TeamUnify



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Where hard work and inspiration meet, great things happen!

Upcoming Meets

July 10-12 Eugene Amazon Open

July 11-12 State Games

July 21-25 Senior Sectionals

July 30-August 2 11 & Over Champs

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It has been very satisfying to me to see our membership continuing to grow. Our swim lesson programs at Reynolds, David Douglas, Barlow and MHAC have proven effective in not only teaching life skills, but also in preparing our future team members. We continue to have new team members coming from the lesson programs every month.

Congratulations are in order to Seth Dawson. Seth was recently named as the new Aquatics Director at Reynolds Community Pool. Seth is very excited about his promotion and we’re fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and loyal leader in the MHA family.

The competition season has been fast and furious and the championships are upon us! Laura Miller and Brett Nagle launch our championship pursuits this month at the World Championship Trials, in Indianapolis. This meet is followed by the Eugene meet, Senior Sectionals, Age Group State, and the upper level championship meets: Zones, Junior Nationals, and the US Open.

I am happy to say that our Speedo Contracts have been finalized, and that Mt. Hood Aquatics will be receiving unprecedented support over the next 4 years. I would like to extend a big thank you to Brandon Drawz for negotiating a relationship with Speedo, which will benefit every swimmer in the program.

Good luck to all in the coming championships. My hope is that you can all stand up on the blocks with the confidence gained from knowing that your preparation for success has been thorough.

See you on deck!

Skip

RaNdoM ThOuGhTs fRoM CoAcH BrAnDoN

This is part of an article sent out as a link in a USA Swimming weekly email. It contains some valuable information and we can all use friendly reminders now and then. Parts two and three of the article will follow.

Ten Ways for the Swim Parent to Sabotage Their Child's Swimming Career

(Written with tongue firmly in cheek)

From John Leonard, American Swimming Coaches Association, for

Jun 30 2009

After thirty-three full years of observation, it has occurred to me that some parents must internally delight in the idea of sabotaging their child's swim career. They must for some perverse reason WANT to do this, since they work so incredibly hard at it and are so remarkably successful. Hereafter, my top ten list of means and methods. (And more seriously, some clear examples on positive alternatives.)

• Start out making sure the child will get a material reward for good performance…. at age 8, a stop at McDonalds for a 100 IM done without disqualification. At age 10, a five-dollar bill for a new "A" time. At age 12, a trip to Disney World for a high point trophy in the JO's. At age 14, a party for child and friends at an amusement park, complete with LIMO ride, for qualifying for state high school champs as a freshman. And, if still around in the sport, a new Mercedes or Jaguar for a state high school championship as a senior.

If you can't see what's wrong with this, you're the problem. The approach that works best? Let the rewards become internal. Let the sport "belong" to the child, not something that "Mommy wants me to do." Get them to understand the value of working hard to improve themselves EVERY DAY, and allow them opportunities to "prove themselves" through THEIR sport.

• Demand that the child keep up with Fred's kid, from work, who always wins at least one event in any meet they go to. Fred's kid is 8, stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall and had his first shave last Friday. Face shave, not swimming shave. Demand that your child stays close to, or "Right with" those early developers in your club

Reality? Children develop at different rates, in terms of size, strength, coordination, emotional and intellectual maturity and just about everything else. Allow your child to compete ONLY against itself, and measure them against only their own best efforts.

• Coach your child part time, "when you're available". If you're rarely available, show up after practice with a stopwatch and "help" Susie by timing her for 50 meters "to see if she's getting any better". Encourage her with "kick, Susie, Kick!" screams from the side of the pool. This will nicely balance out the fact that all your 10 and under age group coach does is ask them to swim correctly and SLOOOOWLY so they learn their strokes.

You're just encouraging them to swim Faster, right??? Right? Right? Huh? What should you do? Just about ANYTHING except coach. Parents are for unconditional love and support. Coaches are for critical analysis of performance and developing skills physical, emotional and tactical. STAY AWAY from any coaching. If you doubt your coaches' ability to coach, talk to them about it, at last resort, go somewhere you have enough faith in the coaching to stay out of it. No mistake is worse than trying to be both parent and coach to your child. It's guaranteed long-term relationship disaster.

• Insist that your child swim the race the way YOU want it swum…."like I saw them do in the Olympics" or "like I did, when I was in college in 1975" when you're at the meet on Saturday, after not having seen your child swim in practice for 6 months. After all, swimming's swimming right? It doesn't change. Does it? Does it? Huh?

Reality? Techniques and thinking on how to swim races change all the time. Swimming for a ten year old is not what it might be for a 20 year old, or an Olympic Swimmer. Allow your coach to select the race strategy that they deem age appropriate and developmentally proper for your child. If you doubt the coaches ability to do this, talk to them about it, until you are reassured.

