Its time for all DAM swimmers to renew their USMS registration! After January 1, swimmers who have not renewed their USMS registration will not be able to swim!
Coaches will have a list (even though Christmas is over, DAM still keeps a NAUGHTY LIST) of swimmers who do not have current USMS registration. Yes, the coach will pull you out of the water!
Everyone who swims with DAM must maintain current registration with USMS. Your USMS registration provides liability insurance for DAM and its coaches, and DAM requires that all participants in our workouts, weekend lap swims, and competitions are registered.
After January 1, swimmers who have not renewed their USMS registration will not be able to swim!
The USMS offers a "Standard USMS Membership" - this is what DAM requires. The "full access membership" is not required, but it will also satisfy DAM's requirement.
City Liason Report
One of the many functions of the Board of Directors is to maintain DAM's relationship with the City of Davis. A single board member normally spearheads the effort, attending meetings of the Aquatics Council, the Davis Parks and Recreation Commission, and Davis City Council, and keeping DAM abreast of developments that affect us.
Below is a report from our current liason, Kevin Waterson. Actually, Kevin has filled this role for some time, as he served a our primary liason during his service as Board President. Even though Kevin has stepped down from the President's role, he has continued to serve as DAM's voice in these important matters.
The City of Davis has recently updated their Co-Sponsorship Agreements for Aquatic User Groups. This is essentially the agreement between an organization such as DAM and the City of Davis which allows for priority use of city aquatics facilities at subsidized prices. The changes were mostly procedural or aimed at assuring compliance with state laws regarding gender equality, youth safety, etc. But there were important changes to the language regarding both the minimum residency requirements for all co-sponsored groups (DAM still meets all minimum requirements for co-sponsorship status without issue), as well as changes to language governing the allocation of pool hours. The latter was the subject of a series of official discussions among members of the Aquatics Council. Between the time when the proposed changes were first presented to user groups by the city staff in September and the approval by the city council on December 14, there were 4 different drafts and the majority of concerns alleviated. Unfortunately, a few concerns still exist.
In an attempt to alleviate the perceived burden upon city staff of having to decide between conflicting requests for pool hours (a problem that only materialized during the pandemic when Schaal was closed and only one or two swimmers could be in a lane at once), the newly revised policy replaces the old language which gave priority based on historical use and size of programs with new language which makes equal opportunity the sole consideration. Four out of five user groups disagreed with the new language, but it was nonetheless approved by both the Recreation and Parks Commission as well as the City Council. We are hopeful that other stated goals elsewhere in the agreement such as “efficient use” of facilities will help incentivize good-faith interactions, but it is a noted concern that the oldest and largest organizations in town seem to be de-emphasized.
Additionally, language was added which specifically states that youth groups *may* get priority over adult groups. This was added as a reference to an existing city pricing and revenue policy, so its exact implications are unclear. Luckily, the wording is vague and its application in the area of aquatics is without precedent with city staff being quick to acknowledge it is not intended to diminish DAM’s “equal” access. But it was an addition that was immediately noticed by DAM, and something we fully intend on carefully monitoring.
The good news is that all requests for pool hours and the negotiation in the event of conflicts will no longer be done by city staff, but by the user groups themselves, with unresolvable differences going to mediation at the groups’ expense. Pandemic aside, this isn’t much of a change as groups have historically always worked together when conflicts arise and we have every intention of continuing to do so. But with pool space limited, the number of users rising, continued uncertainty at Schaal, and outdated pool facilities, there is always the chance that another group will want hours that have traditionally been reserved for DAM programming. Our Arroyo morning hours, for example, have been specifically identified by another group as desirable for the last year and a half. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the continuity of our programming and will communicate with all DAM members whenever we feel there is a threat. We must all understand that there may be times when we will need to compromise for the good of the entire aquatics community. Our mission will always be to support the health and welfare of this community through swimming and volunteerism. DAM is an extremely efficient user of its pool hours by any metric, has a strong and dedicated membership with a passion for the sport of swimming and for the health benefits derived from it, and is one of the most civically engaged and philanthropically inclined organizations in Davis. Thank you for your continuing support as we navigate the post-pandemic world of city politics. Let’s all keep up the DAM good work!
