is helpful for some sizing issues: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-pop-vibration-tie-back-one-piece-swimsuit-8114591/?color=9325
• Jolyn: Jolyn suits are all the rage with swimmers right now. They are a name brand suit that is a little more fashionable and everyday cute. They were the first place to offer tie backs. http://www.jolynclothing.com/
• My favorite: https://secure.ultracart.com/catalog/JOLYN/LGT.html
• Some suggestions (girl sizes):
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-deflection-super-pro-swimsuit-47558/?color=212
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-youth-endurance-+-razor-dot-flyback-training-swimsuit-8114570/?color=210

Male Swim Suits:

• I do not know as much about male suit but I believe...most of the same things apply 
• I would go with the jammer style. It is the knee length style. 
• Some suggestions (man sizes):
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-spiral-curve-jammer-7535489/?color=9605
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-male-solid-endurance-jammer-7886/?color=9325
• Some suggestions (boy sizes):
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-male-solid-endurance-jammer-7886/?color=9325
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-deflection-jammer-47559/?color=210

Swim Backpacks:

• This is probably one of the coolest gifts.
• These bags are perfect for practice and look very cool
• This is the iconic swimmer bag: 
• Larger Version: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-large-35l-teamster-backpack-7535469/?color=41007
• Smaller Version: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-medium-25l-teamster-backpack-7535470/?color=41080
• They come in a ton of fun colors and are great backpacks

Swim Parkas:

• These coats are great for colder weather on the pool deck
• When it gets cold you can usually see me wearing mine at practice.
• I would suggest maybe getting a size up. I like mine big and comfy. Mine is an adult large.
• On many of the parkas you can also get your name embroidered which is cool.
• Some Suggestions:
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/sporti-comfort-fleece-lined-swim-parka-8117648/?color=9343
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/nike-swim-parka-youth-13288/?color=9287
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/sporti-solid-swim-parka-youth-21595/?color=10904
• http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/custom-swim-parka-1407/

Also...don't forget AQUADAWG hoodies and gear are also available and make a great gift. 

Aquadawg Apparel Online Ordering Instructions

• Please go to  www.gamezoneapparel.com
•  Select the Aquadawgs button on the left side
• Enter the password- ymca
• Select the item you want. Select the size and color and add to your cart. If you want to continue shopping press the yellow button at the bottom right. Once you have completed your selections, please press the yellow check out button to continue.
• Fill out the shipping and billing information completely.
• Check the privacy policy box and submit.
• If your order is correct you will need to read and accept the return policy. Then please click the PAYPAL button at the bottom of the page.
• PayPal is a service used to collect payments. You DO NOT need to be a member of PayPal or register with PayPal to complete your purchase.
• On the PayPal screen click the PayPal button.
• If do not wish to pay with a PayPal account click the pay with Debit or Credit card tab under the login button.
• Enter your information and submit.
• Review your information and click Pay Now.
• You will be sent a receipt from Game Zone Apparel and PayPal. If you do not receive an email confirmation From Both your purchase is not complete.  Please contact GZA at 480-275-7675.

ALL ORDERS WILL BE PLACED ON THE DAY AFTER CLOSING.  ALL ORDERS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YMCA WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF THE CLOSING DATE.

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If you have any more questions about holiday gifts for swimmers feel free to email me.

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org