Are you planning to apply to an ALPS pool for employment in the summer of 2011? Luckily for you, the 2010 ALPS Directory of Pools, online edition is available here. In it, you'll find the mailing address for each pool and the contact information for their ALPS representative.

Please do contact each pool directly.

Please don't send your CV to the ALPS webmaster.

Thank you

Each year, the president of ALPS awards a trophy in recognition of the volunteer within ALPS whose unselfish contribution of time, talent and dedication will never be forgotten.

The 2010 recipient was Garry Milton, the past past president and current secretary of ALPS. Here's what ALPS president Don Norris had to say during the presentation of the award at Swimming Finals:

Erik Bedard, past president of ALPS, has spent put together a list of all ALPS trophy winners.

We seem to be missing some winners in each discipline and we could use your help.

If your club has records and could help fill in the gaps, it would be very helpful. Please email Erik Bedard with any input you may be able to provide.

Welcome, everyone, to the 53rd ALPS season.

It is always difficult deciding on the topic to write about but this year was an exception as my message is about the lifeblood of ALPS: its volunteers. Without our dedicated volunteers, there would be no ALPS!

Consider for a minute how many individuals are involved for a Wednesday night dual swim meet: one referee, one starter, two stroke and turn judges, two place judges, at least twelve timers, one chief timer, two chief finish judges, two or more runners, two recorder/scorers, two or more people to hand out ribbons, and the meet manager. This adds up to 28 individuals volunteering their valuable time as officials. To this number, add the individuals running the canteens and Bar-B-Qs, multiply that by ten swim meets per week and that gives you a rough idea of how many volunteers are involved just on Wednesday nights. Add to this the number of people involved in organizing, helping-out and officiating at the Diving Meets and Waterpolo games, Synchronized Swimming Meets and the various tournaments and “event finals” as well as those who volunteer on our twenty-two pool committees, the ALPS Reps, and the ALPS Directors, and you begin to get an idea of how many people are involved in providing the volunteer base necessary for ALPS to continue. What is most heartening is that all of this is being done to continue the positive environment that ALPS provides to our young athletes.

My message is very simple: thank you all so very much for your time and your efforts - you are the BEST!

Parents, when you come to the pool, don't just drop off your children; stay, get involved, become a volunteer, become a board member. We need you. Your pool and ALPS is only as good as its volunteers.

The ALPS philosophy says that: “in any competition there is always a winner and a loser. There is nothing wrong with winning – we all like to win. But when some clubs put winning above all, ahead of fair play and total involvement, then everyone has lost something, the competitors, the clubs, and the ALPS organization.” Let's keep this spirit alive.

Best of luck to all clubs in their competitions and may your 2010 ALPS experience be a positive one.

Don Norris
ALPS President

ALPS 2010 RULE BOOK

This is a written contract between parents, participants, and coaches to abide by the rules and regulations of their sport, as well as to maintain a cooperative attitude and to uphold the ideals of fair play and sportsmanship. This contract is more than just paper; it is the essence of the ALPS philosophy and so it's important that all children, parents, and coaches read this document, understand it, and, if they choose to participate in ALPS-organized, inter-club competitions, that they agree to uphold its principles.

The ALPS Code of Conduct is available in both English and French at the end of the rule book file. The entire ALPS competitive schedule is also there.