Additional practice

We have added a practice this Friday (12/30) at Thomas Worthington from 2:30-4:45. 

Tuesday 12/27 is our 2nd annual Chipotle day (after am practice). Details have been announced at practice.

We will probably add a practice on Monday 1/2 or Saturday 12/31. Details will be announced at practice.

Nutrition for Recovery

11/30/2011 – from USA swimming

Knowing how much carbohydrate, protein and fat to get in a day is good. But knowing when you should be getting those nutrients is even better. In general, follow these guidelines for incorporating carbohydrate, protein and fat into your day.

¨       Spread carbohydrate intake out over the course of the day (i.e. smaller meals and frequent snacks). This keeps blood sugar levels adequate and stable.

¨       Eat some carbohydrate before morning practice. Note: This can be in the form of juice.

¨       Eat carbohydrate in the form of a carb-electrolyte drink, such as Gatorade or Powerade, during workout IF workout is 90 minutes or longer. Gels are also acceptable.

¨       Eat carbohydrate and protein within the first 30 minutes after practice. This enables the body to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle tissue. This is perhaps the most important time to eat!!!!

¨       Eat again (something substantial, like a real meal) before two hours post-practice has elapsed. This is critical to maximizing recovery!!!!

¨       Incorporate fat into the day at times that are not close to workout. Fat is necessary, but contributes little to the workout or immediate post-workout recovery period.

Part of the reason good nutrition is critical during recovery has to do with the fact that the body is extremely good at making the most of what it is given. Following exercise, the body is very sensitive to the hormoneinsulin. Insulin is that hormone that rises every time blood sugar rises. In other words, every time a swimmer eats carbohydrate, which causes blood sugar to rise, insulin goes up. Well, it’s insulin’s job to remove sugar from the bloodstream, and it does so by facilitating its storage as glycogen. Glycogen, the storage form for carbohydrate, is what the body taps into for fuel when exercise is very intense. This can happen quite a bit during a tough workout, which is why it’s important to see that glycogen is replenished before the next practice.

The American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada Joint Position Statement on Nutrition and Athletic Performance states that:

“After exercise, the dietary goal is to provide adequate energy and carbohydrates to replace muscle glycogen and to ensure rapid recovery. If an athlete is glycogen-depleted after exercise, a carbohydrate intake of 1.5 g/kg body weight during the first 30 min and again every 2h for 4 to 6h will be adequate to replace glycogen stores. Protein consumed after exercise will provide amino acids for the building and repair of muscle tissue. Therefore, athletes should consume a mixed meal providing carbohydrates, protein, and fat soon after a strenuous competition or training session.” (ACSM, ADA, Dietitians of Canada, 2000, p 2131)

In addition, research (van Loon et al, 2000) has implicated immediate post-exercise carbohydrate ingestion (1.2 g/kg/hr for 5 hrs) in the enhancement of glycogen re-synthesis.

Body Weight in lbs (kg)	Carbohydrate Required (g) to meet Intake of 1.2-1.5 g/kg
120 (54.5)	65-82
130 (59.1)	71-89
140 (63.6)	76-95
150 (68.2)	82-102
160 (72.7)	87-109
170 (77.3)	93-116
180 (81.8)	98-123
190 (86.4)	104-130
200 (90.9)	109-136
210 (95.5)	115-143
220 (100.0)	120-150

NUTRITION FOR FEMALE ATHLETES

Recently, I have learned that many of our teenage girls, especially athletes, are not getting enough calcium in their diet. A friend of mine is a National Ski Team doc and has noted that their teenage girls are experiencing back pain and injury.  He recommended the intake of calcium carbonate with Vitamin D in order to improve bone health and reduce the risk of injury.  The following is an article that outlines the need for  this is girls.

An interesting note, this article was written in 1999 during the carb craze for athletes.  Currently the thinking is 15-30% protein, 15-30% fat and 40-70% carbs for athletes.

