this would also be the case for me if "where i live" meant i just look at myself in mirror and never leave the house. until this last year, i could have even looked at the rest of the family.
Surprisingly, there is a strong contingent of Washington St. supporters, and Colorado alums, in the second 5, with the usual suspects, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame.
The word “accidentally” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The way he said it, so effortlessly makes me think he uses that word a lot for it to be an accident.
Things have been turning around this weekend for the Oakland A’s. Not only did the team get its first back-to-back victories, win its first series, and secure its first two starting pitcher wins, it also tied the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in the league. Usually that’s not what you want to do, but after leading that race for most of the year, it was a pleasant surprise to not feel like the worst team in history for 15 hours.
With today’s rubber match against the Royals, the A’s could’ve buried them in last place with a victory. Instead, it’s Oakland who’s once again alone at the bottom.
Sunday was a sad day for A’s fans and all of Major League Baseball. Legendary A’s starter Vida Blue died at the age of 73 per the A’s and the Blue family.
Scoring opportunities for the Giants abounded in Sunday game yet fell by the way side as starter Ross Stripling followed up his best start of the season against Houston with more of what burned him in this season’s early goings.
After throwing 11.2 innings across 3 appearances of homer-less baseball (a feat since he had given up 6 in his first 10 IP of the season), both catcher William Contreras and shortstop Willy Adames lifted 2-run shots into the left field bleachers to fuel the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 sweep-spoiling win over the San Francisco Giants.
In a game that saw the Padres lead from their second batter of the game until they had two outs in the top of the ninth, the Dodgers rallied to win 5-2 in ten innings.
Josh Hader had only given up one run this season and had a 10-game scoreless streak when he took the mound to close the game. After retiring the first two hitters, Mookie Betts came to the plate. Betts was able to work the count into his favor and he was able to take a healthy cut on the 3-1 pitch.
We Watched: Speed Racer on Saturday - got say that I love that movie, wasn't sure my wife and daughter would like it, but they did, just didn't love the art as much as I do.
Shooting at Texas mall in Allen TX. Stephen Spainhouer snapped the situation into clear focus by his description of rushing to the mall after his son called because they were hiding in the mall. Fucking brutal.
One takeaway from the article that I infer is that with most US Senate incumbents being re-elected, the older individuals in each age group are aging into the next older age group. Hence, the Senate is getting older.
But because the House has more members and greater turnover (on a numerical if not percentage basis), the House is getting younger.
Side note: House membership is way too restricted. We should have 1 member for every 100,000 at the very least. George Washington thought it should be 1 member for every 30,000. And while that ratio would require something like 11,100 US Representatives, it would probably be the right thing to do to get government moving again and representative of the people. The way things are now, our electeds in representative federal government are stale, tired, and reflexively distrustful of change.
I don't see that changing as long as the House membership is limited to 435 representatives and the Senate favors states more interested in obstructing change than meeting the challenges of a changing world.
Nibbling around the edges was okay in 1973; it's not fine in 2023.
Maximum age for ALL electable politicians, regardless of political affiliation, should be 65, with a mandatory retirement age. You should not turn 70 while holding an office of any kind. If you wanna continue to work, go get a job in retail.
Yes to a mandatory retirement age. 65 or even 70 is too soon, though. I think that if you're going to turn 80 during your current term, you cannot run for re-election. The likelihood for cognitive decline is too great. The likelihood of catastrophic or debilitating illness or death is too great.
Also, it's time to pass the torch, as it were, to a younger generation.
Trinity College (Dublin, IRL) removes Berkeley from its campus library because George Berkeley (also the namesake of our alma mater's city) owned slaves
LOS ANGELES – For the first time since 1991 the Cal baseball team swept UCLA on the road. The Golden Bears hit four more home runs today, two from Max Handron, and held on to win 9-8 on Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Cal (21-23, 9-15 Pac-12) finished the afternoon scoring nine runs on 12 hits. The Bears were particularly strong in two out situations where they drove in five of their nine runs. Handron clubbed two more home runs to give him four for the series. Joining Handron with home runs were Caleb Lomavita and Rodney Green Jr. Cal also got doubles from Peyton Schulze and Nathan Manning.
