Fixing College Football with 8 pods

School Sports Saved -- past position paper turned the tide of massive cuts

In episode #79 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we break down a prior war with the Pittsburgh school‑district’s Superintendent of Schools.

She had a proposal to slash $600 K in sports programs and the comprehensive counter‑proposal helped keep those programs alive. It wasn’t a victory, but it wasn’t a defeat.

Coach Mark walks through the financial, strategic, and community arguments that turned a budget cut into a reform opportunity.

• The district’s cut list (high‑school swimming, tennis, golf; middle‑school volleyball, wrestling; all intramurals) and the $600 K savings claim.

• Highlights from the 45‑page “Alternative to Fewer Sports” position paper that challenged the cuts.

• How the paper reframed athletics as a revenue source—e.g., the PPSH2O citywide aquatics model.

• The three‑step reform plan: community‑led task force, an Olympic‑sports incubator, and lobbying for flexible state rules.

• The broader value of sports: scholarship dollars, academic gains, attendance boosts, and community pride.

More and more we’re going to focus upon the road-blocks to sports participation.

Sadly, the biggest blocks come from those at the top of the organizational chart — the superintendent of schools, the mayor, the athletic directors, the league administrators.

 

https://aforathlete.fandom.com/wiki/Fewer_Sports_Alternatives_(position_paper)

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8afb93c2-e0db-43be-92af-0c7c45a22211

 

Check out this episode!

Fwd: GHL NEWS | 1-3-2026

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: David Ziembicki | GHL NEWS <dave@reply.expertbusiness.com>

In today's issue: mobile app phone updates, SaaS configurator updates, new prospecting tool features

Read on our website / Read time: 5 mins Welcome to GHL NEWS! In today's issue: Mobile app phone updates SaaS configurator updates New prospecting tool features Happy New Year GHL NEWS readers! As always, please click at least one of the news items or reply to the message to make sure you continue to receive GHL NEWS! In 2025, there were 1,221 releases from HighLevel alone! 2026 is going to be a huge year for the GHL ecosystem we are all a part of. Why? Because AI... If you zoom out a bit from all of the updates we've covered over the last few months, you can see that HighLevel has invested in many foundational changes like the new workflow builder, agent studio, AskAI, and more to AI-enable the platform on a much deeper level than just slapping a chat box everywhere. In 2026 we'll start to see more cohesive end-to-end AI with agents spanning front-end and back-end scenarios like a human would. For my agency and one of our clients, in January we're building AI agents for outbound lead generation, inbound sales, and customer support. Our human roles are then going to shift to being the managers of the AI agents. If you want to follow along with that, you'll want to join the Expert Edge community we're launching soon where I'll be documenting everything we build on GHL this year, hosting a weekly Q&A call, and forums to help you get more out of GHL for your business. In Q1 I'll also be doing more "ACCELERATE HighLevel" cohorts where I'll be working with small groups of GHL users and agency owners to implement specific solutions (like the sales agents above and others) in their businesses. If you are struggling with HighLevel or not sure how to leverage the platform for success in 2026, reply to this email and let me know what your biggest goal and challenge is and I'll reply with some ideas for you. If you are ready to upgrade to HighLevel Pro plan and begin white-labeling/reselling HighLevel in 2026, when you use my link I will help you 1:1 to get up and running quickly! Now on to the news... This Week's News: Sticky Phone Number on Mobile The mobile app now remembers the outbound phone number you explicitly select and keeps it active across subsequent calls. This eliminates the need to reselect a number after every call, reducing friction and dialing errors—especially when making back-to-back calls. The selected number remains sticky until you log out or reinstall the app, while Local Presence Dialing continues to function dynamically as before. The feature works with both user-assigned numbers and default sub-account outbound numbers. It significantly improves speed, consistency, and confidence for mobile calling workflows. Custom Dispositions on Mobile Custom call dispositions are now fully supported on mobile, allowing reps to select a single call outcome immediately when a call ends. These dispositions integrate directly with workflows, reporting, and follow-ups, enabling instant automation without switching to desktop. The mobile experience mirrors web functionality, ensuring parity and consistent data across teams. Sub-account matching ensures dispositions apply to the correct location when calls span multiple accounts. This update improves data hygiene, automation reliability, and on-the-go productivity. Expanded sound notifications for Live Chat Widget messages Sound notifications in the Live Chat Widget now cover a wider range of system and lifecycle messages beyond standard chat replies. Alerts now play for chat initiation, acknowledgements, greetings, business-hours messages, form prompts, and redirect messages. All sounds are controlled by the existing Notification Sound toggle, which remains enabled by default. This ensures visitors are alerted during every critical interaction while maintaining full control for businesses. The result is a more responsive and predictable chat experience. New: Clear Add-On Cost Calculator for SaaS Plans 💡 The SaaS Configurator now includes clearer warnings and a dynamic cost calculator for paid add-ons included in SaaS plans. Agencies can instantly see the total monthly add-on cost and per-subscriber expense billed to them as selections change. The update clarifies that add-ons are not charged to sub-accounts and must be priced into plans for margin protection. This prevents billing surprises and improves pricing confidence. It gives agencies clearer visibility into true cost of delivery. Accurate Revenue & MRR Insights on Agency Dashboard (Summary Tab) Revenue and MRR calculations on the Agency Dashboard Summary tab have been refined to include only HighLevel-backed revenue sources. SaaS, reselling, and rebilling now exclusively power reported revenue metrics, eliminating inconsistencies from external data. KPI cards and growth rate charts have been updated to align with the improved logic. Revenue distribution now clearly shows contribution by stream. These changes deliver more trustworthy financial insights and better decision-making confidence. Media Library for WhatsApp Templates WhatsApp Template creation now integrates directly with HighLevel's Media Library for header media selection. Users can reuse existing assets or upload new images, videos, documents, or audio without leaving the builder. Assets are automatically filtered by supported media type, reducing errors and rework. This improves consistency, speeds up template creation, and supports richer customer experiences with audio. Teams benefit from a centralized source of truth for approved media. Prospecting Tool Improvements (Year-End 2025) The Prospecting Tool now supports marking leads as Closed Won or Closed Lost, enabling true deal outcome tracking. New filters make it easy to segment prospects by status and identify onboarding gaps. A guided onboarding experience helps new users get value faster with step-by-step prompts. These updates bring Prospecting closer to real sales workflows, connecting lead generation to conversion and customer creation. It marks a significant step toward a full lead-to-customer pipeline. Controlled side-tray behavior via settings icon Forms, Surveys, and Quizzes now use a settings icon to control the side-tray, allowing users to open and close it without losing selection context. This makes inline editing smoother, particularly on smaller screens where space is limited. Users can focus on content while accessing settings only when needed. The change reduces visual clutter and editing interruptions. Overall, it delivers a more intuitive and flexible builder experience. Content Corner:

