Citiparks Swim Meet

Outreach letter to families of summer campers

Mark Rauterkus
Head Lifeguard at The Pittsburgh Project
412-298-3432 = cell
https://4Rs.org


Dear Swimmers and Guardians of TPP's Summer Camp 2019:

This summer has been filled with many achievements with swimming, SKWIM and other pool activiites -- and this note details some dreams for future participation for you:


Parents & Guardians should come to to the pool and see your child swim -- soon.

Our summer isn't over and there are plenty of opportunities to keep swimming in the weeks and months to come.


1a) TPP's pool is closing at 7 pm on August 4. Come to the pool from 1-7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

1b) All kids and adults are invited to drop in for SKWIM game play from 6-7:45 pm every Tuesday & Thursday at Citiparks Ammon Pool on Bedford Ave & Memory Lane, Pgh Hill District.

1c) All kids are invited to sign up a SKWIM CLINICS at Allegheny County's North Park, 11:30 to 1 pm, M-F, (week 1) August 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and
(week two) August 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, 2019. Summer is not over yet. Links to the County's sign up at https://4Rs.org - See other side.

1d) We want to field a TPP team in a SKWIM tournament on Saturday & Sunday, September 7 and 8, 2019, at Citiparks Highland Park Pool. Shallow water. Kids & adults. If interested, email Coach Mark Rauterkus, Mark@Rauterkus.com.

1e) For six Sundays this fall, from 2-4 pm, we'll be able to play SKWIM at Moon High School Pool. Sign-ups required. Great pool.

1f) Coach Mark's Saturday Swim School provides opportunities to swim, play SKWIM, and get Lifeguard training throughout the year, often at Oliver HS and/or Allegheny MS.


Thanks for the consideration. Let's keep building strenght and fitness in the water so that next year can be better than ever with a swim team and more games with outside groups.



Mark Rauterkus
412-298-3432
mark@rauterkus.com

12 days of Christmas

Written for a middle school girls team. 

Twelve Days of Christmas, traditional style where every preceding LINE gets repeated with each new verse added to total. 

    - First Day of Christmas, 1 no breath flip turn

    - Second, 2 two hand touches

    - Third, 3 fist pumps of emotion

    - Fourth, 4 poolside press ups

    - Fifth, 5 seconds rest

    - Sixth, six various stroke drills *

    - Seventh, 7 strokes of partner pulling (or kicking)

    - Eighth, 8 descending 25s

    - 9th, 9 underwater fly kicks after a dive

    - Tenth, 10 med ball trunk twists

    - Eleventh, 11 lengths of backstroke

    - Twelfth, 12 (x-yard) Individual Medleys

Totals:

if x-yard = 100-yard, then 12 x 100 IM = 1,200 yards

(Could be 200 IMs, or even 50-yard or 25-yard IMs.)

550 backstroke

30 med ball truck twists

4 x 9 dives with underwater fly kicking (Bob Gillett style)

5 sets of 8 x 25 descending = 1,000 yards

36 press ups

12 flip turns without breathing

* Tips for the SIX stroke drills wild-card is going to take a blog posting. Stay tuned.

--

Ta.

Mark Rauterkus       Mark@Rauterkus.com 

Executive Director of SKWIM USA, a 501(c)(3)

The Pittsburgh Project - swim coach and head lifeguard

Middle School Swim Coach at The Ellis School

Former Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy

Sabbatical for 2018: PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo 

Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://CLOH.org

412 298 3432 = cell

Mental Health insights - suite of article via Molly

A Checklist for Parents with Children with Mental Health Problems

For Teachers: Children’s Mental Health Disorder Fact Sheet for the Classroom

Promoting Mental Health at Home: How to Design the Perfect Meditation Room

Healthy Eating and Depression: How Diet May Help Protect Your Mental Health

5 Ways to Use Feng Shui in Your Home Design

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Drug Addiction

Anger Management and Addiction: How to Take Charge of Anger Issues in Sobriety

Elderly Mental Health: How to Help Your Senior

Coping with the Loss of a Loved One

From: Molly Anderson

Another nice link:
https://tradesmencosts.co.uk/meditation-room-mental-health

Jacob Davis, former Stingrays and Brashear swimmer

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/other-colleges/2018/03/01/Brashear-grad-Jacob-Davis-swimming-Saint-Vincent-Josh-Gurekovich/stories/201803020007

Fwd: USNA Summer Seminar and Summer STEM - Now is the Time!

