Trying to get something serious going with Citiparks -- my city, my toys

More info with extra links at the blog, https://blog.swimisca.org/pushing-my-city-to-re-establish-swim-lessons-swim-teams-and-an-all-city-sports-camp/

Play SKWIM with the game's inventor at 1 pm on Saturday, June 22 at Northside pool

A special friend is coming to town for a short visit, and we're going to be hosting a special event -- a SKWIM game with the inventor of SKWIM, Kevin McCarthy, from the state of Washington.

Get your friends and family and join us at 1 pm at outdoor pool at The Pittsburgh Project, 2801 North Charles Street, (corner of Wilson), on Saturday, June 22, 2019. 

All ages and abilities welcome. Pay $3 at the gate to enter or free with your city pool tag.

This summer we got a mini-grant from Pittsburgh Play Collaborative to spread the aquatic game throughout the region -- and champion water safety as well as the concepts of playing well with others, sportsmanship, teamwork and plain-old fun! 

Plus, this summer, we're happy to report that the pool at The Pittsburgh Project is open again -- unlike in 2018 when serious plumbing upgrades became necessary. A wonderful staff has gathered too.

If you can't make it on Saturday, we also gather to play water polo and SKWIM every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6 to 7:45 pm, weather permitting, at Citiparks Ammon Pool on Bedford Ave in the Hill District. 

More updates throughout the summer with our google calendar at https://4Rs.org.

BTW, one of my goals is to get a new bottom on the pool at The Pittsburgh Project for next year -- and a SPORTS COURT bottom seems perfect for UWH and our needs. Come check out the pool and offer your ideas. 

You are invited: Saturday Swim School at Oliver High School, 2323 Brighton Road, Pgh 15212

Swimming and Time

Years ago, I nearly published a book, Swimming: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. It featured a lot of content from 50-years prior by a great coach in his book, Swimming, by Kiputh from Yale. That whole perspective is important. And, kids can embark on setting their own world recrods -- and learn history -- be just turning back the decades. Perhaps we should make it an app instead of a book.

Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership BetaBurgh proposals

Three proposals were made to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnerships for its BetaBurgh RFP (request for proposals). The grants are for up to $10,000 each. See the text of those links by surfing around the site, Swim.CLOH.org.


Directory: http://swim.cloh.org/betaburgh/

1. Open water swimming, Swim.CLOH.org  http://swim.cloh.org/betaburgh/Swim_CLOH_org_text.html
2. River lagoons, 4RS.org  http://swim.cloh.org/betaburgh/4RS_org_text.html
3. Floating pools feasibility, Rauterkus.com http://swim.cloh.org/betaburgh/Rauterkus_com_text.html

B for Break Dance

MAD SKILLZ !!!!

Posted by DJ Aligator on Wednesday, March 18, 2015

B.F. Water Polo. You heard it here first. Bottom Friendly Water Polo.

Any Trademark Attorney want to pick up a cause pro bono?

I think this could have legs. Pun intended.

BF Water Polo makes it okay to stand on the bottom with the ball. It is okay to swim too. And, it is faster to swim. But, when you get the ball, stand up. The jumping off the bottom element is something to consider, but the verdict is still out on that.

We've been playing water polo in the shallow water. Then those who are not such great swimmers and those without the fitness to play deep pool water polo can join along. I've called this "Community Water Polo" but it needs a better name. Community water polo is legal water polo but in a co-ed style and without the crashing into the other players that can unfold in real water polo. But around here, our pools are often with both a deep-end and shallow-end, so we get to be on the bottoms more at certain times.

B.F. Water Polo is well suited for kids. But, adults can play too.

B.F. Water Polo could be a great activity for Pittsburgh Sports League, PSL. They host kickball leagues. Why not B.F. Water Polo evenings, leagues, teams, clinics and end of season tournaments?

PPS Attendance matters, plus Senior night at pool. H2O = Hail 2 Obama!

Hi Friends,

With all the noise about attendance at PPS in the media, it is good to know of a bright spot. See below as we honor 14, devoted senior swimmers.

Plus at 6 AM swims practice this week we had 20, 17 and 12 each on M, T and W.

FYI, three boys in Summer Dreamers Swim and Waterpolo Camps in past years are on the Varsity Swim Team now. Six more worked as staffers.

One other tidbit on attendance, our biggest trouble point in Summer Dreamers Swim and Waterpolo Camp was guarding the door to prevent kids from sneaking into our sessions. We had waiting lists. We got scolded for recruiting, but really so many were having fun and learning they told their friends. PPS record showed Waterpolo at 95% attendance in 2012, and that included the need for all kids to run 1 mile over and back to the pools in The Hill.

I really wish we were offering, robust year round, "Dreamers" at PPS with Swim and Waterpolo so our kids could get invested in their teams, fitness, schools and academics. Let's all replicated and empowered what is proving to really work wonders in our community and hooked to athletics.

Go, go, go!

H2O

Coach Mark Rauterkus
412-298-3432

PS: Heard that high school students in National Honors Society have been asked, because of funding issues, to tutor middle school kids now. Rather, let's get those senior and smart students, our swim team really, to teach swimming and play waterpolo with the kids. Then greatness can happen with self esteem, relationships, mentoring, sportsmanship and rule following. Then the academics can flow for the individuals and institutions.

