ABOUT DIVERSIFIED AQUATICS
Diversified Aquatics is an aquatic services company which has provided
a wide variety of aquatic programs at facilities throughout the Greater
Boston area.
The Diversified Aquatics Renegades Swimming Team (DARE) is a year-round
developmental age group and senior swimming program offering professional
coaching and technique instruction for swimmers of all ages and abilities.
The team welcomes any individual with good basic swimming skills for membership.
Each swimmer is placed in a training program appropriate to his/her ability
and desire for commitment, so that he/she may improve and achieve desired
long term goals.
The SwimAmerica learn-to-swim program was designed to prepare swimmers for
competitive swimming or a lifetime of fitness swimming. SwimAmerica is
the national learn-to-swim progression designed by top American coaches.
In addition to the SwimAmerica program, Diversified Aquatics takes an International
focus as techniques are integated from Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa
into a comprehensive teaching strategy dubbed "SwimInternational"
.
The Parent/Child Class is Diversified Aquatics' introduction to the SwimAmerica
program. It begins the swimming progression for children six months to
three years with a class in which the coach teaches the parent how to work
with their child. The parent learns how to help the child to become comfortable
in the water and later to learn some basic safety skills which will train
good habits for future aquatic experiences. At three years many children
are comfortable in the water and no longer need the direct participation
of the parent. At this point the coach will work with the parent to safely
and effectively transition the child into a preschool class which does not
require parental participation.
The Preschool Program (for 3, 4 and 5 year olds), has three levels. PRE1
is the beginner level of preschool class for children with little experience.
They practice games and drills designed to make the swimmer more comfortable
in the water. PRE2 is for children who are comfortable being submerged
in the water and can float on the front or back and use the kickboard by
themself. They work on developing stabile floating skills and body position
and kicking drills. These swimmers also begin working with an over arm
stroke or rudimentary freestyle or backstroke. PRE3 is for children who
can kick across the pool on the front and back, can do streamline push-offs
and swim some front and back crawl. These swimmers focus on improving kicking
and body position drills, breathing and coordination drills for freestyle
and beginning to learn the breaststroke kick.
The Childrens Program is for children six and older and preschoolers who
graduate from PRE3 (into level 4). Level 1 is for children who have no
experience with swimming. The focus in this level is to get the swimmer
to trust the coach through a series of low key exercizes designed to build
the child's confidence. Swimmers work on submerging, kicking, floating,
rhythmic breathing and other drills. Level 2, 3 is for children who can
float on the front and back and kick on the front and back, kick with a
board across the pool and do streamline push-offs. Swimmer must also be
comfortable fully submerged and be able to do relaxed rhythmic breathing.
The level 2. 3 swimmer will work predominantly on kicking and body position
drills on both the front and back. They will also begin to learn about
coordination of the arms and legs. Level 4,5,6 is for children who have
a strong flutter kick and a high body position on both the front and back.
They must also be able to do a recognizable freestyle and backstroke although
there is still room for stroke flaws and less than perfect rhythmic breathing.
In these classes the swimmer will work on perfecting the freestyle and
backstroke technique while beginning to learn the breaststroke kick. These
classes will focus on body position drills, coordination drills and breathing
drills. Level 7,8,9 is for swimmers who have a solid freestyle and backstroke
technique and a legal breaststroke kick. In this class the swimmers will
learn to coordinate the breaststroke pull and kick with the breathing and
glide. The focus will then shift from breaststroke to butterfly, all the
while maintaining freestyle and backstroke technique through a series of
drills designed to review skills.
In addition to the swim team and learn-to-swim program Diversified Aquatics
offers a variety of aquatic programs including the DART Recreational Swim
Team, the DAMN Masters and Triathlete Training Program, the DANS Synchronized
Swimming Team, water polo instruction, adult lessons and personal aquatic
trainers.
