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...

"L" is for Leadership “The great teams of the past all had great leaders within the group...Each had his own style but they all demanded excellence from the people around them. Not just once in a while, not just when things were going good for them, but all the time.” –Rick Pitino Leadership is not an easy thing. As basketball coach Rick Pitino said, leaders must be consistent in making those around them better, regardless of the situation. If you are currently a leader for your team or you aspire...

K is for Keeping the Peace While it would be nice to get along with everyone all of the time, you are eventually going to have differing opinions with teammates, coaches, parents, or other individuals you encounter. Thus, developing the ability to effectively resolve conflict is an important skill to have both for your sport and for your interactions in life beyond athletics. This article will discuss the keys to keeping the peace and managing disagreements with others. Quick Conflict Resolution Tips It is important to recognize that conflict isn’t...

What about swimming after eating? It's OK to swim immediately after a light meal or snack. If your child feels lethargic after eating a heavy meal, encourage him or her to take a break before swimming.

What do foods like pizza, macaroni and cheese, and tacos have in common? They are all Combination foods. There are lots of Combination foods. Combination foods are very nutritious because they're made up of foods from more than one food group. Spaghetti and meatballs topped with cheese is a great example of a combination food. Here's the breakdown: Spaghetti from the Grain Group Tomato sauce from the Vegetable Group Meatballs from the Meat Group Cheese from the Milk Group

"J" is for Juggling Athletes are dedicated. They are committed. They are willing to make sacrifices in their lives to help their sport performance. However, when you take this commitment to their sport and add a similar level of commitment to their academics, social lives, work and family, it can lead to a very difficult juggling act. Take “Christina” for example. She is an athlete whom I work with that did not play well partly because she had done poorly on a paper and was stressed about it and partly...

Nutrition for Kids Grain Group foods give us carbohydrates (car-bo-hi-drate). Carbohydrates give us the energy we need to play, learn, sleep and keep our bodies running 24-7! Grain Group Foods come from many different grain plants: wheat, oats, rye, barley and rice. "Whole-grains" like whole-wheat bread, also provide fiber and other substances that help keep us healthy. Fiber also helps us digest our food. Try to choose whole-grain foods from this group. There are many foods to choose from in the Grain Group: bread: white, wheat, rye, buns, rolls, muffins,...

Can children swim when they're sick or have cuts and scrapes? It's fine for children who have colds or other minor illnesses to swim, as long as they feel well enough to do so. Likewise, it's OK for children to swim with cuts and scrapes — as long as the wounds aren't bleeding.

PHELPS TAKES 49TH CAREER NATIONAL TITLE Courtesy of USA Swimming IRVINE, Calif. – With wins in the men’s 200m free and 200m butterfly Wednesday at the 2010 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Michael Phelps now holds more national titles than any other swimmer in history with 49, surpassing the 48 titles held by swimming legend Tracy Caulkins. His performance in the 200m free was the fastest time in the world this year, edging Ryan Lochte 1:45.61 to 1:45.78. In that race, Phelps led the field the entire way, but Lochte...

What's the best age to begin swimming lessons? The American Academy of Pediatrics supports swimming lessons for most children age 4 and older. If you choose to enroll a child younger than age 4 in a swimming program, pick one that doesn't require placing his or her head underwater. This will limit the amount of water your child may swallow.