Category Archives for Teams

Grading each other’s character in a team setting

Quote from the article: "There’s no in between."

So, players get "0s" or "1s". Really?

Even in the US political elections, it is stupid to have the votes that we present citizens / voters. Winner take all. Rather, how about percentage voting?

Could be 0 to 1 in .1 steps.

Wondering what are the 20 (?) traits in the survey?

The 20 character traits the program values:

  1. work ethic, 
  2. confidence,
  3. respect,
  4. trust,
  5. commitment,
  6. desire to win, and
  7. desire to improve.
What would you measure and ask about?

Leave your reply in the comments below.

WPIAL Swimming

WPIAL Swim & Diving connection with Westminster College

    Pat Smith – Westminster College - Head Swimming and Diving Coach

    2019 results for the Titans
    • Women's team - Conference Champions - First Time in 12 years. 
    • Men's team - 2nd place. Have been Conference Champs 5 of last 7 years and have been 1st or 2nd in conference every year since 2003.
  • Head coach swam at South Park High School and graduated in 2004.
  • Diving coach, Heath Calhoun, graduated from Butler High School and was WPIAL runner up in diving and 3rd at PIAA Meet.
    • Westminster's coach's message

    I tell everyone we meet, come to Westminster ready to work hard, be a good teammate, get good grades, don't get in trouble, and have fun, and you will be successful. All of those things don't take talent.

    People of Westminster:
    • David Peffer - Riverside - Conference Champion - currently ranked 19th in NCAA Division 3 in the 200 Back, just named first team all conference.
    • Matt Kwalick - Quaker Valley - 200 IM - School Record Holder, just named first team all conference.
    • Roody D'Agaro - Chartiers Valley - 2nd team all conference
    • Carolyn Novak - Upper St. Clair - conference Champ in the 100 Free, 1st team all conference.
    • Maggie Manolis - Jeannette High school - conference champ 100 BR and 200 BR. 1st team all conference.
    • Jamie Elia - Blackhawk - 1 meter and 3 meter Diving - Regional Qualifier, 1st team all conference.
    • Abby Jones - Knoch High school - 2nd team all conference, conference runner up in 200 IM, 100 BR. 200 BR.
    • Nicole Stengel - Carlyngton High School - 2nd team all conference, 2nd place in the 200 fly, 3rd place in the 100 fly.
    • Megan Routch - West Allegheny High School - 2nd team all conference, 4th place in the 200 free and 1650 free.
    More Team members who are WPIAL Swimmers
    • Constantine Kallaur - Distance - Bethel Park
    • Kevin MacMurdo - Distance - Carlynton
    • Nicholas Pirollo - Sprint Free - Canon Mac
    • Brittney Drobka - Sprint Free - Kiski Area
    • Courtney Kinkead - Free/Fly - Greater Latrobe
    • Carinna Lapson - Free/Fly - Hopewell
    • Cait Peace - Breast/IM - Blackhawk
    • Emily Russell - Free - Bethel Park
    Alumni at WPIALS
    • Tom Donati '91 - Mt. Lebanon
    • Todd Slobodnyak '12 - Mars
WPIAL Swimming

Beaver Falls High School swimmer sprints into her 4th WPIAL meet

Source: Chelsea Dawson, coach the Beaver Falls High School Swim Team.

Our school pool has been closed for about seven years now due to financial reasons. However, refusing to let our team fade away into the sunset, we found a new facility to practice at. Our team now practices everyday during the swim season at New Brighton's community pool.

Meet Gabby Minto 

We have one swimmer, Gabriella (Gabby) Minto, who has made it to WPIALs all four years of her high school career. She will be competing in the 50 yard Freestyle and the 100 yard Freestyle. She is an amazing athlete who has worked so hard for all of her accomplishments. Last year, she even made it to states in the 50 yard Freestyle.

I am always looking for ways to inspire my swimmers to never give up and always try their best. This season I searched for inspirational quotes to provide swimmers with before every meet. The quote I am using for Gabby for her first day at WPIALs on Thursday is from the Highland Hurricanes Swim Club's head coach, Nick Castillo. "Swim your Race! Think like a Bumble Bee and Race like a Race horse!" Bumble Bees think about what they are going to do and they are humble. They also fly when others don’t think they can. When it comes to race horses, swimmers train hard and come meet time, they race like them.

I am so proud to be a swim coach and am looking forward to having a great time at WPIALs at the end of this week.

Be There! We made our chant for the United Way campaign.

Competition! Be There challenges all schools to come up with a catchy and unique chant related to school attendance, and the importance of coming to school every day.

There was a little froggy
Sitting on a log
Cheering for a snow day
She had no sense at all.

We are the Ellis Swim Team
We love to go to school
When we do we get to swim
and learn about.....
Math, Science, French, Art, Spanish, English, History.
Woo!
Cheer(s), We love school!

The video of the chant is below. Only 20-seconds. 

Super Bowl Noise

Open thread for chatting about Super Bowl Advertisements N@. Post your comments.

Humor too

A school teacher tells her classroom that she is a New England Patriots fan. The class agrees, with the exception of one girl. When asked who she likes, the girl replies, "the Steelers".

The teacher asks, "Why?" 

The girl replies, "Cause my mommy and daddy are Steelers fans."

The teacher replies, "That's no reason. What if your dad was an idiot and your mom a moron? What would you be?"

The girl replies, "a Patriots fan.”

History flashback: The Pittsburgh Press, Nov 24, 1907, a swimming expo in Oakland and East Liberty

Glory years. They are ahead of us, yet! 

Pittsburgh, we're going to bring back the big aquatic events, with a modern twist and spin of a SKWIM disk. In 2019, we have some news to share, as of the end of January. Stay tuned.

Thanks to a friend and fellow coach, S, for sending along the pointer to this article. 

The 2019 Events are going to be called, Aquatic Jamborees.

Stay in tune with Coach Mark as we plan for the summer.  

Watch our other site, 4Rs.org. 

If you want to get involved or have something else to contribute, ideas or otherwise, leave a message and get onto the email list, 412-Public-News.

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