June 5, 2021!
This will be a short course (SCY) meet on June 5, 2021 at 4:00pm (pool opens at 3:00pm). COVID got you feeling a little rusty? Don’t worry–you’ll be in good company! We’re excited to be getting back to swim meets after so long!
New South Davis Head Coach!
Here are some changes that are happening on the team...
Well this announcement is bittersweet. My family and I will be moving out of state in a few weeks for my husband to take up a new role in the Nebraska government.
This is an exciting and heartbreaking decision for us. I feel great loss leaving the team. I have been a member of South Davis Masters for 9 years and it has become part of my identity as a swimmer and coach. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to lead this team.
We have had great growth both in numbers and in solidarity. We have all experienced tragedy together and feel the benefits of community as we have learned to rely on one another.
My goal in leading this team is for it to become more than just a group of individuals swimming together. It has become a force for good in our community and a place to find relief from the stresses of life.
Many of you know of my trademarked ‘angry swims’ and the times where I decide to slowly kick and talk rather than complete the set of 200s. The lanes of the pool have become a place to laugh, cry and try to not let the lane next to you get ahead. Thank you for your love, support and funny memes. I am going to miss you all much more than I even know now.
With the sad comes some good news! I am happy to announce that Aaron Norton will be the new Head Coach of South Davis Masters! Aaron has been a joyful and fun member of our team and will be a great leader to take the team to further growth.
Aaron is originally from Evanston, WY and grew up swimming and competing. He swam as a freestyle sprinter for the University of Utah and served an LDS mission to Colombia, South America. He and his wife Tracie are the proud parents to their son Spencer,16, who attends Farmington High School. Aaron works as an Environmental Analyst for Rocky Mountain Power.
Aaron is currently the President of Utah Masters, a member of the Northwest Zone board and generally a really nice guy! From his famous Fickle Fingers set (I really don’t like calling it that) and his depth of swimming knowledge I know he will be a great leader for this team.
With that, I want you all to know how much I love you. South Davis Masters has become a tribe of friends that just so happen to swim together. We also get a little competitive too…
You all now have a friend and a place to stay in Nebraska.
Much love,
Coach Blair
2020 Virtual Champs
STARTS THIS SATURDAY 8/15!
We will be ‘hosting’ the USMS Summer Champs at our pool by participating in it virtually this year! The events range from 50 free to the 1650 free in the pool events AND and open water session we will be hosting at Pineview. You can choose to fully participate by registering and paying $20.20. This will get you a metal, cap etc… There are pretty awesome raffle awards offered by the national office as well.
If you just want to swim, all USMS members can register for FREE! If you are not a USMS member, we can help you with that too! This is a unique and fun event and we would like all to participate.
Blair will have her own set of awards for those who choose to participate in the most events.
This is how we are going to do it:
During the week of August 15-22 we will be holding meet sessions during practice!
1. We will have blank timing sheets and watches behind each lane.
2. Coach Blair will collect the times and put them into a Google Doc for easy recording and centralized access.
3. Self report your times to Swim.com for awesome prizes!
Saturday August 15th:
1650 Freestyle
400 IM
200 Back / 200 Breast / 200 Fly (Choose one)
Monday August 17th
100 Fly
100 Free
50 Breast
100 IM
Wednesday August 19th
500 Free
50 Back
100 Breast
Friday August 21st
100 Back
50 Free
50 Fly
200 IM
Saturday August 22nd
(Swim Course, Pineview Reservoir @ 8am)
Open water: 1 mile, 2 miles, 5K (Choose one)
We will spend the first part of practice warming up and then we will run the events.
We will be practicing physical distancing, masks on deck, wiping down the blocks between each heat, etc.
We will be using stop watches, no official timing system.
All times will be self-reported and manually entered on Swim.com. Instructions will be given to you when you register. I will provide all time results in a digital format after the meet.
