Merry Xmas and All the very Best for 2013 from DASC

Welcome to our first and final newsletter of 2012, what a year it’s been. Thank you for all your comments and

ideas and returning the newsletter questionnaire. Here are just a few of your comments and requests:-

One newsletter for the whole club as long as all squads are included where possible.

Monthly or bi monthly newsletters

Regular, quick and open communication at all levels within the club

Swimmers achievements

Volunteer recognition

Fundraising reports and events, keeping up to date with what is going on what the money is used

for

User friendly “starter pack” with who does what and where etc.

And many more .......

Hopefully as we go through the newsletter we will answer some of the above. It is really important you

communicate and let us know what you want covered or changed. We may not get it right initially but we will

try:- . dascnewsletters@hotmail.co.uk

Our aim for 2013 is to complete a monthly double A4 paged (no more) newsletter to be completed a

couple of weeks after every DASC committee meeting to ensure all information is passed to you quickly

in a clear and transparent manner. Our next newsletter will be beginning of Feb.

Coaches Scoop Top Awards Ben and Danielle’s coaching skills have been recognised at the

highest level, with Danielle receiving “The Young Regional Coach

2012” and Ben winning “The Regional and National Development

Coach 2012” huge accolades and the whole club is very proud of

them both and what they have achieved, consummate

professionals in their field. Ben is being presented with his

National Coach Award by Sports Scotland representatives on

Thursday the 10th at the poolside, please feel free to show your

support at DG1. A huge well deserved award well done from us all

at DASC.

Breaking News Ben confirmed Dumfries had been selected as one of only 22 clubs which have been recognised to receive

additional help and support from Scottish Swimming. The club was identified as having potential elite athletes

who could perform nationally and internationally Fantastic achievement and news for the club. The club is set to

receive 4 to 6 visits per annum by Scottish Swimming’s Alan Lynn. As soon as we have more information this will

be updated on our website. Watch this space.

“DASC” will also be hosting 3 meets next year at DG1 more info will follow please keep checking our website

TWITTER

We are well and truly down with the kids !!! we have a TWITTER account

please follow, Dumfries ASC @DumfriesASC

Important Information

Squad Reps (SR’s) Roles and responsibilities :- Ben along with the committee felt it was important to implement an additional pro active communication line for

each squad. Initial parental feedback about the role has been positive and it appears to be working well. Please

bear with them initially as it may take a little time for the role to settle down. I am sure you will agree this is a

great step forward for the club. We are confident this will offer a huge communication benefit for each squad,

parent and coach. The committee will still liaise with the head coach in the first instance and any relevant

points will be passed on to SR’s. The Squad Rep (SR) is a very important role and person and all parents will need

to know who to liaise with. The Squad Reps are very much the 'go to' person for each squad in the first

instance. The role is focusing on quick clear concise communication given mainly by the coach, to the parents.

DASC Website Forum It will be beneficial for all parents to “login” to the forum on the website (instructions are on the website) This

tool will hold lots of information and will also back up what the SRs are explaining to you.

Michelle Johnston - National/Junior National Mrj68@hotmail.com

Mother of 4 children, 2 of which swim for DASC, 1 in Jnr National and the other

in Int 1.

Likes reading when not at the pool, which is not very often!!

Katheen Proctor – Intermediate 1 katheenproctor@hotmai.com

Mother of Bryce who swim’s for DASC. Stepmother to another son who lives in

Glasgow. She works in Childcare, which she really enjoys.

Nicole Simpson – Intermediate 2 simpson@milwainadvisory.co.uk

Nicole has two kids in Intermediate 2 - Ava (9) & Jed (8). - Lives in Lochmaben and

has 2 cats & 2 horses, which is why she can often be spotted wearing her wellies to

the pool. She has recently taken up endurance riding & goes to Ashtanga yoga classes

which she says she is rubbish at.

Junior Squad Vacancy,

Agnes Thow – Transition athow@talk21.com

Nicola Cooper – Masters coopers@kennethbank.fsnet.co.uk

More to Celebrate!!

Downs Syndrome World Championship Winner In Loana Italy in Nov 2012

Well done to Sam Pattinson we are so proud of your well

deserved achievements, DASC’s very own World Championship

medalist. Sam and the GBR team won a bronze in the 4 x 25m

relay a fantastic result, 192 swimmers from 21 countries took

part. Sam completed 6 races and had many personal bests

along with his coveted bronze medal. Sam enjoying himself

at this special event with his friends and teammates.

Fantastic results for Keiran Jardine

National squad swimmer Keiran Jardine was 1 of 20+ disability swimmers who competed for Scotland recently

at the Disability Sport Events National Open Short Course Championships held at the Ponds Forge Sheffield.

Keiran competed against some of London's 2012 Paralympic swimmers and as well as getting PB's in all his

events won Silver in the 200m free also in this event setting a new S14 Scottish open record, bronze in the

100m free, bronze in the 100m back and also helping win gold in the 4x100m relay. It was a great weekend for

the Scottish Disability Squad with a 2nd place finish in the team events. Brilliant work Keiran.