Something to consider for summer for middle and high school students:

These programs at NAVY may interest some, especially if STEM-focused.  

1.  For an out-of-the-ordinary STEM summer session at the U.S. Naval Academy (5 days, students residing in the dormitory, Bancroft Hall), and it's for 8th-10th Graders (for the Fall).  The Academy Admissions Office drafted the email notice itself, and passed it out to USNA Blue & Gold Officers around the country.  "Blue & Gold Officers" (like Coach Ed) work with the Admissions Office to help spread the word about not-your-normal but hopefully stimulating programs that younger students may find challenging, particularly if they love STEM or science fields.  

2.  For a Summer Seminar about a college - a week like no other.  This is for rising Seniors who may be considering a career in the Navy or Marine Corps, and wish to see a bit of what it may be like (or more!)  Through the lens of one of the pathways to becoming an officer, at the U.S. Naval Academy.  Like the STEM Summer Session for younger students, this one is also residential, so parents drop 'em off and pick 'em up later!  

Below is the approved USNA-style email advisory:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Good afternoon!

The applications for the United States Naval Academy's Summer Seminar and Summer STEM are OPEN!

Summer STEM is geared toward students currently in 8th, 9th and 10th grade, the Summer STEM residential program will give attendees an opportunity to engage in hands-on math and science activities with our faculty and midshipmen. 

 

2018 Sessions:

June 4-9 for current 8th graders (rising 9th graders)

June 11-16 for current 9th graders (rising 10th graders)

June 18-22 for current 10th graders (rising 11th graders)

 

Attached is a digital brochure and the website is:

https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/Programs/STEM.php#fndtn-panel1-Attending

Naval Academy Summer Seminar (NASS) offers an opportunity for rising high school seniors to experience the academy for one week. Participants learn about life at the Naval Academy, where academics, athletics, and professional training play equally important roles in developing our nation's future leaders at this four-year college.

2018 Sessions:

June 2-7

June 9-14

June 16-21

 

Attached is a digital brochure and the website is:

https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/Programs/NASS.php#fndtn-panel1-Steps-For 

This past summer,

​

USNA

 hosted students from all 50 states, US territories, as well as students living abroad. Both attendees and parents raved about the experience, and we are counting on you to help spread the word about these fantastic opportunities. 

You can check out more on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/NavalAcademyAdmissions/

 

Please watch and

​

feel free to

​

share our videos:

STEMandNASS

Summer Seminar

 

More Bike Lanes -- as I've got some experience with them in Chengdu, China

More bike lanes! Because, some day, I'm going to be the one in the back seat! Plus, the brakes on that sucker didn't work so much. The brake on the bar for the front tire flew off the first time I applied pressure, flipping forward. The only real stopping power came from the sick break, in the middle of the frame. To stop, push downward. The question was always, use both hands to turn away from the crash, and be with less grip in the pending collision. Or, put a hand on the brake while reaching downward getting out of balance, but protecting some other vulnerable body positions.

I am born in the year of the rooster -- as per the story at The Moth.

See and listen to more insights from my wife, Catherine, at https://themoth.org/storytellers/catherine-palmer

Students want to swim in the mornings

South Side Pops hits The Mon River for an evening of water skiing

Some athletic highlights from Scott and Randy.

Scott

Part 1, only 14 seconds

Part 2

Randy

Part 3

Part 4 

Extra photos

Go to the wiki to see some extra photos.

Saved by life jacket

http://www.nola.com/northshore/index.ssf/2017/09/capsized_boat_causeway_rescue.html#incart_river_home

Pittsburgh's cleaner air and school bus worries of GASP

What about school buses?

In June, Pittsburgh Public Schools entered into new contracts
with the school bus carriers they use. The contracts
included language where the carrier agrees to only use buses
that are 2007 or newer, or if older they must be equipped
with diesel particulate filters and closed crankcase ventilation
systems. In combination, these devices greatly reduce
diesel particulate emissions, thus decreasing student and
driver exposure to diesel pollution. Great news, right? Yes,
except the district actually had similar language in place in
previous agreements. Some school bus companies hadn’t
been providing newer or retrofit buses as promised and the
school district wasn’t enforcing the cont–ract. How can we
trust the situation will improve this time around? Right
now, we are ascertaining how many new or retrofit school
buses are serving Pittsburgh, and we are encouraging fleet
owners to take advantage of competitive funding programs
to clean up their buses if they still need to.
More updates to come as we continue to follow these two
efforts intended to minimize diesel emissions in the city.

