Monday, November 19, 2018

Fwd: Main Line League Senior Response Needed

----- Forwarded message ---------
From: Damon Newman

 

11.19.2018

 

 

Coaches,

 

We hope you can return this Winter for the Main Line League season 2019.  Last year we had enough for two division.  Please respond to the email by December 6th if you are interested in playing.  Please indicate what division you want to play in.  Here are the dates for the Main Line League Senior:

 

A Div

1/27

2/9

2/23

3/16

 

 

 

B Div

2/10

2/17

2/24

3/10

3/23 Championship  

4/6 Championship

 

 

 

Last year's division are listed below:  

A Division

Villanova A

La Salle

Greenwich

Greater Philly

Kingfish Vets

NJ Masters

HAWCS

Penn

 

B Division

Franklins

Villanova B

Drexel

Delaware

Lehigh

West Chester

F & M

St. Joes

 

 

The B division will have a split championship weekend to work around university Spring break dates. 

 

Damon Newman

Membership

610 277 6787

   

 

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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

Sunday, November 18, 2018

PE Professional Development from FB post

Professional Development

Teachers report numerous barriers to technology use including budget, class size, and training. Physical educators may be willing to use technology in their teaching if given opportunities to prepare, practice and use appropriate resources. However, research shows that only 42% of physical education teachers receive staff development training on using physical activity monitoring devices, and only 37% of physical education teachers received staff development training on using technology overall.

Professional development typically is conducted by local colleges and universities, professional associations, and/or regional educational institutions (district offices, local educational agencies). These agencies grant college credits or salary points for teachers. Many of these professional development approaches are costly, often ineffective, and unable to reach all educators. This is especially true for physical educators with coaching responsibilities who often find it difficult to attend professional development workshops. 

New large-scale professional development models that use effective strategies, and are scalable, accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective are needed. Today training can take place via the Internet, allowing educators to learn at their convenience. The number of virtual colleges and training centers on the Internet is growing by leaps and bounds. The University of Houston (Texas), Azusa Pacific College, University of Southern Florida, and Emporia (Kansas) State University, for example, offer complete online Masters Degree programs in physical education. Additionally, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) like Coursera and Udacity, are available providing thousands of courses to educate hundreds and thousands of participants simultaneously. These courses promote self directed learning, peer-supported learning, authentic project-based learning, data-informed activities, case- study approaches, and anytime-anywhere learning. 

Teachers should be engaged in designing their own professional development; ensuring that it meets their specific needs. For professional learning to be successful, it needs to be ongoing and include courses, de ned goals and expectations, models and motivation for change (perhaps tied to regional and school leadership) and linked to school's curriculum goals.
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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

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Fwd: This Week in News for Senator Rand Paul - November 16, 2018

----- Forwarded message ---------
From: U.S. Senator Rand Paul


 



Dear Friend,

You can find my latest update below! 

Dr. Rand Paul Takes Stand Against War and Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

As you know, I have fought hard against our government's support of the Saudi-led coalition that has waged a devastating war in Yemen, a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians and left millions on the edge of famine.  

Over the past couple years, I have led multiple bipartisan efforts to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and on Wednesday, I continued my efforts to speak out against the growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen when I announced that I had secured a vote to block a weapons sale to Bahrain, a member of the Saudi-led coalition.

Thanks to the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, a senator can force a vote on an arms sale, and my resolution of disapproval would have blocked an estimated $300 million in high-explosive rocket artillery and associated training and support to Bahrain.

As I said when I made the announcement, "This vote is about more than yet another arms sale.  The Senate has a chance to stand up for innocent life, speak out against a humanitarian tragedy that is getting worse by the day, and demonstrate it will not support further destruction in Yemen."

Shortly before the vote on Thursday, I spoke on topics including the need to rethink our foreign policy and to stop arming the Saudi-led coalition when I delivered the keynote address to The American Conservative magazine's fifth annual foreign policy conference.  (You can watch my speech HERE.)

