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Summer Shark Shop Hours - Mondays & Thursdays - 5 to 5:30 PM
Saturdays - 9:30 to 10:30 AM

J.O. Dinner & Goody Bag Information - 7/3/08

Please see the attached J.O. Dinner Flyer for information on the J.O. Dinner to be held in Gainesville on Friday Night, July 18th. J.O. swimmers eat for free, but you must register by Sunday, July 13th. There is also a Goody Bag Flyer for the J.O. swimmers.

Shark Summer Camp Info. - 5/31/08

See the attached FLYER for information on the Shark Summer Camp at Selby.

College Swimming Articles - 5/13/08

Collegeswimming.com recently initiated a series of articles for prospective college swimmers and their parents. We have linked to the articles as follows:

College Swimming in Your Future? - 4/15/08

As the parent of both a current Shark swimmer and a current college swimmer, Ginger Clark has written down some of her experiences and advice for Shark families with prospective college swimmers. Access it by clicking HERE.

Must Reads for Parents and Swimmers - 2/11/08

Courtesy of the Westshore (PA) YMCA website, three interesting posts - 2 for the parents and one for the swimmers. Parents - Are you a Pressure Parent? Quiz and Don't Fall into these Parent Traps; and for the Swimmers - 12 Keys to Success .

FCA News - 1/14/08

From Christi Bowers: This precious thank-you is from Jim & Jeanette Christensen of Grammy's House.

Dear “Sharks”:
Grammy’s Shelter Angels would like to send you this very special photo ensemble of our Sand Sculpture that we created to say “Thank You!!!!!” We had a very special holiday because you cared and shared sooooo much with us. The kidlets made you this very special Sand Sculpture and in the photo are screaming “THANK YOU SHARKS!!”

As you browse through the Sand Sculpture photos, we’d also like to share with you what your giving means for us at the shelter. It’s the little comforts of life in our little lives that make our Shelter a Home! We are so blessed that you cared and shared your time in so many ways. Because of YOU, We have simple things like: Boys & Girls Socks, Boys and Girls Undies, Swim Wear, Toys, HAND MADE BLANKETS!!!!, Game boys!!!, Shoes, Jackets, Pants, Tops, Dresses, skirts, Movies, Towels, Publix Certificate for Christmas dinner too! That was great!

Some of us rec’d much longed for toys for Christmas! Thank you for the scooters! We love them soooo much!

You organized our closets that we so desperately rely on, restocked them with soaps, toothpaste, socks, undies, even a Target card for baskets/containers for the items you brought! And you didn’t just drop these things off.....You came and helped us find where to store them and put them into place in the shelter, wow! We were so happy to have your assistance. Sorting, thinking the whole process through as a TEAM.

Guys, these clothes came to us for ages 3 to 10, completely sorted out by outfits and ages!!! That was weeks of work you saved our shelter parents, and took on yourselves.

Your TEAM Leaders came and cleaned and fixed our bedroom furniture, cleaned our walls, took care of some much needed items around our house. This was after your first visit here to do a major cleaning. In your busy schedule with swimming and Christmas, You played outside with us, and invested your time to talk with us and learn a little about our lives and what we are going through. We really appreciate this. We will never forget it. Thanks again for making our Shelter feel more like Home!

In closing, I’d like to share (Nonnie here) what TEAM means to us at the Shelter: Together Everyone Accomplishes More! You guys are naturals at this and we are the benefactors of your awesome TEAM spirit! GO SHARKS!!!

Sincerely,

Jim, Jeanette and the little Angels at Grammy’s Shelter!

Shark Support Team Roster - 12/17/07

Ever wonder who is on the Shark Support Team (Parents' Advisory Committee)? The current SST roster is now posted. Please advise us of any corrections.

Shark Directory - 12/5/07

You may notice that the on-line Shark Directory has a new look. The Directory has been updated again, so if each parent and coach could check the current listings and report any changes, errors, additions, deletions, etc. by emailing them to Robertc556@aol.com it would be greatly appreciated. We've been told that several of the phone numbers and addresses are out-of-date. The listings for the younger swimmers may not be as complete as the other teams, due to the turnover rate inherent with these groups. The directory is accessed through the password protected "Shark Zone" link on the left side of this page; username and passwords are available from your child's coach. Thanks for your help!

Marin Morrison Swims HS - 10/2/06

Sometimes we all take too many things for granted. Remember Marin Morrison, the Swim Atlanta girl who was diagnosed with a brain tumor two years ago? Well, Marin and her family moved to Washington state a year ago and she continues to be an inspiration. Check out the following LINK to see her competing in her first varsity high school swim meet. Way to go Marin!!! Marin's story via her family's daily journal is available at www.marinlove.com.

Swim-a-Thon Results - 6/27/06

From Coach Shofe: Swim-a-thon proceeds to date:

    Sharks Swim Team - $ 18,198.62
    Masters Sharks Swim Team - $ 5,535.00
    Total:     $ 23,733.62

Prize information is available by clicking Prizes. A gift-in-kind program is also available; details are at gift-in-kind.

Selby Improvements - 3/1/06

For anyone who hasn't been out to the Selby Aquatic Center in the last few weeks or so, the linked photos illustrate the recent improvements that have been made including permanent shading, and the expansion of the pooldeck, waterpark, and parking lot.

