AEA E-News – June 2010
Editor- Mark Grevelding
AEA E News is the news you need to know! How did the volcanic ash impact IAFC? Who won the AEA Global Awards? What is the AEA Fitness Splash that is going on this summer? Where are the events this Fall? Is there really going to be an AEA Regional Conference in Binghamton, NY this November? What is Angie saying now? Keep reading for the answers to all this and more!
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IAFC 2010 – A Volcanic Success!
By now, the pools at the Wyndham Resort in Orlando have returned to their quiet splendor and the conference center has regained its stately aura. But for five wild days in April, the conference center was overrun with an eclectic mixture of aquatic enthusiasts and weary European travelers stranded far from home.
Yes, IAFC 2010 was the Year of the Volcano. On Wednesday April 14, a volcano in Iceland erupted and by Friday airports all across Europe were closed. By Saturday, it was evident that the plume of volcanic ash was going to pose a major problem for IAFC which was slated to begin on the following Tuesday, April 20. Presenters and attendees from Europe were stranded and drama was enfolding across the Atlantic as desperate measures were taken to secure flights.
Steph Toogood from the United Kingdom spent 16 determined hours on the phone trying to get a seat on one of the first planes out of Heathrow upon its reopening. She made it to IAFC. Silvia Senati of Italy abandoned all hope of getting out of Milan’s airport and instead switched her reservation to the airport in Rome, only to have that airport close minutes before her flight was scheduled to leave. She did not make it to IAFC. Mimi Adami, also of Italy, was in Japan when the volcano erupted and instead of flying back to Rome and then onto Orlando, she had to completely change her plans, redirect her flights, fly into Miami and then have a friend drive her to Orlando; all so that she could teach her sessions at IAFC. Presenters Daniela Detoia of Germany and Katrien Lemahieu of the Netherlands also did not make it to IAFC. In the end, three presenters and 23 attendees from Europe did not make it to IAFC.
Meanwhile back in Florida, thousands of Europeans were stranded, including hundreds at the Wyndham Resort. The IAFC attendees offered sympathy and compassion to the stranded European families who were out of money and quickly running out of patience. The Wyndham provided special low cost buffets to the refugees and some of the stranded travelers relieved their stress by joining in on some of the IAFC classes. It is likely that when some of them finally did get back to Europe they immediately enrolled in water exercise classes because they got to experience the best aquatic fitness classes in the world!
In the end, IAFC 2010 can be summarized as a lesson in global unity. The world came together for one week to educate and celebrate aquatic fitness, but one big volcanic eruption threatened to doom the celebration. In the face of adversity, the aquatic global family worked together to pull off the best IAFC ever. Thanks to the efforts of AEA staff, IAFC staff, IAFC crew members, presenters, vendors and attendees, the show went on!
Special thanks and praise must go to AEA Executive Director, Angie Proctor, who had the biggest shoulders in the world that week. When the first airports closed, Angie turned into an international travel agent and spent morning, noon and night working the phones and the internet trying to help attendees and presenters beat the volcanic cloud. Congratulations to Angie and thanks to all for the amazing efforts at making this IAFC an incredible experience.
Check out Angie’s comments further below.
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IAFC 2010 – According to an Attendee
Lindsay Mondick, Minneapolis, MN
(Lindsay is photographed to the right in action at the Wyndham pool)
IAFC 2010 was an amazing way to celebrate another great year with AEA and allowed me to leave Florida yet again with revitalized passion for our industry. Each year my classes in Minnesota both love and hate when I attend IAFC, because they know that when I come back from the event I will be a changed instructor (which means they have to keep up with me even more than before). This year was no different, from the beautiful weather to the Mardi Gras party; I soaked up every bit of the experience as I could in order to bring it back to the land of 10,000 lakes. From the fantastic fusion and circuit classes which filled the day, to the relaxation and meditation sessions that ended it. The opportunities for learning were endless. The “big ah-ha” I had this year to bring back to my classes will be to really focusing on multi-planar ROM with all of my joint actions and basic moves to take each combination and class to the next level. Sometimes when we teach on the pool deck year round, we get stuck in our ruts and forget the multi-directional resistance that is there to utilize in the water to benefit our classes. To the IAFC cast and crew, thank you for another great successful event. I can’t wait for May 2011!