I got home from an afternoon concert and checked the Cal website in time to see the bottom of the ninth livestream. Things got dicey but bears held on.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 29th-ranked California men's tennis team's postseason campaign came to an end in the NCAA Championship on Sunday, when the Golden Bears fell to seventh-ranked and seventh-seeded Michigan, 4-0, in the second round outdoors at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Graduate student Yuta Kikuchi will represent the Bears in the NCAA Singles Championship from May 22-27 in Orlando, Florida. But the Cal team (13-11) ended its season on Sunday.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Tatum Anzaldo hit two home runs and the California softball team held on to an early six-run lead for an 8-6 victory over Arizona to clinch the series on Saturday night at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Bears (33-17-1, 9-13-1 Pac-12) took the series in Tucson for the first time since 2013 with Anzaldo going 3-for-3 and Makena Smith blasting her 14th home run of the season. Blaise Biringer had a three-hit day for the WIldcats (27-24, 5-18 Pac-12).
TUCSON, Ariz. – The California softball team fell, 9-4, to Arizona in the final game of the regular season on Sunday at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Bears (33-18-1, 9-14-1 Pac-12) got two hits apiece from Tatum Anzaldo and Acacia Anders. Cal had already wrapped up the No. 6 seed in next week's Pac-12 Tournament with its win on Friday and the Bears will play No. 3 seed Utah at 10 a.m. on Thursday in the quarterfinals after the Utes defeated Oregon on Sunday.
HOUSTON – California rugby was defeated 28-22 by Navy in the title match of the D1A National Collegiate Championships on Saturday evening at Aveva Stadium.
"Congratulations to Navy on a well-earned championship," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "They were the wire-to-wire top team in the nation. I appreciate our boys as well. It's not easy getting to this last game, and we certainly had our chances."
The California women's golf team takes the No. 7 seed into the Palm Beach Gardens Regional from May 8-10 at the PGA National Resort. The Golden Bears will be competing with the same lineup that saw them take sixth place at last month's Pac-12 Championships.
The top five teams at the regional – co-hosted by Florida Atlantic and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission – will advance to the largest NCAA Championship field in women's golf history.
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 8 California beach volleyball team dropped its NCAA Championship quarterfinal dual with No. 1 UCLA Saturday, falling 3-1 to end a historic 2023 season.
The Golden Bears came out hot, leading on all five courts through the middle points/. But the Bruins showed their experience by securing three first sets by identical scores of 21-19.
I learned to swim in the 6th grade after I nearly drowned at a family vacation on the Russian River. It was a bit embarrassing to be a kid who had hit puberty learning with little kids. In retrospect, we had lots of vacations and events at pools, rivers, oceans, and such before I learned how to swim. In retrospect, I'm kind of scratching my head why my parents didn't teach me to swim earlier. My favorite place to swim is a little cove on Lake Hyco in NC near the VA border. There is nothing better than hanging out with inner tubes with music playing and a cooler of food/beverages and a book to fall asleep reading.
“The Life and Times of Newellbany, A Biography, vol I” is just such a book. Makes the leaflet on famous Jewish sports stars from Airplane! seem like War and Peace, yet despite the brevity, it is absolutely a cure for insomnia.
My mom took us for swim lessons every summer. I did the same for my kids however with indoor pools they could take lessons all year.
When my brother was 7, an age-group coach asked mom if my brother was on a swim team. She laughed (no!). The coach encouraged her to bring him in for a try-out. He swam the length of the pool (25 yds) without stopping (it was a struggle but he didn't grab the side) and the coach said he's in. He lettered 4 yrs in HS (swimming and water polo), qualified for and placed in California HS sectional meets. Not sure what the comparable standards are today.
