VOYAGER BLOG CONTEST

ATTENTION VOYAGERS: Send me an email and you could win! Send an email to aquatics@brownell.edu telling me who broke the 18-year-old Women's 200 Meter Backstroke World Record last weekend in Columbia, Missouri. The first three Voyagers who send in the correct answer will win prizes. Entries must be received by February 29. http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Feb/20080217Spor006.asp

Swim Stars Live 2

Mutual of Omaha hosted the Swim Stars Live 2 event on Thursday night. Several B-T swimmers attended and got to see the members of the Mutual of Omaha Gold Medal Team up close! The event began with a parade of champions followed by a question and answer session. B-T swimmer, Austin Kent, did a great job as our club reporter. Later in the evening, everyone moved to the dome area for an autograph session. Several of our swimmers told me their favorite part was getting to hold Olympic Gold Medals.

Aaron Peirsol, autographed some Face-Up First caps for us. Aaron was the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100 and 200 meter backstrokes. He is a very fast FACE-UP FIRST swimmer!

Mutual of Omaha is a longtime sponsor of USA Swimming. You learn more about the Gold Medal team at http://www.mutualofomaha.com/usaswim/. Click on "Meet Our Swimmers."

Mutual of Omaha also sponsors our own Mutual of Omaha B-T 500 Challenge.

If anyone who attended has photos of the event that you would like to share, I'd like to post them on the website. Please send them to me at aquatics@brownell.edu.

LB1135 Part 2

Greetings!

I wrote a rather lengthy post last week concerning my opinions on LB 1135. http://faceupfirst.blogspot.com/2008/02/lb1135-right-to-participate-right-to.html

Since then, some changes have been proposed for the bill. I've copied the revised text below. Both of my concerns have been addressed in the wording below. I wholeheartedly support LB1135 as shown here.

The Nebraska School Activities Association will not allow or shall not adopt any rules and regulations which:

1. Infringe in any manner on the right of a student to compete in or train for any non high school event/activity, provided that the student meets the high school established requirements for participation in the like high school program; and

2. Impose any form of punishment or sanction against any high school student for competing in or training for any non high school event/activity, provided that the student meets the high school established requirements for participation in the like high school program.

LB1135 "Right to Participate - Right to Excel"

LB 1135 "Right to Participate - Right to Excel" has been introduced into the 2008 Nebraska Legislature. The Education Committee will be conducting a hearing on February 25 at 1:30 PM.

Judging from the number of emails and phone calls I've received, this issue is causing quite a stir in the swimming community. Several parents and swimmers have asked me about my opinions on the proposed bill. Yesterday, I heard someone quoting me on this issue, or rather misquoting me! This post is to document my position. Please keep in mind that this is my opinion. I am not speaking for the B-T Athletic Department or Brownell-Talbot School. I should also point out that I am not currently a high school coach or an active club coach.

You can read the proposed bill yourself at http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/web/public/home. (You'll have to type in LB 1135 to get to the page for the bill, and then click on "Introduced Copy" to see the text."

Currently students/athletes participating in high school sports are prohibited from receiving outside coaching, training with, or competing with "club" sports teams during the high school season. This bill, if passed, would require the NSAA to allow students to participate in club sports during the high school season.

Copied below is the letter I emailed to my State Senator and to the members of the Education Committee. I've gotten a few detailed responses. I assumed I was just being tallied, but I'm very pleased to report that the responses I've received show that those involved are trying to get more information. I would encourage you to write to your senator or to the Education Committee if you have an opinion on this issue - whatever that opinion may be.

From: Jeanie Neal [mailto:jeneal@brownell.edu] Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 7:33 AMTo: 'rraikes@leg.ne.gov'; 'gkopplin@leg.ne.gov'; 'gadams@leg.ne.gov'; 'bashford@leg.ne.gov'; 'bavery@leg.ne.gov'; 'cburling@leg.ne.gov'; 'ghoward@leg.ne.gov'; 'jjohnson@leg.ne.gov'Cc: 'jsynowiecki@leg.ne.gov'Subject: LB1135

Legislature Education Committee Members:

I am grateful to see that there will be a hearing on LB 1135 Right to Participate, Right to Excel on February 25.

