Garden City Aquatic Club Announcements!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

SC: WAAC Invitational***UPDATED!

Greetings Parents! Is everyone excited to try a BRAND new meet in a NEW pool? This will be one of our most fun meets of the year! Here are the details, we're going to have a swimendous time!  -GCAC Coaching Staff

         MEET
WAAC Fall Invitational

       DATES
November 14th + 15th + 16th

     LOCATION
Wilmot Recreation Complex
1291 Nafziger Road
Baden, ON N3A 1A1

         HOTELS
Howard Johnson/Kitchener-519.893.1234 ext. 365
Best Western Plus/Kitchener-519.894.3500 ext. 308
Holiday Inn/Kitchener-519.894.8514

        FACILITY
One eight-lane 25m pool
There is spectator seating and free parking.

     SESSIONS
-Sessions 1-
13+Overs - Friday Afternoon - Timed Finals
Warm-up~4:00pm / Start~4:30pm / Finish~7:30pm

-Sessions 2-
13+Overs - Saturday Morning - Prelims
Warm-up~8:00am / Start~9:00am / Finish~12:00pm

-Sessions 3-
12+Unders - Saturday Afternoon - Timed Finals
Warm-up~12:00pm / Start~1:00pm / Finish~5:00pm

-Session 4-
13+Overs - Saturday Evening - Finals
Warm-up~5:00pm / Start~6:00pm / Finish~7:30pm

-Sessions 5-
13+Overs - Sunday Morning - Prelims
Warm-up~8:00am / Start~9:00am / Finish~12:00pm

-Sessions 6-
12+Unders - Sunday Afternoon - Timed Finals
Warm-up~12:00pm / Start~1:00pm / Finish~5:00pm

-Session 7-
13+Overs - Sunday Evening - Finals
Warm-up~5:00pm / Start~6:00pm / Finish~7:30pm

       MEET FEES
$8.50 per individual event
$10.00 per distance events
$10.00 per relay team
$20.00 coaching fee* (slight increase as this is an overnight meet)
Please submit meet fees by Wed. Nov. 12th

   SCRATCH DEADLINE
Friday, October 24th

       AWARDS
Individual + Relays: Medals 1st-3rd, Ribbons 4th-8th!

     ATTN: OFFICIALS
We would love for you to support the team and your swimmers by volunteering at this meet! You would be like so totally cool! Please visit the GCAC Officials portal to register for this meet! :)

    SPECIAL NOTES
-ONE START rule, one false start is a DQ!
-Absolutely NO FOOD on the pool deck! Thanks!
-All events for 12+Under swimmers are Timed Finals!
-Please bring a masterlock to store your valuables in the locker room!
-Events are seeded slowest to fastest, based on entered times!
-Distance events seeded fastest to slowest, mixed gender, alt 1500s + 800s!
-Team Aquatic Supplies may be on-site for any equipment needs!
-The top 8 per age category+gender will proceed to finals: 13s, 14s, 15s, 16&O
-Team dinner on Saturday night! RSVP soon so we can make reservations!
-13&O RELAYS WILL BE SWUM IN THE FINALS SESSIONS ONLY!

SC: MMST Dash4Cash

Greetings Parents! Is everyone excited to attend our second meet of the year? Here are the details, we're going to have a blast!  -GCAC Coaching Staff

          MEET
2014 MMST Fall Dash4Cash

         DATES
October 25th + 26th

     LOCATION
Milton Sports Centre
605 Santa Maria Blvd.
Milton, ON L9T 6J5

        FACILITY
One eight-lane 25m pool!
There is limited on-deck and off-deck spectator seating; parking is free. There's a full scale snack bar on site but may not be open for during the AM sessions!

     SESSIONS
-Session 1-
13+Overs - Saturday Morning - 50m Free Prelims + Timed Finals
Warm-up~7:30-8:25am / Start~8:30am
-Session 2-
12+Unders - Saturday Afternoon - Timed Finals
Warm-up~12:00-12:40pm / Start~12:45pm
-Session 3-
13+Overs - Saturday Late Afternoon - Eliminator + Timed Finals
Warm-up~4:00-4:40pm / Start~4:45pm

-Session 4-
13+Overs - Sunday Morning - Timed Finals
Warm-up~7:30-8:25am / Start~8:30am
-Session 5-
12+Unders - Sunday Afternoon - Timed Finals
Warm-up~12:30-1:25pm / Start~1:30pm