by Karen Sarpolis, M.D. Symptoms of Poor Nutrition And Guidelines For Eating Poor nutrition in female athletes is often underlying symptoms such as: tiredness, performance plateaus or decreases, burn-out, and repeated injuries. Female athletes may diet more aggressively than their non-sporting counterparts (see female athletic triad). Female athletes often want to loose weight to improve their performance. The ideal diet is based on the woman's weight and consists of percentages of various food types proportional to that weight. To start, a woman should take her weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2. This gives her weight in kilograms. Then, she multiples this number by 10. This is number of grams of carbohydrates in her diet. This makes carbos about 70% of the woman's daily calories. Unlike what we have heard with the lo carb/hi protein craze, this is much better. An athlete's body needs more energy and the human body uses carbos as its main fuel. Protein grams are the woman's kilograms times 1. This means 10-15% of calories come from protein, although some have raised this to 20-25%. The rest can be fat, about 20-30% of her calories. Women who eat at least 1200 calories per day should only need iron or calcium supplements as a back-up. She should be able to get all her nutrients in by eating a variety of foods along these lines. Female Athletes Are Prone To Iron Deficiency The daily requirement of iron for girls is 18 mg. Most girls don't take that much in. And excessive sweating can further exacerbate iron loss. As with all women, menstruation increases iron intake needs. Iron deficiency or inadequate iron stores can occur without anemia and this is common in young female athletes. Still, a test indicating anemia (measuring values called hemoglobin and hematocrit) have to be viewed in perspective. Training causes the fluid in the blood to increase. This "dilutes" the values read, so there appears to be an anemia when there is not. Ferritn testing should follow any low hemoglobin/hematocrit readings in female athletes. This test indicates iron stores in the body.  Iron-rich foods, dietary supplements, and vitamin C (which helps absorb iron) can improve performance. Caffeine intake blocks iron uptake. Calcium Calcium intake is another nutrient where female athletes have higher needs, but fall far short of the mark. Half of all runners and 40% of dancers and gymnasts don't get enough calcium. Stress fractures which can sideline a girl for the remainder of a season are the most tangible risk. Weight bearing sports, those than involve running or jumping, are at greatest risk. (more about calcium) It's the Calories, Stupid. Fat is OK As mentioned, few girls or women can get by with less than 1200-1500 per day. Extremely low fat diets have risks, even if the overall calories intake is good. This is generally considered to be diets that are less than 10% fat calories. Consequences of these include: low energy and performance, and deficiencies of iron, zinc, magnesium, folate (important if the woman plans a pregnancy), vitamins E, B6, B12, C, and A. Inadequate calorie intake can be the first step down the road to the Female Athletic Triad or other eating disorders.

The Athletic Triad What is it? The athletic triad is composed of the three issues that tend to effect female athletes: amenorrhea, eating disorders, and osteoporosis. These three issues are of growing concern, especially due to the increasing pressure on adolescent girls to maintain an "ideal" body weight. Athletes are not immune to this kind of pressure. In fact, many sports easily lend themselves to further increasing the pressure that girls feel to be thin. Appearance and endurance sports such as gymnastics, dancing, diving, figure skating, swimming, and distance running are all sports in which girls frequently are concerned about their weight and appearance. This can lead to eating disorders, ranging from poor nutritional habits to anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders can result in serious endocrine, skeletal, and psychiatric disorders. The Three Components Amenorrhea is the lack of menstrual periods. A larger number of female athletes have amenorrhea than the 5% of women in the general population with amenorrhea. Why athletes sometimes stop having their periods or stop having them regularly is not understood, but it is a well-known phenomenon. The decreased estrogen levels associated with amenorrhea may be the cause of premature osteoporosis found among female athletes. Several methods have been employed to treat premature osteoporosis, including reducing training intensity and nutritional counseling. It is very important for athletes to eat properly and to carefully monitor how much they train. Sometimes, excessive training is a sign of an eating disorder. Nutrition and training intensity are interconnected and both must be regulated to help ensure good health for the athlete. (return to article)

