DIY Week 4

DIY Week 4

This week:

      This week started competition season for the swim team. There are a lot of people on the pool deck at all times and soon the meets will start and there will be even more traffic. The team room has been started to be used quite often lately for people that have practice later in the afternoon and want to start their homework. I'v noticed that there isn't enough sitting room or writing room. And when people are not doing homework in there, they have nothing to do. So, I have decided that the T.V. and entertainment systems need to get in there as quickly as possible.

      The T.V. that my grandma is going to donate is 32", plenty big enough for the team. It will be able to be used for presentations, movies, exercise videos, and movies. Connor's mom has also decided to help us with the room and donate furniture to enclose the T.V. when it isn't in use. 

      We talked to two more coaches and they have also suggested to paint the door, organize the equipment room, and stabilize the white board to the wall. 

      This week, we really needed to finalize the flooring situation since it was extremely important to the cost of the project. We decided that since we don't know what is under the flooring,  and what else to put in that will be cost effective and water proof. So, we have decided to steam clean the floor and also buy a small floor rug for the center in case someone wants to sit on the floor. 

Next week:

      Next week, we won't be able to make much progress because we will be gone for the weekend and one night during the week for swim meets. However, we will need to record the pitch for the project since we won't be able to do it in class on Friday. We are going to interview the coach and other swimmers to give input in our presentation as to why the team room needs a re-do and what needs to get done. 

DIY project Week #3

DIY Project 

Week #3

This Week:

       This week my group and I have actually made a lot of progress on our project. I know that Sarah and Conner have both spoken to the activities director, the girls, and boys water polo coach to get the "Okay" to work on the room. They have all given suggestions as to what we should do to improve the room. The girls head water polo coach said that she would like all gaming systems enclosed to prevent any distractions, curtains on the windows, and to hang the pictures. Mrs. Lawler, the activities director said that it sounds like an awesome project and the only thing that we need to check with her on is to make sure the paint is "safe" for all students. (we just have to run it by her first) Also, I spoke with one of the "deck dads" on the swim team Mr. Farrow who will be our "contractor" to help with any installations we can't do on our own, such as flooring. 

 We also have begun to prepare the space for the remodel. We measured the room to get the dimensions of the walls and to get an idea of what we can fit in the space. I measured the windows which were 4'6.5" wide and 4'7" tall. I purchased curtain rods to hang the curtains on and also curtains for the windows. They weren't very expensive so I dipped into my piggy bank and didn't ask the boosters for any money. I have also been researching flooring to replace the carpet. We aren't sure what will be the best choice. Laminate is cheap, but it can't get wet. We are leaning towards either rubber mats or carpet. Lastly, we took pictures of the room to further show how bad it is in need of a remodel. 

Next Week:

       Next week I know our plans are to finalize the flooring dilemma. We just need to make sure whatever we get is cost effective, will be able to get wet, and can be installed easily. We will also need to prepare to pitch our project. Since all three group members will be absent, we may have to do it over skype on the bus ride to our Santa Barbara travel meet. 

DIY Week 2

DIY Project Week #2

This Week:

       Throughout this week I have really just been thinking about how my group will be able to execute this project (mostly financially). We have so many wonderful ideas that I know we can finish and that will really improve the space and therefore benefit the team. However, all of the things that we really want to do are extremely costly.

My Grandma

      One huge chunk of the money would need to go towards a new TV and gaming system for the room. However, I have the solution :) My I asked my grandma about our spare room in the house that has no purpose but to accumulate clutter. There is a DVD player, flat screen TV, and Wii that hasn't been used in at least a year. She has decided to graciously donate all of these devices to our team room because she isn't using them anymore! Additionally, we have loads of paint and supplies that we can use to get the room looking spiffy.
      Also, we have made progress as a group: Conner has spoken to the water polo coaches and we have the "Okay" to begin the demolition whenever we are ready!

Next Week:
      Monday morning starts the season officially and it also begins the complaining about the team room. My plan is to get to work. First, I have to measure the dimensions of the room. Next, I am going to take pictures of the room for our "pitch" to the class. Then, I am going to assess what is underneath the god awful carpet on the floor of the room. I will also need to price shelves, cabinets, sofas, and carpet.
    Overall, I think that this will be really fun to work on. We have already gotten several members on the team involved to help us do the hard work cleaning, putting together, and re-doing the room.

    

     

DIY Week 1

DIY PROJECT

Team Room Re-model

       For the DIY project, Sarah Yao, Conner Reilly, and I have decided to demolish the disgusting, out-of-date, and dangerous "team room" for swimmers that spend time during meets and while waiting for practice in there. It is in desperate need of some TLC and a complete remodel. Conner has been impaled by random sharp objects sticking out of the couches and from the walls. Speaking of the couches, there are springs and stuffing spewing out of them that further dirties the room. Additionally, there are years of pictures dating back to 1998 lying on the floor and wishing to be hung up on the wall. Also, the coaches have to set up a table each time they want to set up the projector for a presentation. The door doesn't work, the carpet is disgusting, it's unpainted, and the curtains consist of make-shift towels; it needs help. That is where we come in. 