       MEET FEES
$9.50 per individual event
$13.00 per distance events
$10.00 coaching fee/swimmer
Please submit fees by Wed., October 22nd

SCRATCH DEADLINE
Friday, October 10th

    ATTN: OFFICIALS
Please help support our club by signing up to volunteer! It's the best view in the house and the host team provides drinks and food :) You can do register by clicking on this link: MMST Meet - October 25 & 26, 2014

ELIMINATOR
The top 8 finishers in Saturdays AM's 50m Free are eligible to compete in a 5 race Eliminator held as the first event in the Saturday Evening Session. At the end of each race swimmers will be eliminated until we have a winner. There will be approximately 5 minutes between swims. The top swimmers will win monetary prizes (13s, 14s, 15+O only): 6th place=$10, 5th place=$15, 4th place=$20, 3rd place=$30, 2nd place=$50, 1st place=$75!

SPECIAL NOTES
-ONE START rule, one false start is a DQ!
-Please bring a lock to store your valuables in the locker room!
-All events are Timed Finals EXCEPT the 13+O 50m Free Eliminator.
-Events seeded slowest to fastest; distance events seeded fastest to slowest!
-The top 3 per age category+gender will receive medals: 10&U, 11s, 12s 13s, 14s, 15&O

Sunday, September 21, 2014

SC: 2014 Hall of Fame Meet

Greetings Parents! Is everyone excited for our first meet of the 2014-2015 season? Here are the details. See you on deck! -GCAC Coaching Staff

              MEET
8th Annual Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame Meet

             DATES
October 18th-19th, 2014

           LOCATION
Etobicoke Olympium
590 Rathburn Road
Toronto, ON M9C 3T3

           FACILITY
Newly renovated 50m 8-lane pool divided into two 25m pools.
There's plenty of seating for spectators and free parking.

           SESSIONS
14&Overs - Saturday + Sunday Morning
   Warm-up~8:00am / Start~9:00am / Finish~12:00pm
13&Unders - Saturday + Sunday Afternoon
   Warm-up~12:30pm / Start~1:30pm / Finish~5:30pm

          MEET FEES
$9 per event ($0.50 per swim will be donated to the Hall of Fame)
$10.00 coaching fee
Please submit all fees by Wed. October 15th

    SCRATCH DEADLINE
Wednesday, October 1st

    ATTN: OFFICIALS
Please support your swimmers and donate some time to the pool deck! The host team will feed you :) Just click here if you're able to volunteer: Hall of Fame Meet - October 18 & 19, 2014

     SPECIAL NOTES
-All events are Timed Finals; one false start rule applies.
-No food is permitted on deck; please bring lots of fluids!
-Bring a lock to store food and valuables in the locker room
-Bell prizes will be awarded during random events+heats
-All age groups will be seeded together, slowest to fastest
-Ribbons will be awarded to the top 8 swimmers in each age category per event (10&U, 11s, 12s, 13s, 14-15, 16&O)

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

re: TAS BBQ... this weekend!

Hello ALL! Read below for some awesome information...

Team Aquatic Supplies is having their annual Barbecue & Sale this Saturday, September 13th from 10:00am-4:00pm!

Olympian Julia Wilkinson will be on site signing autographs!

*_* Items will be minimum 25% off *_*

THE FIRST 150 CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE

A SPEEDO ITEM WILL RECEIVE

A SPEEDO GIFTPACK !!!

NIKE GIVEAWAY WORTH $300 !!!

LOTS OF ARENA GIVEAWAYS !!!

Don't miss out on the AMAZING deals!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

re: Upcoming Level 1 Timers Clinic!

With the 2014-2015 swimming season underway, the Garden City Aquatic Club, through the Ontario Swimming Officials Association, will offer a level 1 - Timekeeper / Safety Marshall clinic.

This a great opportunity for all parents, in particular parents of our new competitive swimmers, to volunteer at swim meets. At each swim meet, attending swim clubs must provide volunteer officials and the easiest way to do so is through timekeeping. It is also a great way to get out of the seats where it can get rather boring and on to the deck where all the action happens.

Whether you are a new swim parent or a veteran swim parent, please join us for this clinic and help our swimmers reach their goals in the pool. Clinic information, flyer, and online registration are below.

Clinic: level 1 - Timekeeper / Safety Marshal

Pre-Requisites: 14 yrs of age or older (yes competitive swimmers and siblings can take the clinic too)

Date: Thursday, October 2nd, 2014

Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Location: St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Centre, 425 Carlton St.