The DART Recreational Team functions as a low key opportunity for a child
with strong basic swimming skills to try competitive swimming without having
to commit to a year round team. The DART program provides the quality coaching
people have come to expect from Diversified Aquatics in a recreation level
program. The team meets twice each week for an hour for an eight week season.
The DAMN Masters and Triathlete Training Program is a swimming program for
adults of all ages, all abilities and all motivations. Some peole are inexperienced
swimmers who want to improve their strokes and learn to use swimming as
a fitness regimen. Others are experienced swimmers who no longer wish to
compete, some are triathletes trying to improve their swimming for the next
season's races. Some are even traditional masters swimmers who train on
a regular basis and compete once or twice a month. Regardless of your age,
skill or motivation, all swimmers training with Diversified Aquatics are
registered with United States Masters Swimming, the National governing body
for adult swimming in the U.S.
The DANS Synchronized Swimming Team has adults and children among their
members. While the adult members have been competing and winning on the
National level, the age groupers have been competing and winning on the
New England level. Tatiana Snegour, the team coach is a fine example to
her swimmers of excellence in synchro as she was a seven time National Champion
in the former Soviet Union. DANS is a United States Synchronized Swimming
registered team and thus represents the highest level of synchro training
available on the local, regional and National levels.
The Diversified Aquatics Water Polo Program is coached by Anatoly Galperin
and Jerry Moss who each bring a unique perspective to the sport. Jerry
comes from an American college water polo background and has been involved
with many area college teams both as a coach and a player including Northeastern,
Boston College, Boston University and MIT. Anatoly has coached on the National
level in Moldova, a former Soviet Republic where he trained three mebers
of the Olympic team. The water polo staff is also augmented by our waterpolo
friends, former Yugoslavian National Team members Igor and Nikolai Ivanovic
who participate in practice sessions and scrimmages.
Diversified Aquatics serves swimmers from throughout the Metro-West area
and offers programs at the Watertown Boys' and Girls' Club in Watertown,
Massachusetts and The Hanscom Field Air Force Base Pool in Lincoln/Bedford
DIVERSIFIED AQUATICS COACHING STAFF
Reid Christen: Head Coach, CEO: A lifetime of involvement in swimming
brought Reid to found MVP-West Swimming in 1988 with encouragement from
Rick Battistini and the Merrimack Valley Pirates, at the Middle School pool
in Weston. Having coached various high school and summer teams, Reid focused
on development of young swimmers and slowly built up the number of swimmers
on the team. In 1990 the team moved to Fessenden School Pool in Newton
where the program continued to expand and began to thrive with the addition
of the SwimAmerica learn-to-swim Program of which Reid is the program director.
1993 signaled a name change to the Diversified Aquatics Renegades and a
separate USS charter. At Diversified Aquatics, Reid has been able to expand
the program to include water polo, synchronized swimming and aquatic therapy
as well as competitive swimming and learn-to-swim. Management and implementation
of new aquatic programs is ongoing as Reid strives to attain the goal of
building the Diversified Aquatics Teaching, Training and Research Center.
Alex Snegour: Senior Coach: Alex comes to Diversified Aquatics from Russia
where he studied swimming and physiology in college at the Institute of
Physical Education and Sports Culture in Moscow. Since graduation Alex
has been assistant coach of both age group and college swimming teams in
Moscow. While he has been coaching he has also been pursuing a Masters
Degree in Sports Psychology. Alex has worked to lay a strong foundation
for quality stroke technique in his swimmers during his tenure with the
Renegades. Alex's swimmers have shown dramatic improvement in both speed
and technique since he took over the Renegades senior team in the fall of
1994.
