USMS Relay 2024

by Terri Stauffer-Schmidt

Members of our AZLMSC community attended the USMS Relay 2024 event in Houston, Texas. It is held every year and is dedicated to community development and collaboration. It is attended by Coaches, LMSC participants, Officials, USMS Board and committee members, and swimmers interested in getting more involved.

Relay is about recognizing the efforts of volunteers that make USMS happen. Many who attend are unpaid volunteers who devote 1,000’s of hours supporting and promoting all the various programs USMS has to offer, including: competitive swimming, recreational swimming, college clubs, Adult Learn-to-Swim, Grown up Swimming and Lane Mate. Multiple presentations and resource sessions were held throughout the 3-day event.

Marketing sessions for Clubs and LMSC, Recruiting New Volunteers 101, and a Leadership Skills Workshop. Community via Competition discussed how pool meets, open water events, virtual national championships and informal competition during workouts or elsewhere can help develop community. Social Media for Clubs and LMSC discussed the best practices for leveraging social media. These were to name a few of the ways those attending could obtain the tools, to help grow and develop what USMS has to offer.

Coaches and officials devote their time, talents and treasures to their local LMSC’s, serving on National Committees, and promoting outreach in their local communities.

What Does Relay Mean to Me

Barb Sloan wrote. TEAM is something I have used throughout my career in an International Non-Profit organization that could not survive without volunteer support (much like USMS). The Relay weekend is all about recognizing and highlighting the volunteer contributions of ALL who participate to make USMS so successful. It was eye opening to again see just how involved USMS is in communities across the country.

Swimming in a relay refers to a team race where each swimmer completes a portion of the total distance before tagging the next teammate to continue the race. It’s TEAM work – Together Each Achieves More.

As a member of a volunteer board (AZLMSC) teamwork for me means working collaboratively withing USMS and achieving the organization’s mission and goals. It involves each member contributing their skills, expertise, and time, supporting each other, and communicating openly and effectively.

What we experienced this weekend is that teamwork is essential for making collective decisions within USMS (at all levels), addressing challenges, and achieving the members objectives. We also learned that it means respecting diverse opinions, building consensus and maintaining a sense of shared responsibility for the organization’s success up and down the ladder.

As a volunteer member of the AZLMSC board, I clearly see the importance of fostering a positive and cohesive team dynamic which is so crucial to keep everyone engaged and motivated to contribute their best efforts.

I am blessed to be a part of USMS at the National, State and local levels. I personally get back more than I ever expected, which makes me better as a Coach, Instructor, LMSC Board member and participant on a few National Committees. The friendships we forge are the “icing on the cake”.

It must also be noted that before the weekend was over there was some fun competition. Some of our members came together as a team “Mermaids of the Desert”. Their intent was to exhibit diversity and inclusion within USMS.

They did a great job. CONGRATULATIONS on 4th Place! Love the trophy.

For further information contact us: Lisa or Barb

Chair Katy’s’ tribute to Gaile Harden (1940 – 2024)

by Katy James

My friend and fellow competitor, Gaile Harden, passed away comfortably at home, October 8, 2024. For over 30 years, she competed in swim meets and senior games representing Prescott and Arizona, in eighteen states, including nationals. From 1995 to 2020, Gaile placed in the top ten national rankings 15 different times, mostly in 200 backstroke and 200 breaststroke. Gaile didn’t start swimming competitively until she was 54. She was 84 at her passing.

Gaile’s Celebration of Life service will be held, November 3, 2024 from 2:30-4:30 at The Adult Center, 1280 E Rosser St, Prescott, AZ.

She and I attended nationals together last in 2019 in Mission Viejo. We swam together on the 280+ mixed 200 medley relay. I will really miss her.

Obituary: https://www.dcourier.com/obituaries/obituary-gaile-james-harden/article_03a6843a-881e-11ef-9ea3-332050e26250.html

It’s a Wrap: Ron Johnson Swim Meet 2023

By Jeff Commings – Dolphins of the Desert Masters

Swim Devil Masters just wrapped up work as host of the 21st annual Ron Johnson Invitational, a meet that has become a destination for Masters swimmers from neighboring states. In the early years, only Arizonans came to the meet, but in the early 2010s, athletes from California and Colorado came to Tempe to race in the mid-fall short course meters meet. This year, athletes from as far away as Minnesota came to race at what has become one of the top short course meters meets in the country.

This year, the meet celebrated record attendance, with 266 swimmers competing at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center on the campus of Arizona State University.

“The meet was up and active months earlier than in previous years,” Katy James said. “I think that brought in more out-of-state swimmers because they were able to make travel plans early.  It also helps when we have the fastest pool in the place with the best fall weather in the country!”

Though the meet competed with the ASU football game on Saturday and the Ironman Arizona triathlon on Sunday, everything went fairly smoothly. Each day finished at least 15 minutes ahead of the timeline!

Mother Nature made a nasty appearance during the Saturday distance session, with rain falling through most of the 800 heats. But, the clouds parted during the Saturday afternoon session, and spectators were rewarded with three world records, all in the 50 breaststroke.

I was not expecting to lower my Masters world record in the 50 breast in the 45-49 age group. I had set the record at 45 years old in 2019, and was only trying to see how close I could get to it in my final year in the age group. Stepping up on the blocks next to world championships participant Youssef Elkamash and Olympic gold medalist Roland Schoeman gave me the boost I needed to shave .01 off my record with a 28.64. Schoeman took down the world record in the 40-44 age group with a speedy 27.05. Elkamash, a native of Egypt who represented Grand Canyon University, just missed the world record of 26.99 in the 25-29 age group with his final time of 27.46.

