Swimmer's Corner

Figure Meet/Star Testing - Make sure that if you are going to a figure meet, or a competition where you are doing Star Testing, that you bring your white bathing cap, black bathing suit, goggles, nose clips and water bottle. This outfit is essential for testing. Also, you will probably getting in and out of the pool a lot so make sure that you have a couple of towels to keep you warm. Lastly, for awards we want to make sure that all of our club looks the same so you need to be wearing your club outfit!

Routine Meet - Ensure that you bring a practice suit, your routine suit (and if you have a solo or duet), also your head piece for each routine. You will need at least 2 towels for routine competitions, your nose clips, goggles, bathing cap, and water bottle. Extra nose clips can come in handy if you or a teammate lose a set. Also, if you have some makeup that your team can use bring that as well. Again, for any meet that you are at you need your club outfit!!!

Training Camps - A lot of times at training camps you will be doing sessions in and out of the water and it isn't too fun to put a wet bathing suit on!!! If you have more than one bathing suit bring an extra. Also, this means that you will need more than one towel. It is also very important to come prepared for different sessions, therefore make sure you bring: a pad of paper and a pen, your runners, shorts, sweat suit, t-shirt and your water bottle.

Remember that for some events there may be a dinner or a banquet. Bring appropriate clothing for a more formal occasion. If the event is an overnight experience, don't forget all of your usual clothes and personal care items that you would take on any trip.

3B) ESynchro Tip #22: Competition Preparation!

As the new year begins, competition season gets under way, and with it the rush to get ready for competitions. One area often overlooked by coaches and athletes is what to bring to the competition to help the athlete feel completely prepared for both what is expected and the unexpected. Following is a checklist of items to bring to each meet. Some are obvious, but others are things that can help you feel totally prepared no matter what the situation may be.

Checklist for packing:

bathing suits: warm-up, black figure, routine suits
cap, goggles and 2 or 3 pairs of nose clips
routine head pieces (hats)
hair brush, hair pins, knox gelatin, hair elastics, etc.
team sweat suit, t-shirt, etc.
sneakers/tennis shoes and deck shoes
towels - 2, 3 or even 4 to stay warm and dry throughout the day
extra clothes to stay warm and dry - sweat shirt, sweat pants, thick socks or slippers, mittens or gloves, parka or heavy coat if the meet is outdoors, hat, etc.
water bottle and/or juice or other drinks
food that you normally have for lunch or snack on throughout the day walkman and tapes or CDs of favorite music to listen to during breaks book, playing cards, etc. to occupy time while waiting for turn to perform tape recorder and tapes of routine music to land drill
Sun lotion, hat and umbrella for outdoor competitions
Figure Play Book or notebook of corrections

3C) Hair Preparation (Tara Procyshyn)

Hair Supplies
· 1 big elastic, 3-4 small elastics
· Bobby pins
· Bun Pins
· Knox gelatine (at least 2 packages for each swimmer)
· Hair net with elastic
· Small yogurt container (usually something disposable is best)
· Small spoon
· Kettle (as long as one person in our group can bring one)

Knox gelatine preparation and use-

Put 2 packages of gel in a small container, add a little bit of HOT water and mix A LOT - you don't want any lumps in it. Add a bit more water but make sure that the consistency is closer to syrup than water! This is very important!!! The thicker the gel, the better the hair will stay in. It is best to gel your swimmers hair using your hands, this way if the gel is too hot you will know that first hand! It is also better because you are really smoothing the hair and you have better control. Start with the bangs and then go around the head and then finally put gel on top of the bun (make sure it soaks in good). Have the swimmer go under the dryer for a couple of minutes and then check to see if they need another layer, often they do.

Right after applying the second layer put the head piece in. If you wait until the hair hardens you will have quite the battle!

3D) CCES Handbook of Medications

The Canadian Centre for Ethical Sport has provided a very useful booklet discussing the use of medications for competitive athletics. For a copy of this pdf article please click the link below.