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IAFC 2010 - According to Dodo
(Dodo is pictured above with Jim Seeley, Fun & Fitness Travel Club Program Director)
Dorothy Griffith, otherwise known to all as Dodo, won a scholarship to IAFC this year from the Aqua Society of Atlanta. In an exclusive article for the AEA website, Dodo describes her own unique IAFC experience in elegant “Dodo prose.” You have to check it out! CLICK HERE for the whole article!
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IAFC 2010 – According to Angie
Angie Proctor is AEA’s Executive Director and overall Boss Lady of IAFC. Below she bid’s IAFC 2010 goodbye and turns her eyes to 2011.
Well, what is your overall feeling regarding IAFC 2010?
I don’t know how we did it but IAFC 2010 was absolutely an outstanding conference. Everyone made it such a smooth week. I am still sitting here amazed. The global unity, the networking, the fantastic job every presenter did was just incredible. The staff and crew were in control and ran a very smooth conference. I cannot say when a year went better with all the obstacles we encountered!
What was a defining moment of this conference?
Three presenters didn’t make it in, one was late getting in due to the volcano ashes and one had to leave due to a medical situation. The unison, the quick resolve, the stepping up to the plate by all the presenters that jumped in, truly demonstrated how unified our industry has become. I was also impressed with the ability of AEA and the presenters to entertain stranded and very stressed out passengers from the United Kingdom who could not get home due to air space being closed over most of Europe. There were over 800 stranded passengers on site at the Wyndham and our delegates, presenters and everyone without even knowing it, made these people feel welcome and comfortable. I want to thank everyone, each and every delegate and person involved with IAFC for making these people feel comfortable.
Other highlights?
The education delivery was outstanding. This year, I had a chance to sit outside doors or be poolside and the presenters did a fantastic job and shared so much of their expertise. The Expo Hall also seemed especially good this year. It was so nice to see the industry regulars who always make IAFC a success and it was great to see some new vendors as well. The new music, apparel and equipment were exciting to see and it will hopefully open up more ideas for programming and applications. The Mardi Gras Party was fun and hundred of delegates were in masks, costumes and more. It was truly a fun night away from education and a time to just let go! The KPH Finale was very special to me. The presenters were great and the KPH 50/50 raised $2,800.00 which split with $1,400.00 going to the fund! Thanks everyone, it was truly great to raise this money in a fun and effective way.
So we say goodbye to IAFC 2010. Any ideas on what’s in store for 2011?
I’m not telling a soul a thing until we see a schedule roll out. I can tell you that it is scheduled for May 10-14, 2011 at our conference central, the Wyndham. The selection committee has a very tough job this coming few months. All I can say is yes, the top 25 presenters will be back and they will be ready to deliver even more dynamic educational sessions to continue to raise our industry to new heights!
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IAFC 2010 – The Final Good Bye in Photos
(Debra Zimmerman is pictured above)
One of IAFC’s biggest supporters is Debra Zimmerman. Always with a camera in hand, Debra has an amazing knack for capturing the essence of the IAFC experience with her photos. If you want to put a smile on your face and a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart, then you MUST click on the link below. CLICK HERE to view Debra’s Smilebox Photo Presentation.
WHAT’S NEW
Reminder! Online Evaluations for Weekend Events
AEA now uses an online participant course evaluation survey for all weekend events. All registered participants will have the online evaluation sent to their email address on the Sunday evening after the event. Each workshop attendee will complete the appropriate areas of the survey based upon their attendance. The online evaluation should take less than 5 minutes to complete. It is hoped that by providing people with more anonymity and with more time to reflect, the participant evaluations will better serve the purpose of providing AEA with constructive and crucial feedback needed for developing top notch education and programming delivery.
Your completed evaluation not only helps AEA better serve you, but it could win you prizes! AEA will pull a prize drawing from all evaluations submitted 14 days after the event. The winner from each event will receive an email notification.
