Anyone know which movie my subject/title is from? Anyone? Bueller? (not Ferris Bueller's Day Off)......it's from '13 Going On 30'. Love that movie. Watched it the night before my 30th Bday Shindig. Pictures will be posted eventually.
My apologies for my disappearing act - July was a CRAZY month. The swim team engulfed my life - literally - and I nearly had a breakdown on several occasions. Thank goodness for Lacey and AnnMarie (my assistant coaches)! They definitely helped keep me sane and as a sounding board to let me know I wasn't imagining things with this one parent from hell. I swear to you all that is NOT an exaggeration. If you want full details I can relish you with them some other time. I'd like to keep this particular post on a positive end :-)
So ....the question mark......at the end of my subject. Because the jury's still out. Am I Thirty, Flirty and Thriving? For the most part, yes. Yes to 30. Yes to Flirty. And partially Yes to Thriving. I've been so busy the last month that I haven't really had any me time and although I took some time for my birthday and a friend's birthday - I haven't done anything. I haven't seen some of my closest friends in a while. I miss them. I'm hoping August will help me with that. I have TONS more time this month, although I find myself doing whatever I can to keep myself busy. Did I mention how bad I am at relaxing? :-)
Things to do this month:
-Spend time with friends!
-Work on the RTF 5K stuff
-Finish my summer class
-Get my 2nd USSwimming Cert
-Get Re-certified in CPR/First Aid
-Go to Phillies Games
-Organize a Renfrew Presentation at LMHS
-Teach more Spin Classes
-Find a way to make more money (haha, as always)
-Eventually Relax
Those are just a few things that have been building up on my list of things to accomplish this summer. I have to say, after the June and July I had, I don't know if I am going to want to coach again next summer. The kids were amazing but it was a single parent that ruined what was supposed to be an awesome summer. Amazing how ONE bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. We'll see. I need some time away from it before I make any solid decisions.
I hope to blog every day this month. I have a lot to talk about. I haven't really had a chance to voice anything about what's going on in my head or heart as of late. So, Painter, just for you...I'll be sharing an extraordinary amount of personal information in the next month - hold on to your butts! :-)
As for now - I'm off to the gym (the one thing I did manage to continue with during my crazy two months) to run. Side note - I started doing some P90X workouts - not as tough as I thought they'd be....I was/am slightly disappointed.
Hasta luego!
Showing posts with label Swim team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swim team. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Dealing with Swim Team Parents
Now that I've been a swim coach for about two years, I think there's quite a few things I've learned in the process. The technical stuff is neither here nor there - but it's the dealing with the parents that has been interesting.
If you're not of the coaching world, or have never played an organized sport growing up, you won't know that there are a variety of parents and athletes out there and that there are a variety of ways to deal with them. If you have or are then you can skip over the rest of this blog post and go read your favorite book :-).
In the last two years I've realized that not only are most parents taller children disguised as adults, but the majority of them believe their child (which is probably a given) is the best thing since sliced bread. *Disclaimer - I am not yet a parent so I don't know what that feeling is like to have a kid but I can pretty much guarantee I am not going to lead my child to believe they are the best at something if they aren't and I am certainly not going to push them to do a sport they don't want to do.
That being said - here's a bit of an insight to the kinds of people I deal with on a regular basis:
There are several kinds of swim team parents:
The Over-Involved - not to be confused with 'The Involved' parent. These parents are the ones that stand on the side of the pool during practice and hover. I like to affectionately call them 'helicopter parents'. These are the parents that think they know everything about the sport and keep themselves at somewhat of a distance from the coach but close enough so that they can see if their child is being given enough attention. The helicopter parents are also the ones that will come up to a coach during practice to ask how their child is doing and talk to the coach about the skills they think their child(ren) need to improve on.
Negatives - they're always there, it can feel like they're judging your coaching skills, they know their kids are 'the best'! They don't always help at meets because they would rather watch their kids and other kids to see what the competition is like.
Positives - their kids are almost always at meets, they rarely miss practice (which can also be a negative), and they are always okay with constructive criticism. They're generally the most receptive of parents I deal with - they just hang around A LOT.
The Involved - these are the parents that are always at practices but just hang out somewhere else and let the coach do their thing. They agree to help at meets, they have a positive attitude and want their kid to improve their swimming.
Negatives: these are the parents that are quick to complain. These kinds of parents might not necessarily be acclimated to the world of swimming and so when they realize that a child should be swimming a lot at swim practice (go figure), they complain that it's making the child too tired. (swim practice + trying hard = tiredness....who knew?) These parents are the ones that will not confront you directly and will find a round about way of telling you how to do your job.
Positives: their kids are usually the ones that are the most receptive to learn. If theses parents have a positive attitude, they'll bring their kids to practices often and encourage more work. If these parents have a negative (I know everything) attitude, they'll most likely quit the team and never return to swimming (or find another coach that doesn't help them do what they're paying for).