In my opinion, the best chance our athletes have of attaining their goals at all levels is to forge a productive relationship between clubs and high school programs. The focus of high school coaches is generally on the team's needs for this season and the focus of the club coaches is generally on the individual athlete's needs over at least a four year period if not a career. Club coaches think in terms of what sacrifices need to be made to further the goals of the athlete and high school coaches think in terms of subjugating individual needs for the good of the team. Both approaches and philosophies are reasonable, appropriate, and do not have to be mutually exclusive. It is my opinion that coaches share the common value of respecting youth competitive sports and the benefits they offer to all the participants. Coaches are professionals and should rightly be charged with the responsibility to mutually support each other's efforts for the good of the athletes. I have every confidence that this can happen as it does throughout the country.

This legislation is needed to give coaches the freedom to forge these relationships and explore these options and create as many opportunities for participation and excellence as possible.

I have two concerns with LB1135. Perhaps there is room for a compromise position.

1. Remove the references to the US Olympic Committee and National Governing Body entirely. If this is a parents' choice issue then it should be a parent's choice issue and should support all those involved in events covered by the NSAA regardless of whether or not it is covered by a National Governing Body or leads to the Olympics. Why should it be okay to play basketball for Nebraska Bison/Runza, but not for your local parish church? That is a real economic issue for many families. If you can afford the club - you get the exception. If you can't afford the club and want to compete locally, tough luck. (I don't know the reason for restricting the bill to these sports. I suspect it has something to do with using the Amateur Athletic Act for support for this bill and it only covers these sports, but I really don't know.) Perhaps a compromise could be to include rather than limit the bill to these sports... "including any sport governed by..." That would tie the bill to the Amateur Athletic Act without excluding other activities or sending the wrong message about the intent of the rule.

2. Add wording similar to the bill in Missouri that says that outside training and competition can take place without sanction from the high schools only after the requirements of the high school program have been met. Correspondence sent out by proponents of the bill would indicate that this is their intent, but it was not originally stated in the bill. Authority must be given to the high school coach. The rel ationship between high school and club coaches needs to be mutually supportive and mutually reinforcing.

I've copied the wording from the Missouri Bill below. The Missouri wording reflects a sense of the value of high school and the focus on the parents selecting what a child does outside of school. The Nebraska bill focus seems to devalue high school athletics and only value efforts by students that lead to the Olympics. I believe those ideas might be considered very narrow view points by some who promote youth sports and activities at all ability levels.

I have experience as an athlete, high school coach, and club coach under the NSAA system. I am a proud swimming alumnus of Lincoln Northeast High School and coached club in Nebraska for many years as well as coaching at Lincoln Northeast, Millard South, and Brownell-Talbot. In addition, I coached high school and club for almost twenty years in South Florida before returning to Nebraska to continue coaching here. I can speak from much experience on this subject.

The focus needs to be moved from the relative quality of high school programs and high school versus club programs, and from athletes attempting to get to the Olympics. The focus of this bill should be on choice and responsibility. As a coach, I would like to require lots of things from my athletes - behaviors and attitudes that I know will help them excel in swimming. Unfortunately, all I can do is have expectations of commitment during practice and meets, and provide them with the best coaching I am able at practice and meets. I can try to inspire my athletes to make good choices outside of the swimming pool, but I can't require them to do these things. Their free time is their own.

This bill, if amended to include protection for the high school programs to establish their requirements for participation, poses no threat to high school team swimming in Nebraska and provides for the opportunity for coaches and athletes to explore opportunities to help each athlete achieve their individual goals. It is a win-win proposition as it has been throughout the country.

This bill, if amended to eliminate wording involving National Governing Bodies and Olympic Development, sends a message to our athletes that we value the pursuit of athletic achievement at all levels without compromising the integrity and traditions of both participation and excellence of high school team competition.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeanie Neal

Jeanie Neal
900 Farnam Street #815
Omaha, NE 68132
402.505.2438

Missouri

SCS/SB 1366 - This substitute prohibits any public school district from creating a regulation, engaging in discriminatory behavior relating to, or entering into any agreement or contract with any entity that:
(1) Infringes in any manner on the opportunity of a student athlete to compete in or train for any sport, provided that the student athlete meets the requirements for participation in the high school program; and
(2) Levies any form of punishment or sanction against any student athlete for competing in or training for any sport, provided that the student athlete meets the requirements for participation in the high school program.