Coach Nichols

      I have already begun the first step for the project this week. I discussed all of our plans with the swim coach here at FVHS, Mike Nichols. He thought that it was a fantastic idea and even gave some input on how to accomplish it, what days we should work, and additional things that he can do to try to of set the cost. He suggested that we should call local companies to sponsor just like how the baseball and track teams are sponsored by Under armor. 

Here are the plans of what we have to do so far: 

• New couches
• shelves
• TV
• curtains
• carpet
• paint
• organize equipment room
• hang pictures
• projector mount

       This may seem like a hefty list...and one might ask, "How are three high school students going to pay for all of this?" We have decided to call companies for sponsorship, we have money from the booster board, and we can sell some of the materials already in the room. Also, we don't need to hire anyone to do the manual labor because we can organize a deck day to get the team working and we are three very able teenagers. 

     Our mentor will be Coach Nichols along with the deck manager Mr. Knott. The schedule will rely a lot on away swim meets. We have to do the demolition on the weeks when people won't be using the room and we can keep people out. A lot of the actual work wont begin for a few weeks but we will be planning what to buy and how to get it for a few weeks. 

Nutrition

Swimmers in general are usually able to eat whatever they desire due to the amount of exercise done every day and the amount of calories being consumed while we are swimming. Most of the time I feel quite powerful in the pool since I can eat a lot, all of the time. However, I do have those days where I feel awfully sluggish and a lot slower in the water than I usually do. I was reading in a nutritional magazine for swimmers how to not "hit the wall" as they call it. That feeling when your legs are burning and your arms aren't moving quite fast enough in the pool could be due to a number of things ,not just because you're not coming to practice enough as a coach might say, or from lack of sleep. It could simply be from not eating the right foods or not eating enough. Nutritionists say that it is from using up all of the glycogen storage in our bodies. We simply run out of gas. 

Before Practice: At least a few hours before eat a high-carb meals and snacks. I like to eat quesadillas with chicken, a PB & J, or spaghetti and meatballs. 

During Practice: Drink a lot of fluid and eat high-carb snacks. (sports drinks, power bars, power bar or gatorade gel snacks). With a well nourished body, practices can be longer and harder; giving better results.

After Practice: Replenish the store of glycogen (carbs) in your body with high-carb food and drinks. 

At a Meet: 15 minutes before a race have one bite of an energy bar with a lot of protein and during a little bit of Powerade for the extra protein and electrolytes before the race.

I personally believe that this is why I get fatigued rather fast in practice. I need to nourish my body better in order for it to keep up with the rigorous exercise I'm doing. I think this will definitely help me from "hitting the wall" at practice and at a meet. 

The "Cool" New Look

For all you trendy swimmers out there, make sure that this year you are with the new fad.

 Jolyn bathing suit tops, tech suits, and Nike’s. At sectionals a few weeks back I was a little out of place. 

I walked into Belmont Shores swim complex to the fresh smell of chlorine (not) and the buzz of people talking 

and splashing about. Finally, I looked around and realized that I was missing something.

Every girl I passed by had Nike running shoes on, the new cool and vibrant colored ones (Nike 5.0). There I was, all bundled up in my Ugg boots. Clearly I didn’t get the memo. I met my team, warmed up, and went to the bathroom to get my skin-tight, toddler sized tech suit on.

I walked out of the bathroom and again had the same feeling of awkwardness. All of the girls had their tech suits half rolled down and had a Jolyn two-piece top on. They walked around in their Nike’s, the tech suit, and the bathing suit top. I suddenly realized that I needed to get with the new “cool swimmer” program.

Don’t worry! If you are behind too I gotcha covered! Here are some websites that will help you get-cool quick! 

 http://www.jolynclothing.com

http://www.nike.com/us

http://www.swimoutlet.com

London Medals

This first week of Christmas vacation has been anything from what I thought it would be like. I planned to be in the pool every day, twice a day, (except on Christmas Day and New Years Day). However, I have not been in the water once. It is killing me! I have had a fever and a bad cold all of break so far! I feel as if my swimming ability is completely lost, even though it has only been a week.

With all of my extra time, I have yet again dug deeper into what now seems to be my favorite magazine, Splash. So, even though I’m not in the water, I am still learning about what I wish I could be doing. I came across the “Medal Standings” of the athletes and between the countries at the 2012 Olympics in London. The USA team (31 medals) doubled and even tripled the amount of medals earned from Japan (11), China (10), Australia (10), and France (7) in swimming alone.

 

Two of these top medalists for swimming were Missy Franklin and, of course, Michael Phelps. Missy Franklin earned four gold medals and one bronze medal in London, which was her first Olympics! She did not let the nerves get to her at all! Michael Phelps, who didn’t plan to return this past summer, ended up winning four gold medals and two silver medals. Over the past two Olympics, he has earned a total of 22 medals!

Out of all 104 medals earned in London from all of the sports, swimming earned almost 30%!