Archives


Timing And Warmups For Winterfest Jan 8, 2010

Information on Winterfest timing assignments and warmups is on the Extra Meets page.

Timing: We have been given 2 timing assignments for this meet. We will be timing for the entire session with someone from the host club (SAC) in our assigned lane. RVY will supply watches. The first timer for each session is responsible for attending the timer's meeting and checking RVY in. If you feel you are unable to time, it is YOUR responsibility to find a replacement.

Warmups: Please arrive no later than the assigned time and check in with the coaches. If the coach doesn't see you, you may get scratched. The coaches will direct the swimmers to the warmup lanes.

Princeton Invitational Dec 13, 2009

The Princeton Tigers Invitational will be held on Sunday Jan. 17 at Denunzio Pool on the campus of Princeton University. Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times used for this meet. All swimmers may enter a maximum of three events. Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Monday, December 14, no later than 10 PM. Please email Gary with any questions.

Holiday Classic Meet Dec 9, 2009

Holiday Classic is this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Please see the Extra Meets page for warmups, pool assignments, psych sheets for the 500/400IM, and parent timing assignments. For coaching questions please contact Coach Laurie.

Coaches are asking you to arrive by the first warm-ups for positive check-in, even though the team may have second or third warm-ups for that day. If you can't arrive by first warm-up, please notify Coach Laurie.

Superbowl Distance Meet Dec 9, 2009

The Somerset Hills YMCA Superbowl Distance Meet will be held on Saturday Jan 23 & Sunday Jan 24 at Somerset Hills YMCA. Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times used for this meet. All swimmers may enter a maximum of three events. Swimmers on the Coed and Boys teams may enter events on Saturday & Sunday, while swimmers on the Girls team may enter events on Sunday.

Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $5.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Saturday December 12, no later than 10 PM. Please email Gary with any questions.

Stingray Splash Dec 2, 2009

The Hunterdon County YMCA Stingray Splash will be held on Sunday Jan 17 at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times used for this meet. All swimmers may enter a maximum of three events for the 1st and 3rd sessions, 1 event for the 2nd session; however, swimmers may only swim a total of 3 events if entered in sessions 2 & 3. Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $5.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Friday December 4, no later than 11 PM. Please email Gary with any questions.

RVY Distance Meet Dec 2, 2009

To all Riptide families whose swimmers are entered in the Dec 6 distance meet: This is a special opportunity for your swimmer(s) to get times in events that they don't usually swim in dual meets, as well as an opportunity for our team to host a special meet. Parents of all swimmers entered in this meet will have jobs at the meet. Please report promptly for your job. Parent assignments are here.

If you are unable to perform your assigned task, you must find a replacement and report back to your team coordinator with who your replacement will be. The team contact list is here. Your team coordinator will be contacting you to reconfirm that you will be at the meet to perform your assigned task and can answer any questions.

Swimmers must bring extra sweats and towels, because they will be in a gym between events. The gym will not be as warm as the pool area.

Let's all work together to make this and all of our meets a success. Go Riptide!

Thank you from the team coordinators:

Patti Huber (Girls) Huber013@optonline.net
Elaine Shangle (Boys) ekkandj@msn.com
Erin Varga (Coed) vargzz@gmail.com

Congratulations to Coach Brian Nov 17, 2009

A Riptide Rave goes out to Coach Brian, who can now be called "Coach Brian, Esquire", after being notified last week that he had passed the NJ Bar exam. Brian graduated from Rutgers Law School last spring, and he is happy to say that law school classes will no longer prevent him from getting down to Charlotte in time for the Thursday night events! Congratulations to Brian.

ATTENTION RIPTIDE PARENTS - Cocktail Party Update Nov 15, 2009

The Autumn Challenge on Nov 22 is going to run late. A significant amount of senior parents will not be able to attend our cocktail party. Because of this we are postponing the cocktail party for Nov. 22. A new date will be posted soon. I appreciate all RSVP'S and hope that when the new date is posted you will still be able to attend.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience, but it would be rude not to make the party available to everyone. Watch for the new date.

Thanks
Charlie

Riptide Cocktail Party Nov 13, 2009

Attention Riptide Parents!!!!

Riptide swim team is hosting a parents only cocktail party fundraiser.

Where: Bertucci's, Route 1, North Brunswick
Date: Sunday Nov 22
Time: 6 PM
Cost: $20.00 per person, or $35.00 per couple

Cash bar, appetizers provided

Please make some time to help our team. If you will be attending, please RSVP to Charlie Catania.

Swim For Food Nov 10, 2009

On Saturday Nov 21, the Raritan Valley YMCA will host Swim For Food as we compete against Ocean County and Princeton. Please bring canned goods or other non-perishables to the meet. The team who collects the most food that day will win!

FSPY First Frost Oct 29, 2009

The Fanwood Scotch Plains FIRST FROST 9 & Under Meet will be held on Sunday Dec 6 at Raritan Valley Community College. Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times used for this meet. Swimmers may enter a maximum of four individual events and one relay. RELAYS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE COACHES BASED ON ENTRIES RECEIVED. Age for this meet is December 1, 2009. Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $5.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Sunday, November 1, no later than 10 PM. Please email Gary with any questions.

Winterfest Oct 25, 2009

The Scarlet Aquatic Club Winterfest will be held on Saturday and Sunday Jan 9 & 10 at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus at Rutgers University in Piscataway. Information on this meet, including the list of events, qualifying times AND a list of eligible swimmers is on the Extra Meets page. There will be qualifying times used for this meet. Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Tuesday Oct. 27, no later than 10:00 PM. Please email Gary with any questions.

Team Fees Oct 14, 2009

Hi RVY parents, the 2009-2010 team fees are as follows:

Tiny Tide$520
Tidal Wave$635
Junior 1$660
Junior 2$690
Senior 1$730
Senior 2$745

These fees don't include "Y" membership. Your $200 deposit will be deducted from your total team fee. In addition to your team fee will be your extra meet account fee. Any questions, you can e-mail me at cacsac3@comcast.net.

Thanks,

Charlie Catania

Riptide Team Clothing Oct 9, 2009

Riptide clothing is available for order and makes great holiday gifts. If you are interested in ordering, please click here for the order form, print it, and bring it to the Riptide Parent Meeting on Tuesday Oct 13 with a check made out to "RVY Riptide Swim Team Parents". Our beautiful logo at the top of the form was designed by parent Steve Charniga. If not handed in at the parent meeting, orders are due by Oct 16. NEW this year: a Stitched Varsity Lettering Zipper hoodie. If you have any questions please contact us through the emails printed on the form. Thanks. Margie and Joan.

Practice with Kirsty Coventry Oct 7, 2009

The Raritan Valley YMCA swim team had reason to be excited about this past Sunday's practice. They found out only the Wednesday before that Olympic swimmer and world record holder Kirsty Coventry was coming to speak and also practice with the team. Kirsty is a 3 time Olympian with 8 medals to her credit. In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing she won 3 silver medals and took gold in the 200-meter backstroke, setting a new world record. Read all about her visit to Riptide here.

Mandatory Parent Meeting Oct 7, 2009

Our mandatory parents' meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Oct 13, at the Raritan Valley YMCA building, 144 Tices Lane, East Brunswick. Every family must be represented at the meeting, so that all necessary paperwork can be completed, and so that policy updates can be explained and discussed. It's important that everyone make an effort to be there! Also, we are trying to arrange for Ultimate Swim Shop to be there to sell goggles, fins, practice suits, etc.

Autumn Challenge Oct 7, 2009

The Hunterdon County YMCA Autumn Challenge will be held on Sunday Nov 22 at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times used for this meet. All swimmers may enter a maximum of three events in session 1 & 2 and two events in Session 3. Use the online meet entry form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $5.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Monday Oct 12, no later than Noon. Please email Gary with any questions.

CBGC Autumn Cup Oct 7, 2009

The CBGC Autumn Cup will be held on Sunday Nov 1 at Clifton Boys & Girls Club. Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times for this meet. All swimmers may enter a maximum of three events. Age for this meet is as of Saturday, Oct 31. Use the online meet entry form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Monday Oct 12, no later than Noon. Please email Gary with any questions.

Tryouts for the 2009-2010 Season Aug 22, 2009

The Riptide Swim Team will be holding tryouts for all new swimmers who would like to tryout for the 2009- 2010 season.

Click here to see our tryout poster.

Any questions: please contact Charlie Catania at cacsac3@comcast.net.

Summer Splash 2009 Jun 10, 2009

The days are getting hotter and school is almost out, so Riptide's Summer Splash can't be far behind! Summer Splash is a summer training program featuring high-intensity workouts in an effort to increase swimming endurance and speed, while still competing for your summer club.

We are planning on having two groups - Juniors and Seniors. The Junior group will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays (same times) and will have a separate coach. This group is intended to introduce younger swimmers to summer workouts. Any swimmer age 10 and over that can demonstrate command of the four competitive strokes and can show the ability to adapt to the difficulty of the workout can sign up. Younger swimmers may sign up with permission from Laurie/Mike. WE WILL ONLY HAVE THIS GROUP IF WE HAVE STRONG INTEREST.

The senior group will remain the same as in previous years - serious and dedicated 12 and overs, including college students, meeting 4 days a week - Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

You do not have to be a Riptide member to participate; however you must have a current Raritan Valley YMCA membership. Riptide winter swimmers and Riptide alumni will receive first consideration, as due to the large turnout, space is limited.

Dates and pricing information are on the registration form. Please note: If you are not already a member of the Raritan Valley YMCA, you need to fill out this membership form and include a SEPARATE check for $60, made out to RVYMCA.

Spring Fling 2009 Apr 15, 2009

Spring Fling 2009 registration is finally here!! Space in the program is limited and first preference will be given to Riptide Swim Team members who register by Saturday, April 18th. After that, all registrations will be accepted on a first come - first served basis, until the program is filled. Spring Fling will emphasize stroke technique,conditioning and training for Juniors and Seniors. For Tiny Tides and Tidal Waves, the emphasis will be on stroke development, as well as building cardiovascular endurance. It is a great way for all swimmers to stay in shape and tune up for the summer season.

All participants in Spring Fling MUST be members of the Raritan Valley YMCA. If you are not a current member, than you need to also fill out this form and mail it in with a separate check for your YMCA membership.

Note: You will not receive written confirmation of your registration. If the program closes out before your registration is received, however, we will call you to let you know.

Nationals Results Apr 8, 2009

Welcome home to the Riptide Nationals Team! The team had a spectacular meet with more best times and broken records than ever before. Special congratulations to Alex Ratajcyzk and Peter Dufrat, who were both double gold medalists at this meet. Alex repeated as the 50 and 100 Senior Boys freestyle champion and Peter won the 100 and 200 Junior Boys backstroke events. And, for another year, Riptide was the winner of the Team Spirit Award!!

Nationals Psych Sheets Mar 21, 2009

The preliminary Sun-Kissed Psych Sheets are here. The easiest way for you to find your name is to do a "Control F" and search for it and go through the document. If you want to see all of the Riptide individual swimmers' entries, type "RVYM" in the search bar. If you want to search the relays, type in "Raritan".

As you look at your seeding placement, keep a few things in mind:

  1. Many swimmers (from all teams) are entered in more than 6 events and will need to scratch, so don't worry too much about the exact number next to your name, because it's likely to change somewhat in the final psych sheet.
  2. They call them "psych sheets" for a reason... use them to help you choose your scratches, but don't get psyched out by them. Your seed time on a piece of paper will NOT determine the time that you will do in the pool.
  3. You can not change your events now or put in a different time after the psychs come out, so please don't ask.

Scratch sheets will be handed out at Sunday's practice - they are due ASAP, but NO LATER than Tuesday, March 24th - we need to send them in on Wednesday. You can return your scratch sheets to Priscilla, or you can email your scratches to her. If you email them, please indicate that in the subject line of your email (for example, Andy Rose's Scratches). Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Nationals Hospitality Suite Mar 21, 2009

All parents attending Nationals in Charlotte will be issued a room key to the hospitality suite. This room and all of its contents, including beverages and snacks, are for the parents only. Please do not give the key to your children to access the suite during the day. Swimmers should bring their own snacks for the swim meets.

NJ YMCA Silver Championships Feb 26, 2009

Congratulations to the Riptiders who swam in the NJ YMCA Silver Championships, held at GCIT this past weekend. The team had a great showing and produced two Riptide champions:

Kudos to Nick and CJ and good luck to all of our 12/unders going to YStates at OCY this weekend!

YMCA 12/Under State Championships Feb 25, 2009

The State Championships for ages 9-12 will be held this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Feb 27, 28 and March 1 at Ocean County YMCA. Please see the Session Updates document on the Extra Meets page for swimmer arrival and specator entrance. Please note, based on warmup schedule, swimmers will need to arrive a half hour before warmups and enter the swimmer door. Parent will be admitted when warmups have begun. There are no changes to the warmup/start times and Riptide does not have a timing assignment for this meet. Please refer to the two subheadings "Entries" and "Events" to find which day your child is swimming. Entry fees are $7.00 per event including relays to be deducted from your extra meet account. Good luck to your swimmers. Any questions regarding the meet information posted, please contact Joan.

YMCA 12/Under State Championships Feb 23, 2009

The entries for the YMCA State Championships for the 9/10 and 11/12 year olds are posted on the Extra Meets page. Entries were sent in on Feb 17. To determine which days your child will be swimming, please go to the extra meets page "Events" subheading and extra meets page "Entries by name". Event #20, the boys 9/10 200 Medley Relay (Perez, Weingarten, Thompson, Biagiotti) will be swum on Saturday morning. The fees for the meet are $7.00 per event including relays and are deducted from the extra meet account. Timing assignments will be posted when we receive them. Any questions please contact Coach Laurie.

YMCA Bronze Championships Feb 9, 2009

Congratulations to our Riptide swimmers who participated in the NJ YMCA Bronze Championship Meet. Riptide had a great showing at the meet, with many swimmers posting their personal best times and qualifying for Silver Championships to be held later this month. Special congratulations go out to the following Riptide individual event winners:

And also to the swimmers on Riptide's first place relays:

Nationals Roster Jan 28, 2009

Congratulations to all of our swimmers who made 2009 Sun-Kissed Nationals. This year's roster is the largest in team history. Please remember to confirm if you are going. It is very important that everyone on the roster reply regardless if you are going or not. The deadline to reply is Sunday, February 1st. Remember, the first practice, which is mandatory for all swimmers, is Wednesday, February 4 and the mandatory parent's meeting is Saturday, February 7, at 8am during practice. Please check the Nationals section for forms you'll need at the meeting. The complete practice schedule will be posted soon. Any questions, please contact Marc Weingarten.

YMCA 8 And Under Championships Jan 28, 2009

The YMCA 8 and Under Championship meet will be held this weekend. The meet announcement, an event listing, warmup times, and timing assignments are on the Extra Meets page. The host team required us to provide parent marshalling aids, so please print an entries list to help you with the marshalling. Any questions please contact Joan.

GMC Championships Jan 25, 2009

Congratulations to all of the Riptide high school swimmers who competed at the 2009 Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Championships held at Princeton University on Saturday 1/24. Many best times were achieved! Special kudos the following Riptiders, who won individual GMC Championship titles:

Congratulations also to the Riptiders who swam on GMC Championship gold medal relays:

Nationals Jan 17, 2009

As the regular swim season winds down, it is time to turn our attention to Nationals. All the information you need is on the Nationals page. Check the qualifying list to see if you are on the Nationals team. If your name does not appear and you think you've made it, please contact Marc Weingarten. Some immediate dates to note:

Princeton Tiger Invitational Jan 14, 2009

The Princeton Tiger Invitational will be held at the Princeton DeNunzio pool this weekend, Jan 17-18, 2009. For details, please go to the Extra Meets page. Directions are in the Meet Announcement. Please check the events list and the entries list to locate the days you will be swimming. For the most recent Warmup/Start times and Parent timing assignments, please check the individual subheadings on the Extra Meets page. Thank you in advance for participating as a captain or timer for the very large timing assignment Riptide has been given for the meet. For the 500s events, please be prepared to provide your own lap counter person. For the 400 IM, please provide your own timer. If you have questions regarding the warmup information or timing assignments, please contact Joan.

Winterfest Results Jan 6, 2009

Congratulations to all Riptide swimmers who achieved best times at Winterfest '09 this past weekend. Special congratulations to event winners Julia DeCicco in the 13/14 100 Breaststroke, James Shangle in the 13/14 200 IM and Gess Charniga in the 15/18 100 and 200 Breaststroke. Also, kudos to new Nationals Team qualifiers Taylor Louglin and Megan Fosko.