• Go get 'em a nice candy bar, mom and dad, just before they swim, so they'll have some "quick energy" just before they dive in. Or, bring in some nice fresh Crispy Crème donuts just after the warm-up and before the big meet. That'll give them a lift and cheer them up. Psych them up. Yeah. Good. Ugh.

Well, for those who don't know, Sugar is the Great Satan of physical performance. It creates an immediate "sugar high" in the bloodstream and then immediately thereafter, a HUGE dip in the blood sugar, so just about the time your child gets up to swim, they'll feel like they are wilting and just want to go lie down and rest. Not exactly "race ready". And don't try to figure out how to "time it" for the sugar high, either … it won't work, it’s not that predictable in timing…. except exertion will immediately trigger the sugar low. What instead? If they must eat between races and meals, have a bagel or non-sugar carbohydrate snack.

• Tell your early developed 15 year old, "But you were SOOOOO good, when you were eight!"

Wow. Nothing heavier than a great potential, according to Charlie Brown. If you have an early developing child, stay away from past results comparisons. Just look at your own child's best times, and encourage improvement. And if the times aren't improving as they get older, and thankfully, they still enjoy swimming, just keep your mouth shut and be pleased that they enjoy the exercise and training. Great friends to be around, great role models. If you have trouble keeping your mouth shut, go look around at the mall to see whom your child COULD be hanging out with. It should inspire you to keep bringing them to the pool.

• Go to the side of the pool each time the child swims, to "support them", with wild cheering, screaming, trembling and generally demonstrating your emotional involvement in your child's swim. The child will swim REEEAALLLY fast the first time you do this, (which will encourage you to do it ALL the time…) since all they want to do is get out of the water so you'll stop embarrassing them. Then they'd prefer to NEVER race again rather than see you like that.

Reality? Sit down. Smile. Cheer internally. When your child comes back, ask the child what they thought of their swim. Listen. Be quiet. Learn. Then cheer wildly for your child's best friend. That'll make your child happy, not embarrassed (and hope your child's friend's parent is cheering for YOUR child!).

• Spend your time in the car pool dissecting the workout your child just did. You can dissect the work given (critiquing the coach), or the child's performance (critiquing the child) or best of all, OTHER people's children's performance. The more critical you can be, the more knowledgeable you will appear. The door you hear slamming is your child leaving swimming.

What to do after you watch practice? Go Home. Feed your child. DO NOT TALK ABOUT PRACTICE UNLESS YOUR CHILD WANTS TO DO SO. This is all about letting the sport belong to the child and not to you. Critical.

• When your child has an improved swim, faster than ever before, jump up and down, demonstrate your enthusiasm with words like WONDERFUL! FANTASTIC! INCREDIBLE! UNBELIEVEABLE! And generally behave as if you can't believe that a child with your pitiful athletic genes could actually do something worthwhile. This will ensure that your child will believe that they have accomplished something akin to finding the Holy Grail and will ensure that they cannot even REPEAT that performance, much less improve on it, for another two years when they finally forget your performance.

Reality? We all get excited when our child performs well in any way. Try your best to be restrained around your child. Making a big deal of a best time makes it seem like you are SURPRISED that they could do so. Like you lack confidence that they could actually do anything worthwhile. Instead, play it cool. Express your confidence that the wonderful thing you just saw is an everyday event for a child as dedicated, hardworking and talented as yours. In the words of the football coach trying to diminish the "celebration factor" - "ACT LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE END ZONE BEFORE." (And expect to be again.)

• Tell your child that they "HAVE TO/MUST" make this "time, time standard, place, final, or medal "Right Now". That should be crushing enough pressure to debilitate most anyone…except you of course, who can sit in the stands or at poolside, with a cup of coffee and a bun while you emote, rather than swim, the race.

What's the right language? Each swim is an opportunity to go fast. Just another opportunity. If you miss on this one, you'll get another chance shortly. The more important we make something, the more the pressure load to perform under. Everything is "just another swim meet". Everything. Even the Olympic Games. Our Olympic Coaches tell our Olympic Athletes regularly …"what do you do in a regular meet? You try to go a best time. This is the same. Go a best time here, and you'll be fine." No one swim meet is "make it or break it" for an athletes career. Don't artificially try to make it so.

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Doing something for the greater good, for its own reward, because it’s the “right” thing to do, or simply because it needs to be done, is a common thread in most volunteers.

It takes a huge amount of volunteer hours to run a club team. And as is common among swim teams, there are no paid positions other than coaches. Positions are filled by either elected positions on our parent board or by other parent volunteers who just step up.

