March 2026 Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE
March 18 - Last day of Short Course Season
First day of Long Course Season
May 8th - Swim-A-Thon
May 16th and 17th - Sextathlon Swim Meet @ DD
June 12th to 15th - Ted Walker Swim Meet @ The Dalles and Annual Swim Family Camp Out @ The Deschutes River State Recreation Area
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Hello from the Coaches
Volunteer Info
Swimmer of the Month
March Birthday’s
Thank you to our official team sponsor Arena
Shop online at SwimOutlet to support the team! Select "David Douglas Aquatics Club" as your team and every purchase gives back to DDAC with a 10% kickback! https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/ddac
RESOURCES:
Volunteer Hours / Event Sign Up / OSI Time Standards / USA Swimming / DDAC Facebook
Translated versions: RUSSIAN SPANISH VIETNAMESE
FROM THE COACHES
COACH JIM
Hello DDAC families,
As we close down the short course season I am very impressed with the effort, consistency and involvement of our athletes and families.
Improvement is a series of consistent decisions that keep our bodies and mind focussed on the improvement.
I want to congratulate the David Douglas High school team for an outstanding season. These swimmers Conference/ State awards
Conference Awards
Ja’lan Abdullah - 1st Team
Ariya Abdullah - 1st Team
Tierney King - 1st Team
Violeta Arnicibia - 1st Team
Nathan Nguyen - 1st Team
Nathan Vuong - 1st Team
Austin Pham - 1st Team
Elliott Huelshoff - 1st Team
Topher Ashmore - 1st Team
Jayden Normine - Honorable Mention
Nathan Chung - 1st Team
Gus Kahl - Honorable Mention
Oakley Gurr - Honorable Mention
Troy Van Rhys - Honorable Mention
State Awards
Nathan Nguyen - Honorable Mention
Nathan Vuong - Honorable Mention
Austin Pham - Honorable Mention
Ariya Abdullah - 3rd team All State
Tierney King - Honorable Mention
Elliott Huelshoff - Hornotable Mention
Congrats and good luck at Regionals and Sectionals
COACH BOBBY
The Power of Positive Self-Talk in Swimming
In swimming, success isn’t determined only by how hard we train in the water, it’s also shaped by what we say to ourselves in our own minds. The voice inside our heads can either build confidence and resilience or chip away at our performance and enjoyment of the sport. Learning to replace negative self-talk with positive, constructive thinking is a powerful skill every swimmer can develop.
What Is Self-Talk?
Self-talk is the internal dialogue we have with ourselves throughout practice and competition. It’s the quick thoughts that pop up after a tough set, a missed turn, or a race that didn’t go as planned. For swimmers, this inner voice often sounds like: “I’m terrible at starts,” or “I’m going to mess up this race.” Over time, these repeated thoughts can influence confidence, motivation, and even physical performance.
The Problem with Negative Self-Talk
Negative self-talk tends to focus on mistakes, fears, and doubts. While it may feel automatic, it can create a mental barrier that holds swimmers back. Thoughts like “I’m not fast enough” or “Everyone else is better than me” can increase anxiety and reduce focus. When swimmers expect failure, their bodies often follow that expectation.
Another issue with negative self-talk is that it overlooks progress. Swimming is a sport built on incremental improvement: small time drops, better technique, stronger endurance. When swimmers focus only on what went wrong, they miss the bigger picture of growth.
Shifting to Positive Self-Talk
Positive self-talk doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. Instead, it means choosing thoughts that are constructive, realistic, and encouraging. A swimmer who replaces “I always mess up my turns” with “I’m improving my turns every practice” keeps the focus on progress rather than failure.
Here are a few ways swimmers can build stronger positive self-talk habits:
Catch the negative thought. The first step is noticing when negative self-talk appears. Turn a bad attitude into a positive attitude.
Replace it with something constructive. Turn “I can’t do this set” into “This set is tough, but I’ll give my best effort.”
Focus on effort and improvement. Remember that progress comes from consistent work.
Use simple mental cues. Short phrases like “Strong stroke,” “Smooth turns,” or “Stay relaxed” help keep the mind focused during practice and races.
Why It Matters on Race Day
Races often come down to mental strength as much as physical preparation. Swimmers who practice positive self-talk are better able to stay calm under pressure, recover from mistakes, and stay focused on their race plan. A confident mindset allows athletes to perform closer to their true potential.
Building a Stronger Mindset
Just like technique and endurance, positive thinking is a skill that improves with practice. Coaches, teammates, and parents can all help reinforce constructive language and celebrate effort and improvement.
At the end of the day, every swimmer will face challenging sets, tough races, and moments of doubt. What matters most is how we respond to those moments. By replacing negative self-talk with positive, encouraging thoughts, swimmers build not only faster performances but also stronger confidence - both in and out of the pool.
The next time a tough set begins, or the next time you step up on the blocks, remember: the most powerful voice in your swimming journey is the one in your own head. Make sure it’s on your side.
COACH BRAYDEN
DDAC Family,
March means one thing: Championship Season.
This is what we’ve been building toward since September. Every early morning, every tough set, every detail we’ve emphasized, it all leads to this stretch of the season.
Now it’s time to raise the standard.