Calcium: An Important Mineral For Women The Importance of Calcium for Women The primary importance of calcium for women is its function in bone development. Young women (adolescents and young adults) need to make sure they get enough calcium, as they can achieve their peak bone mass just after this age. Adequate amounts of calcium will help her bones reach optimum bone density. This can help protect her from osteoporosis later in life. Mature women need calcium to prevent break down of bone. There is also a growing body of research that suggests that calcium may prevent PMS. How Much Does A Woman Need? The amount of calcium that a woman should get per day ranges from 1000mg-1500mg, depending her age group, and hormonal state.  a) Ages 11-24 (adolescents and young adults): 1200-1500 mg b) Ages 25-50: 1000 mg c) Pregnant and nursing: 1200-1500 mg d) Older than 50 (postmenopausal): -- on estrogens: 1000 mg -- not on estrogens: 1500 mg e) Older than 65: 1500 mg Dairy Is Not For All Women When calcium is mentioned, the first source that comes to mind is dairy products (milk and milk products). However, if a woman is lactose intolerant, vegan vegetarian, or allergic, has religious or other self-imposed dietary restriction, or if she just doesn’t like milk, dairy foods are not the best option.  Fat Is A Problem Dairy products are chalk-full of fat. The non-fat options are often unappealing. For example, take an average woman taking in 2,000 calories/day and requiring 1200 mg of calcium/day. If she was to get all of her daily requirements for calcium from drinking 2% milk, she would have already used up 40% of the calories from fat that she should be getting for that day. Even worse, drinking whole milk would take up 80% of her calories from fat! The latter choice comes close to eliminating meat eating, if she wants to a diet that is low-fat, but meets her calcium needs.  Where’s The Calcium Not to worry, there are many other ways for a woman to get her recommended daily allowance of calcium, beyond milk products.  1) Non-dairy foods: broccoli (36 mg/0.5 cup cooked), sardines (420 mg/213 g), clams, oysters, kale (90 mg/0.5 cup cooked), turnip greens (99 mg/0.5 cup cooked), and mustard greens.  2) Artificially calcium-fortified: juices and cereals. Calcium-fortified orange juice contains 320 mg/cup, while calcium-fortified cereals contain 200 mg/cup. 3) Supplements: calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium glubionate, calcium lactate, tricalcium phosphate 4) Other forms: Tums, Viactive, Soy milk (200-500 mg/cup). Tums are tablets that contain calcium carbonate. One regular strength tablet contains 200 mg and one extra strength tablet contains 300 mg. 5) Milk (whole, 2%, 1%, and skim) contains 315 mg/cup and fruit-flavored yogurt contains 259 mg per ¾ cup. Cautions With Calcium Supplements While calcium is good for a woman’s body, too much of anything can cause problems. The body has a natural mechanism for protecting against calcium overdose, but it can be over-ridden if more than 4 grams of calcium are consumed per day. To do this, a woman would need to be taking 3-4 times the usual dose in supplement tablets a day. The two most serious effects of calcium overdose are renal damage and the deposit of calcium in other areas of the body besides the bones. Women who are already at risk for developing kidney stones should take caution about taking supplements. They can contribute to stone formation. Any woman taking supplements may get constipation and acid stomach. Keeping total intake to 1500 mg/day virtually eliminates this problem.  Calcium supplements can be involved in drug interactions with medications. A woman should always touch base with her doctor before starting calcium supplements. Her doctor can make sure there are no drug interactions or medical reasons to avoid them.  How To Take Calcium Supplements Putting it in the mouth and swallowing is not enough! What women eat or drink around supplement ingestion can help or hinder its absorption into the body. Thirty minutes before or after the supplement is taken is the time frame for avoiding the bad and coupling with the good. Dividing the daily supplementation is two or three doses. Avoiding bedtime doses will avoid nighttime heartburn. It doesn’t matter which form of calcium is used. They are all absorbed the same in the same circumstances. Types of foods/situations that increase absorption of calcium supplements: a) proteins b) lactose (milk sugar, occurs naturally in milk) c) Vitamin D d) Acidic foods The main foods that can cause decreases absorption are those that contain oxalate: a) cocoa b) spinach c) kale d) unpolished rice e) wheat bran (only in large amounts) Alkaline foods also interfere with absorption. Less significant factors include fat, phosphate, caffeine, and magnesium.

Sleep and Longevity

By Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D.

Getting a good night’s sleep is an effortless technique to create longevity and health. Deep rest during the night helps you fight stress, maintain a healthy weight, and keeps your energy levels high. Timing your sleep is like timing an investment in the stock market – it doesn’t matter how much you invest, it matterswhen you invest. 

The deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs between 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. After 2am, your sleep becomes more superficial. If you are not getting the deep, regenerative sleep that occurs between 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., then you may wake up between 2 a.m. – 3 a.m., when the sleep cycle naturally becomes more superficial, and have trouble falling back to sleep.  If your body is chronically deprived of the regenerative sleep between 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., then you may still feel fatigued when you wake up in the morning.

You have an internal clock lodged deep within the brain that regulates your sleep – the pineal gland. The pineal gland receives information about the sun through your eyes via the optic nerve. As the sun sets, the pineal gland is able to sense the change in light transmitted through your eyes and it begins to secrete a hormone, melatonin, to prepare your body for sleep. 

