SWAT’S STAR TIMES

Parent Information:=

The following article= s were taken from USA Swimming Web Site for your information. If you want to learn more about th= is or other topics you can visit their web site at www.usaswimming.org= .

<= /span>Swim Parent Tip of the Month (9/1/2006)

Emphasize Fun, Skills and Effort
Without fun, your child may not = want to keep swimming. Swimmers of all ages rank “fun” as the number= one reason they swim. Olympians with years of experience say that they will continue with the sport as long as they are having fun! Children don’t have fun standing around at practice. They don’t have fun when they f= eel pressure to win. They have fun in well organized, skill oriented practices. They have fun competing and striving to win while developing their skills. = Fun for kids is not just fun and games. Fun encompasses learning, competing, training and being with their friends. Remember, your child won’t be = able to control all of the factors that go into winning a race. She has no contr= ol over her competitors! But she will find success and fun in developing and improving skills. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of sports. The most important question you can ask following practice or a meet is “= did you have fun today?”

(This article on nutrition was take= n from the USA Swimming web site www.usaswimming.org and I thought it will be helpful to= share with all of you).

Chicken Teriyaki=

Chicken for dinner aga= in? Looking to spice it up a little? Try this simple recipe for chicken teriyak= i. According to the American Dietetic Association, a baked chicken drumstick w= ith the skin removed has less fat than the same portion of sirloin steak, beef tenderloin, pork chop or salmon. Chicken is a significant source of daily requirements of protein, niacin, B-6, B-12, vitamin D, iron and zinc. Ounce= for ounce, skinless chicken is one of the lowest-fat meats around. Although bre= ast meat definitely has the lowest fat content, even skinless dark meat is comparatively low in fat and high in iron and other essential vitamins and minerals. Chicken is the perfect ingredient in today’s most popular meals. Some diets, such as Atkins or South Beach= , emphasize protein consumption and low-carb inta= ke. Others focus on fat and cholesterol. Compared to popular cuts of steak, chi= cken (even with the skin on) has lower fat, and similar levels of protein, iron = and minerals – and zero carbs!

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast<= /o:p>

1 T toasted sesame oil=

3 T low sodium soy

1 T brown sugar

1 T fresh minced ginge= r

1 t rice vinegar<= /o:p>

1/2 t fresh ground bla= ck pepper

dash Tabasco sauce

Whisk together all ing= redients except the chicken to make a marinade. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes. Gri= ll 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through. Slice, serve and enjoy!

180 cal, 65 cal from f= at

UPCOMI= NG EVENTS:

- = SWAT Short Course Fiesta Meet, Tigua Pool (11200 Santos Sanchez) October 13-15.=

- = Parents Meeting Saturday September 9, 2006<= /b> at 10:00 AM Westside Pool (swim suits will be chosen).

-      =     Bobo’s Fundraiser September 16, 2006 from 7:00-10:00 PM.

-      =     Please register online or contact Jose Alcoreza, = dues to be paid by registration deadline on all= events.

=

More Information:

Speedo’s tip of the week.

Motivation for Morning Workouts=
This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Dr. Chris Carr, a sport= and performance psychologist at the Methodist Sports Medicine Center in Indianapolis. Carr offers some advice for those days when you don’t feel like wakin= g up for morning practice.

Carr’s Tip:
Sometimes everyone has a hard time gett= ing going in the morning. Most of the elite swimmers I have worked with have st= ated that although they don’t always like early morning practices, they ta= ke pride in the fact that they are working harder than everyone else before everyone else is awake. Here are some tips to help with early morning practices:

1. Mak= e sure you get to bed at a good time in the evening. Sleep is important to being a great swimmer, as it helps your body recover and prepare for performance. <= o:p>

2. Bef= ore you fall asleep, picture yourself being alert and ready to go the next morning = on the pool deck. If you can see yourself being motivated, it will help to get= you ready. Also, if you find that you think about negative thoughts before you = go to sleep, write down the negative thoughts (e.g. “I hate hard interval sets”) on a piece of paper and throw it away, then you can focus on m= ore positive (e.g. “I want to make 90% of my interval times tomorrow̶= 1;) goals.

