After a long break the Sharks have begun once again. May 4 was our first day back as an entire team. The first two weeks were available for those 11 & over to prepare for a great Long Course season. To this date we have 103 registered swimmers and 75 families. The good news is that most of these families are new to the Sharks program. Our goal is to have 150 swimmers and 100 families. Keep working hard to promote the Sharks Swim Team.

The 1998 Long Course Season will be a great season. Because of the returning swimmers and the amount of new swimmers, the Sharks will prove to be very tough. We have completed two full weeks of training thus far and I am very happy with the progress. Some people feel that two months is too long for time away from the pool. My honest opinion is that if your swimmer(s) truly love the sport, they will be back season after season. A long break is needed to over come the monotony of swimming. The coaching staff does the best possible job of balancing work and fun. I feel that if your swimmer(s) are not mentally ready to come back to swimming then they should take more time off or they should ease into the new season. When they become Seniors they will have more stresses to encounter. So let them have fun and miss the sport. They will be back.

Now that the summer is here it is a good time to mention the importance of keeping your body constantly hydrated. The best way to do this is to have a water bottle with you at all times. Whether you are at home in front of a computer or outside with friends, it is very important to have that water bottle filled with water, Gatorade, or Allsport. A recent study conducted by The American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand stated that the best sources to prevent dehydration is Gatorade, Exceed, Recharge, Allsport, Powerade, or Cytomax. These drinks contain sodium which encourages drinking. This process retains extracellular fluid which will allow you to stay hydrated for longer periods of time. It is very important to drink this fluid or water during swim practice. Even though you are in a liquid environment you still sweat. When you feel your body itching this is telling you that you are sweating. Remember to drink before, during, and after practice.

The West Chicago Sharks Coaching Staff would like to announce those that were Swimmer of the Meet and Swimmer of the Month for May.

The Swimmers of the Meet for the '98 Intersquad Meet are:

Novice: Graham Chapman
8 & Under: Katie Miller
9 & 10: Kelly Mateas
11 & 12: Corrine Coffman
13 & 14: Steven Vandernaalt
Senior: Shannon Sterne

Swimmers of the Meet for the WCS Pentathlon are:

Novice: Greg Pelke
8 & Under: Brett Simon
9 & 10: Matt Simon
11 & 12: Joel Somers
13 & 14: Rachel Horvath
Senior: Danielle Lureau


Swimmers of the Month for May are:

Novice: Melissan Sheldon
8 & Under: Carrie Chibe
9 & 10: Kelsey Zaccagnini
11 & 12: Caitlin Zaccagnini
13 & 14: Brian Mehrman
Senior: Jenny Cwiak

It is hard to believe that the spring could be so short. It is June already. May was a month full of hard work. We welcomed all of the new comers as well as the returning. It was nice to see all of the kids back for the summer.

The Veterans began the season where they left last season, swimming hard in the long lanes, swimming fast IM's, and working with the pace clock. The Pentathlon was a great opportunity to swim many events and for some, it was their first time. Congratulations to everyone who participated in this meet. I would like to congratulate Ania Skorupski, Daniel Stanek, Kelsey Zaccagnini, and Brenden Sullivan on their High Point awards.

Following is a few announcements. Parents, please make sure you check the wall every day for meet information. If you have any questions please ask. Also, we are asking all parents to arrive at the pool fifteen minutes before the end of practice. The pool and locker rooms will be locked at 45 past the hour. Please talk with your swimmer(s) and explain the importance of spending less time in the shower.

I would like to congratulate Katie Miller and Brett Simon for Swimmers of the Meet and Carrie Chibe for Swimmer of the Month. Congratulations to all of the 8 & Unders for a great month of May.

The Novice swimmers have been off to a great start. I have seen vast improvements in each of the swimmers. This is due to the hard work and enthusiasm you each show me every day in practice.