SaaS Mode Mastery (Community Course) Learn the basics of SaaS mode and the SaaS configurator in this free community course.

Did you know? When you are ready to upgrade to HighLevel Pro plan and begin white-labeling/reselling HighLevel in 2026, when you use my link I will help you 1:1 to get up and running quickly! Was this content useful to you? Click one of these and let me know! ✅ Yes it was useful ❌ No it was not useful Thanks! David Ziembicki Expert Business Agency GHL NEWS, Expert Business Agency and David Ziembicki are independent from HighLevel. The opinions expressed are our own and shall not be interpreted or considered as representations, guarantees, or statement made by HighLevel Inc or any of its subsidiaries, agents, or assigns. David Ziembicki is a HighLevel affiliate and agency owner, which means he receives a commission when purchases are made through his affiliate link. This email may contain affiliate links to other products and services. I may receive compensation, at no cost to you, for purchases made through these links as a form of thanks for the referral.

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Level 1 Swim Secrets from Suriname and Coach Yash

Coach Yash Daryanani shares his Goldwater Sports coaching system, from philosophy to day‑to‑day session management. Learn the core principles that helped him build national teams and clinics.

What you’ll learn in this episode, #78 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide:

• Coaching philosophy: discipline, patience, and individual attention as the foundation for swimmer development.

• Essential safety & pool‑management practices (pre‑session checks, shadowing, emergency preparedness).

• Setting clear parent‑coach boundaries and communication rules.

• Teaching fundamentals for 10‑and‑under swimmers: water confidence, breathing, kick drills, and fun‑based skill games.

• Sample 60‑minute session structure and effective motivation/ethics strategies for young athletes.

The full seminar is available at the site, WAFSU.org, in a lesson.

See https://wafsu.org/course/swim-coaching-for-instructors-level-1-from-coach-yash-daryanani-of-suriname/

Tune into and download the two shorter Public Service Announcements at the Substack site.

