Big League Swimming - with Citiparks

Big League Opportunity with Aquatics Programming and Community Experts

by Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2497,

TRA's new General Manager & Advocate for Sports

Executive Summary:

This paper explores some of the recreation, instructional and competitive programs offered within the city. Some of the programs are hosted by the city itself. The Aquatics Division has its mission, and another recreation department, more instructional and competitive, is the Big Leage programs. Other programs are hosted by non-city agencies that exist within Pittsburgh, such as with the Three Rivers Aquatics competitive swim team, (TRA).

Finally, Pittsburgh Pubic Schools provides another slew of opportunities for enhanced swimming programs. Those facilities can't be overlooked either, if we really want what is best for our kids.

Great untapped potential exists if only the Aquatics Division, the Big Leage program and out-side experts could be put into better harmony. New programs, growth and great levels of excitment can touch many adults and kids in and around Pittsburgh if Mark Rauterkus is given some freedom and support to from Aquatics and Big Leagues for such endeavors.

Pool Wranglings:

It is the opinion of some that better organization and better programming are possible. Given the lengh and depth of the discussions each year at City Council, it is fair to say that all of the city council members have strong opinions about the swim pools. In general terms, I think widespread agreement would support the notion that the pools and swim programs can be and should be upgraded so as to provide better opportunities for the citizens. The methods of financing these aquatics programs would make for debate, to be sure, but the possibilities for changes and enhancements exist. These changes might include some additional

privatization, agressive marketing, community ownership-stake-holders and even some user-fees endeavors.

Perhaps a way to increase the quality of the opportunities is to re-examine the interplay among the Big League Programs, the Aquatics Division, and our outside groups, such as TRA (Three Rivers Aquatics). The outside groups have specialized interests and motivations in aquatics programming.

With a few modest areas of change, the Big League program can expand into some pilot programming opportunities that have been not explored before within the city. The Big League office can work with the Aquatics Division and with some outside specialized leadership to make this occur in the summer of 2000.

Let's propose and work to create a few specialized centers for:

- competitive swimming,

- masters swimming,

- water polo, and

- underwater hockey.

Other considerations and information are presented as a way to begin the dialog and planning, well in advance of budget considerations. These programs are going to cost very little, but they will be a significant enhancement the offerings to the citizens.

Background:

Beyond Baseball at Big Leagues

The City of Pittsburgh's Big League program began with baseball. Of course this is no surprise, as baseball is Lou's passion. It takes a driven leader to make programs successful. Today, the Big League program has grown to include much more than the famous and popular "Rookie Ball."

Kids play baseball at all ages, softball, Air-It-Out NFL-sponsored Flag Football, Deck Hockey and other sports too.

Aquatics Programs:

Open Swims / Lap Swims

The bulk of the city's aquatics program deals with lifeguarding, staffing the facilities and keeping everyone at all the 32 city-run pools safe and happy. Pittsburgh's diverse facilities and its diverse populations make for a challenges in operation that the aquatic's staff handles with the highest-regards and professional outcomes.

Aquatics Programs:

Instructional and Competitive Aspects:

The city's aquatics programs have swim lessons (some free and other for a user fee) and some swim teams. Most of the swim teams are free. New water festivals and some new equipment such as water basketball have been given to the pools in recent years.

There are some aquatic exercise classes at the Oliver Bath House and perhaps at some of the other outdoor pools.

Outside the City Sponsored Programs, TRA

The Three Rivers Aquatic team practices at Oliver Bath House and Highland Park Pool, but these programs are NOT administered by the city. Rather TRA is a separate organization that has its own management, fees, payroll, coaches and sponsorships.

Other competitive swim teams exist too, such as Team Pittsburgh (PITT) and the Jewish Community Center Sailfish.

Areas of Synergy with TRA and the City Aquatics Program

As the TRA program are offered to city kids, and as the program is a success (hopefully more so than in the past) the city's Park's Department realizes some significant benefits to its overall mission.