Exposure to bright light prevents the secretion of melatonin and darkness promotes it. Typically, within one to two hours after the sunset, you will begin to feel drowsy as the melatonin levels rise. This is the body’s signal to go to sleep. By midnight your melatonin levels have peaked and there is a gradual decline in melatonin levels after midnight.  

At 10 p.m., your body goes through a transformation following the rise in melatonin production. This transformational phase of sleep is associated with an increase in the “internal” metabolic activity that is responsible for the repair and restoration of your body. A reduction of your mental and physical activity is necessary for this 10 p.m. shift to occur.  If you are still awake, the “second wind” phenomenon occurs at 10 p.m. because there is a rise in mental activity and energy at this time. However, the true value of the “second wind” can only be experienced if you are asleep by 10 p.m.

Scientists are just beginning to discover the antioxidant role of melatonin. Your body produces numerous natural antioxidants that prevent cellular and DNA damage, which ultimately causes disease. One of the powerful nocturnal antioxidants produced is melatonin. As you sleep, your body is removing the effects of free radicals that have been produced by stress throughout the day. This natural, nocturnal clean-up crew maintains physical balance without any effort. All you need to do to benefit from this process is to sleep when your pineal gland sends the melatonin signal. 

If you are awake past 10 p.m., this process of free radical removal becomes interrupted, and your body’s ability to remove the effects of free radicals is significantly impaired.   First of all, most people who stay awake past 10 p.m. are usually working on the computer, watching TV or reading. All of these activities result in an exposure to light and therefore interrupt the production of melatonin. Secondly, the metabolic energy that becomes available at 10 p.m. for the removal of free radicals is expended and now unavailable. It gets dissipated in the “second wind” phenomenon and is lost as mental energy rather than used as metabolic energy for the purpose of removing free radicals.  So rather than allowing our bodies to maximize its natural cycle of repair during sleep, we interfere with it. This results in a state of night vigilance where you are alert during the night and groggy during the day. This cycle is extremely harmful to health.

Typically, if you miss the 10 p.m. bedtime, it will take much longer to fall asleep.  The quality of sleep will also be less refreshing and there will still be a sense of fatigue in the morning.  Even adjusting your bedtime from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. will make an enormous difference in the quality of your sleep and enhance your feeling of wakefulness the following day.  The reason for this is that you are taking advantage of the natural wave of neurochemistry that is already well on its way before 10pm and you get the added support of the metabolic changes that occur at the 10 p.m. mark.

If you are currently falling asleep well past 10 p.m., make it a goal to sleep earlier by 15-30 minutes each week until you hit the 10 p.m. goal. If you are also waking up after 6 a.m., it is important to wake up 15-30 minutes earlier so you feel ready for bed by 10 p.m.  If you are having problems with insomnia, there are several things you can do to help reset your sleep cycle:

1. Do not watch TV or work on the computer later than 9 p.m. (ideally 8 p.m.). Both of these activities are stimulating to the mind and significantly impair the secretion of melatonin due to the strong light they emit. 

2. Remove the TV from your bedroom. The environment of the bedroom should reflect the activities taking place there – sleep, relaxation and sexual intercourse.  Having a TV in the bedroom is counterproductive to all of these activities.  Although many people look to television as a way of relaxing, from a neurochemical standpoint, it has a stimulating effect.

3. Watch the sunset daily. Even if you are able to only take a 10-minute walk as the sun is setting, this is a very powerful way to enhance melatonin secretion. Once you are waking up earlier, also watch the first 10 minutes of the sunrise. Your brain is able to differentiate between the setting and rising rays of the sun and initiates a chain of biochemical reactions to support your natural daily cycles. An easy way to prevent jet lag is to watch the sunset and sunrise for the first 24-48 hours in your new destination.

4. Stop drinking caffeine. Caffeine disrupts your natural sleep cycle. Even drinking caffeine in the morning interrupts your sleep because, over time, it causes a chemical shift towards a state of excitation. Caffeine taken in the second half of the day is an even bigger obstacle to deep sleep during the night. Stopping caffeine abruptly can be quite stressful to the nervous system so slowly taper off your caffeine gradually over 4-8 weeks.

5. Eat a small dinner. You now know that your digestion gets weaker as the day progresses. Eating a large dinner interrupts your ability to fall asleep because your body is contending between two different processes – preparing for sleep and restoration versus managing the undigested food in your stomach.