Riptide Holiday Party Dec 18, 2008

The Riptide holiday party will be held for all swimmers on Friday, Dec 19, at the Raritan Valley YMCA. The Y is located at 144 Tices Lane in East Brunswick. We will have a DJ, Pizza, and dodge ball game. We are asking everyone to bring a non-perishable item for the food bank. Details on the party are here.

Please drop off your child at 6:00 PM and pick him/her up at 8:30. As a reminder, due to space constraints at the YMCA, this party is for the swimmers only, and not for parents and siblings. We unfortunately cannot accommodate that many people! We will have plenty of supervision by committee members and Riptide Board members. We are looking forward to a fun evening.

Holiday Classic Dec 11, 2008

Holiday Classic will be held this weekend, Dec 12-14. For details, please go to the Extra Meets page. Directions are in the Meet Announcement. Please check the events list and the entries list to locate the days you will be swimming. For the most recent Warmup/Start times and Parent timing assignments, please check the individual subheadings on the Extra Meets page. For the 1000 and 1650 events, you will need to bring your own watch and person to lap count. For the 500s on Friday and Saturday, please be prepared to provide your own lap counter person if needed. If you have questions, please contact Marc (for timing assignments) or Joan (for warmup/start/pool assignments).

First Frost Winner Dec 11, 2008

Congratulations to event winner Leilah Mohamed, who won the Girls 6 and under 25 Fly and 25 Breast at First Frost, and to all our other 9 and under swimmers who had personal best times.

Princeton Tiger Invitational Meet Dec 1, 2008

Please note: Due to the boys dual meet on Saturday Jan 17, boys team swimmers may only enter Sunday's Jan 18 events. Girls team and coed team may enter both days' events. The minimum age to enter the meet is 9 years. Information on this meet, including the list of events is on the Extra Meets page. There are no qualifying times to enter this meet.

Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account, in addition to a $2.50/relay fee, if the coach enters your swimmer in a relay. To avoid being closed out of this meet, the deadline for online entries is Wednesday, Dec 3 by 10:00 PM. Please email Joan or Gary with any questions.

Winterfest Nov 20, 2008

Winterfest '09 will be held at the Sonny Werblin Aquatic Center at Rutgers University on January 3rd and 4th. Swimmers must have silver or gold level times to qualify for this meet. The list of Riptide swimmers who have qualified is here. All qualified swimmers who have extra meet accounts will be automatically entered into the meet unless they scratch no later than 9:00 PM, Friday, November 21. Swimmers may scratch from all or just some of their events. If you do nothing, you will automatically be entered into all events in which you qualify. If you believe you have qualified for this meet and are not listed, you must let us know by the same deadline. For those who qualify in more than the maximum events per day (3), the list of events is here. If you don't send in your scratches, you will be entered into 3 events based on event spacing.

The directions for scratching or for claiming eligibility are as follows:

Remember, if you want to be entered in all of your eligible events, you don't have to do anything. Email Gary only with scratches, additions, or other problems. Once the scratch deadline has passed, no further changes will be made and your extra meet account will be charged $4.00/event entered.

Riptide Team Clothing Nov 13, 2008

Riptide clothing is available for order and makes great holiday gifts. Please click here for the order form. Click here to view some pictures. We are very fortunate this year to present a new team logo designed by parent Steve Charniga. Orders are due by the last practice on Monday, Nov 17 (sorry for the rush). NEW this year: zipper hoodies, thermal shirts, spaghetti strap tees and tanks, baseball caps. Again, an excellent value is our flannel lined team jacket - same price as last year! If you would like to place an order, print the form and bring it to practice. Either Trixie, Margie, or Joan will be at all practices from Friday through Monday. If you have any questions please contact us through the emails printed on the form.

Team T-shirts, with the beautiful new logo designed by our parent Steve Charniga, will be coming in soon. Distribution will take place at the YMCA or at practice, to be announced. If you are picking up a pre-ordered extra shirt, please bring a check for $12.00 per shirt payable to "Riptide Swim Team Parents." Joan will let you know about a distribution date.

YMCA National Top 16 Swimmers Nov 12, 2008

Riptide is proud to announce that we have two swimmers in the YMCA National Top 16 for the 2007-08 season. Gessica Charniga placed 16th in the 13/14 100 Breaststroke. Peter Dufrat placed 13th in the 200 Back, 11th in the 100 Back, 13th in the 50 Free, and 6th in the 50 Backstroke in the 11/12 age group. Congratulations to our National Top 16 finishers!

Holiday Classic Oct 29, 2008

Holiday Classic 2008 entries are here. Holiday Classic is a USA Gold meet, and will be held at the Rutgers Werblin Recreation Center, Friday thru Sunday, December 12-14, 2008. Those swimmers who have already qualified have been entered in all events in which they are eligible, unless they exceeded the 3 event p/day maximum. The meet director is still accepting entries at this time, and, as long as the meet stays open, we will continue to enter swimmers who achieve qualifying times. Please contact Priscilla with any questions or concerns.

First Frost Meet - For Swimmers 9 And Under Oct 20, 2008

We are now taking online entries for this meet. Swimmers must be age 9 or under as of Dec 1, 2008 in order to enter. Please enter up to 4 individual events. You do not need to have a qualifying time. The entry deadline is 8:00 PM on Sunday Oct 26. The meet will be held at the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA on Dec 7, 2008. Please see the Extra Meet page for the meet announcement (including directions) and event numbers. For questions about entering events please contact Coach Laurie prior to the deadline. For technical questions about how to use the online meet entry process, please contact Gary or Joan.

HCY Autumn Challenge Meet Oct 9, 2008

The HCY Autumn Challenge meet will be held on Sunday Nov 16 at Raritan Valley Community College. Information on this meet, including the list of events, is on the Extra Meets page. The minimum age is 9 years. New Riptide swimmers ages 9 and over who do not have times should email Coach Brian asap to discuss meet entries. There are no qualifying times for the meet.

Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.50 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. The deadline for online entries is Friday Oct 10, no later than 9:00 PM. Please email Joan with any questions.

Go For The Gold Meet Oct 9, 2008

The Go For The Gold meet will be held on Sunday Nov 9 at Raritan Valley Community College (we will be participating on Sunday only, due to dual meets on Saturday). Information on this meet, including the list of events and qualifying times, is on the Extra Meets page. The minimum age is 9 years. New Riptide swimmers ages 9 and over who do not have times should email Coach Brian asap to discuss meet entries. To enter, you must have a "slower than gold" time in the events you wish to swim.

Use the online form to enter, and you should receive an email confirmation for your events. The fee of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account. To avoid being closed out of this meet, the deadline for online entries is tonight, Thursday Oct 9, by 11:00 PM. Please email Joan with any questions.

Mandatory Parents Meeting Oct 1, 2008

The meeting will be held this Tuesday, Oct 7, from 7-9 PM at the Raritan Valley YMCA, 144 Tices Lane in East Brunswick. Every family must be represented at the meeting, so that all necessary paperwork can be completed, and so that policy updates can be explained and discussed. This is the ONLY meeting that we require all parents to attend, so it's important that everyone make an effort to be there! Please make childcare arrangements as needed - we will make every effort to make sure that the meeting starts and ends on time.

In order to encourage attendance, we will be raffling two $50 gift certificates to the Ultimate Swim Shop at the meeting. Only those present at the meeting will be eligible to win. One raffle winner will be chosen approximately mid-way through the meeting, before we split up into "new parent" and "returning parent" groups, and one winner will be chosen at the end of the meeting.

So be there or be square! Email Priscilla with concerns or questions.

Team Suits Oct 1, 2008

The deadline to order your Riptide team suit is this Saturday, Oct 5. Team suits are to be worn whenever a swimmer is representing Riptide in a dual meet. If you know your size, you may call your order in to Ultimate Swim Shop at 732-549-1001. If you need to try on suits to determine your size, you can go to the Ultimate Swim Shop, or contact Priscilla to find out when she will have the try-on suits available at Friday's and Saturday's practices. If you have a completed order form, with payment, turn it in to Priscilla or to one of the coaches.

Ooops! Sep 25, 2008

Due to a miscommunication between Riptide and Ultimate Swim Shop, the swim shop came to MCC unexpectedly for the team suit fitting on Wednesday night. Not to worry, we have a plan!

All swimmers need to order a team suit, unless they want to use their suit from last season. All swimmers who wear a cap will receive one with their suit at no charge. If replacement caps are needed, they will be available from the head coaches at $5 per cap.

Anyone who already knows their suit size can order it in person, at the Ultimate Swim Shop on Main Street in Metuchen. Ultimate will also take phone orders (732-549-1001) with a credit card. In addition, starting with this Saturday's practice, there will be try-on suits and order forms available. The suit order will not go in until the following Saturday, so there will be plenty of time to determine your size and order your suit. The suits should arrive before our first dual meets.

Contact Priscilla with any questions or concerns.

Fall Festival Meet Sep 19, 2008

X-CEL, the host team of Fall Festival, has changed the meet to a silver qualifying meet. This means that a minimum of a NJ silver time is required to enter the meet. If a swimmer qualifies for at least one event on either day of the meet, s/he is eligible to swim the maximum of 3 events per day.

As a result of this change, we were forced to amend our FF entries. Please check this entry list to see if you are still entered in the meet, and in which events. Certain swimmers are now entered in different events than they originally indicated due to this change, as well as due to some event changes made by the coaches. We are very sorry for any inconvenience and disappointment as a result of this change.

For event questions please contact Brian; for other questions regarding the meet please contact Joan.

Riptide Roster Sep 12, 2008

The preliminary roster for the 2008-2009 season is here. Congratulations to all the new team members. This year, once again, we have the largest team in Riptide history, as we tried to take everyone that we could. A note about practice groupings; we haven't made the final practice groups up yet - we will almost certainly make some changes, once the swimming actually starts and we see how everyone is doing. The final groupings will be posted after practice on Friday, and as usual we may move more people after the high school season starts in mid November. If you have any questions/concerns please email Brian.

IMPORTANT! All parents of NEW team members must attend a brief meeting at the Raritan Valley YMCA, TONIGHT, (Friday, September 12) at 7:00 PM. The Y is located at 144 Tices Lane in East Brunswick. Please bring two checks: one for $200, made out to Riptide Swim Team, as a deposit toward the team fee, and a second, for $60, made out to RVYMCA for the swimmer's mandatory Y membership. YMCA membership forms will be available at the meeting, or you may print one from the Raritan Valley YMCA web site and bring it with you. These two payments must be received from each new swimmer before they will be allowed to practice. Please email Priscilla with any questions or concerns about tonight's meeting.

Tryouts Sep 2, 2008

All prospective new Riptide swimmers are invited to try out for the team on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th, 6:30-8:30 PM at Middlesex County College (MCC) Pool in Edison. Depending upon turnout, some swimmers may be asked to return for a "second-look" tryout on Wednesday, September 10th, but all candidates must attend the Monday tryout.

Middlesex County College is located at 2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. A map of the area is here. From Woodbridge Avenue, turn onto Mill Road, then turn left to enter the college at College Drive East. The phys ed building is past the parking lots and the baseball field, on your right.

If you have questions about tryouts, please email Priscilla Rose, or call the Riptide Hotline at 732-297-6163. Calls to the Hotline are answered within 24-48 hours.

Summer Splash 2008 Jun 6, 2008

The days are getting hotter and school is almost out, so Riptide's Summer Splash can't be far behind! Summer Splash is a summer training program featuring high-intensity workouts in an effort to increase swimming endurance and speed, while still competing for your summer club.

We are planning on having two groups - Juniors and Seniors. The Junior group will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays (same times) and will have a separate coach. This group is intended to introduce younger swimmers to summer workouts. Any swimmer age 10 and over that can demonstrate command of the four competitive strokes and can show the ability to adapt to the difficulty of the workout can sign up. Younger swimmers may sign up with permission from Laurie/Mike. WE WILL ONLY HAVE THIS GROUP IF WE HAVE STRONG INTEREST.

The senior group will remain the same as in previous years - serious and dedicated 12 and overs, including college students, meeting 4 days a week - Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

You do not have to be a Riptide member to participate; however you must have a current Raritan Valley YMCA membership. Riptide winter swimmers and Riptide alumni will receive first consideration, as due to the large turnout, space is limited.

Dates and pricing information are on the registration form.

Riptide Nationals Team Apr 8, 2008

Congratulations to the members of the Riptide Nationals Team for a phenomenal showing at the 2008 SunKissed National Invitational in Charlotte!! The team had an overall 3rd Place finish (out of 15 teams), and both the Girls Team and the Boys Team finished in 3rd place in their respective divisions. Riptide also won the "Parade of Teams" award, given to the most spirited team at the meet! The hardware total of 4 trophies is the most ever brought home by the Nats Team!

As a team, we had more individual medalists than ever before, including gold medals for Omer Hillel in the Junior Girls 100 Fly and Alex Ratajczyk in the Senior Boys 50 and 100 Free. Making Alex's win in the 50 even more exciting was Greg Bellizzi's 2nd place finish in that event, giving Riptide its first 1-2 finish ever at this meet.

Spring Fling Mar 27, 2008

Spring is in the air, and that must mean that Riptide's Spring Fling program is about to begin! Spring Fling is an 8-week stroke and turn clinic, open to non-Riptide members as well as to team members. Swimmers must be 7 years of age and able to swim two lengths of the pool, without stopping, in order to participate. Please get your application in early, as we will be strictly limiting the number of participants this year. In the past, many Riptiders have waited until the first night of the program to sign up, but we WILL be turning those swimmers away this year, if our limit has been reached, so don't take a chance! Print out this application form, and mail it in with your check (if you are not a Raritan Valley YMCA member, you must also print out this form and include it with a SEPARATE check). Spring Fling is a great way to tune up for your summer swim season. Sign up today!

National Team Banquet Menu Mar 23, 2008

The National team banquet will be held on Sunday evening when we are in Charlotte. We need to get everyone's entree choices to the caterer ahead of time, so please complete this online form indicating your preference. This is due by Wednesday, March 26. If you have any questions, email Marc Weingarten.

Nationals Payments Mar 10, 2008

Margie Zavoda willbe at NBTHS tomorrow during practice for those of you who need to make their second payment and have not done so. Payment can also be mailed to:

Margie Zavoda
5 Winton Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Nationals Team Day Mar 8, 2008

Team Day is all set.

When: Thursday, March 13, 5pm-9(ish)pm

Where: Rutgers University College Avenue Gymnasium (This is where some of the groups practiced on Friday nights during the season)

What: Dinner, Rock climbing, Yoga, and Swimming

Please make sure the kids wear sneakers and comfortable clothing for rock climbing and also bring their folders and normal swim stuff.

We will try and get the rock climbing waivers/releases to the kids for the parents to sign before Thursday so keep an eye out for that.

I know at the meeting we had mentioned Sunday, March 16, as the day when we were hoping to have Team Day, but Rutgers begins their Spring Break on the 14th so the facility would have been closed. Practice was already scheduled for Thursday the 13th, so hopefully there won't be a problem with the kids attending.

Marc Weingarten

NJSIAA State Meet of Champions Feb 29, 2008

Congratulations to our Riptiders who placed top 16 in the state at MOC this weekend!

Nationals Racing Suits and Caps Feb 13, 2008

Nationals Racing Suits and caps must be ordered no later than THIS SATURDAY, Feb 16. Each swimmer is entitled to order ONE Speedo FSII at our team price, which is substantially discounted from the regular retail price. If you are not sure which suit you want, or what size you wear, you need to go to Ultimate Swim Shop, Main Street, Metuchen no later than Saturday, to try on and order your suit. If you already know what type and size you want, you may order online using this form. Payment will be due at the first Nationals Team Parent Meeting on Saturday, Feb 23 from 8-10 AM at MCC (while the kids practice).

All swimmers who wear caps MUST wear a Riptide team cap. Caps come in sets of 2, are available in latex or silicone, and will be imprinted with "Riptide Nationals Team" and the swimmer's last name. You may order as many sets of caps as you want, but your order must be in by this Saturday!

Racing suits are not mandatory, but, if you do not order by Saturday, you will not receive the team discount, and you will be responsible for getting the suit on your own.

8/Under Championships, Feb 3, Ocean County YMCA Jan 29, 2008

Remember swimmers are entering from separate entrance, so coaches please greet your swimmers at the entrance to bring them into the building.

Boys Session 1 Warmups begins at 8 am - Meet Start 9:15.
Doors will be open for swimmers at 7:15. Parents and spectators will not be allowed in the building until 8:15. Warmups begin at 8:00 am. Click here for timing assignments. Timers meeting at 8:45 am.

Girls Session 2 : Warmups begin 1:30 pm Meet Start: 2:45 pm
Doors will be open for swimmers at 12:45 pm. Parents and spectators will not be allowed in the building until 1:45 pm. Warmups begin at 1:30 pm. Timers meeting at 2:15 pm.