2020 Summer Pool Vs Cool Swim Challenge
We’ve got an exciting new event coming up! Sponsored by our own Salt Lake Masters
This summer, all USMS swimmers are impacted by COVID-19. Most competitions have been cancelled or postponed. Even swim practices have been impacted by social distancing requirements. The 2020 Summer Pool Versus Cool Swim Challenge event challenges swimmers to find new ways to swim. It’s the first event where pool swimmers and open water (cool) swimmers are able to compete head to head. It’s also the first virtual competitive event where participants use swim trackers to record their practice distances and their timed swims for 500m, 1500m and 5000m in pool or open water venues. The swims are automatically uploaded into Swim.com where they are tabulated in real time against other swimmers’ efforts by gender and age group.
Valentine’s Day Intra-Squad 2020
Show how much you LOVE swimming!
Come to this year’s Valentine’s Day Intra-Squad Meet! As always, this is a free event this is held just for our team. We will hold it during practice on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 (Valentine’s Day).
We will have prizes and some themed events, so don’t miss it. It will be very fun!!!
We will not have early sign-ups this year, so come early so you can make sure you get to swim events that you want- latecomers will most likely be doing the Butterfly events.
When: Feb. 14 @ 5:30am event sign up and warm-ups. 6:00am MEET START!
Upcoming Meets 2020
COVID-19 Meet Cancelations
We too are effected by the current COVID pandemic and no in-person meets are currently scheduled.
We are excited to offer VIRTUAL Swim Meets that will take place on a national scale.
Coaching Plan 2020!
*New* Coordinated Coaching Plan!
2020 offers us a new year a new decade and new coaching plan!
As an effort to increase the quality of coaching and meet the needs of our swimmers we are excited to announce that we have developed a coordinated coaching plan for South Davis Masters!
Why a coordinated coaching plan?
In September of 2019, we collected surveys from the team members to see how we as coaches can serve each of the members better.
From practice times changes to ideas of what works best for each swimmer – we have listened and are changing some coaching methods that we feel will help each swimmer reach their individual goals within the team setting. While some ideas are still in the works, one we have begun to implement is the Coordinated Coaching Plan.
Many expressed their appreciation for the effort in coaching, but wanted to get a little more feedback and overall a more structured training plan. We want to provide the highest quality workout for all of our swimmers and have coordinated with each South Davis coach to provide workouts that fit together and will provide a framework for stronger, faster swimmers. If you are a triathlete, a fitness swimmer or a swimmer who wants to compete- this training plan will help you get closer to your goal!
A Year of Swim Events!
The development process of the Coordinated Coaching Plan began with considering the many events our swimmers participate in each year. From the various swim meets, open water events and Utah triathlons, we considered each week and the timing leading up to each event. You will see appropriate workout loads and intensities that relate to each event and find that it will fit most athletes schedules.
What do you need to do to participate?
Simply come swim! Each workout by our SDM coaches will be based on that week’s goals.
When you refer to the Coordinated Coaching Plan you will see there are specific periods for endurance, stroke and speed focuses as well as yardage estimates. There are also periods of taper, rest and technique.
We ask that swimmers be willing to try new things and deviate a little from their areas of comfort.
This is your 2020 Challenge
This is where you don’t shy away- we will modify each workout for each beginner, intermediate and advanced swimmer but this is our challenge to you. Try it, work hard and see the results! Following a year-long training plan will allow you to break through any plateau you may be on and help you to bring it to the next level. Even if you are just getting back to it, this plan will help guide you to your fitness goals!
It’s time! 100 x 100s 2020~
Everything you need to know!
When:
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
South Davis Recreation Center, 550 N 200 W Bountiful
Start time 8am SHARP! Come a little early so you can find the right lane to swim in! THIS WILL TAKE 3+ hours! Please plan accordingly!
Who can participate?
Any swimmer! All Utah Masters swimmers are invited but if you don’t identify as a “Masters Swimmer” you are still welcome to participate, the only requirement is that you feel comfortable with the distance and time commitment. If you are not a South Davis Recreation member or a South Davis Masters swimmer, you will need to pay a $6 drop in fee at the front desk.
Do I have to swim the entire distance?
We will have some lanes designated 100 x 75s and 100 x 50s for those who cannot complete the 100 x100s. Due to time constraints, we will not be able to accomodate all swimming speeds. If you are unable to swim the 100 x 100 pace, you can still participate by doing 100 x 50s or 75s. Lane switching will be difficult to accommodate so try to pick a distance you can maintain for 3 hours. We should all finish at the same time.