Clinic Flyer: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=B78307F892C9E171!1318&authkey=!AD2HKGRC8BqRgAA&ithint=file%2cpdf

Online Clinic Registration: http://1drv.ms/WaZMrJ

re: Team Suits!

Greetings All!

Our season is getting started and we're excited to be back training indoors!

We're proud to announce our team suits for the 2014-2015 swim season! We've found the best quality suits with the most reasonable pricing!

Some of these suits are the same from last year, with a few new ones! As always the decision to purchase any of these items is yours as families place their orders individually!

-YiNGFA SiZiNG GUiDE-
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_cms=6&controller=cms

GiRLS COMPETiTiON SUiTS-
FiNA APPROVED!
*If you plan on purchasing only one, we recommend the 937-2

-Competition Sharkskin Racing Suit (in black) *ON SALE NOW!!! $29.99
Yingfa 921
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_product=14&controller=product

-Competition Full Knee (in black) *ON SALE NOW!!! $44.99
Yingfa 925
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_product=10&controller=product

-Competition Swimsuit (full knee, with green stitching) *ON SALE NOW!!! $54.99
Yingfa 937-2
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_product=11&controller=product

-BOYS COMPETiTiON SUiTS-
FiNA APPROVED!
*If you plan on purchasing only one, we recommend the 9205-1

-Sharkskin Jammer (black with white stitch) *ON SALE NOW!!! $29.99
Yingfa 9102-1
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_product=17&controller=product

-Shark Skin Jammer (black) *ON SALE NOW!!! $27.99
Yingfa 9205-1
http://yingfa.ca/index.php?id_product=19&controller=product#/size-xs/color-black

These suits are meant to be worn during competitions only. This will extend the life of your suits and please remember to rinse them in COLD water (with a suit cleaner for best results) before they AIR dry!

See you on deck!

GCAC Coaching Staff

p.s. If you're looking for some quality practice suits, feel free to explore the Yingfa website! We recommend the basic 995-3 or 993 for girls (both $29.99).

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

re: Congratulations to "The Dream Team!" *UPDATED

This weekend a few GCAC members competed in the 2014 Toronto Island Lake Swim! Kayla Andrews (13), Alisha Clemmensen (10), Jenna Petkovich (11), and... Coach Beth (21.9999infinity). There were various distances (750m, 1.5km, 3.8km), but we all signed up for the 3.8km swim!

It was a last minute decision for most of us, and some of us are still wondering why in the world did I agree to this especially after swimming only 3 times in the last year, one week prior to the race, having never swam open water before. You can tell which one of us is a real planner :)

The water temperature was a cool 18 and it was a slightly sunny, breezy, and wavy day. The parents were out having a grand time, there was live music and a barbecue going. And hot chocolate. Lots of hot chocolate. And blankets. The sun was really shining before the race and again right after. Go figure eh!?!?!?! Thems the breaks....

"This 3:04" aka "This Kayla" (#04) placed 33rd overall, 5th in the Female Under 19 category, and 19th in gender with a time of 1:17.05. Awesome girl you are soooo tough! She was the first one from the group to go in to get acclimated to the water temperature before the race and pumped us all up! She was also the one shivering the most afterwards! :)

Little Alisha was all heart but had to bow out a little early due to the chilly conditions. Great job girl, you were the youngest entrant, so enthusiastic and had the biggest heart! :) We'll get them next year!

Jenna P. (#271), fresh off a wondrous vacation in the Bahamas, gave it her all. Unfortunately due to the last minute nature of entering the race combined with the timing of her vacation, she wasn't able to do any specific training for the event- which adds to the magnitude of her accomplishment. I am so proud! She placed 65th overall, 6th in the Female Under 19 category--the youngest swimmer to complete the 3.8km race, and 36th in the gender category with a time of 1:34.24! What a beast eh? I paced with her the whole time and then she just had to go ahead and speed up at the finish and beat me. Grr. Just wait until next practice girl, I'll get you my pretty... :)

And then there was me, #211. With a time of _:__.__ (Ok, I can't lie- 1:34.36), I came in a bold 66th place, 13th in my "___" age category, [Ok ok I am not lying just pleading the 5th :) ], and 37th in the gender category. It wasn't a "race" for me, it was a "please-survive-and-don't-embarrass-yourself" expedition :) I have never swallowed so much icky water in my life (the water wasn't that bad, just churned up due to the weather conditions), and I didn't expect to feel a little motion sickness while swimming. Thanks waves. Lake Ontario, don't expect to get a Christmas card from me this year mister. Just the fruitcake. Next year I want to bring my dog :) Why didn't I write this blurb in the white font?