Scottish SC Champs Edinburgh Dec 2012.

“The swashbuckling team posing once again!!! and showing some support”

Scottish Nationals was held in Edinburgh and Ben was delighted with the results and believes this was the best

Nationals event for the club so far. Ben stated that all the swimmers should be proud of their performances.

Once again a fantastic championship with a plethora of PB’s across the board and a fantastic Gold Medal for

Euan Murgatroyd. Proving all that hard work in and out of the pool is working, well done to you all.

DASC Fund Raising Group

May Houston, Michelle Johnstone,, Lesley Brown, Kathleen Proctor, Tracey Holliday,

Les Holliday, Yvonne Watret, Angela McDonald.

May has been the driving force and co-ordinator behind this committed group established for less than a year

this group of merry men and women have raised a staggering £4500 allowing the club to purchase

new equipment to assist in the improvement of swimming performance at all levels throughout the club from our

group of coaches Wish List :-

10 x Heart Monitors, 5 x Grid Foam Rollers, 5 x Stretch Cord & Tether belts, 5 x Elite Foam Rollers, 5

x 3 kg & 5 x 2kg Apollo Medicine Balls. T-shirts for next years Clyde Coast league swimmers will be

delivered as well and sponsored by UNITE. You will have

seen the children using these around the pool.

Our happy band of coaches are now proud “users” of 2 x Ipads

which are a hugely beneficial and important coaching tool for

the club and swimmers moving forward, watch for them being

used at poolside and at competitions over the coming months.

They were presented at poolside a couple of weeks ago. The

picture shows our Fund raising group presenting our Head Coach

with the Ipads.

DASC are now proud owners of a “Banner” which we can show with

pride at poolside, a great success at the Nationals a couple of

weeks ago. The second banner is currently being sourced. Thank you all for cajoling us and making us feel part

of this new and exciting group well done to you all and keep up the great work it is appreciated.

The Fundraising Group will be organising the raffle at the Awards Night any donations gratefully received by

any group member.

Dates for the diary (also on our website http://dumfriesdolphins.btck.co.uk/): -

Dumfries ASC Awards 5th Jan Easterbrook Hall only a few tickets left see May, Amanda or Shona

Clements. DG Life will also be in attendance taking pictures of our very smartly and dressed up

swimmers and parents for their “out and about” section in their magazine... .

Ann Summers Ladies night in Spring TBC. Anything else you feel the fund raising group could be

arranging and planning then please let May know. Your thoughts are always welcome.

Committee Members

Please checkout “The Rogues Gallery” these pictures are up and ready for scrutiny ! sorry no air brushing was

allowed.! Brief resume of these roles and contact numbers will follow please keep checking as there have been

co - optees added as well. Full squad rep role and responsibilities will also be added.

Apologies for those whose picture hasn’t been taken yet!

DASC New Member Starter Pack

As requested, a couple of members from the committee have agreed to review the DASC Starter Pack in the

new year. The aim is to make the pack as informative as possible giving the information the club and the

member requires in an efficient and user friendly manner, please wish us luck to achieve all that! We will be

asking a sample of parents exactly what they want and are looking for, whilst also using the committee members

experience in this as well.

Anything specific you want to know or ask, please speak to Ros

and Rosie whom you will catch around the pool most nights. (as

they feel like they more or less live at poolside !!).

WEBSITE MANIA

Contact Ross Johnston on :- web.dasc@hotmail.co.uk ... (make sure you

copy the correct address please to avoid confusion)

Ross Johnston is our Website mastermind and has already in a few weeks

added to and changed to our website completely. He will be the first to

say that this is definitely a “work in progress”. As the club moves forward

we will be using technology and our website a lot more efficiently especially

as a communication and information tool for our members with new sections

being added all the time. Please Log in and have a play around see what

has been added and changed. Your feedback is crucial to ensure this is as user friendly as possible.

(please also remember this is a voluntary role as well)

*URGENT PARENT WEBSITE ACTION REQUIRED*

Please Register in our DASC forum and keep up to date with all that is new and happening in our club, This will

become more important as our Squad Reps start using the forum as a communicating tool as well.

When registering make sure you identify to Ross who you are and which squad your child swims in this is

important as part of the website is private to registered users.

.

“Coaches comments corner” – Check out our Head Coaches articles and comments on the website as well

Please feel free to give us feedback on and any topics or points you would like to raise, we can not make this

work without you.

Wishing you all a very festive time and all the best for 2013.

Important contact details :

Ross Johnston - web.dasc@hotmail.co.uk

Website address :- http://dumfriesdolphins.btck.co.uk/

Newsletter contact Ros :- dascnewsletters@hotmail.co.uk

Squad reps:-

Michelle Johnston - National/Junior National Mrj68@hotmail.com

Katheen Proctor – Intermediate 1 katheenproctor@hotmai.com

Nicole Simpson – Intermediate 2 simpson@milwainadvisory.co.uk

Junior Squad Vacancy,

Agnes Thow – Transition athow@talk21.com

Nicola Cooper – Masters coopers@kennethbank.fsnet.co.uk