Don’t believe it? Check out these prize winners from events held in March and April
Greensburg, PA -Melissa Dalansky
Visalia, CA -Laurel Keeffe
Cincinnati, OH -Virginia Tuttle
Sioux Falls, SD -Pamela Wilcox
Greenville, SC -Lisa McLeod
W. Deptford, NJ -Lisa Cordovano
Harrisonburg, VA -Brenda Mitchell
Madison, WI -Barbara Fuszard
Scottsdale, AZ -Julie Webb
Webster, NY -Alisa DiMora
BIG NEWS! All attendees who complete an online evaluation will also be eligible for a grand prize drawing for a free IAFC registration. There will be two IAFC winners drawn at the end of June.
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Helping Others by Affirming Aquatic Excellence
At IAFC 2010, attendees discovered a special gift in their welcome bags. Each person received an 8.5 x 11 poster card containing professional affirmations. The poster cards were such a hit that many people have inquired about how to get more. The AEA Affirmations poster is now available for purchase in the AKWA Shop. You can order them for $5.00 each or $15.00 for five (5) poster cards, with shipping charges included. As an AEA Member, you save 20% off the regular price. Even better, all net proceeds go to the KPH Fund, which supports ovarian cancer research and provides aquatic educational scholarships for women with limited financial means.
Show your support and affirm your belief in the positive difference you can make in the lives of others!
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AEA WEEKEND EVENTS
June Events
It is not too late to register for workshops on the weekend of June 26 & 27!
June 26 & 27 Wyckoff, NJ – Successful Senior Strategies and Aquatic Warm Ups & Cool Downs
June 26 & 27 Amarillo, TX – Aquatic Circuits and Intervals
June 26 & 27 Franklin, MA - Aquatic Sport, Function & Performance
Check out the Education Calendar for more details on these June workshops, as well as the latest events being added for the Fall!
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Onward to the Northeast! Destination: Binghamton, NY. Yep, we are going back to Binghamton. Join us for the AEA Northeast Regional Conference November 19-21, 2010. The weekend will feature multiple presenters, sessions and opportunities; all designed to pack your classes with the latest in aquatic fitness education. The presenter line-up includes Europe’s most popular presenter, Silvia Senati, as well as some of the top USA presenters from IAFC 2010. Stay tuned for further details.
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WHO’S WHO
2010 IAFC Global Award Winners
IAFC Merit Award – Donna Blackmon
With over 10 years experience in the industry, this behind the scenes employee is actually quite visible and recognizable to many of us. She is the first person IAFC attendees see at the conference as she operates command central at IAFC registration. As AEA’s Assistant Director of Administration, Donna Blackmon is also the person you will likely speak to if you screw up an online registration or if you submit questions to AEA via the website. She is our website guru, designing all of our online applications and guiding some of us less technical employees into the world of “online everything.” This award recognizes Donna for her outstanding contributions to overall AEA administration.
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AEA Lifetime Achievement Award – Mary Wykle, PhD
She is a college professor and holds multiple certifications and awards in aquatics and fitness. Her company, MW Associates, offers workshops in health and aquatics. Mary Wykle is a presenter for ATRI, AEA and IAFC and is a member of the AEA Advisory Board. She is recognized for program development including Aquatic Pi-Yo-Chi™, safety courses, and programming for special populations. Most recently, Mary has been a driving force behind the Aquatic Warrior Program, which features aquatic rehabilitation for wounded military personnel. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors Dr. Mary Wykle for her long track record in the industry and a consistent history of success.
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AEA Aquatic Fitness Professional of the Year Award – Roxana Brasil
This award winner has been an international AEA Training Specialist since 2000 and travels worldwide sharing her energy, enthusiasm and expertise. With a degree in physical education and masters in human motricity, she is a well-known fitness consultant, author, personal trainer and popular HydroRider Training Specialist. Roxana Brasil is an instructor at Velox Fitness in Rio de Janeiro and she is awarded the 2010 Aquatic Fitness Professional of the Year award for her outstanding role as a fitness educator and popular IAFC presenter.
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AEA Contribution to the Aquatic Fitness Industry Award – Len Kravitz, PhD
He is a program coordinator in exercise science at the University of New Mexico, a published researcher and a very popular conference presenter. He has been honored by his university as an "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" and was recently honored with the 2009 Canadian Fitness Professional Specialty Presenter of the Year. Len Kravitz also received the American Council on Exercise 2006 Fitness Educator of the Year Award. AEA is honored to present the 2010 AEA Contribution to the Aquatic Fitness Industry to Dr. Len Kravitz for his endless passion and for his sold out Lectures at IAFC.
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TRAINING IDEAS
AEA Fitness Splash 2010 – Celebrating the Aqua Athlete
Probably one of the biggest complaints that AEA trainers hear when they are on the road is that instructors get frustrated in their efforts to attract new members into the pool. It seems like there is still a stigma attached to aquatic exercise, a myth that water fitness is just for older women. As aquatic fitness professionals, we know that is simply not true. This summer we are on a mission to dispel that myth and to prove that water exercise can also include athletic and aggressive programming that can appeal to Baby Boomers, male participants and athletes.
We are excited to announce our AEA Fitness Splash 2010, a special initiative designed to both educate instructors and inform the general public about the benefits of vigorous aquatic fitness programming. Join AEA Trainers this summer as they celebrate aqua athletes and unleash the power of the pool with two of AEA's more athletic workshops: Aquatic Sport, Function & Performance and Aquatic Kickboxing. And for the first time ever, your students and club members can join you for a portion of the workshop. Each event will have varied pricing that includes instructor and student pricing. Instructors who register before the Early Bird Deadline pay just $75 for the 5 hour workshop and they collect CECs for AEA, AFAA, ACE and more. Students attend for a limited portion that includes 30 minutes of class room interactive programming and the entire 1.5 hour pool practical and they pay just $25.
Instructors can receive 50% off their registration fee if five of their students register.
Each AEA Fitness Splash event will also feature an exciting KPH Master Class after the workshop. This master class will showcase the AEA Trainer’s favorite routine. All proceeds will go to the KPH Fund which benefits ovarian cancer research and helps fund aquatic fitness education for women with limited financial means. The fee for the master class $10. Students can attend for $5 if they also attend the workshop.
Details are still being finalized for the Fitness Splash 2010 launch, however events will likely be confined to regions where we have AEA trainers locally based, as this is a grass roots effort designed to help our instructors get more people in the pool with an education campaign. Events will likely be held in August and details & locations should be made available by July 1st and included in the July E News.
If there is not a Fitness Splash 2010 event being held near you, you will definitely want to tune into the Training Ideas segment of the July edition of E News and the AEA website because we are going to help you get more people in the pool by creating your own mini Fitness Splash event!
AEA is committed to helping you help others discover their inner athlete in the pool.
STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER DETAILS!
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HEALTH & NUTRITION FOR YOU
Water-full Watermelon!
By Angie Proctor
Summer is almost here and watermelon patches are expected to be full! We loved them as kids and some of us might have even spiked them with vodka as teenagers, but do we now realize the benefits we can get from watermelon as adults? Almost everyone loves watermelon, but one of the best things about this tasty fruit is that it contains lots of water. Dehydration can take many of us down in the summer heat. Replenishing fluids and your water intake is extremely important to your overall health and stamina.
The benefits of watermelon are numerous and can directly impact your overall well-being. In the summer months we sweat more, thus eating more fruits and vegetables packed with vitamins, nutrients and water is a must. Watermelon can also help reduce inflammation for those with acute and chronic injuries. It contains many antioxidants that are body needs and can assist in a speedier recovery for wounds, cuts and more. Watermelon provides a great source of Vitamin C and it also contains lycopene, which is commonly found in slightly cooked tomatoes. Not a fan of tomatoes? No problem, lycopene is right there in the white rind of the melon. Watermelon also contains potassium that can assist in reducing blood pressure.
One cup of watermelon contains a mere 50 calories which means it is a great way to fill up on fluid, vitamins and nutrients. The water content will also assist in reducing feelings of hunger, thus allowing you to be more successful with your weight control efforts. Go ahead, increase your nutritional intake and slim up this summer with watermelon!
Check out these links for some awesome recipe ideas that feature watermelon.
http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/watermelon_salad
http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/watermelon_arugula_salad
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/2082/Hot-And-Sweet-Watermelon125585.shtml
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