Quote of the Week

 

Some people are always grumbling because roses

have thorns;  I am thankful that thorns have roses.

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Mega-Post

As has often been the case this school year, we have had a few plan changes!  Thanks for your patience and understanding!!

 

Important paperwork went home Saturday.  Most brought back the signature page today.  Thank you!  We still have a few that need to pick up paperwork and return the signature page.  Thanks in advance for taking care of this ASAP.

To make up for missing some of this week's work, we'll have an optional Saturday morning workout this week from 8-9:30.  Hope to see a large group there!

We've missed too many early season practices.  Starting next week, we'll begin our regular practice schedule - about a month early.  Since many are involved in other activities, we'll still continue with the three per week requirement that was originally scheduled in the handbook.  We'd just like to have those swimmers and divers who can, to take advantage of the extra offerings.  We'll stick with a 4:30 finish, but go Monday through Friday.

Next, our regular practice schedule was to begin on October 26.  Those practices go until 5:00.  That's also when we'll add an optional Saturday morning workout to the schedule.  Again, we will continue with the five per week requirement that is in the handbook, but would like those who can, to take advantage of that extra offering.

Van Vleck has indicated they'd like to participate in some of our Saturday time trial events this season.  We'll try to work something out with them.

 

Our junior high season is still "on", I'm just not sure what we're going to do for competition.  I've not heard from other coaches but am hopeful we'll be able to get at least a few meet in for our kids.

The meet schedule in the handbook is still being edited.  I sent Mrs. Leissner the latest edition today and will get that out once she's put it into a more presentable format.

Let's all hang in there and keep taking care of business.

 

We have a great group of very "coachable" kids and we're going to have some outstanding swims this season.

 

The teachers, coaches, and administrators are working harder than ever to keep things moving forward.

Parents, it's going to be a challenge for all of us to keep our student/athletes on track, but we can do it!!!

Quote of the Week

 Character is much easier kept than recovered.

 Thomas Paine

 

Tentative Plan for Week of 9/14/20

Monday

1st 1/2:  B228 (Choose Blue/Gold Teams & Format)
2nd 1/2:  Gym (load Vertimax & Sanitizing Kit)

Tuesday

8th dry-land at pool
After school swim until 4:30

Wednesday

8th dry-land at pool
After school swim until 4:30

Thursday

8th dry-land at pool
After school swim until 4:30

Friday

B228 (Finalize Blue/Gold Plan)

Saturday

Blue/Gold:  Set-up (9:00 a.m.), Warm-up (9:45 a.m.), Start (10:15 a.m.), Finish* (11:30 a.m.), Clean-up/Gate Close* (Noon)

*Estimates

Quote of the Week

Destiny is not a matter of chance;  it is a matter

of choice.  It is not something to be waited

for;  but rather something to be achieved.

William Jennings Bryan

New Info, Including Week 1 Practice Changes

Parents, email me your permission, and I'll share Dave Wharton's email address for your kids to correspond with the two-time Olympian and world record-setting IM-er who Zoomed with us last week.

He has expressed a genuine interest in helping our kids take their swimming to a higher level.

Dave's a parks & recreation director up in Ohio now, but he continues swimming competitively on a masters team with former BCHS teammates Blake Holden ('95) & Keith Hill ('92). 


On a personal note:  I feel so incredibly fortunate to know folks in our sport with a network that is so wonderful and knowledgeable!  Let's take advantage of all these greats have to share with us!!  My friends in the sport are eager to spread the wealth with YOU!

Imagine being a football player and getting advice from Emmitt Smith.  Or, how about being a tennis player and emailing with Serena Williams?

Check out the podcasts I'll post once in a while.  Coach Dana Abbott and I get to talk to some of the smartest folks in our sport.  I learn something new every time!  We include links on the YouTube page in case you'd like to learn more about and/or contact our guests.


In case you missed it on sportsYou, Glory will be leading See You at the Flag Pole.

Join her on Wednesday, September 23rd, 7:00 a.m. in front of BCHS.



We had a great pool work day yesterday!!!  Thanks, kids!


We're switching our practice start from Tuesday to Thursday.

Please bring shorts, shirts, shoes, suits, caps, and goggles.  We may have some caps and goggles available.

Handbook, schedule, etc. are still in revision.  Patience...please...patience...

Monday

If a few athletes are available for a paid morning of Labor Day labor at the Button Mansion, please let me know.  Work gloves recommended!  Get me a message on sportsYou if you can make it.

Tuesday

8th period meet in B228 or via Zoom

Wednesday

8th period meet in B228 or via Zoom

Thursday

8th period bus or drive to pool for dry-land
After school swim to 4:30*

Friday

8th period meet in B228




*Option to stay until 5:00, if you'd like to

Quote of the Week

If you aren't in over your head, how

do you know how tall you are?

Thomas Stearns "T.S." Eliot

RankOne App

Rob V shared with us on sportsYou, but I'll post here just in case anyone missed it.

