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December 2006 Newsletter
Eating Colorful Foods: Anti-oxidants vs free radicals
Praising Your Child
White Boltz Report
Blue Boltz Report
Red Boltz Report
Senior Report
Board Update
Past Newsletters:
November 2006 November 2005 November 2004 November 2003 November 2002 November 2001
October 2005 October 2004 October 2003 October 2002 October 2001
September 2006 September 2005 September 2004 September 2003 September 2002 September 2001
August 2006 August 2003 August 2002
July 2005 July 2004 July 2003 July 2002
June 2005 June 2004 June 2003 June 2002
May 2006 May 2004 May 2003 May 2002
April 2006 April 2005 April 2004 April 2003 April 2002
March 2004 March 2003 March 2002
February 2006 February 2005 February 2004 February 2003 February 2002
January 2006 January 2005 January 2004 January 2003 January 2002
December 2005 December 2004 December 2003 December 2002 December 2001
Eating Colorful Foods: Anti-oxidants vs free radicals
What are the first three foods that come to mind when we say "carbohydrate?"
1. Pasta
2. Rice
3. Bread
Each if these is excellent. But what do they have in common? They're all white!
One of the most overlooked sources of carbohydrate is fruit. Yes, FRUIT. Fresh, canned, frozen, dried or juiced. No matter how you look at it,
fruit is an excellent source of carbohydrate. Not only does fruit provide carbohydrate in the form of natural sugars (versus refined sugar),
the bright colors of fruits indicate that they are also excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, including a sub-group called anti-oxidants.
You might recall that exercise is the stimulus that leads to training adaptations. And that adaptations to training occur ONLY is you
give the body the right kinds of fuels during periods of rest.
Well, one of the side effects of exercise is the generation of "free radicals." Free radicals are molecules that can actually cause damage to muscle
tissue above and beyond the damage caused by exercise. The damage caused by exercise is normal. It serves as part of the stimulus for training
adaptation to take place. But damage caused by free radicals is NOT a desired part of the training process. Damage caused by free radicals (aka
"scavengers") circulating in the bloodstream after workout can continue well into the recovery period. This is when the body is supposed to be adapting!
Anti-oxidants "absorb" free radicals, neutralizing their effect in the body before their damage to muscle tissue can amount to much. A diet
consistently rich in fruits (and other colorful foods, such as VEGETABLES) is apt to keep the body consistently supplied with anti-oxidants,
which will assist the body in keeping free radical formation to a minimum. This a good reason to eat lots of colorful foods during the recovery
time between workouts.
Colorful foods include, but are not limited to:Apples, Strawberries, Blueberries, Bananas, Oranges, Kiwi, Watermelon, Raspberries, Grapes, Mango,
Papaya, Apricots, Red peppers, Broccoli, Corn, Squash, Carrots, Peas, Green beans, Tomatoes
Colorful foods DO NOT include: Skittles, Jelly Beans, M&Ms, and Fruit Loops!
PRAISING YOUR CHILD
January 19, 2006
USA Swimming
The following is reprint from USA Swimming Coaches' eNews.
PRAISING YOUR CHILDREN How often do you think about the amount and type of praise you offer your child? The wrong kind of praise, or praise
used too frequently or infrequently can cause difficulties. Sometimes we think that it is not possible to over praise a child because we
think constant praise will build a child's self esteem. However, there is a real world for the child outside of the home and a child's peers
may not be as praise-giving as his or her parents. Other children are usually quite truthful and blunt about the feats of their peers. A
child constantly praised at home may feel placed on a pedestal only to be knocked off outside the home. In an article in "Parents Magazine",
educational consultant Fredelle Maynard listed some dos and don'ts of praise.
First the don'ts:
* Don't praise by comparison ("You're the best swimmer on the team"). It may encourage unnecessary competition or fear of failing next time.
* Don't praise constantly. If everything a child does is terrific, wonderful, the best, you will run out of superlatives and the child will
become indifferent about applause.
* Don't praise indiscriminately. Children who are veteran meet swimmers know when a swim is good or bad. Parental ecstasies over mediocre
performances can either make children cynical or cause them to feel like frauds.
