Guardian and kid riding bikes

Tuesday's game of water polo at CMU gets a re-do on Thursday

Earlier this week, I took these photos, then was the on-deck referee, for a water polo scrimmage from 9 to 11 pm at CMU. 

Come out tonight for a re-do. Perhaps we'll get some visitors in town to join the Pittsburgh Masters for the Collegiate Club Championships at Pitt that starts on Friday morning.

Older news of Underwater Hockey

Old news: Play at Pittsburgh's Obama Academy on Tuesdays

Let's try to arrive and play from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Check the Google Calendar at CLOH.org or the email list.

 

If you are LATER, you might find the front door of the building locked as security generally depart at 7 pm. Then you will want to call (not text) my cell phone: 412-298-3432. We'll send a person out to the front to open the doors.

 

Enter the building, at the front doors on Highland Ave, easy parking lot at corner of Highland Ave and East Liberty Blvd, When you get in the building, turn to the right and go straight, past gym to the pool.

 

Meet from 8:15 pm to 9:50 pm on Tuesdays, including March 7 and March 14, 2017. Other weeks are not so certain as the WA pool is getting a major rehab. Check the calendar or the email list.

 

Show up at 6:30 pm on Tuesdays at Obama Academy's swim pool on these dates:
• 4/18
• 4/25
• 5/2
• 5/9 = hybrid practice time at the pool. Underwater Hockey in shallow. Water polo in deep end.
• 5/23
• 5/30
• 6/3 = new event, Rules Clinic at Mike's home
• 6/6

Curling Trivia in Pittsburgh

Creating Literate Olympians Here!

Back in the day, I helped to start the Pittsburgh Curling Club. I wasn't around for long, but I was there at the outset. We should be curling on the South Side. 

In curling, the team that wins the game / match buys the first round of adult beverages. 

An ideal summer job with rewarding experiences awaits your application.

Apply to work with us this summer. 

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.

Let's fund Water Polo as a sport at Obama

See my expanded comments to the school board and superintendent asking for help to expand water polo at Obama. Talks of one possible next step for sport reform.

http://cloh.org/wp/archives/596

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

First Water Polo Game scheduled: Sunday October 23, 2016

Are you ready for some water polo? We'll go to North Allegheny on October 23, 2016.

Our teams of middle school water polo players are getting ready for the first real games. We've called our team, "Pittsburgh Combined" in the past. In 2016-17 we've got players from Manchester Academic Charter School, where we play two days a week for boys and another two days a week for girls. Plus, we have been playing at Pittsburgh Obama, co-ed, on Mondays and Fridays; Arsenal, co-ed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our Saturday Swim School can help with water polo practices. Kids from The Pittsburgh Project can join in too. Plus, we've got our 2016 Summer Dreamers who had 27 days of water polo in July and August as well.

If you want your kid to attend, email to Mark@Rauterkus.com, or call, 412-298-3432.

We want to car-pool from Pittsburgh with departing times at noon and arrival to North Allegheny Senior High School, on Rt. 19, at 12:45 pm on October 23, 2016.

Should frame this as they seldom got the attention required

This is a pool permit that was signed. Notice, I put it into the PPS school principal on 9-12-16. Meanwhile, it was marked as received on 12-15-16. 

We had problems with permits and I wanted to be sure we'd be able to swim over the break. 

In 2017, the same problems were revisited. Central office helped resolve the matter, again. 

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

This is the type of support some in PPS give to PPS Summer Dreamers

In spring 2016, I put in a pool permit to get ready for Summer Dreamers so that our summer staff can work with the existing kids at Obama at the pool -- and work with a renewal of swim skills with the kids I coached in past years as part of PPS Summer Dreamers. 

The permit was denied. The denial says, "NO SUMMER DREAMER STUFF."

I wanted to have ONE practice on Wednesdays from April to June. 

Go figure.

Futhermore, in future years this permit would be considered a blessing -- because there is an ANSWER. MOST of the time, interactions with PPS administrators have no replies. Silence. 

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

Swimming Video from Niagra

Ten minutes long:



The video has a certain tone and perspective about competitive swimming that is sorta harsh and negative.

Swim & Water Polo practices are starting for kids on Tuesdays and Fridays

Invite for kids from Pittsburgh!