It is not the sole responsibility of one person to make sure everything gets done for the team. It is not possible for one person to do all the jobs, big or small, that must be done to make the team function and thrive. It takes a lot of parent participation to make the team flow smoothly. We have a great group of parents who are willing to help whenever they are needed. We even have some parents who take vacation days to help run swim meets, not because their child is swimming, but because it is what is good for the team. These meets keep the team going and the swimmers benefit from having a great team to swim with. The money we make from the meets we run supplements our budget. The profit from these meets helps to pay our pool rental fees and coaches salaries.

There are many volunteers who have fulfilled their “volunteer” hours 10, 20, or even 50 times over who receive nothing “extra.” They volunteer so much because something NEEDS to be done. They are an asset to our team and part of the solution.

So….we want to thank all of our volunteers for everything you do. We want you to keep in mind that just because your swimmer isn’t swimming in a meet, doesn’t mean they aren’t benefiting from the revenue from that meet, so please consider helping when you can. Remember that whether you are a seasoned volunteer or just starting out, you are an asset to our team. When you are volunteering for a new position, remember everyone was new once. And if you are a veteran volunteer remember, we need new volunteers, help them, train them, guide them, support them. The more help we have, the happier we all are, and the smoother things run. Remember, that we are all doing this for the kids. It’s all about the kids.

So as we head into our summer season, I just want to say thank you for the help you have given so far and for being part of the solution. We will need more help this coming month during Senior Sectionals and at the 11 and Over Championship meets. Please consider helping at these meets if at all possible. It’s a great experience and we all benefit. We can’t do it without you – the parent volunteer!

Sincerely,

Julie

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The Howard Jones meet was a huge success in the water. I was really impressed with out ability to handle the crazy weather and the length of the meet to swim well. It was especially encouraging watching the distance races at the end of the sessions and seeing our swimmers staying focused and putting forth a great effort. I truly believe it has set us up for great things ahead.

Furthermore, I have been really excited about practice attendance and effort these last few weeks. I am seeing swimmers in the Gold and Senior 1 group paying attention to the assignment and competing in practice. It is through swimming smart and racing each other on a daily basis we will continue to improve.

Three Levels of Commitment is a theme I have been discussing with the Gold and Senior I group the last few weeks:

- Practice Attendance is the first layer of commitment. Do the swimmers come to practice at the level that is expected of their current age group and practice group?

- Setting Practice Goals and High expectations at practice is the second level of commitment. Going to practice may get you into shape but it is not enough to give you true success. While at practice you must hold your self to high standards and have either time goals or technique goals while practicing. It is through practice attendance and daily goal setting that swimmers will begin to reach their individual potential.

- A 24-hour athlete is the final level of commitment. Once swimmer begin to come to the appropriate amount of practices and set goals while at practice the next step is to take of yourself when not at practice so that you are ready both physically and mentally to take on the challenges each training session offers. This may mean getting the appropriate amount of sleep. Eating healthy or drinking enough water. However, I truly believe when swimmers begin to demonstrate these three levels of commitment that success at meets and reaching ones potential will happen.

I am looking forward to the upcoming meets. Keep hydrated and have fun!

Jim

Triad Meet

I just wanted to write a quick note thanking the parents for help with the Triad Meet. I understand after the long weekend before that coming back Saturday and Sunday was challenging. However, the meet was run with efficiency and professionalism. We had a great group of officials heading by Kevin Nagle. The hospitality was great and the teams that showed up were very impressed.

The swimmers competed well. Many of the swimmers who swam the weekend before had best times in events they did not swim the prior weekend. We even got a few new ‘A’ times. I appreciate the effort that both the parents and the swimmers gave to make the meet go smoothly.

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Sports Anemia in Female Swimmers

Iron anemia or “sports anemia” as it is now known is very common among competitive female swimmers and other female endurance athletes. Iron plays a critical role in the body’s delivery and use of oxygen to working muscles. Iron also supports an essential part of the aerobic breakdown of fuels (i.e. carbohydrate and fat).

While it has long been established that full-blown iron-deficient anemia has significant detrimental impact on aerobic capacity and endurance performance, research in the past ten years has brought to light the significance of the condition called sports anemia. Unlike iron-deficient anemia which requires a number of clinical markers to be positive to confirm the diagnosis, sports anemia is diagnosed by the single presence of a low serum ferritin level. Serum ferritin levels are measured by a simple blood test and represent a marker of stored iron. This stored iron is not tapped into until circulating levels of iron become too low to support demands. For example, in cases of prolonged exercise combined with heavy menstrual cycles the body may use and excrete more iron via sweat and menstruation than it is receiving via ingestion, absorption, or storage.

Overview of current research on sports anemia

1. Sports anemia can impair V02max, impacting the ability to train day-to-day.

2. For sports anemic females, an intake of 16-18mg/day of iron may not be enough to keep hemoglobin levels within the normal range.