During the past month, we have been focusing on our Freestyle and Backstroke. Now that we have gained a great deal of comfort and balance in the water the remaining strokes of Butterfly and Breaststroke will be much easier to master.

The previous two meets served as priceless learning experiences. Our swimmers have had the opportunity to establish times in Freestyle, Backstroke, and some in Breaststroke.

The verbal cues and feedback I give in practice and meets come from my teaching background. First, you must visualize or imagine a perfect race. Second, you develop and train your body to perform those essential skills. Third, you strive to swim a perfect race in every meet. Through out this process, each swimmer will develop and master each of the skills at their individual pace. At each meet through out the season some swimmers will have mastered the necessary skills while others will still be learning.

After a race is swum, each swimmer and I discuss what skills they have done well and what skills need further development in practice to bring us closer to our goal of a perfect race.

I would like to congratulate the following for Swimmers of the Meet and Swimmer of the Month. It was quite difficult for me to choose because of the progress each swimmer has made.

Congratulations to Graham Chapman and Greg Pelke for Swimmers of the Meet and Melissa Sheldon for Swimmer of the Month.

Congratulations to these members of the Novice team as well as to all of you for your hard work and excellent efforts. I look forward to the future meets to see how much you have improved.

You will receive one Time Improvement Pin for each race you swim a Life Time Best time. You can find these pins in you awards mailbox. Please remember that on Monday June 15, we will begin to have two practice times every day that you can attend. You are welcome to attend one or the other but not two practices in one day. Please see me if you have any questions.

I would first like to say welcome to all of those that are new to this group. This group, like many of the groups, is very charismatic. All the swimmers are great and each 9 & 10 brings different talent to the group.

The 9 & 10's have been working diligently on their swimming technique. I am a very big believer in swimming workouts with proper technique. If they practice bad technique then they will learn bad technique.

The last three weeks have been a bit difficult for this group. Their yardage has increased as well as the intensity. Our focus is on the Silver and Gold Conference Championships. More information will be available in the future.

Congratulations to Kelly Mateas and Matt Simon for Swimmers of the Meet and Kelsey Zaccagnini for Swimmer of the Month. All of you have done a great job. Keep of the good work.

Our 11-12 and 13-14 age groups have gotten off to a fast start this season. In our first two meets we've seen many lifetime best times and strong meet performances. This is a real credit to the kids in these groups as they have been great about coming to practice and working hard on improving their skills and endurance. I look for even greater things to come in the next few meets as we continue to get stronger and more-efficient in the water.

One of the goals we will be working towards this season is to move up one level in each of our races. If we have a "B" time, we hope to make a "BB" time. If we have a "BB" time, we're working to make it an "A" time, and so on.

Another goal we have set is more effective in nature and not quite as easy to measure. I've always found this age range to be a great time to develop the discipline and work ethic a swimmer needs to reach higher achievements in the future.

The kids have had a terrific response to this philosophy so far this season. They are working harder than ever and doing things in practice that we've never done before (and still having a great time!). We're all very proud of each one of the kids in these age groups and I know we have an exciting season this summer as a result of their determination to do well.

With so many great swims in our first two meets and with our practices going so well, it makes it difficult to single-out a few swimmers to recognize. There are some performances that do deserve special recognition.

Our swimmers of the meet for the Sharks' Intra-Squad are:

13-14 Steven Vandernaalt (nine second time drop in 200 IM)
11-12 Corrine Coffman (100% lifetime best times)

Our swimmers of the meet for the Sharks' Pentathlon are:

13-14 Rachel Horvath (dropped 12 seconds in three races alone)
11-12 Joel Somers (winner of the Pentathlon High Point and having his best season ever in his training)

Our swimmers of the month are two swimmers whose attendance, hard work, and dedication are paying huge rewards. They are:

13-14 Brian Mehrman
11-12 Caitlin Zaccagnini

Both Brian and Caitlin have been outstanding in practices and meets. They have shown leadership in demonstrating what great work in practices can bring an athlete in competition. I know that the best is yet to come for each of them.