* Don't praise so extravagantly that children feel pressure to go on shining. Over enthusiastic applause destroys a good motive for activity
(to please oneself) and substitutes a poor one (to please parents).
* Don't use sarcastic or "backhanded" praise. "Well, you did all flip turns for a change." "You touched with two hands! I can't believe it.?
The best praise to use is encouragement.
Encouragement helps build a child's confidence and autonomy while praise can be more manipulative, emphasizing what the adult wants.
Encouragement allows kids to "own" their accomplishments and to find within themselves the strength and desire to do their best. The
following are Maynard's dos:
* Do be specific. Instead of using words that evaluate ("What a great swim"), describe in concrete terms what you see: "You swam a best time."
* Do describe the behavior and its consequences. For example, "Thanks for getting dressed and out of the locker room so quickly. Now we have more
time to go shopping."
* Do focus on the child's effort, not the product. "You practiced hard for this meet and it really paid off."
* Do point out how your child has progressed. "A 200 IM! You couldn't have done that last year!"
* Do give control back to the child. Let the child do the evaluating. Rather than say, "I'm so proud of you," say, "You must feel so proud that
you did all backstroke turns."
White Boltz Report
NOVEMBER REPORT
The Loveland Fall Open two weekends ago really capped this month for us. The White Boltz swam amazingly well! We had numerous top times,
which is always a good thing. But, what really stood out is how the swimmers approached the meet. It seemed that every swimmer we talked to
had a sense of where they were, and understood that the meet was part of a larger process of improvement. The swimmers recognized what they
did well, and identified what they needed to do to improve.
Training Now Increases: In last month's report, we mentioned that most of the white group practices had focused on drills and short distance
sets. We were establishing a base to build the rest of the season on, as well as learning how to work as a team. Beginning on the Monday
following the Loveland Fall Open, we changed our training approach. White group practices now include drill, kick, and swim sets that will
stretch over longer distances. The swimmers are learning how to read the pace clock on longer sets, and how to change strokes and drills
several times in one set. The training increase has not been severe, nor has technique been compromised. We plan on making a more pronounced
increase around the first of the new year.
The Coaches Zone - Behind the Lanes: We would politely ask that team parents sit on either side of the pool during practice, not behind the
lanes or in the hallway leading to the locker rooms. We do most of our teaching from behind the end lanes, and need to keep that area free
for us to work. Also, when you position yourself at the ends of the lanes, it pulls the swimmers attention onto you and away from the task
at hand. Please consider that part of the deck to be our "classroom." Parents who sit behind the lanes during practice will be asked to move
to the bleacher side of the pool. We appreciate your cooperation.
Attendance Over the Holidays: Swimming over the winter holidays is extremely important! We have seen many swimmers season's severely hindered
by taking a week off over the winter break. We understand that families travel and often seek warmer weather. But, most swim clubs will let
your swimmer practice with them during the break. If you are going to travel for more than a few days, please make time for some swimming
in a coached workout. We'll help you find a club if you ask!
Swimmer's Up:
David Dalabetta: For working hard and trying to find more challenges in practice.
Gentry Erion: For having a great meet in November, and also being a great teacher on "corners" day.
Colby Long: For his hard work and continually being asked to be challenged in practice.
Cindy DeMaille: For her continual effort and the improvements she has made.
Swimmer of the Month:
Erin McLaughlin: Erin's shows how much she cares about her team and her swimming each day at practice.
Erin brings a great attitude and a great smile to the pool every day, and even after a tough workout, she's still smiling.
Congratulations Erin!
Blue Boltz Group Report
by Coaches Maria Strait and Jim Nickell
I would like to apologize to all swimmers that 'Swimmers of the Month' were left out of last month's newsletter.
Swimmers Up for October
I felt it was really important to recognize four individuals this month for "Swimmers Up". These individuals were chosen because they show
dedication through attendance, leadership in lanes, comradery, and positive attitude.
Nicole Hlavacek's hard work has paid off. She recently moved to a faster interval and is doing awesome when
challenged on tough sets. Nicole's great attitude helps her and her team mates. Great Job Nicole!