The Aloof/Uninvolved - these are the parents that drop their kids off at practice and don't stay -ever. I realize some parents are busy and have to rush around to do things but as a coach, I'm not a babysitter - please don't drop your kids off for two hours thinking it's free babysitting. So when your kid whines and complains at practice and they want to get out and you aren't there to see that there are 10 other kids we're watching - don't come up to me and complain that your daughter or son isn't in the pool. These are also the parents that don't get involved with meets - don't read the emails/notices we send out and are always asking the questions that have already been answered.
Negatives: these kinds of parents are a lot of work and their kids are usually the ones that give us the most trouble in practices. Their lack of presence is usually an indication of their activeness in their child's life. When something goes wrong, they blame the coach instead of taking a look at their child (in this way they have some of the same qualities of the helicopter parents). These are also the parents whose kids usually miss meets and don't tell the coaches.
Positives: they are the complete opposite of helicopter parents in that they aren't hovering. They "trust" that the practices they've dropped them off for are helping and usually coaches only hear from them if the child comes home complaining.
The Apologetic's - these are the parents that know their children are a handful from the get-go and apologize ahead of time. Their kids are usually the ones that either come to practice crying (for whatever reason), swim two laps and realize they're behind and start crying, or just stop at the wall and don't do anything. Their kids are also usually the ones who get out and go to the bathroom and either never return or stay there for an inordinate amount of time which makes you think they're performing some kind of medical surgery in there....for all you know, as a coach, this could be true. These parents are the ones that apologize for their kids not making it to practice/being late - when as coaches all we think about is, "hey, it's your money that's getting wasted". They apologize for everything......
Negatives: There are only so many excuses and only so many times someone can hear "i'm sorry" - leave it at home. Just come to practice knowing the coaches are there to help and we're just happy your kid showed up - even if they're late. These are also the parents that are similar to the uninvolved in that they usually have some reason they can't help out at a meet or that their kid can't come.
Positives: Their concern is genuine. They truly want their child to succeed and don't want it to cause any kind of problem for the coach. They generally have a good attitude toward the sport and let the coach do their thing.
The Know-It-All's: These parents are similar to the Over-Involved in the fact that they feel as though they know everything about the sport of swimming. Usually their child has been swimming for a good number of years and they're probably some of the best swimmers a coach has on the team (with a few exceptions). These parents don't generally hover like the over-involved but they do let their opinion be known to the coach and whoever else will listen to them. Having grown up in a house with a mother who was one of these parents, it's generally more embarrassing for the kid to be scene with this parent than anything else which is why they're typically not at practices. These parents are the ones that "know everything" about stroke technique, practice lengths, etc. They offer suggestions and give examples of the other practices their children have had with other high quality swim clubs. In reality, they're trying to figure out where you, as a coach, stand in relation to the others their kids have had. They want to know if you'll be easier or harder so they can decide if they want their kid to come to your practice or go to a different one. They want to know if you're going to make their kid an Olympic Athlete.....basically.
Negatives: I think it's self-explanatory but these parents are usually the ones that get on coaches nerves the majority of the time. These are the parents that believe they know what's best for their child (rightly so, it is their child) and even though you're the coach and they're paying you money to know what's best for them - it doesn't matter - your opinion is usually not taken into account.
Positives: these are the parents who want the sport to succeed. These parents are usually the first to get involved in fundraisers and who want their children to be the best so they're always at practices.
Dealing with these parents:
Personally - I deal with every parent in the same way - as if they were children and they all need that special attention without sounding condescending or mean. Like I said in the beginning, all these parents are looking for is positive reinforcement for their kids. They appreciate the truth and for those that are a little bit more sensitive, you alter the approach in the conversation. There are definitely some parents that are a little more high maintenance than others - you figure out, over time, how to deal with them.
A good friend and fellow coach once told me that being a coach is more than just coaching a sport - it's being a therapist, a counselor, an instructor/teacher, an enemy, a friend, and a mentor. It's a balance that's hard to manage at first - and I have to say after having only done two years of it so far, it can be a challenge - but when have I ever backed away from a challenge? :-)
If you're not of the coaching world, or have never played an organized sport growing up, you won't know that there are a variety of parents and athletes out there and that there are a variety of ways to deal with them. If you have or are then you can skip over the rest of this blog post and go read your favorite book :-).
In the last two years I've realized that not only are most parents taller children disguised as adults, but the majority of them believe their child (which is probably a given) is the best thing since sliced bread. *Disclaimer - I am not yet a parent so I don't know what that feeling is like to have a kid but I can pretty much guarantee I am not going to lead my child to believe they are the best at something if they aren't and I am certainly not going to push them to do a sport they don't want to do.