Join new Swim & Water Polo practices.

From: Mark Rauterkus, Swim & Water Polo Coach

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation & Pittsburgh Public Schools' Summer Dreamers Academy

Obama Academy, Sci-Tech and U-Prep Varsity Swim Team

To: Students at U-Prep, Teachers, Parents, Guardians and any possible summer-time employees wishing for jobs as a lifeguard and/or swim instructor

Let's go to the swim pool for a new, city-wide water polo program.

Learning to swim and then getting a job in the summers as a lifeguard and swim instructor is a big deal and something to celebrate! We are calling for all swimmers and non-swimmers to consider joining us for practices for a new activity. Learn to swim or swim better, stay in shape, grow stronger. You're encourage to consider these opportunities to make continued progress, new friends and learn new skills in the weeks and months to come with me in some BRAND NEW AQUATIC PROGRAMS just being announced.

All the city's middle school and high-school students, boys and girls, are invited to Swim & Water Polo practices. We will swim, work a bit on fitness, strokes, and then play and introduce everyone to water games such as water polo and SKWIM. Rookies are welcome. Bring your friends.

Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 pm at PPS Obama Academy.

Corner of East Liberty Blvd and Highland Ave, in East Liberty / Highland Park

Fridays from 5:30 to 7:00 pm – Thelma Lovette YMCA.

2114 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 – YMCA phone = 412-315-0990

First practices in February, 2016. An adult needs to sign in the student on the first first practice with the coach and with the YMCA on your first visit there. No charge to join. Bring your suit, goggles if you have them, towel and enthusiasm.

We are also looking for students to sign up for Summer Dreamers in Swim & Water Polo for 2016. Plus, we like to engage junior captains and junior lifeguards for service jobs in the summer with these activities with the BGC.

Mark Rauterkus, 412-298-3432 = cell

Mark@Bloomfield-Garfield.org Mrauterkus@PghBoe.Net Mark@Rauterkus.com

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.

One of the best cycling trips on film ever. And, second video is of the making of the first.

This goes way beyond my comfort zone.

Concerning injuries in high school football

Hooking Pittsburgh into some swimming and water polo this week, month and season

Hi Friends,

Join us for some swimming and water polo this summer with some expanding opportunities.

See the Google Calendar link at http://CLOH.org.


10:30 am Mondays, West Penn Rec Center outdoor pool, Polish Hill.
The Garfield Gators (boys & girls) are there too!

6-7:30 pm Mondays, Northside's Sue Murray Swim Pool

11 am to noon, Tuesdays, Citiparks Sheridan's outdoor swim pool with some Learn & Earn youth workers. This is a short walk from Langley HS.

6-7:30 pm Tuesdays, adult masters players gather for water polo in the deep end at Mt. Washington's Ream outdoor pool. Kid's play in the shallow end.

10:30 am Wednesdays, West Penn Rec Center, again.

6-7:30 pm Wednesdays, Northside's Sue Murray again.

11 am to noon Thursdays, Sheridan, again.

6-7:30 pm Thursdays, Mt. Washington's Ream pool.

Friday 5-8 pm at Hill District's Thelma Lovette YMCA indoor pool.

All outdoor sessions are weather permitting. These are casual, drop-in sessions where rookies and volunteers are most welcome.

We hope to sustain these practices throughout August and then transfer them to the Obama Academy pool as we're starting a varsity water polo team for the high school boys and girls. Plus, many other city and area high school principals have gotten letters that invite them to join a sport-team coop so that their students can participate on our scholastic water polo squad(s). The first to opt-in, Seaton LaSalle High School. Welcome.

Sadly, the pledge for the Pittsburgh Promise shrunk by $10,000 for city kids this week. In my humble opinion, we need to get our city kids better sports and fitness opportunities so many more can be RECRUITED into colleges. The sports background is attractive in college applications as it teaches discipline, goal-setting and teamwork. At Summer Dreamers we're working on backstroke, plus gaining respect for ourselves, our mates, our surroundings and playing well with others.

Stay cool at the pool and hope you and yours are safe throughout the summer!


--
Ta.


Mark Rauterkus Mark@Rauterkus.com
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach
Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy
Recent Head Water Polo Coach, Carnegie Mellon University Women's Club Team
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://CLOH.org

412 298 3432 = cell