CCES Substance Classification Booklet 2009

WADC Prohibited Substances Booklet 2008

If you have any specific question related to this subject, please contact Joan Cochrane at the following email address:

ms0121@store.medicineshoppe.ca

3E) Nutritional Strategies for Elite Synchronized Swimming

THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST OFTEN NEGLECTED ITEM

WATER! WATER! About 60% of our body is water and our need for water increases greatly with exercise. Sweat acts as our body’s “air conditioner” and needs to be replaced or our performance is affected. ATHLETES LOSE MORE CONTESTS THROUGH NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER THAN ANY OTHER NUTRITIONAL CAUSE!
Adequate fluid intake before, during and after exercise is critical in preventing dehydration. Thirst is not the best gauge of your body’s water needs.

WHEN?	HOW MUCH?
2 hours before exercising	2 cups
10-15 minutes before exercising	1-2 cups
15-20 minute intervals during exercise	1/3-1 cup
10-20 minutes after exercising	about 1 cup

REMEMBER. . . .
The best fluid replacement is plain cool water.
Drinking lots of fluid is important, even when it is cool outside, but you will need even more when it is hot.

For detailed information, see the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan at: http://www.smscs.ca/services/nutr/related.ht

Rules of the Nutrition Game
Have a regular schedule for meals and snacks.
Follow the Canada Food Guide and eat from all food groups daily.
Increase servings of carbohydrate foods during times of training and competition, i.e. bread, cereals, crackers, rice, pasta, potatoes, muffins.
Limit consumption of foods high in fat, sugar, salt and alcohol.
Drink plenty of cool water before, during and after training and competitions.
Within 15 – 30 minutes after practice eat 50 – 100 grams of a carbohydrate snack to replenish your glycogen (e.g. crackers, bagel, fresh or dried fruit. cereal bar, juice box) and 10 – 20 grams of protein.
Eat pre-event meals which are high in carbohydrates and low in protein, fat and fibre. Eat meals 3-4 hours before competing.
Avoid eating foods or beverages high in sugar just prior to competing. During activity small amounts of foods or beverages containing sugar can be eaten or drunk - fruit, crackers, diluted fruit juice.

PRE-EVENT EATING
As an athlete, nutrition plays an important role in the health and performance of the swimmer. Follow the guidelines below to help achieve a peak performance.
PURPOSE: The purpose of a pre-event meal is only to prevent hunger. The meal itself has little effect on the energy in your muscles.
EAT FOODS HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES: Foods that are high in carbohydrates are digested quickly (e.g. pancakes, breads) and this is what you want. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, breads, cereal, grains and pasta. When choosing high carbohydrate foods make sure they are not high in fat as well (e.g. scones, croissants, cookies). Good carbohydrate choices from milk products are low fat milk, yogurt, milkshakes, and also contain some protein.
KEEP FAT AND PROTEIN INTAKE LOW: Protein and fat are digested slowly. Foods like hamburger and steak (high in protein and fat) and french fries and donuts (high in fat) should be avoided or kept to a minimum in your pre-event meal.
AVOID HIGH FIBRE FOODS: High fibre foods (e.g. bran muffins, beans, cabbage) slow digestion and cause stomach problems. High fibre foods affect everyone differently – on the day of competition it is best to avoid the ones that disagree with you.
EAT 3-4 HOURS BEFORE YOUR EVENT: It can take 1-4 hours to completely digest a meal, depending on what is eaten, it is best to eat 3-4 hours prior to event time. Blood should be available to working muscles, not in the stomach which may lead to cramps.
SAMPLE PRE-EVENT MEALS/SNACKS: Listed below are meals and a snack that are high in carbohydrates and relatively low in protein and fat.

BREAKFAST	LUNCH	SNACK
1 cup apple juice	I chicken sandwich	1 blueberry muffin
1 cup rice krispies	1 cup vegetable soup	1 cup low fat yogurt
1 cup 2% or skim milk	1 cup 2% or skim milk	1 medium orange
1/2 banana	4 fig Newton cookies
1 tbsp. jam or jelly	1/2 cup applesauce
1 slice toast

3F) CASSA - Canadian Amateur Synchronized Swimming Association, 2005 Rule Book.

3G) FINA (Federation Internationale De Natation) Synchronized Swimming Rules Web Site.