GMC Championships Jan 28, 2008

Congratulations to all of the Riptide high school swimmers who competed at the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Championships held at Princeton University on Saturday. Many, many best times were achieved and the following Riptiders won individual conference championship titles: Brigitte Malivert in the 100 breast, Kayleigh Shangle in the 50 free, Jenny Zavoda in the 100 free and the 200 free, Alex Ratajczyk in the 50 free and the 100 free and Andy Rose in the 200 IM.

Verizon Email Addresses Jan 26, 2008

Once again, Verizon is blocking emails sent from our contact list. If you are on our contact list and your email address ends with verizon.net, you probably missed a few emails that were sent between Jan 16 and today. To start receiving our emails again, you need to go to this Verizon web site and request that emails from rvyriptide.org be allowed: http://www.verizon.net/whitelist. When asked for domain name and outgoing mail server, enter rvyriptide.org for both.

8/Under, Bronze, and Silver Championships Jan 16, 2008

8/Under and Bronze entries are here. Please review them carefully and let Mike know by Thursday morning if there are any changes. The coaching staff took into account each swimmer's preference; however, we entered swimmers where we thought they would have the best chance for success. With that said, if you feel strongly that we missed something or made a mistake, by all means let us know. Also, keep in mind that you must have a valid time for any particular event in our database to swim at these championship meets, so there are events that a swimmer may not be eligible for (especially with the 8/Us).

As far as Bronze is concerned, please let Mike know by Thursday morning if you cannot attend, or can only attend one day. While we entered swimmers in every event possible, there are a few swimmers that may qualify for 3 events in Silvers (on two separate days), and therefore would have 4 full days of Championship meet swimming. In these cases, if you only want to attend one day of Bronze, that is fine; however, please let Mike know of your intentions by Thursday morning. (The breakdown for Saturday/Sunday - events 1-44 are on Saturday, the rest are on Sunday.) Bronze relays will be posted by the end of the week.

Both meets have entry fees. These fees will be deducted from any remaining extra meet balance, or you may pay prior to the meet. The entry fee will cover swimmer fees, relays and coaching expenses. For 8/unders, the fee will be $15 per swimmer, for Bronze the fee will be $25.

If you have any questions, please email Mike at coachmike@rvyriptide.org.

Level I Officials Clinic Jan 4, 2008

A level I officials clinic is being offered the evening of Monday, Jan 7 at the Somerset Hills YMCA. Check our Officials page for details.

Winterfest Jan 3, 2008

Information on this weekend's Winterfest meet is here. Entries and timing assignments were added today. If you are swimming the 500 free, you may need to provide your own lap counter - we're not sure, but it's best to be prepared just in case. If you have any questions, please use the Riptide Hotline at 732-297-6163.

Jan 5 Coed Meet Jan 2, 2008

Saturday's Coed meet will be held at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School, not at the Metuchen Y. Warmups are at 10:30, start is at 11:00. Directions to the school are here. Look on page 4 for directions to the Wardlaw-Hartridge School. Since this is a 6 lane pool, additional timers are needed. Also, they may be short a starter. Please note the additions to the assignments:

Parent Rep: Waidelich
Timer Coordinator: Kleinman
Scoring: Jacobs-Perez
Standby Starter: Rugulo
Stroke and Turn : Maligranda
Across the Board: Endler
Timers: Silverman, Hunter, D'Esposito, Perez, Orlowski-Scherer, Scott, Weiss

Thank you for showing the Riptide spirit and helping out where needed. Joan

Team Clothing Dec 21, 2007

If you ordered Riptide clothing, your order will be available for pickup on following dates and times. Please understand that we will distribute only to an adult, with the exception of Seniors who may be driving themselves to practice and may pick up their own clothing. We appreciate your patience as we changed this year to a new vendor, TEAM USA, and hope you enjoy your clothing. Thanks to Debi Scott and Carolyn Gugliotta for working on the team clothing this year.

Friday Dec 21, YMCA Tices Lane 4:00-5:30 PM
Friday Dec 21, YMCA Tices Lane 7:00-9:00 PM
Saturday Dec 22, MCC (lobby) 9:00-9:30 AM
Saturday Dec 22, YMCA Tices Lane 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Orders not picked up by Saturday will be distributed after Jan 1. Thank you for your orders. Any questions, please email Joan.

New Meet: Princeton Invitational 2008 Dec 4, 2007

The Stingray Splash meet, which was to be held on Jan 20, has unfortunately been closed to our entries. Since we will not be attending the meet, your extra meet account will not be charged for the Stingray Meet.

As an alternative meet, Riptide will take entries for the Princeton Invitational Meet 2008, which will be held on Sunday Jan 20, at the De Nunzio Pool in Princeton. Our deadline for entering this meet is Wednesday Dec 5 at 9:00 PM.

The events, as well as the meet announcement and directions, are here. There are no qualifying times for this meet. There is a maximum of 3 events per swimmer.

You may submit an online meet entry form. If you have any questions regarding events to enter, please contact your coach.

Meet entry fees of $4.00 per event will be deducted from your extra meet account.

No swimmer without an extra meet account will be entered into the meet. If you did not register an extra meet account at the parent meeting, and wish to do so, email Pat Rose ASAP.

Winterfest Nov 28, 2007

Winterfest '08 will be held at the Sonny Werblin Aquatic Center at Rutgers University on January 5th and 6th. Swimmers must have silver or gold level times to qualify for this meet. The list of Riptide swimmers who have qualified is here. All qualified swimmers who have extra meet accounts will be automatically entered into the meet unless they scratch no later than 9:00 PM, Thursday, November 29th. Swimmers may scratch from all or just some of their events. If you do nothing, you will automatically be entered into all events in which you qualify. If you believe you have qualified for this meet and are not listed, you must let us know by the same deadline. For those who qualify in more than the maximum events per day (3), the list of events is here. If you don't send in your scratches , you will be entered into 3 events based on event spacing.

The directions for scratching or for claiming eligibility are as follows:

Remember, if you want to be entered in all of your eligible events, you don't have to do anything. Email Priscilla only with scratches, additions, or other problems. Once the scratch deadline has passed, no further changes will be made and your extra meet account will be charged for all events that you entered.

Raritan Valley YMCA Memberships Nov 28, 2007

We recently received the following list of swimmers whose Raritan Valley YMCA memberships have either recently expired, or will be expiring shortly. Please contact the Y to make sure that you are currently a member.

Valerie Rugulo, Jessie Gibbons, Matthew Burke, Dan Lewis, Tyler Catania, Vincent Gibbons, Kevin Weiss, Danielle Bartolotta, Christopher Rettinger, Matthew Elkins, Ryan Bartynski, Caitlyn Ignal, Evan Cesanek.

Stingray Splash Nov 27, 2007

The Hunterdon County YMCA Stingray Splash Meet (Sunday Jan 20) is now open for entries. This meet will be held at Raritan Valley Community College. Our deadline to enter this meet is Friday Noon Nov 30.

The meet events, as well as the meet announcement and directions, are here.

There are no qualifying time requirement for this meet. Age eligibility is determined by the swimmer's age as of Dec 1, 2007. You may submit an online meet entry form.

The entry fee will be $5 per event and will be debited from the swimmer's extra meet account. No swimmer without an extra meet account will be entered into the meet. If you did not register an extra meet account at the parent meeting, and wish to do so, email Pat Rose asap.

Riptide Clothing Orders Nov 20, 2007

We have a new vendor and are pleased to offer you new colors and a lower price for Riptide jackets! The order form is here. The deadline for any orders and payment is Wednesday Nov 28 at 9:00 PM. The earliest we will be able to get the orders is Dec 21 and we will keep you informed as to whether they will be distributed at practice or at the YMCA.

Please print and complete the form and bring it to practice. Debi Scott and Joan Wieczorek will collect forms and full payment at all upcoming practices. Please check the form for further details and how to contact us with questions.

You may also email the completed form directly to Joan and indicate in the email when you will meet her with payment before the deadline.

Rutgers Masters Zone Meet Nov 19, 2007

On Saturday Dec 8 and Sunday Dec 9, Riptide will be helping the Rutgers Masters Swim Team by serving as timers for their Zone Meet held at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center. This event will help us to hold our annual Team Day in March, and also will give our swimmers a good insight as to what their parents have to do during their meets! This is a great opportunity for our team to contribute to our local swimming community and to see what it's like to be on the other side of the blocks.

Attendance for this event is MANDATORY, because we simply cannot provide enough timers without all of our swimmers participating.

This document contains your name and the session you are working. If you cannot attend, you MUST find a substitute on the team (it can be a parent). However, your assigned slot must be filled.

If you have any Riptide Gear - T-shirts, Nationals Shirts, etc. PLEASE WEAR IT!

Location of Coed Meet Nov 16, 2007

Saturday's Coed Team meet against Princeton Y will be held at the Jonathan Witherspoon Middle School NOT at the Princeton Y. Here are the directions:

John Witherspoon Middle School
217 Walnut Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Directions:
Traveling South on Route 1
Make right hand turn onto Harrison St.
Cross Route 27 (Nassau St) and make left onto Franklin Ave. (it should be no more than 1/2 mile)
Make right onto Walnut Lane (school is 1/3 mile on the right)

Peddie Thanksgiving Classic Oct 8, 2007

The Peddie Thanksgiving Classic meet (Sunday Nov 18) is now open for entries. The deadline to enter this meet is Wednesday Oct 10. The meet events, as well as the meet announcement and directions, are here. You may enter only those events for which your best time is "slower than" the time shown in the time standard column. Age is as of Nov 18, 2007. If you are eligible for this meet, submit an online meet entry form here.

The entry fee will be $4 per event and will be debited from the swimmer's extra meet account. No swimmer without an extra meet account will be entered into the meet. If you did not register an extra meet account at the parent meeting, and wish to do so, email Pat Rose asap.

Swim Suit Fitting Sep 28, 2007

The swim suit fitting is tonight, Friday Sep 28. Ultimate Swim Shop will be at MCC 5:30-7:00. Forms for senior 2's and anyone else who is not able to make practice at MCC will be available at the Sep 29 Saturday practice. You will also be able to go to Ultimate Swim Shop on Main Street in Metuchen on that Saturday, if you do not know your size and wish to try on suits. We are keeping the same team suit (black with blue Riptide logo on front for girls, on back or leg for boys) as last year. Please plan to have your order in no later than Saturday, so that we can have the suits in time for the first dual meets on October 27th.

Fall Festival Of X-Cellence Sep 26, 2007

The Fall Festival of X-Cellence (Saturday Nov 3 and Sunday Nov 4) is now open for entries. Our deadline for entries is Friday Sep 28. This meet is replacing the former Fall Festival meet which no longer exists. There are no qualifying times for this meet. The maximum number of events which can be entered each day is 3. The meet events are here (scroll to bottom of page). If you want to attend this meet, submit an online meet entry form here.

In order to enter "extra meets" this year, swimmers will need to open an extra meet account. Extra meet accounts will be set up at the Parent Meeting on October 2nd; however, the Fall Festival of X-Cellence and Go For the Gold Meets are already open for entries, so we will accept entries for these meets only, prior to an extra meet account being set up. Understand that, if you enter Fall Festival of X-Cellence, you will need to pay your extra meet fee no later than October 2nd. Entry fees will be deducted from the extra meet account.

Go For The Gold Sep 23, 2007

The Go For The Gold meet (Sunday, Nov 11) is now open for entries. Our deadline for entries is Wednesday Sep 26. You may enter events for which you have qualifying times. The meet events are here (scroll to bottom of page). If you are eligible for this meet, submit an online meet entry form here.

In order to enter "extra meets" this year, swimmers will need to open an extra meet account. This extra meet account is not mandatory, however no swimmer will be entered into extra meets if s/he has not paid his/her extra meet fee. Extra meet fees will vary based on practice group:

Tiny Tides / Tidal Waves $50
Juniors $75
Seniors $100

Extra meet accounts will be set up at the Parent Meeting on October 2nd, however, the Go For the Gold Meet is already open for entries, so we will accept entries for this meet only, prior to an extra meet account being set up. Understand that, if you enter GFTG, you will need to pay your extra meet fee no later than October 2nd.

Officials Clinics Sep 20, 2007

As always, there is a turnover of officials as children reach college age or leave the program. Riptide has always had a tradition of parents volunteering to officiate at meets. New parents are urged to volunteer as officials and be trained as Level I. New officials, as well as current officials whose certification has expired, are asked to attend the scheduled clinics listed in this document. Only the first class is required to become certified as a Level I official. That will allow you to perform stroke & turn, finish, relay takeoff, timer, and scorer duties. Optionally, the second class will let you become a referee, starter, and chief judge. Al Wieczorek will be at the Parents meeting to speak for a few minutes and talk to anyone interested. It's very rewarding!

Attention New Team Members Sep 20, 2007

If you are a new team member, AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY SWAM FOR ANOTHER USS TEAM (MEY, SAC, Princeton, etc), you must fill out a transfer form in order to complete your USS registration. These forms are due to Coach Mike by practice on Monday. The transfer form is here.

RVY Roster Sep 14, 2007

The preliminary roster for the 2007-08 season is here. Congratulations to all the new team members. This year, we have the largest team in Riptide history, as we tried to take everyone that we could. A note about practice groupings; we haven't made the final practice groups up yet - we are going to move a few people up in each group, after we see how everyone progressed during the summer. Our final groupings will be posted after practice on Wednesday, and as usual we will move more people up after the high school season starts in mid November. If you have any questions/concerns please email Mike.

IMPORTANT! All parents of NEW team members must attend a brief meeting at the Raritan Valley YMCA, TONIGHT, (Friday, September 14) at 7:00 PM. The Y is located at 144 Tices Lane in East Brunswick. Please bring two checks: one for $200, made out to Riptide Swim Team, as a deposit toward the team fee, and a second, for $60, made out to RVYMCA for the swimmer's mandatory Y membership. YMCA membership forms will be available at the meeting, or you may print one from the Raritan Valley YMCA web site and bring it with you. These two payments must be received from each new swimmer before they will be allowed to practice. Please email Priscilla with any questions about tonight's meeting.

2007-2008 Season Tryouts Aug 10, 2007

Open tryouts for the 2007-2008 Riptide Swim Team will be held at the Middlesex County College Pool on Monday, September 10th from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. There will be a mandatory registration meeting for all prospective team members and their parents at 6:00 sharp in the spectator balcony of the MCC Pool to go over tryout procedures and team policies. Please note that all swimmers trying out, regardless of age, must be accompanied by at least one parent who will attend the meeting.

A limited number of candidates will be called back for a "second-look" tryout on Wednesday, September 12. Please note that these callbacks are by invitation only, and will not be open tryouts.

Middlesex County College is located at 2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. A map of the area is here. From Woodbridge Avenue, turn onto Mill Road, then turn left to enter the college at College Drive East. The phys ed building is past the parking lots and the baseball field, on your right.

If you have questions about tryouts, please email Priscilla Rose, or call the Riptide Hotline at 732-297-6163. Calls to the Hotline are answered within 24-48 hours.

John Boyd Memorial Open Water Swim Aug 9, 2007

Riptide swimmers participated in the John Boyd Memorial Open Water Swim in Seaside Heights last Sunday. Congratulations to everyone who competed.

Win a trip to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing Jun 8, 2007

USA Swimming is offering fans a chance to win a trip of a lifetime - a visit to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games! Enter for your chance to see Phelps, Coughlin, Hansen and all the Team USA superstars as they go for gold in 2008!

Provided by CoSport, the official source of Olympic Games tickets and hospitality packages in the USA, this trip to Beijing is the ultimate dream vacation for swimming fans. Valued at over $15,000, the package will include 4-Star hotel accommodations for 5 days/4 nights, food and beverage, access to sponsor hospitality areas, accredited ground transportation and tickets to your favorite Olympic events! In addition, the winner will enjoy motor coach transportation and an Olympic pin package as a special souvenir.

To enter the promotion, all you have to do is visit the Make a Splash Beijing Sweepstakes home page and complete the online entry form. Limit one entry per person per day for the duration of the sweepstakes. Prize winners will be announced in July.

Summer Splash 2007 June 8, 2007

Summer Splash is back again for 2007! This year, we are planning on having two groups - Juniors and Seniors. The Junior group will meet only Tuesdays and Thursdays (same times) and will have a separate coach. This group is intended to introduce younger swimmers to summer workouts.

Any swimmer age 10 and over that can demonstrate command of the four competitive strokes and can show the ability to adapt to the difficulty of the workout can sign up. Younger swimmers (9 year olds) may sign up with permission from Laurie/Mike. WE WILL ONLY HAVE THIS GROUP IF WE HAVE STRONG INTEREST.

