The NELMSC is pleased to present Ed Gendreau of Great Bay Masters (GBM) with the Distinguished Service Award for 2020. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding long-term service to NELMSC based on leadership, membership recruitment, program development, and promotion of Masters Swimming at the club, NELMSC, and national levels.

As the head coach of Great Bay Masters from 1993 to 2010, Ed was the driving force behind the team’s growth and transition from workout group to fully-fledged club. In 1997, Ed initiated the New England SCM championship meet, serving as Meet Director until 2005. Over the years Ed directed numerous mini meets, served as a delegate to the USMS Annual Meeting, contributed articles to the newsletter, and submitted USMS legislation proposals.

Ed is perhaps most widely known for his age-rating system and time tabulations website, which provides information and inspiration to thousands of swimmers annually. Ed and his website are known at the national and world level; anyone can use it to calculate age ratings for their swims. He also keeps the website up to date with all NELMSC members’ results to produce NELMSC records, top performers lists, graphs of individuals’ performance over time, and more.

Now, Ed continues to swim himself, both in the pool and open water. He is an ambassador for the sport at every level, whether offering an encouraging word to adult learn-to-swim students or helping fellow lap swimmers with technique or lap swimming etiquette. For his contributions to Masters swimming in New England, Ed was inducted into the New England LMSC Hall of Fame in 2020.

Thank you, Ed, for all you do!

The NELMSC is pleased to name Bill Paine as our 2020 Coach of the Year. Coach of the Year recognizes an NELMSC swimming coach who has demonstrated outstanding coaching qualities, club development, and overall NELMSC participation during the preceding year and over the coach's career with their club.

As head coach of Tech Masters Swimming, Bill runs an astonishing 14 practices per week out of MIT’s Zesiger Center. He excels at writing workouts that engage and challenge each of the approximately 100 Tech Masters swimmers who vary widely in age, ability, experience, and goals. He cares deeply about each individual, and his friendly poolside manner has built a fun, welcoming community. Outside of MIT, Bill volunteers annually at Swim Across America Boston Harbor, NELMSC stroke clinics, and generally loves to help people in his community. One swimmer summed it up simply: “I don't think you could find another coach as dedicated to coaching as Bill.”

Thank you, Bill, for all you do!

The NELMSC is pleased to present Bob Fredette with a Lifetime Appreciation Award for 2020. The Appreciation Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions toward the conduct, leadership, and support of the NELMSC or its registered clubs.

Forty years ago, Bob founded the Seacoast Swimming Association in Dover, NH, which has instilled the love of swimming into thousands of athletes over the years. He hired Coach Mike Parratto, later inducted into the ASCA Hall of Fame, and under Mike’s tutelage Seacoast became one of the dominant teams in New England Swimming. Seacoast developed many high-caliber athletes, including Jenny Thompson, who began swimming for Seacoast at age twelve and became one of the most decorated swimmers in history with twelve Olympic medals. Additionally, Bob served as the Officials Chair of New England Swimming for five years, and as the Chair of the New England Local Swimming Committee (LSC) for two years.

Bob is proud of his many years involved in swimming at all levels. Along with Priscilla Davis, Bob has officiated at every New England SCY Masters Championship since the meet came to Harvard in 1999, along with countless mini meets. He especially loves Masters swimmers because “everyone is friendly and pursuing healthy goals by keeping in shape and being social.” He now officiates exclusively for Masters meets and frequently serves as Meet Referee.

At 76 years young, Bob has mentored and trained many of our New England officials over the years. His quick wit and friendliness, along with his calm and confident oversight of our meets, make him a welcome presence on deck.

Thank you, Bob, for all you do!

The NELMSC is pleased to present Todd Whitford of Great Bay Masters (GBM) with an Appreciation Award for 2020. The Appreciation Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions toward the conduct, leadership, and support of the NELMSC or its registered clubs.

Coach Todd has been a reliable coach for GBM for many years. He is diligent with his practice group at the University of New Hampshire, always prepared and maintaining good communication between swimmers of all abilities and the facility. His emails to the club are witty, informative, and well-written. On deck, Todd uses technology to provide swimmers with immediate video feedback and encourages swimmers to help each other as well, fostering a close-knit community. He attends GBM Board meetings, even after two-hour practices, and regularly covers practices at other locations when other coaches can't be there. He helps spread the word about social activities and connects swimmers with similar interests to build deeper team connections. He also volunteers annually with our club-sponsored Adult Learn-To-Swim program, which is a great benefit to participants and volunteers alike.

Todd has been involved with the NELMSC Board as a club representative, contributed to the newsletter and social media platforms, attended the USMS Annual Meeting, and volunteered on-deck at clinics and meets.

On top of all that and a full-time job, Todd makes time and has the patience to respond to swimmer emails, messages and texts with promptness and good nature.

Thank you, Todd, for all you do!

The NELMSC is pleased to present Kysa Crusco of the Granite State Penguins (GSP) with an Appreciation Award for 2020. The Appreciation Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions toward the conduct, leadership, and support of the NELMSC or its registered clubs.

Kysa is deeply involved in facilitating social events with Granite State Penguins and NEM. She often finds and leads workouts for the team as well.

For a number of years, Kysa has made it her personal mission to create music videos of large swim meets such as SCY Champs, Nationals, and Worlds. These videos are a delight to watch, become cherished memories, and serve as an excellent marketing tool for USMS.

Kysa is regularly involved in recruiting LMSC members to attend national and international meets. Even at travel meets, she plans social activities that are welcoming to all and helps foster a team atmosphere at international meets by organizing USA t-shirts and other gear.

In addition, Kysa has continued to swim through personal, medical setbacks and she has a remarkable way of sharing this journey with a combination of lightheartedness, vulnerability, and an amazing sense of humor. Because of this, she has and continues to be an inspiration to her friends, family, teammates, and many men and women whom she has not even personally met.

Thank you, Kysa, for all you do!

Dear New England LMSC members,

Whether you are currently able to swim or not, the NELMSC board hopes you are coping well and staying healthy and connected to our swimming community. Despite the cancellation of our 2020 Short Course Yards championship meet where the Awards & Recognition presentation would have happened in person, we still want to recognize our 2020 Local Service Award recipients.

To that end, Tara Mack, NELMSC Awards & Recognition Chair, and I are thrilled to designate May 18-22 as NELMSC Awards Week. Each day we will announce one of our annual award recipients in our Facebook group and on our website. At the end of the week, look for an email celebrating all of our winners!

- Alana Aubin, NELMSC Communications Chair