Past Newsletters - 2/15/06

Although the Shark newsletter is no longer being produced, the archive of old newsletters is still available by clicking the "newsletter" tab on the left side of the Shark webpage. Each newsletter has a theme and continues to be a great resource for all swimmers and parents, particularly the newer Shark parents. Some of the themes covered were: New Parents, Team Orientation, Volunteering, Swim Psychology, High School Swimming, Goal Setting, Practice Skills, etc. When you have a few minutes, it may be worth your while to browse through these newsletters, you may just find some very interesting articles.

Marin Morrison & Wave of Courage Foundation - 2/12/06

I know it's been awhile since the Sharks organized the Marin Morrison carwash and with the passing of time our thoughts have turned to other things. However, this brave young swimmer continues her daily struggle to beat brain cancer. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Some of her friends have organized the Wave of Courage Foundation to help Marin and others in similar circumstances. Please read their most recent letter at Wave of Courage Foundation. Marin's story via her family's daily journal is available at www.marinlove.com.

Masters Info. - 1/17/06

From Shark parent Bill Detra: The new Shark Masters swim team is welcoming parents of Shark swimmers to work out. We have seven so far attending 2-3 times a week. You don't have to be a good swimmer; you don't have to worry about being embarrassed by fast, competitive swimmers. There are one or two lanes just for beginners; people wear fins and use pull buoys and kick boards. I kind of help them get started when I am there 3-4 times a week at 5:30am; many start at the level of just getting through one length, so they should NOT be intimidated or worry about weight or lack of conditioning. I start them at step 1. It's a great way of shedding pounds and getting a nice short workout.

The times are very flexible: anytime is fine between 5:30am - 10:30am. Rick Walker is the Masters coach, and parents who are interested can get the paperwork from him; he is always there. When I'm there [usually when Austin is swimming] I help Rick with beginners and start real slow. There is no set time to stay in the water; some do 1/2 hour up to 1.5 hrs. THE WATER IS VERY WARM IN SPITE OF COOL AIR TEMPS. COACH SHOFE HAS BEEN KEEPING IT AT A VERY COMFORTABLE 81-82 DEGREES!

In addition, Rick is beginning an evening Masters swim time from 6:30 - 8:00pm starting in February; it will be very laid back and he is an excellent non-pushy coach; no pressure! With all of those times to swim nobody has an excuse not to partake of this wonderful, non-jolting, healthy exercise. After all, if you think this is great for your kids, why not be the best role model and show them how great it is for you.

If you have questions, email Rick Walker at rickmile@aol.com or Bill Detra at bdetra@yahoo.com.

Shark Cake Photo - 1/10/06

Click on Cake Photo to see a picture of the Shark cake made by James Plocharsky for Coach Watts' birthday back in November.

FCA Photos - 11/28/05

From Christi Bowers: Please click on FCA Photos to see a few photos of the October/November get-togethers hosted by the FCA Shark chapter.

Hurricane Katrina Relief - 11/5/05

From Janet Maglich: Thank you to everyone who donated items and/or turned out and helped for the Hurricane Katrina relief. Please click on Katrina to see a few photos of the event.

Swimming Nutrition for our Athletes - 10/12/02

       There are three major areas of concern for our children's nutrition as it relates to swimming. Needless to say, a Pepsi, a Snickers bar and a bag of Frito-Lays does not constitute a balanced diet.

       First, we need to provide a healthy diet for their growth and development. This means adding enough extra calories to provide for the increased activity related to their training. This increase in calories should be around 300 - 700 calories/hour of training. The spread depends on each individual's intensity of training. Remember, this is above their regular daily requirements.

       Second, we need to provide enough protein to build those muscles they are working so hard to grow. The total protein requirement for most of our competitive swimmers is 1.5 to 1.8gm of protein/kg/day. This means that a 110 lb child weighs 50kg (divide weight in pounds by 2.2), then multiply by 1.5gm/kg which equals 75gm of protein/day. If you start counting the amount of protein a typical 110 lb child eats, they rarely come close to 75gm!

       Good sources of protein are low-fat milk, cheese, eggs, meat and beans. Store bought protein mixes can be used to supplement about 20gms out of the 75gms needed. This still leaves us to help them choose food that optimizes their protein intake. At least a small portion (as little as 6gms) of the protein intake should be within 2 hours of completing their evening workout. This protein stimulation will aid in muscle growth and regeneration while they sleep.

       Third, recovery after their evening workout is critical to prepare them for the next day. A large carbohydrate load needs to be provided over about 3 hours. This is impractical as they usually get home at 8pm and hopefully get to bed by 10pm. We are left trying to provide about 1-1.2 gms of carbohydrate/kg/hr for 3 hours. This is a total of 150-180gm of carbohydrates before bedtime. This is not as difficult as providing protein because everyone likes carbohydrates and most things we eat contain large amounts. One bagel contains 50gms and a large glass of milk (1.5 cups) has about 20 gms of carbohydrate and 13gms of protein. A solid evening meal that provides around 150-180gm of carbohydrate plus some type of protein when they get home in the evening is critical to their swimming success.

       Next time we will try to address the questions of hydration both during training and during meets.

Thanks to David P. Showalter, MD for the above article

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