How is the event organized?
The 100 x 100s will be completed as a workout-form. We will have sets that we complete together and we will have built-in breaks. This is not a race or a competition, this is an annual bucket-list event where we all feel pretty good about ourselves after. If you feel like you cannot complete 100 x100s, consider still joining in but doing 100 x 50s or 100 x 75s.
Are there prizes or awards?
Well, no but we do have really cool patches that are only availible to those who participate. We are asking a $10 donation to go towards Utah Masters so we can provide other awesome opportunities to swimmers. All donations can be sent via PayPal: UtahMastersSwimming@gmail.com
Feel free to donate any time before, during or immediately after the event.
2019 SCM Zone Champs
A HUGE THANK YOU!
What a meet! Thank you all for volunteering, swimming and supporting this wonderful event! This was a HUGE undertaking that we began in 2018, when we submitted our bid to host the meet. When we won the bid, we have worked together with Utah Masters to make this meet happen.
Thank you all who helped large and small. We had many who volunteered to help time, serve, organize and officiate at the meet. A special thanks the Martha Arndt who went above and beyond in helping organize, train and equip our officials for this 2-day, 5 sessioned meet!
We would also like to thank the employees of the Rec Center who supported and invested in this meet including Scott McDonald, Lizie Allen and Kathleen Steadman. We are very grateful for all of their help and all of the things that had to happen behind the scenes to allow us to swim. From moving to bulkhead to moving swim lessons around, to making sure we knew where the laser measure was- we had the support of the Rec 100%. We are VERY GRATEFUL! Thank you!
Finally, thank you to all who swam in the meet. We have the best-attended meet in the state of Utah and it is growing! We are so very grateful to a wonderful team and Utah swimming community who come to meets despite the trials of life that we all endure. It is a very difficult balance to train for and compete in a swim meet as an adult with real-life challenges- but swimming provides us that challenging therapy that we all understand. Thank you for your effort and some really great swims!!!
Some Firsts and Some Bests!
The Krabs had some amazing swims! We had several first-timers who swam in their first swim meet! First was Angela Millet who swam her first 800m Free and 1500m Free! Also Dan Horton who swam his first 50, 100, and 200 free in his first meet. Congrats!
We had MANY state records broken! Matt Chamberlain broke the 50 Back, 50 Fly, 100 Fly and 200 IM records!
Joe Linford broke the 800 Free record by almost 27 seconds and the 1500 Free by 25 seconds!
Blair Akerland, one of our newest Krab members broke the 50 and 100 free records in the 18-24 age group. Not an easy feat!
Anna Marie Forrest set 5 new state records in the 100 and 200 back and also the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke events!
McKay King set 5 new state records as well in the 50 Free, 50 Back, 50 Fly, 100 Fly and the 100 IM. THIS WAS HIS FIRST OFFICIAL MEET AS A KRAB!
Finally- Dave Robins set records in the 100 free and 200 Fly in the 70-74 age group!!!
A-Maaaaaaa-ZING!!! Good Job Krabs
(Let me know if I missed anyone!)
Swimming for Jason
As members of the South Davis Masters Team we consider ourselves a very accepting and friendly swim team. We keep up on each others lives, we go to the movies together and we even swap our zucchini harvest on deck.
It is difficult to describe a team-culture without the individuals that make up the team. When one of our long-time teammates is gone, it alters us as a team.
When we lost Jason, we changed as a team. In some ways we have become stronger- we are more conscious of each other and are more willing to try hard things- Jason would always try hard things in practice, even if he missed the interval.
In other ways we will always feel like something is off, like it isn’t the same and never will be. His cheerful praise and funny jokes. His mustache-of-the-week or even his bow ties as he went off to work.
It has been 8 months since his death and I still miss that he is not in lane 10 or swimming from lake to lake with the rest of us crazies. I know of the deep grief his wife and family feel for his absence and it is compounding.
Yet, this team-of-teams has bound together, to live life to the fullest and to celebrate a great life that lived. This article is a tribute to a man and a testament to a team who I feel serves of an example of what great personal value comes in community.
Blair Bagley
Head Coach