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NASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEETING MINUTES

5/16/2007

CALL TO ORDER: The NASA Board Meeting of May 16, 2007 was called to order at 6:20 PM.  Joe Keller, Wendy Bernth, Brad Fisher, Les Stoller, and Bridget Griffin were present.  Additionally, we welcomed Kristi Sandt, a new board member, replacing Melissa Laughlin, was also present.  The meeting minutes from April 16, 2007 were approved as written. 

ALL MEMBERS:   A high priority this summer will be to assemble new procedure manuals aligned with our new committee structure.  We have not heard from the attorney regarding our by-laws.  We will implement board governance this fall.  Joe attended a strategic planning meeting at Tony Young’s house on May 5^th.  There were club, high school, and college coaches in attendance.  They discussed their role as liaison between families and Indiana swimming.  They also looked at ways of getting parents and athletes to understand that we are all part of a larger organization.  Joe will spearhead a continued discussion on this topic through email.  The timing of this fits with our new V/M/P as we strive to do a better job with athlete/parent education.  Joe shared a handout (Stairs to Success) that we would like to adapt to our club.  Also, Joe shared a statistic from Indiana swimming that related to athlete retention.  Indiana swimming averages 10,000 athletes each year with a 30% turnover rate.  The club portal information will be updated.  Joe has shared the new V/M/P with the Senior group.  Joe  and Bill are beginning to implement parts of it.  Team shirts will be provided to all the swimmers this summer.  They will wear them at meets.  The Senior athletes will have joint activities with the younger athletes.  The Intrasquad meet was the first opportunity to do this.  On Monday May 21, the Senior Group will run a clinic with the younger groups.   On July 14, there will be a club family cookout following the time trials.  The Senior Group will plan the activities.  The NASA Board will plan the cookout.   The groups have been using video taping as part of their practice.  The Senior Group has been utilizing TiVO to evaluate their starts and drills.  The Partner Program has been set up with new families partnered with volunteer experienced families.  The information will be distributed this week.  We would like to look at ways to begin marketing ourselves as a great club!  We need to market the professionalism of our coaching staff and our coach/athlete performance.  Some ideas for marketing that have been used in the past have been a “bring a friend pool party”, the Middlebury Festival parade, and writing letters to former swimmers.  The year round programming was discussed.  There were several families who originally signed up for the year round programming and did not actually return this summer.  This created some problems as staffing plans were made using the year round information.  There will be a NASA meet on January 5, 2008 (New Year’s Classic).  The club has this on Indiana Swimming’s meet schedule and the pool and field house have been reserved.   This meet will alternate weekends every other year (with the high school swim schedule), either the first or second weekend in January.  A meet packet needs to be developed so we can apply for a sanction.  Mike Ganger from the Crystal Valley Connection will be attending our summer invitational.  Ricky Yoder of Be Blessed Photos will also be on deck taking photos.  We will not be using VIBE photography.  The new contract for Phil will be due at the start of the winter season.  Junior Nationals and Nationals will be held in Indy this summer.  We have a black & white flyer for our heat sheet and a color banner on our web site to promote these meets.  Joe has made hotel reservations for the coaching staff for this summer. The board was asked to continue thinking about the idea of a team hotel for next year.  Evaluations of the coaching staff from the winter season are available for the board’s review.  The evaluations for the Senior Coach, the Administrative Assistant, and the Business Manager will be completed at the end of the summer season. 

WENDY:   Wendy distributed and reviewed financial reports for the club.    Wendy needs the fee sheet for the FWA Meet to complete invoices.  The following families will require dues adjustments because of their swimming schedules this summer – Grusy, Hembree, Wahlgren, and Jill Welch.  One family has completed the Counsilman Grant application.  No credits were given for the new family referral program we started this season.  All registrations are complete.  Spenser Hanson will need a transfer form submitted.  Adam’s coaching information has not been sent in.  He has been unable to finish his on-line coaching test due to system problems at USA Swimming.   Coach Marfa and Coach Miller have both completed their background checks and have been reimbursed.  Wendy has the financial report from the Intrasquad meet and will be sending in the related fees (surcharge only) to Indiana Swimming.  Wendy was unable to attend the Dollars for Scholars Breakfast due to the 2 hour delay.  Kevin Troyer sent a thank-you to the Board and the club for his scholarship.  He will be attending IU in the fall.  The water order has been received.  Wendy has completed all necessary start-up work for the season.  Folders are updated, medical release books are complete, handbooks and record keeping books were distributed (will need more in the fall), and all the Terms & Conditions Forms have been collected.  Wendy has finalized preparations for the Great Race to be held at Northridge on May 26.  She will call to finalize the entries so we can set up the meet.  Joe will be out of town.  A volunteer sheet is on the board.  The Great Race will provide drinks and light snacks for the participants.  Wendy will determine how the lifeguard is paid.   Wendy has distributed suits and caps to new members as well as some replacement suits.  Items that have been purchased and can be added to the NASA Donation list include the tubing for hand paddles and the new mouse/keyboard for the laptop.  The Mancino’s giveback day is scheduled for June 5^th.  NASA will receive 25% of the sales that day (with coupon). 