Congratulations to all the award winners and to each of the swimmers in the 11-12's and 13-14's. Keep up the great work and enthusiasm.

The Senior group began their training in late April. Since then, we have been working very hard to keep our strokes very efficient. Even though we have only been working for a month, I can see a tremendous amount of progress.

The Senior group has been working hard and swimming long sets. The best way to improve our technique over long distances is to swim those long distances at a moderate level. Repetition is the greatest way to learn.

The Senior group is focusing on the Gold Conference Championships and the Senior State Championships. Our goal is to improve on our final standings. To do this a lot will be asked of your swimmer(s). Please encourage them every day.

This group is a bit unique in that I am closely monitoring their progress through a number of different ways. If you should have any questions please see me. I will be more than willing to schedule a meeting with you to go over your child's progress.

Some of the swimmers have asked for a nutritional program. Because of this I have been working with USA Swimming to create a program specific to your swimmers needs. This program is available to all Senior swimmers if they would like the additional help. Each swimmer will need to schedule a convenient time to meet with Chris. Parents are encouraged to participate.

Along with the Nutritional Program, I have also created a Sports Psychology Program. This is very individual program as we are all different. If you or your swimmer would like more information please contact Coach Chris.

Congratulations to Shannon Sterne and Danielle Lureua for Swimmers of the Meet and Jenny Cwiak for Swimmer of the Month. Congratulations to all of you for a great month. It is great to see all of you back swimming. The Sharks will need your help.

This section of the newsletter will feature articles written by Board Members to keep you informed of up coming events.

Concessions Committee

We would like to begin this article by giving a BIG thank you to all of those who donated their time and energy in making our first meet successful and fun. The children had a great time. The majority of them swam for the first time which was great to see.

Concessions were, as always, a big hit. The pasta salads and the M & M Rice Krispie treats were especially good. A week, or so, before every meet there is a concession sign-up sheet posted on the wall near the meet information. Every family is expected to participate.

There are a variety of ways to offer your services, as you can see from the sign-up sheet. Several families went above and beyond! Mary Taylor and Deborah Ramsey were kind enough to shop at Sams, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you to Debbie Fehrman for putting her name down for five items.

These individuals were an incredible help, as well as everyone who signed-up. If you have any ideas that would make concessions more exciting, do not hesitate to share them.

Fund-raising Committee

A Swim-a-Thon fund-raiser will be Friday, June 26, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Immediately after this event we have planned a ice creeam social for the swimmers and parents during the event.

We encourage everyone to participate in the Swim-a-Thon and attend the ice cream social. It is a unique opportunity to combine a fund-raising event with a social event. This will allow new and existing members to meet and mingle with other Shark parents, coaches, and Board Members as well as to have fun.

Details will be provided in the coming days in your mail boxes and through information sheets posted on the wall at the pool. We look forward to seeing you there.

Fund-raising events are an important means to help raise needed funds for the Sharks and keep swim fees as low as possible for the parents. We are continuing to explore new fund-raising events that will be beneficial to both the Sharks and the parents.

We have introduced parents to the Oxy Fresh fund-raising program and thank all parents who participated in the flower sale which was a great success. Because of our efforts we are now participating in the Jewel-Osco Shop & Share Fund-raising Program. The Sharks receive a 5% cash return on all purchases made by Shark members and friends at any Jewel-Osco stores during a prearranged three day period (Mon., Tue., & Wed only).

Simply make your purchases and present a preprinted coupon to the cashier at the check out counter. The coupon has the Sharks name and ID number preprinted on its face. Then, the presenter merely signs his or her name on the coupon.

We have selected the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday's corresponding to the following dates:

July 20th - 22nd
August 10th - 12th
August 24th - 26th

The preprinted coupons will be distributed to all parents through you mailboxes along with instructions. Please distribute the coupons to family members, friends, and neighbors. Encourage them to do their weekly shopping on the designated days.

