AGUA Masters Weekly Newsletter
A Note from Coach John
Locker Rooms and COVID-19
I find myself having to write a difficult note today. In the last two weeks there have been five separate complaints about AGUA Masters swimmers spending extended time in the locker rooms after practice. To be honest, I cannot imagine anything I would rather write about less this week than COVID-19 and the locker rooms. Yet, I must ask all of us to come together as a team and think about the ramifications of this behavior, which puts others at risk and our organization in danger of being shut down.

We have all given our word as individuals, and as a team, that we would adhere to Asphalt Green's COVID-19 policies and procedures. We agreed that we would keep each other, and those most vulnerable, safe by doing the following things in the locker rooms:

  1. Wear a mask at all times.
  2. Per New York State Department of Health mandate (Article 165), a limited number of locker room showers are available for a quick pre- and post-swim rinse only. All other shower usage is strictly prohibited. We encourage swimmers to arrive and exit in their swimsuit to reduce foot traffic.
  3. Do not loiter and socialize. Get in and get out.

Any person found to be violating COVID-19 safety procedures risks having his or her visitation rights suspended or terminated. Please do your part to adhere to the code of conduct and help your teammates do the same.

As always, my door is open for any questions or concerns. Please feel free to email me at jbeck@asphaltgreen.org.

See you at the pool,

–Coach John
Up Next
UPDATE: USMS Membership Renewal
Please hold on renewing your individual USMS membership. We are currently in the process of renewing AGUA Masters' club registration. If you have previously tried to renew and found our club details missing, we apologize for the inconvenience. We will notify you when the club renewal process is complete.
-REMINDER- Set Up Your TeamUnify Account
In the coming weeks, AGUA Masters will be streamlining communications through TeamUnify. Please follow the steps below to ensure you won't miss a thing.
  • Validate your email address to activate your account. All active AGUA Masters members should have received an email from TeamUnify. This email will link you to your new TeamUnify account. Click on the link to activate your account. 
  • If it is not in your inbox, please check your junk mail folder and be sure to add the domain @teamunify.com to your safe-sender list.
  • Once your account is activated, you will receive instructions for login and password creation.

  • After creating a password and logging in, you will have the opportunity to install TeamUnify's mobile app, OnDeck. While downloading the app is not required, OnDeck will allow you to check practice schedules, see who's coaching, daily pool layouts, and the workout of the day – on the go.

Bonus: With TeamUnify it's never been easier to manage your workouts. Now you can register for practice right from the calendar.

If you have any questions or issues setting up your account, please don't hesitate to reach out to Coach John at jbeck@asphaltgreen.org.
Register for Practice Online

You may register for one swimming practice per day, at either Asphalt Green campus, up to two weeks in advance. View the schedule on TeamUnify.

Reservations for a two-week period open on Mondays at 10am. The second week of a two-week cycle is unlocked each Monday. Reservations are made on a rolling basis.

Reserve your spot:
Training Tips
History in the Making: Flip Turns Are the Future
History unfolded last week. In match three of the International Swim League (ISL), 17-year-old Israeli swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko used breaststroke flip turn in the 100m skins races. The video captures a pivotal moment in swimming history, similar to the AAU Nationals in 1936 when 17-year-old Al Vande Weghe did a flip turn in the finals of the 100m freestyle.

By using a flip turn, neither swimmer performed what is (and was) widely accepted as the best way to change direction at the lane’s end. Anastasia and Al lost their races because their opponents' open turns were faster. Flip turns were still too new, too slow. Yet Al set the standard for the future of the sport in 1936. Since Al's race, flip turns have been adapted worldwide as the quickest way to change direction in freestyle. With her breaststroke flip turn, Anastasia seems to have followed suit in predicting a swimming trend to come. Wisdom from 17-year-olds: flip turns are the future.