Equipment Essentials Below is a list of common equipment used by competitive swimmers. Not all equipment is required for every swimmer, and some clubs may even provide certain items for practice and meets. Your child’s coach will be able to tell you exactly what your swimmer needs. MUST HAVES FOR THE NEW SWIMMER Goggles: Swimmers use goggles to protect their eyes from the chlorine as well as to gain a clear view of their surroundings in the pool. There are a variety of colors and styles depending on the preference...

O is for Overtraining By Dr. Aimee Kimball//Sport Psychologist Physical exhaustion, sore muscles, mental fatigue, moodiness – what swimmer hasn’t experienced this before? While most swimmers are accustomed to wearing themselves out, too much exertion with not enough rest can lead to what’s often referred to as “overtraining.” This is a very common problem with swimmers and the physical and mental aspects need to be understood in order to prevent overtraining and ultimately to avoid burning out from your sport. What is overtraining? Basically, overtraining occurs when athletes train to...

ALL PST FAMILIES Please join us for a Back to School Beach Bash- Saturday, September 11th at 10AM. The PST Booster Club is sponsoring a FAMILY PICNIC at John U Lloyd Beach State Park, in Dania, at The SEAGRAPE PAVILION. Burgers, hot dogs and drinks will be supplied by the Booster Club. Families are asked to bring a favorite picnic food. A-K bring a dessert, L-U bring a side dish, V-Z bring a fruit dish. RSVP to Colleen at [email protected]

THE TAPER CHASE By T.J Liston Many times senior swimmers get to the end of the season and look for great swims and great time drops due to the “Magic of The Taper.” Often, swimmers expect these things to materialize because they have in the past, because other swimmers on the team have done well, because it is an important meet, or because they just want it to. But in reality, the reason why swimmers swim fast is because they have prepared to. Good performance is preceded by good preparation....

Are red eyes after swimming a concern? Red or puffy eyes after a long day of swimming in a pool may indicate chlorine sensitivity. Ponds and lakes also may contain bacteria that can inflame the cornea. To prevent red or puffy eyes, have your child wear goggles. To ease discomfort and reduce redness after swimming, rinse your child's eyes with a sterile eyewash or an artificial tears solution.

"N" is for Negative Talk “You are awful!” “Quit now!” “You’ll never win!” Have you ever caught yourself saying these things to yourself? How do you feel when you think like this? Do you let yourself get away with it or do you put a stop to these thoughts and try to be more positive? In this article I will address something almost everyone has been guilty of at some point in their lives—allowing that voice in their head to be excessively mean. Be Your Own Best Friend Take a...

This Text Editor DOES NOT SAVE YOUR WORK AUTOMATICALLY and there is a RISK OF LOSING YOUR WORK. [Do not spend more than 10 minutes creating or editing content. If you do, use Microsoft Word or like product] PLEASE DO NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER WITH THIS TEXT EDITOR. THERE ARE KNOWN ISSUES TEAMUNIFY CANNOT EASILY SUPPORT. PLEASE USE THE FIREFOX BROWSER: WWW.FIREFOX.COM. FIREFOX IS FREE, FAST AND COMPATIBLE. "M" is for Motivation If you asked most people if they wanted to wake up before 7 a.m., exhaust their body, and...

How to be a Winning Parent 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 model for...

Are hot tubs safe for children? Children can quickly become overheated in a hot tub. Don't let your child use a hot tub until he or she is tall enough to keep his or her head above water while standing in the middle of the hot tub. Even then, hot tub visits should be brief — and never allow your child to submerge his or her head in a hot tub. Because high temperatures encourage the growth of certain microorganisms, an earful of water from a hot tub can lead...

Here is a trick. It helps you remember the amount you need from each food group every day. Imagine that MyPyramid has an address, just like the house where you live. All of the triangles, except for the yellow one, have a number for the address. Start at the Grain Group and move across MyPyramid. If you are 7 to10 years old the address is 5-4-3-3-2.