Carib Swim Team Association
Sea Island Cotton, Cole Bay,
St Maarten,Netherlands Antilles.

This season the CSTA will be facing some new and challenging changes. Having enjoyed 10 years of support from the Carib Swim Foundation, allowing us free use of the pool facilities, from this season there will be some changes. The Foundation is wishing to cut-back on its lessons, and their time & involvement at the pool, and with that,  can no longer support free lane space for the Team.  From September 1st the team will be paying a subsidized amount of $2,000 per month for pool use.  This will be a big challenge to the team who’s only income until now, has been from team swimmers fee’s and any donations/sponsorship, which has primarily enabled us to employ our professional coach Ian, and the remainder to home meets, administration etc.
We see 2 ways increasing the extra income we now will need a) Learn to swim lessons run directly by the Carib Swim TEAM b) backed by a solid and enthusiastic drive for team sponsorships & business support.
Both of these require help;- assisting instruction, administration, booking, payments etc., so we are looking more than ever, to all parent for volunteer help and assistance in whatever jobs and with whatever time they can. We already thank Fraya’ mum, Juvanni’s Dad, and Jesse’s mum for their offers of help.
Please let us know what time you can offer. Thank you.
 
If you know someone is not receiving any e-mails
from the Carib Swim Team, please ask them to e-mail to us at info@caribswimteam.org  so we can make sure that their correct e-mail address is added to our mailing list.
 
If  English is not your first language
And you are having difficulty understanding any of the e-mails or notices we send out, we have Dutch,  French and  English speaking members on the CSTA  Board, so please ask for help.
 
Si vous n’etes pas bilingues
N’hesitez pas a demander la traduction de nos mails et annonces aupres des members du bureau ou aux parents bilingues. Nous tenons a ce que tout le monde participe a la vie du club.

Swim Team training returned to Carib Swim Pool on Monday 27th September.
The new season started Monday 6th September, with swim training at the Belair Sports Center, (by the hospital) until the

The Carib Swim Team is a highly competitive youth swim team started in 1993. Over 70 children aged from 6 to 18 years from both Dutch side and French side of the island compete in swim meets locally, on inter‑island and Caribbean level as well as at

meets in Europe and the United States.  These athletes have represented St Maarten / St Martin in national meets both in Curacao and France.  They have earned medals at National Championships, CARIFTA, and The Kingdom Games!
 
This club, solely supported by parents, volunteers, and sponsors, will be hosting a fundraising Swim‑a‑Thon on October 24th 2010, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  During this  6 hours period swimmers to be trying to swim as far or as long as their fitness allows them.  Some people will swim the entire 6 hours and others will choose to do only part of the time.
 
The Swim‑a‑Thon is open to all who wish to Support the Program and help these athletes strive for their dreams!

You can help these athletes in four different ways

• By agreeing to donate a certain amount of money for each lap swum.

• By participating and raising money yourself by getting others to donate for each lap you swim.

• By paying $5.00 to swim during the allotted times yourself.

• By donating time and supplies that are needed to help the Swim-a-Thon succeed like drinks and snacks, for both swimmers & helpers during this event.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us
e‑mail:     info@caribswimteam.org
Website:  www.caribswimteam.org
Phone:    Coach Ian on  +(599) 522 5785

Carib Swim Pool re-opened.We returned to the Carib Pool on Monday 27th September Training schedule for Carib Swim pool can found on our ‘Schedule’ page.

What’s been happening
 
CST Swim-a-thon  which was held on Sunday  October.  58 swimmers swam a total of 271.2km and raised a total of $4,038.01 from sponsoring & donations.  Well done everyone.
A special well done goes to MARA RELTIEN who collected the most sponsor money this year.  Mara collected at total of $680.78, and is the winner of the super prize Trip for 4 on Scoobitoo !  Well done, and many thanks to all who sponsored, donated, helped and swam !
 
Pier to Pier Race   7th November started with  the annual Pier to Pier race, swimming from the  Cruise Ship pier to the Cyril Wathey pier in Philipsburg. 3 CST swimmers took part, Steven Cloose taking 1st place, Naomi Korstanje taking 2nd place and 9 year old Freya Knaggs beating her Dad !  Well done
 
CST Fall Classic Meet.  Our first home meet of the season was also hosted on 7th November with 102 swimmers from St Barths Natation, Super Splash swim team and Carib Swim Team. CST swimmers swam  155  personal best times,  set 15  new team records and introduced 18 new cst swimmers to their very first swim meet !
 
Around the Island Relay Race   2 CST teams,  (14 year & under) sponsored by Orange Grove Pharmacy, and (19 years & under) sponsored by Ace, ran this annual St Maarten/St Martins’ Day race. Great run by both teams …and a lot of fun !!!  Full results attached.
 
SXM Super Splash Swim Meet. 2 x 15 swimmer teams from Carib Swim Team swam in  this 2 day swim Meet organized by Super Splash & held at the CIA, St Maarten, on Sat & Sunday 13/14 November.  Also competing were teams from Teams from Statia, St Croix & Super Splash St Maarten.  Well done to Carib Swim Team,  taking first and second places overall. Results attached.

Siegfried Francisco Invitational 2010 to be held in Curacao on Fri/Sat/Sun 10/11/12 December 2010.  CST will be sending a team of qualifying swimmers to represent Carib Swim Team and St Maarten/St Martin.
 
Coupe de Noel  St Barths Christmas Meet to be held on Sunday 12th December at St Barths. Our team will travel by boat, early Sunday morning, returning late afternoon/early evening same day. This is a great meet for all team swimmers, and especially for our younger & developmental  swimmers.  See Pool notice-board for Meet Invitation, or talk to Coach Ian.
 
Help Needed
As a Volunteer Parent run Swim Team, we rely on the help of all our families to enable the team to function properly and efficiently.
We desperately need some volunteer help with our Learn-to Swim program.
1.    Can you give 2 hours of your time, once or twice a month, to take swim lesson fees, help answer parents questions and generally help whilst Coach Ian and  Instructors Johness & Naomi are giving lessons.  Lessons take place at the Port de Plaisance pool  every Saturday between 10.30-12.30.  Can you volunteer 1 or 2 Saturdays per month, rotating with other volunteer parents ?
2.    Are you good at writing – news letters, press releases & generally keeping in touch with all our families   
3.    Can you enter data into our computer (enter meet results, e-mail addresses etc)
4.    Are you a good coordinator & organizer, can you keep in touch & co-ordinate via e-mail & phone,  our swim lessons program,  or individual meet organization,  or home meets etc.
 
There are many, many areas that we need help with. Please let us know what you can do to help our swimmers and our Carib Swim Team. Thank you.