That being said - here's a bit of an insight to the kinds of people I deal with on a regular basis:
There are several kinds of swim team parents:
The Over-Involved - not to be confused with 'The Involved' parent. These parents are the ones that stand on the side of the pool during practice and hover. I like to affectionately call them 'helicopter parents'. These are the parents that think they know everything about the sport and keep themselves at somewhat of a distance from the coach but close enough so that they can see if their child is being given enough attention. The helicopter parents are also the ones that will come up to a coach during practice to ask how their child is doing and talk to the coach about the skills they think their child(ren) need to improve on.
Negatives - they're always there, it can feel like they're judging your coaching skills, they know their kids are 'the best'! They don't always help at meets because they would rather watch their kids and other kids to see what the competition is like.
Positives - their kids are almost always at meets, they rarely miss practice (which can also be a negative), and they are always okay with constructive criticism. They're generally the most receptive of parents I deal with - they just hang around A LOT.
The Involved - these are the parents that are always at practices but just hang out somewhere else and let the coach do their thing. They agree to help at meets, they have a positive attitude and want their kid to improve their swimming.
Negatives: these are the parents that are quick to complain. These kinds of parents might not necessarily be acclimated to the world of swimming and so when they realize that a child should be swimming a lot at swim practice (go figure), they complain that it's making the child too tired. (swim practice + trying hard = tiredness....who knew?) These parents are the ones that will not confront you directly and will find a round about way of telling you how to do your job.
Positives: their kids are usually the ones that are the most receptive to learn. If theses parents have a positive attitude, they'll bring their kids to practices often and encourage more work. If these parents have a negative (I know everything) attitude, they'll most likely quit the team and never return to swimming (or find another coach that doesn't help them do what they're paying for).
The Aloof/Uninvolved - these are the parents that drop their kids off at practice and don't stay -ever. I realize some parents are busy and have to rush around to do things but as a coach, I'm not a babysitter - please don't drop your kids off for two hours thinking it's free babysitting. So when your kid whines and complains at practice and they want to get out and you aren't there to see that there are 10 other kids we're watching - don't come up to me and complain that your daughter or son isn't in the pool. These are also the parents that don't get involved with meets - don't read the emails/notices we send out and are always asking the questions that have already been answered.
Negatives: these kinds of parents are a lot of work and their kids are usually the ones that give us the most trouble in practices. Their lack of presence is usually an indication of their activeness in their child's life. When something goes wrong, they blame the coach instead of taking a look at their child (in this way they have some of the same qualities of the helicopter parents). These are also the parents whose kids usually miss meets and don't tell the coaches.
Positives: they are the complete opposite of helicopter parents in that they aren't hovering. They "trust" that the practices they've dropped them off for are helping and usually coaches only hear from them if the child comes home complaining.
The Apologetic's - these are the parents that know their children are a handful from the get-go and apologize ahead of time. Their kids are usually the ones that either come to practice crying (for whatever reason), swim two laps and realize they're behind and start crying, or just stop at the wall and don't do anything. Their kids are also usually the ones who get out and go to the bathroom and either never return or stay there for an inordinate amount of time which makes you think they're performing some kind of medical surgery in there....for all you know, as a coach, this could be true. These parents are the ones that apologize for their kids not making it to practice/being late - when as coaches all we think about is, "hey, it's your money that's getting wasted". They apologize for everything......
Negatives: There are only so many excuses and only so many times someone can hear "i'm sorry" - leave it at home. Just come to practice knowing the coaches are there to help and we're just happy your kid showed up - even if they're late. These are also the parents that are similar to the uninvolved in that they usually have some reason they can't help out at a meet or that their kid can't come.
Positives: Their concern is genuine. They truly want their child to succeed and don't want it to cause any kind of problem for the coach. They generally have a good attitude toward the sport and let the coach do their thing.
The Know-It-All's: These parents are similar to the Over-Involved in the fact that they feel as though they know everything about the sport of swimming. Usually their child has been swimming for a good number of years and they're probably some of the best swimmers a coach has on the team (with a few exceptions). These parents don't generally hover like the over-involved but they do let their opinion be known to the coach and whoever else will listen to them. Having grown up in a house with a mother who was one of these parents, it's generally more embarrassing for the kid to be scene with this parent than anything else which is why they're typically not at practices. These parents are the ones that "know everything" about stroke technique, practice lengths, etc. They offer suggestions and give examples of the other practices their children have had with other high quality swim clubs. In reality, they're trying to figure out where you, as a coach, stand in relation to the others their kids have had. They want to know if you'll be easier or harder so they can decide if they want their kid to come to your practice or go to a different one. They want to know if you're going to make their kid an Olympic Athlete.....basically.