6. Avoid naps during the day until you are able to fall asleep before 10 p.m. If you still need a nap during the day even though you have adjusted your bedtime to before 10 p.m., then a brief nap is okay. If this is predominantly happening after meals, then you need to work on strengthening your digestion. Once your digestion is stronger, you will not feel tired after meals.

7. If you have problems with frequent urination at night, do not drink any liquids after 7 p.m. The liquids you drink are typically processed by the kidneys are ready for excretion within 90 minutes.

8. If you are still having problems sleeping after all of the above recommendations, then you can make an evening milk drink that will aide your sleep: Pour one cup of milk (soy, almond or other milk substitutes are okay for those who do not consume cow’s milk) into a pan and add a pinch of each of the following ingredients: turmeric powder, nutmeg powder and cardamom powder. Add natural sugar if desired for taste.  

Holiday Break Practice Schedule

We will have a slightly different training schedule over winter break.  All swimmers train together as one, there will not be different Varsity/JV groups.  Club swimmers can also attend any of these practice and should choose the club/HS combo that gets them in the water the most.

Wed, Dec 21, 2011 3:00-5:30 at Liberty YMCA
Thur, Dec 22, 2011 - no practice, meet at OWU in evening
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Mon, Dec 26, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Tues, Dec 27, 2011 8-10:30 am at Thomas Worthington HS
Wed, Dec 28, 2011 8-10:30 am at Thomas Worthington HS
Thur, Dec 29, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Fri, Dec 30 & Monday 1/2 TBA-  need to schedule Monday around football....

Meet Schedule

We have one meet this week - Thursday, Dec. 22 we are at Ohio Wesleyan for the Delaware County Classic. This is our only meet over the holiday break.  All swimmers and divers will participate.

Divers (transportation on own):  warm-up is 2:15-3:30.
Swimmers:  the bus will leave at 3:30.  This departure time will get us to the meet early so that we can cheer for the divers.  the meet starts at 6:00 pm.

There is limited seating at this meet - parents should arrive early.

The next meet is Weds, January 4th!

Athletes of the Meet

Congratulations to our boys and girls teams - we won all of our meets this weekend!

The team selected the following athletes of the meet:

Friday v. DeSales
Meghan Pollner - Meghan swam a best time in the 500!
Nicholas Tracewell - Nicholas had a fabulous 100 fly!

Saturday vs. Westerville North
Brittany Menninger who won diving!
Nick D'Amico for persevering through illness to finish the meet.

Order your Parent Polo

Kastaway has put together a parent polo order form for a Custom Parent Polo.  The polo will be royal and white (pictured below in the wrong colors) with the O logo (same as the team bags) on the front left chest or center upper back (your choice - please specify on order).  Please use the order form provided in this link:  PARENT POLO ORDER FORM

Order forms must be returned to Coach Karr or Baxendale by Friday, 12/23.

Swim Meet Volunteers Needed

We are in need of volunteers for home meets and the meet at OWU on Th., 12/22.  We are looking for more timers and two people to sell heat sheets and raffle tickets at our home meets.  Please follow the sign-up genius link to volunteer:



Our team is responsible for one lane at the Delaware Classic meet at OWU (2 timers for each half of the meet).  timers receive free admission.

Raffle Tickets

This is just a friendly reminder to sell your raffle tickets!  Each athlete on the team must sell 10.  Anyone that sells their 10 tickets prior to 12/22 will receive a boathouse Patriot Swimming jacket.  Thanks!

Pasta Party!

DATE and TIME:  Friday, December 16 – After the swim meet

PLACE: The Clay’s
836 Retreat Lane
(just north of Powell Road off Route 315)
614-847-5644

DIRECTIONS:From the YMCA -
Right on Liberty Rd
Left onto Carriage Road (speed limit is only 25)
Right at stop sign onto Route 315
Right onto Retreat Lane
836 Retreat Lane is the 5th house on the right

If you park in the driveway, it does not loop around so drive to the top and turn around to make it easier when you leave or park on the street and walk up the driveway

Winter Break Training Schedule

We will have a slightly different training schedule over winter break.  All swimmers train together as one, there will not be different Varsity/JV groups.

Wed, Dec 21, 2011 3:00-5:30 at Liberty YMCA
Thur, Dec 22, 2011 - no practice, meet at OWU in evening

Fri, Dec 23, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Mon, Dec 26, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Tues, Dec 27, 2011 8-10:30 am at Thomas Worthington HS
Wed, Dec 28, 2011 8-10:30 am at Thomas Worthington HS
Thur, Dec 29, 2011 2:30-4:45pm at Thomas Worthington HS
Fri, Dec 30 & Monday 1/2 TBA-  need to schedule Monday around football....