The TRA team, like the others, offers basic instructional programs to those who can already pass a deep water test. Participants generally need to have swimming lessons before advancing to the swim team.

An attracitve TRA experience is going to help drive more people into the lesson programs.

The TRA team members are often a prime area for the recruitment of city lifeguards. Many city lifeguards on the staff now have been members of the TRA team, as well as its prior name, the D.P.R. (Department of Recreation) team.

----

End of draft:

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

412-481-2540

New Role: General Manager of Three Rivers Aquatics

Hosea Holder is still the Emeritus Head Coach for TRA.

Press Release about visiting swimmer

News Release

August 14, 1999

Local Contact:

Mark Rauterkus

General Manager, Three Rivers Aquatics

Founder, FreeTeam.Org & SportSurf.Net

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

412-481-2497 = office

Mark@SportSurf.Net

The Significance of Byron's Visit to Pittsburgh in 1999

--- The start of bigger plans for 2000 and beyond.

New Lecture Series Tips Its Hand with Preview Encounter

Byron Davis is much like a modern-day Jackie Robinson. A comparison to Tiger Woods applies too in that he excels in a country-club sport. Byron is gearing up to swim in the Olympic Trials again in the year 2000, at age 30, striving to be the first African-American on the USA Olympic Swim Team.

Davis began swimming at an inter-city YMCA at age 8, graduated from UCLA and is an inspirational spokesperson for USA Swimming. Davis visited Pittsburgh for three days as a guest of Three Rivers Aquatics (TRA). Davis and the local swim officials took their story directly to the kids and parents. On Saturday, the crew mingled and evangelized the swimming lifestyle at two meets, visiting the City of Pittsburgh Aquatic Divisions' summer meet in Highland Park as well as the Eastern Zone Championships at Pitt.

Byron's goals for swimming and speaking match well with those of Mark Rauterkus, a former sports publisher and the new general manager of TRA. Rauterkus wants to rev-up the regional swim scene, and announced a new sports-lecture series. Nicknamed, S6, the non-profit endeavor is to be called the Sport, Spirit & Soul Story & Song Summit.

S6 expects to host events in the year 2000 and aims to bring Davis back to Pittsburgh as its first headline speaker following his Olympic Trials quest. For added family appeal, Byron's next trip to Pittsburgh might even be made to include his wife, Annett Buckner Davis, pro-beach volleyball player currently #2 team on the tour.

"By and large, Pittsburgh's kids don't know of Byron, his saga, and his message. Same too for Annett. I'd love to create a vehicle to help change that tide. A goal of S6 is to raise awareness for positive messages of those who strive for excellence," said Rauterkus.

"We call ourselves a sports town, yet I feel we miss out on these types of messages and gatherings. Our kids and our community can learn a great deal about ourselves with in-depth appearances and contacts. Byron, and many others in sports from around the world, present interesting, energizing messages."

What about the players on the Women's World Cup soccer team? Tell us about the relationship with the game of baseball and the rules from a MLB umpire's perspective.

How and why discussions fail as media sound-bites. This concept goes way beyond the ESPN highlights of the 100-Greatest Athletes of the Century.

"We could use additional fun, fresh, enrichment experiences. I want my young boys to grow up with a healthy diet of sport influences that doesn't include the WWF. Sports participation is much more than stadium sitting."

S6's seasonal, if not monthly, occurrences would bring a diverse group of international experts to the area. "Keynote talks, event mingling, technique demonstrations, psyche clinics, sport schmoozing -- all bolstered by literacy components would jazz our perspectives and stretch our spirits," said Rauterkus.

Those connected to schools, civic groups, and companies can step forward now. Individual volunteers from throughout Western Pennsylvania are needed for planning and early stage implementation. This village can host frequent engagements. The call to others who share the vision is here: Email: Mark@SportSurf.Net. Call: 412-481-2497 (extension 2)

Additional information about Byron Davis, the weekend clinics, news on other programs such as a new Swimmers' Zoo Camp is online at: www.FreeTeam.Org/tra.

