Wahoo Families,

Last weekend the Wahoos traveled up to Wesleyan University for the 2012 Connecticut Short Course Age Group Championships.  The Age Group program was represented by 54 swimmers competing in a total of 215 individual events and 44 relays racking up 162 best times in the process.  I would like to congratulate all the Wahoos who competed last weekend on winning the combined girls, boys and overall team championships!  We put a lot of hard work in over the past 6 months and it is great to see your dedication and commitment to the Wahoos rewarded with this team championship! 

As we had talked about all season long our focus was Age Group Championships.  We worked very hard this season to prepare you for last weekend and I think many of you now understand why we worked as hard as we did.  That meet is a very long and grueling competition.  It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to prepare for all the different scenarios we encountered last weekend.  All those laps, starts, turns, and mental training we did this season was to help you face those obstacles and face them we did!  What an amazing meet we had!  We absolutely saved our best performances for last! 

This meet was the best meet we ever had in my 5 ½ years as a Wahoo coach.  From the 500 Free on Thursday night all the way through the 200 Breast on Sunday we swam out of our suits!   I am extremely proud of how we conducted ourselves the entire weekend.  We were great teammates to one another.  We cheered and encouraged each other and we swam fast as a result!  This was clearly evident if you watched how our relays performed this past weekend.  We swam some of the best relays I have ever seen us swim across the board.  Every one of our swimmers who stepped up on the blocks for the Wahoos was prepared for battle and battle we did.  Congratulations again on a terrific meet and a well deserved Age Group Championship!

Thank you all very much for such a fun and memorable 2011-2012 short course season.  I had such a blast working with all of you and I am excited about what the future holds for the Wahoos as we look to transition in to long course season.   I hope you all enjoy your well deserved break from the pool.  Please take the next two weeks and stay away from the pool.  Play outside, ride your bikes, and enjoy being with your friends and family so you all come back on April 2^nd rested and ready to rock!

Reminders

• Emails regarding group moves will be sent out by Juan Martin tomorrow afternoon.  If you do not receive an email from Juan your swimmer will stay in their current group for the long course season.

• All swimmers going to Zones will continue practicing through Tuesday March 27^th from 4:30 to 6:00 PM.

• Spring and summer long course practice schedules are posted on the website for you to review.

• The tentative Age Group long course meet schedule is posted on the website for you to review.

• The first day of long course season for the Maroon and Gold teams will be Monday April 2^nd.

• The first day of long course season for the Super Bronze and Super Squad teams will be Tuesday April 10^th.

Important Dates

Monday March 19^th through March 27th

All Swimmers who make the Zone Team will have practice from 4:30 to 6:00 PM except for the two all Zone practices.

Wednesday March 21^st & Saturday March 24th

No practice for Zone swimmers today.  All swimmers should go to the all Zone Team practice.

Monday April 2^nd

Today is the first day of long course season for the Maroon & Gold teams.  Welcome back!

Tuesday April 10^th

Today is the first day of long course season for the Super Bronze & Super Squad teams.  Welcome Back!

Parent & Swimmer Information

From the USA Swimming Top Nutrition List

FLUID FOR THOUGHT

By Jill Castle, Registered Dietitian and Child Nutrition Expert 

Do you ever wonder how much fluid is needed to prevent dehydration? If you’ve experienced dehydration, you know it derails swim performance and causes other effects such as tiredness, headaches and confusion or poor judgment.

Fluid is the overlooked “magic bullet” for swimmers and one of the best ways to optimize swim performance.

Not only is it important to drink, it’s important to drink enough. Experts suggest that 2% dehydration (2 pounds weight loss in a 100-pound child) negatively impacts athletic performance.

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), young athlete’s thirst should be the gauge or indicator for how much fluid to drink. Research also suggests, that if youth athletes are given the opportunity to drink during exercise, the thirst mechanism will allow for adequate fluid intake so they meet their hydration needs.

But if you want numbers, here are the latest recommendations for child athletes:

To prevent dehydration, child athletes should drink 6 ml per pound of body weight per hour (100# young swimmer needs 600 ml or 20 oz, per hour). Drink this amount 2-3 hours before jumping into the pool and during exercise.

To replenish fluids after exercise, drink 2 ml per pound of body weight per hour (100-pound child swimmer needs 200 ml per hour or ~7 ounces, per hour). Drink this amount 1-2 hours after exercise—it promotes adequate hydration status for the next exercise session.

Water and other beverages can help satisfy the hydration needs of the swimmer. Many parents already know that it isn’t wise to offer up sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and sugar-added fruit juices routinely throughout the day. These drinks may help keep swimmers hydrated, but they can have a negative impact on overall diet quality.

Most importantly, the choice of fluid should be something the swimmer likes to drink, as drinking adequate amounts is critical.

Sports drinks are perfect for the long workout (greater than 1 hour in duration), and provide sugar, fluid and electrolytes to help beat dehydration. And they are effective! Because they are flavored, they encourage drinking. It’s best to keep their role limited to the pool, though.

Here are a few other beverage guidelines that will help prioritize the young swimmer’s health and swim performance:

GOOD: 100% real fruit juice (maximum of 1 to 1 ½ cups per day). Infrequent use of sugar-sweetened beverages.

BETTER: Milk, or calcium/ Vitamin D- fortified milk substitutes (aim for 3 cups per day).

BEST: Drink water, more than you think! The bulk of beverages should be from water. Use Sports drinks wisely and target their usage around workouts and race day. 
 
It’s a mistake to think that just because swimmers are in the water, they get enough fluid. Coaches and parents have an opportunity to train young swimmers to drink regularly and make good choices. Good hydration habits are learned in and around the pool—maximize this asset for great performance!

Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and child nutrition expert. She is the owner of Pediatric Nutrition of Green Hills and creator of Just The Right Byte, a child and family nutrition blog. She lives with her husband and four children (one swimmer!) in Nashville, TN.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all back in the water in April!

Derek Farrar

Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics

Wilton Y Wahoos