Meet Schedule this Week

Friday Home Meet vs. DeSales
We had a slight change and are now swimming DeSales on Friday.
Swimmers should report to the YMCA at 4:30, warm-ups are at 5:00 and the meet starts at 6:00.  Everyone swims.  The YMCA does not have diving boards, so no diving.

Saturday Away Meet vs. Westerville North
at Westerville Recreation Center
Bus at 7:45 am, Meet starts at 9 am.
Note: Coach Karr will be out of town on Saturday

Swimmers/Divers of the Meet

Congratulations to those that were selected this week:
Tuesday vs. New Albany
Girls:  Bailee Braun
Boys: The girls team.  The girls won in a very tight contest  - every race was close.  Way to race ladies!

Friday vs. Dublin Jerome
Girls: Makenzie Karr
Boys: Joe McConaghy

Saturday at Ohio State:
Girls:  Olivia Bently, congratulations Olivia on your YMCA National cut in the 100 breast!
Boys: Nathan Blaine

Upcoming Meet Schedule

Tuesday 12/6, at New Albany

7600 Fodor Road
New Albany, Ohio 43054

• The bus will leave at 3:45 pm
• The meet begins at 5:00 pm.  Parents show your Patriot Pride by wearing ROYAL and sitting together.
• Diving will be held at this meet.

Friday 12/9 vs. Dublin Jerome
at Dublin Recreation Center
5600 Post Road
Dublin, OH 43017

• The bus will leave at 4:45 pm from the school athletic entrance.  We take attendance promptly at 4:45 and depart immediately after attendance is completed.  The bus does not wait for late athletes!
• The meet begins at 6:00 pm.  Parents show your school spirit by wearing ROYAL and sitting together.
• Diving will be held at this meet.
• The line-up will be announced Thursday.

Saturday 12/10 Ned Reeb Memorial

at Ohio State Aquatics Pavilion

• A session swimmers: the bus leaves at 6 am, prelims will end at approximately 11:30.  Finalists must provide their own transportation back to the pool.
• B session swimmers and all divers: the bus is currently schedule to depart at 11:00.  We might bump this up by 30 minutes.  Please listen to the announcements at Fridays meet and Thursdays practice.

If you are not in a line up for a meet, you are not required to ride the bus.  However, you are welcome on the bus if you need transportation to cheer on your teammates.

All athletes competing in a meet are required to ride the bus to and from competitions.

New Practice Schedule

Effective Monday, December 5

Regular Varsity

Mondays & Wednesdays at Liberty YMCA 3-5:15

Tuesday & Thursday at Delaware YMCA 3:15-5:15

Fridays at Liberty YMCA 3-5

Varsity –Club

Due to lane restrictions at practice, Varsity Club swimmers must maintain their currently assigned days (at the new times listed above) with OLHS and cannot pick up extra days.  Exceptions can be made on occasion, always ask first.

Junior Varsity - A

Mondays & Wednesdays at Liberty YMCA 3-4:30

Tuesday & Thursday at Delaware YMCA 3:15-5:15

*Occasional Fridays – coach will announce each week

Junior Varsity - B

Mondays at Liberty YMCA 3-4:30

Tuesday & Thursday at Delaware YMCA 3:15-5:15

*Occasional Fridays – coach will announce each week

Delaware YMCA

Transportation will be provided and will depart from the high school at 2:50 pm.  Please attempt to change into your suit at the school prior to boarding the bus.  Approximate return time to the high school is 6:00 pm.  Swimmers are not required to use school transportation to practice and can provide their own transportation to the YMCA if they so desire.

Address of the Delaware YMCA:

1121 South Houk Road
Delaware, OH 43015

Note: We do not have a holiday practice schedule at this time.

Congratulations Swimmers of the Meet

Congratulations to our swimmers of the meet(s) this week-end:
Friday vs. Dublin Scioto Katy McFarland and Anton Rosi earned the top spot.
Saturday at the Hilliard-Olentangy meet Caroline Racke and Nicholas Tracewell were selected.

Swimmers of the Meet are nominated at every meet by the captains. After the meet, the team  chooses from the nominees.

Katy had an outstanding meet with best times in the fly and 50.  Anton recorded his first career win in the 100 fly.  Nicholas dropped time on Saturday, one of the few boys to do so.  Caroline dropped time in the 100 fly two days in a row and qualified to the Ned Reeb.  Way to go Patriots!