3H) ESynchro Learning Resources

3I) Understanding and Identifying Eating Problems in Synchronized Swimmers

By Lisa Franseen, Ph.D., Clinical Sport Psychologist
From the Winter 1999 issue of Synchro Swimming USA magazine

Most of us think of one's eating to be either normal or disordered. There is actually a third category between normal and disordered eating that accounts for the majority of eaters, especially females.

NORMAL EATER: A normal eater, for the most part, eats when she is hungry and stops when she is full. There are times when she may eat beyond a point of feeling full but tends not to feel guilty about this. She is open to eating all kinds of foods; that is, there are not any foods that she does not allow herself to eat because of calorie or fat content. She might not like her body size but she accepts it, even if it is far from society's image of the "perfect" body. She exercises for physical and psychological benefits, not just to control her weight. She may watch her weight but does not obsess about it. And just as importantly, her self-worth is based on something other than how much she weighs, such as her relationships, her work, or who she is as a person.

DISTURBED EATER: Someone with an eating disturbance is quite concerned about "getting fat" and tends to think she is overweight. She is not satisfied with and has a hard time accepting her body size, even if it matches or is close to society's definition of the ideal body. There are usually many foods she thinks she "should not" eat, such as fried foods, junk food, or sweets. She will spend much time trying different diets without success, setting her own rules on what to eat and what not to eat, and feeling terribly guilty when she breaks these rules. She exercises mostly to help her maintain and lose weight and her self-worth is based mostly on how much she weighs. She might also eat compulsively at times (called "bingeing"), and/or force herself to vomit what she has eaten (called "purging").
Someone struggling with an eating disturbance tends to believe that she can only be happy once she loses "X" pounds. There are many girls and women with eating disturbances who say they spend about 70 to 95 percent of their waking hours thinking in some way about food, their weight, hating their bodies, or feeling guilty.

EATING DISORDERED: As the reader can see from the continuum above, the percentage of those with eating disorders is much lower than those with disturbed eating patterns. In comparing the two categories, however, many of the behaviors and attitudes are similar. It becomes a matter of degree. For example, not only does someone with an eating disorder feel dissatisfied with her body, she actually hates it. She has a hard time not looking in a mirror and feeling total disgust with herself. Her self-worth is totally based on her weight. She experiences an intense fear of gaining even an ounce. At times, her body-image can actually be distorted. Even if she is well below expected weight for her height and age, she believes she is fat. Mental health professionals and researchers are still not sure exactly what causes someone to go beyond an eating disturbance to develop an eating disorder.
Eating disorders include both anorexia nervosa and bulimia. It is very tempting for coaches and teammates to diagnose someone they know but it can only be done by a trained mental health professional, as there are certain criteria a woman must meet such as frequency and intensity of particular behaviors.

SHOULD WE ONLY FOCUS ON THOSE WITH EATING DISORDERS?
Once an athlete develops an eating disorder it is extremely difficult to help that person feel good again about herself and her body. The best approach is to prevent athletes from developing full-blown eating disorders in the first place. This means that our focus must be on those athletes with eating disturbances. According to statistics, this will account for five to eight swimmers out of every 10. Education, working with both a psychologist and registered dietician, and other preventative efforts can really help. If nothing else, these efforts give the message that we care about the swimmer's physical and emotional well-being, and that her well-being is more important than whether she wins the next competition.

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WITH DISTURBANCES AND DISORDERS:
It is crucial for coaches and athletes to be aware of characteristics to better identify and help someone they suspect may be struggling. There are certain personality characteristics typical of those with eating issues that are also commonly found in successful athletes. This is why we find more athletes than non-athletes with eating disturbances and disorders.

SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN ATHLETES AND EATING DISORDERED INCLUDED:

Perfectionist
Highly competitive
Driven to achieve and succeed
Likes to please others
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE:
Restlessness and agitation
Fatigue from a lack of proper nutrition and hydration
Excessive exercise and beyond what a good coach requires
Exercising despite injury or illness and against medical recommendation
Weighs self daily, several times a day, or a complete refusal to be weighed
Disappearing after meals and excessive use of the bathroom (often to self-induce vomiting)
Derogatory comments about oneself and her body
Offers excuses during meals for not eating
Self-critical
Low self-esteem
Difficulty identifying or coping with feelings
Social withdrawal
Depression and/or anxiety

About the author: Dr. Franseen is a clinical sport psychologist in Denver, Colorado, who began helping athletes with eating disorders when she worked at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. In 1999, she presented at the Annual Aquatics Convention in San Diego and to synchronized swimmers at the elite training camp in San Francisco. She also wrote a 3-Part Article on Eating Disorders for Synchro Swimming in 2000. She is available for presentations and workshops around the country and can be reached at franseen@pol.net

3J) Travel

General Information:

Provincial Competitive swimmers usually attend two or three out-of-town meets during the swimming season. These may be in Saskatchewan or out-of-province. They are rarely day trips and usually entail one or two nights in a hotel/motel. The first competition is usually in November while Provincials and MASY are in the April to June time period.

National Level Competitive swimmers usually attend Provincials, Western Regionals, and Nationals. These competitions are of longer duration and may require a trip of five to seven days. They are usually between March and June.

Travel expenses are the responsibility of the each family and must be paid promptly once an invoice has been presented. It is expected that payment will be received prior to athlete travel. Unpaid travel invoices may prevent an athlete from attending a competition. Please contact the team coach if you anticipate difficulties in paying for your travel expenses.

Within the province, travel is usually arranged by bus or van if possible. This is dependent upon the size of the group traveling to the event. The total cost of the bus or van rental is divided equally amongst those traveling. All swimmers are expected to travel with their team/club and will be invoiced accordingly.

At times travel by car may be required. The costs of his will be split amongst all swimmers. All attempts should be made to maximize the number of swimmers/vehicle and minimize the expense of car travel if possible.

Out-of-province travel may be by car, bus, van, or air depending upon the circumstances. Once again, the team is expected to travel together to all events. The travel arrangements are usually made by the Travel Coordinator. If you wish to make your own booking arrangements to take advantage of frequent traveler plans, please contact the Travel Coordinator to coordinate your travel to match the team arrangements.

Room assignments are the responsibility of the coaches. Younger swimmers will be roomed with a chaperone to ensure that the best supervision and organization is provided. Chaperones are paid a small per diem that is divided amongst the swimmer's families that are being supervised. At older levels the chaperone may be in a separate room but this is left to the discretion of the team parents and coaches. Coaches room together. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SWIMMERS TO ROOM WITH A COACH.

Meal arrangements are made as a team. Swimmers pay for their own meals and are responsible for their own money. If you wish a chaperone to assist in managing your swimmer's money please discuss this with them. Some swimming events begin early in the morning and the swimmer may need to pack a nutritious meal/snack in case breakfast is not readily available. Meals may be provided at the swimming venue, this will be discussed during the event planning stages.

Prior to an event, a notice will be sent home with your swimmer detailing arrangements, costs, what to bring, and invoices. Please look for these notices and read them carefully.

Parents who are interested in chaperoning should contact their swimmer's coach and the Travel Coordinator well before any planned events. Any questions or constructive suggestions can be directed to the Travel Coordinator.

Parent Information:

Notify the coach and the Travel Coordinator as soon as possible if you know your daughter will not be attending an arranged competition. The competition calendar is posted on the web site at:

http://saskatoonaqualenes.saskatoon-sk.com/calendarofevents.htm

If you are making your own travel arrangements, within the guideline that team members must all travel together, please contact the Travel Coordinator.

Please ensure that your swimmer has packed the proper swim apparel. Notices will be sent home 5 days prior to the meet listing all requirements.

Make sure your swimmer brings only the money she needs. Please leave all valuables (rings, earrings, heirlooms, etc.) at home.

Ensure that your swimmer arrives at the point of departure on time. Pick up must also be arranged at a designated time and place upon return from the event. Punctuality is essential.

Teams stay to together to help to maximize cohesion and unity. If parents are attending the event is suggested that accommodations be arranged on separate floors or wings of the hotel/motel unless you are chaperoning. Parents are asked to not try to single out their swimmer during the meet to prevent disrupting team chemistry.

