Whether age groupers or National Teamers, swimmers share a common bond and culture unique to the sport itself. Each week, correspondent Mike Gustafson will reflect on the different experiences that bind us together as aquatic athletes. This week, he writes about "The Fun Theory." BY MIKE GUSTAFSON//Correspondent There's an utterly fascinating video you need to watch immediately – right now, drop what you’re doing and watch it – called "The Fun Theory." It's on YouTube and it has nearly 14 million views. It's an experiment that takes place in what...

Kids vs Parents Youth sports can create a positive, learning environment for children, but sometimes that positive environment can turn to a negative, humiliating environment. This negative environment quite often leads to "burnout, drop out, overuse injuries, cheating, violence, over-scheduling, inequalities, inadequately trained coaches, parental over/under involvement, oversight and policy issues"(LaVoi, 2008, p.14). The negative environment is often created by overbearing parents and coaches. Parents aren't educated and often don't know how their children want them to act. Parents focus on the 'winning' aspect of the game and forget that...

Training With Chloe Sutton BY BONNIE MOSS//Correspondent Chloe Sutton has an accomplished a lot for an 18-year-old. Already an Olympian and two-time national champion in the open water 10k, Sutton’s barely scratched the surface as she sets her sights set on a long career, to include the 2016 Games. The California native has turned pro, putting off college to train with Mission Viejo Nadadores coach Bill Rose and trainer Brandon Menchaca, whom she credits for her success last year. “(Menchaca) kept me lean and long while improving my strength and...

Directions to St. Andrew's: Take I-95 north to Glades Rd. Head west on Glades. Make a right on Jog Rd. The school will be on your right. Warm-up: Session II. - Saturday, January 29, Warm-up 7:30 a.m. 13 & older Events 3-24 Session III. - Saturday, January 29, Warm-up 12:30 p.m. 12 & under Events 25-52 Session IV. - Sunday, January 30, Warm-up 7:30 a.m. 13 & older Events 53-76 Session V. - Sunday, January 30, Warm-up 12:30 a.m. 12 & under Events 77-100 PST - Entries Timelines Psych Sheet

13 Steps to Being a Winning Parent INTRODUCTION If you want your child to come out of his youth sports experience a winner (feeling good about himself and having a healthy attitude towards sports), then he needs your help! You are a vital and important part of the coach-athlete-parent team. If you do your job correctly and play your position well, then your child will learn the sport faster, perform better, really have fun and have his self-esteem enhanced as a result. His sport experience will serve as a positive...

Bananas & Honey Smoothie Ingredients: 1 cup Natural Flavors Vanilla lowfat yogurt 1 banana 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. wheat germ 1 cup ice Directions: 1. In a blender combine all ingredients. 2. Process until smooth and creamy. 3. Pour into a glass and serve.

Keys to Success with Mark Gangloff Mark Gangloff is a two-time Olympian and a member of the 2010 U.S. Pan Pacific Championships Team. Here are the keys to his success. 1. Hard work. This one is always first and foremost. It’s plain and simple. You have to come to practice every day ready to get at it. Whether you feel good or not – it’s easy to work hard when you feel good – you have to push through it, especially on the hard days, and think, “Even though I...

Q is for Quality Practice Often when people talk about being mentally prepared, the focus is on competition. However, when you stop to think about it, you spend more time practicing than you do competing. Therefore, it is essential to make sure you aren’t just going through the motions at practice, you have to make each training session a quality one. Let’s Call it Preparation I’ve always had issues with calling practice “practice.” To me, the word practice has the connotation of just going over your skills and repeating what...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 17, 2011 3:45 Groups - NO Practice 5:00 P.M. Groups will have morning practice only from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Swimming Fast and Unburdened for Yourself By Dr. Alan Goldberg, Sport Psychologist Let me ask you what may seem like a really silly question. How fast do you think you’d swim if you went into your best events with a 150-pund weight strapped to your back? Obvious answer: You’d be so weighed down that you wouldn’t be able to get off the blocks. Believe it or not, this is exactly what a lot of swimmers unknowingly do at many of their big meets. They consistently go into their races worried...