Jessica Reed-Baum is on fire! Jessica's tough attitude every day at practice is showing results. She has gotten
stronger both in and out of the water. Her confidence is marching her through tough sets. She is always looking forward to the next race.
Watch out for Jessica.
Jeff Seligman's desire to improve is enormous. Stepping up to the next race is not a question for Jeff. During
practice Jeff works hard on improving his technique on all his strokes. Jeff's dedication to getting faster has really shown through on
his kick sets. He can make 10 X 50 free kick on 1:00. Way to go Jeff!
Sarah Bracken has been in heaven working on breast stroke, which is her favorite. Really wanting to make her State
cuts in breast stroke, Sarah has given 100% effort into perfecting her turns and pullouts. Sarah is an amazing team mate. Being a newcomer
to the Blue group not long ago, Sarah is very conscious of new swimmers to the group and welcomes them warmly.
Swimmer Of the Month for October
Dani Zink has worked her way to being a leader for her lane. Her great attendance has shown through during practice.
Dani met the challenge of swimming on a fast interval with strength. Dani's confidence has grown as she continues to conquer tough sets.
Awesome Job Dani!
November Report
With a second meet under our belts, Blue group is putting forth great energy and efforts every day in practice. Blue continues to work
technique on all four strokes every day. The group's challenge this month has been working on mastering 10 x 50 butterfly on 1:00. They
are on number 9 and coming on strong. In the beginning, we concentrated on 5 x 50 butterfly a couple of times a week for several weeks. We
have continued to add 50s by the week. Stamina and strength are growing. There are two main focuses, one is a good breathing pattern of
1:1 or 2:1 and the other is kick counting while swimming. Kick counting helps swimmers when they get tired. To keep a good rhythm with
their arm strokes and kicks, a swimmer will count in their head 1-2-3-4. This is a great way for swimmers to keep their stroke from falling
apart.
Teaching swimmers to give 100% effort every day is a learning process that takes time to develop. Believing in one's self is very important
when teaching swimmers that they can go out hard and fast and still finish the race. Sprinting is a great way for swimmers to start learning
this process. Every week swimmers have had a stroke specific sprint set, off the blocks. With all the turn work last month, we added the
next stage with focusing on entry from the blocks, kick outs, and finishes. These few fundamentals make a BIG difference in racing.
Remember there are sprint practices during Christmas break. Sprint practices are a bonus practice not meant to replace normal afternoon
practice.
Swimmers Up
Emma Degnan has been working really hard in trying to master a breathing pattern on 50s of fly. Emma pushes herself
every day to be a lane leader. Consistency in practice is paying off for Emma. Keep it up Emma!
Jessi Modlich is challenging her team mates to work harder. Her toughness shows through tough sets in practice.
Moving on to a faster interval has only made Jessi push harder. Excelling with 50s of fly has made Jessi tough to beat. Watch out Jessi is
on the move.
Davis Staley's easy going attitude is mistaken once he steps up on the block. Davis's hard work in practice shows
through his toughness when it comes to racing hard each event. He is determined to achieve his goal of 26 seconds in the 50 fly. Awesome job!
Swimmers of the Month
These two amazing people really embody what we look for in team leaders. They take true ownership of their team. They are proud to be a part of
something so great. Both attended winter camp in Estes, come to practice with good attitudes, help out their team mates, cheer on their team mates,
and the list continues.
Samantha Moss has been so helpful in making her new team mates feel welcome. Although Sam has begun bridging to Senior group,
she does not forget about her younger team mates that have been bridging to Blue. Sam supports her younger team mates by cheering for them during
their session. Sam loves coming to practice and it shows when she challenges Blue group or is put to the test by the Senior group. Great job!
Brandon Hatanaka is always willing to help out. Maybe it is leading a group of boys to practice on their bikes or making
the younger boys feel comfortable when coming to Blue or maybe just him making you laugh before the set gets tough. Brandon set up a movie outing
for his team mates and had 20+ show up. Thanks for always trying to include every one. Brandon's hard work during practice and at a meet continues
to make him a top force in the 13-14 age group. Brandon has begun to bridge to Senior. Keep giving it all you have.