(Dr. Paul Delivers Keynote Address to The American Conservative's Foreign Policy Conference - Nov. 15, 2018)

I reiterated these themes when I spoke on the U.S. Senate floor soon after and urged my fellow senators to support my resolution.

"I'm only saying stop one sale of arms to send a message that we are done with the war in Yemen," I stated. "That we are no longer going to sell weapons to countries that are fighting this war in Yemen.  That the war must come to a close."

"Someone must take a stand and say, 'Enough's enough.  We are against the humanitarian disaster in Yemen,'" I emphasized later in my remarks.

You can find my entire floor speech HERE and my response to my resolution's opponents HERE.

Unfortunately, when the time came to vote, the Senate decided to once again oppose taking a stand to help stop the loss of innocent life in Yemen.

Congress, which has not authorized our involvement in the war in Yemen, must assert its voice, and I will keep fighting to remind it of its constitutional responsibility and end U.S. support for the war.

(Dr. Paul Speaks Out Against the War in Yemen on the U.S. Senate Floor - Nov. 15, 2018)

Dr. Rand Paul Speaks to Sisters for Life Annual Celebration 

Though weather and the Senate schedule kept time a little tight, I was determined to make this year's Sisters for Life gala in Louisville on Thursday, and it was a great evening that featured wonderful music and testimonials in support of life.  While I could have focused on important pro-life legislative agenda items during my speech, I took a more philosophical approach.  In my opinion, we have a very winning argument in support of protecting life at its most innocent and vulnerable stage. 

But we must also win the persuasion battle to convince hearts and minds, and I fully believe we can do so with a message that exudes the kind of joy that was on full display in Louisville on Thursday night!

(Dr. Paul Speaks to the Sisters for Life Celebration - Nov. 15, 2018)

Dr. Rand Paul, Senator Gillibrand Introduce Bill Protecting Pregnant Women in Federal Custody

While debates over the best ways to address problems in our criminal justice system have been occurring for years, there are some reforms that are just common sense, like protecting the health of pregnant incarcerated women and their unborn children. 

So on Wednesday, I joined with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) to introduce the Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2018, which will help guarantee the health and safety of women who are pregnant and give birth while in federal custody, as well as encourage states to pursue reforms that would ensure adequate protections for pregnant inmates. 

Our legislation serves as the Senate companion to the bipartisan H.R. 6805, which Representatives Karen Bass (California) and Mia Love (Utah) introduced in the U.S. House in September 2018.

Among its provisions, the Pregnant Women in Custody Act prohibits the use of restraints and restrictive housing on pregnant federal inmates, which can lead to problems including muscle tears, bone separation, blocked blood circulation, and miscarriage.  Restraints would be prohibited on pregnant and postpartum inmates (up to eight weeks postpartum) unless they pose an immediate risk of escape or physical harm to themselves or others.

The bill ensures the Bureau of Prisons captures accurate data on the health care needs of pregnant inmates, while preventing the cataloging of personally identifiable information, and it would also provide for a preference in grant funding for states who have enacted or implemented services or pilot programs aimed at enhancing the safety and wellness of pregnant inmates.  

The awards would be prioritized from existing grant programs, as this bill does not call for new funding.

Currently, 25 states and the District of Columbia have restricted the use of restraints on pregnant inmates, but no federal law exists prohibiting that practice. 
 
An incarcerated individual is still a human being whose life deserves to be valued and protected, which is why our proposal prohibits the use of restraints on pregnant federal inmates, particularly when they are in labor, and ensures these women are treated with compassion and respect as they bring new life into the world.

You can read the Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2018 HERE.

Dr. Rand Paul: "We Need a Bipartisan Issue to Unite Us.  Saudi Arabia is that Issue."

I also called for the U.S. to address our involvement in the war in Yemen in my latest op-ed for The Hill on Tuesday. 

"After a heated and divisive midterm campaign season, now is the perfect time to work together on an issue that has real bipartisan support: immediately stop future arms sales to Saudi Arabia," I said to start the piece, later noting that "the Saudi war effort would collapse on itself in short order" if it did not have "our weapons, logistical, and intelligence support. ..." 