Training for the big race was SOOO fun :)

The results do not separate those who wore wetsuits and those who did not, but a lot of swimmers did wear them giving them the advantage in buoyance and body temperature. Plus, they get bonus points for being smart. (The downside is they are heavy and restrict the swimmers range of motion.) I think we all would have placed higher had those swimmers been in a separate category!

When you get out of water that cold after being in it so long, your body is shivering, legs are wobbly, you have a headache and it's hard to visually focus for a few minutes let alone speak properly... and you are hungry! Plus the air is so cold you almost want to run back into the water! It would have been nice if they had warm showers nearby! I am so proud of my girls, considering the circumstances, you're amazing for entering and following through!

Honourable mentions:
Annaleise Carr edged out "This 3:04" in 4th place but Annaleise has the advantage of having a tremendous amount of lake swimming experience. Great job, it was a treat to see her swim! (Congratulations on finishing your 75km crossing of Lake Erie, having raised $130,000 for Camp Trillium-you rock!)

For complete results of the race and varying distances, click here: http://www.sportstats.ca/searchResults.xhtml?eventname=Toronto+Island+Lake+Swim

Next summer we are going to actually plan to enter the race and really training for it! Everyone from the team will be welcome to join us for whichever distance they choose to race in, and we will begin in June or July! This will be a fun team event, for those with a brave soul :)

Special thanks again to the supportive parents and family members who made the day really fun & enjoyable. Maybe next year we'll get a few to try the 750m :P

b.

Monday, August 18, 2014

re: Congratulations Kayla! *UPDATED

The Garden City Aquatic Club is pleased to announce the recent success of another swimmer from our high performance group!

Kayla Andrews (13) was recently selected to compete in the 2014 North American Indigenous Games in Regina, Saskatchewan!

This event showcased unity, sport, culture, youth, volunteerism and teamwork between First Nations, Metis and Non-Indigenous communities from Canada and the United States. The theme of the Regina 2014 North American Indigenous Games is “Raising the Bar”. With years of preparation, dedication and sacrifice, the games were a fantastic way to recognize the healthy lifestyle choices young Indigenous people & future leaders from North America have made.

You can find out more cool information about the event here: http://regina2014naig.com/home/

Our Kayla competed in the following events in the Under 14 category:

~200m IM~

Finals - Bronze Medal - 2:42.75

~50m Freestyle~
Finals - Bronze Medal - 29.94

~200m Fly~
Finals - Bronze Medal - _:__.__*

~200m Freestyle Relay~
Finals - Gold Medal - 2:02.95

~100m Fly~
Finals - Silver Medal - 1:14.91

~100m Freestyle~
Finals - Gold Medal - 1:04.63

~200m Medley Relay~
Finals - Gold Medal - 2:21.73

~50m Fly~
Finals - Gold Medal - 31.47

~400m Freestyle Relay~
Finals - Gold Medal - 4:31.21

You may view the online results here:

http://naig2014.gems.pro/Result/Event_List.aspx?Sport_GUID=bcf1a261-0176-47f9-994b-ca698042bef8&GameDay_GUID=03f25b7b-3adc-453a-baa9-ed93169d3ac0&SetLanguage=en-CA

You may view The Standard's news article here:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2014/08/15/medal-hall-for-local-swimmer-at-indigenous-games

Congratulations to Team Ontario for placing 3rd overall in the medal count!

Great job Kayla! Your coaches and teammates are super proud of you!

-------------------

*Let's just say we have a new nickname for our girl now.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

re: Fall Registration!

Greetings to all of our current and prospective swim team families!

Have you been enjoying summer? It's been a fun yet chilly one this year!

We are pleased to announce the Garden City Aquatic Club held it's annual Fall Registration on Saturday, August 23rd in the Lawrence Locke Room of the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Center. We had a great turn out!

All of our registration information for the next year has been posted, as well as our registration form for the fall! You can find this information on the website, in the drop down menu from the "Join GCAC" button!

Please note that our Aqua Club programs (non-competitive) will begin the week of September 8th-one week earlier than previous years. We currently have a wait list for some of our Aqua Club programs; contact us for more information as we always do our best to accommodate our swimmers!