On the other hand I had to *beg* mom to let me join the swim team. After a few years she finally relented in spite of her fear that I would develop broad shoulders (which i did). Back in the day girls were to refrain from doing anything athletic lest they develop muscles. The skills served me well. I worked summers at our community pools (instructor, lifeguard, program manager), coached an age-group team (fka Albany Dolphins) and put in my share of laps at Hearst. And because I swim and bike but don't run, my knees are still in working order.
I had mandatory lessons when I was a kid in the Netherlands, there's a national standard for competence that used to be run by the government but apparently was turned over to a national water safety council in the 80s. My folks bought 2 successive houses with pools so even though I'm not much for speed or distance, I'm very comfortable in the water. My daughters did a lot more training so they both have amazing form and when they were in elementary / middle school they could do distance as well, both of them completed the 4.5 mile lake swim at their summer camp in successive summers.
Coming out of high school, I knew the basic strokes but was a pretty crappy swimmer. Decided to knuckle down and practice at Cal. Got up to 700+ yards/day, which is not outstanding, but decent. Usually swam at Harmon, but Hearst had those black walls that reminded me of Hawaii. Strawberry was fun as it had more of a resort feel.
i am sort of a horrible swimmer. i get winded just going one length of the pool. maybe i can manage 8 lengths and then i am dying as if just ran a marathon or something.
it is interesting that other endurance sports, like cycling, in no way make you a better swimmer
i probably need some lessons. i took one last year when i was staying at the Claremont. it turns out that i dont breathe in or out correctly, waste a ton of energy, and consequently dont last very long.
That's me too. I always say I swim well enough to save myself in a pool. I'm very thin so have no body fat to help me float and never learned how to breath correctly. So much is technique. That's why despite being a good marathon runner, I'm not a swimmer and never was any good at XC skiing.
I need to get my kids to really learn how to swim. I was hoping No 2 got into MIT because they have a requirement that all undergrads be able to swim the length from the middle of the bridge in front of the school that crosses the river to one bank. that would force him to learn how to swim when he really isn't interested in learning. Nos 2 and 3 can "swim" in a pool but that's different than being able to do it for water safety.
our kids are both pretty good. one of the good things about sleepaway camp. the older you get, the early you swim and colder the water.
usually their final year they do a synchronized swimming show. seems hard enough to just tread water for 15 min. much less coordinate swimming activities.
I had to learn how to swim when I was in elementary school in El Segundo, CA. But then didn't really go anywhere that had a pool I got into, so sorta lost the skills.
Since I've torn my achilles a 2nd time, I was thinking about picking up swimming laps. It's been 40 years since swim team since I've really swam laps. Would take some time to build back up.
Based purely on anecdotal evidence based on gear, who are the top 5 favorite universities where you live
1. UNC
2. NC State
3. Duke
4. Eastern Carolina
5. App State
I have an App State t-shirt, my sister gave it to me the year they beat Michigan.
is that the one in Boone?
my cycling coach went there. i think they have a decent team.
supposed to be a gorgeous area too ..
1. SC
2. Southern Cal
3. USC
4. Southern California
5. UC Los Angeles
I want to know how many of the $C wearers actually went to $C.
1. Cal
2. Cal
3. Cal
4. Cal
5. Cal
this would also be the case for me if "where i live" meant i just look at myself in mirror and never leave the house. until this last year, i could have even looked at the rest of the family.
now we have UW in distant 5th place ..
UCI
USC
UCLA
Cal
Stanford
1. Berkeley (academics)
2. Cal (athletics)
3. LSJU (this is likely more prevalent but I have an aversion to shades of red)
4. UCLA / USC
5. Smatterings of Big 10+ and the Ivies. Notre Dame shows its colors in the fall.
Virginia Tech, Maryland, Michigan, Georgetown, and maybe Wisconsin?
1. UC Santa Barbara
2. USC
3. University of Southern California
4. University of Spoiled Children
T-5. University of Sychopathic Cillers and UC Los Angeles
Georgetown
Virginia Tech
UVA
George Washington
Michigan
1. Oregon
2. Oregon State
3. Washington
4. North Carolina (Jordan effect)
5. UCLA
Surprisingly, there is a strong contingent of Washington St. supporters, and Colorado alums, in the second 5, with the usual suspects, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame.
living in NY ..
1. Michigan
2. Harvard
3. Yale
4. Syracuse
5. UConn
i guess i should have put Iona in the mix. we live about a mile away and there are a lot of college kids in the area.
PRO
On the par-5 seventh hole of the Quail Hollow Club, Ricky Fowler tried to get a birdie - but ended up with a snakey.
https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1654889498633728000
Haalands breaking records, wind
https://www.elfutbolero.us/news/It-worries-Real-Madrid-they-reveal-Haalands-dirty-secret-to-get-rid-of-rivals--20230507-0015.html
Lakers woodshed the Warriors 127-97.
https://www.espn.com/nba/matchup/_/gameId/401545233
Best change: defending against threes- if Lakers go up to 3-1, it's over.
A's announcer Glen Kuiper indefinitely suspended for accidentally saying the n-word during a broadcast.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10075177-as-broadcaster-glen-kuiper-suspended-indefinitely-after-using-racial-slur-on-air
The word “accidentally” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. The way he said it, so effortlessly makes me think he uses that word a lot for it to be an accident.
A’s can’t sweep, fall 5-1 to Royals
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2023/5/7/23714656/oakland-athletics-kansas-city-royals-mason-miller-ramon-laureano-shintaro-fujinami
Things have been turning around this weekend for the Oakland A’s. Not only did the team get its first back-to-back victories, win its first series, and secure its first two starting pitcher wins, it also tied the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in the league. Usually that’s not what you want to do, but after leading that race for most of the year, it was a pleasant surprise to not feel like the worst team in history for 15 hours.
With today’s rubber match against the Royals, the A’s could’ve buried them in last place with a victory. Instead, it’s Oakland who’s once again alone at the bottom.
Everton beat Brighton - Hove Albion 5-1 today, and I'm as surprised as anyone that's not a typo on my part
Elephant Rumblings: Remembering Vida Blue
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2023/5/8/23714597/elephant-rumblings-remembering-vida-blue
It’s Monday, Athletics Nation.
Sunday was a sad day for A’s fans and all of Major League Baseball. Legendary A’s starter Vida Blue died at the age of 73 per the A’s and the Blue family.
Such sad news. Vida was a class act.
The Giants shared the news before the game yesterday (Sunday 5/7) and honored him with a moment of silence. We were all stunned.
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2023/5/8/23714948/san-francisco-giants-vida-blue-death
Missed opportunities
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2023/5/7/23714796/mlb-scores-san-francisco-giants-milwaukee-brewers-recap-ross-stripling
Scoring opportunities for the Giants abounded in Sunday game yet fell by the way side as starter Ross Stripling followed up his best start of the season against Houston with more of what burned him in this season’s early goings.
After throwing 11.2 innings across 3 appearances of homer-less baseball (a feat since he had given up 6 in his first 10 IP of the season), both catcher William Contreras and shortstop Willy Adames lifted 2-run shots into the left field bleachers to fuel the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 sweep-spoiling win over the San Francisco Giants.
Betts and Outman hit late homers in Dodger win
https://www.truebluela.com/2023/5/7/23714775/betts-and-outman-hit-late-homers-in-dodger-win
In a game that saw the Padres lead from their second batter of the game until they had two outs in the top of the ninth, the Dodgers rallied to win 5-2 in ten innings.
Josh Hader had only given up one run this season and had a 10-game scoreless streak when he took the mound to close the game. After retiring the first two hitters, Mookie Betts came to the plate. Betts was able to work the count into his favor and he was able to take a healthy cut on the 3-1 pitch.
Bummer to lose this series like this.
GBBR
DBD AV CLUB
We Watched: Speed Racer on Saturday - got say that I love that movie, wasn't sure my wife and daughter would like it, but they did, just didn't love the art as much as I do.
That movie is so good and underrated.
I actually watched it for the first time a couple of months ago. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Shooting at Texas mall in Allen TX. Stephen Spainhouer snapped the situation into clear focus by his description of rushing to the mall after his son called because they were hiding in the mall. Fucking brutal.
https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1655187219223650305
DiFi says she has no timetable to return to Senate and claps back about her absence.
https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=A173C5B9-D081-4FFE-BFD2-83ADC909834E
This is exactly why I did not vote for her last time and now we see the consequences.
And I voted for DiFi because I didn't trust Kevin deLeon. Turns out both of us were right.
True, the competition was not great because DiFi was too strong an incumbent.
Same. I would have happily voted for a reasonable alternative, but that was not KdL.
Check out this article from Pew Research Center re: the median age of members of the House and Senate -
House gets younger, Senate gets older
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/30/house-gets-younger-senate-gets-older-a-look-at-the-age-and-generation-of-lawmakers-in-the-118th-congress/
One takeaway from the article that I infer is that with most US Senate incumbents being re-elected, the older individuals in each age group are aging into the next older age group. Hence, the Senate is getting older.
But because the House has more members and greater turnover (on a numerical if not percentage basis), the House is getting younger.
Side note: House membership is way too restricted. We should have 1 member for every 100,000 at the very least. George Washington thought it should be 1 member for every 30,000. And while that ratio would require something like 11,100 US Representatives, it would probably be the right thing to do to get government moving again and representative of the people. The way things are now, our electeds in representative federal government are stale, tired, and reflexively distrustful of change.
I don't see that changing as long as the House membership is limited to 435 representatives and the Senate favors states more interested in obstructing change than meeting the challenges of a changing world.
Nibbling around the edges was okay in 1973; it's not fine in 2023.
Maximum age for ALL electable politicians, regardless of political affiliation, should be 65, with a mandatory retirement age. You should not turn 70 while holding an office of any kind. If you wanna continue to work, go get a job in retail.
Yes to a mandatory retirement age. 65 or even 70 is too soon, though. I think that if you're going to turn 80 during your current term, you cannot run for re-election. The likelihood for cognitive decline is too great. The likelihood of catastrophic or debilitating illness or death is too great.
Also, it's time to pass the torch, as it were, to a younger generation.
Agreed. 75 or 80 should be the maximum age.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
Trinity College (Dublin, IRL) removes Berkeley from its campus library because George Berkeley (also the namesake of our alma mater's city) owned slaves
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/world/europe/george-berkeley-trinity-college-dublin.html
FYI: Berkeley is pronounced "Barkley"
Jayden De Laura pled guilty to raping a girl in 2018 and details from the civil case are coming to light now. Yuck.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/ua/2023/05/05/arizona-wildcats-qb-jayden-de-laura-sexual-assault-allegations-suspend/70189748007/
CAL
Dead Week is over. Finals are here.
https://twitter.com/CalAthletics/status/1655588374697132036
i dont remember there being a real "dead week" ...
just whatever days between your last class and your first final.
[BASEB] Bears Sweep Bruins
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/7/baseball-bears-sweep-bruins.aspx
LOS ANGELES – For the first time since 1991 the Cal baseball team swept UCLA on the road. The Golden Bears hit four more home runs today, two from Max Handron, and held on to win 9-8 on Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Cal (21-23, 9-15 Pac-12) finished the afternoon scoring nine runs on 12 hits. The Bears were particularly strong in two out situations where they drove in five of their nine runs. Handron clubbed two more home runs to give him four for the series. Joining Handron with home runs were Caleb Lomavita and Rodney Green Jr. Cal also got doubles from Peyton Schulze and Nathan Manning.
I got home from an afternoon concert and checked the Cal website in time to see the bottom of the ninth livestream. Things got dicey but bears held on.
Yay!
Can we... have nice things?
@JonRothstein
Mark Madsen tells me that Cal is close to breaking ground on a new, $80-100 million dollar practice facility.
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1655606666853752835
[MTEN] Cal Falls In Second Round At Michigan
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/7/mens-tennis-cal-falls-in-second-round-at-michigan.aspx
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 29th-ranked California men's tennis team's postseason campaign came to an end in the NCAA Championship on Sunday, when the Golden Bears fell to seventh-ranked and seventh-seeded Michigan, 4-0, in the second round outdoors at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Graduate student Yuta Kikuchi will represent the Bears in the NCAA Singles Championship from May 22-27 in Orlando, Florida. But the Cal team (13-11) ended its season on Sunday.
Bummer. Well played, though.
[SB] Anzaldo Blasts Bears To Series Win
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/6/softball-anzaldo-blasts-bears-to-series-win.aspx
TUCSON, Ariz. – Tatum Anzaldo hit two home runs and the California softball team held on to an early six-run lead for an 8-6 victory over Arizona to clinch the series on Saturday night at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Bears (33-17-1, 9-13-1 Pac-12) took the series in Tucson for the first time since 2013 with Anzaldo going 3-for-3 and Makena Smith blasting her 14th home run of the season. Blaise Biringer had a three-hit day for the WIldcats (27-24, 5-18 Pac-12).
[SB] Bears Drop Series Finale
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/7/softball-bears-drop-series-finale.aspx
TUCSON, Ariz. – The California softball team fell, 9-4, to Arizona in the final game of the regular season on Sunday at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
The Golden Bears (33-18-1, 9-14-1 Pac-12) got two hits apiece from Tatum Anzaldo and Acacia Anders. Cal had already wrapped up the No. 6 seed in next week's Pac-12 Tournament with its win on Friday and the Bears will play No. 3 seed Utah at 10 a.m. on Thursday in the quarterfinals after the Utes defeated Oregon on Sunday.
Bummer. Well played, though.
[RUGBY] Cal Falls To Navy In National Championship Match
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/6/rugby-cal-falls-to-navy-in-national-championship-match.aspx
HOUSTON – California rugby was defeated 28-22 by Navy in the title match of the D1A National Collegiate Championships on Saturday evening at Aveva Stadium.
"Congratulations to Navy on a well-earned championship," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "They were the wire-to-wire top team in the nation. I appreciate our boys as well. It's not easy getting to this last game, and we certainly had our chances."
Bummer. Well played, though.
[WGOLF] Bears Ready For Palm Beach Gardens Regional
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/6/womens-golf-bears-ready-for-palm-beach-gardens-regional.aspx
The California women's golf team takes the No. 7 seed into the Palm Beach Gardens Regional from May 8-10 at the PGA National Resort. The Golden Bears will be competing with the same lineup that saw them take sixth place at last month's Pac-12 Championships.
The top five teams at the regional – co-hosted by Florida Atlantic and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission – will advance to the largest NCAA Championship field in women's golf history.
[BVB] No. 8 Cal Falls To No. 1 UCLA At NCAA Championship
https://calbears.com/news/2023/5/6/beach-volleyball-no-8-cal-falls-to-no-1-ucla-at-ncaa-championship.aspx
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 8 California beach volleyball team dropped its NCAA Championship quarterfinal dual with No. 1 UCLA Saturday, falling 3-1 to end a historic 2023 season.
The Golden Bears came out hot, leading on all five courts through the middle points/. But the Bruins showed their experience by securing three first sets by identical scores of 21-19.
Bummer, well played though.
Go Bears !!!
Wow. Really?
https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1655606666853752835
Swim
I learned to swim in the 6th grade after I nearly drowned at a family vacation on the Russian River. It was a bit embarrassing to be a kid who had hit puberty learning with little kids. In retrospect, we had lots of vacations and events at pools, rivers, oceans, and such before I learned how to swim. In retrospect, I'm kind of scratching my head why my parents didn't teach me to swim earlier. My favorite place to swim is a little cove on Lake Hyco in NC near the VA border. There is nothing better than hanging out with inner tubes with music playing and a cooler of food/beverages and a book to fall asleep reading.
“The Life and Times of Newellbany, A Biography, vol I” is just such a book. Makes the leaflet on famous Jewish sports stars from Airplane! seem like War and Peace, yet despite the brevity, it is absolutely a cure for insomnia.
;-)
My mom took us for swim lessons every summer. I did the same for my kids however with indoor pools they could take lessons all year.
When my brother was 7, an age-group coach asked mom if my brother was on a swim team. She laughed (no!). The coach encouraged her to bring him in for a try-out. He swam the length of the pool (25 yds) without stopping (it was a struggle but he didn't grab the side) and the coach said he's in. He lettered 4 yrs in HS (swimming and water polo), qualified for and placed in California HS sectional meets. Not sure what the comparable standards are today.
On the other hand I had to *beg* mom to let me join the swim team. After a few years she finally relented in spite of her fear that I would develop broad shoulders (which i did). Back in the day girls were to refrain from doing anything athletic lest they develop muscles. The skills served me well. I worked summers at our community pools (instructor, lifeguard, program manager), coached an age-group team (fka Albany Dolphins) and put in my share of laps at Hearst. And because I swim and bike but don't run, my knees are still in working order.
My first love won state swimming races.
I had mandatory lessons when I was a kid in the Netherlands, there's a national standard for competence that used to be run by the government but apparently was turned over to a national water safety council in the 80s. My folks bought 2 successive houses with pools so even though I'm not much for speed or distance, I'm very comfortable in the water. My daughters did a lot more training so they both have amazing form and when they were in elementary / middle school they could do distance as well, both of them completed the 4.5 mile lake swim at their summer camp in successive summers.
That's impressive.
Coming out of high school, I knew the basic strokes but was a pretty crappy swimmer. Decided to knuckle down and practice at Cal. Got up to 700+ yards/day, which is not outstanding, but decent. Usually swam at Harmon, but Hearst had those black walls that reminded me of Hawaii. Strawberry was fun as it had more of a resort feel.
i am sort of a horrible swimmer. i get winded just going one length of the pool. maybe i can manage 8 lengths and then i am dying as if just ran a marathon or something.
it is interesting that other endurance sports, like cycling, in no way make you a better swimmer
i probably need some lessons. i took one last year when i was staying at the Claremont. it turns out that i dont breathe in or out correctly, waste a ton of energy, and consequently dont last very long.
That's me too. I always say I swim well enough to save myself in a pool. I'm very thin so have no body fat to help me float and never learned how to breath correctly. So much is technique. That's why despite being a good marathon runner, I'm not a swimmer and never was any good at XC skiing.
Did you ever see the movie Personal Best? Marathoner Kenny Moore played the role of a competitive swimmer. Maybe it was special effects.
I did see it. Mariel Hemingway, right? Had no idea about Kenny Moore though I knew of him as a runner.
I need to get my kids to really learn how to swim. I was hoping No 2 got into MIT because they have a requirement that all undergrads be able to swim the length from the middle of the bridge in front of the school that crosses the river to one bank. that would force him to learn how to swim when he really isn't interested in learning. Nos 2 and 3 can "swim" in a pool but that's different than being able to do it for water safety.
our kids are both pretty good. one of the good things about sleepaway camp. the older you get, the early you swim and colder the water.
usually their final year they do a synchronized swimming show. seems hard enough to just tread water for 15 min. much less coordinate swimming activities.
Nana had a pool so I fortunately learned to swim at an early age. Favorite spot is Lake George….delightful.
I had to learn how to swim when I was in elementary school in El Segundo, CA. But then didn't really go anywhere that had a pool I got into, so sorta lost the skills.
A well-known hip hop group left their wallet in El Segundo… ;-)
Since I've torn my achilles a 2nd time, I was thinking about picking up swimming laps. It's been 40 years since swim team since I've really swam laps. Would take some time to build back up.
i thought you were a pretty good swimmer?
True, I can ride for hours, and used to be rather fast...
I guess I did well enough to do swim team up until I was 12. So I guess I would be fine if I was in the ocean.