Line Up Methodology

This week we are busy with 3 meets.  ALL swimmers will compete Saturday.  On Tuesday we will take all boys, varsity girls and any swimmers new to our program this year.  Fridays line-up is TBD.

Whenever possible we try to look at a line up with an eye towards the end of the season.  Many times the thinking is -  what can be done today to help a swimmer progress this season.  Sometimes the answer to this can even take precedence over the outcome of the meet (team score).  Sometimes the answer is to make the meet as competitive as possible.  Many times, what we do surprises the swimmers but works in the end.

With event limitations and varying abilities is can be very difficult to get every swimmer in a variety of events and experiences.  We try our hardest to provide that though and to challenge our swimmers to compete out of their comfort zone.

Swim Meet Line-ups

For the month of December we have a very busy meet schedule - 8 meets in 3 weeks.  This will have an impact on line-ups, including how and when they are created.  We will do our best to inform all swimmers that are competing at least 24 hours prior to a meet.  ALL swimmers and divers are scheduled to compete at the Ned Reeb Meet on Saturday 12/10, also all swimmers will compete at our home meet on 12/16.

Please scroll through  this email for a schedule and more information for our first three meets.

Team Pictures Thursday after school

Team pictures will be this Thursday after school at the Liberty YMCA.  Please wear your team suit.  Both coaches will have extra order forms handy at practice this week.

Team Pasta Party this Thursday

The team is holding its first team pasta party of the season on December 1st. Details are:

DATE: Thursday, December 1
NEW TIME:  6:00-9:00 pm

PLACE: The Rissmeyer’s

1781 Hardin Lane

(north of Home Road off Liberty Road)

740-362-4122

DIRECTIONS: From the YMCA -

Left on Liberty Rd

Stay on Liberty Rd past Home Road for 2 miles

Right on Hardin Lane to 1781 Hardin Lane

Please go to the correct driveway - 1781


We are looking for a few donations of cookies or brownies.  if you can bring a plate of either, please let Coach Baxendale know this week.

Earn a Boathouse Jacket

Our jacket incentive is back!
Anyone that sells all 10 of their raffle tickets and turns them in to Coach Karr by 12/25 will be able to pick out a Patriot Swimming Boathouse jacket from our current supply.

Upcoming Meet Schedule

Friday 12/2 vs. Dublin Scioto
at Dublin Recreation Center
5600 Post Road
Dublin, OH 43017

• The bus will leave at 5:00 pm from the school athletic entrance.  We take attendance promptly at 5:00 and depart immediately after attendance is completed.  The bus does not wait for late athletes!
• The meet begins at 6:30 pm.  Parents show your school spirit by wearing ROYAL and sitting together.
• Diving will be held at this meet.
• We hope to announce the line-up Wednesday or Thursday.

Saturday 12/3 Hilliard vs. Olentangy

at Hilliard YMCA 

4515 Cosgray Road

Hilliard, OH 43026

• NO diving
• The bus will leave at 4:15 pm
• The meet begins at 6:00 pm.  Parents show your Patriot Pride by wearing ROYAL and sitting together.
• The format of this meet allows 2 entries per team, per event.  We will be taking a small team of about 12-15 girls and 12-15 boys.

Tuesday 12/6, at New Albany

7600 Fodor Road
New Albany, Ohio 43054

• The bus will leave at 3:45 pm
• The meet begins at 5:00 pm.  Parents show your Patriot Pride by wearing ROYAL and sitting together.
• Diving will be held at this meet.

IF you are not in a line up for a meet, you are not required to ride the bus.  However, you are welcome on the bus if you need transportation to cheer on your teammates.

All athletes competing in a meet are required to ride the bus to and from competitions.

Club Swimmers November Calendar Due

All club swimmers must turn in their SIGNED November calendar on Thursday, 12/1 at Coach Baxendale's room. Please remember to pick up your December calendar at this time.

Thanksgiving Break Schedule

All Varsity and JV swimmers will practice from 8:45-11:00 am on Wednesday & Friday. No practice Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving!