---- end ----

=============

Photo and interview opportunities on Saturday ONLY with Byron Davis

++ Highland Park Pool -- 8:30 am to 1:00

++ Pitt's Tree's Hall -- 3:00 - 4:00 pm (an awards presentation)

++ On the grounds Outside of Pitt's Swim Pool from 6:00 - 8:30 pm.

Swim Meets occurring at both locations, each with local participants.

Three Rivers Aquatics folks are local, of course, and available at other times as well:

GM is Mark Rauterkus, and

Emeritus Coach is Hosea Holder

=============

Suggested pointers and other news, including an electonic version of this can be found at:

http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

=============

Tips:

See the invite letter abut NEW directions with TRA

Swimmers' Zoo Camp News

New Lecture Series Tips Hand with Preview Encounter

Byron Davis visits Pittsburgh

Attention Swimmers and Citizens!

Byron Davis,

TRA, and the

Eastern Zone Swimmers (from Maine to Virginia)

invite you and yours to a special gathering outside the grounds at the Univ. of Pittsburgh's swim pool (Trees Hall) at 6:30 pm tonight.

- - - - - -

Byron, 29, visiting from Los Angeles, an Olympic trials finalist (1996) and a qualifier (2000), is an inspiring spokesperson for USA Swimming.

Three Rivers Aquatics (TRA) practices on the South Side. New swimmers are welcomed starting September 8. TRA coordinated Byron's visit to Pittsburgh. TRA now has a professional General Manager to support emeritus coach Hosea Holder.

The Eastern Zone Meet concludes at Pitt tonight! Talented all-star swimmers from Maine to Virginia have been competing at Pitt for the past four days. Admission to both the meet and Byron's presentation is FREE! Championship finals races occur from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

It's for decompression and inspiration.

Learn more, including new on the Swimmers' Zoo Camp and S6 at:

http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Hope to see you there!

Letter to Market House about swim

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Market House Athletic Assn.

City Parks Recreation Directors

Dear Friends of Sports on the South Side,

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the programs at the South Side Market House, including the directors and booster-board, to begin a serious dialog concerning joint programming efforts.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA is a swim team, Three Rivers Aquatics that practices in the school months at the Oliver Bath House at 10th Street. The team used to be city-sponsored, then called, DPR (Dept. of Parks and Recreation). For the past number of years the team was organized with a parents board, and that has just recently changed so now the team has a "general manager." With new leaderships, the team is out to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past.

We are going to "profesionalize" our management, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to work with the folks at the Market House to allow for an expansion of programming efforts so we can better serve the needs of the children in Pittsburgh. We want to put forth both the highest quality swim

experience with a competitive team capable of getting our kids onto the Olympic Team -- as well as offering well-rounded introduction to swimming programs that get the kids exercising in a new environment, making new friends, learning about themselves and having fun!

working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter to reach out to Penn Hill Dolphins with TRA

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

home: 412-481-2540

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Head Coach

Board of Directors

Penn Hills Dolphins

Dear Friends of Swimming in Penn Hills!

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the Penn Hills Dolphins, including coach and board-of-directors, to begin a serious dialog concerning our programming efforts.

TRA and PHD shared a practice facility and meet hosting events in 1999. We need to work on plans for 2000 as soon as possible.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA team is going to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past. I'm in a new role as "general manager" and this new responsibility and opportunity means that TRA is NOT going to be a typical AMS team that is lead a "parents board." Just to be clear, Hosea is still going to be the swim coach. We are going to "profesionalize" our management with a new GM, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to keep working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Dear Citiparks Swimmers and Guardians - Citiparks Swim Meet letter

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

412-481-2497 = office

Mark@SportSurf.Net

Dear Swimmers and Guardians,

You are strongly encouraged to check-out and consider joining Three Rivers Aquatics (known as TRA). Kids that love the water, and youngsters that feel at home with either fit bodies or mindful activities have got to look into some of our NEW opportunities.

TRA is changing for the better in 1999. We are hoping to grow with a new crew of "rookie' swimmers. Boys and girls ages 5 to 12 are ideal prospects. We're affordable, instructional, recreational! We're competitive and fun.

This September the activities -- family friendly -- are geared to be enrichment experiences first and foremost! Yea, we love to swim! But, we expect to explore, stretch and soar in many ways -- beyond Fly, Back, Breast and Freestyle.

Emeritus coach Hosea leads our practices as usual, but now he'll be backed and supported by a new General Manager. That's me. Our team's infrastructure is getting an overhaul. I'm Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2497, a South Side resident, stay-at-home dad, retired publisher (www.SportSurf.Net) and swim coach. I've coached teams in PA, MA, Ohio and Illinois -- and swimmers on these teams have set new STATE Records. My background and concerns for sports advocacy can bring another level of excitement to the happening as our South Side practices. Plus, throughout the year, we want to get more swimming going into more of Pittsburgh Public School pools.

Now is a great time to make a new connection with the team. Many short term clinics and mini-camps are being organized as well. Notice the new Swimmers' Zoo Camp!

Please, if you do nothing else, do this:

1. Get your name, address and phone number (email too if you have it) on our TRA mailing list. We'd like to keep you posted about our progress.

2. Talk with our visiting guest from Los Angeles -- Byron Davis. He grew up in Cleveland! Now we need some Pittsburgh kids to grow up swimming and hit Olympic Trials. Come up and meet him as he is talking tonight at the Zone Meet outside of Pitt's Trees Hall to 8:30 pm.

3. Know that you're invited and warmly welcomed to get into the swim with the TRA team in 1999! See more news on the web: http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Thanks for your interest. Hope you have fun at today's meet.

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

To PHD

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Head Coach

Board of Directors

Penn Hills Dolphins

Dear Friends of Swimming in Penn Hills!

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the Penn Hills Dolphins, including coach and board-of-directors, to begin a serious dialog concerning our programming efforts.

TRA and PHD shared a practice facility and meet hosting events in 1999. We need to work on plans for 2000 as soon as possible.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA team is going to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past. I'm in a new role as "general manager" and this new responsibility and opportunity means that TRA is NOT going to be a typical AMS team that is lead a "parents board." Just to be clear, Hosea is still going to be the swim coach. We are going to "profesionalize" our management with a new GM, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to keep working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter for Byron's Visit to Citiparks

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226 USA

SportSurf.Net

Dear Swimmers and Guardians,

You are strongly encouraged to check-out and consider joining Three Rivers Aquatics (known as TRA). Kids that love the water, and youngsters that feel at home with either fit bodies or mindful activities have got to look into some of our NEW opportunities.

TRA is changing for the better in 1999. We are hoping to grow with a new crew of "rookie' swimmers. Boys and girls ages 5 to 12 are ideal prospects. We're affordable, instructional, recreational! We're competitive and fun.

This September the activities -- family friendly -- are geared to be enrichment experiences first and foremost! Yea, we love to swim! But, we expect to explore, stretch and soar in many ways -- beyond Fly, Back, Breast and Freestyle.

Emeritus coach Hosea leads our practices as usual, but now he'll be backed and supported by a new General Manager. That's me. Our team's infrastructure is getting an overhaul. I'm Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2497, a South Side resident, stay-at-home dad, retired publisher (www.SportSurf.Net) and swim coach. I've coached teams in PA, MA, Ohio and Illinois -- and swimmers on these teams have set new STATE Records. My background and concerns for sports advocacy can bring another level of excitement to the happening as our South Side practices. Plus, throughout the year, we want to get more swimming going into more of Pittsburgh Public School pools.

Now is a great time to make a new connection with the team. Many short term clinics and mini-camps are being organized as well. Notice the new Swimmers' Zoo Camp!

Please, if you do nothing else, do this:

1. Get your name, address and phone number (email too if you have it) on our TRA mailing list. We'd like to keep you posted about our progress.

2. Talk with our visiting guest from Los Angeles -- Byron Davis. He grew up in Cleveland! Now we need some Pittsburgh kids to grow up swimming and hit Olympic Trials. Come up and meet him as he is talking tonight at the Zone Meet outside of Pitt's Trees Hall to 8:30 pm.

3. Know that you're invited and warmly welcomed to get into the swim with the TRA team in 1999! See more news on the web: http://www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

Thanks for your interest. Hope you have fun at today's meet.

Mark Rauterkus

New General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Letter from TRA GM to Market House Athletic Assn

General Manager

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

108 South 12th Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

email: Mark@SportSurf.Net

home: 412-481-2540

www.FreeTeam.Org/tra

August, 1999

Market House Athletic Assn.

City Parks Recreation Directors

Dear Friends of Sports on the South Side,

This letter is a formal request to all the good folks leading the programs at the South Side Market House, including the directors and booster-board, to begin a serious dialog concerning joint programming efforts.

Case in point: I'd like to attend your next board meeting, and perhaps a couple of meetings in the fall of 99. At the meetings it is imporant to make a review of past occurance, make an few summary statements, review our shared understandings of inventory and resources, and make some decisions about the future.

As you may or may be be aware, the TRA is a swim team, Three Rivers Aquatics that practices in the school months at the Oliver Bath House at 10th Street. The team used to be city-sponsored, then called, DPR (Dept. of Parks and Recreation). For the past number of years the team was organized with a parents board, and that has just recently changed so now the team has a "general manager." With new leaderships, the team is out to make a few significant changes, yet we are going to build upon our past.

We are going to "profesionalize" our management, hence we'll be a coach-operated organization with a new 501c3 charter. We are still going to be using the city facilities. Nonetheless, program changes are expected.

By all means, we want to work with the folks at the Market House to allow for an expansion of programming efforts so we can better serve the needs of the children in Pittsburgh. We want to put forth both the highest quality swim

experience with a competitive team capable of getting our kids onto the Olympic Team -- as well as offering well-rounded introduction to swimming programs that get the kids exercising in a new environment, making new friends, learning about themselves and having fun!

working with PHD -- but we need to be more clear on the relationship AND be sure we have higher-levels of coordination with future planning and expected happenings.

Case in point: In July 00, TRA is hopeful to organize a week-long day camp for its members, and others in the AMS. This day-camp will include a training session at Highland Park Pool and afternoons spent in a Zoo Camp. We'd like to present this info in its early planning stages to PHD so as to keep everyone up to date, and perhaps better craft this enrichment experience so as to accommodate more participants from PHD and throughout Penn Hills.

Another example is our hope to offer a two-month training and carnival swimming experience in August and September 2000, both at the Highland Park Pool and other facilities. The main goal of this camp is to get swimmers to stay in shape and enter the fall season with better conditioning -- as is the way with swimmers in other parts of the USA and from around the world. We hope to conclude this training period with an out-of-state swim meet, perhaps to Orlando -- much like an All-Star Team, but without the need to have fast times to qualify, only a willingness to improve.

By the time of your board meeting, other items of interest will be ready to be revealed to you. Some of these elements would be very easy to incorporate into offerings made available to those of the PHD. However, we have to share the ideas and increase the formal communications between our organizations if this is to occur for everyone's benefit.

Good luck to you, the team, its administration and all your competitors!

Sincerely Yours,

(NEW) GENERAL MANAGER

Three Rivers Aquatics

Mark Rauterkus

Letter from CP

Letter to Cannonsburg team , but must be 99

Political Uses of the Internet to Explode in Many Ways

Political Uses of the Internet to Explode in Many Ways

To build a space that can become a spot that helps to create and strengthen releationships needs to include many elements that leverage many political opportunities. The notion of the "electronic town hall" was made popular in past national elections, CNN, Ross Perot, and many other examples. The buzz has started, but the execution is far from reaching a potential.

Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania do have impressive www sites. Much work is being done in this area, but much more is needed.

Steve Forbes uses the net to launch his second White House bid. He says it's time to jump into the information age, come March 1999.

---

The Tribune-Review reports, "This rather novel approach to announcing one's presidential condidacy won its share of attention...."

