March 9 2010

Team,

As you can probably tell, I am pretty pleased with the results of our meet in Nashville. On paper it may not be what we envisioned, but it was finally representative of what great teams do. We encountered many challenges, and we just kept coming, rising to it and helping each other out. We have some really tough people on this Team.

Let’s talk about the summer season some. Two years ago we went to a Grand Prix meet in Columbus in April. I still think it was the best LC Season we have had since I came to Dynamo because we started racing long course in meaningful meets right away.

Last year, we did not, and swam the Spring Splash and Dixie meets here at Dynamo. It took us a long time to get going last season, and we cannot go through that again this season. I have been working to set up a different meet schedule for us this summer. This will also mean there are a few more traveling opportunities, and some cost associated. I encourage you to take advantage as you can, and make those decisions within your family.

I had talked of going back to Columbus months ago, and was met with some push back as the meet is over Easter weekend. Not a worry as I had found a meet in Nashville to go to in late April. Well, since it would be at the same pool we just left, not in a rush to get back to it. So Columbus is back on, and it is an opportunity to race long-course right away. It is a grand prix cut meet, so everyone gets some events. I encourage you to go if possible, but understand that your family needs to make decisions.

I am working on a replacement for the late April. Plan on this type of schedule:

April 1-3	Ohio State Grand Prix	Columbus, OH	Details below
April 24-25	TBA or Spring Splash TBA	TBA
May 14-16	Bulldog Invite/UGA	Athens, GA	everyone
June 4-5	IMX Meet	Dynamo	Weaker events
June 5-11	USAS Youth Team Trip	Barcelona, Spain	Stewart/Lane
June 25-27	27 Dynamo Team Travel Trip	TBA	Not Indiana University
July 15-18	18 Senior Sectionals	UGA	Those with junior cuts already
July 22-24	Sr State Championships	Georgia Tech	Those getting junior cuts
August 3-8	USAS Senior Nationals	Irvine CA	Limited events/make a USAS Team
August 9-13	USAS Junior Nationals	Irvine, CA	Win the Meet!

I will get details to you as they become available.

Here is the Columbus 411:

Air Tran flights are cheap right now: The following flight is less than $150.00 right now. I am in the following flights. Please book them on your own, and forward me a confirmation. I will enter you in the meet upon receipt of confirmation; deadline is the 15^th of March.

Still working on a cheaper hotel rooms, as of now it would be about $175 per person for the four nights. That will be due before the trip. Will work on getting it down, only other cost would be food on your own (pay for your own as you go).

Outbound: 3/31 Air Tran #517 9:30 AM (11:01 AM)

Return: 4/4 Air Tran # 516 6:00 AM (7:34 AM)

Thanks for your support. I am as excited about this Team right now as I have been about any Team I’ve ever been associated with.

JT