Christmas Holiday Details For Your Diaries!

Dear TEAM

Please, please take 5 minutes to read this entire newsletter as it contains some very important information about the holiday period and because you have just won $1,000,000 and need to collect your ticket from the bottom of this page...OK, so that last point was a bit of a fib! ;-)

BREAK:

Please be advised that the squad will take an official break of 2 weeks from Sunday 20th December to Sunday 3rd January (inclusive). The last session before the holidays will be our Saturday squad session at Claremont Pool at 1.00pm and the first session back in the New Year will be the Monday morning sessions at 7.00am and 9.30am - both focused on steady swimming with an emphasis on technique. If you keep reading you'll see the link to the download for the timetable for this period - print it off and you'll be all set!

ADVICE:

Over the 2-week holiday period I would encourage you to take a bit of "time-out" to relax and "smell the roses". Activities such as ocean swimming, jogs along a scenic coastal path or the odd cafe ride will keep you ticking along just nicely. Unless you are not training for a specific event (in which case you have a program to work towards in the form of our Master Plan posted a few weeks ago), don't be afraid to ease off a touch over this period. You'll find that you're a lot more energised and ready to go then in the New Year!

PAUL ON HOLIDAY:

OK, so as you all know, Adam has now left for the UK and won't be back until the middle of January. Myself, Michelle and Jackson will also be leaving after my last morning swim session(s) on Tuesday 8th December 2009. This is the first proper break we will have had since we started The TEAM CORE over 18 months ago and I am so looking forward to it! Its been a very busy time (new business, new baby etc etc) and we now need some R&R. We will be away for exactly 6 weeks, split as 2 weeks in Canada and then 4 weeks in the UK. This will be a great trip for Jackson to finally meet all his family and see where Mom and Dad come from for the first time! We are very excited!

Please note, I will still be checking my emails during the period and will be sending out the usual weekly email with "what's on" whilst away.

NEW COACHES:

It is of course, quite a "nervous" time for us also - being away for 6 weeks from a relatively new squad has involved a HUGE amount of planning and preparation in terms of sourcing, training and rostering suitably qualified coaches to run the sessions in my absence. It has literally taken 3 months of preparation - but it will be worth every minute! As we have informed you previously, we have sourced 7 new superb coaches who are all detailed here:

• Coaches Details = http://files.me.com/swimsmooth/g3oqym

We ran a full-day coaching clinic for these coaches in September to bring them up-to-speed with our practices and to have some fantastic round-table discussions about how each of them will bring something new and exciting to the squad sessions during this period. Over the past few weeks, all of these coaches have voluntarily given up their time to assist me on pool deck to get in some "work shadowing" and to also get to know many of you. Rather than just desperately getting in any coaching cover in a bid for me and Michelle and Jackson to take a break, we see this as being a massively important step to demonstrate how important this rostering is to us and how much we believe in all these new coaches. 

Here is when and where you will see them over the 6 week period whilst I am away:

• Coaching Roster = http://files.me.com/swimsmooth/4yeg6v

Through your support and enjoyment of all our squad sessions over the last 18 months, The TEAM CORE has grown tremendously to a point where it can no longer be a "one-man-show" (yup, I need a break sometimes too!). We see this 6 week period as an excellent opportunity for you to get to know and hopefully love all the coaches for their own individual merits. I have personally written every single session for this 6 week period, however, each coach has been instructed to add their own flair and personality to the sessions and as such we hope that you will really enjoy the variety! We have ongoing plans for each of the coaches to continue with some of the sessions even once I return from my break as well.

PAYG SESSION CARDS:

Please can I suggest that you have a quick calculation on how many swim sessions you are likely to attend over the 6 week period whilst I am away. If you do not have enough sessions on your current PAYG card, please can I ask that you order a new one online before the 8th December ( go to http://www.theteamcore.com/shop.html ) or pay cash or cheque this week and I will organise one for you with an extended expiry date. I am hoping to keep everything as hassle-free for the new coaching team whilst I am away and as such your support and forward-thinking on this matter will be much appreciated.

PLEASE KEEP ATTENDING!

So, to sign off then, the biggest way that you can continue to support our squad is simply with your presence at the sessions over this 6 week period. We are anticipating a slight reduction in numbers given the holiday season, but would really hope that you will all continue to attend the sessions wherever possible.

Thanks for your time and support everyone, it means a lot to me!

Cheers

Paul