Negatives: I think it's self-explanatory but these parents are usually the ones that get on coaches nerves the majority of the time. These are the parents that believe they know what's best for their child (rightly so, it is their child) and even though you're the coach and they're paying you money to know what's best for them - it doesn't matter - your opinion is usually not taken into account.
Positives: these are the parents who want the sport to succeed. These parents are usually the first to get involved in fundraisers and who want their children to be the best so they're always at practices.
Dealing with these parents:
Personally - I deal with every parent in the same way - as if they were children and they all need that special attention without sounding condescending or mean. Like I said in the beginning, all these parents are looking for is positive reinforcement for their kids. They appreciate the truth and for those that are a little bit more sensitive, you alter the approach in the conversation. There are definitely some parents that are a little more high maintenance than others - you figure out, over time, how to deal with them.
A good friend and fellow coach once told me that being a coach is more than just coaching a sport - it's being a therapist, a counselor, an instructor/teacher, an enemy, a friend, and a mentor. It's a balance that's hard to manage at first - and I have to say after having only done two years of it so far, it can be a challenge - but when have I ever backed away from a challenge? :-)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Do what you can with what you have, where you are....
Whew! Wasn't I supposed to update just a day or two after my last post? Hah - sorry! Things got kind of hectic around here - and it doesn't seem like they're going to slow down one bit...a good and bad thing.
The Good:
It's keeping me out of my house.
I'm making money and saving it.
I'm staying sane.
The Bad:
Lack of social life and seeing my friends.
I'm tired by the time the weekend comes which effects the previous statement.
So what exactly have I been up to? Well I won't bore you with the details but for the most part it's been:
Coaching
School
Work at Cabrini
Doing homework for school
Reading for school
The first real break I had was this past Saturday and you know what I did? I sat on my mom's recliner and watched College Basketball ALL DAY! 'Twas glorious and I didn't feel guilty in the least. Ok, ok...I did do some homework in between games and I did go to the gym for a run.
Speaking of running - I was actually going to run outside this morning and then I checked the temperature....12! Yikes! Yeah - I guess I'll be going to the gym again. I just want to run outside again so badly! The streets are mostly clear of snow now so I figured it'd be a good day but 12 is too cold. Maybe I should've just gone and not looked at the temps. Ah well...Hindsight is 20/20, right? But I definitely need to run outside at least once before the 19th! I'm running the Frostbite Five Miler! And yes those are penguins! Bethany convinced me to run it. It's my first race of 2011! Plenty more to come after that:
March - Phillies 5K
May - Broad Street and ODDessey Half Marathon
June - Possibly the KOP 10 Miler and Philly Tri (Olympic)
September - Rock n' Roll Half
October - Hershey Half Marathon!
November - Philly Marathon (eek!)
I'm sure there will be other shorter races thrown in there somewhere/somehow! I'm also trying to do more cross training this year to prevent injury. I've been spinning more and am going to start working out with a group on Tuesday and Thursday Mornings to keep things interesting. As of right now I'm averaging about 23-27 miles a week - a definite increase since last year. Although this week I've only run 4 miles so far! Ha :-) Hopefully I'll get 8 in today - 6 tomorrow and 6 or 7 in on Saturday with a few junk miles on Friday.
The regular swim season is over (tear) but today is actually the Silver Meet (kind of like B champs) and Presidents Day weekend is Central League Champs. March 3rd and 4th is Districts at La Salle! Yeah baby! My alma mater! And then States (which I don't think any of my girls will qualify for) is March 18th and 19th (but I'm still going anyway!). I was actually asked to help coach Lacrosse at LMHS this spring. We'll see if I get that job. The money would be great! If not, I'll just work at Baldwin 5 days a week.
I have some feelers out there for a summer job. Please think good thoughts for me. If I get it I'd be coaching and managing a pool. Which would mean I can move out! I've been looking at some apartments near Havertown and the Main Line. It'd be such a quicker commute for all of my things - Cabrini, Baldwin, LMHS Swim/Lax - and I'd be able to walk a lot of places and save on gas. Here's hoping!
Oh! I almost forgot - I am auditioning to teach spinning this week (my first class would be Sunday the 20th at 8:15AM at the LAF Collegeville - a little far but won't be much traffic on Sunday mornings). Yay for another way of making money and staying fit! Here's hoping I can start doing those on a more regular basis. No it's not a ton of money but I've missed teaching those classes and making spinning mixes. I think they're going to like my first class music list!
As for other things - I've been out of my house for most of the days in the last few weeks or so - with the exception of the snow days we've had (ugh, I'm so over winter!) - I like always having something to do. I feel badly that I'm slacking in some areas of my life over others but I guess that's what happens. There's only so much I can do - unless the days were made to be 36 hours instead of 24 and the weekends were 5 days instead of two - then I'd get everything done!
Until the next time...which I won't promise will be tomorrow....adieu my lovelies
The Good:
It's keeping me out of my house.