I observed that "Saudi Arabia's track record goes well beyond destruction in Yemen and murdering journalists.  It is no secret that Saudi Arabia has a troubling record on human rights, especially with women, minorities, and other religious believers."

"This is America's rallying point - an issue every Republican, Democrat, and independent can stand behind," I stated.  "It is time we stand up for our values and cut off assistance to this barbaric regime to help force a change in their practices."

You can read my entire op-ed HERE.

Dr. Rand Paul on the U.S. Government Spending Taxpayer Funds Teaching Rwandans to Lobby

As part of my continuing efforts to identify areas where the federal government wastes the American people's money, I recently sat down with Sinclair Broadcast Group's Kristine Frazao to discuss the U.S. State Department spending up to $250,000 on teaching Rwandans to lobby their government on budget matters.

With our own nation approaching a $22 trillion national debt and running massive deficits, I noted in my interview that I don't know that we have the high moral ground to tell the Rwandans how to budget, lobby, or run their government.

You can watch Sinclair's segment on this grant HERE.

Dr. Rand Paul Meets with Kentuckians

On Wednesday, I enjoyed spending time with Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton and having a chance to catch up during her visit to Washington.

(Dr. Paul with Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton - Nov. 14, 2018)

Media Wrap-Up

This week, I spoke with Breitbart, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, and I talked with WVLK's Larry Glover.  

also appeared on CNN's CNN Right Now on Thursday to discuss my support for granting asylum to Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi, who was charged with blasphemy after a disagreement with neighbors, ultimately resulting in her imprisonment, conviction, and subsequent sentencing to death row.  

While the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted her last month, pushback has left Asia Bibi's fate uncertain, and she remains in Pakistan.  As I mentioned in the interview, I recently spoke with President Trump about the importance of the U.S. granting her asylum. 

Have an Issue or Concern?

If you are a Kentucky resident and need assistance with a federal agency, please feel free to contact my Bowling Green office at 270-782-8303.  One of my staff members will be more than happy to assist you.

Stay in Touch with Dr. Paul on Social Media

You can stay up to date on my latest news and activities by visiting my Senate website, www.paul.senate.gov, or my official Facebook and Twitter pages.  You can watch my Senate floor speeches and press interviews at my YouTube channel HERE.

Warm Regards,

Bowling Green
1029 State Street
Bowling Green, KY 42101
Phone: 270-782-8303
Washington, DC
167 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510
Phone: 202-224-4343


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Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Friday, November 16, 2018

Fwd: Two excellent articles

---- Forwarded message ---------
From: John H

It's no secret that the Trump administration has brought fascism in its American guise out from under the covers over the past two years, but how many really understand just how serious this is in the general scheme of things.  Here, in the first attachment, Paul Street reviews material from the newly released book by Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works:  The Politics of Us and Them.  Frankly, not to be concerned about this turn in American politics is not to be aware of the reality around one. 

 

The second attachment is a review of Michael Hudson's new book And Forgive Them Their Debts: Lending, Foreclosure, and Redemption from Bronze Age Finance to the Jubilee Year.  If you have ever read any of Hudson's exceptional work you will certainly want to obtain this new addition to his collection of important discussion of how money works and how nations should manage its use in society.  I strongly recommend any of his writings as he is probably the world's foremost expert on money and debt as well as the political manipulation thereof.

John

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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

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Fwd: The ‘As If’ Mindset Hack

--- Forwarded message ---------
From: Lindsey at Positive Performance Training


Hi Coach , 

A few years ago I started learning about emotional labeling and it sort of blew my mind. Not the principle of it- it's exactly what it sounds like… you identify your emotions and label them. But you do it in a way that doesn't make you feel like you ARE the emotion. So instead of saying I'm stressed, or I'm sad, you say I FEEL sad or I FEEL stressed.

Which is a pretty awesome tool because it helps you recognized that, although it feels like it, we are not ACTUALLY our emotions. Emotions are based on our thoughts, our thoughts we have the power to change.

