In this issue:
New England Long Course Meters All-Time Top Ten List
Going back to the beginning of our club in 1972, Esther Lyman has amassed and scrutinized a tremendous amount of data from which she has compiled this list. It is in at least near perfect form now -- in what Esther calls "preliminary" form. Click here to see the list.
NE-LMSC is Seeking Chairman Nominations
Those at the July 2 meeting of the New England-Local Masters Swim Committee agreed to a process for the selection of an NE-LMSC Chairman. A nominating committee was formed to seek a permanent chairman. This chairman candidate, if approved by the directors, will serve until the annual meeting and be voted on by the membership at that time.
These are the nominating committee members. Contact any as soon as possible with your ideas for nominees.
NEM Brochures - Spread the Word!
Let others know about NEMSC - put some of our brochures up at your pool, or just give one to a swimming friend. To get copies of the brochure, contact Wendy Gulley (please include a SASE if you only need one or two brochures).
Wendy Gulley 59 Carroll Street Watertown, MA 02172 617-926-7896 w.gulley@nunet.neu.edu.
You can Be Number One in the NE-LMSC All-Time Top Ten
Volunteer needed to take over mailing the top ten lists. Top Ten Time listings have previously been requested on the membership application form and distributed with the membership card. Beginning in October, there will be a nominal charge for each list and requests will be made separate from membership renewal. Order forms will be in NEM News and will include the mailing name and address ready to be attached to the mailing envelope. If you are interested in helping out in this task, contact Evelyn Hausberger at ehausberg@aol.com; 603/888-5122; or 41 Shelley Drive, Nashua, NH 03062.
Open Water Swim Group Info Line
Open water swimming is a tremendous amount of fun, but like some other things, it's more fun with more people. But the right people aren't always easy to find. So....wouldn't it be great to have a little directory of who swims where and when? If you have a "regular" group doing open water swims, let us know. We can then let others know when and where they can join you. The buddy system is crucial to the safety of open water swimming, so no one should have to work out alone. Please send your time, place, and any other details to Lisa Ackerman at ackerman@tiac.net or 781-275-0494.
USMS Coaches ManualGet a copy of the USMS Coaches' Manual for $25 by using the order form in SWIM Magazine. 200 pages on training, technique, stroke drills, energy systems, clinics, workouts, and articles on other topics related to Masters swimming and coaching.
USMS Underwater Camera (Rental) Available$50 rents an underwater camera on a pole. Contact Paul Windrath at 612-388-8524 or pwindrath@compuserve.com.
Ft Lauderdale Roommate WantedMarian Coakley is looking for roomies at the meet in August. Contact her at 508-692-4819 or Marian.Coakley@future.ca.
USMS National Postal 5-K Champs; May-Oct 1998
In the 75-79 age group, Jim Edwards recently swam the distance in one hour, 39 minutes, and 58.99 seconds. This is below the record as of last year. Jim awaits the results of others between now and the end of Ocotober. SWIM Magazine has the info on how to enter this event.
Hale Reservation Open Water Swim June 6
Doug Walther, 51, won the men's one mile in 23:51.
Lisa Ackerman's swim/run/bike/David/dog/baby world Excerpts
Since you always appreciate a good Ackerman story, here's the latest. David had a good one today: he says "small world" story, I say "feel old?" story. He runs with Mike Ingardia the now NEM, who the guys are trying to convince to fall their way and run more than swim. David knew him from Tufts--Mike, in fact, took away many of David's records I think (MANY years later). I knew of Mike because his dad was in HNTB's (my old company) Kansas City office - so that sure surprised Mike..... Anyway, Mike brought his new girlfriend to run with them this morning. She's a swimmer and new NEM - Britt (Greineder) from BUMS. Gets out of the car, and David asked if she swam for Weston... David coached her when she was a little kid. Like 12. Hmmm. Good thing David is still older than me or I might have to feel old too. We women have a good idea about aging. No matter what, you guys are older. Works.
Anyway, as you may have noticed, David seems to run more than swim lately.. Like a lot more. Mike still swims in almost equal proportions to his running. However, the running gang is trying as hard as they can to convert him to the world of trail runner. I don't think it's working. Anyway, you could just drop it, and say that David runs with Mike. I still hope to get us to a meet one day, just to say hi or something.