I'm making money and saving it.
I'm staying sane.
The Bad:
Lack of social life and seeing my friends.
I'm tired by the time the weekend comes which effects the previous statement.
So what exactly have I been up to? Well I won't bore you with the details but for the most part it's been:
Coaching
School
Work at Cabrini
Doing homework for school
Reading for school
The first real break I had was this past Saturday and you know what I did? I sat on my mom's recliner and watched College Basketball ALL DAY! 'Twas glorious and I didn't feel guilty in the least. Ok, ok...I did do some homework in between games and I did go to the gym for a run.
Speaking of running - I was actually going to run outside this morning and then I checked the temperature....12! Yikes! Yeah - I guess I'll be going to the gym again. I just want to run outside again so badly! The streets are mostly clear of snow now so I figured it'd be a good day but 12 is too cold. Maybe I should've just gone and not looked at the temps. Ah well...Hindsight is 20/20, right? But I definitely need to run outside at least once before the 19th! I'm running the Frostbite Five Miler! And yes those are penguins! Bethany convinced me to run it. It's my first race of 2011! Plenty more to come after that:
March - Phillies 5K
May - Broad Street and ODDessey Half Marathon
June - Possibly the KOP 10 Miler and Philly Tri (Olympic)
September - Rock n' Roll Half
October - Hershey Half Marathon!
November - Philly Marathon (eek!)
I'm sure there will be other shorter races thrown in there somewhere/somehow! I'm also trying to do more cross training this year to prevent injury. I've been spinning more and am going to start working out with a group on Tuesday and Thursday Mornings to keep things interesting. As of right now I'm averaging about 23-27 miles a week - a definite increase since last year. Although this week I've only run 4 miles so far! Ha :-) Hopefully I'll get 8 in today - 6 tomorrow and 6 or 7 in on Saturday with a few junk miles on Friday.
The regular swim season is over (tear) but today is actually the Silver Meet (kind of like B champs) and Presidents Day weekend is Central League Champs. March 3rd and 4th is Districts at La Salle! Yeah baby! My alma mater! And then States (which I don't think any of my girls will qualify for) is March 18th and 19th (but I'm still going anyway!). I was actually asked to help coach Lacrosse at LMHS this spring. We'll see if I get that job. The money would be great! If not, I'll just work at Baldwin 5 days a week.
I have some feelers out there for a summer job. Please think good thoughts for me. If I get it I'd be coaching and managing a pool. Which would mean I can move out! I've been looking at some apartments near Havertown and the Main Line. It'd be such a quicker commute for all of my things - Cabrini, Baldwin, LMHS Swim/Lax - and I'd be able to walk a lot of places and save on gas. Here's hoping!
Oh! I almost forgot - I am auditioning to teach spinning this week (my first class would be Sunday the 20th at 8:15AM at the LAF Collegeville - a little far but won't be much traffic on Sunday mornings). Yay for another way of making money and staying fit! Here's hoping I can start doing those on a more regular basis. No it's not a ton of money but I've missed teaching those classes and making spinning mixes. I think they're going to like my first class music list!
As for other things - I've been out of my house for most of the days in the last few weeks or so - with the exception of the snow days we've had (ugh, I'm so over winter!) - I like always having something to do. I feel badly that I'm slacking in some areas of my life over others but I guess that's what happens. There's only so much I can do - unless the days were made to be 36 hours instead of 24 and the weekends were 5 days instead of two - then I'd get everything done!
Until the next time...which I won't promise will be tomorrow....adieu my lovelies
Sunday, January 9, 2011
All I do is win....?
All I Do is win win win no matter what
got money on mind i can never get enough
and everytime I step up in the building
everybody hands go up
and they stay there
and they say yeah
and they stay there
Up down, up down
cause all I do is win win win
and if you goin’ in put your hands in the air..
That's my most current jam. Yep - I have a jam. No matter how bad of a mood I'm in - this song makes me feel awesome. Trust me - it's a pretty good song to get yourself pumped up with....
It kind of is a precursor to the weeks ahead too - we have 6 more regular meets this season - we're most likely going to win all of them - unless I mess something terribly up in our lineups. That being said, so far I've had one of my girls qualify for an individual race for Districts and our Medley Relay qualify for Districts too! Just trying to get a few more individual qualifications and hopefully we'll be all set. From there, who knows. Top 12 usually make it to States. Keep your fingers crossed!
Whew - this past week was a crazy one. Between the family drama, work, and 3 meets - I was sick all day yesterday (saturday). I'm actually amazed that I was able to get my voice back by today. Lots of shouting. Lots of hot to cold air temps (pool to outside)...lots of no sleep and lots of running around.
