MACA Coach

Most people bet on sports this way: They choose a game that they think is the best, bet big on it, choose a few more that they like, bet high on those, and then bet small amounts on riskier games just for fun. Some people do the same thing online; they pick some sites they like, and use the same principal to bet on sports.

As people have found out, this is not the smartest way to bet. You end up losing too much, overall, even if you win one or two of your wagers. That is because you did not spread your bet evenly, and the percentages are not in your favor.

Sports investing is a method of doing away with this problem by betting in a much smarter way. It assumes that you are a good enough bettor to pick one or two winners. Given that you can do this, sports investing tells you to set aside a part of your available money, after taking into account bills and other living expenses, and use small, equal parts of your cash to bet on a few top games of your choice.

It doesn’t matter how you do it, most people put money on a game because they’re passionate about a particular sport, player, or team. Perhaps they’ve followed this one sport for years. They know a lot of the important stats and can rattle off who won the big games over the last decade. Having all that knowledge is great and will certainly dazzle people at cocktail parties, but why not put it to use? Translate that enthusiasm for the game into a couple of bucks. True sports fans have found this is a way to put money where their mouth is!

Every person who really loves sports knows that it can be an expensive hobby. If you like to play sports, the equipment that you need to participate can quickly add up. If you’d rather watch from the sidelines, the tickets to major events are not cheap, and then you have to add food, parking and other incidentals onto the price of the tickets. Some people aren’t that good with managing their money, and they can quickly get into trouble because watching and playing sports is costing them too much. With a prepaid card, they can only spend a set amount.

That’s just one of the options that someone can use to control his sports spending, though. There are also savings accounts, ‘rainy day’ funds like change jars, and other methods that can be used to control how much money is going out of the house for sports. If you know that a big sporting event is coming up, or you know you’re about to need a lot of specific equipment for a sport, consider budgeting for that and saving up for it. If you don’t overspend on sports, you’ll be more comfortable in the rest of the things you do, because you won’t be worried about money.

Sports are fun, and they’re great stress relievers, too. Getting exercise is always beneficial, so you don’t have to feel badly about playing sports. It’s just a good idea to make sure that you aren’t spending your entire budget on the equipment that you need. Plan ahead and take full advantage of sales at your local sporting goods stores. That way you can get what you need but you don’t have to pay nearly as much for it. It’s a big plus when you can get new sporting equipment and still pay the bills without any problem.

Although we have no early records, surely even the first humans enjoyed the health, spiritual and recreational benefits of submerging themselves in water. Our earliest visual records of swimming are Stone Age cave paintings done more than 7,000 years ago in southwest Egypt. Early written references to swimming are found in two of the oldest works of Western literature, the Greek epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer, written in 8th century B.C.

In 1696, the French writer Melchisédech Thévenot published The Art of Swimming, in which he described a breaststroke similar to the one we use today. This book was became the standard reference for swimming, and one of its many readers was a young American named Benjamin Franklin. In fact, Franklin, an avid swimmer, is credited with the invention of swimming fins. In 1708, the first known lifesaving group began in China. Early swimming clubs (primarily focused on lifesaving) were also formed in Sweden, Holland and Great Britain, and soon similar groups were established all over the world.

By 1844 swimming was well established as a competitive sport in England, but British swimmers used the breaststroke. In a swimming exhibition that year, a group of North American Indian swimmers demonstrated a speedy but unconventional technique that shocked onlookers called “totally un-European.” Europeans shunned the technique for more than 30 years until an Englishman named John Arthur Trudgen reintroduced a variant of the stroke, later known as the front crawl, to the British after he learned it from Native Americans while in South America. The stroke, then called “the Trudgen,” quickly became popular in England and around the world, revolutionizing competitive swimming.

Swimming was an event in the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. There were three freestyle events, open only to men, and one freestyle event open only to Greek sailors. The swimming competitions were held in the cold waters of the sea (the Bay of Zea, off the Piraeus coast) because organizers were unwilling to spend money to construct an indoor pool.

The first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens included four swimming events, all freestyle, open only to men. Alfred Hajos of Hungary won the first swimming gold medal in the modern Olympics for his time of 1:22.20 in the 100-meter freestyle.

At the next Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, women were still excluded from swimming events. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French scholar and sportsman who developed the modern Olympic Games, held the belief (common in Victorian times) that women were too frail for athletic competition. The swimming events at the Paris Olympics included three unusual experiments: an obstacle course for swimmers, a test of underwater swimming endurance, and a 4,000-meter event—about 2.4 miles, or 80 lengths of a 50-meter pool, the longest swimming event in competition thus far. (British swimmer John Arthur Jarvis won the event, clocking in at just under one hour.) None of these events was included in future Olympic Games.