Parents are asked to project a responsible, respectful image of the Saskatoon Aqualenes Swimming club while away at competitions. Comments should be positive and focus on the strengths of the club, the team and the swimmers. Negative comments in the spectator areas are discouraged as they may project negatively on the club.

Please refrain from interfering with athlete scheduling or routines during the event. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck during competitions and should remain in areas designated for spectators.

Swimmers from all teams are expected to be at the pool to support other teams and other swimmers, within parameters outlined by their coaches.

DO NOT MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE YOUR SWIMMER TO OTHER EVENTS DURING ANY COMPETITION.

Coaches (not chaperones) are in charge, and are responsible for, any decisions regarding swimmer's activities during a competition.

Please familiarize yourself with these guidelines and discuss them with your daughter. Failure to comply causes disruption and confusion. Breach of protocol or failure to comply, may result in a swimmer being sent home at their parents' expense or other disciplinary measures.

Swimmer Information:

You must act responsibly, honestly, and in a respectful manner at all times. Be friendly to teammates and other competitors and demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times.

Listen to and comply with instructions from the coaches and your chaperone.

The coach will advise you of your need to be on the pool deck when you are not competing.

The club wants to project a professional image at all times. Competition dress guidelines are as follows:

Club track suit (or alternative as determined by coach) must be worn.
Tops should be clean and tidy, no offensive slogans or images please.
Club swim suits, caps, etc. should be worn during practice and warm-ups.
Hair should be neat at all times.

Each swimmer is responsible for their own belongings.

Swimmers must always travel as pairs or teams, never alone. This "buddy system" should be used at all times. If you are leaving your room for any reasons you must notify the chaperone or coach of your whereabouts.

Swimmers are not allowed to leave the hotel/motel without permission at any time.

Swimmers must be in their rooms, with lights out at the discretion of their coaches/chaperones.

The bus, van, pool, and hotel/motel areas we use must be clean and undamaged. These areas must be treated with the utmost respect as they reflect directly on the team as a whole.

NO JUNK FOOD ALLOWED.

Pajamas are not permitted in hotel/motel hallways.

Long-distance calls must not be charged to your hotel/motel room.

Swimmers are not allowed to watch inappropriate movies or television shows. Alcohol, smoking, and males are not permitted in hotel/motel rooms.

Swimmers must realize that some rules related to out-of-town events are more restrictive than usual in order to maintain a professional image for the Saskatoon Aqualenes. Breach of protocol or failure to comply, may result in a swimmer being sent home at their parents' expense or other disciplinary measures.

Chaperone Information:

Regardless of what team or room you are assigned to, you are responsible for the well-being of the group as a whole. Chaperones must not single out their own child(ren) in any way.

Chaperones will be introduced to their teams by the coaches.

Chaperones will receive instructions about sleep, meals, pool departure times, competition times, team meetings, lights out, etc. from the coaches.

If the coach must leave for any reason the chaperone is responsible for the team.

Rooms will be arranged to best suit the mix of swimmer age and competition level. They will be in as close a proximity to each other as possible.

There must be at least one chaperone per group at each restaurant.

Junk food is to be confiscated on sight. It will be returned upon completion of the event after returning to Saskatoon.

The chaperone's accommodation, transportation, and per diem cost will be shared by the swimmers she is supervising.

Chaperone duties should rotate throughout the year by all team parents. Please arrange chaperoning duties via the Team Parent. The Team Parent should be in communication with the Travel Coordinator when chaperones have been selected.

From time-to-time chaperones may be asked to perform other duties by the coaches i.e. videotaping, playing music, etc. Please do your best to be of assistance to the coaches.

It is recommended that the chaperone and the coach work together to have a list of urgent or emergency contacts for their swimmers. The coach is responsible for the swimmers during competition, however, it is suggested that if the chaperone needs to leave the team for any reason that this is discussed with the coach prior to not being available. At times one or more swimmers may need assistance from the chaperone while the remainder of the team is practicing or competing, the chaperone must be available to accommodate these swimmers when situations arise.

Swimmer's Corner