All that being said - here's a preview of the next few weeks and what my schedule looks like (I know you're all so interested):
Tomorrow - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Class 7:15pm - 10pm
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-7? (away at Strath Haven), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5
Thursday - Morning Practice 5:30-7am, Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday - Gym, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Baldwin 8:30-11am, Gym
*I'm at Cabrini four days this week because I missed two days last week for my uncles funeral stuff - and they said they were really busy - so yeah. It's going to be a sucky week.
The following week:
Monday (1/17)- Coach 9a-12p, Gym
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-6:30(home vs. Penncrest), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Morning Practice 5:30am-7, Gym, Cabrini 11-2 (Montco Classes Start)
Thursday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday - Gym, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Busillo's Birthday Party
The following week:
Monday (1/24) - Gym, Coach 11:30-1:30, Class 7:15pm - 10pm
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-6:30 (home vs. Marple Newtown), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Cabrini 9-11, Coach 12-2
Thursday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Meet 2-6:30 (home vs Harriton), Coach Baldwin
Friday - Gym, Coach 11:30-1:30, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Baldwin 8:30-11am, Gym
got money on mind i can never get enough
and everytime I step up in the building
everybody hands go up
and they stay there
and they say yeah
and they stay there
Up down, up down
cause all I do is win win win
and if you goin’ in put your hands in the air..
That's my most current jam. Yep - I have a jam. No matter how bad of a mood I'm in - this song makes me feel awesome. Trust me - it's a pretty good song to get yourself pumped up with....
It kind of is a precursor to the weeks ahead too - we have 6 more regular meets this season - we're most likely going to win all of them - unless I mess something terribly up in our lineups. That being said, so far I've had one of my girls qualify for an individual race for Districts and our Medley Relay qualify for Districts too! Just trying to get a few more individual qualifications and hopefully we'll be all set. From there, who knows. Top 12 usually make it to States. Keep your fingers crossed!
Whew - this past week was a crazy one. Between the family drama, work, and 3 meets - I was sick all day yesterday (saturday). I'm actually amazed that I was able to get my voice back by today. Lots of shouting. Lots of hot to cold air temps (pool to outside)...lots of no sleep and lots of running around.
All that being said - here's a preview of the next few weeks and what my schedule looks like (I know you're all so interested):
Tomorrow - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Class 7:15pm - 10pm
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-7? (away at Strath Haven), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5
Thursday - Morning Practice 5:30-7am, Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday - Gym, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Baldwin 8:30-11am, Gym
*I'm at Cabrini four days this week because I missed two days last week for my uncles funeral stuff - and they said they were really busy - so yeah. It's going to be a sucky week.
The following week:
Monday (1/17)- Coach 9a-12p, Gym
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-6:30(home vs. Penncrest), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Morning Practice 5:30am-7, Gym, Cabrini 11-2 (Montco Classes Start)
Thursday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday - Gym, Coach 3-5, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Busillo's Birthday Party
The following week:
Monday (1/24) - Gym, Coach 11:30-1:30, Class 7:15pm - 10pm
Tuesday - Gym, Cabrini 10-1, Meet 2-6:30 (home vs. Marple Newtown), Coach Baldwin
Wednesday - Cabrini 9-11, Coach 12-2
Thursday - Gym, Cabrini 11-2, Meet 2-6:30 (home vs Harriton), Coach Baldwin
Friday - Gym, Coach 11:30-1:30, Baldwin 5:30-8
Saturday - Baldwin 8:30-11am, Gym
Monday, December 20, 2010
"Have a seat on this.....chassey....."
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ahhh memories :-) Some reminiscing was done on Saturday night with my sister and her friends (who I suppose are my friends too - although they're technically my sister's first). And we were talking about old PW musicals. Both of my sister's friends have younger brothers, and I distinctly remember one of our musical auditions where Laura's brother, Tim, was doing a scene and he recited the EXACT quote I have in my subject line. Now, if you don't know....what I'm talking about...it's supposed to be a Chaise.....yup. HAHAHA - maybe you just had to be there. I was on my 3rd Stoli and Soda at that point of the night after all - and we all know when you're drinking, some things are a LOT funnier than they actually are :-)
Oh good times!
One more week til Christmas! I have half of my shopping done. I still need to get pressies for my Sister, Dad and Stepdad. I suppose I'll find time to do that on Wednesday. Thankgoodness no Cabrini this week - definitely gives me more time.
This weekend was busier than I expected. Friday, we had a meet - we lost - but the girls were still in good spirits. I've now had two different league officials tell me that it's a joy to officiate our team. Apparently my girls are treats! They are splendid to say the least. Boy-crazy and all :-) It was a slow pool - so none of them swam their fastest times. I think it might have discouraged them a lot - but I told them not to worry - we'll be swimming Haverford on Tuesday - it'll give them the opportunity to get some of their best times so far. I have two girls that are () this close (that's me holding my fingers as if they were pinching), to qualifying for districts in the 100 fly. I think they might be able to do it at the next meet.