I read that they suspended those four Chinese swimmers for taking triamterene, a diuretic. That is what I take for PMS. Therefore, I guess I will not be going to the Olympics. Please cancel my plane ticket.
Editor's note: Lisa emails NEM News from time to time with open water swim info, open water swim group info requests, baby-to-be reports, and sundry other things, some of which find their way in the newsletter. If you would like to contribute as Lisa does, please do, anytime. Send your "nemorabilia" to TomLyondon@aol.com
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by Tom Mack
At the boarding area for Air Morroc at JFK, it was obvious that a bunch of athletes were gathering. Many of the people showing up had that conditioned look to them. Over the next week we got to know and become friends with many of these people from all over the U.S., including Alaska and Puerto Rico. The evening flight had the best food I've had on an airline but the eye shades they gave us, and the ear plugs I brought, didn't help me get any sleep. Breakfast seemed to arrive an hour after dinner then were we in bright, sunny, palm-treed Morocco. By mid-morning we all cleared Customs and got on the Ponte Vedra tour buses.
We soon had a taste of the environment, a policeman was posted by the bus to deter the guys out to hustle us. We were tired, easy targets and Moroccans are very determined when it comes to making a buck off foreigners. The cop chased one guy around and around the bus. They gave us an introductory tour of Casablanca. About half of us saw it, the others were too exhausted too lift their heads. The tour guide stressed repeatedly that this was a "modern" city and made sure to point out the McDonalds. The donkey carts told us otherwise. The Hyatt, where the Ponte Vedra group stayed, was great. We were welcomed with the traditional mint tea, basically sugar water, and the hotel had a pool that some found fine for warm-ups.
After getting settled most of us got back on the bus to head over to register and check out the comp pool. The buses Ponte Vedra provided were nice. They allowed you to look down on the mayhem of Casablanca traffic, almost a free-for-all where traffic signals meant little and horns meant everything. Mopeds and little taxis were constantly darting around the bus and under the bumpers. The times I took a taxi to the pool I felt like I was taking my life in my hands.
The Moroccans we met were very nice, however. My French being nonexistent, one taxi driver took Win's friend Nona and me to the beach instead of the pool, far out of the way. He did not want to be paid because he made a mistake but we were generous and instead of the usual 10 dirhams paid him 20 (about 2 bucks).
Arriving at the pool the first day, trying to register was pure chaos. A big crowd of hot tired people shouting in all languages was pushing against a desk manned by 3 people. With no system in place, the staff would shuffle through stacks of pool passes and slowly find one at a time. There was a Catch-22 routine going on at the counter, as well. It went like this:
I don't know? Where do I get that?
How do I get the program?
Eventually we found someone who had registered and everyone went through his program to find their ID numbers. For two days we took turns waiting in the register line, with a list of ID numbers. I was the last to get my pool pass. On my third day of trying just before my first event it appeared. Somehow Billy Ann Burrill and Petey Smith walked out with their passes early the first day.
The pool was 50 meters and 8 lanes and cool. I was happy with it even though registration was a little disorganized. The heat seeding had some minor problems, too, though. People were left off the program here and there. But it was "no problem", the meet officials simply added a few heats at the end of each event. Dan Rogacki coined these the "donkey heats". The officials were very accommodating, something you would not see at most big meets. If you were left off the program for your event, if you missed your heat, or if you were a local who simply wanted to try your hand at world championship swimming; no problem, they just put you in the donkey heats. The only problem was that you were never sure of how you placed until the donkey heats were swum. There were usually a few ringers who got left off the program and showed up in the donkey heats, which disappointed some of us now and then. Sometimes it was painful watching the donkey heats with some hotshot swimming next to a local swimmer who may not have swum in years (if at all).
Things did settle down and become more systematic later in the meet and my time spent at the registration counter came in handy. I was familiar with some of the officials by then and the Arabic pleasantries I picked up (such as "salam" for hello and "shakran" for thank you) helped me change my 800 meter seed time from a record pace to a realistic one. My mistake in the 800 had me seeded at the top. The guys in my age group in the other freestyle events recognized my name and would look me over (i.e., "he doesn't look that fast"). I could not convey the term mistake in many languages.