The senior group will remain the same as in previous years - serious and dedicated 12 and overs, including college students, meeting 4 days a week.

You do not have to be a Riptide member to participate; however you must have a current Raritan Valley YMCA membership. Riptide winter swimmers and Riptide alumni will receive first consideration, as due to the large turnout, space is limited.

Dates and pricing information are on the registration form.

If we don't see you, have a great summer!

Mike

NJ Swimming Scholarship May 24, 2007

Click here for a NJ Swimming scholarship application form for graduating seniors. Please apply by July 31. Also, please provide Mike a copy of your application form, as he is contacted with questions.

Home News Tribune All-Area Swimmers May 2, 2007

The Home News Tribune newspaper recently published its All-Area Swimming Team. Riptide was well represented on the list. The first team members swimming for Riptide were:

Girls   Boys
Rachel Abadie      Greg Bellizzi
Tiffany Carson      Travis Catania
Brenna Dean      Kevin Chibbaro
Alex Nawrot      Aaron Moskovich
Abby Weingarten      Alex Ratajczyk
Katie Zavoda      Andy Rose
Jenny Zavoda       

Honorable mention went to the following swimmers:

Girls   Boys
Gabrielle Alicino      Dan DeOliveira
Danielle Bartolotta      Alex Krueger
Stephanie Bartolotta      Kevin Sheridan
Tracy Lindboe      Travis Wardlow
Nikita Nadkarni      Tyler Wardlow
Liz Samtur       
Kayleigh Shangle       
Tanya Witlen       

Alex Ratajczyk was also named the Home News Tribune's 2006-2007 Boys Swimmer of the Year! Read the article and see the pictures here.

Nationals Results Apr 16, 2007

Congratulations and welcome home to the members of the Riptide Nationals Team 2007, who competed in the Sun Kissed National Invitational this past weekend. There were many, many fast swims, many records broken and much fun had over the course of the meet. Special kudos go out to the 6 swimmers who competed on the Senior Boys "A" relays this year - those relays broke all four Riptide team relay records! Their new records and others will be posted soon. In the meantime, you can check out the results of the meet here.

Nationals Pizza Party Apr 3, 2007

The Nationals team pizza party will be held on Tuesday, April 10th immediately following practice. This year it will be at Leone's Restaurant, in Lion's Plaza, on Rt. 130 in North Brunswick.

Thank You Mar 23, 2007

Thanks to everybody who helped with YMCA Championship meet officiating. We received this message from Ed Miller specifically regarding State Championships.

Children's Specialized Hospital Regional Swim Invitational
Mar 22, 2007

The first Children's Specialized Swim Meet will be held at the Sonny Werblin Pool on the Rutgers campus this Saturday, March 24. This meet is for young disabled swimmers. The organizers are looking for a few more timers, runners, officials, etc. Volunteers will help out from 12:30 until approximately 5:00. If you would like to participate in this worthwhile cause, please contact Al Wieczorek. The schedule of events is here.

Psych Sheets Mar 21, 2007

Preliminary Psych Sheets for the Sun Kissed Invitational (Nationals) are here.

Please note that NO updated seed times from Y states were able to be entered.

Scratch sheets will be handed out AND COLLECTED at Saturday's practice, so please look over the sheets and be prepared to scratch down to a maximum of 6 events at that time. Be sure that you talk to Mike or to one of the assistant coaches before you make your final scratch decisions.

Questions, concerns about psych sheets should be addressed to Priscilla Rose.

Spring Fling Mar 17, 2007

Hopefully the snow is past us, and we can look forward to Spring, and to Spring Fling 2007. Spring Fling is an off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmer's technique and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics. It also is a great tune-up for summer swimming! Previous experience as a competitive swimmer is strongly recommended.

All Riptide members are strongly encouraged to sign up. This stroke and turn clinic will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Middlesex County College from April 25 until June 13. Practice times for the different age groups are listed on the registration form.

This program is open to non-Riptide members as well, and is a great opportunity to introduce swimmers to a year-round team environment. To register, fill out the registration form and mail it by April 3. Please email Mike with any questions.

Pre-ordered State T-shirts Mar 16, 2007

As some of you may be aware, SVY had a problem with the shirts that were pre-ordered for the YMCA State Swim meet. This problem was in the way the shirts were distributed and is the responsibility of SVY. This problem was not with the vendor, Kast-A-Way Swim wear. SVY is working to resolve the issues as quickly as they can. For those impacted by this problem, SVY would like you to direct all inquiries directly TO the SVY meet director: Dave Rznewnicki at drz04@aol.com.

Nationals Update Mar 13, 2007

Nationals Team Day will be held this Sunday, Mar 18, at the Mid State Lanes bowling alley in the Midstate Mall on Route 18, East Brunswick, beginning at 1:00. The cost is $10 per swimmer, and includes 3 games of bowling, shoe rental, lunch (subs, fruit salads, drinks), and a pep talk from Mike. (OK, the pep talk is free...) Please pay either Elaine Shangle or Sandy Johnson at Saturday's parents meeting. Cash is preferred. Directions to Mid State Lanes from NBTHS:

Speaking of the Nationals parents meeting, it will start at 8:30 this Saturday morning (room TBD). All final payments are due at the meeting, including hotel, equipment, team day, banquet, and dinner at Frankies (checks for Frankies should be made out to Steven Charniga).

Nationals Entries Mar 8, 2007

Preliminary Nationals entries are here. If your entries do not appear on this report, it means that they have not yet been received. Entries were due, with payment, on Monday March 5th - if you have not yet submitted your entries, you should contact Priscilla Rose immediately.

Please check over your entries carefully, and contact Priscilla with any questions, changes or additions.

Nationals Entries Mar 1, 2007

Nationals entries are due, with payment, on Monday, March 5th. Here is a link to the final results of last year's meet, which may be of assistance in helping swimmers to decide which events to enter.

Silver Championship Results Feb 22, 2007

Our Girls and Boys Teams swam an outstanding meet this past weekend at Silver Championships. Two meet records were broken! Many girls and boys finished in the Top 16 in multiple events, and many had personal best times. Several swimmers qualified for YMCA States at this meet.

RVY broke 2 Meet Records at Silvers. Well done!

Kevin Chibbaro holds the new meet record in the boys 15-18 50 yard free with a time of 22.70

Tyler Wardlow holds the new meet record in the boys 15-18 100 yard back with a time of 59.09

Congratulations to the following event winners:

Allison Huber, girls 10 & under 100 Free
Tori Glascock, girls 10 & under 50 Free
Kevin Chibbaro, boys 15-18 50 Free
Tyler Wardlow, boys 15-18 200 Free
Tyler Wardlow, boys 15-18 100 Back
Kevin Chibbaro, James DeCicco, Travis Wardlow, and Gregory Bellizzi, boys 15-18 200 Medley Relay

Overall, we finished an impressive 4th place out of 28 teams. Below are the full meet results:

Full Meet 12 and Under
Full Meet 13 and over
Combined Age Group
Combined Team

Bronze Championship Results Feb 14, 2007

Out of 25 Girls teams competing at Bronze Championships, the Riptide Girls took first place. Congratulations on their win! Combined, the Girls and Boys finished in 6th place.

Many new Silver times and personal best times were achieved at the meet. Congratulations to the following event winners:

Julia Wieczorek - 11/12 girls 100 free
Katie Wierzbicki - 15/18 girls 50 free

For the full meet results click here.

8/Under Championship Results Feb 14, 2007

Congratulations to our 8 and unders who participated in the YMCA 8&U Championship Meet. Many of our young swimmers achieved personal best times at the meet. The full meet results are here.

Lillian Rose Heidelberg Feb 9, 2007

Congratulations to Mike and Missy on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Lillian Rose Heidelberg. She was born on February 3rd at 1:07 PM and was 5 pounds and 10 ounces. Click the picture for an enlargement.

Nationals Attendance Feb 8, 2007

The Nationals team season will commence next Wednesday, Feb 14, with a mandatory practice from 6:30-9:30 PM. To ensure that we have adequate room accomodations in Charlotte, we ask that you please complete the National Attendance Confirmation Form by Sunday, Feb 11. If you attended last year, but will not be attending this year, please complete the form anyway, just so we know. Please direct any questions to Terry Lindboe. Thank you.

Bronze Championships Feb 8, 2007

Silver Championships Jan 30, 2007

After discussion with the swimmers, the coaching staff has entered the swimmers into Silvers. Some notes: Please review the entries and send any changes to Mike by Thursday evening, as entries are due to the league on Friday. There can be no changes after Thursday evening. There are no relays entered yet, however, most swimmers will be swimming a relay (wherever possible), and those will be entered after final changes are made on Thursday. If they qualified, swimmers were entered into the maximum events possible - 4 total individual events, with no more than two events per day. Please remember that swimmers who qualified in 4 or more events at States cannot compete at Silvers. If you have any questions, please see Mike.

Also, the coaching staff has been very disappointed in the number of people who have requested to swim only one day at Silvers - especially for those who have not yet qualified for States. While I understand that this meet is an hour and a half drive, this is the last meet of the regular season for many Riptide members, and part of the team commitment, just as dual meets are. By not swimming a full schedule of events at Silvers, you are not giving yourself a complete chance at success, not preparing yourself for multi-day meets like Nationals that you will swim in the future, and most importantly hurting the team by not scoring individual and relay points. Please remember that the Championship Meet is an important part of the Riptide season, and we need everyone that qualifies to participate.

Fees for Championship Meets Jan 30, 2007

All Riptide swimmers will pay a flat meet entry fee for each meet into which they are entered. This fee is based on overall team entries, swimmer surcharges and additional coaching expenses. Each meet has its own flat fee, based on the cost and entry requirements of that particular meet.

A swimmer who is entered into more than one meet will need to pay the flat fee for both meets.

A swimmer who qualifies at one championship meet for a higher level meet will need to pay an additional fee for that entry.

Meet Fees for Championship meets are as follows:

8/Under Championships - $20
Bronze Championships - $20
Silver Championships - $15 if swimming one day, $30 if swimming both days
State Championships - $20 if swimming one day, $45 if swimming 2 or 3 days

All entry fees should be mailed to:

Chris Hochman
82 Stillwell Road
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

You may use your extra meet account balance to pay for Championship meets, as long as you contact Chris Hochman in advance to confirm your account balance and let him know that you want to use it toward Championships.

More information on Championship meets can be found here.

Other questions about meet fees should be emailed to Chris or left on the Riptide Hotline (732-297-6163).

8/Under Championships

Jan 30, 2007

The morning session will remain as 8:00 warmup (doors open at 7:15), and the afternoon session warmup will start at 1:15 PM (doors open at12:30 PM) and a 2:30 meet start time.

We are looking for one parent volunteer for the boys and the girls to help marshal the swimmers. Please email Mike if you can help out and are familiar with marshaling swimmers. Marshals will be the only parents allowed on deck.

Timing assignments are here. Please direct any questionss on timing to either Joan Wieczorek or Margie Zavoda.

Championships Jan 28, 2007

The regular season is ending, and we are looking forward to another great Championship and Nationals season. For all swimmers, your season ends with the last meet that you are entered in. Here is the new practice schedule. Please note the changes due to the Championship meets.

We will be completing Silver entries this week. The coaching staff will discuss event choices this week with the swimmers, and entries will be posted for review and final changes on Thursday. Please let Mike know by Tuesday evening if a swimmer cannot attend, or is only planning on swimming one session, so that he can make up relays. (You can find out what events are in what session by checking the meet info document.)

For Silvers, swimmers can enter a maximum of four individual events, no more than two each day. Fees for this meet will be posted shortly. Please check the eligibility report for further information as to what your son/daughter qualified in. Also, please remember that if you have qualified for 4 or more State times, you are not eligible to swim at Silvers.

The bottom of the Extra Meets page contains updated information on all championship meets, including events, eligibility, entries, hotel information, etc. This page will be updated when additonal information is available.

Last Chance National Time Trials will be held at NBTHS on Sunday February 4th from 11:30 to 12:30. In order to participate, you must have a realistic chance at qualifying for Nationals, and not yet be on the National team. Please email Mike PRIOR to February 2 with what you want to swim. If you are unsure, please see your coach.

Finally, congratulations to all of our swimmers that represented Riptide so well at GMC's this weekend. Special kudos go to event winners Travis Catania (200 IM), Andy Rose (100 Breaststroke), and Alex Ratajczyk (50 and 100 Freestyle) as well as top 3 finishers: Rachel Abadie, Kayleigh Shangle, Abby Weingarten, Gabrielle Alicino, Brenna Dean, Jenny Zavoda, Aaron Moskovich, Kevin Chibbaro and Kevin Sheridan. Great Job!

Princeton / Coed Meet

Dec 15, 2006

We just found out that the location of Saturday's Coed meet at Princeton has been changed. It will be at John Witherspoon Middle School. Directions are as follows:

  • From the North Brunswick area, take Route 1 south.
  • Turn right onto Washington Road (Route 571) (Gulf, Exxon, and Getty stations).
  • Go over Carnegie Lake and past Palmer Stadium until you get to Nassau Street (Route 27).
  • Turn right onto Nassau Street.
  • Turn left onto Chestnut Street (look for the street sign on the left).
  • Chestnut will eventually become Walnut Lane.
  • The school is at 217 Walnut Lane.

The pool deck tends to be cold, so bring something warm to wear.

This Weekend's Meets

Dec 5, 2006

As Holiday Classic conflicts with the Boy's and Coed dual meets this weekend, swimmers who attend Holiday Classic on SATURDAY are exempt from participating in the dual meet. However, please fill out a missing meet form to notify the proper people.

Also, Holiday Classic is a scratch meet - meaning that if you cannot attend one day, and are not scratched, you cannot compete in any other day of the meet. Therefore, you MUST report to the coach before the check in times: for the morning sessions that is 7:30; for the afternoon sessions it is 2:15 for Friday, and 1:15 Saturday and Sunday for the 12/U girls, and 1:45 on Saturday and Sunday for the 12/U boys. You will be scratched if you report later than this to the coach - NO EXCEPTIONS! If you need to scratch one day, please let Mike know.

Warm up times:
Friday AM: 7:10
Friday PM (boys and girls): 1:55
Saturday AM: 7:30
Saturday PM (boys): 1:45
Saturday PM (girls): 1:15
Sunday AM: 7:10
Sunday PM (boys): 1:25
Sunday PM (girls): 12:55
All Finals Sessions: 5:45

Mike

Holiday Classic

Dec 5, 2006

We have been given a timing assignment for Holiday Classic. If you will be attending this meet, check the list for your name. Please contact Magie Zavoda with any questions.

Stingray Splash

Nov 30, 2006

The meet event listing for Stingray Splash is here. The previous list contained last year's events. We did not want to be closed out of this meet so we posted last year's events just to get the entries in quicker. All events are the same. Meet entry fees are $4. If you do not have an extra meet account fees are due immediately. Chris Hochman

Extra Meets

Nov 28, 2006

Winterfest - Unfortunately we were closed out of Winterfest for the 13 and over age group. Any monies paid will be kept in the extra meet account and can be applied towards Stingray Splash. 12 and unders were successfully entered. Winterfest entries are here.

First Frost - Entries for this weekend's First Frost meet are here, and the warmup schedule is here. The following is from the FSPY coaching staff:

Dear Coaches, Swimmers & Parents,

As we are getting ready for the First Frost Mini-Meet on Sunday, December 3rd, there are a few things that I would like to remind you of so that we can all have a fun, safe, and successful meet:

  1. Parking - The meet this year is at maximum capacity, and parking is very limited at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. Please do not park in the intersections or at the JCC across the street, and, if at all possible, please carpool!
  2. Each team will have a designated section of the gymnasium. Please be respectful of other teams and adhere to your team's section, keeping the isles clear and safe.
  3. Warm-up will begin promptly at 6:35 AM. Please see the warm-up schedule that is attached. There are 4, 20 minute warm-up sessions.
  4. Doors to the YMCA will open at 6:25 AM.
  5. Final Scratches are due NO LATER than 7:30 AM in order to begin the meet on time.
  6. Coaches will be able to pick up meet packets at the front desk upon arrival to the YMCA.
  7. FSPY will provide all timers for the meet. There are no timing assignments.
  8. Finally, Swimming Etc. will be at the meet selling suits, goggles, etc, and Northwest Designs will be here selling First Frost T-shirts.

Thank you for all of your cooperation. We are looking forward to a great meet! See you Sunday!!!!