Katie Glenn, representing Off Piste Aquatics in Colorado, made the trip to Tempe and was rewarded with a world record in the 50 breaststroke for the 45-49 age group. Her time of 32.59 took down the six-year-old world record of 33.01 set by Australian Olympian Linley Frame and the 13-year-old USMS record of 33.82 by Olympian Susan von der Lippe. In a situation very similar to mine, Glenn said she just wanted to see how close she could get to the record, and surprised herself by dropping more than a second off her recent best time.

Brent Creager of Swim Devil Masters got in on the fun as well on Saturday with a national record in the 100 butterfly. His time of 55.53 was good enough to beat Mike Ross’ 15-year-old record of 55.82.

The atmosphere at the meet was at an all-time high, perhaps likely due to the record attendance. Even after the sun set on Saturday and relay teams were bundled in parkas waiting to swim, cheers from teammates keep spirits high. As a longtime member of U.S. Masters Swimming, I always enjoy seeing and hearing the excitement on the deck at a swim meet, and even seeing swimmers dressed in funny outfits.

Another great highlight was having some of the Arizona State swimmers racing in exhibition swims during the relay breaks. A lot of Masters swimmers gathered on the side of the pool to watch these young swimmers in action, and I could hear some people making comments about how they can apply what they saw in the NCAA swimmers into their own swimming. Perhaps that can be a regular feature of the Ron Johnson meet. Some years, we get Olympians racing throughout the meet. In 2021, Ryan Held wowed the crowd with quick swims, and Darian Townsend gave swim racing clinics over several years. I’m still crossing my fingers and hoping that a certain 28-time Olympic gold medalist will use the Ron Johnson Invitational as his Masters swimming debut.

Jeff Commings is a Masters world and national world record holder. He is the head coach of Dolphins of the Desert Masters in Tucson and the co-owner of Dolphins of the Desert Swimming Academy.

Why We Compete

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to several individuals who belong to swim clubs across the valley. They ranged in age from 37 to 73. I wanted to answer the question…why we compete. What they told me was so inspiring. All of them began swimming at age 6 or 7, and most of them joined a swim team at 8 years old and are still competing today.

Terry DeBiase swims with the Swim Devil Masters. He told his mother he liked the swim team t-shirts. To get one she told him he had to join the team, so he did. His coach said he was a natural. When you swim and win blue ribbons it motivates you.

Lindsey Urbatchka swims with the Swim Devil Masters, Mesa Aquatics, and the Phoenix Swim Club. She grew up in a small town in Wyoming. Her parents enrolled her in swimming lessons at the YMCA. When Lindsey had completed all the lessons, the swimming instructor recommended she join the swim team. Her mom didn’t know what the swim team was. At 8 years old Lindsey won her first state championship.
Katy James swims for the Swim Devil Masters and is the AZLMSC board chair. She began swimming at 6. Her dad signed her up for the swim team at the YMCA at the age of 8. She remembers being able to swim backstroke the length of the pool.

Karen Loring swims with the Sun City West Masters swim club. She walked 1 ½ miles with her brother to watch him swim. She told her parents she wanted to swim too and began lessons with the Red Cross. She didn’t swim competitively until the age of 65, when a friend wanted a companion to swim the 1650 with her at the Senior Games. Karen did swim with her friend and also swam her first 50 freestyle.
Keisuke Yagi swims with the Swim Devil Masters. He was born in Japan. His mother was a swim coach and had him in the water at less than a year old. The swim coach encouraged him to join the team. After moving to the United States, he began swimming with a swim club to be around more English-speaking people.

Marc Valle swims with the Swim Devil Masters. He remembers learning to swim in the community pool with his parents and swallowing lots of water. For Marc the swim club was all about training. He did not enjoy swimming until High School when competition was not the primary motivator, but swimming was more about comradery and the team.

All these amazing swimmers began swimming at a young age. If there were lapses in their swimming, they found themselves coming back to it. They are high achievers, but what kept them swimming and competing was not their achievements but their friendships with other team members, the fun they had competing, the memories. Marc has travelled to Russia, Budapest, Italy and South Korea swimming with a Master’s swim club. He loves seeing new places and sharing these times with good friends. Marc came back to swimming when his doctor told him he had high blood pressure. He didn’t want to take medicine to control it and remembered that swimming was how he used to keep in shape.

Lindsey was recruited to the University of Kansas. She loved the family atmosphere and the feeling of swimming for something bigger than herself. I liked it when she said, “It’s you versus you. You don’t have to rely on anyone else. It’s your fault you have the race of your life. It’s your fault if you don’t.”

Terry still enjoys competing, but more for fitness. It’s now as important as competing. If he’s sore and stiff in the morning he gets into the pool and gravity takes over and the soreness and stiffness is gone. Terry said, “I don’t want to survive a competitive event, but I prepare for it so that I can enjoy swimming it when competing.” All the swimmers said staying fit was a large part of why they still compete and swim.

The rule in Karen’s family was if you joined a sport you had to complete the season. They emphasized the importance of team spirit. Marc mentioned that the Swim Devil Masters club is a very large group, but only a small number of people compete. The coach is great at getting people to come out to stay fit. He makes it fun. It’s about the club as a whole coming together and supporting each other to compete, stay fit, and have fun as a team.

Keisuke is now a pilot for Delta Airlines. He swims every day but can be gone for 3-5 days at a time. When he gets back in the pool, he feels like he has lost what he had gained. But he loves swimming and will always be swimming.

As Katy James said she intends to keep swimming. “Forever, or until I die.” Everyone I spoke to says the same. Competition keeps them motivated, but swimming to compete, competing to swim is part of their lives.

Article by: Terri Stauffer-Schmidt