UMBC Aquatics

WHO ARE THE RETRIEVERS?
The Retriever Aquatic Club is a year round United States Swimming (USS) youth team. The Team was founded in 1986 by UMBC coach Sid Burkot and is known throughout the country as a top level USS swim team.

WHY THE RETRIEVERS?
Are you looking for a place for your child (or children) to develop competitive swimming skills? Perhaps you are not sure about competition, but you want your child to have solid stroke instruction and explore 'winter' swimming. Or perhaps you are looking for the very best competitive program for your children with opportunities to swim on a national and international level. Retriever Aquatic Club (RAC) offers your child a complete program for developing, refining and showcasing their skills.

UMBC is committed to aquatics. At RAC your child will swim in the best pools in the Baltimore area. Our outdoor 50-meter Olympic sized pool compliments our eight-lane 25-yard indoor pool. The staff is carefully selected to meet the diversity of our programs.

In addition to the skills your children will develop in our fine facilities, they will be a part of a real team. Our swimmers participate in travel meets and form close friendships with their teammates. Our professionally certified coaches encourage scholastic achievement parallel to athletic development. Many of our club swimmers evolve to highly successful college students and athletes.

PRACTICE GROUPS
RAC can accommodate the most advanced senior swimmer as well as the novice age group swimmer. No matter what the swimmer's level of development, we can find a comfortable place for them in our program.

The Stroke Group program is our least competitive group. This group is great for "summer league" swimmers. It is an opportunity for swimmers to become more proficient in their strokes through drills. Starts and turns will also be addressed. This program will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour from September thru May.

Our Age Group 1 Program is designed for the age 8 and under swimmer. The focus is on learning the four competitive strokes plus starts & turns, but there is always time for fun during practice. Age group 1 swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke.

Our Age Group 2 & 3 programs are designed for the swimmers age 8 and older. These groups require a greater commitment than the age group 1 program. Swimmers are placed in groups that fit their swimming ability. Stroke mechanics, racing techniques, as well as conditioning are high priorities. Swimmers are expected to make the bulk of the offered workouts and participate in meets that are scheduled during the season.

In our Senior 1 group, older or more advanced Age Group swimmers are prepared for advancement to the Senior Group or are provided a work out and competitive program to promote long term involvement with the sport. The Senior 1 Group serves two needs. It prepares young swimmers for advancement into the most serious levels of competition and accommodates the conditioning and competitive needs of older swimmers who choose not to meet the expectations for the Senior 2 program.

The Senior 2 program is the top of our truly competitive programs. Practices are mandatory and training sessions are structured to prepare the swimmers for Sectional/Zones and Senior National level competition. Senior 2 athletes must have a good work ethic, self-discipline and strong communication skills. These swimmers are focused on achieving the highest goals in swimming.

PRACTICE TIMES

TEAM FEES:
To find out the fees for the 2001-2002 season please call the Head Age Group Coach, Darlene Schaub. Do not delay in calling. Slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Call 410-455-2679 to schedule a swimmer assessment for group placement.

Please visit racswim.org to find out more information about the Retriever Aquatic Club or call Darlene at 410-455-2679.

COACHING STAFF:

Head Coach: CHAD CRADOCK has been involved with the Retrievers as a swimmer and a coach for over eight years. As the Head Age Group Coach his swimmers rose to a new level with 8 Top 16 swims and one national age group record. Through his work with the Senior group he has had one Junior National Qualifier and one Senior National Qualifier. This past year under his direction the Retriever program sent 18 swimmers to Sectionals and placed 18 on the Maryland Zone Team. Coach Cradock is an American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) level 4 Coach. He is known for his care of each and every athlete and he helps the swimmers achieve their full potential. Cradock graduated from UMBC with a degree in Psychology.

Head Age Group Coach: DARLENE SCHAUB has been with the club for 3 years. She has been an important part of our program and the growth and development of our young athletes. Coach Schaub's positive attitude keeps the swimmers focused on the love of the sport. She has 16 years of USS swimming experience and over 8 years of coaching experience in the local area. Prior to coaching at UMBC, she swam for Washington College. She is a 10-year member of ASCA and has also coached top 16 swims. She graduated with honors from Washington College & Towson University with degrees in Economics & Business Management.

Senior Group Asst Coach: CHRIS OLAFSON joined the Retriever family in the summer of 2001. Prior to UMBC, Chris was at Central Connecticut State University, where he coached the men's team to the NCAA Division 1 Championships and the women's team was the 2001 NEC Conference Champions. Chris was the assistant coach at The University of Tennessee in 1998. While at Tennessee, Chris assisted with all aspects of the Volunteer program and helped the team place 7th that year at the Division 1 NCAAs. As a swimmer, Chris was a two-time All-American at the University of Tennessee. His team placed fourth his senior year at the Division 1 NCAAs. Chris excelled in the 50 and 100 yard Free. Prior to attending Tennessee, Chris was a swimmer for Indian River Community College, where he earned 10 All-America honors, was a team captain, and was a national champion in the 50-yard freestyle.

Age Group 2/Senior Asst Coach: BRIAN KENNY has been with the Retrievers for two years. He came to the club from the Chambersburg (PA) YMCA where he served as Aquatic Director and head swim coach for 3 years. His team produced 8 YMCA National Qualifiers. Coach Kenny swam and played water polo at Queens College and graduated with a degree in Physical Education and History. He completed his masters at FSU in Athletic Administration. He has been an asset to our program since his arrival.

Age Group 1 Coach: NANCY MALCHAK has been coaching for the Retrievers for 15 years and she specializes in working with our younger developmental swimmers. Coach Malchak is one of the best in teaching the basic fundamentals of swimming and has laid the foundation for most of our older successful Retrievers. Nancy is a special coach who puts the utmost care in each and every athlete. She is an ASCA level 2 coach.

Asst. Age Group Coaches: RAC's age group assistant coaches are also very important to the success of the team and it's swimmers. KEVIN GRAYSON, who swam for UMBC, assists with Age Group 1. LAURIE OSBORN, who assists with Age Group 2, has over 8 years of coaching experience. DAVE PANELLA, who swam in the local area, assists with Age Group 3. KATE CONTI, who is head of the Stroke Group, swam for RAC for many years.

2001 - 2002
RETRIEVER AQUATIC CLUB at U.M.B.C.
Catonsville, Maryland
410-455-2679
RACSWIM.ORG