Little Things Really Do Make The Difference!
Submitted by OJ Mesina
The Springdale Sailfish swim team took to the water this year with the goals to work hard, swim well, and have fun! After a short, but energy-packed, season I am proud to say that team achieved those goals! We were 59 swimmers strong this year and this includes 17 new members to the Springdale Sailfish community. Fifteen of those new swimmers came from our “farm system”, Springdale swim lessons!
I along with Coach Amanda and the newest member of our team Coach Joanna, worked very hard to meet our goals! Our younger kids made huge strides throughout the season. Many started not knowing all the strokes or not being able to finish a single lap; but by the end of season, many had surpassed my expectations and truly became Sailfish in the water. That is more rewarding than any championship.
The Sailfish finished a strong 2nd in the small team division of the Northern Suburban Swim League (NSSL) Championships! We competed against Norwood, Reading and St. Bernard. While first place was just out of reach (95 points…in swimming terms that not that much) I am overjoyed with the way our kids performed. At championships, 47% percent of our swimmers achieved personal best times on those two hot days! It truly shows that if you work hard at practice you will see the results. We had some bad luck on the second day that cost us valuable points, but our swimmers held their heads high and continued to swim hard! That is a true sign of a champion!
As the season has come to a come to a close, I look back and see that championships are won because of the little things - like coming to practice with the desire to get better, wanting to be pushed outside of your comfort zone, listening to feedback and applying it, and treating every day of the six week season as a way to make yourself better not only as an individual swimmer, but as a member of a team who’s mission is to do their best at the right time. I have no doubt that if the swimmers of 2011 Springdale Sailfish do those small things, there may be some thing even better to talk about next year! Little things really do make the difference.
Thanks to all those people who made this season a success! I am very proud of all my swimmers, parents, and coaches who put the effort into this great season! I couldn’t have done it without you! Can’t wait to see everyone next summer - hopefully, we will have a bunch of new faces eager to swim!
Swimmingly Yours - Coach OJ
Cardboard Boats Do Float!
Submitted by Katlyn Mukuda, Assistant Aquatics Director
This past Sunday we held our very first Cardboard Boat Regatta at the Springdale Pool. Kids and parents of all ages worked extremely hard at creating boats to race (and hopefully not sink!) Our hopes seemed to be dashed when the storm clouds came rolling in. But by some strange stretch of luck we were able to hold our regatta later that day. The clouds parted, the sun shone through, and soon some of the most colorful and exciting boats began arriving.There were boats of every shape, size, and color. There were boats small enough for just one captain and others large enough to hold a crew of three! One boat had streamers and bright colors. Another paid homage to our very own Springdale Sailfish. The next boat was a pirate ship complete with a crew of fearsome pirates. There was even a terrifying dragon, ready to gobble up anyone who might cross its path!
Once all of our captains and crews arrived the race was ready to begin. The first race had five fantastic ships: Dragon Behind, the S.S. Moo, the Ro-Boat, the Floater, and B-Rad. The crews entered the water and the race was on! The Ro-Boat was the first to topple, but the crew managed to climb aboard and make it to the finish. The S.S. Moo had a great start, but soon took on too much water. B-Rad took off down the lane and left a few boats in its wake. Dragon Behind intimidated its competition, but it was no match for the Floater that sped down the lane and ended winning the first race in a mere 52 seconds!
The second race held some heavy competition. The boats competing included: the S.S. Holidae, the Pirate Ship, the Party Boat, and the S.S. Clay. The S.S. Holidae crewed by the lifeguards, needed saving right away as it toppled over and filled with water. The S.S. Clay took off down the lane (unfortunately because it was manned by one of the lifeguards, it was not able to be a winner.) The Party Boat made an impressive start before tipping over and throwing its crew of ladies into the pool. In fact, the Part Boat ladies tried several times to climb aboard their ship, but each time were thwarted by the rough waves! The Pirate Ship made the best showing in the second race and made it all the way to the end before tossing its crew of pirates into Davy Jones’ Locker!
After all of the laughing, splashing, and soaking wet cardboard, we finally had our winners. The Floater won fastest boat, Dragon Behind won Best Looking, and the Party Boat won the Titanic Award for Most Spectacular Sinking! All in all it was a fantastic day thanks to the crews of all the amazing boats. We can’t wait to do it again!
Aqua Zumba Your Way To Fitness!
Sounds from the islands will drift from the speakers at Springdale pool on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings this summer!
AQUA ZUMBA IS COMING TO SPRINGDALE……………
This NEW class ,Watercize w/Aqua Zumba, is a combination of Latin, International, and upbeat aerobic music, using Latin dance moves with a variety of water fitness routines. It is a fun, safe, and effective workout for all ages and fitness levels. Let your body move through the water while shedding pounds and inches, as well as developing muscle tone and flexibility.
You don’t need to be a dancer for this class, the dance steps are easy to follow!
Come out and move your body to the rhythms in the refreshing water while having fun and enjoying the festive music from the islands.
Aqua Zumba is new to Springdale, but promises to be a fun fitness experience.
SEE YOU AT THE POOL JUNE 9 - JULY 10
Patricia A Cox, AFAA & Zumba certified instructor
Say “Goodbye” to Summer
It’s always sad to see the pool close at the end of summer. The old swimming hole, now empty, looks desolate; chairs and diving boards are put away, the lifeguard office is empty and the familiar sound of kids having fun can only be faintly heard coming from a distant soccer field.