The FSPY Coaching Staff

Stingray Splash Meet

Nov 27, 2006

We are looking to enter into Stingray Splash, which will be held at Raritan Valley Community College on Sunday, Jan 14. Younger swimmers in the morning, older swimmers in the afternoon, and oldest swimmers at night. We want to enter as soon as the meet is posted to avoid being closed out of another meet for our older swimmers.

Details are here. There are no time cutoffs so swimmers can swim events not normally swum during a meet. There is a max of 3 entries for this meet and costs are $3-$4 per event. Final cost will be collected later or deducted from extra meet accounts.

Entries for this meet are due Wednesday, Nov 29. Only emailed entries will be accepted. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions.

Winterfest Meet

Nov 19, 2006

Note that the deadline to enter Winterfest has been changed to Wednesday, Nov 22.

We are now accepting entries for the Winterfest meet. This meet will be held on the weekend of Jan 6-7 at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus of Rutgers University. Meet information is here. The entry deadline is Wednesday, Nov 22. Entry fees for this meet are $3.00 per individual event.

To enter this meet, follow the usual procedure:

  1. Fill out a meet entry form here. When you submit the form online, your entry will automatically be emailed to Chris Hochman.
  2. Print a copy of the meet form before closing your browser.
  3. Write a check for the proper amount, made out to "RVY", attach it to the form printed above, and give it to Chris or a coach by the entry deadline.

No swimmers will be entered into this meet without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions.

Last Chance Officials Clinic

Nov 17, 2006

One last officials clinic will be held this year. It will be at the Ridgefield YMCA on Dec 1. The clinic will start at 6:30 for new officials, and 7:00 for re-certifying officials. The following is from Ed Miller, the instructor:

People wishing to attend the clinic should contact me at caefmilleriii@msn.com to reserve spaces in the clinic. They should also complete the attached Clinic Registration Form, have it signed by their YMCA Director or Head Swim Coach and bring it with them to the clinic. The cost of the clinic is $25.00 (make checks payable to Ridgewood YMCA).

Please inform your officials needing to re-certify, as well as any potential new officials. While the clinic will be directed primarily at re-certifying officials, we don't want to discourage new people who, now that the season is underway, have realized that they might like to officiate.

Riptide will reimburse all attendees for the $25 registration fee. Please contact Al Wieczorek with any questions.

Holiday Classic

Nov 7, 2006

The Holiday Classic meet will be held on Dec 8-10 this year, at the Rutgers University Sonny Werblin Recreation Center. To ensure that we did not get closed out of this meet, we entered all swimmers who were qualified as of Oct 30, 2006. The team also covered entry fees. The meet entries are here. Contact Mike with any questions.

First Frost

Oct 30, 2006

We are now accepting entries for the First Frost meet. This 9-and-under meet will be held on Sunday, Dec 3 at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. Meet information is here. The entry deadline is Saturday, Nov 11.

To enter this meet, follow the usual procedure. Note that the entry fees for this meet are $3.50 per individual event.

  1. Fill out a meet entry form here. When you submit the form online, your entry will automatically be emailed to Chris Hochman.
  2. Print a copy of the meet form before closing your browser.
  3. Write a check for the proper amount, made out to "RVY", attach it to the form printed above, and give it to Chris or a coach by Nov 11.

No swimmers will be entered into this meet without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions.

Go For The Gold

Oct 29, 2006

We are now accepting entries for the Go For The Gold meet (Raritan Valley Community College, North Branch). We will be participating on Sunday Nov 19 only, and for the 11-12 session 4 age group only. Meet information is here. Because of the tight deadline, the entry deadline is Tuesday, Oct 31. All entries must be emailed, and payment must be sent in if the swimmer does not have extra meet account. No late entries or paper entries will be accepted after Tuesday.

To enter this meet, follow the usual procedure:

  1. Fill out a meet entry form here. When you submit the form online, your entry will automatically be emailed to Chris Hochman.
  2. Print a copy of the meet form before closing your browser.
  3. Write a check for the proper amount, made out to "RVY", attach it to the form printed above, and give it to Chris or a coach by Tuesday, Oct 31. (Entry fees are $3.00 per individual event.)

No swimmers will be entered into this meet without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions.

Contact List

Oct 26, 2006

There was a typo on the contact list that was handed out at the parent's meeting. A revised copy is here. It is password protected. Just use the same username/password that you use elsewhere on the web site. If you find anything else that needs correcting, please let me know.

Also, swimmers' names are entered into our database the way they are listed on the registration forms. If your child prefers a nickname, like Bill instead of William, please let me know about that as well. It's a minor thing, but will affect the way the names are displayed in meet results and meet entry reports. If you are happy with the name as is, no need to do anything!

Junior and Senior Representatives to USA Swimming

Oct 19, 2006

Congratulations to Andy Rose and Emily Charniga who have been named by the coaching staff as our team athlete Representatives to USA Swimming.

Riptide Equipment

Oct 19, 2006

The deadline for ordering our fabulous Riptide equipment is this Friday, October 20. Joan Wieczorek will be at MCC on Friday evening from 6:30-6:45 and from 7:45-8:15 to collect any last minute orders. If you still need a form, you can print one here.

Please note that there was an error on the order form. The team t-shirts will have the Riptide Logo, not RVY on the chest. If you would like to cancel a previous order based upon this mix up, please email Cathy Diem.

Officials Meeting

Oct 17, 2006

All Riptide officials are invited to attend the annual YMCA officials meeting. Attendance is voluntary, but it is an excellent opportunity to go over the changes from NCAA to USA swimming rules.

The meeting will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday Oct 21, at the Somerville branch of the Somerset Valley YMCA on North Bridge Street, about six blocks off Route 22 East.

Ed Miller, the state officials coordinator, would also like to know how many officials and potential officials still need a clinic to be certified or re-certified. Then we can determine how many more clinics we need and where.

He would also like to know what problems you have encountered or expect to encounter with the change to USA-S Technical Rules.

We will discuss rules changes, including the backstroke turn, the butterfly kick in the breaststroke and the new starting protocol. Ideally, all referees who have not gone through a re-certification clinic this fall should attend so we get some consistent approach to the implementation of the rules.

Please contact Al Wieczorek with any questions.

Congratulations to the 2005-2006 Girls and Coed Teams

Oct 10, 2006

At the NJYMCA League Fall Meeting and Awards ceremony, Raritan Valley YMCA received awards for finishing in first place in our division for both the Girls and Coed Teams. Congratulations and let's continue our tradition of excellence this year!

Coach Mike

More Officials Clinics

Oct 8, 2006

Several more YMCA officials clinics have been added. Several clinics are already full, so if you plan on attending, register quickly. If you attended a clinic in 2004 or 2005, you do not need to renew, as certification is good for three years. It's important to contact the instructor before attending any clinic, as they have limited seating and do fill up.

A copy of the USA Swimming Technical Rules can be downloaded here. Riptide will reimburse all attendees for the cost of the class. Please contact Al Wieczorek with any questions.

YMCA Rule Changes

Sep 3, 2006

The YMCA of the USA has adopted USA Swimming Technical Rules for the conduct of its meets, effective Sep 1, 2006. This will affect virtually all YMCA swim meets conducted throughout the country. The main changes affect the backstroke and breaststroke, but there are other changes as well. Please review the USS Rules Adoption Guide to get an understanding of all the rule changes.

Summer Splash

May 26, 2006

This popular six-week summer training program is open to any swimmer that has a strong command of the four competitive strokes and can show the ability to adapt to the difficulty of the workouts. As a guideline for current Riptide swimmers, the program is for Seniors 1 and 2, as well as some of the more experienced Juniors. If you are under 13, please clear it with Mike before you register for the program.

This program is designed to allow swimmers to continue to compete for their summer teams, and this summer, the program will mix endurance swimming (to build a proper base for the winter season) and stroke and technique instruction to further the swimmer's development. While you do not have to be a member of Riptide to join, you do have to have a current Raritan Valley YMCA membership. Please contact the YMCA at 732-257-4114 to check if your membership is current, as many Riptide memberships expire during the summer months. Please note that it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that ALL Senior 1 and 2 swimmers participate in this program. The Summer Splash registration form, with times and dates, is here. The YMCA membership registration form is here.

Coach Mike

Nationals

Apr 10, 2006

Welcome home and congratulations to the 2006 Riptide Nationals Team! The team has arrived back home after another successful trip to Charlotte, NC to compete in the YWCA National Swim Championships. The overall team placed 5th, out of 17 teams. The combined jr./sr. girls team brought home a 3rd place trophy, the highest finish ever by the Riptide girls, and the combined boys team placed 7th. As always, many new Riptide team records were set and many, many personal bests swum. Results are here and updated records are here.

Nationals Timing Assignments

Apr 4, 2006

Timing assignmants for Nationals are here. Our timing commitment was far less than first anticipated. We have been asked to provide two timers per session. The two timers will be split between the two pools and each session will be split into thirds. Lanes will be assigned on a daily basis.

As of this time, we are NOT assigned to time during Finals, but that could change, so if your name does not appear in the document, you still may be asked to time.

Please be considerate to those timing in the same session as you and make your way to the pool deck during the second to last heat in the event prior to the start of your assignment.

Spring Fling

Mar 6, 2006

Spring Fling 2006 is an off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmer's technique and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics. It also is a great tune-up for summer swimming! Previous experience as a competitive swimmer is strongly recommended.

All Riptide members are strongly encouraged to sign up. This stroke and turn clinic will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Middlesex County College from April 26 until June 14. Practice times for the different age groups are listed on the registration form.

This program is open to non-Riptide members as well, and is a great opportunity to introduce swimmers to a year-round team environment. To register, fill out the registration form and mail it to coach Mike by April 19. Please email Mike with any questions.

Silvers

Feb 17, 2006

YMCA Silvers is this weekend at GCIT. Information on the meet, including events, sessions, and directions, is here.

The warmup time for the 12/under group has changed for Saturday. It is now 1:30. Sunday's warmup time remains at 12:15.

We have lane timing assignments in 7 of the 8 sessions. The list of assignments is here. Please contact Joan Wieczorek at 732-937-9873 or 908-720-6112 with any questions.

Officials' duties are here.

Our entries are here.

Nationals Parents Meeting And Forms

Feb 7, 2006

The mandatory parents meeting for Nationals swimmers will be held 8:15 AM on Saturday Feb 11 in room 114 in the MCC PE building. More details are in this document.

The following forms must be filled out ahead of time and brought to the meeting:

If you haven't completed the confirmation form yet, please do so and bring it with you to the meeting:

Nationals Attendance Confirmation Form

The following form is optional, if you want to order additional apparel:

Nationals Optional Apparel Form

Questions? Contact Terry Lindboe.

MCC Balcony

Jan 19, 2006

MCC has decided to lock the spectator balcony during Riptide practices for the remainder of the season. This decision was not made as a result of a single incident, but came about because the building administration felt that our group was being disruptive to the college classes and activities that go on in the building.

Please understand that all of us are disappointed in the loss of a privilege that we have enjoyed for many years, but we need to respect this new policy so that we can maintain our presence at the college. Please do not remain in the PE building after dropping your swimmers off at practice, and do not arrive to pick up swimmers any earlier than 10 minutes before the end of practice. Please make sure that younger swimmers and siblings are not allowed to run, play or generally horse around while you wait for your car pool group.

Also, a reminder that you are not permitted to wait in your car at the front entrance. This is a serious safety hazard, because it blocks the road, as well as forcing pedestrians to cross between cars.

Lastly, if you did not receive the email notification of this new policy, please contact Bill Kamm with your current email address, so that you receive all future communications. Email is our most effective means of getting information out to the team, so it is very important that we have everyone's address. If you have more than one email address (home and work, for example) you can have both put on the distribution list. Please note that we are currently having problems sending email to anybody with a verizon.net email address, so if you have one, please provide an alternate address.

Any questions, comments or concerns regarding these issues should be addressed to Priscilla.

Final Folly Meet

Jan 2, 2006

Entries are now being accepted for the President's Final Folly Invitational. This meet will be held on Sunday, Jan 29 at the Western Monmouth County YMCA in Freehold. Entry fees are $3.00 per event. The deadline to enter this meet is this Saturday, Jan 7. As usual, entries may be made online, with payment going to Chris Hochman or a coach. Payment must be made before we will enter the swimmer into the meet. Please direct any questions to Chris.

Waiver Form

Nov 2, 2005

The waiver form that coach Mike mentioned yesterday is now here.

Officials Clinics

Nov 2, 2005

Two additional officials clinics have been announced. These are to re-certify existing YMCA swim officials and to certify new YMCA swim officials. These are the last clinics expected to be offered this season.

Wednesday, Nov 9 - Somerset Valley YMCA - 6:00 PM. To attend, contact clinic instructors Steve Sawin or Jodi Siegal at 908-541-1170 or by email at siegon@optonline.net.

Friday, Nov 11 - West Essex YMCA - 6:00 PM. To attend, contact clinic instructor Ed Miller at 201-387-1696 or by email at caefmilleriii@msn.com.

Officials and prospective officials must contact the clinic instructor before attending to insure that there is sufficient room and materials available.

Registration forms are here:

SVY
West Essex

Nationals

Oct 30, 2005

With the meet season having started this past weekend we want to remind all swimmers that if they are trying to make the National Team please check out the qualifying times on the Nationals page. Should you make the team please email Terry Lindboe, indicating this so she can add you to the National Team Roster. If you have any questions do not hestitate to contact her.

Officials Meeting

Oct 17, 2005

A state-wide officials' meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Oct 22 at the Somerset Valley YMCA facility in Somerset (not the Bridgewater pool). All Riptide officials are encouraged to join this meeting, which will be held between 10:30 AM and noon (a meeting for coordinators only will be held 9:00 - 10:00). Click here for details. Contact Al Wieczorek with any questions.

Also, there are a fair number of rule changes for this season. A list of the major changes is here.

Paperwork

Oct 14, 2005

If you didn't get the following two handouts at the parents' meeting, we have them here:

Officials Swimposium

Oct 14, 2005

NJ Swimming is sponsoring a "Swimposium" for its athletes, coaches, and officials this Saturday, Oct 15. As part of an ongoing national movement to bring our two groups (USA and YMCA Swimming) closer together, NJ Swimming has opened the Swimposium to YMCA officials, whether or not they are USA officials. Click here for all the details, including times and directions. If you would like to attend, please contact Jim O'Neill at the email address listed in the Word doc referenced above.

Swim Officials Certification Course

Sep 22, 2005

Several more officials clinics have been announced. The list is in this spreadsheet. These clinics fill up quickly, so you should reserve your spot early. Reserve your seat by emailing the contact on the list. Riptide will reimburse the cost of the clinic.

Why be an official?

Being an official is an important and rewarding job that enables you to learn stroke technique and the rules governing meets. No prior swimming experience is needed, only a desire to learn and be an integral part of meets. If you would like to learn more you can call Al Wieczorek, the official's coordinator between our team and the league, or speak to any of our officials who would be happy to share their experiences with you. Al's home number is 732-937-9873; email al_wieczorek@merck.com.

Swim Official Course Description

This course is designed to certify (beginners, currently certified USA, high school and collegiate swim officials) or recertify (currently certified YMCA) individuals as officials in the YMCA of the USA's Competitive Swimming Program. The course focuses on events, procedures and the duties and responsibilities of the officials prior to, during and after the meet. A score of 80 percent must be achieved on a take home test in order to be certified or re-certified.

Note: This course replaces both the previous Level I and Level II courses. If you are certified as a YMCA Level I Swim Official, you must take this course to complete your certification.

Directions to Tryouts

Sep 4, 2005

Tryouts will be held at Middlesex County College. MCC is located at 2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. A map of the area is here. From Woodbridge Avenue, turn onto Mill Road, then turn left to enter the college at College Drive East. The phys ed building is past the parking lots and the baseball field, on your right.

Summer Splash

Jun 2, 2005

It's not too late to sign up for Summer Splash 2005. Summer Splash is a summer distance training program featuring high-intensity workouts in an effort to increase swimming endurance and speed, while still competing for your summer club. Summer training is an important supplement to your overall training. It not only helps you in the summer, but it helps to continue your development as a competitive swimmer in order to attain future success.

This year's Summer Splash program will be held from June 27 through July 29 (we may go until the first week of August), on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at the Brookside Swim Club in Milltown. The coach will once again be Mike Heidelberg. Details and a registration form can be found here.

Banquet

Apr 29, 2005

Here are directions to our annual banquet. Remember it is this Sunday, May 1, 2-6 PM, at the Elizabeth Avenue Firehouse. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail Terry Lindboe.

Nationals Results

Apr 26, 2005

Congratulations to the Nationals Team on a very successful meet! Riptide won the 3rd place Overall Team Award, the 3rd place Boys Division Award and the Spirit Award. This year's performance was an overall team effort, featuring outstanding performances by all of our swimmers, particularly our Junior Boys. Many records were broken - check out the records page here. Results are here.

