The Road to Nationals-Eileen Breeden In her fourth year at Stanford University, national teamer and Olympian Elaine Breeden is entering her favorite part of the collegiate season and enjoying every minute of it. As the training focus shifts after the frenzied peak of the holiday workouts, Breeden is working on her speed and looking forward to the exciting meets ahead. National Team Member: Elaine Breeden Location: Palo Alto, California Distance from the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 396 miles Did your performances from Trials and Beijing last summer impact you in...

Todays Know What topic: Secrets to Selecting Fresh Fruits and Vegetables We all know buying fresh is best, but when it comes to shopping for fresh produce, it is not always easiest. In fact, it is a little tricky and can be time consuming. Here are a few of our secrets to shopping smart for the fresh stuff in the produce aisle. Buy produce that is in season: Foods that are in season are at the peak of freshness, flavor and affordability. If you don't know if an item is...

The Road to Nationals-Alex Wold When the temperature is five degrees below zero, it's difficult to imagine competing at an outdoor meet – even if that competition is still over eight months and nearly 2,000 miles away. But with the countdown to the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif. already underway, National Team member Alex Wold is doing just that. I caught up with Wold, a senior at the University of Minnesota, prior to the Gopher’s annual training trip to Hawaii. As a middle distance freestyler and 400 IMer,...

The Road to Nationals-Julia Smit ConocoPhillips presents The Road to Nationals, a year-long series in which Swimnetwork will follow National Teamers from January onwards as they look forward to the summer's biggest meet: the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships. This versatile National Teamer has had an impressive start to 2010 and is looking forward to carrying that momentum into the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships this August. Stanford’s Julia Smit competed at her fourth NCAA Championships this past March, winning the 200-yard Individual Medley, 400-yard Individual Medley and the 400-yard freestyle relay,...

Courtesy of Mayo Clinic Children's swimming: Keep health risks at bay Your child may love to swim, but is it always a good idea for him or her to be in the water? Follow these year-round children's swimming tips. By Mayo Clinic staff Jay Hoecker, M.D. Is it OK for your diaper-clad toddler to splash in the local pool? Can your child safely wear a cast or ear tubes in the water? Could bacteria lurking in the pool or lake make your little one sick? Before you help your child...

Sports and Your Teen: Whose Game Is It, Anyway? Tuning In What if your kid doesn't like competitive sports? This is perfectly understandable, but it doesn't mean that she should be permanently benched or relegated to the life of a couch potato. American kids are more overweight than ever, and the reason is primarily because they're getting less exercise. Talk to her about other physical activities. She may be dying for a pair of in-line skates, or maybe she'd like to play tennis recreationally—without the pressure of being on a...

Why Most Kids Quit Sports by Carleton Kendrick Ed.M., LCSW Twenty million kids register each year for youth hockey, football, baseball, soccer, and other competitive sports. The National Alliance for Sports reports that 70 percent of these kids quit playing these league sports by age 13 -- and never play them again. According to Michael Pfahl, executive director of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association, "The number one reason (why they quit) is that it stopped being fun." With figures like these, it's time we rethink how we present youth...

In a rare prelims/finals, non-championship meet, the Plantation Swim Team had one of the best meets of the year, with almost every swimmer achieving at least 1 new personal best, 2 new sectional cuts and 31 new Junior Olympic cuts. Leading the way with 100% personal bests were Meagan Abad, Lorenzo Cabrera, Alejandra Cardozo, Krissa Robinson, Mathew Wathen, Danny Tucci, Leila Witcher and Angela Petrillo. Among Meagans best swims was a drop of 12 seconds in the 200 Back that also gave her her first Sectional cut. Lorenzo took 15...

The Road to Nationals-Matt Grevers The Stats: Name: Matt Grevers Age: 25 Club: Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics Upcoming Grand Prix Appearances: Santa Clara International Grand Prix (June 17-20) and the Los Angeles Grand Prix (July 8-11) Distance to ConocoPhillips National Championships: 475 miles Training and Travel Snap Shot: Favorite Drill: My favorite stroke drill is called the Quarter-Quarter-Quarter-Quarter. The first quarter of the lap is an all-out kick in a streamline position. The second quarter you add your arms in so you still have lots of kick but the point...

The next PST Booster Club meeting is Wednesday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Central Park, upstairs in Room 2. Parents of swimmers are encouraged to attend the meeting. The sole purpose of the Booster Club is to make the swimming experience more fun for the swimmers and their parents. They develop and plan activities for the kids that will help boost our team spirit and involve every family. The Booster Club meetings are open to all parents. We need 100% involvement from all families to be successful. We want...