Mastering Youth Swimming: Discipline, Fun, and Fundamentals with Coach Yash Daryanani

Building Confident Swimmers: Goldwater Coaching Philosophy, Safety, and Parent Boundaries

From Pool Deck to Olympics: Coach Yash’s Blueprint for Developing Young Athletes

Discipline, Patience, Individual Attention: Core Values for Successful Swim Coaching

Essential Safety Checks and Pool Management Tips for Youth Swim Programs

Fun Games, Agility Drills, and Technique Fundamentals for Under‑10 Swimmers

Managing Parent‑Coach Boundaries and Maintaining Professional Ethics in Competitive Swimming

Effective Communication Strategies to Motivate and Protect Young Swimmers

Goldwater Level One Coaching: Structured Sessions, Technique Reviews, and Progress Tracking

Overcoming Common Beginner Mistakes: Kicking, Breathing, and Body Position Solutions

Check out this episode!

Steps along the pathway for a coach's wellness journey

Barry Healey cares about the coaching profession and aims to improve sports

In this candid conversation, episode #77 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, coaches Barry Healey and Mark Rauterkus discuss the real‑world challenges of running a swim program. Wellness matters to those on the pool decks. Burnout to compliance…. They sharing practical tricks that actually work. Learn how small changes can protect coaches, calm parents, and boost program growth.

What you’ll discover:

• The hidden costs of coach burnout and why many lack a support system.

• Proven strategies for managing young swimmers and easing parental stress on race day.

• How a simple “whistle‑and‑wait” routine cuts chaos and keeps kids on schedule.

• Designing bite‑sized, interactive coach training that fits busy lives.

• Using the LAP (Lifestyle Aquatics Programming) platform to turn swimmers into repeat, paying customers

Discussion Questions – “The Realities of Coaching & Growing a Swim Program”

1. What are the biggest hidden costs (time, emotional, financial) that coaches like Barry experience, and how can clubs help mitigate them?

2. Barry mentions that many coaches feel “stubborn” and resistant to change. What strategies could a swim program use to foster a culture of openness and continuous improvement among staff?

3. How does the lack of a formal support system (e.g., a “chaperone” or mental‑health resource) affect coaches, athletes, and parents, and what low‑cost solutions could fill that gap?

4. The story about the senior referee orchestrating a calm “first‑year” session demonstrates a simple yet powerful intervention. What other “small‑scale” practices could be replicated to reduce stress for young swimmers and their families?

5. Barry talks about coaches being sued for either bullying or “lack of attention.” How can a swim club create clear policies and documentation that protect both coaches and athletes while still encouraging a supportive environment?

6. In what ways do mandatory requirements (CRB checks, first‑aid certification, etc.) serve as a quality‑control model for swim programs, and how might those standards be leveraged to market the program to parents?

7. The conversation touches on the need to break down online courses into bite‑size chunks for busy coaches. What are the most effective formats (micro‑learning, webinars, interactive PDFs, etc.) for delivering professional development in this context?

8. How can swim programs balance the tension between keeping fees affordable and maintaining high‑quality, “must‑have” resources that justify a premium price point?

9. Barry and Mark discuss the importance of “win‑win” outcomes for both coaches and the organization. What specific metrics or feedback loops could be implemented to measure and reinforce these mutually beneficial results?

10. Considering the moderator’s “playbook” (capture swimmers → generate leads → convert → get reviews → reactivate), what role should community building and storytelling play in each stage, and how can clubs authentically integrate them into daily operations?

Check out this episode!

Challenge Accepted: Filling the Big Data Void in Aquatics

Nicole's heavy lift. A vision for data collection for swimming instruction.

Nicole Fairfield explains why the aquatic education field lacks solid research data and how her Joyful Waters curriculum craved that data.

She aims to fill the research gap and is planting seeds for scientific validation for all types of aquatic developmental benchmarks.

She also outlines the vision for a secure, comprehensive database to track developmental and adaptive outcomes.

In this episode, #76, of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, you’ll hear from the ambitious instructor in Georgia and learn:

• Why current swim‑lesson reporting (e.g., Red Cross) misses critical information like caregiver involvement and birth order.

• How Joyful Waters combines trauma‑aware, developmentally‑informed methods for babies, kids, and adults.

• The plan to build a secure, national database that collects detailed learner and instructor data for IRB‑level research.

• Real‑world applications: adaptive swimming for children with special needs and preparation for Customs & Border Patrol swim tests.

• Steps instructors and parents can take today to start contributing data and improving aquatic education outcomes.

Check out this episode!

Fwd: Remake Learning Roundup for December 2025

--
Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com

Podcast:    =:| Heavy Or Not <;) - The OG Swim Guide

Mark@Rauterkus.com    <--- causing lots of missed messages, sadly.

Webmaster, International Swim Coaches Association, SwimISCA.org

and other sites: SKWIM.us, U CAN Swim

Coach at The Ellis School for Varsity & Middle School Swimming

412 298 3432 = cell

New course: Mental Skills for Young Athletes

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Remake Learning <info@remakelearning.org>
Date: Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Subject: Remake Learning Roundup for December 2025
To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

The latest news, stories, resources, events, and opportunities from Pittsburgh's learning ecosystem.

