Technology Board

A Technology Board was formed three years ago, when Anita Sayed, President and CEO of Colorado Time Systems (CTS), recognized that input from industry leaders was crucial in keeping the swimming timing industry moving in a productive direction. According to Sayed, to become a part of the technology board an individual must be recognized as a leader in the aquatics industry. For example, she says that Auburn University head swimming coach Dave Marsh, "has coached teams to several NCAA titles, uses our equipment, and knows what he's doing."

The Technology Board includes such aquatics-industry luminaries as Coach David Marsh, Auburn; Coach Mike Bottom, University of California; Coach Richard Shoulberg, Germantown Academy; Steve Crocker with Counsilman/Hunsaker & Associates; Tom Saldarelli with Paragon Aquatics; Ted Wallover with Wallover Architects; Haller Frietas of Pro Swim in Brazil; and Bob Clauson of CTS.

According to CTS Engineering Manager, Michael Medina-Brodsky, “The board exists as a brain trust, a sounding board to develop new products that best meet the needs of the aquatic community. The technology board helps us push the envelope in product creation and furthering the development of our products to enhance training, timing and scoring.”

Meeting Results

The Technology Board met during the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) annual World Clinic, held September 6-11, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The purpose: to discuss new ideas and how to implement them for the betterment of the industry.

“We invited experts to sit down and brainstorm so we can be sure they’re satisfied with our products, and to get an idea of the needs of the industry,” said CTS President, Anita Sayed. “We recognized that we need to understand the market from the inside out and we needed the help of industry experts.”

The industry experts include pool architects, managers, coaches and building contractors.

As an example of the critical role the technology board fulfills, wireless pace clocks were introduced as a direct result of last year’s meeting. This year, the board talked generally about the important place that RJPs hold in the competitive and training environments.

“Coaches have major interest in RJPs and other tools that will give more feedback on the status of a swimmer, including speed off the starting block, speed to reach a certain distance from the start,” Sayed said. “Tools like the QuickStart Pro that give color-coded, instantaneous feedback make an immediate difference in athletes’ behavior.”

Dave Marsh agrees. “Coaches want tools that enhance training and competition for both coaches and athletes,” he said, “and we also want items that will differentiate us from other facilities when recruiting new athletes.”

The exact content of the board’s discussions are confidential. Each board member signs a confidentiality agreement before participating in the discussions.

“The technology board is a great tool for CTS,” Sayed said. “We expect that the meetings will continue to yield great results for us and for the entire industry, keeping us at the cutting edge of innovation for years to come.”