Our competitive swimmers will begin September 2nd; we have limited available space on our competitive swim team!

As we enter into our fourth season with Swim Ontario, it's imperative that we encourage and promote our parents volunteers to move up the ladder! Thanks to Mr. Dennis Reintjes
and Mr. Robert DiPersio for hosting two fantastic clinics!

You can check out the Clinic Flyer here: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=B78307F892C9E171!1074&ithint=file%2cpdf&app=WordPdf&authkey=!ACJSqRugH8M-lQE

We look forward to a fantastic 2014-2015 swimming season! Thanks for joining us and see you soon!

-GCAC Coaching Staff

Monday, July 21, 2014

re: Congratulations Julia! *UPDATED

We are pleased to announce the recent success of one of our high performance swimmers!

Julia Longo competed & excelled in the prestigious Special Olympics 2014 Summer Games in Vancouver, B.C.! She's recently been selected to represent Team Canada in the 2015 international games in Los Angeles, California! Woooo Hoooo!

These games take place once every four years, and this years competition was the largest in its history featuring 11 sports! You can learn more about this awesome event here: http://www.vancouver2014.com/news/news/athletes-triumph-at-special-olympics-canada-2014-summer-games

Our Julia competed in the following events:

*100M FREESTYLE
Preliminaries - Division: F6 - 1st Place - 1:13.07
Finals - Division: F6 - 1st Place - 1:12.82

*25M BUTTERFLY
Preliminaries - Division: F3 - 1st Place - 19.53
Finals - Division: F4 - 1st Place - 18.44

*100M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Preliminaries - Division: F4 - 1st Place - 1:30.12
Finals - Division: F5 - 1st Place - 1:24.21

*50M BACKSTROKE
Preliminaries - Division: F8 - 2nd Place - 45.04
Finals - Division: F8 - 2nd Place - 43.62

You may view the online results here:
http://www.vancouver2014.com/results/events/

Congratulations again Julia! Your coaches and teammates are very proud of you!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

LC: 13&Over WOSA Regional Championships

Greetings Parents! Is everyone excited to attend the final WOSA meet of the year? Congratulations to all of our swimmers who've qualified with continued success and to those who've made great strides during the season & are almost there!!! Here are the details, we're going to have a fantastic meet, close to home! -GCAC Coaching Staff

            ~MEET~
2014 Regional Long Course 13&Over Championships

            ~DATE~
Friday, June 6th + Saturday, June 7th + Sunday, June 8th

            ~LOCATION~
Elinor Misener Aquatic Centre @ Brock University

            ~OFFICIALS~
We are required to provide officials during each session! Please register online to officiate here: http://www.osoa.ca/

            ~FACILITY~
One 50m pool with spectator seating; parking fees apply.
Spectators may wish to bring fans and dress lightly due to the heat!

            ~SESSIONS~
-FRIDAY EVENING PRELIMS-
Warm-up~5:00-5:50pm / Start~6:00pm

-SATURDAY+SUNDAY PRELIMS-
Warm-up~7:30-8:20am / Start~8:30am

-SATURDAY+SUNDAY FINALS-
Warm-up~5:00-5:50pm / Start~6:00pm

            ~MEET FEES~
$12.00 per relay
$9.00 per individual event
$5.00 WOSA swimmer surcharge
$10.00 coaching fee

            ~SCRATCHES~
No scratches please!

            ~AWARDS~
PARA: mixed gender; GOLD-in events with 2 swimmers, SILVER-in events with 3 swimmers, BRONZE-in events with 3 or more swimmers!Individual Scoring: 13s, 14s, 15s, 16&Over
Relay Scoring: 13-14s, 15&Over
Medals: 1st - 3rd for individual events; 1st only for relays
Ribbons: 4th - 8th for individuals events; 2nd + 3rd only for relays

            ~SPECIAL NOTES~
-ONE START rule, one false start is a DQ!
-Swimmers qualifying in one event may swim TWO bonus events; swimmers qualifying in two events may swim ONE bonus event; swimmers qualifying in three or more events receive NO bonus swims!
-Please bring a lock to store your valuables in the locker room!
-Events will be seeded slowest to fastest, except in the distance events!
-There will be an "A" final per age groups; a "B" final may only occur in the 16&Over age groups in events where there are more than 30 entries!
-During the meet, the initial scratch time for finals is 30 minutes after the conclusion of the morning session. The finals scratch deadline for finals is 30 minutes prior to the start of finals