"I'm going to run the first full-scale presidential campaign in American history on the Internet, because I want you to be involved every step of the way," Forbes posted.

http://www.Forbes2000.com

---

Washington Politicians Are Stuck In The Stone Age

Pittsburgh area people and politians are going on-line and are moving in the right directions. But, to make on-line communications effective, the first hurdles involve the old "Chicken and Egg" debate -- as to what needs to happen first?

If the people are not pushed and pulled to the internet, then the politicians are not going to be pushed and pulled to use the internet. We all have to tug at technologies to make a critical mass to allow better economy of scale.

The On-Line Mission Is A Valuable Corner Stone Here

The visions put forward in this position paper call for the creation of a high-tech incubator for community building activities. Passion Park can host many sessions, both on-line and in-person, to help citizens, politicians, team captains, coaches, athletes and health-care folks mingle and be better informed.

Not only do league officials and coaches have a place to put their game schedules and line-up, but politicians need to put in their schedules, hold debates, use teleconference appearances to go to Harrisburg, Washington, and the local meeting at the Block Watch.

Given a City Council Defeat, Then What?

Given a City Council Defeat, Then What?

Should City Council vote to NOT sell the land from the URA to UPMC for the football compound, what might happen next?

Back to the Drawing Boards

1. UPMC, Oxford Developers the Steelers, and the URA would do well to go back to the drawing boards and re-tool a facility plan that fits and is fair.

2. Or, UPMC might opt to turn up the political heat, with or without the Mayor's office help. Then the site plan can be better crafted in its presentation, and re-submitted.

3. Or, UPMC might try to tip the scale in its favor with a better suite of buy-outs to the community groups. A $30K offer went to $75K, and the amount might need to go much higher. Everything has a price.

4. Or, UPMC might opt to move to a suburban site. Fine. UPMC can't take the land with them. UPMC is not going to move to Florida, to North Carolina, to Columbus, Ohio. And, Pitt athletes are not going to go far from Oakland.

Watch for Pitt's Rounds of Settlement Overtures

Pitt should settle this mess. The problem comes as to who is going step up and attempt to broker the deal to settle.

Pitt could have tried to settled various concerns months ago. But Pitt was too arrogant to admit any wrongdoing or pig-headed thinking and planning. Pitt is too deep into its 'we are innovators, top job-providers, know-what's-best' posturing to backtrack.

As much as the citizens of the South Side and the region want to get this over and move beyond Plan B, we can't. We won't be able to avoid another long string of embarrassing rounds of blunders. Developments in the past months don't offer much hope.

Settlement from Pitt are described as "minimalist" and "nowhere near" acceptable. Those scraps don't sound like the makings of a settlement to us.

Best Interests Should Not Be Egos

Fighting against SUN Corporation and a coke oven is one type of foe. The corporations have the foregone conclusions that actions are geared to the shareholders best interests.

Pitt has no shareholders. UPMC is not a corporation that trades stock on the big boards. Pitt's top shareholders are students, faculty and the academic ethics of knowledge discovery and sharing.

Pitt has its pride on the line. UPMC is not driven by the share-holders interest, rather by the interest of its management.

Will UPMC and the Pitt AD come up with settlement terms that are acceptable to all? Or, has the Pitt PR ploy worked?

Pitt's Athletic Department, its students and our communities will fare better when Pitt's leadership gets in sync with the community, its roots and its vision of what sports are.

Pitt's arrogance is taking a back seat to that of UPMC's.

Burt Out

Burnt Out

I want the stadium to stay more than anything, but ....

The administrators at Pitt won the battle and the war, as expected. They won due to attrition.

"I want the stadium to stay more than anything, but this has ruined other Student Government Body (SGB) projects, relationships with administrators, and almost friendships for me.

One student sighed for relief and wrote of life beyond SGB, "... with two other jobs where I put in about 6 hours a week at one and 12 at the other.

The students have classes, projects, and a double majors. One wrote, "I just can't do it anymore. Sorry."