Maverick Aquatics

message from Coach Tonya

Hello Team!

This is Coach Tonya.  I just wanted to write a letter addressed to all of you before I leave for school.  Most of all, I want to commend you on your continued diligence and performance throughout the season.  I have heard some great things!  You have certainly kept up the MAV tradition of wowing our competitors!  Dropped times, dryland during a lightening break, camaraderie in a rainstorm, younger swimmers putting on a show at PNY and the older swimmers at ATAC - this is what we are known for!  And I must say I am thrilled at the growth of our novice/younger team.  Swimming is such a valuable life-long sport.

I am going to start working toward a PhD in Sports Psychology at Florida State University.  As many of you know, I swam for FSU as an undergrad, so it is exciting to be on the other side!  This has been my goal for 4 years now.  For these last 4 years I have coached Niceville High School (also with Coach Dan), taught a sports psychology class for those swimmers and, of course, coached your team.  Those were the short term goals on the way to my long term goal, a PhD.  I learned goal-setting from swimming, and I encourage you to keep setting yours!

That said, I miss you guys.  As teammates and as swimmers under Coach Dan and my coaching, you have challenged me, inspired me, kept me laughing, been there when it was grueling and when it was care-free, and only increased my love for the sport - what a powerful gift when I am devoting my career to the mental side of sports!  Thank you.

I also miss coaching beside Coach Dan.  He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to teach and to reach all levels of swimmers to bring them to their best.  He has a talent in coaching that goes beyond experience and education.  Don't forget to thank him!  After years of swimming under him, it has been a privilege to coach with him.

All the best,

Coach Tonya

 

published

If you get a chance, check out the latest On the Coast Magazine for Oct/Nov.  There is an article by Coach Tonya about Coach Dan's presentation on exercise to a group of seniors. One of our senior team members, Susie Puffer, is featured.

Tonya also has an article, When your swimmer literally chokes:  How to recognize and manage Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) published in this month's American Swim Coaches Association publication.

Records Updated for LC 2007 season

The long course records have been updated.  Congratulations to all team record breakers:

Lauren Papallatoc, Devon Papallatoc, Teresa Parsons, Chrissy Parsons, Ross Spock, Tonya Rasor

Chrissy broke the oldest records.  Several 2003 records went down in the 15-16 year old girls age group.

Teresa broke records by the most amount.  She had three records that were close to or more than 30 seconds faster than the previous records in the 11-12 year old girls.

Ross broke three records that were previously held by his older brother in the 15-16 year old boys.

Let's just keep getting faster!  When records fall, it is usually the result of team effort of getting faster.  Record breakers never do it alone!

Recent weekend of learning

Your coaches completed a weekend long continuing education course on Assessment and Training for Performance Enhancement and Health.  Besides learning how to use biofeedback programs and picking up new training tips, we heard a lot of scientific validation for the methods we use to teach/coach.  Based on what we have learned in this conference and through further research, we will continue to refine our techniques to further enhance individual and team performance.

Congratulations!

Dan has been coaching for 30 years!

Coach Dan would like to thank Bill Williams and Tonya for the BIG cookie in celebration!  He would also like to thank the swimmers who showed him their thanks, especially Rachael, who brought in home-baked white-chocolate cookies.  Yum.  Hey, if you've been at practice, you can handle a few sweets!

Here are a few of our team members on Dan's day.

MAV Post of Fame

It takes a Maverick to set the standard.

Click to see Mavericks in the news.

Names in bold are swimmers currently on the team.

Southeastern Swimming Championships Qualifiers

Keela Baumgartner, Shelby Baumgartner, Erin Bernier, Drew Bronnenburg, Sara Brown, Trenton Brown, Louis Bunch, Mark Campbell, Austin Glenn, Travis Greene, Cory Hill, Shiara Holler, Rachel Hufstedler, Matt Kramer, Betsy Nagy, Devon Papallatoc, Chrissy Parsons, Teresa Parsons, Heather Rasor, Tonya Rasor, Jason Semasko, Todd Spock, Ross Spock, Ross Roberts, Travis Thornton, Todd Timmons, Conrad Tona, Ricardo Tona, Susan Vaars, Emily Voigt, Rachael Voigt, Josh Williams, Ashley Wilson, Eric Wilson

Team Total:  34

Southeastern Champions

Tonya Rasor, 100 free (1999,2001), 200 free (1999)