Red Boltz Group Report
Coaches Ryan and Alyson
November Report:
November has been a significant month of improvement for the Red Boltz. The Loveland Fall Open was a great chance to see some of the stroke
and turn technique improvements achieved by these swimmers over the past month. We had a significant decrease in disqualifications due to
illegal turns, which was one of the Red Group's main goals for the meet! Congratulations to all who swam in the Fall Open! Lately, we have
been focusing on learning to use the pace clock and each swimmer knowing when it is their turn to go (5 seconds apart, 10 seconds apart, etc.).
These swimmers have mastered the 1:00 interval and recently have been learning to swim or kick 25 yards on 0:55 seconds as well as 0:50
seconds. This is a difficult task and we will continue to work on it daily!
Freestyle and Backstroke turns have also been a focal point throughout November. Many of the Red Boltz swimmers have improved their approach
into the walls as well as their streamlines off the walls for both of these strokes. For backstroke, we have been working on finding that
"magic number" of strokes between the flags and the wall. We are excited to see these turn improvements transfer into better meet performances
in the coming months. With the holidays fast approaching we hope to see the Red Boltz swimmers make as many practices as possible in the month
of December. Repetition is a significant factor in the learning process and can be achieved by great attendance! Excellent job Red Boltz!
Keep up the great work!
Swimmers Up:
Colton Mitchell: For having great practice attendance and a positive attitude!
Sam Hecker: For always giving a great effort every time he gets in the pool!
Kate Wall: For focusing on her technique in all four strokes and being a great listener!
Misty Hirsch: For a positive attitude and giving her best throughout the entire practice!
Swimmer of the Month:
Jamie White: For always being on time with a smile on her face and ready to swim! Jamie has mastered the pace
clock and is a great leader for the Red Boltz! Way to go Jaime!
Senior Group Report
Coaches Jim Nickell
We finish the first part of the season this weekend with meets in Houston (University of Houston) and North Jeffco. I think it is very
important to divide the short course season into 2 parts. We conclude the first part with the primary objective to make progress -
positive steps in skills and conditioning. We did a lot of dry-land (running, medicine ball, abdominals, lunges etc) as well as a lot of
skill work in September and October. All of this time was spent to make us better athletes. We want to maintain this as we move to the
second part of the season where training takes the center stage. I always take this opportunity to remind swimmers also competing with high
school that their attendance and discipline towards the final meets of he season is the objective. Do not get sidetracked along the way
during the season.
Training over the past month has been good and I felt like we are in better condition now than last year at this time. We have had some
excellent training sets and our aerobic conditioning is very good. I look forward to the first of the year (2007 is coming) when we will
really start some speed and race sets for the end of the season.
Holiday training will be here soon and this is a time where Loveland Swim Club athletes gain a considerable advantage on other teams and
swimmers. Last year we had 14 swimmers make all the training sessions and many that did not make all 20 practices made a large majority
- allowing the entire group to make some awesome advances in January and February last year. I encourage the group to make plans now to
train hard over the holidays. The holiday schedule will be posted this week.
Swimmers up: Special recognition this month goes to our FANTASTIC Senior Girls!
They have exemplified team spirit, camaraderie, great training attitudes and effort and they have already made the season a memorable one!
All four girls really wanted to do the team retreat this year so they could get to know the younger swimmers. I really hope our younger
swimmers grow up with the same character and team spirit these young ladies show day in and day out!
Barrett Aggers - for a great smile and a positive outlook.
Joy Bunting - for her positive spirit
Carol Jones - for thumbs up and caring for her teammates.
Brandie Kavalec - for energy, sass and team pride.
Board Update
Monthly you will be seeing a new section of the LSC newsletter. The Board of Directors will be providing additional information on the
"inner workings" of the club. During our first meeting we have established goals for the 2006-2007 season. Each board member has
accepted certain responsibilities. They are as follows:
Nick Hansen: Future Facility Development and Parent Education
John Berquist: Recruitment of Meet Officials (Current LSC parents)
Gary Hurd: Meet Management
Larry Staley: Chairman of Welcoming Committee and Social Committee
Andrea Sheldon: Financial Updates
We are fortunate to have a great club and we are asking you to get involved. If you have any interest in these areas please contact the
appropriate Board representative.
Thank you.
Nick Hansen, President
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