Pasta Party Parent Volunteers Needed

We still need parent volunteers for the pasta parties. This is a fun way to get to know the swimmers and divers and other parents. Hosts and volunteers contribute food and supplies and prepare and serve the pasta dinners to the team. The open dates are as follows:

• Friday, December 16 after home meet - host and 3 volunteers needed
• Friday, January 6 after home meet being hosted by Carol Brubaker - 1 more volunteer needed
• Thursday, January 19 before Westerville South meet being hosted by Michelle Hoppman - 1 more volunteer needed
• Friday, January 27 before OCC's being hosted by Cynthia Rosi - 3 volunteers needed
• Friday, February 10 before Sectionals being hosted by Pat Choban - 3 volunteers needed
• Friday, February 17 before Districts being hosted by Cynthia Rosi - 3 volunteers needed

Please contact Carrie Clay at Carrie.L.Clay@gmail.com or call 614.329.3908 if you can help.

First Team Pasta Party 12/1

The team is holding its first team pasta party of the season on December 1st. Details are:

PASTA PARTY FLYER

DATE and TIME: Thursday, December 1 – Starting at 5:30 pm

PLACE: The Rissmeyer’s

1781 Hardin Lane

(north of Home Road off Liberty Road)

740-362-4122

DIRECTIONS: From the YMCA -

Left on Liberty Rd

Stay on Liberty Rd past Home Road for 2 miles

Right on Hardin Lane to 1781 Hardin Lane

Please go to the correct driveway - 1781

Swimmers & Divers please join our Facebook group

Our captains have asked that all team members join the team Facebook group. Just friend request Ashleigh Rissmeyer and she'll add you.  Or search under liberty patriots swim & dive 2011-2012. Thanks!

Bundle up

Cold winter weather is finally here so it is time to bundle up. All students must leave practice wearing shoes, pants, a coat and (if their hair is wet) a hat. 

Let's stay hydrated

All swimmers should now be in the habit of bringing their own water bottle to practice. Between the heat and the hard work, the athletes are sweating quite a bit. Most need to replace with about  16 ounces of water per hour of practice.

Team Calendar

We keep our team events up to date on a Google Calendar that you can easily follow & load onto your smart phone or PC. Simply head to our Calendar on our team website: http://www.libertyswim.com/Calendar.htm and click on the Google logo in the lower right hand corner of the calendar. This will direct you to add the calendar to your google account. Google accounts are free (a gmail account is not required).

Schedule Reminder

Parents & Students we have a few very important events this week:

Wednesday, 11/16

• REQUIRED Winter Sports parents meeting at the OLHS theater at 7 pm. OHSAA is requiring parents to sign in at this meeting.
• Our Swim & Dive Boosters meeting will immediately PRECEDE the Winter Sports Meeting and will begin at 6:30 pm (this is a change from our previous post).
• Senior Pictures for the Winter Sports Program are at 2:45 in the gym.

Thursday, 11/17

• Babysitting at Tyler Run, Wyandot Run, Liberty Tree & Indian Springs.
• All parents are required to work once, students must fill 3 shifts.

Morning practice countdown

Only 18 pre dawn practices to go this season :)

Meet Date Correction

The Delaware County Classic will be swum on Thursday 12/22. Please correct your calendars - the meet schedule we handed out incorrectly listed this meet as Tuesday (during school). The website will be corrected shortly, the google calendar is now correct.

Congratulations Alex Clay

Alex is a Senior Diver and Captain on our team. On Wednesday last week she signed with Stanford! Go Cardinal and congratulations to Alex!

Team Suits are arriving

Team suits have begun to arrive from our order placed at the TEAM meeting. The coaching staff will hand these out throughout the week. Please try on your suit before removing any tags. Suits that don't fit can be exchanged if all tags are still intact. NIKE suits fit differently than Speedo!

Babysitting Volunteers Needed

Swimmer requirement: Three 2-hour shifts

Parent requirement: ONE 2-hour shift

Each year our team provides babysitting at 4 Olentangy Elementary Schools during Parent Teacher Conferences. This is a great fundraiser that helps fulfill our budget needs and provides a great service to community families. This year we ask that all swimmers & divers participate in 3 babysitting time slots and each parent help supervise once. There are 2 fall dates and 2 'spring' dates that you can choose from. Currently we are in great need for volutneers in the following positions:

• Liberty Tree
• Coordinators for each school
• A Coordinator to shadow Stephanie Blaine this fall and take over for her next year.

Please take a look at the schedule included in this week's team email and let us know where you can help!

Interested adults & divers should email Stephanie Blaine directly at blaine.stephanie@yahoo.com

Click here for a link to the Fall Babysitting assignments to date: Fall Babysitting PDF