Hello, Winter Conditioning Swimmers and Families!

Thanks for an awesome week of practices!!

Week in Review:

All three groups worked on underwater dolphin kicks, head-down breakouts, breaststroke, and pull downs. The 8U had some dive practice, too! Here are our quotes of the day for the past week! :

QOTD DAY 1: 3. “My mind rebels at stagnation! Give me problems, give me work!” – Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes

QOTD DAY 2: “When you decide to be something, you can be it” -Jack Nicholson, The Departed

QOTD DAY 3: “Carpe Diem. Seize the day . . . Make your lives extraordinary.” -Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society

Parent Reminders:

Don’t forget to sign your swimmers up for our upcoming April 3rd time trials! It’s a great, low-stakes way for your swimmers to show off all their hard work! You can sign up here.

Swimmers of the Week:

Name: Andersen Tanriverdi

Age: 13

Favorite Stroke: freestyle

Favorite thing about swimming: “to go fast.”

Favorite vacation: Turkey

Favorite food: Sushi

“This is Andersen’s first season on Greenmeadow, and he found himself in a practice group of very hard working, seasoned 11U girls. Almost immediately, despite his sometimes quiet demeanor, Andersen befriended all of them. He is just such a gentle, friendly person. I’ve loved watching him come out of his shell-- particularly when, during our end-of-practice “fun jump,” he jumps off the blocks to the loud cheering of his teammates! This past week, our groups completed a very difficult underwater dolphin kick set. Due to a recovering ankle injury, Andersen was one of the only swimmers to complete this set without wearing fins (a feat in itself!). He did this without complaint, without becoming discouraged, while still smiling at his teammates and cheering them on. This is not unusual behavior for Andersen; this is just the kind of truly kind, hard working person he is. But watching him during that set inspired me; I, too, have an ankle injury that precludes me from wearing fins. And I don’t think I’ve ever been able to approach that obstacle with the type of quiet determination and optimism Andersen does. Great job, Andersen! I’m proud of you, and so glad we have you on our team!” -Coach Tjasa

Name: Morgan Germanow

Age: “23!” (he’s 13)

Favorite Stroke: freestyle

Favorite thing about swimming: “The community.”

Favorite vacation: “the ocean.”

Favorite food: “everything.”

“Morgan is so much fun! He definitely brings the light-hearted, happy, joke-y energy to his swim group. He unfailingly makes practice time enjoyable for everyone every single day. But, despite his jokes and happy commentary, he also takes practice time very seriously. Our practices this week were a bit of a challenge, especially that first underwater dolphin kick set. But he CRUSHED it! I was so proud of him. Not only that, but I could tell that his dogged dedication to the set, as well as his enthusiasm and positive attitude, motivated the whole group to work hard. It was my favorite practice of the week, and I attribute much of its success to Morgan. He’s a natural leader, and a kind person. Great job, Morgan!! So glad we get to coach you!” -Coach Tjasa

Contacts:

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the coaches:

Coach Tjasa Kmetec [email protected]

Coach Caleb Fenner [email protected]

Coach Malia Jefferson [email protected]

Thank you, everyone!

Coaches Tjasa Kmetec, Caleb Fenner, Malia Jefferson