We encourage all members to participate in the program. It certainly is for a worthy cause and does not cost participating shoppers anything other than a few seconds to sign the coupon and present it to the cashier in the check out line.

On a different note, the Oxy Fresh fund-raising program is in full swing. As with any new program, we realize there will be questions on how this program can be used to reduce your swimmers fees. Please contact Gayle or Tim Driscoll at 231-4489, or check out our website for more information on the products, etc. at www.Oxyfreshvip.com/GTDriscoll .

Coaching Staff

A number of new things have taken shape in which we feel it is very important to announce. The first item is that every coach is available outside of practice for additional help at no extra cost.

These private lessons are designed to help your swimmer(s) with the four competitive strokes as well as starts and turns. However, we ask that you only solicit the help of the coach that is currently coaching your swimmer(s). In addition, the coaches are only available when they have time. If you have any questions please see Coach Chris.

Through out the summer you will notice that much of the information we talk about is on the wall. It is strongly suggested that you read the wall every day as the information changes frequently.

If your child(ren) are interested in participating in any of the meets that the Sharks have scheduled, please highlite their name(s). The sign-up sheets will be posted from one to two weeks. It is very desirable that you highlite any names ASAP. Those interested in participating must highlite their name. If the name is not highlited they will not swim. It is your responsibility to highlite your name. Coaches are not responsible for calling or check-ups.

For those parents interested in what your child's group has planned for the summer, contact your child's coach. The coaching staff is more than willing to schedule time to meet with parents regarding your child's performance and development.

Last but not least, the West Chicago Sharks and Head Coach Chris Hall are offering a Summer Swim Camp for those between the ages of 9 through 17. This camp is designed to offer a number of things for your child.

The next issue I would like to comment on is nutrition. Nutrition is by far one of the most important areas for swimmers to take seriously but something we spend little time discussing.

There are many nutritional guide lines that a re available. I am a very big believer in eating in moderation. The one thing that we can monitor most effectively is the daily eating habits of our swimmers.

I strongly suggest that swimmers eat more protein (fish, chicken, beans, nuts) and less carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes) and fat (cakes, brownies, cookies). Our biggest enemy is not the type of food we eat but the amount. Each swimmer can maintain their same diet, but eat everything in moderation. For more information see Coach Chris.

Last but not least, the West Chicago Sharks and Head Coach Chris Hall are offering a Summer Swim Camp for those between the ages of 9 through 17. This camp is designed to offer a number of things for your child.

First, your child will learn what it takes to swim and what it takes to swim fast. Second, your child will be paired with on older "buddy". This will allow your child to interact with the Senior swimmers. Third, your child will be involved, daily, with classroom time. This is designated for talks on proper nutrition habits, goal setting techniques, self esteem building, and the like. Lastly, each session is very affordable and beneficial for the development of your child.

There will be three 2 week sessions:

Session 1: June 15 - June 26
Session 2: June 29 - July 10
Session 3: July 13 - July 24

Each session cost is $80 with a discount offered to those you register for more than one session. Each participant will receive a camp T-shirt and prizes won throughout the session for contests and competitions. The cost will also include a video tape which will be used to analysis the swimmers strokes on a daily basis. Those that are interested must register before JUNE 12. Send a check, made out to the West Chicago Sharks, to West Chicago Sharks, 1038 Heritage Hill Dr. Apt. F, Naperville, IL 60563. If you would like additional information call Chris at 293-8148.

This section is for the Head Coach to discuss a topic at length. If you have any question please see Coach Chris at your earliest convenience.

When I accepted this coaching position last August I was very enthusiastic for the change as well as the people I would have the opportunity to work with. I have found that our parents are a tremendous asset to this program. Meets would not be possible and fund raising would be deplorable.

