Team News

January 2, 2026 Update

Coach's Corner

Happy New Year, Swimmers!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Starting on Monday, January 5th, we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming, and I look forward to catching up with those who have been out of town or just taking a "holiday" from practices. Be sure to check out the listings below in the BULLETIN BOARD section, regarding Upcoming Events, as it would be great to set some goals for participation in the Swim Meets, Open Water Races, and/or Virtual/Fitness (in-practice) challenges.

Notices/Reminders [Be Sure to Read!]

Our Regular Practice Schedule restarts this Monday, January 5th; back to our early and late practices (5:45-7:00am and 8:15-9:30am) on M,W, and F.

IMPORTANT: Please remember to renew your USMS registration for 2026 ASAP, if you have not already done so. Due to liability issues, all swimmers must be currently registered in order to swim in our practices.
Congrats to all who participated in our annual December challenges, the 2025 MEMO 400 Kick for Time and the 100 Fin Kick for Time, some even completing it on two or three occasions! Remember to register online with your results (ask me if you need your official time) before the due date of Saturday, Jan. 10th!

It's not too early to set a goal to swim in the 2026 USMS SCY Spring National Championships in Greensboro, NC, April 30-May 3, 2026. You can find meet info HERE. We plan to rent a few Airbnbs, so let me know if you are interested.
Although I am not attending this year, we are still invited to join INDY Masters at their SwimCation trip from Feb. 25th-March 1st in Ft. Lauderdale. If you want to go, I will forward you the information; registration is due Jan. 15th.

Thank you all for your continued support and enthusiasm for our Ensworth Aquatics Masters team, which as of October 2025, has been a USMS team for 10 years going strong. May 2026 be another fabulous year for our team, as well as for you and your families. Happy New Year!

😊 Coach Chris

Holiday Team Party

A huge THANK YOU to Jeff and Catherine Beemer for hosting our Team Holiday Party this year at the Horseshoe Bend Clubhouse, and a special thanks to Catherine for organizing the pot luck. The venue was perfect and was filled with many a swimmer and significant others, plus loads of yummy dinner and dessert items. After much eating and schmoozing, Catherine led us in our gift exchange game, which resulted in lots of fun and many memorable moments!

Events

Coming Up Soon!

2026 NAC Masters New Year Classic (Saturday, January 17, 2026). A quick commute to get to the meet, as it is being hosted at the Centennial Sportsplex. A great way to get some official event times at a nearby location. Registration is OPEN, and we already have some swimmers signed up.

Results!

Congrats to Mary Hollister, Kelly Myers, Erin Pryles, and Margy Cramer on their FAST swimming in the Two-Mile Virtual Relay. The foursome placed 3rd in the toughest age group (35-45yrs) and 4th overall. Very impressive swimming, ladies. :)

Countdown to 2026 Workout!

Welcome to 2026 Workout!

Teammate Tidbits

Random photos from the past month or so...

Best wishes to Sarah Gann, who just left for a great job opportunity as a hospitalist in Cleveland. We had a fun send-off breakfast at the Loveless Cafe last month, but we will miss her terribly.

Jeff Brandt is a bigwig at In 'N Out Burger, and he is helping to develop the company expansion into TN. Coach Chris and hubby John joined Jeff for a private event at the Antioch location the night before it officially opened...and yes..they chowed down on cheeseburgers and "animal" fries... incredibly delicious!

Lexi Karpinski and Lauren Branscombe (and Coach Chris) making bowls at the Handmade Studio pottery workshop!

P.S. Send me your fun photos to share!

ENSW "Bulletin Board"

Upcoming Events

Swim Meets

2026 NAC Masters New Year Classic, January 17, 2026 (Nashville, TN @Centennial Sportsplex).
2026 Sewanee SCY Spring Invitational, Sat, Feb. 28, 2026 (Sewanee, TN).
2026 USMS Spring Nationals, April 30-May 3, 2026 (Greensboro, NC).

Open Water

2026 USMS Sprint-Distance OW National Championships (1-Mile), April 3, 2026 (Sarasota, FL).
2026 USMS Long-Distance OW National Championships (5K), April 4, 2026 (Sarasota, FL).
2026 USMS Marathon Distance OW National Championship (10K), July 18, 2026 (Applegate Lake, Southern Oregon).
2026 USMS Middle Distance OW National Championships, July 25, 2026 (Square Lake, MN).

Virtual/Fitness Challenges

2026 USMS 1-Hour Virtual Championships, January 1-31, 2026 (to complete in practice).
2026 USMS Fitness Series, Monthly challenges from Jan-Dec 2026.
2026 USMS Go the Distance, Track your overall distance for the entire year.

Team Apparel and Gear - Options for Purchasing

We have created a TEAM STORE on SwimOutlet.com, so that you can purchase team logo apparel, as well as swimming gear, with a portion of the proceeds going to ENSW Masters! Note: We can add items, If there is something you want that is not already in our Team Store!
Team logo caps (latex and silicone) are available for purchase. Coach Chris also has some extra CAPS, T-SHIRTS, PULLOVER T-SHIRTS, AND SWEATSHIRTS in stock.

Misc Reminders

GroupMe!
- - Be sure to sign up for the app under our team account, as any last-minute practice changes will be communicated this way, as well as info on various other items including apparel orders and social events. ENSW Masters GroupMe. NOTE that there are now two topics for our account - the main chat, where everyone can communicate, and also "announcements from Coach Chris," which only includes notices from me. You are able to mute the group chat and keep the announcements on, if so desired.
Natatorium Doors to be Locked @7:10am During the School Year
- - Those swimmers attending late workout (8:15-9:30am) will need to enter a code on the pin pad (next to the doors on the right side) to enter the building. The entry code is specific to our Masters' team and allows access Monday through Friday between 7:00am and 9:45am only.
  - Our Masters code for the locked doors is 2314#.
Donation Ideas!
- - If you are looking to donate to a good cause, you have some excellent choices at your fingertips...

Our Swim Across America team page for 2025 will remain active through the end of October, so it's not too late to solicit donations!
The WALT Fund, created in honor of our dear pal Walt, with the intention of supporting adult swimming in general, plus specifically as booster funds for our Ensworth Aquatics Masters team. See donation instructions at bottom of newsletter.
The Nashville Dolphins, a wonderful organization supporting special needs swimmers, that is led by our teammate, Brenda Vroon.

The WALT Fund

Created in Walt Lenard's memory to honor his enthusiasm for all things Ensworth Aquatics Masters.

Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our team.

You can hand-deliver to Coach Chris or send by mail to: "The WALT Fund" at 2100 20th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.

Regular ENSW Practice Schedule

Monday 5:45-7:00am, 8:15-9:30am

Tuesday 5:45-7:00am

Wednesday 5:45-7:00am, 8:15-9:30am

Thursday 5:45-7:00am

Friday 5:45-7:00am, 8:15-9:30am

Saturday 6:30-7:45am

Sunday Off

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