Saturday I coached at Baldwin in the morning and then went shopping for some Christmas presents at KOP. [[On a related note, Kelly and I went into the Lucky Brand Jeans Store and I tried on a pair of Zoe Bootleg Jeans. Ah May Zing! They srsly made my legs look killer! But. They were $119 and since I was only there to buy presents for people and not myself...no dice. But at least I know what kind of Lucky's to buy myself.]] Met up with Kelly's friends at Bahama Breeze where I started my dinner with a nice appetizer of Raspberry Stoli and Soda :-) Delicious. I think the waiter liked me too because when I ordered my third, he brought me a double - even though I only ordered a single. How kind of him! Lots of laughs and good times on Saturday.
Sunday I went to spin class and then met up with one of my swimmers' parents. We a LONG chat about her daughter and the season. It was an important meeting and I'm glad we did it. Just long. After that I was so mentally exhausted. I had to turn Jeremy down for soccer stuff. We're going to get together tomorrow (Tuesday) to work on some things. The rest of the afternoon I spent putting my meet stuff in from Friday, emailing my girls, tweaking a few things for the week....talking to Paul on skype :-) HE COMES HOME IN FIVE DAYS! YEAH!!!!!
The Eagles had AN AMAZING COME FROM BEHIND WIN YESTERDAY. It's official. The city of Philly's sports teams - pwned NYC yesterday. PWNED!
Oh yeah, and Cliff Lee is STILL a phillie :-) hehehehehehe.
This week - well although it's technically less busy, it's still jam packed.
Today:
-Running
-Call Montco about my class
-Make tomorrow's meet lineup
-Practice from 2-5
-Possible Spirit Dinner
Tuesday:
-Spin Class
-Soccer w/ Jeremy
-Swim Meet
Wednesday:
-Running
-Shopping
-Drop off cookies at Cabrini
-Drop off cookies at Baldwin
-Practice 2-4:30, team Secret Santa
-Dinner with Brian?
Thursday:
-Morning Practice 5:30 - 7
-Gym 7:30-9
-Shopping (if not finished on Wednesday)
-Practice 2-5
-Coach Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday:
Christmas Eve
-Spin Class
-Over to Dad's for the afternoon/evening festivities
Leave it to me to turn my latest post into a series of lists....hey, it's what I do :-)
Hope everyone has a splendid week! (wow, that's twice I've pulled that one out....geez, how old am I? 87?)
It's gonna be a whirlwind week!
P.S. If You're bored...my new favorite website to waste time with is When Parents Text. Trust me - you'll laugh.
Oh good times!
One more week til Christmas! I have half of my shopping done. I still need to get pressies for my Sister, Dad and Stepdad. I suppose I'll find time to do that on Wednesday. Thankgoodness no Cabrini this week - definitely gives me more time.
This weekend was busier than I expected. Friday, we had a meet - we lost - but the girls were still in good spirits. I've now had two different league officials tell me that it's a joy to officiate our team. Apparently my girls are treats! They are splendid to say the least. Boy-crazy and all :-) It was a slow pool - so none of them swam their fastest times. I think it might have discouraged them a lot - but I told them not to worry - we'll be swimming Haverford on Tuesday - it'll give them the opportunity to get some of their best times so far. I have two girls that are () this close (that's me holding my fingers as if they were pinching), to qualifying for districts in the 100 fly. I think they might be able to do it at the next meet.
Saturday I coached at Baldwin in the morning and then went shopping for some Christmas presents at KOP. [[On a related note, Kelly and I went into the Lucky Brand Jeans Store and I tried on a pair of Zoe Bootleg Jeans. Ah May Zing! They srsly made my legs look killer! But. They were $119 and since I was only there to buy presents for people and not myself...no dice. But at least I know what kind of Lucky's to buy myself.]] Met up with Kelly's friends at Bahama Breeze where I started my dinner with a nice appetizer of Raspberry Stoli and Soda :-) Delicious. I think the waiter liked me too because when I ordered my third, he brought me a double - even though I only ordered a single. How kind of him! Lots of laughs and good times on Saturday.
Sunday I went to spin class and then met up with one of my swimmers' parents. We a LONG chat about her daughter and the season. It was an important meeting and I'm glad we did it. Just long. After that I was so mentally exhausted. I had to turn Jeremy down for soccer stuff. We're going to get together tomorrow (Tuesday) to work on some things. The rest of the afternoon I spent putting my meet stuff in from Friday, emailing my girls, tweaking a few things for the week....talking to Paul on skype :-) HE COMES HOME IN FIVE DAYS! YEAH!!!!!
The Eagles had AN AMAZING COME FROM BEHIND WIN YESTERDAY. It's official. The city of Philly's sports teams - pwned NYC yesterday. PWNED!