I've seen a copy of a letter sent to all the swim clubs, including the B-T Raiders. While I commend the author for taking action and trying to help get this bill passed, I do not agree with many statements made in the letter. It is my opinion that this bill is needed to allow for FULL participation, not just ELITE LEVEL participation.

I am a long time supporter of high school athletics. So, as much as I think it is needed, I wouldn't want to see this bill passed in it's present form. I have seen a draft of an amended bill that added wording about meeting requirements of the high school before participating outside of school. I think that's great. I've been told recently that the words "Olympic Sports" will be struck from the bill, but I haven't seen a completed draft. Hopefully a compromise can be reached.

For what it's worth, that's my opinion on LB1135. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the pool. I would also encourage you to post a comment.

Swimming & Cold Weather

In response to many inquiries from parents this month, I've looked everywhere I know trying to find information that would support staying out of the swimming pool during cold weather. I've not been able to find anything. I've read all the flyers on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website trying to find something that recommends wearing a hat or drying your hair or bundling up in cold weather to keep from getting a cold or the flu. They have several flyers promoting prevention of illness and not one of them list anything about wet hair or getting chilled as a risk factor for illness. Not one lists wearing a hat or drying your hair or not going outside after taking a shower as a recommended practice to prevent illness.

However the CDC does state the following: "Regular exercise is important to the maintenance and improvement of health."

The health benefits of swimming are many. Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, endurance, posture, and flexibility all at the same time.

I've listed some of the information I've found regarding swimming and cold weather. At the bottom of the list you will find the CDC recommendations for preventing colds and flu. Please follow these recommendations to help keep everyone healthy.

Bring your suit. Swim for your health, for your safety, and for the fun! Come on in! The water is a wonderfully warm 86 degrees year round!

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: "There is no evidence that you can get a cold from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated."
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/colds/cause.htm

American Lung Association: "Myth: You can catch the flu or a cold from going outdoors in cold weather. Fact: The flu and colds are more common in the winter months because that is when the viruses spread across the country. It has nothing to do with being outside in cold weather." www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9o0E&b=35869

Barnes Care Connection: "Although many people are convinced that a cold results from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated, research has found that these conditions have little or no effect on the development or severity of a cold."
www.barnescare.com/barnescare_bcc_content.aspx?id=1459

OurOhio.org: "There is no evidence that your chances of getting a cold are related to factors such as exercise, diet, exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated."
http://ourohio.org/index.php?page=stop-cold-flu-germs

CommonCold.org: "Myth: Becoming cold or chilled leads to catching a cold. Fact: Almost everybody becomes infected whether they are chilled or not, if cold virus is dropped into the nose. Colds were no more frequent or severe in volunteers who were chilled than those who were not." http://www.commoncold.org/special1.htm

Department of Health and Human Services Centers of Disease Control and Prevention: "Prevention: Strict attention to infection-control practices should decrease or prevent spread of infection. Frequent handwashing and not sharing items such as cups, glasses, and utensils with an infected person should decrease the spread of the virus to others. Excluding children with colds or other respiratory illnesses (without fever) who are well enough to attend child care or school settings will probably not decrease the spread of HPIVs, because the viruses are often spread in the early stages of illness." www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/hpivfeat.htm

More CDC information: By far, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each year. However, there are other good health habits that can help prevent the flu. These are:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/pdf/qa.pdf

KETV Channel 7 Story: Exercising when you have a cold: http://www.ketv.com/familyfitness/15112534/detail.html

FYI: I coached swimming in Jupiter, Florida for many, many years. Our swim team practiced year round in an outdoor pool. The rule for morning practice was 40 degrees we practice, 39 degees we don't practice. All of our swimmers were to check the Weather Channel and whatever the temperature was at 5:00 AM, that's the temp we used to determine whether or not to have swim practice that morning. We didn't have a temperature rule for afternoon/evening practices. We just swam regardless of the temperature.