3. If = you wake up feeling a bit tired, play some inspirational music (rap, country, rock, whatever creates a good vibe for you) while you are getting dressed and hea= ding to the pool.

4. Whe= n you get to the pool, write down 1-3 specific goals for that practice (your jour= nal would be a good place, or even a 3x5 card in your gym bag/locker). These go= als give you direction for the day. Remember, if you make a choice to be motiva= ted, you can work through those hard days.

Social Events (Birthdays) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Moreno, Andres (9-01), Ho, Hien V (9-05),        =       Quiñones, Manny (9-09), Castrejon, Alejandra (9-16), Rodrigue= z, Paul (9-25), Enriquez, Daniela (9-27),         =   Ruiz, Isabel (9-28).

More Information:

Elements of Speed: How do I get better= ?

BY ROWDY GAINES

Special Contributor

Olympic gold medalist = and former world record holder Rowdy Gaines shares some tips that should help a= ny swimmer reach his or her potential. Here, Gaines offers some advice for wor= king on the mental side of swimming. There are two sides in the quest to becomin= g a better swimmer. The first, and in my opinion the most important, is the men= tal part. The second is the physical aspect.

When I stepped onto th= e blocks for the 100m free at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, I was probably just the fifth- or sixth-best sw= immer physically. Where I won my gold medal was on the mental side.

I knew I had worked ha= rder and spent more time preparing for success at the highest level than anyone in the field that day. I had the confidence mentally, because I had done the work physically.

- Surround yourself wi= th positive thinkers. The more negativity surrounding your space, the more likely it wi= ll affect you. My coach, Richard Quick, a five-time Olympic coach, would not a= llow us to use the “nt” words – can’t, don’t, won’t, etc. All those words have a negative connotation. <= /span>

- Keep a positive attitude. Believe me, this is not easy. There were many t= imes I did not want to wake up for that 5:30 morning practice, but these are natural feelings that you must accept and m= ove on. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people just like me who had the same goals I had. They were also waking up at the crack of dawn to work out= . It helped to know I was not the only one, and if I did miss it, that only mean= t I fell behind.

- Communicate with your parents, coaches and team= mates about what your thoughts are and how your traini= ng process is going. You do not have to be an island. So many people think of swimming as an individual sport, and in some ways, it is. But I think it is much more of a team sport than some ever realize. I won three gold medals. I gave one to my mom, one to my dad and one to my coach because I know in my heart I could not have won those medals without their love and support. We = did it as a team. I wish I could have won 48 gold medals – one for each o= f my Olympic teammates – because they were a huge part of my success as we= ll. But you must communicate with this potential support network of if they are going to be an asset.

- Be consistent in your emotions. Don’t get too high after a great race, and don’t beat yourself up after losing one either. The champions I know = from swimming are the ones who can live through the peaks and valleys. Life is l= ike a roller coaster, and so is swimming. There are good days and bad days, and= if you accept that part of the sport, you will not only become a better person= but a better swimmer as well

- On the physical side of swimming, consistency i= s the key word. We are in a demanding = sport, but one that has so many rewards. As boring as these words sound – dedication, commitment, responsibility, teamwork, setting goals, hard work – they all involve being consistent.

Our sport demands cons= istency. Whether you are 8 years old and going to three practices a week, or 17 years old pushing eight to 10 practices a week, = you need to be constant in going to those workouts.

People often ask me ho= w much yardage they should swim. That is almost impossible to answer, because everyone’s physical makeup is so different. Some swimmers can handle 15,000 yards a day, while others may not be able to go more than 2,000 to 3,000.

- The best people to determine the proper distanc= e are your coaches. They should know w= hat you are capable of doing because they are with you on a – here’s that word again – consistent basis. Age, sex, stroke specialty and wh= at distance you swim, along with your physical makeup, are all incredibly important factors in determining how much yardage you should do in practice= .

