TNT Newsletter
January 2010
2009 YEAR IN REVIEW
2009 marked TNT Swimming's sixth year of providing Baldwin County's Eastern Shore communities with a choice in professionally administered, year round competitive swimming programs. As we begin another year, the program continues to thrive thanks to the loyalty and commitment of our swimmers, coaches and team parents, as well as our mutually beneficial relationship with the Bounds Family YMCA, the area's best swim training facility.
Although the team is still comparably young, the success of TNT's philosophy of long-term, gradually increasing degrees of commitment is becoming evident, as TNT age group participants now begin senior level training and competition. This approach emphasizes long term results by developing a love for the sport and technical skills early on, while introducing more demanding physical and psychological challenges in later years. This approach is based on evidence that failure to achieve maximum potential in senior swimming, is more often caused by "too much too soon," rather than by the opposite situation.
Competition highlights for 2009 include six TNT swimmers qualifying for finals competition at the Alabama State High School Swimming Championships.TNT finished 2nd place in the small team category and 19th place over - all at the Long Course Southeastern Championships among more than 40 participating programs from Tennessee, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. At that meet, TNT swimmer Kyle Simpson, won the 13 - 14 boy's High Point Trophy, while also qualifying for the Southeastern All Star Zone Team. Earlier in the year, a team high twenty one swimmers represented TNT at the Southeastern Short Course Championship meet, accounting for more than 33% of the entire team.
Of note was also an invitation by the American Swimming Association to TNT Head Coach Jan Mittemeyer, to speak at the 2010 World Clinic in Indianapolis next September. Coach Jan will present Thriving in a Small Market: Making Your Program Special, as well as a "meat and potatoes" talk on Teaching Freestyle and Backstroke Turns.on the ASCA Age Group Track.
TNT's tradition of contributing to LSC, State and Area administration also continued during the past year, with TNT parents leading the area as volunteers in our sport, regularly working at various levels as deck officials at USA Swimming, Summer League and High School meet venues.
One of the hallmarks of the TNT program continued hosting fun and innovative "in house" specialty practice sessions and family oriented events. 2009 specialty practices included our Mardi Gras Practice, Easter Egg Dive, Lazy River Swim, Halloween Practices and Level 5 Holiday Camps. TNT Family events included Short Course and Long Course Awards Dinners; Family Bowling Day, Kick off to Summer and New Family Beach Parties and our annual Christmas Party.
Finally, several families continued TNT’s tradition of community service by raising money for the American Cancer Society, bagging groceries at Wynn Dixie in Daphne and donating all proceeds to the ACS Relay for Life.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Beginning January 1, TNT Swimming returned to its original structure as a coach owned and operated competitive swimming program. This change was carefully considered before being implemented and was agreed to be in the best interest of both the team and YMCA to move forward by returning to the facility usage agreement so successfully employed since 2004. This agreement ensures continued cooperation between TNT and the YMCA by providing our swimmers full access to YMCA facilities as either family and youth members, while continuing to generate considerable revenue for the Bounds Family YMCA. Swimmers from the other YMCA branches will also continue to compete as TNT members for the foreseeable future.
GET IN THE KNOW
Coach Jan will host monthly parent meetings on Tuesday evenings at 6:45 PM, beginning next week, January 19 in the multi - purpose room at the Bounds Family YMCA. The meetings are open to all TNT parents and are intended to supplement email and web site communication in order to better provide information about upcoming events and meets, schedule changes, announcements and items of note, as well as discussion and answers to questions.
SWIM A RAMA WINNERS
The Swim A Rama was held December 19 and pledge collection totals are now final. The pledge per length fundraiser generated more than $7,000 in revenue to be used by the team to supplement costs not covered by monthly dues alone. This includes coaches salaries, equipment, team activities and operational expenses. Family accounts also will receive a 50% credit for every dollar raised beyond annual fundraising requirements. Special thanks to TNT family volunteers who pitched in to help operate the event, including organizational committee members, lap counters, and to parents who provided snacks for the swimmers.
Top Pledge Collector: Emma Laura Stough - Family Season Pass to Waterville, USA.
Top 10 & under girl: Emma Laura Stough - Fantasy Island Gotz doll.
Top 10 & under boy: Nicholas Szydel - Fantasy Island Skateboard.
Winner of goody bag with all gift certificates and other cool stuff, mvp shirt and towel: Adele Mantiply.
Winner of MVP Shirt: Christopher Houston, Emma Laura Stough, Nicholas Szydel.