One of the highlights of the meet was watching Dan Rogacki pick up a string of silvers and then finally break the streak with a gold his last day. Liz enjoyed the camaraderie of swimming a relay with Aagje Caron, Win Wilson, and Jim Edwards. There were plenty of highlights outside the pool too. We had fun hitting the restaurants in the area and sampling the local cuisine. I never got tired of couscous, or the 20 pounds of olives served with every meal, but I heard that some did. It was fun travelling with Aagje Caron who seemed to have the ability to converse with anyone, anywhere, in any language. She helped us find all kinds of interesting places to go or eat at. We found "Rick's" bar at the Hyatt, with a Bogart motif, to be a fun hangout for a few beers (except for Dan who paid 300 dirhams for a shot of whiskey one night).
The World Cup soccer games were in full swing during the meet. It was a big deal and all the talk on the streets. A small crowd of US swimmers watched the US vs. Iran game in Rick's bar one night. Every time the US took a shot at Iran's goal Dan would jump up and holler. The Iranians on the other side of the bar did not appreciate his interest in the game. It may be a good thing for a few NEM's that the US lost that game.
The last swimming event was the 5 K open water swim. It was held at a nice sandy beach next to a yacht club 1/2 hour north of Casablanca. Most of the NEMs had already left Morocco, and only Jim and I swam it. The usual organization difficulties were not too serious this time. However, I was never able to change my last place seed in this event. The meet staff was very accommodating again. They set up two large Moroccan tents on the beach complete with traditional carpets, pillows, and the ever present portraits of the King and his two sons (we never found out just how many daughters or wives the King has). One tent was for the 4 or 5 local dignitaries, the other tent was for the 250 swimmers. The Moroccan navy helped out too by parking two large ocean tug boats out by the two turn buoys for us to sight on. Once we swam out past the shelter of the breakwater the swell made it hard to find the buoys so the tugs helped. The ocean temperature was perfect and, contrary to the US State report which rated the ocean at Casablanca as unfit for swimming, I found the water to be clean.
Jim did not enjoy the conditions, maybe that's because he missed the mint tea. When I came out of the water they had waiters walking around with silver teapots and glasses of mint tea (I'd like to see that at the Boston Harbor swim). The first 20 swimmers, and the many spectators, polished off the mint tea quickly. Jim and I waited at the beach, with friends we had met in the week, for hours after everyone had swum for the results to be posted. We had a long drive to Fez so we finally skipped the award ceremony and hit the road. Chico, my competition from Brazil, was kind enough to pick up our medals and results late that night and left them at the Hyatt for us.
We wondered all week how we placed. The Ponte Vedra tour of Morocco after the meet was well run and a lot of fun. We have plenty of memories to share and photos to show. Nine US swimmers shared a tour bus with twice as many Brazilian swimmers from Sao Paolo. We could only communicate well with a few of the Brazilians but they were fun and outgoing. It was unique showing up at a hotels in places like Fez or Marrakech and seeing the pool fill up with all these good swimmers. The trip was a blast, I just hope I pay it off in time for Munich in 2000!
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by Jim Edwards, former NEM News editor (1977-1991)
It was predictable-and indeed it had been predicted-that the VIIth World's Masters Swimming Championships would be badly organized and conducted in Casablanca, in part because of the fact that at the VIth World's in Sheffield, England, in 1996 there was not one single Moroccan among the more than 4,000 entrants. The prediction proved to be only too accurate. FINA awarded the meet to Morocco, it is believed, because (1) Morocco is in Africa and (2) the president of FINA in 1996 was Moroccan. Having awarded the meet to Morocco, most participants in the meet would agree, FINA had an obligation to help the novice hosts put on a meet that would draw upon the experience of the planners and administrators of the previous World's Championships in Sheffied ('96) and Montreal ('94), not to mention Indianapolis ('92).
Notwithstanding (my) adverse comments (listed below), I should say that I enjoyed the experience enormously, and found the officials good natured and likeable. The competition pool was entirely acceptable-not notably fast or slow. T-shirt trading was fairly active, though ancient T-shirts were not as marketable as relatively new ones. Three of NEM's four men won a first place (Mack, Rogacki, and Wilson).
Post meet touring with the group of fun-loving Brazilians was for Tom, Liz MacBride-Mack, and me enjoyable and educational. Tom was lucky: he fell sick on the tour, but a 33-year-old lovely Brazilian orthopedic surgeon, Flavia Prado from Sao Paolo, put him quickly back in good health. Unfortunately, I didn't get the bug until I got home, where I don't know any 33-year-old lovely orthopedic surgeons.