Southeastern High-point Award Winners

Betsy Nagy, Tonya Rasor

MAV Swimmers who went to HS State

Keela Baumgartner, Shelby Baumgartner, Erin Bernier, Sara Brown, Trenton Brown, Mark Campbell, Austin Glenn, Spencer Greene, Travis Greene, Cory Hill, Matt Kramer, Betsy Nagy, Chrissy Parsons, Tonya Rasor, Heather Rasor, Matt Schade, Jason Semasko, Phillip Semasko, Todd Spock, Ross Spock, Rachael Voigt, Emily Voigt, Josh Williams, Ashley Wilson

Team Total:  24

MAV Swimmers who are swimming or swam in college

Shiara Holler, Drury University

Todd Timmons, Drury University

Betsy Nagy, Florida State University

Tonya Rasor, Florida State University

Heather Rasor, University of North Florida

Laura Brennan, Holy Cross, Boston, NY

Matt Kramer, University of Tampa

Mark Campbell, Florida Atlantic University

Todd Spock, Johns Hopkins University

Cory Hill, Florida Atlantic University

See our Alumni page to read the profiles of our graduates!

Send in your Maverick memories!

Do you have any great pictures?  Show them off!

Do you have any MAV team anecdotes, short stories, jokes, funny incidences, inspiring moments, tributes or thanks to those who have helped you?  Don't let them be forgotten! 

Email jpegs and short writings to tkr1@students.uwf.edu and she will post them for all to enjoy.

Team Name, Logo, and Colors

Team Name

The very first "maverick" was a 19th century Texas cattleman named Samuel Maverick who became famous for not branding his cattle. His cattle, left unidentified and free to roam, were often "adopted" by other ranchers who termed them "mavericks," and by the end of the century "maverick" had come to mean any sort of rootless wanderer or rebel.
www.word-detective.com/101800.html

[Maverick] quickly was extended to every nonconformist man or woman who stood out from the herd. Kel Richards - www.abc.net.au/classic/breakfast/stories/s599283.htm

American travelers carried the term abroad, where it was adopted by English speakers including Rudyard Kipling, who used it in the title "A Mutiny of the Mavericks." [The mavericks in this story are rebels.]…Nowadays, political mavericks may bolt their parties, religious mavericks are often excommunicated, and artistic mavericks go their own aesthetic way, refusing to be "branded" with restrictive labels. Merriam-Webster's Word for the Wise www.m-w.com/mw/textonly/wftw/97june/61197.htm

The name Maverick Aquatics was chosen for two reasons. One, this swim team started out rootless. The first members of the team wandered from pool to pool, with no pool of their own. Two, Maverick Aquatics operates by its own standards. Although maverick means individualist, this definition applies to the team as a whole. The team stands out from the herd of other teams. It cannot be branded with restrictive labels. Maverick Aquatics team members are different.

The name was not chosen for its historical origin as unbranded cattle. Anyone who says otherwise is spreading hogwash. Samuel's grandson, Maury Maverick, may have called it gobbledygook, a word he invented.

Team Logo

The Maverick Aquatics logo represents the three letters in the abbreviation MAV and a period.

 

Put together in one configuration they symbolize unity among mavericks. The lines create the abstraction of a swimmer with the period as a head.

Team Colors

Did you realize that our team colors were as carefully chosen as our logo and name?  While colors can represent different things to different people, we chose purple, black, and gold based on a few generally accepted meanings in the art world.

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. It is symbolic for passion, power, and ambition.  It is associated with royalty and nobility.  Maverick Aquatics swimmers are passionate about their sport, and they conduct themselves as if they were of the highest class.

Black can be associated with mourning and death, but that would only refer to MAV “killing” their competition!  Seriously, black was chosen because it also denotes strength and authority and is considered to be very formal, elegant, and prestigious.  For some, it is a symbol of rebellion – perfect for Mavericks.

Gold, of course, connotes the highest possible standard.  It takes a Maverick to set the standard (and that standard is gold).

Philosophy

of the coaches

We believe we should use sport to achieve body mastery, conditioning, good health habits, and life-long skills. Through competition we should be able to teach character, sportsmanship, courage, positive self-image, winning habits, and intimate self-knowledge for the individual. This is not just "swimming class".  We coach for the express purpose of teaching individuals to be quality, goal-oriented people whom we hope will learn that winning is inclusive, not exclusive; that competition is not against people, it is with people who are working toward a common goal; and that excellence should be a way of life. Having an atmosphere where adults and children of all ages can practice together should only enhance this philosophy. Additionally, we will work to have all swimmers swim all strokes and distances. We do not condone the myth that any certain event distance or stroke is any harder than others. Swimmers become better the more strokes and distances they can do.