Congratulations and thanks to all swimmers who participated in TNT's first Swim A Rama: Richard Arp, Ian Ballenger, Riley Boles, Simon Boles, Gabrielle Cavalcante, Hannah Denham, Sol Dreyfus, Sahra El - Hamaki, Brandon Federico, Josh Federico, Jennifer Florey, Anna Fouty, Labon Hester, Christopher Houston, Graham Jenkins, Miles Jenkins, Annabelle Kahalley, Killian Kahalley, Lola Mahner, Adele Mantiply, Sarah Meehan, Makenna Mosberg, Liam Nevils, Madison Scharles, Charlie Sledge, Frances Sledge, Jack Sledge, Andrew Szydel, Ashley Szydel, Nicholas Szydel, Makenzie Toxey, Boyd Turnipseed, Patrick Ward.
TNT SCHOLAR ATHLETES
Congratulations to those swimmers who achieved a 3.0 GPA during the 2nd academic marking period. Special thanks to those parents who submitted their swimmer's names for this listing.
EXTRA SPECIAL SWIMMERS
Thank you to those parents who submitted extra curricular highlights for inclusion in this listing.
Andrew Szydel is playing basketball for the Christ the King School 6th grade basketball team.
Nico is playing basketball for the Christ the King School 4th grade basketball team.
Haley Miller is playing volleyball for Daphne.
Simon Boles is playing in the Baldwin County Honor Band
Riley Boles is a Finalist in Fairhope Middle SSchool GeoBee {Geography Bee} Fast Skins
Elizabeth Ellis won her classroom's 3rd grade spelling bee so she represented her class in the school-wide spelling bee.
Adele Mantiply passed the Alabama Driver's License Test and is now licensed to drive. She made the Honor Roll at Bayside for the first semester (Bayside only gives report cards twice a year for the Upper School). Adele is taking part in a national essay contest on the question of whether technology is a blessing or a curse. She also made consolation finals at the AHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Boyd Turnipseed and Ryan Simpson were part of a relay team for SFHS that came in 14th overall in 400 Free relay. Boyd came in 2nd overall in Baldwin in the 500 Free.
Graham and Miles Jenkins welcomed their new baby sister, Ann Page Jenkins on Dec. 1, 2009. She weighed 7 lbs.1 oz and was 21 inches long.
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
Congratulations to those swimmers who celebrate birthdays during the months of December and January: Thomas Do, 8 on 12/2 - Elizabeth Ellis, 9 on 12/6 - Kelsie Shows, 11 on 12/9 - Jane Hanebuth, 12 on 12/12 - Simon Boles, 14 on 12/13 - Nicholas Szydel,10 on 12/15 - Kushil Ganti, 8 on 12/18 - Will Anderson, 15 on 12/20 - Jack Sledge 19 on 12/21 - Brandon Federico 9 on 12/30 - Adele Mantiply, 16 on 12/30 - Maise Gray 14 on 01/14 - Josh Federico, 6 on 01/21, Jenny Florey, 7 on 01/24 - Nathan Vincent, 7 on 01/24. Another year older and another year faster!
UPCOMING MEETS
BRING A MEMBER
The YMCA has a new membership drive underway featurning reduced dues for city and county employees, as well as public school teachers. New rates include $19.00 per month for a single membership, $29.00 per month for two household members, and $39.00 per month for a family membership. Additionally, the Y runs a continuous, "Bring a Member" campain in which you can earn a free month membership by enrolling a new member. For more information call Member Services at 626-0888.
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to TNT guest speakers who addressed out swimmers at the Level 5 Holiday Camp, December 24, 27 and 31. The speakers included Jeff Gaberino, a U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winning swimmer; Alan Cox, a member of the ’72 Alabama National Championship Football team, and B.J. Jones, the Captain of Auburn’s 2005 NCAA Championship Swimming Team. You can read more about the camp HERE.
FEEDBACK
Please direct any questions, comments or suggestions about this or future newsletters to Coach Jan Mittemeyer. For complete information about TNT Swimming, please visit the web site HOME PAGE
January 15 - 17
January 29 - 31
February 6 - 7
February 20 - 21 
February 25 - 28
Gulf Breeze, FL
Auburn, AL
Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Breeze, FL
Nashville, TN .
GPAC Winter Invitational
Ralph Crocker Invitational
PNY Polar Bear Swim Fest
South District Championship Meet
Southeastern Short Course Champs
Will Anderson
Riley Boles
Simon Boles
Hannah Denham
Elizabeth Ellis
Anna Fouty
Graham Jenkins
Miles Jenkins
Sahra El - Hamaki
Brandon Federico
Joshua Federico
Christopher Houston
Annabelle Kahalley
Killian Kahalley
Lola Mahner
Adele Mantiply
Libby McCracken
Sarah Meehan
Haley Miller
Madison Scharles
Connor Schmidt
Kyle Simpson
Ryan Simpson
Charlie Sledge
Frances Sledge
Jack Sledge
Nicklaus Smith
Ashley Szydel
Nicholas Szydel
Makenzie Toxey
Boyd Turnipseed
Sarah Wilson