On the other hand, there is a sense of relief that accompanies the sad feeling. Relief knowing, no one was seriously hurt, no outbreaks of cryptosporidium, or near drownings. This doesn’t happen by chance, it takes a “swim team” to keep the Community Center pool a safe place to swim. The “team” includes a well-managed and trained aquatic staff, parents that watch their children, and kids that know and follow the pool rules. More than 6,000 people visited the pool this year and lifeguards alone cannot solely be responsible for the well-being of that many people. Fortunately, most pool-goers respect and listen to the lifeguards. The aquatic staff also taught over 300 adults and children how to swim. Not only is the ability to swim a lifelong skill but it can literally save you or your child’s life.
All of these things help us keep everyone safe while visiting the Community Center pool and for this, the entire aquatic staff says thank you for a great summer and being a part of our winning “team”!
See you next summer!
Amy, OJ, Zach, Shannon, Greg, Kelsey, Michelle, Jo, Amanda, Lindsey, Bailey, Marcus, Clay, Kaitlin, Sonny, Alyssa, Megan, Kelly, Melody, Nick, Abby, Andrea and Zippy too!
Oh Crap!
Written by Sharon Casselman
I must admit I was a pool rat. Growing up I spent every day at the pool, rain or shine it didn’t matter. After a full day of swimming, my mom would say, “well you sure don’t need a bath tonight!” Many years later, I hate to say it but mom was mistaken, and I lived to tell about it!
It’s a delicate topic, and nobody wants to talk about it, but it happens. Your child may have been the one who just couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time, worse yet, some of you may have seen it but didn’t say anything. It’s one of the not-so-glamorous things the aquatic staff has to deal with. The only thing the staff cares about is if it’s solid! Because, if it’s not, the pool is required to close for at least thirteen hours! More on that later….
So what do we do when it happens? The pool is cleared immediately, and it is removed and disposed of in a sanitary manner. The chorine should be raise to 2 parts per million (ppm), we generally keep our chlorine at 2 ppm, so, as an added precaution, we raise the chlorine to 3 ppm and “spot” treat the area with granular chlorine. Ph must be maintained at 7.5 or less, and the temperature at 77 degrees or higher. Our Ph is regularly maintained at 7.2-7.4 and the temperature at 78 degrees or warmer. We maintain these levels for at least 60 minutes before reopening the pool. These procedures exceed those required by Health Department and The Center for Disease Control.
So what about diarrhea? We pray it doesn’t happen but unfortunately it could. In a nutshell, we would clear the pool immediately and remove as much of it as possible. The chlorine must be raised to 20 ppm, the Ph must be maintained at Ph of 7.5 or less and a temperature of 77 degrees or higher for at least 13 hours. Next is a thorough backwash (cleaning of the filters). When the chemical ranges are back to normal, then, and only then, could we re-open.
This might be a little more information than you wanted, but now you can rest assured we do everything in our power to keep you safe while swimming in our pool.
Heaven knows the summer is filled with all kinds of potential dangers, exploding firecrackers, poison ivy, and sunburns. We do not need to dodge doo-doo in the pool!
From one pool rat to another, here’s wishing the rest of your summer is fun, chlorine-filled, and doo-doo free!
Reflections of a Sailfish
Posted by Amy Radcliff, Sailfish Coach
Wow, the past few days have been some of the most exciting of the entire summer! The NSSL championship meet was this past Monday and Tuesday and this year it was hosted at our pool. That means that the Springdale Sailfish had the home pool advantage.
The Sailfish have been practicing every morning since the beginning of June, and every swimmer has made huge improvements. Some swimmers came to practice hesitant to get into the water and unable to swim the entire length of the pool. I can now say that EVERY sailfish can jump (or dive) off the blocks and swim the entire length of the pool! Our team improved their technique, endurance and speed over the season; and their hard work paid off at championships.
The meet was a long one. Monday consisted of a morning session for the younger swimmers and an afternoon session for the older ones. The top 12 swimmers in each event on Monday swam for the finals on Tuesday. I am proud to announce that we had 29 swimmers compete in Tuesday’s meet and the Sailfish Swim Team finished in third place!
Overall, this season was fun for the swimmers and their coaches and we are all looking forward to the 2010 season!
Help Prevent Swimming Hazards
Written by: Sharon Casselman
The pool is close to home, inexpensive and there’s nothing better than a cool, refreshing dip in our beautiful pool on a sweltering day. Unfortunately, even the cleanest looking pools can have harmful parasites lurking in the crystal clear water. Fortunately, the Springdale Parks and Recreation Aquatic staff, Ohio Dept. of Health and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are responsible partners in the prevention of Recreational Water Illness (RWI).
Remember that when you swim, you are swimming with everyone and everything that’s in the water, whether it’s a pool, lake, pond, river or ocean! I’ll stick with the pool for right now.
Help keep germs out of the pool and prevent RWIs:
- Don’t swim if you or your child have diarrhea.
- Don’t swallow pool water
- Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
- Take children on frequent bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Every hour we call a rest (adult) break and it’s a perfect opportunity for a potty break!
- Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area, not poolside.
- Wash children thoroughly, especially the buttocks, with soap and water before they go swimming.
- If your child has an accident in or around the pool, inform the staff immediately. It might be a little embarrassing but no one dies from embarrassment!
A final word on lakes, ponds, rivers and the ocean; they all can be contaminated by humans, sewage spills, animal waste, and water runoff. Some common germs can also live for long periods of time in salt water. I think I’ll stick with the Community Center pool!
Don’t miss my next blog: Someone pooped in the pool. Now what?