hi jayson,

thank you for all you do for the swimming community. i found the diversity in aquatics website after following a link through usa swimming's website via mr. john cruzat.

i'm very much looking forward to exploring the wealth of knowledge from the many contributors and experienced coaches that have offered to share their insight and i greatly appreciate the opportunity to be updated with the the most current and useful information for promoting the sport of swimming.

happy holidays and best wishes for the new year,
tom sweeney

My supervisor has been a member and she has been sending me links to this site. I figured it was just time for me to become a member myself!

I found the site surfing around in google.

Hi Jayson,
My brother teaches swimming down in Florida. He is a triathelete and has been talking to me about joining a masters team and swimming more. I recently moved from Florida and still exploring the DC area.
Best,
Therese

I heard about this from Miriam Lynch. We both coach out of the same pool and she told me about it one day at practice.

The team was called City of Charlottesville Swim Team and swim in the Jefferson Summer Swim League. They have since added a fish to the name I think but still have the name CITY. They alternate winning division C and finishing last in Division B each summer.

I think they take about 50 kids into year round swimming in September. The entire focus is on doing well at the Black History Swim Meet in February.

The uniqueness is the make up of the team. My goal was for it to be an ambassador of all things good in people. The racial diversity grew out of that and, from what I understand, has added a small Hindu component lately. The team has been comprised of all races, religions and nationalities since we pull foreign families from UVA.

I am in swimming pool equipment sales. I met Shaun Anderson at Norfolk State this week. An eloquent man with a clear vision of what the future should look like in aquatics and could look like in our communities. Universities need more men like him.

Good Day, Thank you for your prompt response. I am representing a group of parents who want their children to go to the next level in swimming/training, etc. We were giving some information regarding the 24th Swim Invitational in D.C. We want to participate, if possible, and/or attend. There are currently 18 swimmers with 15 who can compete. Due to narrow thinking management in one of Birmingham's Government Department, we were told that our children could not attend and represent that branch. The parents were very upset because we were not asking for funding, just to have a group swim team to represent. Since that has now caused a rift. We parents are willing to organize our own swim team, and we have businesses that are willing to back us and assist in us achieving this goal and many other that we would like to start in the near future. My first question is, is there a packet and/or a registration fee for our new team to participate in this invitational? Secondly, what hotels are being used so that we may get a discounted rate for being a group/team? And is there anything else that I may have missed that we will need to do. We want all of our ducks in a row. We are giving our children a goal regarding their schoolwork that they will be able to attend this event. Please we need help. Thank you

Hi Jayson. I was doing a search for the Black Heritage meet and found this site. Needless to say, it was quite refreshing to see that this existed

Miriam Lynch showed me the site. She & I go way back. Swam for the same club years ago.

From a swimming standpoint I have been really lucky to be affiliated with KING for the past five years. I am also open to helping run or speaking at and coach's clinics that are designed for coaches in the inner city or that serve minority swimmers.

I was at the Diversity Summit this weekend and heard about the site from Shaun.

M.S. Lynch...

Miriam lynch friended me

I was looking for information about the black history swim meet in 2010

Hey Jayson, Sorry for taking so long to get back in touch with you. I am working on the Native American connection with swimming. I should be done in a day or two. I so have a couple of illistrations I was able to find in the archives that I think you will find interesting....Stay tuned. :) Also we are working to establish a tri--masters program in the Fort Lauderdale area for kids with the hope of minimizing the numbers of unintentional drowning in the state. Are you aware of anyone in the area who you know who would be a great resource for us to talk to about this project?

Greetings Jayson. I was informed of the website from Shaun Anderson of whom I had just met at the past USA Swimming Diversity Summit. After having a chance to look at this website it is is great to see a networking site such as this one that is helping to address the need of increasing diversity in aquatics and the drive to help save lives. I can't wait to get a chance to really see more of it through my membership. Thanks so much!

Hi Jayson
Thanks for your response to the comments that I made relative to the swimming history lesson. I do have some information that I would like to share with you regarding what my Native American relatives have contributed to the sport of swimming and whaling in the beginning of the 19th century. I am somewhat uncomfortable with doing a video, because I have just joined the organization and I am feeling a bit anxious about that. However I am willing to write a brief history that I will post; if that's okay. I will send it directly to you and you can edit and use the information in a way that you feel will benefit the organization. Pls. let me know if that is okay and if so I will get the information back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks Jayson, talk to you soon

Sandy

The great efforts of Ms Wanda Jean Butts and her dedicatation to drowning prevention and water safety for everybody has brought me to the this "pool party"!

Hi Jayson
Thanks for your comments welcoming me to Diversity in Aquatics. I had first learned about the organization through my swim coach and then I spent time recearching articles on the web. I am pleased with what I have read so far and I look forward to working with you in the future.