Had an extensive conversation on the phone with Joe, new leader with NA’s Tiger Water Polo board. We covered a lot of ground.
Need Workers
Need lifeguards and swim instructors and helpers with Swim & Water Polo Camp. Apply.
Need lifeguards, swim instructors and junior lifeguards with The Pittsburgh Project. Use the above link for now.
Need lifeguards elsewhere in the city to help with indoor camp. Use same link for now.
https://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2015/04/time-to-apply-for-2015-staff-for-our.html
Get Lifeguard Certified
Lifeguard classes are generally updated at https://Guard.CLOH.org. Leave a contact if interested on suitable page in the forums.
Big demands exist for guards of all ages and work schedules.
Need Water Polo players this summer for Masters practices
Play water polo in the city, outdoors, every Tuesday and Thursday evening at Citiparks Ammon Pool. https://Swim.CLOH.org/water-polo/ Also, watch the calendar posted at CLOH.org.
Saturday Swim School needs programming ideas and commitments for remainder of spring and next fall.
This is the time to organize for September to December 2018. Are there days and times when it makes sense to hold a joint game day? See Saturday Swim School at https://Swim.CLOH.org/saturdays/
Monday night, let’s do open water swimming at Potters Cover with Joella
Swimming to the bridge and back makes the 500-free a breeze next winter. And, why don’t we bring the water polo balls and have the players dribble the ball to the bridge and back too. Then after a mile or three of open water swimming, we can pass the ball around in the deep end of the lake.
Weather permitting, of course. But, it is scheduled every week.
A summer pass is affordable. The USA Triathlon membership for kids under 18 is like $10. Then pay a bit each day or get the season pass.
The cost for adults isn’t expensive.
Let’s set up some car pools and go every Monday this summer.
Get Fit Families has its kick off on May 21, 2018, with the open water swims. See you each Monday night at Porter’s Cove.
Also sign up for a Tri or two with their race series.
Also, see: https://www.active.com/triathlon/beginner
New high school programs possible
South Park, Mt. Lebo, and one day, Upper St. Clair are all brewing with possible program expansion into water polo. Details and contacts welcome.
SKWIM is the way to go for growing the sport of water polo
I feel strongly that we should be taking SKWIM to new places, urgently, as a pathway to water polo. Let’s introduce SKWIM to all the northern summer swim teams that have their swim meets on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings throughout the summer.
We are presenting SKWIM again to the swim coaches in the Country Club League in western Pennsylvania. That league has clubs from Butler to the the Mon Valley.
We can host the summer teams for a SKWIM game in the city at The Pittsburgh Project. Plus, we can send a crew of our kids and a coach out to their site to introduce the game of SKWIM to them at their pools. Call me, 412-298-3432. What date works for you?
I have disks in Pittsburgh now. We can provide the first one, gratis, after a clinic. Then it would be great to purchase 2 or more for about $25 each via eLifeguard.com. When you play with the kids, it is good to have a few extra disks to keep the game moving when one gets tossed or blocked onto the pool deck.
Water Safety Outreach Program
We are going to launch a Ten-step water safety program in 2018 and need some helpers. Efforts include a pathway to certification and digital badges. We need to keep our kids OUT of going to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC.
A draft plan of that program is being crafted now.
CMU will be needing a women’s water polo coach
Now that Jen is departing the area, we need to get the word out to others that CMU’s women’s water polo team will need a water polo coach. I did that job for a year before Jen stepped up. Who is next there?
Labor Day plans
Looks like we’ll be able to host Men’s NCAA Water Polo games with W&J and other college teams from the Erie area in an outdoor pool in Pittsburgh with the help of City of Pittsburgh’s Citiparks. These are slated for Saturday, September 1, 2018. There is much to plan and discuss about these opportunities. Can we turn this into a viable festival? Are there other activities that can be associated with the event, perhaps throughout the entire weekend?
We’d love to have a season ending celebration that then kicks off the winter season.
How about if we all march with the Lifeguards of the region in the Labor Day Parade on Monday too?
On Sunday, we might try to host a swim meet / time trial to kick off the new Flex Membership with USA Swimming. I’m hopeful that could happen at the JCC Family Park in Monroeville.
I might be able to get a sponsorship with AutoCoach for the time trial. How about an 800-meter or T30 and allow fins and paddles. Could go 2 in a lane.
August and September Rookie Camp for Water Polo
If we offered a serious program that went five or six days per week for the duration of August and September, and it included some games, I think we’d have a program that would rival the pee-wee football offerings that are so popular in the city. Some kids do not play football. Most camps end by August’s first week. Sure, school begins, but we also have other opportunities to keep a pool open, or to put a water polo program in a central location and get kids from various places joining together.
Sarah Heinz House is one such possibility.
That water polo camp could include an exhibition game at the Labor Day Weekend event with the college kids.
This needs to be planned now.
Perhaps South Park? Perhaps the diving well at Settlers Cabin? Perhaps we keep the swim pool open at The Pittsburgh Project. They generally close on or about August 2, as their camp ends.
New opportunity – Visitors from China might come to Pittsburgh
See the other posting on another page.
South Park news is pending
I’m going to meet with the coach at South Park HS and Aqua Team on Sunday. Perhaps we’ll chart a couple of different options as to ramping up that program in the months to come.
