Quote of the Day (thanks MS)

Study nature, love nature, stay close
to nature. It will never fail you.



Frank Lloyd Wright

Quote of the Day

It is extremely important to know
what you don't want to find.



Leon Marcus Uris

Quote of the Day

In the real dark night of the soul it is always
three o'clock in the morning, day after day.



Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Quote of the Day

No one listens to my idears.



Paul John Teutul

Quote of the Day

We learn something every day, and
lots of times it's that what we
learned the day before was wrong.



William E. "Bill" Vaughan

It's a lucky day!

Dr. William Paulus (former world record-holder in the 100 m fly) and long-time men's swimming assistant Kris Kubik have been selected for induction into the University of Texas Men's Athletics Hall of Honor. Read more here.

The City of Conroe needs an aquatics coordinator. Job info is here.

Dan Beebe's out at Big XII commissioner. Read more here.

“I put all my effort into doing what was best for the Big 12,” Beebe said in a statement. “With great fondness, I wish the Big 12 Conference a long and prosperous future.”

We shall see...

The NCAA may adjust rules on texting recruits. Read more here.

Supporters of the overhaul say the monitoring concerns will dissipate with electronic correspondence all under one rules roof since there is little to distinguish a text from an email at a time when smartphones send and receive both in the same way. Institutions in fact have been permitted to send an unlimited number of emails to prospective student-athletes for several years and there have not been any concerns regarding frequency or intrusion.

County Commissioner El Franco Lee and Coach Johnnie Means of Houston's Harris County Aquatic Program (HCAP) were recognized at the USA Swimming convention with the Diversity Inclusion Award.

Brian Bencomo weighed in on Title IX last month. Read his Cornell Daily Sun article here.

In spirit, Title IX has been a noble way to make sure equal athletic opportunities are afforded to women as well as men. Much like affirmative action programs instituted to provide opportunities for racial minorities, the motivation behind such a law was to make up for past discrimination.

Unfortunately, the 1979 interpretation of the statute has become a rigid system in need of reform in light of changing circumstances. Compliance has been interpreted as adherence to one of the following: 1) that the number of male and female athletes must be proportional to their school-wide enrollment; 2) that the school has demonstrated a commitment to expanding opportunities for women; and 3) that the school is meeting the athletic needs of its female students.

According to Allison Kasic, senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum, the first method is considered by many colleges as a permanent solution while the other two are considered short-term fixes. Indeed the other two methods not only require continual monitoring, but are difficult to gauge as they can be interpreted quite subjectively. What’s left then is ostensibly a quota system which can be construed to discriminate against male athletes. Title IX was meant to create opportunities for women where few existed before due to discrimination. But today, with females making up more than 50 percent of enrollment in colleges nationwide and signs of waning interest in varsity athletics, there is a disconnect between the original spirit of the law and its current application.

Quote of the Day (thanks MS)

Twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things that you didn't do than
by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade
winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.



Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain

How do you top this?

Talk about "A fun time was had by all!" GWG just put on a great clinic for us. What a great "kid"!!!

Garrett w/Leon (danged foggy lens!):

Quote of the Day

There is no one magic move or secret that
creates victory, but lots of little items that
when added together can make you victorious.



William Anthony "Bill" Toomey

Quote of the Day

Nothing in life is to be feared.
It is only to be understood.



Maria Salomea Skłodowska "Marie" Curie

Take a few minutes...

...and listen to this:

GWG Interview

Great stuff!!!

Quote of the Day

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that
one is constantly making exciting discoveries.



Alan Alexander "A.A." Milne

Quote of the Day

We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.



Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Quote of the Day

All I can do is be me, whoever that is.



Robert Allen Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan)

Quote of the Day (thanks MS)

If your success is not on your own terms, if
it looks good to the world but does not feel
good in your heart, it is not success at all.



Anna Marie Quindlen

Quote of the Day

As long as you keep a person down, some part of
you has to be down there to hold him down, so it
means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.



Marian Anderson

The Austin Metro YMCA needs an aquatics director. Job info is here.

Wondering about this year's UIL realignment cut-off numbers? See what football coaches are saying about them on The Old Coach here.

Best roller coaster outside the amusement park? Try U.S. 50 in Colorado...at night.

High noon? Looks like they're headed for a showdown in Bay City. County Commissioners vs. The Sheriff. Read more here.

“I think that’s probably, not totally, where this is coming from. We’re not looking to manage the sheriff’s department. None of us here are law enforcement professionals and certainly don’t intend to take any of the sheriff’s authority or power or duties. Again, what we are asked to do by the state of Texas is to oversee the finances of the county—that’s our job.”

Cornelius said the proposed policy contains a penalties provision that states an elected official could be removed from office for violation of the set policy on overtime and comp time.

Want race videos? Visit USA Swimming's YouTube Channel!

Eagle Swimming Association (ESA) is hosting a clinic focusing on swimmer nutrition on October 1. Info is here.

High school officials clinics list is here.

Quote of the Day

The rain to the wind said,
"You push and I'll pelt."



Robert Lee Frost

World's Funniest Analogies

Read them here.

The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law George. But unlike George, this plan just might work.

Via Kottke

...or were they from 1999, via The Washington Post?

The door had been forced, as forced as the dialogue during the interview portion of "Jeopardy!"

Time to add new column under "Gender"?

This will give the Title IX quota police fits: the NCAA has clarified their policy on when transgender athletes may compete.

Read more here.

Quote of the Day

It's never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise.



Nancy Thayer

...they should get the silver medal...