BRAD:   Capital projects are on hold until the new pool is complete.  Brad is working on updating the concession information for the Summer Invite.  Reminders will be sent for concession donations.  Set-up for the meet will be Thursday evening, June 14.  Joe will confirm the arrival time of Kast-A-Way so we can have people available to assist with unloading the merchandise. The Chicken Sale went well with the Senior Group (under Melissa Spilman’s supervision) running it.  Brad will reserve this same day/date for next year.  The Little Caesar’s Pizza Kit fundraiser will be held this summer.  The orders will be ready for pick-up on June 5 at 5:30 PM.  The record board has been updated.  The board agreed to host the Summer Awards Celebration at Bonneyville on Thursday, August 9^th.  We will have a carry-in dinner at 6:15 PM  followed by the Awards Ceremony.   More information will be distributed to the families.  The team t-shirts will be ordered at a cost of $10.00 per shirt. 

LES:  The Level IV Clinic was held on April 30 and May 1 at 7:00 pm for all new families and the families on the list.  All but three families attended and many were able to try out their new skills at the Intrasquad meet.  There are still families needing to attend the Level IV/Timer’s clinic at the start of the winter season. Joe suggested that Les contact Carey Camarata to schedule him for our January meet as Carey is already being contacted for high school meets.  We currently have 9 registered officials with our club.  Les will contact all of our officials for our summer invitational as well as the time trials.  A Level II/III officials’ clinic needs to be scheduled early this season.  The Ad Solicitation Committee met to discuss the next steps for their committee.  Jenny Welch talked to the group about her experiences with fundraising.  Les will contact Mrs. Lamble for marketing ideas.  There are several different opportunities for grants through stores such as Target, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.  We have not heard about The Goshen Health Care System Grant although Les was told the notifications have been mailed out to applicants. 

NEW BOARD MEMBER:  (Joe’s comments) Kristi Sandt attended the meeting.   Additional recruiting tri-folds are needed for summer lessons.  Board members were asked to check their availability for the last days of each swim lesson session to help answer questions and pass out tri-folds.  Help is needed on June 29, July 20, and August 3 from 10:00 AM – Noon.   The board decided to use Be Blessed Photos as the photographer for our meet.  We will contact him to see if he also does individual and team photos.  Help is needed to unload and organize the pizza kits on June 5 at 4:00 PM.   The phone list has been copied and distributed.  Joe has received positive comments about the Coaches Corner.  The next issue will be in folders the week of June 4^th.  Joe will include information about helping at the meet as well as invite parents to become officials.  

COACH KELLER:  PRACTICE/TRAINING ITEMS: New team reps are next year’s high school team captains (Elizabeth Spilman, Katie Griffin, Michael Grubaugh, Todd Wenger, and Trace Hanson) and Autumn Spilman and Brittney Walters from Star Z.  The group reps are Hannah Berger for Star S, Tyler Matthews for Gold, and Matt Holland for the Blue Group.    There are great group sizes this summer; there should be many opportunities for individual attention.  The USA Swimming regulation regarding minimum water depth for teaching starts is being observed for all groups.   Sometime this summer the pool lot will be resurfaced.  During the project parents and swimmers will need to park in a different area.  On July 5-6, there will be no power in the building.  There will be a training session offered in the morning on July 4^th.  There will be morning practice on Thursday, July 5 for the Senior Group, Star Z and Star S.  For Friday, swimmers attending the Southeastern Meet will either have a Friday event or be asked to come to the Nat on Friday and warm-up in the diving well.  MEET ITEMS:  Katie Griffin, Elizabeth Spilman, and Kevin Troyer have qualified to apply for the USA Scholastic All American Recognition based on their grade point average and participation in a Sectional Meet.  They need to resend their applications after their final transcripts for the year are complete.  The free sectional meet suits have been ordered through our TYR rep but have not come in yet. There are still some left over awards and ribbons to be distributed from the awards night.  Travel bags from winter season have been distributed.  The second Swim Lesson sign-up will be on Saturday, May 19.    Joe discussed the positives of the Intrasquad including Billl Spilman and Carey’s information, high school athlete involvement, and the picnic.  COACHING: There is an ASCA world clinic in September that Bill Spilman may attend.  ACTIVITIES:   Tyler Matthews attended the Catch the Spirit Camp on April 28.  Sarah Griffin, AJ Bernth, and Brennen Berger will attend the IN/IL Elite camp over Memorial Day weekend.  Nathaniel Stoller will attend the Zone Select Camp at IU over Memorial Day weekend.  The board approved the following Senior Group activities:  Capture the Flag at Bonneyville on May 26, canoe trip followed by a cookout at Nick’s on June 30, a team cookout following the time trials on July 14, and a trip to the Deep River Water Park on August 7.   Permission slips will be used for the canoe trip and the water park trip.  Some of the chicken sale proceeds will be used to fund a portion of these activities.  On May 22^nd, Developmental, Blue, Gold, and the Star Groups will meet from 3:45 – 5:30 to play miniature golf at the Essenhaus.  On Saturday, June 2^nd the Gold/Star Z swimmers and families will be having an activity at Camp Friedenswald.  There will be open water practice as well as many other fun outdoor activities.  The cost is $5.00.  Families will bring their own food. OTHER PROGRAMS:   Diving lessons are being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays by Coach Welch.  She will continue to coach for the high school team next year.  Joe is beginning a search for a high school assistant coach for next year.  Congratulations to Matt Barnes (a high school diver) who has been named a NISCA Academic All-American and All State. The high school team was invited to the High School Hall of Fame Meet being held the first weekend in December.  Due to conflicts with the NHS Semi Formal, Joe declined the invitation.  The summer lesson program is all set.  Guards and instructors have been hired.  There are 315 children signed up after the first registration.  A new athletic director has been hired.   Joe will meet him next week.  The meeting adjourned at 11:40 PM.  The next meeting will be Monday, June 11, 2007 at 6:15 PM in Joe’s office.