Team History

Mavericks overcome adversity.

In 1999, Dan Kaster, Betsy Nagy, Tonya Rasor, and Heather Rasor founded Maverick Aquatics. For two years they were an itinerate team, finding pool space where-ever they could. Despite uncertain pool time, no flags, no blocks, often no lane lines, and often no black tiling on the bottom or on the walls, they performed well under Dan. Other teams began to notice this new team even before August 1999, when Betsy and Tonya won high-point awards at the Southeastern Long Course Championships. Rachelle Hufstedler joined the group during these early years. After the championships in 1999, Betsy, and in 2000, Tonya, began swimming for Florida State University. In 2001, Heather went to swim for the University of North Florida. Also in 2001, Rachelle began study at Eckerd College, which does not have a swim team. Betsy, Tonya, and Heather were awarded scholarships for swimming.

In June 2001, Dan and Tonya began coaching novice swimmers of any age interested in bettering their technique. Dan coached active duty military adults. Tonya coached Leah Rojecki, age 6. Leah learned so quickly that her mom helped promote the program through word of mouth. Sophia Fisher began in August, with Betsy as her coach. The next summer, 2002, Heather joined Tonya to coach Leah, Sophia, and 7 other swimmers ages 7 to 11. Dan kept amazing former swimmers with improvements in their technique that enabled some of them to reach times they hadn't come close to since college. Maverick Aquatics took its first team to the Southeastern District Meet at the end of that summer. Leah, Sharon Wolf, Austin Glenn, and Tristen Eells comprised this first team. Betsy, Tonya, and Heather earned enough combined points at the Southeastern Championships to place Maverick in the top ten of all the teams with 20 or fewer swimmers.

In January 2003, Maverick Aquatics secured swimming space and time at Hurlburt AFB. The Outdoor Recreation staff there are very supportive of Maverick. With a place to swim, the team quickly grew in numbers. In March 2003, MAV took 7 swimmers to the Southeastern Championships:  Trent Brown, Sara Brown, Austin Glenn, Travis Greene, Matt Kramer, Tonya Rasor, and Jason Semasko.  In June 2003, MAV won its first team trophy, 3rd at the Bluewater Bay meet.  And in July 2003, MAV showed it was a thriving team by taking 23 swimmers to the Dothan Water World Classic.

2003 was Heather's last year coaching for MAV.  She is pursuing elementary education in Jacksonville.  In the summer she coaches a summer league there.  In May 2003, Betsy graduated from FSU and expanded her coaching responsibilities for a few seasons before moving to Wisconsin to start toward a career in Art Therapy.  The next year, 2004, Tonya graduated from FSU and moved home to pursue Sport Psychology.  She became a part-time assistant coach for the entire year.  Due to unavoidable conflicts between practices and evening graduate classes, Alyson Davis also began helping with the Hurlburt group.

The Hurlburt technique-based summer program extended to the entire year.  As a result, it also became more competitive.  Novice swimmers still have niche there, but many choose to compete.  Three swimmers from that program (Josh Williams, Megan Drake, and Matt Wyatt) competed in the Meet of Champs in Brentwood, TN, that December.  In the Maverick spirit of embracing all ages and abilities, adults are still welcome.  The summer of 2004, one adult inspired us all.  At the beginning of the summer, Miji Williams, the mother of Josh, was afraid of the water.  Dan worked with her (and the other adults) while Tonya taught the age-group swimmers.  Miji showed up every practice with a nervous smile and laughed as we all encouraged her.  She started with a death grip on a kickboard and Dan by her side and after a couple of months was able to swim freestyle laps by herself.

In 2005, Eglin added a bubble, which enabled MAV to swim year-round there.  Now MAV runs two sites, one at Hurlburt and one at Eglin.  In spite of continued difficulties with pools, Mavericks continue to overcome adversity.  As our record shows, MAV swimmers are consistently among the fastest in the county, district, and Southeast.  Just as importantly, MAV swimmers have champion attitudes, champion class, and champion character learned through sport. 

It takes a Maverick to set the standard.