Swimmers With Disabilities

Mar 27, 2005

Several meets for swimmers with disabilities will be held over the next few months. The schedule is below. Officiating help is needed to run these meets. If any Riptide swimmer would like to volunteer as a timer or assist in some other way, it would be appreciated. This would be a good community service item or something to include in a college resume. Please email Phil Galli if you are interested.

April 2 - Children's Specialized Meet at Rutgers, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
May 14 - Tri-State Regionals at Middlesex Community College, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
June 4 - Masons Regional Meet at North Brunswick High School, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Spring Fling

Mar 22, 2005

The "Spring Fling" is an off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmer's technique and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics. It also is a great tune-up for summer swimming! All Riptide members are strongly encouraged to sign up. This stroke and turn clinic will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Middlesex County College from April 20 until June 8. Practice times for the different age groups are listed on the registration form. This program is open to non-Riptide members as well, and is a great opportunity to introduce swimmers to a year-round team environment. To register, fill out the registration form and mail it to coach Mike by April 18. Please email Mike with any questions.

Nationals Psych Sheets

Mar 10, 2005

Nationals preliminary psych sheets are here. All National Team swimmers will receive scratch sheets at the weekend practices, and all scratches will be due to Priscilla Rose by Monday, March 14th - NO LATER! Remember, you may swim a maximum of 5 individual events.

Timing Assignments for Bronze Championships

Feb 11, 2005

Timing assignments for Bronze Championships are here. When you get to the meet, look for Joan Wieczorek. She will have the stopwatches. The meet cannot be run without timers. Any parents who refuse to time will not be allowed to enter into extra meets or championships next year.

Records

Feb 11, 2005

Eight more Riptide records have been broken in 2005, in addition to the 8 broken during November and December. Congratulations to all of our record breakers this season! The newest one are:

All records are here.

Off-Season Swimming

Feb 10, 2005

Improve Your Swimming this Off-Season!

Spring Fling

The "Spring Fling" is an off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmer's technique and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics. It also is a great tune-up for summer swimming! All Riptide members are strongly encouraged to sign up. This stroke and turn clinic is scheduled to begin on April 20 and end on June 11. Depending on the group that you are placed in, practice will be held from 6:30 to 8:00, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Middlesex County College. This program is open to non-Riptide members as well, and is a great opportunity to introduce swimmers to a year-round team environment. Please email Mike soon at coachmike@rvyriptide.org, with the words "spring fling" in the subject line to reserve your spot!

Riptide's Summer Splash

This popular summer program, held at Brookside Swim Club in Milltown, is open to any swimmer that has a strong command of the four competitive strokes and can show the ability to adapt to the difficulty of the workouts. As a guideline for current Riptide swimmers, the program is for Seniors 1 and 2, as well as some of the stronger Juniors (11 years and older.) This summer, the program will mix endurance swimming (to build a proper base for the winter season) and stroke and technique instruction to further the swimmer's development. Times have not been finalized, but it looks like it will be held from 6:00 to 7:45 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from the end of school until the beginning of August. Please note that ALL Senior 1 and 2 swimmers are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to participate in this program. Please email Mike soon at coachmike@rvyriptide.org, with the words "summer splash" in the subject line to reserve your spot!

ARETE Swim Camp at Rutgers University

Chuck Warner, the head coach of Rutgers University and his coaching staff run an excellent swim camp during the summer. I (Mike) have been involved with the camp in the past and can recommend it highly. To be frank this swim camp is the single best program your child can do in the summer to improve their swimming. It is a one-week, intensive camp that focuses on stroke technique, nutrition, and mental training. One of the things that I have found most beneficial to the participants is the excellent feedback that they receive after almost every lap. Because the camper - counselor ratio is kept low (about 8-1), the swimmers really get top-notch advice from great college swimmers and coaches. It is for swimmers 8 and up. Please see http://www.scarletknights.com/swimming/camp/camp.htm or call the Rutgers Swimming Office at 732-445-0467 for details. NOTE: Do not delay signing up for this program, as it always sells out quickly!

Nationals Sweatshirts

Feb 9, 2005

We are able to order small sweatshirts (the black ones for Nationals, with the swimmer's name on the back). If you would like to change the size on your order you can email Margie Zavoda with your change. If you want to place a new order for one you may do so by email, and give her a check for $28 ASAP. The deadline for this is this Friday, Feb 11. The rest of the order must be handed in today, Wednesday, Feb 9.

Nationals Parents Meeting and Swimsuit Fitting

Feb 7, 2005

The Nationals parents meeting is tonight at 7:00. This is a mandatory meeting, and at least one parent must attend. Please remember all of your forms and checks. The meeting will be held at the far right end of the MCC pool balcony. Please be on time, and sit close together. Details are on the Nationals page.

Your fees include three T-shirts. Please print this t-shirt form, indicating the size, and hand it in at the meeting. Also, if you would like to order optional apparel, the form to do so is here. That form is also due on Feb 7, along with payment.

The swim suit fitting has been moved back from 5 PM until 5:30, and will last until 6:30. Ultimate can't stay longer as they have another fitting. Please be at the pool on time to place your order. You need cash, check or credit card. They need to place the order immediately, so please be on time. Remember, we are ordering new suits, the Fastskin II's. Also, the warmup suits we ordered last year will be available for ordering at the suit fitting. This is the only time they will be offered for the National team to buy. The cost will be about $70, and payment is to be made directly to Ultimate.

Nationals swimmers are encouraged to select hotel roommates. Please complete the form on the Nationals page and return it to LouAnne Wolf at tonight's meeting. Both swimmers must be requesting each other, so please talk with your teammates. If there are an uneven number of swimmers per age group, we will discuss having three in one room. It appears that due to the small number of junior swimmers, all swimmers will be on one floor, but we will do our best to have the juniors all together, separate from the seniors.

YMCA State Championships

Feb 3, 2005

We are now accepting entries for the YMCA State Championships. You may enter in either Silvers or States, but not both. The deadline to register is Saturday, Feb 12.

To enter this meet, follow the usual procedure. The preferred method is to fill out a meet entry form online. Make sure you indicate which meet you are entering. Upon completion, the form will be electronically submitted to Chris Hochman, and you receive an email confirmation. If you choose to print the form and hand it in, you must give it to Chris Hochman or a coach. Either way, the deadline to register is Saturday, Feb 12.

No payment is required for this meet. RVY will pay the entry fees. If we have enough swimmers in an age group, we may place them into a relay. Meet information is here. Swimmers' top times are here.

Please contact Chris with any questions.

Silver Championships

Jan 31, 2005

We are now accepting entries for the YMCA Silver Championships. The deadline to register is Friday, Feb 4. Any swimmer with less than 4 Gold times may enter Silvers in any event other than an event they have made Gold times in. Swimmers already entered into the Bronze meet may not register for the Silver meet.

A Silver State Championship representative will be in attendance at the NJ YMCA Bronze Championships on February 12, 2004. Any competitor, or his/her coach or parent, achieving a Silver State Championship qualifying time must appear at the Silver State Championship table and register for the Silver Championships. ENTRY FEE: PAYMENT MUST BE MADE AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION OR BEFORE THE BRONZE CHAMPIONSHIP CONCLUDES. Failure to pay the appropriate entry fee will cause the swimmer entry to not be registered. Riptide will not be paying this fee.

To enter this meet, follow the usual procedure. The preferred method is to fill out a meet entry form online. Upon completion, the form will be electronically submitted to Chris Hochman, and you receive an email confirmation. If you choose to print the form and hand it in, you must give it to Chris Hochman or a coach. Either way, the deadline to register is Friday, Feb 4.

No payment is required for this meet. RVY will pay the entry fees.

Please contact Chris with any questions.

Information on States will be posted later this week.

Bronze Championships

Jan 28, 2005

Entries for YMCA Bronze Championships are due Sunday, Jan 30. Meet information is here. Swimmers' top times are here.

To enter this meet, fill out a meet entry form. Upon completion, the form will be electronically submitted to Chris Hochman, and you receive an email confirmation. No payment is required for this meet. Please contact Chris with any questions.

8 And Under Championships

Jan 15, 2005

Riptide will be participating in the 8 and Under Championship Meet, a meet for swimmers 8 or younger as of Dec 1, 2004. This meet will be held on Sunday, Feb 6, 2005 at the Ocean County YMCA.

To enter this meet, fill out a meet entry form. The form may either be printed and given to coach Mike or Chris Hochman at Boys Meet, or to Marc Weingarten at the Girls Meet, or submitted electronically. Either way, payment for the meet must be received to complete the registration. The deadline for registration is Wednesday Jan 19. No swimmers will be entered into any extra meets without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions on extra meets. This meet is for swimmers who swam 8 and under this season. Entry fees for individual events are $3.50. Swimmers may be placed into a relay if enough are available. RVY will cover the cost of the relays. Meet information, including directions, is here.

Records

Dec 24, 2004

Eight Riptide records have been broken so far this season. Congratulations to all of our latest record breakers!

All records are here.

Pennsbury Splash Meet

Dec 7, 2004

Riptide will be participating in Pennsbury Splash, a meet for swimmers 12 or younger as of October 31, 2004. This meet will be held on Sunday, Jan 16, 2005 at the College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College).

Information on the meet is here. The schedule of events is here.

To enter this meet, fill out a meet entry form. The form may either be printed and given to coach Mike, or submitted electronically. Either way, payment for the meet must be given to a coach to complete the registration. The deadline for registration is Tuesday, December 21. No swimmers will be entered into any extra meets without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions on extra meets.

Remember, this is for swimmers who are 12 or younger as of OCTOBER 31, 2004.

RVY Parkas

Nov 27, 2004

If you are interested in getting a Speedo parka, remember that the deadline to order it is Monday, Nov 29. Margie Zavoda will be at practice both Sunday and Monday with a sample. If you would like to order a parka, fill out this form and return it to her. Include a check for $85 per parka, made out to Ultimate Swim Shop. If you have questions, you can call her at 732-257-7490, or email her at Mzswimmom@aol.com.

The parkas are black nylon with a gray fleece inside. They are long - at or below the knee. It is a winter coat with an attached hood. There are 2 white stripes running from the shoulders down the arms. The swimmer's name will be embroidered on the front and the Riptide logo will be stamped in blue on the back. Click here for a sample picture.

Winterfest Meet

Nov 10, 2004

Riptide will once again be participating in Winterfest, a silver meet to be held Saturday and Sunday, Jan 8-9 at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus (Piscataway) of Rutgers University.

Entry times need to be faster than the cutoff times listed in this document.

To enter, go to the meet entries page and complete the registration form. Registration is not complete until payment has been made to a coach. The deadline to register for this meet is Saturday, Nov 20.

First Frost Mini Meet

Nov 7, 2004

Riptide will be participating in First Frost, a 9-and-under mini meet to be held Sunday, Dec 5 at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. To enter, go to the meet entries page and complete the registration form. Registration is not complete until payment has been made to a coach. The deadline for registration is Saturday, Nov 13.

Remember, this is for swimmers who will be 9 or under as of Dec 1, 2004. Complete details on the meet are here.

Go For The Gold Meet

Nov 2, 2004

The Go For The Gold meet will be held this Saturday and Sunday, Nov 6-7. If you are registered for this meet, read on for some important information...

Due to Saturday's dual meets, the Go For The Gold meet organizers have received a relatively small number of swimmers registered for Saturday events. Conversely, there is a much larger number of swimmers registered for Sunday. Therefore, they have juggled the events around a bit to even things out. The message we got from them is here.

Officials Clinic

Oct 21, 2004

Riptide is hosting a clinic for YMCA officials Tuesday Nov 2 at 6:00 PM at the YMCA building, 2nd floor at 206 Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick. Judy Sharkey will be the instructor. If you are interested and haven't contacted Al Wieczorek yet, please email him to insure course material will be provided for you.

Here is the PDF file for new officials to download for the take home test and to keep on file. (It's large - over 600KB.)

If you can't make the Nov 2 clinic, there are others available. Let Al know if you are interested.

Riptide Equipment

Oct 7, 2004

We are now taking orders for Riptide equipment. The order form is here. Orders and payments are due back to Cathy Diem by the Lollipop Meet, Sunday, Oct 17. If you have any questions about equipment, email Cathy at cdiemnj@yahoo.com.

Extra Meets

Oct 7, 2004

As mentioned at the Parent Meeting on Wednesday, we are now accepting entries for the following extra meets:

Go For The Gold (Nov 6-7)
Fall Festival (Nov 13-14)
Peddie Thanksgiving Classic (Nov 21)
Holiday Classic (Dec 10-12)

To enter any of these meets, fill out a meet entry form here. Fill out one form per meet. The form may either be printed and given to coach Mike, or submitted electronically. Either way, payment for the meets must be given to Mike to complete the registration. For the above four meets, the deadline for entries and checks is Wednesday Oct 13 (ignore the dates listed on the Word documents). No swimmers will be entered into any extra meets without advance payment. Please contact Chris Hochman with any questions on extra meets.

2004/2005 Roster and Practice Groups

Sep 23, 2004

Well, after a long, difficult process, the coaching staff has finally determined the roster and practice groups for the 2004/2005 season of Riptide!

The roster and practice groups are posted here.

We used strict standards in determining your child's placement for this year. They are:

We have worked very hard to make sure that each group is well rounded and that placement is fair based on the swimmer's ability and potential. Please do not request that your child's placement be changed; at this time I will not make changes. I understand the difficulty with carpools and other things; however we have worked very hard to adjust the practice groups for the benefit of all. See you on Monday!

For those of you that did try out but did not make the team (meaning your name does not appear on the roster):

Thank you for trying out! You all should be proud of yourselves. Unfortunately, at this time, we can no longer take any new members. We had 74 swimmers try out for what amounted to be about 30 spots. Currently we have 155 members, 5 more than last year, and 5 more than our "limit," as designated by the YMCA. In certain age groups we were very crowded; for example, in one age group we could only take one swimmer.

Please understand that we only could see your son/daughter for a few minutes during try-outs, and that our judgment is based on those few laps. While the system is not perfect, and we do miss out on finding out important character and endurance issues, the system usually yields the proper results. I understand that we make mistakes, but due to the large amount of swimmers that try out - it is the best that we have.

I truly wish that we could take everyone; we simply don't have the room. I know that each swimmer has worked hard, and wanted to make the team. Please do not give up on swimming! We have taken many, many swimmers that don't make it the first time around. Please sign up for our stroke clinic, Spring Fling, that we run in the spring! Not only will you improve your strokes, it will let the coaching staff get to know you a bit better. Check the website for details in March.

Coach Mike

P.S. Missy and I would like to thank everyone for all their well-wishes, cards, and gifts that we received for our wedding! We are very happy to be part of the Riptide family.

Registration and Try-outs

Sep 2, 2004

Registration and try-out procedures for new and returning swimmers are listed below.

If you are a high school aged swimmer, and are interested in participating in our high school plan, please note that important changes have been made to the plan. A full description is here.

New Swimmers Only

Registration and try-outs for new team members is Tuesday, Sep 21 and Wednesday Sep 22 at Middlesex County College (MCC). All potential new team members must attend both days with at least one parent in order to be considered for the team! Any questions, please email Priscilla Rose.

Returning Swimmers Only

Registration for returning team members will be held Monday, Sep 13, 6:30-7:30 PM in the MCC Phys Ed building lobby. Registration forms will be mailed out during the week of Aug 29th, but it is recommended that an online form be completed ahead of time, printed, and brought to the meeting. Forms must be returned in person on the 13th. There will be no swimming on this day, so swimmers are not required to attend, but someone, preferably a parent, must return the form. Parent Board members will be available to answer questions and will be handing out important forms and materials. Any swimmer not re-registering on Sep 13th will not be guaranteed a spot on the team. Any questions, please email Priscilla Rose.

Olympics Trials

Jul 13, 2004

The U.S. Olympic swim team trials will conclude this week in Long Beach. NBC will be showing the final 3 days (July 12-14) this Sunday, July 18, from 1:00 to 3:00. If you can't wait until Sunday to find out the results, try these sites for more information:

NBC Olympics
Official U.S. Olympic Team site
Long Beach Aquatic Festival
USA Swimming

Summer Splash 2004

June 3, 2004

Summer Splash 2004 is a summer distance training program featuring high-intensity workouts in an effort to increase swimming endurance and speed, while still competing for your summer club. Summer training is an important supplement to your overall training. It not only helps you in the summer, but it helps to continue your development as a competitive swimmer in order to attain future success.

This year's Summer Splash program will be held from June 28 through July 29, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at the Brookside Swim Club in Milltown. The coach will once again be Mike Heidelberg. Details and a registration form can be found here.

