AASC thanks these sponsors of 50 Years of Memories: 1956-2006

Consumers Energy

Different Strokes

Knox Presbyterian Church

Legacy Printing

Speedo

50 Years and Still Kicking

By Linda Hass

About 50 years ago, a lone coach stepped on the Michigan Union pool deck, told a group of swimmers to dive in, and clicked a stopwatch. With that simple beginning, the Ann Arbor Swim Club was born. There were no banners, bands or fireworks to mark its occurrence, just the quiet determination of about 60 teenage girls.

The Ann Arbor Swim Club also has benefited athletes of all abilities by promoting good sportsmanship, self-discipline and commitment, to name a few qualities.

In celebration of this enduring commitment, in anticipation of the club's ongoing impact and in recognition of its half-century milestone, the AASC Anniversary Committee is planning special activities and offerings. Read on to find out more details.

Get Involved

Although the club's official 50th anniversary won't take place until 2006, the anniversary committee is unveiling its plans this summer, with an "official" public kick-off at the Holiday Invitational in December 2005. After all, it took a long time for our club to reach this milestone, and we plan to celebrate that accomplishment for a long time!

Club President Liz Graziano agreed. "Our golden anniversary is truly something to celebrate. After all, few swim teams have been around this long."

Our Longevity

In fact, on the state level, no team has been around this long. The Ann Arbor Swim Club is the "oldest surviving swim club" in the state, said Jennifer Parks, a former Michigan Swimming president. As a point of comparison, 84 swim clubs in the state are registered with USA Swimming, said Jan Cartmill, Michigan Swimming Membership Coordinator and Tabulator.

Our club's longevity even merited mention in the May 2005 issue of Swimming World magazine. The article, titled "A True Pioneer," chronicled the history of the club and its late founder, RoseMary Dawson, who held the first practice at the University of Michigan pool in 1956.

Why is the Ann Arbor Swim Club still alive and kicking when other clubs have faded from the scene? Michigan Swimming officials have pondered the question. Parks believes that our club has benefited from a supportive community.

"I think the Ann Arbor Swim Club survived, in part, because of the community it is in," said Parks, who is in the process of writing memoirs of her life as an Olympic trialist, college swim coach and Masters athlete.

The University of Michigan's long-standing success has elevated the sport in the eyes of the public; area high schools have consistently produced top-notch swimmers; and the Ann Arbor News devotes much coverage to swimming, all of which have contributed to the sport's momentum and longevity in the community, she added.

There are several other reasons for our club's longevity. The inspiration and commitment of the many coaches who have developed and taught the swimming programs have steered the club on a successful path. The quality and commitment of volunteer parents who have supported, administered and facilitated the programs have kept the club's engines humming. And the swimmers themselves have provided the fuel for that engine with their energy and enthusiasm.

"We would not have a club to celebrate without the swimmers who have given 50 years of their free time to swim for the Ann Arbor Swim Club," said Sharon Hubbard, a member of the Ann Arbor Swim Club.

USA Swimming officials were not able to verify how our club's age compares to other clubs across the country, but they believe, overall, a 50-year milestone is "rare." All the more reason to celebrate! In fact, several of our members give their own reasons why the anniversary is worthy of a celebration. Read their comments, and more, in the anniversary keepsake booklet that our club will distribute this winter. Look for details on how to pre-pay for a sponsorship message and receive the booklet for free.

Anniversary Activities and Offerings

Although many details have yet to be worked out, anniversary activities and offerings could include a special swim-a-thon; a "fastest 50" swim competition; and a banquet. A slogan contest will solicit creative ideas from our membership this summer. The winning entries will likely make their way to team T-shirts and other attire. (See "Don't Just Sit There," this page, for details.)

Commemorative merchandise will be sold at the Holiday Invitational, the Michigan Open, and other meets throughout the year.

The anniversary booklet, titled 50 Years of Memories: 1956-2006, will include quotes from parents and swimmers, action photos of swimmers at various meets throughout the 2004-05 season, age group portraits (in color) taken at the annual awards banquet, and articles about our club's history. It will be distributed at the Holiday Invitational Meet. The booklet is intended to provide a tangible keepsake of our club's first 50 years, give members a chance to own a piece of history, and enable them to mark this milestone with photos of their families and friends. (Read more about how to order.)

50 Split Journal

Stay tuned to the 50 Split link from our club's website. It is your best source for knowing what is happening when. It also will offer interactive opportunities for contests and monthly feature stories about our club.

Beginning Fall 2005, 50 Split will be updated monthly with
new features and activities.

"The 50 Split online anniversary journal is intended to prominently showcase and celebrate the first fifty years of our club," said Heather Keeler, vice president of the AASC Board of Directors. "It breaks away from our standard website design, although still complements it, to give full-page prominence and high-impact graphic appeal to professionally developed feature articles, interesting online kids' activities, and a column that solicits involvement and ideas from our membership."

"The title says it all — this important milestone is simply the first leg of a much longer journey for our club," added Keeler, an anniversary committee member. Beginning in the Fall 2005 short course season, 50 Split will be updated monthly with new feature articles covering the history of our club, profiles of our club founder and former AASC swimmers, important club milestones and first-hand accounts of the thrills of Olympic trials.

Other features of the journal include online, kid-safe educational activities that honor the concept of "50," such as 50-states word puzzles, folktalkes from 50 states, motivational quotes and more. The "Don't Just Sit There!" column is club members' chance to get involved and share their ideas. Look for opportunities to submit a personalized, unique cover art for the club's memory book, send in ideas for slogans that may appear on club t-shirts, share your memorable club moments, and more.

At the anniversary's end, the journal will be archived and always available long-term as an important document chronicling the first fifty years of Ann Arbor Swim Club, and its accomplishments and contributions to state- and national-level swimming.

What does AASC mean to you — fun, friends, fast times? Free your creative spirit and send us your ideas for a club slogan. Winning entries may appear on club t-shirts, banners, and more.

Send us your slogans by July 25; be sure to include your name and age. Check the Fall issue of 50 Split for results.

Also: Don't miss the Cover Art Contest for the  Anniversary Book, 50 Years of Memories: 1956-2006.

Browse American Folklore from each of our great 50 states. Legends, ghost stories, and myths ... oh, my!

Next Issue: Part One of a three-part series chronicling our club's history, profiling legendary coach and club founder RoseMary Dawson, and showcasing AASC state and national achievements