December Cheer from Captain Merritt

Hey Team,



I’m happy to be back in the water full time this week. As some of you may know I was involved in Stunt Nite and could not make it to practice as much as I would have liked due to this commitment. I am looking forward to our big meets coming up in December and I am especially excited for Taylor, Tasija, and Michael as they prepare for their national level meets! Seniors will be a great meet and I am glad that we can go as a team and show New England how fast GMA really is.

We have a lot to prepare for this month but even more to look forward to as December brings not only holiday cheer but fast meets and great swims. I am confident that we will have tremendous success if we continue to train as well as we have these past few weeks. If anyone has any questions about anything, or concerns that they have feel free to talk to me at swimming or contact me via email at mtboardman@gmail.com.



-Merritt

Team Captain Becky Shares Her GMA Experiences This Season

Hello GMA coaches, parents, and athletes,

The 2009-2010 swim season is well underway. Everyone has something to think about, whether its the season goals we have been setting in team meetings, the skills we have been focusing on in the pool, or the school work that seems never-ending.

As one of the high school seniors on GMA, I am feeling the burden of the whole college acceptance process. Applications are due on Sunday, so I have been busy organizing my letters of recommendation, my college essay(s) and the supplemental applications. The sooner you begin writing your college essays and choosing your prospective schools, the better off you will be. Trust me.

I have finished my recruiting trips, for the most part. For my official (paid) visits, I went to the University of Vermont, Central Connecticut State University, Marist College, and Keene State College. I also visited George Mason University and will hopefully be returning for an official visit soon. In the next few weeks, along with my senior teammates, I will have some tough decisions to make in choosing the right college. Your support is much appreciated.

As for the rest of the team, there is a lot going on as well. Taylor Grey is organizing the Swim-A-Thon again this year, Christa Weaver is leading the Bon Ton fundraiser, and I am organizing a Poinsettia Fundraiser for the Booster Club. The GMA I.M.X. challenge is on November 1st, so everyone should be getting pumped to swim their best to achieve a strong I.M.X. score, as well as to show everyone what we've got! I am excited to see everyone working hard in the water and in school. With all of the leadership, support, and commitment coming from everyone involved in the GMA program, I'm sure this season will be nothing but a success. See you around the pool!

Rebecca Anderson

GMA Captain's Season Opening

Hello GMA Swimmers, Coaches, and Parents

I am kicking off the Bi-Weekly Captains’ Blog on gmaswim.com! In case you haven’t heard, the votes are in for the 2009-2010 GMA captains. They are: Merritt Boardman, a senior at Rice High School, Taylor Grey, a senior at CVU, Becky Anderson, a senior at Essex High School, and me, Dylan Hadden, a junior at Colchester High School. On behalf of all of us I can say that we excited to lead the team to another successful season throughout New England, and the country.

It’s been a great start to the 09-10 short course season at GMA. After about 6-8 weeks of technique based, aerobic training, its clear the team is ready to start focusing on their fast mid-season meets in December. Along with making a change in our training intensity, it’s also that time of the season again where GMA begins its goal setting process. Although still early in the process, most swimmers have outlined their end-of-season goal times and are planning what steps they need to take to achieve them. Some of the things said ranged from training goal times in practice to staying healthy outside of practice, and working on specific weaknesses like no-breath turns and SLUDK.

All in all it looks like people are beginning to settle into their school routine and with the next few weeks looking like they should be a challenging increase in training intensity, GMA will be focused and ready to swim fast in December, and at champs.

Let's Go GMA!!

Dylan Hadden