Since August of '97 I have had time to reflect back on what we have and have not accomplished. One of the first things I was asked to do was come up with a "theme" for the season. The one I chose was "Whatever It Takes".

This theme was created to give the swimmers a sense that in order to be successful they would have to do "Whatever It Takes". However, this was not the case through out out the Short Course season.

I was told, not too long ago, that the West Chicago Sharks used to be the team. They would dominate the Gold Conference and place high in the Age Group Championship standings. Unfortunately, times have changed. We live in a society where free time is often and watching the television or playing on the computer is our expertise.

We have now found ourselves in a hypocritical state. We want the very best training and coaches for our children but yet we do not want them to come to practice as often, swim meets, eat right, or train hard. We are losing the battle at the pools and on the decks because the battles are being lost at home an in the schools.

I am a very big believer in success coming to those who work for it. I am very aware of those who come to practice to socialize and those who come to practice to train. It is a sad day when your Novice and 8 & Under groups have higher practice attendance than your 13 and Overs.

If this team wants to get back to the competitive nature it once had then our training habits need to change today. Success does not come overnight. We are not structured like Gary Hall Jr. For the majority of us we are average and have to train hard in order to succeed.

Two months ago the Coaching Staff sat down for two hours to discuss the future of this team and if we were going in the right direction. In some circumstances we were doing things that were successful and in other circumstances we were cutting our own throats.

This team will not survive unless we have the swimmers, parents, board members, and coaching staff working with each other. The Coaching Staff has made it a priority to get this team back to the top. The Board Members have given us the ability to do this. Now it is time for the parents and swimmers to fill that void.

You ask your children to participate in swimming for whatever reason but you do not take them to practice because it is not convenient. We constantly debate over the number of fund raisers that you have to do, but yet you will not participate to keep the fees low.

I am currently fighting tooth and nail to make this team more affordable. But this is difficult when we constantly lose swimmers season in and season out. And why is this happening? Because the pure love of the sport only exists in a handful of people.

I often tell my Seniors, "If you do not want to be here don't come". There is nothing worse than a swimmer pretending to be dedicated. Yes they come to practice but they refuse to swim the way the coaches set was designed.

These swimmers will only have a certain amount of time to learn. To learn what it takes to be successful and the type of work needed to move you through the tunnel of life. Corporate America does not prosper because of a lack of work. Corporate America works 24 hours a day 7 days a week for something they want 10 years down the road.

My suggestion is to listen to your swimmer(s) first and then decide what would be the best for them. You are constantly funding their needs and interests in order to prepare them for life. If they do not want to swim, DON'T MAKE THEM. They will soon learn to hate the sport then themselves. Give them a chance to enjoy their childhood. They will encounter enough stress as a teenager.

At the beginning of this article I talked about our theme, "Whatever It Takes". This will continue to be our theme as I feel it will be very beneficial in the end. But remember, you must sacrifice in order to be successful. This theme is in every thing we do.

Do Whatever It Takes to eat the right foods. Moderation is the key. Fat and Carbohydrates are the enemy. The more you eat of these foods the worse off you will be. Stay away from caffeinated products and learn to eat more fruits, vegetables, and protein.

Do Whatever It Takes to attend every practice. Training is designed to make you tired. If you only come to two of the five practices then you are doing absolutely nothing to improve. Attend each practice with a positive attitude focused towards the goal of making a A+ time, Age Group Championships, or Senior Nationals.

Do Whatever It Takes to accept the pain, soreness, and staleness of being successful. The coaching staff is extremely professional and very knowledgeable. They will ask a lot from your swimmer(s). And the only way to truly see how well your swimmer(s) is progressing is through meet times. The coaching staff constantly plans and revises workouts to fit the meet schedule. If you train and do not compete you are wasting your time and money. "

"Whatever It Takes" is a challenge to all of you to make this the best team in Illinois. But in order to accomplish this task we have to prioritize what is important for this team and your swimmer(s). I truly believe that in time, we can all make this team the best.