Donald W. "Jerry" Moss: Waterpolo Coach and Developmental Age
Group Coach: Jerry has had a long relationship with Diversified Aquatics
and Owner, Reid Christen. In his first two years with Concord-Carlisle
High School Swimming, Jerry was the assistant coach of the teams which Reid
captained. When Reid founded the MVP-Weston Swim Team in 1989, Jerry Moss
became the assistant coach. Through many years of teaching and coaching
at Concord-Carlisle High school and coaching waterpolo at Boston College,
Boston University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jerry has supported
Diversified Aquatics by coaching developmental swimming, coaching water
polo, recruiting in the minority community and representing New England
within United States Water Polo.
Dave Shafer:Developmental Age Group Coach/ Assistant Senior Coach: Dave
has been coaching with Diversified Aquatics as he works towards completing
a Doctorate at Brandeis University. Dave's swimming experience is vast
including swimming in California as an age grouper and at Florida State
as an undergraduate as well as coaching Junior and Senior National competitors
as a coach. Dave has been successful teaching both preschoolers, learning
to swim and older swimmers, perfecting technique. His swimmers progress
quickly, not only in the learn-to-swim program, but also on the recreation
team and the ten and under team. Dave's versatility is invaluable to Diversified
Aquatics.
DIVERSIFIED AQUATICS HISTORY
The Diversified Aquatics Renegades (DARE) is a United States Swimming Team
chartered by USS/New England Swimming in 1993 for the express purpose of
promoting and developing the sport of competitive swimming in the New England
area. In September of 1987 Merrimack Valley Pirates (MVP) was formed by
a group of concerned and interested parents and coaches from the towns in
the Merrimack Valley and surrounding communities. Following its first successful
season in New England Swimming the MVP Board of Directors voted to accept
the formation of a satellite team in the Metro-West area.
In the summer of 1988 a few dedicated swimmers and two coaches formed a
team to be based at the Weston Middle School called MVP-Weston and also
known as Pirate-West. Although MVP-West was administratively and financially
separate from MVP-Central the two teams combined to compete together as
Pirates within New England Swimming. The 1988-89 Short Course Season brought
increased success to the newly expanded Pirate team. MVP placed an all
time high 3rd place at New England Senior Championships, placed 5th at New
England Age Group Championships and qualified many swimmers for competition
in Junior National Championships.
The Pirate team continued their success during the 1989-90 season. The
senior team again placed 3rd in New England while the age group team moved
up to 4th place. Negotiations during the summer of 1990 brought the MVP-Weston
Team to a new home in Newton at the Fessenden School Pool and a name change
to MVP-West. The 1990-91 season brought further increases in team membership
and championship success in New England Swimming. At Short Course Age Group
Championships the Pirates were 5th place. The Pirates showed the extent
of their depth with a 3rd place finish at Long Course Age Groups.
The 1991-92 season signaled an expansion of the age group team especially
in the younger age groups. MVP again placed 3rd at Age Groups in the winter
and both the men's and women's teams placed 3rd at Long Course Age Groups.
The 1992-93 season brought the Pirates their best season to date. The
power of the two teams combined brought great depth to the MVP Age Group
team. The 10 and under team won 2 back to back New England Championships
during 1993.
In the fall of 1993 the coaches, swimmers and parents of MVP-West decided
that the team had built a strong organization, with a positive reputation
that was now ready to stand on their own. With this in mind MVP-West applied
for its own charter with New England Swimming and changed their name to
Diversified Aquatics.
Thus the Renegades were born with a new unity and a new name but the same
commitment to quality coaching, stroke technique and balanced individuals.
Diversified Aquatics continued to improve their developmental training
systems by emphasizing proper aquatic development on all levels from infants,
to preschoolers, to age groupers, to seniors, to masters. While the program
grew impressively at the Fessenden School, in the Spring of 1995 the School
determined that it was no longer cost effective to maintain the bubble enclosure
and the "bubble" came down for the last time.
The Fall of 1995 brought the Renegades to The Watertown Boys' and Girls'
Club with a cooperative arrangement with the Watertown Wavemakers Swimming
Team. The two teams share coaches and pool time and offer swimmers both
the high level competition of United States Swimming meets within New England
Swimming and the low-key and shorter time committment of Boys' and Girls'
Club competition.