Link to get the app is here

Post-Zoom Update

The roller coaster that is 2020 continues to provide more surprises around every bend...

We hope our athletes were inspired by our visit with Olympian and former world record-holder Dave Wharton.

Kids, let's keep the campaign for President of the Matagorda Chapter of the Dave Wharton Fan Club clean!

Parents, with your permission, I will share Dave's email with your child.  He's more than willing to answer questions and offer and advice/help he can provide our athletes!

Special thanks to Keith Hill ('92) for lining up Dave as a Zoom guest.  Keith and his family love our sport and our town so, so much!!

The UIL announced new restrictions on swimming competitions at 8:00 a.m. this morning.  Here are a few of the "highlights":

• Single-level meets only (no JH/HS or JV/Varsity combination meets)
• Dual or tri-meets only (no invitationals)
• Top four (4) finishers in each event at the district meet advance to region (down from six)
• Region meet now a 1-day meet with prelims in a.m. and finals in p.m.

Those rules shouldn't impact our plans to hold in-house time trials on a few Saturdays in September, October, and (weather permitting) November/December.

We've scheduled meets with Lamar/Terry (away on Oct. 6) and Hightower (home on October 13).  Both meets would be allowed under the rules announced this a.m.  Brazosport is interested in adding a dual as well.

If we don't feel we can attend/hold those meets safely, we'll seek alternatives.

Stay tuned for more info...

Athlete & Parent Meetings (7:30 p.m.)

Please check sportsYou for links to our Athlete (Monday) and Parent (Tuesday) Zoom meetings.

Quote of the Week

Each player asks three questions every day of their coach:

Can I trust him?

Is he committed to excellence?

Does he care about me?

Clinton Merrick "Clint" Hurdle

Glenn Mills

Team USA's Glenn Mills (1980) is a video guru.  Wife Rachel is Bob Bowman's assistant at Arizona State University.  Glenn's a very busy guy, but he found a few minutes to share with us!

Quote of the Week

Adversity is a university.  Get a degree while you're there.

Jack Easterby

Linda Ely

We lost a wonderful lady last week.

She was so very patient and caring.

Her middle child, Morgan, was our district backstroke champ back in '94.

Please keep the Ely's in your prayers.

Linda Louise Lamkin Ely Obituary

Fall Preview Update

Below are some updates on the earlier Fall Preview post.  Please refer back to that for more info.

Mrs. Button and I met via Zoom with Glorine & Rowdy yesterday.  We didn't connect with Gage, but plan to have him involved as a senior captain as well.

Community Service 

Captains will get in touch with Kari B to find out what we can do for the Birding & Nature Center.

Again, if you know of organizations who can use that energy, please let a senior know so we can go to work.

Fundraising 

We now have four (4) dozen kickboards for yard signs.  Mrs. Moya has offered to supply the other materials (zip ties, glue, wooden stakes, etc.) for the project.

Captains will put together that supply list so we'll be able to have everything we need in time for the pool work day.

RankOne 

Please check your status in RankOne.  If you are still "red" and don't know why, contact Trainer G ASAP.

If you know you're missing paperwork, the link on our athletics site is here 

If you know someone who plans to swim/dive this year that wasn't on last year's roster, please have them email me ASAP!

sportsYou 

We haven't added anyone new to our sportsYou group lately!

Please let folks know how important this is!

I'm especially concerned that our incoming 7th graders aren't getting our info!

Please make sure athletes & parents are using this:

Meetings 

Our athlete Zoom meeting will be on Monday, August 31st at 7:30 p.m.

Our parent Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, September 1st at 7:30 p.m.

I'll post those invite links on sportsYou as we get closer to those dates.

If you need to sign up with Zoom, get started here

Pool Work Day 

Our pool work day will be Saturday, September 5.  Let's try to get started around 8:00 so we can be finished by noon.

Since fewer folks are traveling during the pandemic, the captains figured we'd have plenty of folks in town over the Labor Day weekend.

Our "labors" will involve setting up the breezeway for dry-land training, adjusting our lane rope connections, straightening the equipment room, constructing yard signs, and a few other odds & ends.

Practices 

The plan is to start limited (3 per week) high school practices after Labor Day.  Expect regular schedule (5/week for high school & 3/week for junior high) to commence in late October.

Meets

Our meet schedule is slooooowly coming together.

Once our district coaches have met/voted, we'll know when/where our district meet will be held.

Our spring District 27-5A meeting did not take place, but Brazosport HS's coach Adam Collins just let me know they're working on getting a Zoom scheduled soon.

The Brazosport Invite in early December is still on our schedule!  We've invited Coach Collins to bring his team over to Bay City if we're able to host some time trials meets in September & October.

The junior high schedule is a bit more complicated.  We were to join a fall league with schools from Alvin, Angleton, Brazosport, & Friendswood ISD's with meets in November and a championship in December.  I'm waiting to hear if that plan is still "on".