I just wanted to take a moment and congratulate 3 of our shark team mates. Jill Gross, Alyse Tyler, and Maddie Vincent all made the ODP team. Please join me in congratulating them, because this is not just a good thing for them it is a great thing for us as a team.

I hope you all enjoy your veterans day, and Ill see you Wednesday.

-Coach Lee

No individual is alone responsible for a single stepping stone along the path of progress, and where the path is smooth progress is most rapid.

Ernest Lawrence

Let us Recap:

Great job today girls against H.B. We controlled that whole game, and even the other coach was impressed. Remember that we are team that is going to progress throughout our whole season, we are young, and if you are excited to see how we played today then your going to be shocked when you see us at the end. Counter looked better then I have ever seen it today, especially against a DIV 1 beach school! 6 on 5 was solid both defense and offense. Our 6 on 6 defense made H.B. look weak, but it could have shut them down all together.

SUBS- If you are a sub there is no excuse for you not to understand any point of our game plan, I know you are at practice along with the starters, SO if your getting confused then partner with a team captain and get it down. I do not want to put you in only to pull you out because you don’t know a certain play.

Shooting- Remember no matter what the game gives you, there is no excuse for loosing fundamentals when you go to shoot. Get up on your legs and make it happen.

-I will go over in detail a lot more this week, I just dont want to write it down here where anyone could read it…

-Coach Lee

I hope you feel better Haily please email me how you are doing when you get a chance.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
Henry Ford.

I am so proud of the girls pulling together a fantastic fund raiser that will fully cover the exciting new warm ups. I am happy to say that they will be arriving soon!

Thank you to all the parents who helped make this a success also.

-Coach Lee

Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.”-Bobby Knight

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” -Lance Armstrong

“Sure I am this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.”
-Winston Churchill

“Nothing on earth can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”- Thomas Jefferson

DIG DEEP!

-Lee

Water Polo Fitness (Nutrition)

Strengthening your body and staying fit is important in water polo, but your body also needs fuel to do so. It is vital maintain a healthy diet to keep your body going whether it is during a game or just practice. Here are some suggestions of what and when to eat to perform your best when playing water.

Whether you are playing a game or just practicing, eating light meals or snacks before will help you get through it. It is recommended to eat a light meal or snack one to two hours before your actual practice time. Try to avoid foods that will give you a spike of energy fast such as foods with high sugar content. The sugar will give you energy for the first part of practice but it will wear off fast causing you to eventually “crash.” Instead, looks for foods or snacks that have a balance of carbohydrates and protein. For a more balance of energy, opt for whole grain products for carbohydrates. More balanced meal or snack will give enough energy to endure practice.

Although the food you ate before should sustain you throughout the game or practice, you can continue to manage your energy throughout the game, if needed. Sometimes you will experience a drop in energy when your blood sugar gets too low. To prevent this from happening, athletes can snack on energy bars or gels. Drinks with carbohydrates or electrolytes can also help prevent energy loss or boost your energy.

As important as it is to eat to maintain energy, it is essential that athletes stay hydrated during their workouts. It is easy to forget when playing water polo since you are in the water and you do not feel yourself seating. However, with the amount of energy water polo players exert and with most pools being outdoors with the sun beating down, players should be drinking water or sports drink throughout the game or practice.

Similar to before, it is beneficial to eat after a game or practice. This will allow you to maintain energy throughout the rest of the day regardless of if have another game or practice. Another benefit from eating after you work out is that it helps with muscle recovery. It is recommended to eat an hour after you work out, and, again, stick with healthy foods that will not give you an energy spike.

For meal/food suggestions visit http://waterpolo.isport.com/water-polo-guides/tips-for-water-polo-nutrition.