The Monday Message

April 24, 2023

Head Coach's Message

We’ve got a big week ahead of us! This weekend 14 DAM athletes will be heading down to Irvine to compete at USMS Nationals. The competition will be fierce but the DAM athletes will be ready to swim fast and have fun!!  If you see any Nationals athletes on deck this week (see the list below) be sure to wish them luck. If you would like to follow along with the meet and see how we’re doing, click HERE. 

Because I will be attending the meet, the assistant coaching staff will handle most of the workouts from Wednesday to Saturday. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Good Luck to the following DAM Nationals Athletes: Vivian Crow, Kristin Duby, Emma Garforth, Michelle Goldberg, Sally Guthrie, Tara Halsted, Arthur Koehl, Ted Krovetz, Helene Nehrebecki, Jennifer Phalen, Matt Roper, Alex Rossbach, Leslie Westergaard, and Matt Zachan

Coach Matt

mzachan@damfast.org

Summer Schedule 

This spring and summer Schaal Pool will be shut down for renovations. Because of this all Davis Aquatic groups have had to make adjustments to their schedule. We are lucky that we are largely unaffected by this situation. The only accommodation we are making is that we will be splitting the pool with Davis Aqua Monsters during our evening workout (6:15-7:15 pm). The coaching staff will do everything we can to get people in appropriate lanes with people of similar abilities. With that being said, if you attend this workout please be prepared for the lanes to be a little more crowded than normal. Thankfully this situation is temporary. We will share with Aqua Monsters from 4/24 until 8/20. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Coach Matt. Thank you for understanding.  

Upcoming Competitions

• 4/27-4/30 - USMS Spring Nationals
• Location: Woollett Aquatic Center, Irvine, CA
• Event Info
  
• Registration Page (Registration closes 4/3)
  

 Find event information on the PacMasters site:

https://www.pacificmasters.org/page.cfm?pagetitle=Calendar

Big Day of Fishing

On Monday, May 8 (in 2 weeks!), we will be holding our annual fundraiser.

WHY:

· To keep DAM dues one of the best values in the country

· Purchase equipment and supplies

· Cover expenses to host the annual Lake Berryessa Open Water Swim

· Maintain Senior Swimmer program

· Support student swimmers at National Championships

· Ensure we keep top-notch and inspiring DAM coaches

· Provide support for social programs

· Provide scholarship funds

HOW:

Come to Civic Center Pool on May 8.  We will have laptops set up so you can donate online, or just write a check. Sponsorship opportunities for races and zones at Berryessa will also be available.

Can’t come to civic on May 8? No problem:  

· Online: donate any time at the DAM website with our safe, secure PayPal account.

On May 8, we will be at Civic (in the Brady Bldg) during each of the regular workouts. In the morning there will be coffee, juice and baked goods. In the evening we will have a happy hour with chips, salsa, guacamole and margaritas (while supplies last!).

Coach Appreciation Week

May 1-7, 2023

Where would DAM be without our dedicated coaches? Whether it is providing stroke instruction, helping us stay injury free, or just keeping us sane, our coaches are an essential element of our swimming routine and of our organization.

While we encourage our members to regularly thank their coaches, please consider Coach Appreciation Week as an opportunity to let them know how much you value their efforts. Here are some ideas:

• A card or email telling the coach how their instruction helped you accomplish a goal

• A gift card for coffee, ice cream, a movie, or other treat

• Flowers, candy, a book, bottle of wine, or whatever you think your coach may enjoy

• A massage or spa day

• A certificate for a weekend getaway or special meal

• Or a simple fist bump and a “thanks.”

Lake Berryessa 39th Open Water Swim

DAM is hosting our annual Lake Berryessa swim on Saturday, June 3. We need 110 volunteers to have a safe and successful swim. Please go to the DAM website, damfast.org, and follow the links for more information and to register for a job and time slot.

We especially need people to fill our water safety crew. You will need a kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard and you should be comfortable navigating out on the lake. We can accommodate you if you want to do one of the swims.

Friends and family are welcome to volunteer.

If you have questions contact Kathy Gill.

Thanks,

Kathy

kmgill135@gmail.com

May Grand Prix Events

NEW for 2023!

1pt/swim:

Distance Fly Virtual Challenge, sponsored by Albany Armada Aquatic Masters. May 1-June 30. Swim fly for any or all three distances: 500, 1000 and 1500 yards.

2pts/swim:

USMS 5k/10k Virtual Championships. May 15-Sept. 15.

Details on Pacific Masters Swimming site.

DAM Member Passes

We are sad to share the news of the recent loss of longtime club member Bob Blattner. He'd been part of DAM since 2008 and was instrumental in the hiring of Mary Kahn as Assistant Head Coach in 2009. He absolutely loved the sport and world of swimming and was an age-group, HS and college swimmer as well as a coach, long before joining DAM.

Bob died on February 2 and his memorial service was held on March 4th at the Davis Veteran's memorial. Links to his obituary and additional information can be found here.

DAM Board Meeting

The next DAM Board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 9, at 6:30PM in the Brady Building.

DAM Birthdays 

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