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
Diversified Aquatics is an aquatic services company dedicated to individual
improvement through swimming by focusing on stroke mechanics, team sportsmanship,
positive attitude, commitment and hard work. We maintain a high coach/swimmer
ratio to insure a maximum level of individual attention.
We strive to guide individuals toward maximum use of their talents and abilities
within the sport of swimming through training and encouraging youngsters
to achieve their ultimate potential. We feel that this experience will
prove valuable outside the pool throughout the course of their lives.
The Renegade program seeks to develop an awareness in swimmers of such concepts
as self-esteem, personal accountability, self-motivation, goal setting and
achievement, and tolerance of others. It is also important for swimmers
to realize that the process of striving is as important as the realization
of the desired achievement.
In addition to their work in swimming, we encourage each DARE swimmer to
achieve a balance between swimming and other activities. Although we expect
swimmers to be committed to the team, this commitment must be balanced with
a healthy academic, extra-curricular, social and spiritual life.
In the water we expect swimmers to increase their level of commitment as
they strive for higher levels of participation. Our ultimate goals are
towards participation on the National level through development of local,
regional and then national competition.
Diversified Aquatics is committed to a concept of long term development
which takes into account each swimmer's individual natural talent as well
as their psychological, physical and emotional development when planning
long term programs for each individual swimmer. Our focus will always be
on the aspects of training and education which will benefit the swimmer
in the long run. We are not looking to sacrifice long term development
for short term gains. We are happy to be patient with short term gains
if it will mean that long term development will not be sacrificed. Our
goal as educators is to always place the long term development of the individual
ahead of the desire for immediate results. Although this system of long
term development usually produces steady improvement in performance, it
sometimes will sacrifice dramatic short term results. Parents and swimmers
involved in the program understand that working within this system is like
making an investment in the child's future which will forego risky short
term profits in favor of long term dividends.
AQUATIC PARTNERSHIP
The aquatic partnership between The Watertown Boys' and Girls' Club and
Diversified Aquatics has benefitted both parties involved over the past
18 months and in the process has benefitted the public at large. What follows
is a list of acheivements accomplished through this cooperative relationship.
Swim Team: Since combining practices with the Diversified Aquatics Renegades
just six months ago, participation in the program increased by 40%. The
team had a dramatic improvement in results at the Sectional Championship.
Up to this point Watertown had never placed in the top five at the meet.
This year the team won both the 17 and Under Girls' and Boys' Championship
trophies and placed second in 8 and Under Girls and second in 10 and Under
Boys. The team also had the best won/loss record in club history while
beating perrenial rivals Waltham for the first time in 21 years. These
exceptional results were no doubt due to the dramatic improvement in committment
level, dedication to detail and hard work fostered by a substantially better
coach/swimmer ratio.
Program contributions: In the past 18 months Diversified Aquatics has increased
Club revenues by over $11,000.00 from rental of pool time that was previously
unused. Diversified Aquatics was also responsible for the addition of many
hours of volunteer labor to the aquatics program. As the owner of Diversified
Aquatics, I personally was responsible for 200 volunteer hours in the past
six months. Diversified Aquatics also paid another coach to "volunteer"
for for the club for a total of 92 hours or $1380.00 in labor. Diversified
Aquatics also paid for in excess of 140 hours of "volunteer" cleaning
at a cost of over $1400.00 in the past 18 months in an attempt to improve
conditions at the pool.
Pool improvements include: Increased cleanliness of the pool and deck area
due to weekly program of pool maintenance and quarterly major cleanings,
enhanced pool equipment supply by making Diversified Aquatics equipment
available for Club programs, enhanced public perception of club through
systematic program of marketing, promotion and press and made first steps
to initiate adult masters program by hosting the first masters meet at the
club.
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