One thing I will tell = you about the physical side of swimming that I think is very important – = your physical makeup has no bearing on how fast you swim. So many successful swimmers have NOT met the criteria of a “perfect body.” It may = help to be long and lean, but it is not the perfect answer to swimming fast. Bri= an Goodell is one of the greatest distance swimmers in history. He won gold me= dals in the 400m and 1500m free at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He did not have a swimmers body. Standing at ab= out 5’9” and not the slimmest guy in town, he had incredible techni= que and the heart of a lion.

- The last thing to stress on the physical side is technique. The best swimmers in = the world are constantly improving their stroke technique. Words like core stability, distance per stroke and streamlining are vital to becoming a bet= ter swimmer. Ask your coach about them. There really is no substitute for worki= ng on your technique.

- In closing, I believe we swim for two major rea= sons – 1) TO SWIM FAST!!! and 2) TO HAVE FUN!!! And the amazing thing is, these reasons are so intertwined. There is no way you will ever be able to swim fast unless you enjoy the sport, and I don’t think you will have much fun in the long= run unless you see some success. But you’ve got to remember that success = is measured in so many different ways.

To tell you the truth,= I remember so many things about my swimming career, but I couldn’t tell= you my best times in my events. I do remember the friends I made, the travel th= at was so much fun, the high school bus trips to meets, the shave-down parties= and the many values the sport taught me.

Don’t get me wro= ng, I wanted to be successful, and I constantly looked for ways to become a better swimmer. But I guess the things I just mentioned helped make swimming fun, = and that was a huge key to my success.

My experience in being= around the sport for so long tells me the best swimmers in the world are the ones = who enjoy it the most. Michael Phelps is a swimmer that comes along once every generation and will make a ton of money in his career, but if you ask him w= hy he is so good, he will tell you that he has a passion for what he does.

- There are two paths you can follow in your life – one is to be a leader, the other is to be a follower.

There are no rewards i= n being a follower. But to be a leader means a lot more than walking around saying, ‘I’m the boss.’ It means taking a stand for what is right= and believing in what you are doing. To become a better swimmer means becoming a leader sometimes whether you want to or not.

I have offered a lot o= f long answers to a short question, but if I had to narrow it all down to two word= s, it would be consistency and passion. Those are the keys to becoming a better swimmer in the greatest sport on the planet

From T= he Board:

Effective with the September 1 dues stateme= nt all team dues categories will be increased $5 per month. Example: Pre-Competitive will increase from $35= to $40 per month; Senior dues will increase from $55 to $60 per month. At the = same time we will adjust monthly dues for improvements in ability and/or aging u= p. Rafael’s group is based on swimmer ability (lane), and Polly’s group is based on age - Black 13 to 14 years old, Senior is 15+.=

The dues increas= e has become necessary to improve the Club’s cash reserves. Our dues have remained the same since the Club’s inception October 2000, but it has= finally become absolutely necessary to address our financial requirements. Wh= ile the number of swimmers has increased year after year, we also now have four coaches. Because of more swimmers, we rent more lanes for practice.

The good news is we ha= ve established a quality swimming program with over 90 swimmers. Thanks to the hard work of our coaches, parents and board.

Tom Lore

SWAT Treasu= rer

SWAT B= oard of Directors

President: Manuel Quiñones / maqui= non3@aol.com

Vice-Pr= es: Rosalba Bazar / rosal= babazar@sbcglobal.net

Secreta= ry: Angelica Castrejon / acastrejon@elp.rr.com

Treasurer & Officials Chair= : Tom Lore / tlore@handgards.com

Fundraising: Laura Nicli / laurapnicli@elp.rr.com

Entries Chair , Team Roster, &a= mp; USS Registration: = Jose Alcoreza / <= span style=3D'mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;color:navy= '>alcoreza@att.net

Team Equipment & Border Rep= : Kerry Lore / klore@epelectric.com

Safety Chair: Jim Holcomb / jholcomb@utep.edu<= /span>

Newsletter: Hugo Blancas / hugoblancas@hotmail.com

Events: Armando Licon / <= span lang=3DES-BO style=3D'mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;mso-hansi-font-family:Ari= al; color:navy;mso-ansi-language:ES-BO'>ALICON2@elp.rr.com