Contents
Introduction
Beds Masters Committee and Representatives
County Masters Championships
Inter-County Masters Championships (ASA East Region)
Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge Trophies 2012
East Region ASA Masters Development/Training Day
Long Course Masters Meet in Bedfordshire 2013
Training to Become an ASA Technical Official

Introduction
Dear Bedfordshire Masters Swimmer, this is a briefing to keep you in touch with what's happening in Bedfordshire ASA Masters Swimming. Please note that our activities also include "Seniors" swimmers (aged 18-24).

If you know of other Beds Masters swimmers or coaches who have not received this newsletter, please get them to send their email address to swimsite@freeuk.com so that we can include them on the mailing. If you do not wish to receive these newsletters, please reply with "unsubscribe" in the Subject line and you will be removed from the list.

Beds Masters Committee and Representatives
Bedfordshire Masters are represented on the Beds ASA Executive by a Masters Secretary, who is elected annually. The current volunteer is Paul Clarke (of Team Luton). We thought that there was too much work for one person, so, in order to share the load, we also have volunteers to manage the Inter-County Masters Team and to keep the Records. Please feel free to contact any of us about Beds Masters swimming:-

We also have club Masters Representatives who you can contact about Masters issues that you may wish to raise with us, or who may be able to tell you about Beds Masters activities. They are:-

County Masters Championships, Newmarket, 6 October 2012
This will be run within the ASA East Region Masters Championships at Newmarket, (a modern 25Metre deck-level pool with electronic timing) in the same way as we did last year. There is a good range of events and distances to choose from.

Online entry will be provided using the same system as used by South East Counties. To enter the Beds Masters Champs, just enter the East Region Championships via the East Region ASA website. Ref: http://www.eastswimming.org.uk

There is online entry and payment (through paypal). Alternatively, (e.g. if you don't trust the Internet with your money) you can pay by cheque, writing your booking number on the back of the cheque. Your entry will not be accepted until payment is complete. A list of accepted entries will be put online prior to the closing date so that you can confirm that your entry has been accepted.

The Bedfordshire swimmers' results will be extracted from the regional results and put on the Beds ASA website in the same way as last year. Ref: http://www.bedscountyasa.com

Any Bedfordshire Masters records broken at this meet will be automatically added to the Beds ASA Masters Short Course Records list. Ref: http://www.bedscountyasa.com/swim_records

Inter-County Masters Championships (ASA East Region), Newmarket, 18 November 2012
Following our success in 2011, we are hoping for even better things at this year's Inter-County Champs. John Bellis will be managing the team again and will be looking for a good turnout. He will be contacting you nearer the competition date about this. The venue is the same as last year. Note that despite being swum in 10-year age groups, all individual swims and the lead swimmer in relay teams, could qualify for Bedfordshire records in their normal 5-year age groups. Any Bedfordshire Masters records broken at this meet will be automatically added to the Beds ASA Masters Short Course Records list.
The lane draw for the County's swim lane will take place at the East Region Masters Champs. Entry is free, for selected swimmers.

Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge Trophies 2012
The National Masters Decathlon competition is an annual free to enter competition, in fact you're automatically entered into it because it takes the times from competitions with electronic timing and allocates points based on your age and time using the Finnish Age-Adjustment Formula. It's called the Decathlon because 10 events count and it was devised to encourage swimmers to participate in more events and not just their favourite strokes. It really is a good pointer to the overall best swimmer of the year. All the rules, qualifying competitions and other information is on the ASA website, see:-
http://www.swimming.org/assets/uploads/library/MastersDecathlon09.pdf
Last year, nationally, there were 1926 male competitors and 1347 female competitors.

The Beds ASA Executive has kindly agreed to provide two trophies for the highest scoring male and female Bedfordshire swimmers. The trophies will be engraved and presented annually after the final results are published, which is usually around February of the following year. More information on the Bedfordshire Decathlon can be found at http://www.bedscountyasa.com/masters_news

To give you some idea of last year's final results and those who may be contenders for this year's trophies, Keith Spence's search for Bedfordshire swimmers came up with the top ten Males and Females, listed below. The number in brackets is the number of swims that counted, so you can see that if some swimmers had done more events they may well have finished higher up and even first.

DECATHLON TOP TEN BEDS WOMEN 2011

DECATHLON TOP TEN BEDS MEN 2011

The ASA Decathlon rankings are updated several times a year, and the latest ranking for May 2012 is now online, so you can check where you stand. If you click on your name in the rankings, a detailed analysis of your qualifying best times and points, is provided.

East Region ASA Masters Development/Training Day 2013
We have provisional advance notice of a possible Masters Training Day which is being organised by the East Region ASA. It is currently planned for early in 2013 and Jane Asher and Paul Robbins have both agreed in principle to give talks and pool sessions. A flyer seeking swimmer support for this event is being produced and will be distributed at the East Region Masters Championships in October. It is expected that there will be a charge for attendance at this event.

Long Course Masters Meet in Bedfordshire 2013
We have heard from Colin Mayes (Team Luton) that Team Luton SC are planning a Masters Meet for 18 May 2013 at the new "Inspire Sports Village" on the Hitchin Road at Stopsley, Luton which will be opening in August 2012. This will be held as a Long Course event in the new 50M pool with electronic timing. As soon as we have more details of this meet we will let you know.

Training to Become an ASA Technical Official
Do you know anyone who would be interested in becoming an ASA Technical Official? Because many of the existing officials are parents of age group swimmers we often struggle to find enough officials for Masters Competitions. If you, or any of your friends or family, would be interested in becoming an official Beds ASA regularly organises courses to enable people to qualify as Timekeepers, Judges, Starters and Referees. There is more information on the Beds ASA web site at http://www.bedscountyasa.com/swim_officials.html

I hope you have found our first (or at least the first for many years) Beds ASA Masters Newsletter helpful. If you would like to submit any articles for future newsletters please let me know.

Paul Clarke (Beds ASA Masters Secretary)
swimsite@freeuk.com
01582 508616