For those competing in championship meets: get hyped. You’ve earned your spot. This is where preparation meets opportunity. The energy you bring to practice right now matters. The mental sharpness. The physical execution. The confidence in your work.
For everyone else: you play a role too. Championship culture isn’t built by individuals — it’s built by teams. Push your teammates. Celebrate their progress. Bring competitive intensity to every lane.
Prepared Athletes Show Intent
In the last newsletter, we talked about preparation being a visible standard — and we’re seeing it.
More and more swimmers are showing up with:
Full gear bags
Water bottles
Equipment organized and ready
No scrambling before warm-up
When gear bags are lined up across the lanes, it says something.
It says:
“I’m here to work.”
“I’m serious about getting better.”
“I respect the process.”
That level of intent matters. It changes the feel of practice. It raises the expectation. It builds culture.
Each squad has a gear bag list for a reason. The athletes who consistently bring their equipment are consistently prepared to maximize every set. There’s no wasted time. No excuses. Just work.
Keep that momentum going.
Championship Mindset
Championship swimming is not just physical — it’s mental.
Ask yourself:
Am I competing in practice?
Am I finishing strong on every rep?
Am I racing the person next to me — even on a Tuesday set?
Am I bringing energy to my lane?
Mental energy + physical effort = performance.
This is the time to sharpen details:
Underwaters
Breakouts
Turns
Finishes
Race pacing
Small margins decide championships.
The Standard Moving Forward
Show up prepared.
Bring the gear.
Bring the water bottle.
Bring the intensity.
Bring the focus.
When we fill the deck with organized gear bags and locked-in swimmers, it sends a message: DDAC is serious.
Let’s show up this month with purpose.
Let’s bring the energy — mentally and physically — every single day.
Championship season is here.
Let’s attack it.
-Coach Brayden
– Coach Brayden
VOLUNTEER INFO
Volunteer Updates:
Thank you to all the volunteer hours completed this season. Parent support is essential for our Club and we appreciate all the dedication and time from our families. A final true up will happen March 18th. If there are any adjustments needed to your account or questions you have about volunteering, please reach out to andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org.
Long Course Season volunteer hour requirements will reset on April 1st and front desk volunteer hours will be released once the LSC schedule has been approved.
Shout out to our team officials!
A huge thank you to Linda Nelson and Winnie Nguyen for officiating at meets this season and representing David Douglas! And a warm welcome to Christine Spector for joining as our newest trained official! Thank you for all the time you put into supporting our swimmers!
Swim officials are critical to the functioning of a swim team and DDAC should have at least six based on our membership size. There are a number of benefits of becoming an official and it is a great way to fulfill your service hour requirements each season. If you are interested in becoming an official, the Club will pay for all associated training costs. You can get more information here.
Scholarships:
Scholarships are available for the Long Course Season. More information and applications can be found here. Funds are limited and granted to swimmers who have dedicated at least a full consistent year with DDAC and have maintained at least an 80% swim practice attendance average. We re-evaluate available funds each season, if you received a scholarship for Short Course Season you will need to reapply.
March 1 - 18th: scholarship application window is open
April 1st: Board reviews applications at monthly meeting
Week of April 6th: approved applicants are notified
April 1st: scholarships take effect for April - July dues (no monthly dues in Aug)
Paper applications are also available at the front desk (English, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese).
Fueling forSwim Meets:
Swimmers face long hours at the pool, sometimes for multiple days in a row, when competing at swim meets. Proper fueling before and throughout a swim meet is essential for optimal performance and recovery. Below are some resources with more information:
SWIMMER’S OF THE MONTH
Senior - Nathan Nguyen
Gold - Will Worthing
Silver 2 - Scarlett Chen
Silver 1 - Grigorii Vasilenko
Bronze 2 - Grace Peterson
Bronze 1 - Charlie Spector-McGeachin
MARCH BIRTHDAY’S
03/09/2011 Booker Franklin Senior
03/19/2010 MacKenzie Guillet Senior
03/15/2010 Brian Chen Bronze
03/24/2009 Nathan Vuong Senior
03/06/2009 Malakai Junio Senior
03/05/2008 Nathan Nguyen Senior
03/01/2015 Flora Provenzola Bronze
03/27/2013 Kyra Morrill Gold
03/11/2013 Bella Pietrzyk Gold
03/07/2013 Josephine Hoang Silver I
03/07/2012 Olivia Mindra Gold
03/06/2012 Benjamin Tran Gold
03/21/2011 Wilson Tran Silver II
BOARD MEMBERS
Jennifer Robinson – Member Representative
jennifer.robinson@ddacswim.org
Halle Cisco – Marketing & Communications
halle.cisco@ddacswim.org
Jamie King – Coach
jamie.king@ddacswim.org
Coaches:
bobby.deroest@ddacswim.org
brayden.franzke@ddacswim.org
James Bowe – President
jim.bowe@ddacswim.org
Crystal Mandery – Vice President
crystal.mandery@ddacswim.org
Jennifer Lindeman – Secretary
jennifer.lindeman@ddacswim.org
Heather Franklin – Treasurer
heather.franklin@ddacswim.org
Andrea Guillet – Volunteer Coordinator
andrea.guillet@ddacswim.org