2022 USMS One Hour Swim Virtual Championships
The USMS One Hour Swim has been an integral part of our DAM's legacy since the early '90's. What began as a team-building effort soon morphed into a national competition between DAM and two regional powerhouses - New England Masters and Oregon Masters. Originally, the event was administered by the host club exclusively through mailed entries thus earning the Postal moniker. Less than a decade ago, as nearly all entries were submitted via online access through Club Assistant, the updated name became ePostal and this year, the title has changed once again into the OHS Virtual Championships. This doesn't mean the event is now a simulated experience; you still have to actually swim the event. Just thinking about it doesn't count. For a full history of the OHS visit USMS here.
DAM Details
TIMELINE - The 2022 event starts this Saturday and runs through January with entries due to USMS on/by February 2nd. Plan ahead, reserve your lane and time slot, team up with a buddy to count your laps and go online to register for your swim BEFORE you push off. Return to the online site AFTER your swim to log your splits and pay your entry fees.
FOOD DRIVE - In conjunction with the OHS, the month of January is also our Annual Food Drive to help our neighbors through the Yolo County Food Bank. Over the past 14 years, DAM members have donated over $20,000 and nearly 6 tons of food. We’re asking all DAM Members to donate either four non-perishable food items or a monetary donation – payable to YCFB.
SIGNUPS at CIVIC/ARROYO – January signup calendars are posted at both Civic and Arroyo for pre-swim signups. One lane will be set aside at each practice for two swimmers to split on Tue thru Fri, with additional lanes and hours available during lap swim on the weekends. Every Saturday through the month, the entire Civic pool (16 swim slots) is set aside from 9:00-10:00am for the OHS. We’ve also reserved Arroyo pool on Monday, Jan 17, MLK Holiday for two hours of OHS availability (9-10am and 10:30-11:30am).
GRAND PRIX Points – Because the event is a National Championship, a DAM-hosted event and we take the task of dethroning NEM seriously, the Grand Prix award for this one event is SIX points. In addition, as the role of lap counter is equally important to our objective, that job is worth ONE point per hour of counting, for a maximum of SIX points.
No more signup for lap swim. Starting Jan 1, 2022, lap swim sessions are free to all DAM members (both full and senior).
Lap swim lanes are first com-first served.
When all lanes are filled, newly-arriving swimmers may enter the pool in the order of their arrival, according to these basic rules of etiquette:
If you are swimming alone in a lane, and a swimmer asks to enter your lane, you should split the lane with that swimmer.
Swimmers should share the "inner" lanes (2-7) first. When sharing the wall lanes (either 1 or 8), the new swimmer should take the "wall" side on first entering the water.
All lap swimming is two-per-lane, SPLITTING THE LANE, unless agreed upon by all swimmers in the lane. For example, a group of swimmers may share a lane to do a workout or set together.
When swimmers are waiting for space in the pool, lap swimmers already in the pool should be considerate and limit their swim to one hour or less, and use their time efficiently (please don't stand at the wall and talk, talk, talk when there are swimmers waiting!)
The spirit of DAM governs lap swimming! Please make room when you can. Share a lane with a teammate.
The weekend schedule is as follows:
Saturday
7-8AM : Practice
8-9AM : Practice
9-10AM : Lap Swim
10-11AM : Lap Swim
11AM-12PM : Lap Swim
Sunday
10-11AM : Lap Swim
11AM-12PM : Lap Swim
12-1PM : Lap Swim
DAM COVID Policies
At the last board meeting, the board discussed our current policies and procedures which relate to COVID. At present, DAM is in compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations governing our activities.
We expect that all swimmers respect the health and safety concerns of their teammates, and that if any swimmer receives a POSITIVE COVID TEST, they will promptly report the following to a board member:
date of positive test result
days/times that they have swum, starting one week prior to their positive test
what lane(s) they swam in, and what swimmers they shared the lane with
DAM will follow up with contact tracing to notify any swimmers who shared a lane with another swimmer who may have been COVID-positive. We have had two swimmers report a positive COVID test, and in both cases there were no additional cases connected with their swimming.
The board discussed, but did not take action, on a proposal to require vaccinations for all DAM swimmers. We recognize the safety concerns of all swimmers, and we are striving to find a balance between those concerns and the physical and mental health benefits of swimming to all our members.
The board encourages all swimmers to get vaccinated and/or boosted. The vaccinations are free, safe, and effective, and are a DAM good way to help your fellow swimmers and your community.
DAM Board of Directors Meeting
The next DAM Board of Directors meeting will be held Monday, Jan 10, at 6:30PM, in the Brady Building. All members are welcome to attend.