Would I recommend that NEMs seriously consider entering the VIIIth World Masters in Munich in midsummer 2000? You bet I would! I find it highly relevant that the largest national team in Casablanca was from Germany. Overall, there were 2,350 entries from 49 countries: Germany (373); Japan (344); France (200); USA (179); Great Britain (166); Brazil (130); Russia (89); Italy (73); Spain (67); Australia (64); 655 from the other 39 countries.
Liz MacBride-Mack (35-39) 50 free 6 31.16 100 free 6 1:09.57 50 back 13 38.80 50 breast 12 42.73 200 IM 10 3:00.72 Aagje Caron (55-59) 400 free 7 6:40.20 200 breast 6 3:49.25 200 fly 7 4:16.51 (not able to get other events) Petey Smith: (70-74) 400 free 4 7:24.44 (had to scratch other events) Billie Ann Burrill (75-79) 100 free ? 1:52.43 400 free 3 8:54.29 Tom Mack (40-44) 50 free 17 28.84 100 free 12 1:02.88 200 free 6 2:14.10 400 free 7 4:41.61 800 free 1 9:33.48 4-K ocean swim 2 Dan Rogacki (50-54) 50 free 2 27.38 100 free 2 1:01.24 100 breast 2 1:16.88 200 IM 2 2:38.08 100 Back 1 1:11.98 Win Wilson (70-74) 200 free 2 2:52.58 400 free 2 6:04.22 50 fly 2 37.78 100 fly 1 1:30.12 Jim Edwards (75-79) 100 free 4 1:27.10 200 free 2 3:16.47 400 free 2 6:50.36 800 free 3 14:21.17 200 back DQ 4-K ocean swim 2 240+ medley relay 6/8 2:44.32 Jim Edwards, Aagje Caron, Win Wilson, Liz MacBride-Mack
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by John Wutzer
The morning sun sends a deceivingly warm light across the windy and choppy Boston harbor. The historic Boston Lighthouse stands tall and casts an ominous shadow as swimmers approach in their support boats. All wait patiently as the final competitors arrive.
Blam! The starter's pistol fires, signalling a five minute warning til the race starts. The apprehensive anxiety increases. Second thoughts race through the brain questioning the amount of swimming to be completed in conditions that are far from optimum. Goggles are pressed into eye sockets and swim caps are stretched on. Wet suits are zipped snug into place while others brave the waters with only their own skin. Non-wet suit competitors apply grease, thermal protection appears weak to them. Knowing the waters are cold, wet suit swimmers are in awe! A last glance at the statue-like lighthouse. A race director echoes a two minute warning with his bullhorn. Swimmers gradually slide into the traditionally chilly New England waters. A face-numbing 63 degrees F takes your breath away. One minute to go! An informal start line is randomly formed. Ten seconds till start! Boat support begins shouting a count down aloud. Screams of excitement roar from the goggled people in the water. An air horn sounds and off we go!
Kayaks to 30-foot cabin cruisers navigate each swimmer just ahead. Swimmers and boats jockey for a clear position in the water amidst the early traffic. A perception of chaos is felt. Swimmers cruise at their own pace and slowly drift apart. Only small islands ahead are visible. Rough seas randomly break loose the goggle seal. Salt water discomforts the eyes. No ocean liners in sight, but where are those waves coming from? Swimmers get tossed around like a dish rag in a front loading washing machine. A left arm power strokes air, right arm forward recovery plows through water. Forward progression feels halted. Must focus on the positive: no sharks! Just keep swimming! A short-lived warm water pocket provides a nice mental break from the shivering liquid. The first hour passes.
I signal my boat for support. As I hang off the side of my boat, I request that my arms be coated with vaseline for more protection from the cold. Gatorade and Power Gels are dispensed over the side of the boat. Food and liquid are swallowed in a flash. Boat support says I am doing fine, contrary to my perceived performance. A towering road bridge passes overhead and shadows the water below. Ahhh, amidst the chop, skyscrapers of Boston are now in distant view!. Half way home! I continue to hydrate and consume calories. Must not forget to keep that human fuel tank from going empty. After two hours, my arms feel like popsicles, but still moving at steady cadence. Thoughts of a hot shower please the brain momentarily, but back to the grind.