Spring Fling Dates

May 12, 2004

Here is a reminder of the dates and times for the Spring Fling program:

New Jersey Swimming Scholarship

May 8, 2004

Attention Graduating Seniors! Here is information on the New Jersey Swimming Scholarship. Even if you are not planning on swimming next year, you are elegible for this award. You must have swum on Riptide for at least 4 years. The application is due May 31. Please email Mike at mhphish@yahoo.com with questions.

Riptide Banquet

Apr 24, 2004

The Riptide Banquet will be this Sunday (April 25) from 3:00-6:00 at the Elizabeth Avenue Firehouse on Wiley Drive in Somerset.

Directions:

Nationals Results

Apr 10, 2004

Congratulations to the 2004 Riptide National Team which finished in 2nd place at the 2004 YWCA National Swimming Championships!! This is the highest place finish of any team in Riptide history, and it was accomplished with a total team effort. Team results and new team records will be posted soon. Full meet results can be found on the Team Charlotte web site.

Special congratulations to Ryan Martinetti, winner of the 200 Butterfly and to all of the Riptide Relay Teams, which performed spectacularly well and were largely responsible for the team's trophy. Deserving of special mention are the Senior Girls' A relay teams, which set new team records in all four relay events!

Rob Gross was crowned as the 2004 "Mr.Nationals" and Riptide again won the coveted Spirit Award! All in all, a remarkably successful meet for our National Team!

Results are here, and new records are here.

Spring Fling

Mar 27, 2004

We are now accepting registrations for Spring Fling 2004. Running from April 21 through June 9, Spring Fling is a stroke and turn clinic that prepares swimmers for the summer season. As in past years, this program will be held at Middlesex County College in Edison. Previous experience as a competitive swimmer is strongly recommended.

Further details and the registration form are here.

For more information, please contact coach Mike Heidelberg at mhphish@yahoo.com.

Coach's Update

Feb 18, 2004

Well, a lot of things have been happening over the last few weeks - I can't believe that the regular season is almost over! First off, the coaching staff would like to congratulate all those swimmers who took part in 8/under Championships, Bronze Championships, and Silver Championships. Sorting through the results from these meets, I am very pleased to see the great performances of our Riptide Swimmers. Many of our swimmers placed in the Top 8, Top 16, and even in the Top Three. Not bad for State-wide meets! More importantly, I see that most of the swimmers did their best times of the season at these meets, and we are all very proud of them. I want to congratulate all the swimmers for all their hard work throughout the season that lead them to such a successful finish. Good luck as well to all our States swimmers this weekend!

Medals from the championship meets will be awarded at the banquet.

Also, as many of you know, my e-mail had been down over the weekend. Please re-send any e-mails that got "bounced back."

Off-Season Notes

For all those of you that don't want to lose your edge don't forget:

Spring Fling

The "Spring Fling" is off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmer's technique and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics.

This stroke and turn clinic is scheduled to begin on the third week of April and end the beginning of June. Depending on the group that you are placed in, you will be practicing from 6:30 to 8:00, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The fee has not yet been determined. If you are interested is reserving a spot, please e-mail Mike at mhphish@yahoo.com, or check our website for further details in early March.

Please note: We welcome non-Riptide members for this clinic!

Summer Splash

Don't forget our summer high-intensity training camp at Brookside during the month of July! This is perhaps the best thing that you can do to maintain your edge for the regular season. The major benefit is that the swimmers get those extra yards nessessary to maintain muscle memory. Most of our Summer Splash swimmers go on to have great seasons. We accept everyone that was in the Junior and Senior group during the year, and this year, we can offer spots to a few Middies as well. Contact Mike for details.

Nationals Equipment

Feb 10, 2004

Reminder: All Nationals Team equipment orders MUST be submitted by Wednesday Feb 11! If you are interested, baseball caps can be added to the order at a cost of $12 each. They will be black with the team logo. Also, the Nationals Team logo on the sleeve of the sweatshirt is optional - if you do NOT want the logo, please indicate this on your order form.

Each swimmer attending Nationals is required to purchase three mandatory team T-shirts at a total cost of $35. This money must be turned in at the parents meeting on Wednesday, Feb 11 along with the Mandatory Equipment Form indicating which size T-shirt you want us to order for you.

Swimmers and parents may select additional National team equipment from the Optional Equipment Form. This money is also due on Wednesday, Feb 11.

Please read the forms carefully and make checks out to RVY NATIONAL TEAM. Please make a separate check for Mandatory ($35) and Optional ($?) orders.

Forms will be made available to all National team swimmers on Monday, Feb 9 if you cannot print it from the web site.

Any questions - please contact Margie Zavoda (732-257-7490) or Terry Lindboe (732-238-7856).

Nationals Registration Form

Feb 10, 2004

Nationals Entry forms were handed out to swimmers at Monday's practice. Additional copies of the form are here. These forms are due back to Priscilla NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13th.

Swimmers may enter as many events in their age group (Junior/Senior) as they wish, but will need to scratch down to the maximum of 5 events after the psych sheets are posted, about 2 weeks before the meet (scratch sheets will be handed out to swimmers at that time).

Swimmers must pay $5.00 for each event entered (even those that eventually get scratched). Payment MUST accompany the entry form.

Events are listed here (go to the box titled YWCA Championships Info, and click on "Events Schedule"). Swimmers are encouraged to talk to Mike about any questions or concerns that they have about their entries.

Golf Outing

Jan 30, 2004

The Raritan Valley YMCA has scheduled its 1st Annual Golf Outing to be held Tuesday, June 29, 2004 at the Forsgate Country Club. We hope that this will be the first of many successful events designed to raise money for programming at our Y.

I am recruiting volunteers to help on the Golf Outing Committee. We need help distributing fliers, recruiting golfers and sponsors, approaching local businesses for prizes, helping out at the event, or just stuffing envelopes!

Our Y has been around forever (well, at least it seems like it!) and serves over 2000 members. The Raritan Valley YMCA is charitable, not for profit. No one is ever turned away from our Y programs, and we rely on fundraising to help pay the bills.

Our success now and in the future depends on the committment of Y volunteers - no able bodied volunteer will be denied the opportunity to work for the cause!!

Please email me if you can help...

Thanks, Cathy Diem

Coach's Update

Jan 11, 2004

I hope that everyone's holidays were happy and healthy. On behalf of all the coaches, I want to thank everyone for their thoughtful gifts and cards - they are very appreciated. Also, on a personal note, thank you everyone for your kind wishes regarding Missy's and my engagement.

OK, we have a busy few weeks ahead. We apologize for the confusing messages regarding practices and meets. The league did not finalize the tri-meet schedule this year, and it seems that most teams have opted out of the tri-meets this year and are scheduling their own meets. Because of scheduling conflicts with other YMCAs, we were unable to work out a tri-meet with either the Boy's or Girl's team at this time. In an effort to get everyone another chance to swim, we have scheduled a uni-meet. On January 24, the Boy's and Girl's teams will swim an inter-squad meet at NBTHS (as the co-ed team had 5 meets, they will not participate). Our final dual meets for the Boys and Girls will be on Jan 31. As the tri-meet does not count for league standing anyway, the girls have a chance to be undefeated with a win at that meet!

Championship Meets

As we approach the end of the season, it is again time to participate in the YMCA Championship Meets. The dates are below, location and directions will be posted as we get closer to the meet. Entry procedures will be posted when we receive them (see below for 8/u boys). You will receive a form to fill out. Also, these meets are not "Extra meets" - they are part of our schedule and you are expected to swim in the meet that you qualify for. Unless you have qualified for Nationals, your last day of practice is the Friday before the meet. (Note: these meets do not require an extra fee, they are included in your team fees). Qualifying times are on the website and will be posted at MCC on the board between locker rooms.

Feb. 1 - YMCA 8/under State Championships
Feb. 7 - YMCA Bronze Championships (Changed to Feb 8)
Feb. 14 - YMCA Silver State Championships
Feb. 21-22 - YMCA State Championships

Now on to the part that always confuses everyone... Which meet do I swim?! Here is how it works:

A swimmer who has qualified in ONE event for the Silvers meet may participate at the Bronze in any event other than the Silver-qualifying event. The same goes for States and Silvers. A swimmer who has two or more YMCA Silver qualifying times is not eligible for the bronze meet. The same goes for States. If a swimmer qualifies in more than one event for the State Champs, they cannot swim in Silvers. The only way that you may swim in more than one meet is if you qualify for only one event in the higher meet. Qualifying times are here.

To further confuse you, you may only swim two individual events in a meet. Do not enter relays - the coaches will do that. If you have any questions in particular, e-mail me.

Mike

Updated Nationals Info

Jan 9, 2004

Here is the latest on Nationals...

Hotel Reservations

Congratulations to the Riptide swimmers who have already qualified for the 2004 Nationals Team! Please contact Mike or LouAnne Wolf ASAP and let them know whether you are planning to make the trip to Charlotte or not (we need to know how many rooms to book!).

Qualifying Time Trials

We have reserved the NBTHS pool for Nationals Time Trials on Sunday 1/11 and 1/18. Warmups at 9:15, start at 9:45 until 10:30. Swimmers who have not yet qualified, but are within range of a YWCA Nationals qualifying time and want to try to make the team should let Mike know a) which trial they will attend and b) what event(s) they will swim.

If you believe that you have qualified for the team, and you are NOT on this list, contact Mike immediately. If you have qualified in a HS meet, you must provide official documentation of the time, signed by your HS coach. Please contact Mike, LouAnne, or Priscilla with any questions or concerns.

New (lower) prices on airfare to Charlotte

The best fare we found so far (thanks to Marc Weingarten) is on US Air, between Philadelphia and Charlotte, and is $194.70 roundtrip. Departure is at 9:35 AM on April 1, and return is 12:15 PM on April 5. Both flights are nonstop. For more details, or to book this flight, go to http://usair.com. Everyone is responsible for setting up their own transportation to Charlotte. Please contact LouAnne Wolf with questions.

8 & Under Boys Championships

Jan 8, 2004

We are accepting entries for the 8 & Under Boys Championships, to be held at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA on Sunday, Feb 1. Swimmers must have been age 8 or under as of Dec 1, 2003. Further information about this meet is here. To enter, fill out this form and return it to Chris Hochman by Monday, Jan 12. Contact Chris at topher2@verizon.net with any questions.

Officials Clinic

Dec 22, 2003

A level II officials clinic will be held on Saturday, Jan 3 at the Ridgewood YMCA. If you plan on attending this class, please call one of the people mentioned in this notice.

Anybody who attends an officials clinic is eligible for a free 2004 NCAA Swimming & Diving Rule Book. Plus, Riptide reimburses attendees for the cost of the class.

Coach's Update

Dec 17, 2003

Congratulations to everyone who swam at Holiday Classic! We had a lot of very fast swims including top 16 finishes by Jenny Zavoda, Gessica Charniga, Ryan Tighe, and Amy Wolf.

Don't forget - all three teams have meets this weekend. I realize that many people have vacations scheduled - don't forget to email Mike to tell him you will not be at the meet (BY THURSDAY NIGHT!!). Please remember to do so, as it affects your teammates, and you will be suspended from the next meet! We are working on a way to make this contact easier - but for now it is the best we have!

Mike

Coach's Update

Dec 12, 2003

Good luck to all our swimmers competing in Holiday Classic and the Co-Ed meet this weekend!

We are currently working on re-scheduling the meets from last weekend. We will post them here when they are ready. Please email me at mhphish@yahoo.com if you cannot attend the meets next weekend.

A big thank you to everyone that participated in the Riptide Fundraiser. We raised a good amount of money for the team, and I hope everyone learned a bit about the sport. Anyway, no more complaining - if an 85 year old can complete a 400 IM, so can you!

We are still looking for goals forms from a few people...

Lastly, I have been very disappointed in the attendance in the Senior age group the past month - attendance is way down from last year. There are many of you that I have not seen for weeks. Please remember that if you do not complete the minimum number of practices AND MEETS through this period YOU WILL NOT ATTEND NATIONALS. I know that many of you have other commitments, however, I am very serious about this: You will not be eligible for Nationals if you do not show a serious commitment to Riptide and attend at least 60% of the practices as the rule states.

Mike

Holiday Classic

Dec 11, 2003

Warmup times, event numbers & names, as well as qualifying times for this weekend's Holiday Classic meet are available in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats. Entries are here.

Joe will be the coach on Friday, Mike and Missy on Saturday and Sunday. Swimmers not at the meet by check-in time will be scratched, unless they have contacted Mike in advance to let him know that they will be late.

Meet and Practice Update

Dec 5, 2003

All three of tomorrow's meets - Boys, Girls, and Co-ed - have been postponed. All three will be made up on dates to be determined.

In addition, tonight's practices have also been cancelled - both MCC and Rutgers.

The Raider Relays meet scheduled for tomorrow at North Brunswick HS has also been cancelled, and may or may not be rescheduled. For those unaware of the Raider Relays, it is a high school meet, unrelated to Riptide, although a number of Riptide swimmers always participate.

Sunday's fundraiser is still on as of now, but check back here in case that changes.

If you are on the emergency contact list, you will receive notices for updates like this via email. If you aren't on the list, and want to be, just scroll down this page, and near the bottom you will find out how to get on it.

Tonight is the deadline for entering into the Winterfest meet (see next item below). Because practice has been cancelled, we will allow email entries to be submitted for this meet. Check back later this afternoon/evening for instructions on how to do that. The deadline to enter is still tonight. Get it done by midnight! (I'm sure Chris will be up at that time watching his email...)

Finally, a copy of the team contact list was handed out at the parents meeting in October. For reference, the list is now here on the web site as well. If you need the password, just email me with your name and your child's name, and I will send it to you.

Winterfest

Dec 5, 2003

Winterfest 2004 will be held Jan 3-4, 2004 at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the campus of Rutgers University. Because of tonight's practice cancellations, we are accepting entries for this meet electronically. As we do not want to be closed out of this popular meet, entry forms are due by midnight tonight (Friday Dec 5). Click the "Meet Entry Form" link to the left, and fill out the form. It will be mailed to Chris Hochman, along with a cc: to yourself (make sure you enter your email address correctly). This is something I put together this afternoon, so if you notice any problems with it, let me know.

After the snow melts and we are practicing again, it's important to write out the check and give it to Chris. He's doing a great job with the entries - let's not ask him to hunt down people for payment. Entry fees are $2.50 per event.

Information on the meet is here. Please email Chris Hochman at topher2@verizon.net or call him at 732-940-5526 with any questions.

Riptide Fundraiser

Dec 2, 2003

Just a friendly reminder that we are counting on everyone (those in the Senior and Junior groups) to fulfill their assignment at the MANDATORY Riptide Fundraiser on Sunday. As last year, we will be timing at the Masters Swim Meet. Assignment times and directions are posted on the website. If you cannot fulfill your responsibility it is your job to find a replacement, either another swimmer on the team, or a parent, etc. Wear some Riptide Gear (Nationals T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, etc.) and have fun. See you there!

Mike

Lost & Found

Nov 24, 2003

Riptide Fundraiser

Nov 22, 2003

On Sunday December 8th, Riptide will be holding a fundraiser that will not only help raise money for the team, but also help to solidify our reputation in the local swimming world. Our older team members will serve as timers at the Master's Swim Meet held at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the campus of Rutgers University. Directions are here.

Attendance for this event is MANDATORY, because we simply cannot provide enough timers without all of our swimmers participating. Practice has been canceled that day, and the boys have been scheduled to work after our home meet that morning. We should be able to focus our entire energy on this event.

The work will be broken up into three sessions, as follows:

Session 1: 8:15-11:30

Session 2: 11:30-1:30
Session 3: 1:30-4:30

On the attached sheet you should find your name and the session you are working. If you cannot attend, you MUST find a substitute on the team (it can be a parent). However, your assigned slot must be filled. A coach will be present at all times.

Thank you for your support of the team in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Mike at mhphish@yahoo.com.

If you have any Riptide Gear - T-shirts, Nationals shirts, etc. PLEASE WEAR IT.

Mike

Coach's Update

Nov 19, 2003

A few things:

We did very well at the first meets of the season. The Girls team won a nail-biter at home, winning in the last two relays. While we couldn't have won without everyone contributing, Colleen Mundorff deserves a special mention with a wonderful swim as the anchor of the 13-14 relay - swimming a great leg that sealed the victory. Also, the boys had a great showing against a strong West Morris team - we only lost by 14 - which is great. Good job everyone!

We have meets for all the teams this weekend. Please e-mail Mike by Thursday evening if you cannot make the meet. Remember that failure to do so means that you are scratched from the meet. Also, I understand that all high school swimmers need to make their 6 practices before next week, so the Friday rule is suspended for them.