December 2025 As 2025 comes rapidly to a close, we're highlighting the many ways learning continues to open doors across our region. From the return of Remake Learning Days events to the launch of our new Meet Your Neighbors series, you'll also find fresh stories, practical resources, and upcoming opportunities to connect, reflect, and take action together in the months ahead.    FROM REMAKE LEARNING Call for Events: Remake Learning Days 2026 Be a part of the world's largest open house of learning by hosting an engaging, hands-on learning event for youth and their families between May 1 and May 23, 2026. Submit your event by February 13, 2026 to apply for funding support. Submit your events Meet Your Neighbors Meet Your Neighbors is a new way for members of the Remake Learning network to open their doors and welcome others in. These gatherings build community by showcasing incredible work happening across our region—and by creating space for authentic connection and shared learning. RSVP for one of our upcoming Meet Your Neighbors events: Jan 14 @ CodeJoy Explore CodeJoy's studio environment, see learning in action, participate in a hands-on guided activity, and connect over a shared meal. RSVP to attend Mar 24 @ Junior Achievement Get a behind-the-scenes look at the center's innovative approach to learning. RSVP to attend May 21 @ Bella Terra Stables Experience this 26-acre nonprofit farm that uses horses, nature, and hands-on experiences to help children, families, and groups grow. RSVP to attend    STORIES & RESOURCES Moments of Impact and Insight Remake Learning Executive Director Tyler Samstag shares field notes from Pittsburgh's learning ecosystem from July - October 2025, highlighting how educators, partners, and young people moved from planning to purposeful action across the region. See the full story Magical & Measurable Bella Terra Stables brings the magical impact of horses — and powerful personal growth — to Pittsburgh-region students. See how the organization works with a growing number of Pittsburgh-region schools and communities to provide equine therapy, social skill-building and grief support. It's the feel-good story of the year! See the full story Unlocking Personalized Learning in PA From our partners at KnowledgeWorks, the Pennsylvania Innovation Guide shares strategies for leveraging state education policies to advance personalized learning practices at the district level. Learn more    EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES transformED 2025-2026 Professional Development Calendar September - May | Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Homestead transformED at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, southwestern PA's place for teachers to hone their craft, just released their professional development calendar for the 2025-2026 school year. It looks like a stellar lineup, don't miss out!  Explore the calendar Maker Educator Leadership Certificate Program DEADLINE: January 1, 2026  When educators come together to design, create, and reflect, transformation happens, not only for their students, but for themselves. Through the Maker Educator Leadership Certificate Program, teachers and informal educators alike engage in hands-on professional learning that deepens their ability to design and assess maker-based learning experiences, all while building a powerful community of practice. Learn more Arts Partner Program Design Workshops: Teacher Planning Meetings Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland Designed for our arts partners, these workshops are drop-in professional learning opportunities for those that want to deepen their knowledge and competencies around working in schools. On top of that, they're also great networking opportunities! Learn more Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference (TRETC) 2026 Monday, January 19, 2026 | Fox Chapel Area School District Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference (TRETC) is an exciting professional development opportunity to advance the integration of educational technology for teachers, K-12 administrators, industry experts, and higher education decision makers in Southwestern PA. Learn more World Affairs Institute 2026: The AI Effect Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland Now in its 55th year, the World Affairs Institute is a daylong global learning experience for youth and adult changemakers across the region. In 2026, the Institute will explore The AI Effect, inviting participants to think critically about how artificial intelligence is shaping our world and region. Learn more JOB OPPORTUNITY:  Interactions Design Strategist at Trying Together The Interactions Design Strategist supports program administrators, educators, and home-based child care providers with developing new skills to continuously improve their daily interactions and achieve increased program quality. Learn more JOB OPPORTUNITY:  Teach Plus PA Literacy Leadership Coach Teach Plus is launching the Literacy Forward Network Pennsylvania, a multi-district initiative focused on supporting the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the science of reading.  Learn more Study of Teen Experiences that Promote Success (STEPS) STEPS is recruiting teens ages 13 to 15 and their parent/caregiver in order to better understand how different economic circumstances faced by different types of families affect adolescent well-being and mental health. Both teens and their parent/caregiver take 7 online surveys total over two years and are compensated after each one. Learn more CMU STEELS Outreach in MS/HS Classrooms Carnegie Mellon University graduate engineering students are available for classroom visits to support upcoming lessons or to bring an NGSS/STEELS activity to your students. Learn more