But I digress. What got me about this particularly mindset hack is that it's so freaking SIMPLE! I wondered why I failed to learn about it until I was 30. But isn't that the case with a lot of these tools- we FINALLY find the ones that work for us and we think 'why did no one tell me this before?'

I was listening to a podcast this morning about emotional labeling which got my little brain surfing on emotions and in particular, how so often my athlete clients let themselves BECOME their emotion.  They don't FEEL nervous or angry or unconfident. They ARE those things.

So, I can teach them an emotional labeling exercise but I'm going to shelve that for now (I'll pick it up on a future newsletter) and go right to the emotional hack that I've seen AMAZING results with.  The 'AS IF' hack, particularly suited for an athlete that is totally consumed by their emotions.

Let me explain with this quick example.  

Sarah the soccer players HATES her coach, isn't playing much these days and is generally feeling pretty miserable. If she's being honest she wants to quit but even thinking about it makes her want to cry because she LOVES (or used to love) soccer. She's built up an emotional prison that is drastically effecting her performance, ensuring she will stay on the bench. She knows this but can't muster up the positive energy to make change.

So what to do? Introducing, he 'As If' Mindset Hack.

I give Sarah a VERY simple (see the pattern?) assignment: Go to practice and play 'AS IF' she is the happiest player on the field. We then brainstorm what that might look like: she is smiling from the beginning of practice, she is high fiving her teammates, she is cheering from the sidelines, she is brushing off mistakes with a chuckle, she is BUBBLING with unbridled joy.

Literally I might use the word 'bubbling'.

That's it.

Sarah will no doubt think I'm a little crazy for suggesting this but I get her assurance that HER way is in fact not at all working. So what does she have to lose?

Nothing.

So, she goes to practice and plays with unbridled joy. Afterwards we reconvene and dissect how it went.

  • Generally, Sarah will have learned that SHE is in control.
  • She will likely feel lighter (literally) after practicing WITHOUT the 'backpack of emotions' she's become accustomed to.
  • And she will have broken this cycle of negativity that is keeping her from making any progress, having any joy, and wanting to quit.
  • But mostly, Sarah will have learned that she is NOT her emotions and that she can ride the wave of positive or negative emotions without going under.

It's that powerful.

Try it yourself. Have a job you hate? Go into one day or one meeting with unbridled joy. Is there a colleague that drives you insane? Interact with them AS IF you like them. Dreading that holiday party? Act AS IF you're an extrovert for an hour (then go home and watch tv:)

Remember it doesn't have to be forever, you can try on different emotions just for fun. Mostly, it's an exercise in learning how powerful we really are, that our thoughts contain our reality and that WE are the ones that get to choose.

 


 

 

 

P.s. LOVE These Mental Hacks and feel called to bring these to the world? A quick reminder that if you are interested in starting a full-time or part-time mindset coaching business, you absolutely need to get your hands on our free e-book by clicking here.  

How to Start Your Own Profitable, Passion Filled Mental Training Business in 4 Simple Steps


1601 Fifth Ave , Suite 1100 • Seattle, wa • 98108
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Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Thursday, November 08, 2018

Fwd: [New post] Grit is Sh!t – It’s Just an Excuse to do Nothing for Struggling Students

Blog takes a swing against grit. Funny, as the comments of this blog are off limits to me. Disclaimer of sorts. 

Grit is not a hindrance to compassion nor tolerance. 

I think grit has value and it can be further understood with sports participation. 

--- Forwarded message ---

From: gadflyonthewallblog


stevenmsinger posted: "    Let's say you're out in public and you see a crying child alone in the street.   What would you do?   Would you run up to her and help? Or would you just shrug, mutter some derisive comment about the brat and walk on?   Our"
Respond to this post by replying above this line

New post on gadflyonthewallblog

Grit is Sh!t – It's Just an Excuse to do Nothing for Struggling Students

by stevenmsinger

 Screen Shot 2018-11-08 at 3.29.01 PM

 

Let's say you're out in public and you see a crying child alone in the street.

 

What would you do?

 

Would you run up to her and help? Or would you just shrug, mutter some derisive comment about the brat and walk on?