Oh yeah, and Cliff Lee is STILL a phillie :-) hehehehehehe.
This week - well although it's technically less busy, it's still jam packed.
Today:
-Running
-Call Montco about my class
-Make tomorrow's meet lineup
-Practice from 2-5
-Possible Spirit Dinner
Tuesday:
-Spin Class
-Soccer w/ Jeremy
-Swim Meet
Wednesday:
-Running
-Shopping
-Drop off cookies at Cabrini
-Drop off cookies at Baldwin
-Practice 2-4:30, team Secret Santa
-Dinner with Brian?
Thursday:
-Morning Practice 5:30 - 7
-Gym 7:30-9
-Shopping (if not finished on Wednesday)
-Practice 2-5
-Coach Baldwin 5:30-8
Friday:
Christmas Eve
-Spin Class
-Over to Dad's for the afternoon/evening festivities
Leave it to me to turn my latest post into a series of lists....hey, it's what I do :-)
Hope everyone has a splendid week! (wow, that's twice I've pulled that one out....geez, how old am I? 87?)
It's gonna be a whirlwind week!
P.S. If You're bored...my new favorite website to waste time with is When Parents Text. Trust me - you'll laugh.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
I make lists...it's what I do.
A little while ago, I wrote this post about things of which I am certain.
Yesterday as I was getting my five miles in on the treadmill, I started to think about the things I believe:
I believe you can will yourself happy or sad....same goes for being healthy and sick.
I believe, sometimes, life is a lot less complicated than we think it is.
Sometimes, I really believe, I'm adopted.
Despite not being super religious - I truly believe God only gives us obstacles in which he knows we can overcome. He knows a strength in us that no one else does.
I believe in people...and their faith in each other. Despite how many people do bad things to each other - I still genuinely believe people can be good at heart.
As another mental thought I've been having in the last few weeks - since I've started coaching - I'm learning a LOT about myself and the girls. To name a few:
-I thought I was outgoing in high school....these girls I have on my team put me to shame.
-My swimmers are definitely NOT afraid to be themselves - no matter where they are.
-Being myself goes a long way with them.
-Having them understand that they should be proud of themselves is actually happening! I'm so excited about this.
-They want to gossip with me about everything, including boys....and why I am single or what kind of guy I want to marry. ha!
[[Sidenote: Yesterday, one of my girls actually asked me if I was related to the Harriton Head Coach. I told her, um, no...why? do we look alike? And she said,...no, I was just wondering. And she then proceeded to say, Are you dating him? You should date him? Do you like him? We'll work on that for you? - all in one fair swoop. I was like...ummm, no we're not dating...and if you think you can do that...go for it. I just couldn't help but laugh. Apparently she thinks we'd be cute together. Haha]]
-Swimming in high school is a BLAST!
-All my girls are top notch ladies - I'm so lucky to have them!
So there's a few lists this morning - nothing huge...but wanted to share them. I'm sure they'll continue to grow as the weeks/months/years go on...but I'll be sure to update the Swim Team List :-)
Yesterday as I was getting my five miles in on the treadmill, I started to think about the things I believe:
I believe you can will yourself happy or sad....same goes for being healthy and sick.
I believe, sometimes, life is a lot less complicated than we think it is.
Sometimes, I really believe, I'm adopted.
Despite not being super religious - I truly believe God only gives us obstacles in which he knows we can overcome. He knows a strength in us that no one else does.
I believe in people...and their faith in each other. Despite how many people do bad things to each other - I still genuinely believe people can be good at heart.
As another mental thought I've been having in the last few weeks - since I've started coaching - I'm learning a LOT about myself and the girls. To name a few:
-I thought I was outgoing in high school....these girls I have on my team put me to shame.
-My swimmers are definitely NOT afraid to be themselves - no matter where they are.
-Being myself goes a long way with them.
-Having them understand that they should be proud of themselves is actually happening! I'm so excited about this.
-They want to gossip with me about everything, including boys....and why I am single or what kind of guy I want to marry. ha!
[[Sidenote: Yesterday, one of my girls actually asked me if I was related to the Harriton Head Coach. I told her, um, no...why? do we look alike? And she said,...no, I was just wondering. And she then proceeded to say, Are you dating him? You should date him? Do you like him? We'll work on that for you? - all in one fair swoop. I was like...ummm, no we're not dating...and if you think you can do that...go for it. I just couldn't help but laugh. Apparently she thinks we'd be cute together. Haha]]
-Swimming in high school is a BLAST!
-All my girls are top notch ladies - I'm so lucky to have them!
So there's a few lists this morning - nothing huge...but wanted to share them. I'm sure they'll continue to grow as the weeks/months/years go on...but I'll be sure to update the Swim Team List :-)
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