From the Swimming World website... By Proteeti Sinha Researchers have found that swimming promotes both physical and mental well-being; this isn’t news to anyone who regularly frequents the pool deck. But there are additional benefits that you may not be aware of that extend beyond the obvious. The increased blood flow strengthens the heart, increases aerobic capacity and makes our muscles stronger and more efficient. The sport of swimming itself teaches us lessons that extend far beyond the pool: teamwork, dedication, and will power to name a few. Through the...

OCA Senior Team alum Haley Anderson walked on Washington State Universtiy's team as a Freshman and was profiled this week in the school newspaper (The Daily Evergreen) as she enters her final year. Haley enters her senior year as a scholarship athlete and team captain of the Pac 12 swimming program. See the article linked here... HALEY ANDERSON

Congratulations to our athlete, Sabrina Kwan, for being selected as a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American! This great program recognizes those athletes from across the country who not only reach a high level of success in the pool, but also in the classroom. Sabrina also received the honor of being one of the few athletes to receive this award with a 4.0 GPA. Great job Sabrina! For more information on the Scholastic All-American program click here

CHRIS ROSENBLOOM, PHD, RDN, CSSD A young swimmer asked if there were any nutritional strategies that prevented muscle cramps. If you have experienced the pain of an exercise-induced muscle cramp, you might just try anything to avoid another cramp. Sucking on mustard packets from the local fast food joint to swallowing pickle juice have all been reported to be miracle cures for cramping. One report found that 25% of athletic trainers suggest pickle juice for immediate relief. Muscle cramps have plagued not only athletes, but those who do hard, physical...

Congratulations to Melanie Bantle for being chosen for an automatic spot on the Age Group Western Zone Team representing Pacific Northwest Swimming. We wish her the best of luck in her Championship Meet which will be held at KCAC August 5-9th. Way to go Melanie!

If you are interested in trying out for the OCA Competitive team please see the following information regarding our upcoming tryouts TRYOUT DATES AND INFORMATION

10 FOODS SWIMMERS SHOULD BE EATING 6/17/2014 BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RDN The mystery behind what to eat is never-ending, partly because miracle foods are constantly surfacing while other foods fall from grace. When it comes to the growing swimmer, what to eat is important for growth and development, and also for athletic performance. Many children and teens in today’s world are missing out on calcium, vitamin D, fiber and potassium. Teens and athletes in general may be at greater risk of nutrient deficiencies if they skip breakfast, snack on...

BY CHRIS ROSENBLOOM//PHD,RDN, CSSD A young swimmer emailed me and wanted to know if antioxidants would help her swim better and recover faster. A great question, so here is a primer on antioxidants, with tips to help you choose antioxidant-rich foods. When you exercise, you take in more oxygen by deep breathing and then you deliver that oxygen in your blood to working muscles. As your muscles work, they generate power for sport but also generate molecules called free radicals. These molecules are very unstable and they can “oxidize” leading...

MENTAL TOUGHNESS TOOLBOX: RESPONDING TO PROBLEMS BY ALAN GOLDBERG//COMPETITIVEDGE.COM There are a lot of things that can happen to you as a swimmer, both in practice and at meets that can potentially knock you off balance emotionally, undermine your self-confidence and sabotage your race performance: You can have a teammate who picks on you or who constantly beats you and then rubs it in your face. You can have a bad day or two where you're unable to make the intervals at practice and can't seem to get yourself to...

5/29/2014 Grabbing chocolate milk after a hard swim could give swimmers a performance edge, according to new research presented at one of the nation’s top sports medicine conferences – the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual conference. In a sport where seconds and even tenths of a second can make a big difference and intense practice routines are the norm, Indiana University researchers found that when collegiate, trained swimmers recovered with chocolate milk after an exhaustive swim, they swam faster in time trials later that same day. On average, they...