PSS: Friday's visit with USA Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, Cullen Jones, with black history month, has the potentials to be special. He is at Obama at noon and UPrep at 2 pm. FYI, in April, three other USA Olympians, Waterpolo players, visit Pitt for a weekend clinic with Tiger Waterpolo (community, club program that supports our Summer Dreamers), and we will get our kids and the media to interact as well.

Footnote: Sam's fist season of swimming this year, as a senior, happens as he is registered and training for the May 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon, his first.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mark Rauterkus" for Morning Announcements
Date: Feb 6, 2013 7:01 AM
Subject: Senior night

The last home meet for the swim team is tomorrow, Thursday, at 6 pm against Bishop Canevin. This is our senior night and we honor our greatest class of seniors ever in the city swim scene.

The team as 14 seniors including three time PIAA swimmer Erik. Plus:

Annie
Hannah
Wendy
Nicole
Rene

Jonah
Tobias
Max
Mat
Demetri

Daniel
Ben

And, Sam Lapp who will compete in his first ever swim event on Thursday.

Win the section.

Go Seniors!

Swimmers have AM swim on Thursday and should be at the meet by 5 pm.

Kickstarter and LiveCode

Christmas Letter, 2010, an A to Z exercise on one page.

The letters have been written and printed. Blog readers get to see this before they are mailed.

We hope you’ve had a wonderful year from A to Z! Hope to see you in the New Year…Catherine, Mark, Erik, and Grant

Africa. Our amazing, two-week trip to South Africa included a safari.

Bob. Uncle Bob took Erik and Grant to Nashville and Arkansas for a fun filled week this summer.

Coaching is Mark’s passion – swimming and water polo.

Dubai. Catherine and Mark went to the UAE in May.

Each new year Erik and Mark start with a polar bear swim!

Family.

Golf is Grant’s raw-talent sport. He participates in Pgh’s First T program. Erik and Grant sold programs at the US Womens’ Open at Oakmont.

Hearing continues to be Catherine’s mission and expertise.

International Baccalaureate is where the boys continue to study – both doing very well.

Just a quick trip to Canada for Grant and Catherine.

Korea, South Korea was Erik’s destination this summer along with a full scholarship for the trip!

Lyla and Sam (cats) continue to make us laugh.

Mark provided swimming experiences for the PPS Summer Dreamer’s Camp this year.

New sport – Grant played baseball this fall.

Outrageously wonderful friends – we are all blessed.

Parents. Catherine’s Mom and Mark’s parents are all in Pittsburgh which makes for great visits.

Quite a few trips to Washington, DC this year including celebrating Grant’s 13th birthday.

Reform task force of the sports variety. Mark is on this committee to improve sports in the schools.

Swimming. Erik’s HS team won city championships for the first time (Dad coaching) and Erik went to zones and states. Grant helped continue the middle school tradition of championships (16!).

Teenagers – we have 2 and Erik is now driving.

Uncle Charlie. We lost our much loved Uncle Charlie this year. He is missed.

Violin. Grant plays with PMA and school and Erik is playing with the PMA orchestra this year.

Water Polo. Grant loves water polo and plays for his Dad and for Tiger Water Polo.

Xerus (an African ground squirrel ) – we saw a few.

Youth Group. Catherine and Erik are still enjoying the UU Youth Group. Lots of good discussion.

Zip Line through the canopy in Drakensburg, SA – check out the pictures on Mark’s facebook page.

Be in touch: mark @rauterkus.com 412-298-3432 xxx 412-xxx-xxxx Mark and Erik are on Facebook; Mark’s blog at http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com or visit, 108 South 12th St. Pgh, PA 15203

The Eagle, school newspaper article by Erik Rauterkus about sports in Pittsburgh Public Schools

The Eagle

Pittsburgh Public Schools Mulling Possible Merger With WPIAL—Does This Makes Sense for PPS Student-Athletes?

AM Swim Practices continue -- but not with as much flair as this

Not in another place!

Happiness, knowledge, not in another place -- not for another hour, but this hour.

From Walt Whitman

Hey IOC, We don't want the Olympics in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh can't even host the Keystone State Games.

I worry about Chicago hosting the Olympics in 2016, if that should come to pass.

We have to worry about the G-20 in September. They have yet to cancell schools for then. Nor have they even picked a slogan to put on the signs that are going to adorn the highways from the airport by September 1.

Heck the nonprofit foundation that was started two years ago by Dan Onorato, The Parks Foundation, has yet to hold a blasted meeting.

I love the Olympics at many levels. I went to Beijing in 2008 as an independent sports fan and blogger. We travel. We coach. We play hard.

Holy Cow. Let's focus on Chicago. Good job with the distance on the Pittsburgh idea.

Next big sports moment for us is The Great Race the same weekend as the G-20 in September. Then we need to change the rules of Major League Baseball so that the teams that suck are relegated to the minors.

The 250 isn't over yet -- not until we says its over.

Looking for a photo of the Pens t-shirt with five languages: Sacrifice

Where can I find a photo of the Penguins Sacrifice t-shirt?

I'm not interested in another t-shirt. But, I'd love to see a photo of the shirt, or the design, or it on a player or fan.

Any help would be welcomed. Post it to the blog.

I hear that the team wears the t-shirts in the games, under the sweaters, of course.

Efforts for the CLOH - Carnegie Library of Homestead

There is a bigger back story to this saga.