03/15/10

NEW YORK, NY. - Speedo USA has selected Asphalt Green’s AGUA Masters to be the first-ever recipient of a Masters swim team sponsorship. The team was founded in 1994 as a conglomeration of several existing swim teams using the new 50-meter Olympic standard pool at Asphalt Green, New York City’s premier sports and fitness center. With the addition of Head Coach Craig Keller in September 2009, the team has grown over 300 percent and set more than 100 team records – ranging from 13 nationally ranked swimmers to finishing second in the 2010 U.S. Masters Swimming One-Hour Postal National Championship.

“The growth and success of Asphalt Green’s AGUA Masters swim team makes them an ideal sponsorship partner for Speedo USA,” explained Craig Brommers, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Speedo USA. “We want to help cultivate healthy lifestyles and increase fitness levels of adults through aquatic disciplines. Asphalt Green is clearly demonstrating their ability to do this in the realm of U.S. Masters Swimming.”

“We’re honored to be the first team Speedo chose to sponsor,” noted Craig Keller, AGUA Masters Head Coach. “They represent the best in swimming. This partnership will provide even more resources to support the growth and success of our Masters team.”

 “It’s exciting to see Speedo USA supporting teams like Asphalt Green,” added Rob Butcher, Executive Director of U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS). USMS is a non-profit organization that promotes adult health, fitness, wellness and competition through aquatics. Asphalt Green is a recognized USMS program. “Dara Torres is a Masters swimmer and wonderful role model that Masters programs can be a viable channel for adult swimmers with Olympic aspirations.”

AGUA Masters currently has 269 swimmers ranging in age from 18 to 77. Team members can participate in 13 practices a week, including three 50-meter long-course practices. As part of Speedo sponsorship agreements, Masters teams are eligible for discounts on a variety of Speedo swim and apparel products, as well as free promotional items for their members attending U.S. Masters Swimming national level competitions.

Asphalt Green
Founded in 1975, Asphalt Green is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. Situated on a beautiful 5½-acre Upper East Side campus, it is New York City’s premier athletic complex – acknowledged for its unparalleled sports and fitness programs for all ages and athletic levels – and a valuable resource to the surrounding communities.

For more information on Asphalt Green and its programs, please visit www.AsphaltGreen.org. For more information on the AGUA Masters swim team, visit www.AsphaltGreen.org/Masters.