See the Fall 2016 issue of GASP's newsletter, the Hotline, available online as a PDF:
http://gasp-pgh.org/wp-content/uploads/hotline-2016fall-web.pdf

Obama Academy Varsity Swim Calendar

Tips:

When in doubt, call. Coach Mark is 412-298-3432. Okay to text, but the text messages are not seen as quickly.

You can bookmark this page, or get the google calendar to work with your set up on your phone and computer. Subscribe to it.

Another google calendar is the one at CLOH.org.

High school and birthday athlete with Implant for hearing and without vision gets interview with Ellen

Perhaps his story can be worked into the new book we're updating, Time Out! I Didn't Hear You.

Water Polo is happening at MACS

Love the energy and improvements with the water polo. Next, I am excited to take the squads to the next level and really COMPETE. Those lessons open up new chapters to learning, discovery and understanding in how to play well with others. Games are scheduled in the days and weeks to come.

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

There is fit. Then there is "Speedo fit." New ads show some of what we do.

Bravo to Speedo. Those superstars are looking good too! Article in Ad Week, http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/speedo-make-a-splash-aqua-fitness-push/303558/

For the ages! The water does not know how old you are.

Swimming, What a Wonderful Sport to Learn - SwimEasy Ltd. UK

Tosd@s, tod@s amamos nadar... Discover more here: www.swimeasy.co.uk

Posted by Natación on Wednesday, April 6, 2016

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

Starting our day at the crack of dawn. I.B. kids can handle the tough "why questions."

Enjoy this little film:



Share it and let me know what you think.

Show Up: The AM Swim Video

Highly competitive swimming helps with school attendance. Don't punish nor eliminate the positive aspects of sports. Rather, promote, facilitate and replicate.

Our swim team t-shirt slogan: “Winning Formula: Show up + Score more points.” Showing up matters. This United Way funded PR blitz with PPS stresses school attendance. Swimmers understand that message and live it.

On many mornings in the past years, 25+ students arrived at the school for 6 AM swim practices. In recent years, the Obama Swim Team has held 6 AM practices every school day (if no 2-hour delay). The 6 am practices often span into the fall and spring too.

At 7:15 am, as swim practice ends, swimmers are at the school. They are present, clean and ready to fuel their bodies and brains. Kids attending AM practice are not tardy for school.

Kids in quality, competitive programs understand that 6 am practices are essential. Champions understand the sacrifices and hard work are worthy. AM swim practices don't happen every where, as not all the teams are doing all they can.

One school day distinction between swimmers and other athletes are AM practices. Many college teams in other sports hold AM practices for their athletes. It would be great to have open gym and weight lifting times at 6 am for students, before school, more often at PPS. Perhaps with the Olympic Sports Division and efforts of PPS H2O, the early bird practices can be with more students, not only swimmers.

Fwd: The Crisis in Flint, Michigan cannot be ignored

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: John Hemington <jehemington@verizon.net>

Attached is an article by Michael Moore, who grew up in Flint and is a Michigan resident, concerning the crisis of poisoned water in Flint, MI.  Some of you may not have a high regard for Mr. Moore, but in this instance, in my opinion, he is exactly right.  The Governor or Michigan committed is almost certainly a criminal act in covering up for over a year the fact that his determination to divert the water for Flint from its previous source in Lake Huron via Detroit to the heavily polluted Flint River in order to save money resulted in significant increases in lead and other mineral and chemical poisons polluting the water in Flint – impacting all of the 100,000⁺ residents and, in particular the highly vulnerable children.  As the article makes very clear, lead poisoning in anyone is bad, but in children it leads to permanent non-treatable disabilities and neurological impairments.

I strongly urge you to read the attached article and to sign the petition Michael Moore has created.  If the water of Flint had been poisoned by terrorists in the same way it has been done by the state's governor and his administration there would be a national uproar and demands that the terrorists be caught and executed for this heinous crime against humanity.  No one is demanding that the governor be executed, but he certainly should be removed from office and tried for the crime against the citizens and children of Flint for which he is responsible.  If this had happened in your community I have no doubt that you would be prepared to take violent action against those responsible.

John

Article in PDF format.