Note to all groups: Goals forms were handed out last week for Juniors and Seniors, they will be handed out this week for Middies and Pee-Wees (Tiny-tide will not receive them). All forms are due by Monday, December, 1. The links, if you did not get a copy at practice, are here:

Time Goals
Christmas Goals

Lastly, I have found last year's Silver/States medals. Sorry, but in my move I had packed them with winter stuff and I just found them. I will hand them out ASAP.

Mike

Coach's Update

Nov 12, 2003

Well, our first dual meets of the season are rapidly approaching, and I hope that you are all ready to swim your best. Generally speaking, most of the swimmers seem very well prepared for their first races, and look ready to swim fast. Swimmers, if you have a question about something that you don't understand; how to do a proper turn, start, race strategy, etc. PLEASE ASK! We can't help you if we don't know what you need help on and we want you to be as prepared as possible for our dual meets.

A few notes and reminders about the meets:

Mandatory Fund-Raiser:

Because we did such a good job this summer and last year, we have again been asked back to time another Masters Meet. On Sunday, December 7th, Riptide will be holding a fundraiser that will not only help raise money for the team, but also help to solidify our reputation in the local swimming world. Our older team members, Seniors, Juniors and some Middies will serve as timers at the Master's Swim Meet held at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the campus of Rutgers University.

Attendance for this event is MANDATORY, because we simply cannot provide enough timers without all of our swimmers participating. Practice will be canceled that day, and we should be able to focus our entire energy on this event. We have received many benefits from Rutgers for doing these events, including last year's Team Day. Also, once the video tank at Rutgers is done, Riptide has been promised some time there (as long as we keep doing these things!).

Both our team and the Master's Team benefit from this relationship, and we all hope that it can continue for a long time. Details will follow next week, but please mark your calendars!

Mike

Caps and Goggles

Nov 12, 2003

If anybody needs any spare caps or goggles, please see Charlie Catania at practice. The caps have the Riptide logo on them, and are $3 each. The goggles are being ordered, and will be available soon.

Coach's Update

Oct 21, 2003

Before I begin this lengthy Coach's Update, let me just say how proud the coaching staff was of the team at the Lollypop Meet. The team as a whole swam really fast for this early in the season and overall looked great! Parents, thanks as usual for your help with setup and running the meet. A special thanks to our Board Members for donating the refreshments and running the meet, as well as Mr. Socha, Mr. Reyes, and Mr. and Mrs. Barnhard for their extra help.

We should have the team breakdown, along with the meet schedule, posted by the end of the week. We will use various assessments to judge what team you should be placed on, including the Lollypop Meet times, times from last year, observation by coaches at practice, and practice attendance. Please remember that no matter what team you are placed on, we still are ONE TEAM. We simply compete in different meets 6 times; all the other meets - States, Silvers, Nationals, all the USS Meets - we compete together. We are all RIPTIDE members! Also, please note that while we will try to keep families together, we cannot guarantee this, or take requests based on carpools, etc.

A few notes on the upcoming meets:

Please remember that, unless you have the coach's prior permission, everyone is expected to stay until the team cheer at the end of the meet. We are a TEAM, and it is not fair if you do not stay to cheer and support your teammates at the end of the meet. If you are seen by the coaching staff leaving early, you will be scratched from the next meet.

Important! Reporting procedures for absence from a meet: Meet Entries are a time consuming process, and one of the most frustrating parts of being a coach is re-adjusting a meet lineup directly before a meet. Therefore, you must e-mail Mike at mhphish@yahoo.com by 3:00 Thursday on the week of the meet if you know that you cannot make the meet. With the exception of a documented emergency, failure to follow this procedure will result in the swimmer being scratched from the next week's meet, as well as any future "extra meets." We regret that this policy is so strict, however, we have had people take advantage in the past, to the determent of other swimmers on the team.

One final note: Captains will be chosen by the Juniors and the Seniors at practice on Monday, October 27. All 11th and 12th graders are eligible. Mike and a board member will count votes, and results will be announced on Wednesday.

Mike

Peddie Thanksgiving Meet

Oct 20, 2003

We are accepting Riptide Entries for the Peddie Thanksgiving Classic, a mini-meet (10/under) AND a Bronze Meet (times must be slower than USS Silver Standard), to be held on Sunday, November 23rd.

Meet information can be found here in Microsoft Word and PDF formats. Meet entries must be turned in to Mike no later than Friday October 24. Payment of $2.50 per event must accompany your entry.

Questions on meet entries should be directed to Chris Hochman or Priscilla Rose.

Autumn Splash

Oct 18, 2003

For those interested, there will be an open (no qualifying times needed) YMCA meet, "The Autumn Splash" for 12 & unders held at Raritan Valley Community College on Sunday, November 2nd. This is an OPTIONAL, EXTRA meet, and there will be no Riptide coaches at the meet.

Swimmers who wish to enter must submit entries to Mike no later than Wednesday, October 22. Payment of $3.00 per event must accompany your entry.

10 & unders will swim in a morning session beginning at 8 AM, and can enter any 3 of the following events:

100 IM, 200 free, 50 fly, 100 back, 50 free, 100 breast, 200 IM

A mid-day session at 12:45 will offer the 500 freestyle for 11-12's and 10 & unders.

In the afternoon session, beginning at 3:15 PM, 11-12 year old swimmers may enter 3 of the following events:

200 IM, 50 free, 100 breast, 200 back, 100 fly, 50 back, 200 free, 400 IM

Contact Chris Hochman or Priscilla Rose with questions.

Riptide Equipment

Oct 16, 2003

Time is running out to place your Riptide equipment order. The order form is here. Cathy Diem is coordinating this effort. You can email her with questions at cdiemnj@yahoo.com or call her at 732-448-0061. Order forms are due back to her by Oct 19 (at the Lollipop Meet).

Holiday Classic

Oct 14, 2003

This year's Holiday Classic Meet will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 12-14 at the Rutgers Sonny Werblin Center Pool. As always, the qualifying times for this meet are extremely challenging, so we are pleased that almost 30 Riptide swimmers have qualified in at least one event. HC Qualifiers are posted here.

Riptide entries for Holiday Classic are due to Coach Mike on or before FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24. Coaches will have entry forms or you can print this form. Payment of $4.00 per individual event must accompany your entry. Coaches will make up relays based on the entries received. If you are entered into a relay, you will not be charged any additional entry fees.

Please remember that you may only enter events in which you qualify. (If you just miss a Holiday Classic cut, you will be able to swim that event at Winterfest, which will be 3 weeks later!) Contact Priscilla Rose with questions regarding Holiday Classic entries.

Coach's Update

Oct 10, 2003

Just a few notes from the YMCA League Meeting last night - we have a Co-ed team! The league approved our change, and from talking to the coaches with teams in the league, it seems that it is very well run. There are nine teams in the Co-ed league. Our Boy's team will remain in the same division, but our Girl's team has been moved up - so we are going to face some very stiff competition there.

We are in need of officials, especially on the Girl's team - please sign up for a Level One Class below, it is a great way to be involved in your child's sport.

Final dates for the Championship Meets have been approved. Please mark your calendar, as these are part of our schedule; we expect all members that qualify for these meets to attend. As I mentioned at the meeting, we will NOT be attending the USS meets during that part of the season (JO's, Silver JO's etc.) These meets will be the last meets of the regular season. As expected, States and Silvers now are on different weekends.

Please note: States and Silvers is held at GCIT - which is a VERY far ride, around 2 hours. Due to the early warm up times, many families choose to stay overnight at a local motel. As we get closer to the meet, we will try to organize a group rate. Unlike past years, we are expecting swimmers that qualify for States to compete BOTH days.

For Silvers and States, please plan on a long weekend - you have been warned 5 months in advance!

Mike

Officials Clinic

Oct 10, 2003

Two officials clinics are planned this month at the Western Monmouth YMCA in Freehold. A level I class will be held on Oct 11, and a level II class will be held on Oct 25. If you plan on attending either class, please call the YMCA at 732-462-0464 and speak to the aquatics director.

Anybody who attends an officials clinic is eligible for a free 2004 NCAA Swimming & Diving Rule Book. Bob Carson will have the books available at tonight's MCC practice, from 7:30 to 9:00.

Fall Festival 2003

Oct 4, 2003

This year's first extra meet is Fall Festival, which will be held November 8-9 at the DeNunzio Pool, Princeton University. Information on this meet is available in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

Do not follow the registration instructions on those forms. The registration deadline printed there is for Riptide to get all entries in to the meet host. Because many teams get closed out of this popular event, the deadline for you to get your entry form to us is Wednesday, Oct 8.

Registering is easy. Just click the "Meet Entries" link on the navigation bar to the left, and follow the directions. Chris Hochman and Priscilla Rose will be in the balcony of the MCC pool at 7:00 PM on Wednesday to answer any questions.

Here are a few tips...

NCAA Swimming & Diving Rule Books

Oct 2, 2003

Bob Carson has several copies of the 2004 NCAA Swimming & Diving Rule Books. If you would like a copy, email Bob at bcarson@levinmgt.com, or call him at 908-226-5282. The cost is $9 per book, including postage. Alternatively, the book is available online, although the hardcopy book is easier to carry around at meets. ;-)

Swimsuits

Oct 1, 2003

For those who did not yet order a swimsuit, they can be purchased from the Ultimate Swim Shop, 463 Main Street, Metuchen. Their phone is 1-800-628-SWIM. However, it is now too late to have the suits screened with the RVY logo, because they would not be back in time for the first meet.

Madeline

Aug 21, 2003

I recently found out about a 2 year old girl with cancer, and I'm posting this with the hope that the RVY family will look at her web site and try to help out in some way. Her name is Madeline Benoff, the daughter of a school teacher here in South Brunswick. In June she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, and is now undergoing treatment for it. Please look at http://patmedia.net/benoff for her story, and for ways that you can make a difference in her life.

Attention Graduating Seniors

Apr 28, 2003

Please follow this link to get the application for the New Jersey Swimming Athlete Scholarship that we had talked about. It is due May 3rd.

Mike

Nationals Results and Records

Apr 24, 2003

Congratulations and welcome home to all of the coaches and swimmers on the Riptide Nationals Team! The team had a great meet, many team records were set, and Riptide again won the prestigious Spirit Award, despite some strong competition from the Greater Bergen YMCA.

We were 6th overall with 895 1/2 points. We were only 21 1/2 points behind Greenwich. Our Senior boys were 2nd with 565 points. Our Senior girls were 5th with 260 1/2 points. Our combined Senior Boys and Girls were 2nd, edging out Lexington, KY by a score of 825 1/2 to 815.

Team records were set by A.J. Albert, Danny Cahillane, Robby Gross, Kyle King, Ryan Martinetti, Tom Nawrot, Andy Rose, Mark Rynone, and Ryan Tighe on the boys side, and Nicole Alicino, Ava Kiss, Nina Malanga, Colleen Mundorff, Julie Rose, Katie Templeton, Tanya Witlen, and Amy Wolf from the girls team.

Check all the team's records here, and results here.

Nationals News

Mar 31, 2003

We received the following information from Doug Lee, Meet Director for Team Charlotte Swimming:

The start of this year's meet is rapidly approaching. We're excited about getting the meet underway. Following are a few notes of interest. Please pass these along as appropriate.

E-mail From Home
A link will be provided on the Team Charlotte Swimming web site (www.teamcharlotte.com) for "letters from home". These notes will be printed and filed by team name for receipt at the Aquatic Center.

Coaches Meeting
There will be a Coaches Meeting at 2:30 on Thursday, 4/10/03, in the Hospitality Room. Meet format and warm-up procedures will be discussed, and the protest committee members will be chosen. Coaches, please plan on attending this meeting.

Parking
Limited parking is available in the Aquatic Center parking lot. Additional parking is available directly across McDowell Street from the Aquatic Center at the Adam's Mark hotel. There is a $3 charge for all day parking in the Adam's Mark lot. On Saturday and Sunday and after 5:10 PM on Thursday and Friday, free parking is available directly across 2nd Street at the Mecklenburg County Education Center or behind the Aquatic Center in the Walton lot. Parking is not allowed in the Education Center or Walton lots prior to 5:10 PM on Thursday or Friday.

Parade of Teams
The parade of teams will follow warm-ups Friday evening. After warm-ups, an announcement will be made for teams to gather outside on the patio. Team banners will be distributed and teams will be lined up in alphabetical order. Teams will parade in as called and line up around the pool. Once all teams are introduced, the National Anthem will be played and the finals will commence.

Volunteers
As a reminder, each team is required to send volunteers to help with the running of the meet. Teams with less than 10 competitors will be required to provide one (1) volunteer per session; 11-15 competitors, two (2) volunteers per session; 15 or more competitors, three (3) volunteers per session. All volunteers will be assigned as needed by the Meet Director. Plans are to use these volunteers as timers. An announcement will be made during warm-ups asking timers to report to the warm pool. Please have your volunteers respond when requested so we can start the sessions on time.

Officials
We encourage all registered officials to consider working as such during the meet. Working as an official counts towards volunteer requirements stated above. Please have interested officials contact the Meet Director via e-mail.

Facility Rules
Attached please find a list of facility rules. Please distribute these to your swimmers and parents. Coaches are expected to set a good example in abiding by and helping to enforce these rules.

Please Support the Meet Sponsors
The support of sponsors is vital to the economic viability of this and most other swim meets. Please support these sponsors. Adams Mark (our Host Hotel) is hosting a dinner party Friday night after the finals. Adams Mark is conveniently located directly across the street from the Aquatic Center. Please RSVP Adams Mark by 4/3/03 if interested. Also, Phil's Deli is providing preordered boxed lunches delivered to the Aquatic Center for your convenience. If you need more information on the party or the boxed lunches, please contact Nancy Rapp at NJRAPP@aol.com.

Nationals Links

Mar 22, 2003

Here are a few links of interest to Nationals swimmers...

Psych sheets

Team Charlotte Swimming home page

Adams Mark Hotel

Charlotte weather forecast:    Click for Charlotte, North Carolina Forecast

Charlotte Transportation

Mar 18, 2003

Below is info on shuttles running between the Charlotte Airport and the Adams Mark Hotel. Those flying on the 7:20 US Airways flight have already been booked, thanks to Diane Tighe. If you need to make sure, contact LouAnne at lawolfie@hotmail.com.

Queens Transportation:
One way $9.00 per person
Round trip $16.00 per person
Advance reservations please call 704-752-9858.
Courtesy phone at airport dial 58 before you get your luggage and the shuttle should be there by the time you are ready to depart.
A discount is offered for large convention groups arriving. Please call 704-752-9858 and ask for Ismail to set up a special rate.

Carolina Transportation:
One way $8.00 per person
Round trip $15.00 per person
Advance reservations please call 704-359-9600.
A discount may be available for large groups, please call the above number (704-359-9600) for information.

NJSIAA Meet of Champions 

Mar 10, 2003

Last weekend the NJSIAA Meet of Champions was held at GCIT. Here is how our swimmers did...

Competing for Metuchen HS:
Katie Templeton - 12th in the 200 medley relay, 17th in the 400 free relay and 28th in the 200 free relay.

Competing for North Brunswick HS:
Julie Rose and Nina Malanga - 19th in the 200 medley relay.
Nina Malanga, Tanya Holubiak, Jackie Barton and Nicole Alicino - 23rd in the 200 free relay.
Nina Malanga, Julie Rose, Jackie Barton and Nicole Alicino - 7th in the 400 free relay.
Individually, Nina was 14th in the 50 free and Julie was 22nd in the 100 back.

Competing for South Brunswick HS:
Amy Wolf was 14th in the 100 breaststroke.

On the boys side, the following were all from East Brunswick HS:
Tom Nawrot, Joel Maietta, Mark Rynone and Kyle King - 13th in the 200 medley relay.
Mark Rynone, Joel Maietta, Kyle King and Ryan Martinetti - 13th in the 200 free relay.
Individually, Kyle was 10th in the 50 free and 6th in the 100 free.

Spring Fling 2003

Feb 23, 2003

"Spring Fling" is an off-season training program that provides extra focus on stroke development and endurance building. Since this is the best time of the year to correct major stroke problems, the practices are designed to enhance swimmers' techniques and introduce swimmers to the most up-to-date theory on stroke mechanics.

This stroke and turn clinic is scheduled to begin on April 23 and end on June 11. Depending on the group that you are placed in, you will be practicing within the range of 6:30 to 8:00 PM, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We are also hoping to schedule a video-session in addition to the clinic, for a small fee.

If you are interested in reserving a spot, please look here for further details and the registration form. If you have any questions on this program, please email Mike at mhphish@yahoo.com.

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