A fellow swimmer's support boat paces along with a pet on board. The black lab eagerly watches dog's best friend and master in the water, a nice distraction that brings a smile. A red capped swimmer is passed. An orange cap passes me. Small waves continue to beat down on the swimmers. Steady as she goes. Boston is closing in. Boat support indicates that the finish is in sight. I only spot a blur of distant land but the third hour has ticked past.
Cold water and rough seas take their toll. Confusing thoughts scramble the ability to focus clearly. Fatigue questions the amount of distance remaining to be swum. Finally the finish flags and the crowds of spectators on the beach are now in full view. Other swimmers converge for the last hundred yards. The pace quickens and there is a draining sprint to the finish with what energy remains. I scrape sand, stand unbalanced and stagger in ahead of the unexpected close competition.
Salt water swollen eyes, an enlarged tongue, aching triceps, sore lats, a polar cap chaffed neck, a shivering body and disorientation are all justified, having completed the most challenging swim of a lifetime . More importantly, having raised $1,500 for the Clean Water Africa project made me very proud with a finish time of 3 hours, 28 minutes and 50 secs.
Editor's Note: John Wutzer (32) is a Lower Bucks master swimmer. John completed this swim for charity to raise money for the "Global Partners for Development," a world wide non-profit organization which delivers directly the money raised to the projects for which they are intended. John has shared his experiences to set an example to do good for others. For more information, John can be reached at 215-547-4097 (w) or 609-538-6800 (h).
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submitted by Sam Thayer
The Club has a small but growing library of videos available to members. If you'd like to borrow one of the titles listed below, contact me (617-349-2671; sam_thayer@abtassoc.com; 5 Mystic Avenue, Winchester, MA 01890). When you send back the video(s), you'll need to include a check at $5 per video, payable to "NEM" for the round-trip mailing cost. If you've other videos you're willing to donate to the library, let me know.
Swim Smarter, Swim Faster II Starts, Turns & Finishes
Richard Quick and Skip Kenny, Stanford and US Olympic coaches explain how to take valuable seconds off by improving execution of these important aspects of a race.
Don Gambril's Gold Medal Series: Butterfly
Former Olympic Coach illustrates the techniques and training approach taken by 1984 US Olympians including the legendary Mary T. Meagher and Pablo Morales.
From the Fast Lane: Volume 3 - Advanced Technique
Lots of footage of swimming greats including Pablo Morales, Mary T., Rowdy Gaines, Jill Sterkel, and John Moffet demonstrating great stroke technique and their favorite drills. All four strokes covered. Very good underwater photography and slow-motion shots.
Videos recently added to the library:
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Head Coach -- West Roxbury-Roslindale YMCA
The West Roxbury-Roslindale YMCA GATORS are seeking an experienced, motivated head coach for the upcoming season (September - March). Most practices are held in the early evening. Additional hours at the Y (guarding, instructing) may be available. Contact Stephen Hughes, Aquatic Director, for more information: 617-323-3200.
USS Age Group Swim Coaches -- Shawmut Aquatic Club
Shawmut Aquatic Club seeks a head coach (ASCA Level 3) and an assistant coach (ASCA Level 1 or 2) beginning in September. The team swims year-round at Keefe Tech in Framingham and at Hanscom AFB in Bedford. Send resume to Shawmut Athletic Club, c/o Mark Coffey, 3 Colby Rd., Wellesley, MA 02482 or MarkBeans@aol.com.
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Breaststroke -- The shoulder may drop on turns and during the swim
Butterfly
Freestyle -- The underwater portion is limited to 15 meters
USMS has adopted changes to the rules of competition based upon changes made by USS on February 3, 1998. Changes were made to the breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle rules. The breaststroke rules no longer require the swimmer's shoulders to be in line with the surface of the water during the swim and turn. However, the restriction that the arms move within the same horizontal plane remains. Thus the rule change does not allow a substantial change to the stroke as it is currently defined, it just eases the requirements on the shoulder position. The butterfly and freestyle rules now have a restriction of 15 meters underwater, similar to the backstroke restriction, for both the start and the turns. A swimmer may stay submerged for no more than 15 meters at which time the head must have broken the surface. The other change to the butterfly rules is the permission to not have the shoulders in line with the surface of the water prior to the touch during the turn. Considering these changes, only the 15 meter restriction on Butterfly and Freestyle is restrictive compared to the current rules. Current legal strokes are still legal under all of the other changes.