 

Our public school policymakers want us to do the later. In fact, they have a whole pedagogical justification for ignoring the needs of children.

 

It's called "academic tenacity," a "growth mindset" or "grit."

 

And it goes something like this:

 

That child isn't learning? If she just worked harder, she would.

 

It's the political equivalent of "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" applied to the classroom.

 

And it's super helpful for politicians reluctant to allocate tax dollars to actually help kids succeed.

 

The idea and the euphemisms used to describe it were coined by Carol Dweck as early as 1999. It was subsequently popularized by seventh-grade math teacher and psychologist Angela Duckworth.

 

In the early 2000s, Duckworth realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating successful students from those who struggled. There was also the tendency to overcome adversity or not.

 

Hey, Angela. Darwin called. He wants his Theory of Natural Selection back.

 

You know Survival of the Fittest was never meant to be prescriptive. As human beings, we're supposed to be better than mere animals that typically leave the pack's sick and injured behind to get eaten by predators.

 

But whatever.

 

The term "grit," is defined as a "passion and perseverance for long-term goals," according to Frontiers in Psychology. And it's become one of the buzziest of buzzwords in academia.

 

So much so, that as you're reading this, standardized test manufacturers are working to develop an assessment to find it in students.

 

The agencies that administer the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) are close to including character assessments as a measure of student performance.

 

Oh goody!

 

They foresee a brave new world where multiple-choice tests will determine not just the entire scope of human knowledge but character as well!

 

But what no one wants to admit is that grit is… well… shit.

 

It's just an excuse for a society that refuses to help those most in need.

 

In our world, there are haves and have-nots. But if we stop there, we ignore how and why this situation came to be.

 

Who places kids into segregated schools? WE DO.

 

Who allocates funding based largely on parental income? US.

 

We set kids up to succeed or fail before they even enter the school system with an economy that rewards the already rich and punishes generational poverty.

 

Yet when anyone suggests offering help to even the playing field – to make things more fair - a plethora of policy wonks wag their fingers and say, "No way! They did it to themselves."

 

It's typical "blame the victim" pathology to say that some kids get all the love, time and resources they need while others can do without --- they just need more "grit" and a "growth mindset."

 

Life's tough. Get over it.

 

That's easy for YOU to say! Because it's the have's who make the rules, it's the people at the top who are telling the people at the bottom they're to blame for their own suffering.

 

So you forget all the ways society has helped you and yours. YOU deserve all the credit for your successes.

 

But for those people over there, let's forget all the ways society has refused to help and instead blame THEM for not overcoming the obstacles (we put) in their path.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying effort counts for nothing. But it's part of a complicated matrix of nature and nurture.

 

Our environments shape us, but we have some control over what we do with what we're given.

 

Yet as a society, we can't simply ignore our responsibilities toward others and throw it all on the individual.

 

Good teachers know how to get the best out of their students. We know that most kids – if given a safe, encouraging environment – can succeed.

 

The key often is to scaffold that success. Give them something to do that they can actually master. Then give them something slightly more challenging.

 

You teach them that they have the ability to succeed and success becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – and not the opposite.

 

However, the teacher – and even the school, itself – can only do so much.

 

As a society, we need to change the environment in which these kids grow up.

 

We need to fully fund our public schools to meet the needs of all students. That means more funding, services and opportunities for the underserved than for those who already have the best of everything and don't need to rely as heavily on the school system for support.

 

We need wraparound services, counseling, tutoring, after school programs, community schools, jobs programs, continuing education for adults and other services to help heal the trauma of growing up poor in America.

 

But leaving it all to this magical thing called "grit" is just ignoring our responsibilities to our fellow human beings.

 

When you see someone suffering, you need to help them – not comfort yourself with excuses for ignoring them.


 

Like this post? I've written a book, "Gadfly on the Wall: A Public School Teacher Speaks Out on Racism and Reform," now available from Garn Press. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the Badass Teachers Association. Check it out!

book-2

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Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
Swimming and Water Polo Coach, Schenley High School, Pittsburgh, PA
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell