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There is still time to sign up Fitter & Faster clinic http://www.akswimming.org/EventShow.jsp?id=404213&team=wzaslsc

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NLSC Season Update - Meet Schedule, JO's, State of the Team, and More!

Parents & Swimmers,

We are about two thirds of the way through our 2013-14 Short Course Season.  The Short Course Season runs from September-May and features meets that are predominantly run in 25-yard pools.  We have three more local meets this season:

March Madness Invite (March 28-29)

AK Junior Olympics (April 24-27)

Splash Into Spring (May 9-10)

We have had good participation in meets this season, and I would love to see a strong push through the end of the season, with a particular focus on the AK Junior Olympics.

So far this season, we have brought home the team title for the Great Alaska Open with our older swimmers.  We also took 4th place at last weekend’s AK Age Group Champs (14 & Under swimmers), which we did with about 60% of our qualifiers.

The Junior Olympics (JO’s) is the biggest club championship in Alaska and is the culminating championship of the season.  We have 74 swimmers qualified for JO’s, with 47 swimmers qualified in three or more events!  I would like to ask that everyone carve out the weekend of April 24th-27th so that NLSC can have the strongest representation possible at the meet.  For a list of qualifiers, visit www.nlscak.org and mouse over the “Event” tab at the top of the page, and then click on “JO Qualifiers”.  Even if you are not qualified, you may be called upon to help fill out relays!  Please make yourself available for the meet.

Competitive State of the Team

There are several indicators that I use to determine the progress, and strength of NLSC.  These indicators reveal trends and can show us areas that we can improve, and in ways we are doing well.

Number of qualifiers in championship meets.  Despite the fact that the qualifying time standards have changed, the number of championship qualifiers has gone up.  The Great Alaska Open (GAO) and JO’s time standards got significantly harder.  We qualified a similar number of swimmers for GAO as last year and we won this year’s meet!  We actually have more JO’s qualifiers than last year, and are better represented across all age groups than last year.

IM Xtreme – We have more swimmers who have completed their IM Xtreme (IMX) events this year than any year in our history…and the season is not even over.

Virtual Club Championship – You can learn more about the Virtual Club Championship by clicking here.  The bottom line is that through this point in the season, we are the top team in Alaska.  If we stay focused and race hard at the last few meets of the season, we should finish on top.

Keep working to improve

There are always things that we need to keep working to improve.  For the remainder of the season, the coaching staff will continue to work on the technical aspects of swimming:  stroke form, starts, and turns.  In addition to those things, we will be highlighting the following:

Proper nutrition

The importance of hydration

Strategies for improved mental focus and preparation in practices and meets

The importance Warm-up/Cool down

Dryland, with an emphasis on stretching

The coaching staff is always looking to help our swimmers become better.  If there is a particular improvement goal they have, we encourage them to bring it to us.

Regards,

Coach Cliff

Head Coach; Northern Lights Swim Club

907.277.7946

nlscak.org

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instagram.com/nlscak

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Coach for a Day Challenge! #clickgiveswim #nlsc

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Click, Give, Swim - Updates, Challenges, Campaigns, & More!

Click, Give, Swim - Coach for a Day Challenge

The swimmer, for each group, who receives the most donations between February 18th and 25th will receive "Coach for a Day" honors.  They will get to pick a day, subject to their coach's approval, to be a coach for the group.  They will help construct the workout with their coach and then assist their coach during the workout.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, February 26th.

Click, Give, Swim - Letter Writing Campaign

On Monday/Tuesday, February 24th/25th we will be holding a letter writing campaign!  If you have friends and family who might participate in a fundraiser by regular mail, this will be your chance to contact them.  The NLSC Boosters will provide the paper, envelops, and postage.  You need to bring in 1-5 contacts and their addresses.  We will spend 15-30 minutes hand writing letters to your contacts, and then we will mail your letters for you.  If you want to write these letters ahead of time, even better!  Just bring them in, and we will make sure they get mailed out for you.

Click, Give, Swim - Offline Donations

It is not required that all donations be made by credit card!  If you have a cash or check donation, you can enter it online by clicking the "Add Offline Donor" button.  Then bring in the cash or check to Coach Cliff.  He will submit it to the NLSC Boosters and go online and make sure the amount is then credited to the swimmer.

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We do have practice today. #nlsc (at university of alaska)

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Hamme Pool, Fairbanks. Site if the 2014 AK Age Group Champs. #nlsc (at hamme)

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The NLSC Anchorage Boosters pay $10,000 a year pool fees for meets and practices. It's time to #clickgiveswim #nlsc

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"Click, Give, Swim" - The $20,000 Benchmark and Travel Expenses

In a previous post we pointed out why hitting the $10,000 mark in donations to the NLSC Anchorage Boosters is important...because it pays for pool time.  In this installment, we will point out why it is important that we get to $20,000.

That's right, the NLSC Anchorage Boosters do more than pay for, and subsidize pool time.  They also subsidize your travel to swim meets, to the tune of about $10,000 per year.  

In the past, participating swimmers were directly charged for Coach's travel to swim meets.  Included you your invoice for a trip to meets, both in state and out, would be $40-$250 of "Coach's Travel Fees".  Your NLSC Anchorage Boosters decided to take those fees on, and pass the savings on to the membership.

Additionally, the NLSC Anchorage Boosters will reimburse a percentage of your swimmer's travel to team attended meets (check out the reimbursement form here).  

If we don't continually refresh the NLSC Anchorage Booster accounts with fundraising money, the reimbursements could stop, and the Coach Travel Fees could return.  We need your help in "Click, Give, Swim".  Go to www.nlscak.org to get involved.  Read on for an update on our progress.

Group Leaders

Bronze (White) - tied Molly McLaughlin & Megan McLaughlin - $400 (up $100 each!)

Bronze (Yellow) - no donations yet

Silver - no donations yet

Gold - Jonah Rogers - $200

Coaches - Coach Cliff - $200

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Click, Give, Swim - Strategies for Getting Donations

The first thing to keep in mind, is that this isn't your old fashioned door to door fundraiser!  With email and social media, the process is much more streamlined.  Please read on.

Simply Login to your NLSC account at www.nlscak.org

Click on the Click, Give, Swim fundraising banner

Click the red "Help Video" button to learn about setting up your profile, and how to promote your efforts in the NLSC Booster's Click, Give, Swim fundraiser.

Watch the donations roll in.  Be sure to thank the people who donate on your behalf.

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NLSC Communications - You Choose: Email, Texts, Social Media

On Northern Lights Swim Club, have a multitude of methods by which we can "get the word out".  We want to communicate to you whenever there is important news and/or information.  Here are just some of the ways you can stay connected with NLSC.

Email - If you got this message, then you probably have your account up to date.  This might be a good time to login to your account and make sure that all of the emails your family uses (parents and swimmers) are correctly entered.  Simply login to your NLSC account, click on "My Account" and click the "Add Email" button.

Texting - You probably didn't know this, but in the event of a pool closure, this is one of the most effective ways we have to contact you.  Most people have their cell phones with them throughout the day.  Simply login to your NLSC account, click on "My Account" and click the "Add SMS" button.  Enter in each cell phone that you would like to have receive texts from NLSC.  We promise to only use this feature for emergencies like pool closures.

Facebook - You can "Like" NLSC, which will add us to your Facebook feed, at facebook.com/nlscak

Twitter - Keep up on NLSC tweets by following us @nlscak or twitter.com/nlscak (We even do Vine videos from time to time)

Tumblr - For you teenage hipsters, check out nlscak.tumblr.com .  We will be hashtagging like crazy.

Instagram - I have converted my personal account we can be followed @nlscak or instagram.com/nlscak

Some Important Notes - 

For Swimmers - I promise not to follow you back, Facebook "friend" you, follow your tweets, or anything like that.  I want you to stay up to date on NLSC news and information.  Feel free to continue Facebooking, Tweeting, Instagramming, etc. without worrying that Coach Cliff is cyber stalking you.

For Parents - We will only be posting age appropriate media on our social media channels.

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Click,Give,Swim...it's time to get on it and support YOUR NLSC Anchorage Boosters!

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Central Area Swimming Scholarship

Attention graduating seniors. The Central Area Swimming Scholarship Application has been published! The application deadline is March 30th, 2014 at 2400 hours Alaska Time. Get those applications turned in, there is one $2000 that will be awarded, and up to five $1000 scholarships that will be awarded. Last year there were 3 applicants/recipients...all from NLSC.

Central Area Swimming has published it's scholarship information and application, for graduating seniors. The application deadline is March 30th, 2014 at 2400 hours Alaska Time. You can find the application at the Central Area Swimming website (www.akcas.org) or at the Alaska Swimming website at: https://www.teamunify.com/SubTabGeneric.jsp?_stabid_=1911&team=wzaslsc

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"Click, Give, Swim" Update

Your NLSC Booster Club Fundraiser. Go to www.nlscak.org to learn more about Click, Give, Swim  ************************ Benchmark #1 - $10,000 Did you know that your NLSC Boosters spend nearly $10,000 in pool rent each year? Thats right! The Boosters spend $10,000 (about $100 per swimmer) in pool rent for the following: -the IMX Challenge in November -the Valentine's Invite in February -to subsidize summer pool rent for the Gold group during May, June, July, & August -and family pool parties We need your help in "Click, Give, Swim". Go towww.nlscak.org to get involved. Read on for an update on our progress. ************************ Group Leaders Bronze (White) - tied Molly McLaughlin & Megan McLaughlin - $300 Bronze (Yellow) - no donations yet Silver - no donations yet Gold - Jonah Rogers - $200 Coaches - Coach Cliff - $200 Leading Training Group To date, the Bronze (White) group has raised the most money per swimmer and is on track to win the group pizza party. The other groups need to give the Bronze (White) group a run for their money! Incentives So far we have 4 swimmers earning t-shirts, and 2 swimmers earning t-shirts and a drawstring bag. There are lots of incentives for those who help the NLSC Boosters raise money. We have T-shirts, Drawstring Bags, Hoodies & Sweatpants, Backpacks, Deck Parkas, and Warm-ups.

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AK Age Group Psych Sheet

The AK AG Champ Psych Sheet has been posted. See how you and/or your teammates are seeded.

The 2014 AK Age Group Champs Psych Sheet has been posted at: https://www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=%2FEventsCurrent.jsp%3Fteam%3Dwzaslsc&id=305976&team=wzaslsc Check it out today!