3. Repletion of iron stores makes a sports anemic individual more energy- efficient.

4. If an athlete’s ferritin is below 15mg/L aerobic capacity is not being maximized.

5. Bringing a low ferritin level back into the normal range can restore an athlete’s potential to work aerobically for longer periods of time.

6. An athlete does not have to stop training to experience the benefits of restoring iron to sufficient levels.

7. The daily requirement for iron repletion may be higher than 20mg/day for athletes involved in more strenuous programs.

8. Replenishing iron stores has a positive effect on efficiency during the latter stages of endurance lasting around 30 minutes.

Summary

1. An athlete whose ferritin level is below 15mg/L may not be optimizing his/her potential to perform.

2. Sports anemia can interfere with the adaptive response to training by limiting performance at true maximal intensities. At sub-maximal intensities, efficiency is also compromised, translating into a lower quality workout.

3. Replenishing iron stores in an athlete with sports anemia is clearly warranted and beneficial.

Dennis Eaton, Sr. Dry-Land Coach

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Did you know MHA offers swim lessons? WE DO!

We offer 45 minute lessons for ages 6 and above. Classes are available at Sam Barlow High School and Reynolds Middle School. Costs are $6 per class or $10 for 2 classes per week.

Reynolds Middle School Pool Swim Lessons

Monday and Wednesday 7:15 – 8pm

Barlow Pool Swim Lessons

Monday 7:30 to 8:15pm

We also offer a pre-competition program on Fridays at Mt. Hood Aquatic Center from 5:30pm-6:15. This class is for swimmers who are either transitioning from Red Cross Swim lessons or swimmers enrolled in MHA swim lessons who want an extra day of practice. This is a complementary class.

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President: Julie Greenaway agreena833@ 503-667-4465

VP Co-Meet Directors: Cherie & Martin Strand lunyone@ 503-667-1907

Dawn Main canddmain@ 503-665-6381

VP Registration: Cathy Schaeffer schaefferfam@ 503-667-3931

Treasurer: Dawn Sarsten MHSTreasurer@

Secretary: Michelle Solberg vmghka2@

Senior III Team Rep: Julie Greenaway agreena833@ 503-667-4465

David Douglas Rep: Lisa Thomas tltsthomas@ 503-255-0768

Black/Sr I Pool Rep: Barbara Kemper kemperpartyof5@ 503-669-1789

MHAC White/Red

Pool Rep: Tammy Crouch tammycrouch@ (503)341-5640

Barlow Pool Rep: Jennifer Nelson iamjen.jeniam@ 503-669-5176

Reynolds Pool Rep: Heidi Lasher heidilasher@ 503-465-1942

Coaches

Skip Runkle, Head Coach skiprunkle@

Burt Stratton, Sr Team Coach bstra18010@

Jim Bowe, Head Age Group Coach jimbo07062003@

Brandon Drawz, Black/Sr. I Coach drawzb@mhcc.edu

Seth Dawson, Reynolds White/Red Coach sdawson.wa@

Dennis Baker, MHAC White/Red Coach bakeswim@

Jackie Martin, Barlow White/Red Coach mhacoachjackie@

Tyler Shortt, David Douglas Red Coach tyler@

Juan Vidal, David Douglas White Coach z28vidal@

Dennis Baker, Masters Coach bakeswim@

Dennis Eaton, Sr. Dry-land Coach manualprac@

If you have any newsletter ideas or suggestions please email Barbara Kemper and let her know! Thanks!

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July 2009 Volume 2, Issue 7

In This Issue

Coaches Corner Health Tip

Upcoming Meets Fundraising Info

Birthdays Moving Up

From the President Senior Spotlight

Travel Info

Lauren Burns

Bailey Gilfillan

Jessee Martinez

Mikayla Matievich

Sierra Matievich

Collin McGuire

Alan Murillo

Isabella Savage

Travis Simpson

Chandler Duncan

Brittany Scafidi

Jesikah Cavanuagh

College:

Jessica Stacy

Meghan Cavanaugh

Abigail Winchester July 1st

Claire Koepcke July 2nd

Sam Redwine-Hixson July 4th

Deidre Roberts July 4th

Derek Kuether July 6th

Autumn Wilson July 6th

Felicia Coulton July 7th

Lauren Kenney July 10th

Dennis Baker July 11th

Gabriel Vidal July 11th

Casey Morrell July 12th

Alice Ochs July 13th

Austin McComb July 14th

Lydia Pereverzina July 14th

Brittany Scafidi July 14th

Anthony Nguyen July 16th

Charsi Divens July 18th

Zach Meacham July 21st

McKenna Petersen July 25th

Chase Bodenroeder July 28th

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