Pool Safety: Everyone Can Help!

Danger and death lurk at the bottom of pools and spas IF there are old drain covers still in use. The suction from a pool drain can hold anyone under water long enough to cause serious injury or death. Though new laws require the installation of safe drain covers, many pools have not complied and there aren't enough inspectors to find the offenders. BECOME A VOLUNTEER INSPECTOR! Simply check out any pool or spa, public or private, used by your child. If there is a danger, report it! If costs are prohibitive to replace the covers for your hometown pool, perhaps fundraisers and donations will help. Save your pool AND your swimmers:)

For more information: Pool Safety Council

Where's the Water?

'Tis the season of softball tournaments and my twelve-year-old niece is an All-Star....literally. Though an excellent swimmer, she has decided that fastpitch softball is her sport of choice. Quite competent at both ends of the battery, she's a natural third-baseman too.

So what does softball have in common with swimming?
Easy. The value of a good coach.

Really good coaches educate and inspire. Really bad coaches damage and destroy. If your children participate in organized sports, make it a point to know and observe their coaches. Correction and criticism should be constructive, not belittling, and the overall experience, positive.....period! Do not settle for less.

The best athletic (and life) coach of all time is still John Wooden.
Read and download his Pyramid of Success.

Swim Meets

Today was a beautiful day to be outside, so this morning I watched Niece #2 play in a softball tournament. Not to brag any, but she plays a mean third base and is quite competent at either end of the battery as well. After the game, I just had to stay outdoors so I visited my favorite walking park for a quick hike. My lucky day! The outdoor aquatic facility was hosting a swim meet so I had to stop and watch for a while. Long course swim meets happen in the Spring and this one was no exception. Long course distances are 50-meters per lap whereas short course distances are only 25-yards/meters per lap; consequently, short course times are usually faster with swimmers taking advantage of more flip turns and underwater (dolphin-kick) time. Olympic competitions are always held as long course. If you are interested in swimming, by all means attend a swim meet! Though often deemed organized chaos, meets are interesting, entertaining, usually free, and most always in need of volunteers. One of my favorite 'volunteer jobs' is that of a timer. If you are recruited to time, enjoy the front row seat, complimentary drinks and snacks, and shade! Someone will give you a crash course in timing and by the end of the day you'll be an expert.

Jobs!

Summer jobs for teens may be hard to come by this year, but if your teen swims, and you live close to a water park or pool, now's the time to apply! Waterparks (such as Soak City and Raging Waters) need lots of employees, especially lifeguards. Hiring age is usually 16 and the parks provide free training which will result in certification and employment. Ellis often trains for waterparks while municipal pool lifeguards usually complete Red Cross Certification. Be prepared. Your teen swimmer should take the time to read the requirements (to become a certified lifeguard) then apply! Remember, you don't have to be the fastest swimmer on the high school swim team to become a lifeguard. The techniques used to save a swimmer in distress are specialized and learning them will promote self-confidence and self-esteem in your teen (in addition to monetary compensation;) Waterparks are wonderful training grounds for first-year lifeguards, but if your teen prefers to work at a municipal pool, completing a RedCross lifeguarding class is an option. Municipal pools usually pay higher wages than waterparks too. In addition, completion of a WSI (Water Safety Instruction) course and reaching age 17 will qualify your lifeguard to teach swim classes (higher pay scale). Training is often available through your local pool. SIGN UP! (And start searching the job listings too!)

A Touch of Gold

I would like to share a story from the Long Beach Press-Telegram. This story happens to be about Michael Phelps and a young swimmer from Long Beach, CA, but also speaks to the power that we all carry. Well-placed words of encouragement can change lives...

A Touch of Gold

By David Loveless
Special to the Press Telegram
Article Launched: 08/21/2008 11:05:26 PM PDT


(Editor's Note: Reader and father David Loveless sent in this article he wrote about his daughter and Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps, to show another side of the champion.)

I want to share the power and influence that a few spoken words by the world's greatest athlete had on my daughter, Alexandria Loveless.

Four years ago, Long Beach hosted the U.S. Olympic Swim Team trials. It was Ally's fourth- to fifth-grade summer. I had told her that I wouldn't let her join a seriously competitive club or team until she was in middle school because I didn't want her to burn out on a sport as I had seen with many other children when they reach high school.

From second to sixth grade, she participated in almost every type of sport through the wonderful Long Beach Parks and Recreation department.

On one of the days while the 2004 Olympic Swim Trials were being held, Ally went with friends to the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool for open recreational swim. When I picked her up that afternoon, she excitedly exclaimed that she had met Michael Phelps and that he had been at the pool working out. I asked her if she was sure it was Michael, and she said she was positive.

She added that she didn't know why she had her camera with her that day, but she did and she had a friend take her photo with him. Every year since then, she has kept this treasured photo in her school binder.

I said, "I hope you didn't interrupt him," to which she replied, "No, Daddy, he came up and talked to me!"

OK, it didn't really seem possible that this great swimmer would approach my little daughter and me being a protective father, I wanted to know exactly what had happened.

She explained that she could see Michael watching her swim laps as he rested between sets in his workout. When she got out of the pool, he walked over to her and said that he had been watching her and that she has a "very powerful stroke" and that if she works hard that "maybe someday she could become an Olympian."

Imagine the world's greatest athlete taking the time to encourage an 11-year-old girl that was only swimming recreationally.

Of course, Ally said she had to ask him if she could take a picture with him. What else is a girl to do?

He helped create a dream for Ally with a few spoken words and a moment of his valuable time. Maybe that is why to this day that I have never had to remind her about her water polo practice schedule. This summer, she practiced as much as 8 to 9 hours a day while she participated on four different teams and trained in Europe for 3 weeks with USC Head Coach Jovan Vavic's Trojan WPC for the Junior Olympics.

Now that Ally, who just turned 14, will become a freshman at Wilson High School, she likes to tease one of her coaches at LB Shore Aquatics - Robert Lynn, Assistant Coach, USA Men's Water Polo - by saying she will break all of his Wilson High swim records. Robert just smiles and says that she'd better plan on working hard. She smiles back and states that she's already had someone tell her to "work hard."

Michael Phelps is not only going to grow the sport of competitive swimming, he will provide inspiration and hope to other athletes as well - like my daughter.

And he doesn't do it for himself, he does it for them. That's another reason why he is the world's greatest athlete.

I hope he knows the powerful effect his words have and how much it is appreciated. Kind, encouraging words matter!

Practice, Practice, Practice

Every child is different (thank goodness;) Some are very competitive and want to swim every day; others like to compete, but may not want to practice. So once a swim team member, how much swimming is too much?

For younger children, a few days per week is plenty. Make certain your swimmer gets plenty of sleep and nutritious food too. At this age, the goal should be to improve technique, and enjoy the sport.

Know your child. As preteens become more independent, they may resist going to practices. Forcing them to attend can be counter-productive. Negotiate and allow them to be a part of the decision-making process. Perhaps they like to swim a certain stroke or distance at swim meets or prefer water polo to racing. Allowing them to choose may magically improve a bad attitude. Being an overzealous, demanding parent can destroy your swimmer’s desire to swim...so resist the temptation! Keep children interested during the tough years. It will definitely pay off later.

Olympic medals go to talented, self-motivated, dedicated swimmers. Fortunately, the sport of swimming has much more to offer than just gold, silver, and bronze.

French Toast

An INCREDIBLY EXCITING Men's 4 x 100 Relay at the 2008 Olympics:
USA:Gold
France:Silver
We thank France for their encouragement;)