We had hundreds of swimmers of all ages swim on our team over the years and the subject of swimming in cold weather leading to illness never came up! We didn't swim below 40 degrees because it wasn't much fun, not because we thought someone might get sick. (Mostly it wasn't much fun for Coach Neal to stand on the deck when it was in the 30's. The swimmers were just fine.) We regularly practiced in the morning and in the evening in temperatures in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. We always swam in the wind and rain. The only weather condition that would result in suspension of practice was lightning in the immediate area.

Swimming lessons were conducted in the outdoor pool year round and there was no temperature set for closing the pool to open swim. The pools remain open for lap and open swimming regardless of the air temperature. Swimmers would be very angry if they were told they couldn't swim because it's too cold. It's over 80 in the water, that's all that matters.

Of course, there are people who like to swim in cold water, not just in cold weather. Those people are just silly, silly, silly! I won't even take the time to write about such a crazy practice, no matter what the health benefits may be. Our pool is kept at a lovely 86 degrees year round. -jn

Swimming Safety Issues

Many parents seem to see participating in swimming as a "right". Children come to our pool all the time and want to be caught going off the board. They don't know how to swim, but at other pools they are allowed to jump off the board as long as someone catches them and assists them to the side.

Other children show up at our pool wearing flotation devices and believe that they should be allowed to wear them and have full use of all areas of the pool.

Five and six year old children are dropped off at the pool for open swim for hours at a time unsupervised by parents or other caregivers.

Apparently some parents believe that everyone has the same right to use the pool regardless of swimming ability. I disagree.

Parents and children don't seem to feel this same sense of entitlement for other activities. There seems to be more of a sense of age and ability appropriateness. Parents don't give bikes to children who can't walk yet. Bowling parties aren't planned for children who can't pick up a bowling ball. Three-year-olds don't often take thirty of their friends and go to a baseball game for a birthday party. Groups of kindergarteners don't often get dropped off at the movies or the mall and get picked up by their parents at the door two hours later.

However, swimmers who can't swim independently and who can't stand up in our 4' pool are routinely dropped off at the pool for private pool parties and open swim. Since we started our swim test rule over a year ago, these swimmers are not allowed to participate in swimming activities at our pool parties. I know that we've kept them safe, but I feel bad for those kids.

Children should be allowed to participate in swimming parties when they know how to swim independently. I don't think there is a more fun or an easier way to host a birthday party than a pool party at the Theisen Pool. However, it's not fun if you can't swim. It's not safe if you can't swim. Parents, it's okay to say "no." Learn to swim first and then host or attend a pool party.

When planning a pool party, please include only those that you are confident can pass our swimming test. If you have non-swimmers among the people you want to invite, plan something else so everyone can be safe. I know that everyone planning a party is doing so for the enjoyment of their guests and wouldn't want anyone to be uncomfortable, unsafe, or feel left out. We have invitation inserts available to print from our pool rental page informing all of your guests about our swim test rules.

Recently, we had four parties in one weekend, and I had to go into the water twice during the swim tests to retrieve young "swimmers." It wasn't fun for me or for the swimmers. I believe that these two swimmers would have had much more fun doing something else to celebrate their friends' birthdays. There were several swimmers at the parties that could just barely pass the 15' swim test. These swimmers spent most of the party watching their friends have fun. Again, I think another choice of venue might have been more appropriate.

The Theisen Pool is a public place, whether attending a private party or open swim. Please do not drop off children at the pool that you would not drop off at other public places alone. If you would not drop off your five-year-old at the mall to meet up with friends for a few hours, do not drop them off at the swimming pool without supervision. Our lifeguards will keep them safe while they are in the water, but our hallways, spectator areas, and locker rooms are not supervised. Neither do we keep children from leaving the pool area. Pool patrons are free to come and go at will.

Again, pool parties are great! The swimming pool is a wonderful place for children to hang out. We welcome "pool rats" hanging out at the Theisen Pool on Saturday afternoons. I'm asking that parents please consider the age, maturity, and swimming ability of your children when choosing water-related activities.

If you have any questions about pool party safety at our pool or in your own backyard pool, feel free to contact me at the pool office.

Jeanie Neal, aquatics@brownell.edu, 402.556.1205