2008 Beijing Olympics Swimming Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final from Meazza on Vimeo.

Who: Garrett Weber-Gale
What: Swim Clinic
When: Saturday, September 24, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Mansfield ISD Natatorium (1001 N. Holland, Mansfield 76063)

Info and registration link are here

Quote of the Day

It's useless to play lullabies
for those who cannot sleep.



John Milton Cage, Jr.

Quote of the Day

I'm always making a comeback, but
nobody ever tells me where I've been.



Eleanora Fagan, a.k.a. Billie Holiday

Miscellaneous

Quote from my cousin, the retired teacher:

"Today was the first day of school here. I enjoyed watching the bus go by."

From here on out, I could hang it up. Would rather continue, though. As long as I want to go to the pool each morning, I'll keep doing it.

There are so many people to thank for the Theron Pickle Lifetime Achievement Award - only got through a few at the banquet. Wish I could also list each and every one of those hard-working swimmers...

2012 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's qualifying times are here.

Might want to keep up to date by reading a few comments on last week's UIL Officials' Board post.

From the "correct me if I'm wrong" files:

The TISCA board would rather the UIL not use automatic relay take-off judging, if they're not willing to return to the original rules governing their use.

Word from the officials is that they are not backing off their rule change that met us halfway.

Sooooooo....if host sites are given the option on whether or not they will use automatic relay take-off judging, maybe they should just put those platforms waaaaaaaay in the back of the storage room - behind old guard stands, diving board fulcrums, broken lane ropes, tic-tocs, etc. That would make it just too much trouble to haul them out for district and region meets, right?

Pretty cool tribute to "The Farmer" is here. Talk about hitting the nail on the head! Thanks, Dad!


If you've got swimmers who'll be in the DFW area September 24, you might want to steer them toward the GWG clinic in Mansfield. Clinic info is here. Register here.

Looking for a triathlon? Want a way to sort through them to find just what you're looking for? Woody Robinson sent me a great link that will help you do just that. Whether you're looking for an Ironman, a half, or a sprint, this site will help you narrow down the field. Check it out here.

Fire from ice?


This issue seems to pop up at just about every prelim/final meet:

A school's "A" relay will get DQ'ed in prelims. That same school's "B" relay will qualify for finals. The coach will try to load up his/her "B" relay with the "A" relay swimmers that were DQ'ed.

It's always been my opinion that this is illegal and should result in the upgraded "B" relay being DQ'ed in finals. Many coaches disagree with me on that, but it's now a moot point. We'll no longer be debating that one. Officials will be watching for it this year and will DQ those relays, should anyone try to skirt the rules.

Team YES! needs an assistant coach. Contact Dennis Gagne

St. Thomas Episcopal needs an assistant coach. Contact George Alderete

The Clay Road YMCA needs an assistant coach. Job info is here.

The Lake Travis Relay will be here before you know it. All the info you need on the October 8 open water event is here.

NCAA President Mark Emmert will not tolerate cheating. Read more here.

Let's make no mistake: Today's violations in collegiate athletics are utterly indefensible. They overshadow all that is good in college sports. They cast doubt over the motivations of all involved and give credibility to the cynical view. Worse, they encourage others to cheat. That is why they cannot be tolerated.

Wouldn't it be nice if he came out just as strongly against gender quotas? Fat chance, right?


City of Plano swimmers, parents, and coaches reached out to the less fortunate this past summer. Read about the birth of "COPS Cares" here.

USA Swimming Pan Am Games roster is here.

Quote of the Day

The way to make coaches think you're
in shape in the spring is to get a tan.



Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford

Quote of the Day

The more you lose yourself in something bigger
than yourself, the more energy you will have.



Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Quote of the Day

Everyone is a genius at least once a year.
The real geniuses simply have their
bright ideas closer together.



Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Quote of the Day

I have always adhered to two principles. The
first one is to train hard and get in the best
possible physical condition. The second is to
forget all about the other fellow until you face
him in the ring and the bell sounds for the fight.



Rocco Francis Marchegiano,
a.k.a. Rocky Marciano

UIL Officials' Board

The UIL Swimming and Diving Officials Board is:

Frank Swigon & Roger Graham (San Antonio)
Bob Lang (Dallas)
Gloria Schudt (Austin)
Jim Holcomb (El Paso)
Janet Ellis-Cranmer & Brian Walls (Houston/Gulf Coast)
Kathy Davis & Penny Dipomazio (Diving)
Traci Neely & Tony Timmons (UIL Reps)

Several officials' clinics have been added to the TISCA page. See the latest update here.

Before y'all start posting smart-alec comments:

No, these clinics are not being sponsored by TSO...

Quote of the Day

There is no such thing as an empty space or
an empty time. There is always something
to see, something to hear. In fact, try as
we may to make a silence, we cannot.



John Milton Cage, Jr.

Quote of the Day (thanks MS)

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say,
abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.



Mary Anne Evans, a.k.a. George Eliot

Quote of the Day

I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it's
half because I was game enough to take a lot of
punishment along the way and half because there
were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.



Althea Gibson

Quote of the Day

The good lord only gave men so many
hormones, and if others want to waste
theirs on growing hair, that's up to them.



John Herschel Glenn, Jr.

Quote of the Day

Olympic champions are NOT extraordinary
people. They are ordinary people who
have discovered the way to accomplish
extraordinary results in the area of
life that matters most to them!



John Phillips Naber

Quote of the Day

Tact is the ability to describe
others as they see themselves.



Abraham Lincoln