From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and after each turn, the body shall be kept on the breast. The arms shall move simultaneously and in the same horizontal plane without any alternating movement. The hands shall be pushed forward together from the breast, on, under, or over the water. The elbows shall be under the water except for the last stroke at the finish of the prescribed distance. The hands shall be brought back on or under the surface of the water. The hands shall not be brought beyond the hipline, except during the first stroke after the start and each turn. Some part of the swimmer's head shall break the surface of the water at least once during each complete cycle of one arm stroke and one leg kick, in that order, except after the start and each turn the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs and one leg kick while wholly submerged. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.
At each turn, the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during any part of the last complete or incomplete stroke cycle preceding the touch. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner desired. The shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall and the form prescribed in .2 must be attained from the beginning of the first arm stroke.
After the start and after each turn, the swimmer's shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast. One or more leg kicks are permitted, but only one arm pull under water, which must bring the swimmer to the surface. It shall be permissible for a swimmer to be completely submerged for a distance of not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and after each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface. The swimmer must remain on the surface until the next turn or finish. From the beginning of the first arm pull, the swimmer's shoulders shall be in line with the water surface. Both arms must be brought forward over the water and pulled back simultaneously.
At each turn the body shall be on the breast. The touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner desired. The shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall.
Freestyle means that in an event so designated the swimmer may swim any style, except that in a medley relay or individual medley event, freestyle means any style other than butterfly, breaststroke, or backstroke. Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have broken the surface.
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7/19/98 at Jenny Thompson Pool, Dover, NH
Minutes submitted by Bob Seltzer, President
Present: David Grilli, Tracy Grilli, Ed Gendreau, Evelyn Hausberger, Bob Black, Fred Schlicher, Rob Berry and Bob Seltzer
Officer Changes: Two changes in EC officers. Both are interim positions until the next election to be held this Spring:
Meets: Ed presented his plans for the SCM Fall Season. We will have meets in R.I. in October, in N.H. in November and a championship meet at Bentley College in Waltham, MA (more info in the next newsletter). The Bernal's Gators Swim Club will run the meet. We expect a very professional meet in a venue that can easily handle a large crowd. A committee is in formation to assist Ed in running the championship meet. See Ed if you wish to help.
NEM Convention Rep: Rob Berry was selected as the NEM representative to this year's convention. Rob is an active member of the Coaches' Committee and attended the convention last year. This year, Rob will be a voting as an at-large delegate selected by Nancy Ridout, our USMS President.
Membership: Evelyn did not have membership report with her at this meeting but believes that NEM membership is over 780! Workout group competition, One Hour Swim, Metro Sports Campaign and new workout groups, especially the Cambridge Masters, were cited as reasons for the increase in membership. Bob expressed the opinion that we are likely to exceed 800 nenbers this year and suggested that we should strive to achieve 1000 in 2000!
Marketing Plan: Fred presented the first-ever NEM marketing plan. The objective of the plan is twofold: to increase member retention and to recruit more new members. Fred has generously agreed to work pro bono in managing the pla,n but does ask for some Club funds to support certain key elements. Fortunately, the Club recently received an LMSC grant for marketing activites that will cover most of the costs of implementing Fred's plan. It was agreed that we should appoint a subcommittee, to meet at least monthly, to work with Fred in his implementation of the plan. This effort will be reviewed periodically. Fred's plan was approved.
Logo: Everyone agreed that the new NEM logo is excellent and thanks to Tom Lyndon for submitting the winning design.
Next Meeting: In the fall; time and location to be determined.
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Q. What causes "swimmer's shoulder?"
A. The causes vary according to the specific problem.
If your problem is the most common type of impingement syndrome, then it is usually related to a muscle imbalance. The large internal rotators (pecs, lats) are used in the pull phase of freestyle, whereas the smaller, weaker external rotators (e.g., the rotator cuff muscles) are used in the recovery phase. Your problem may be with either group, although more commonly the problem is with the weaker external rotators. Stroke details which affect the stresses placed on the shoulder:
From an article by Jessica Seaton in the Spring 1996 Swimmers Source, the Southern Pacific Masters newsletter.
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NEW ENGLAND MASTERS SWIM CLUB
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