Australian swimmer Richmond Cavill (known as “Playboy Dick”) used his own improved version of the “Trudgeon” crawl in the 1902 International Championships in England. His improvement: the flutter kick. He set a world record in the 100 yards, leaving in his wake all Trudgeon-style swimmers. His technique, labeled the “Australian crawl,” rapidly gained popularity. In 1950 the term “Australian crawl” was shortened to “crawl,” and then became known as the “front crawl.”

In 1907 the Australian swimmer and vaudeville performer Annette Kellerman brought to the New York Hippodrome Theater her “water ballet” act, which she performed in a glass tank. She is now credited with inventing the sport of synchronized swimming. Her snug-fitting one-piece bathing suit caused a scandal, and she was arrested on a Boston beach for “indecent exposure.” (At that time women were expected to wear a layered outfit consisting of a dress, bloomers and leggings when swimming.) She thereafter became an advocate for a woman’s right to wear a one-piece bathing suit, and she introduced her own line of women’s one-piece swimwear, which became known as the “Annette Kellerman,” now seen as a pioneering step toward modern swimwear for women.

Women were first allowed to compete in Olympic swimming events in the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm. Twenty-seven female swimmers from eight nations participated. The Australian swimmer Fanny Durack, in the 100-meter freestyle, won the first gold medal in a women’s Olympic swimming event. The 1912 Summer Olympics are also notable for being the first Games in which electric timing devices were used.

In 1922, the German-American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller became the first person to swim 100 meters in under one minute, using the Australian crawl. Weissmuller, in his 10-year swimming career, won five Olympic gold medals, 52 U.S. National Championships and set 67 world records. His worldwide popularity helped spur interest in swimming as a competitive sport and recreational activity, and the 1920s are regarded as a “golden age” for the sport of swimming. Also in 1922, the American swimmer Sybil Bauer, competing in the 440-meter backstroke, became the first woman to break a men’s world record.

For swimming events at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, pool-lane dividers made of cork were introduced, as well as lines on the bottom of the pool to help orient swimmers.

New York-born Gertrude Ederle became the first female swimmer to complete the 35-mile swim across the English Channel in August 1926. Her swim began at a cape in northern France and ended 14 and a half hours later on the southeast shores of England. Her record held until 1950, when American swimmer Florence Chadwick traversed the Channel from France to England in 13 hours and 20 minutes. The following year, Chadwick crossed the Channel again, from England to France, making her the first female to swim across the Channel in both directions.

In the late 1920s the competitive swimming community began the scientific study of swimming to improve technique. University of Iowa coach David Armbruster devised the underwater observation window and began filming swimmers underwater. The Japanese also used underwater filming to study the mechanics of swimming strokes, and Japanese swimmers excelled at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, winning 12 swimming medals, the most of any country.

To achieve faster swimming speeds, competitive swimmers and coaches in the late 1920s began to study swimming technique. University of Iowa coach David Armbruster, a pioneer in the observation and study of swimming movements, started the practice of photographing swimmers underwater. In the early 1930s Armbruster discovered that breaststroke swimmers who brought their arms forward out of the water in a “butterfly” motion achieved a much faster stroke.

Armbruster combined these arms movements with a “dolphin kick” (performed with the legs kept together to move like a fish tail) developed at the same time by University of Iowa swimmer Jack Sieg. The “dolphin kick” was not allowed in competition, but a few swimmers used the new “butterfly arms” in breaststroke competitions in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Two years later most competitive breaststroke swimmers were using the butterfly style, but the stroke was not accepted in competitions until 1952, when it was recognized as a separate stroke with its own rules.

By mid-20th century, Australian competitive swimmers had refined backstroke movements so that the arms were bent underwater instead of held straight, thereby increasing speed and reducing exerted force. This modified stroke eventually became the preferred backstroke method used in competitions worldwide.

Breaststroke swimmers, in search of greater speed, began trying to reduce the number of times they needed to break the water surface. At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Japanese swimmer Masaru Furukawa surfaced only into and out of his turns, and won the gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke. After the 1956 Olympics, breaststroke swimmers copying the technique of swimming without surfacing led to cases of oxygen deprivation and swimmers losing consciousness during races. FINA, the international governing body of swimming, thereby introduced stricter rules limiting the distances that breaststroke swimmers were allowed to swim underwater.

The GraduateOne of the most acclaimed American movies of the 1960s, The Graduate (1967) is about Benjamin Braddock (played by a young Dustin Hoffman), a recent college graduate who has no idea what he wants to do with the rest of his life. The summer after college, he spends lots of time lounging on an air mattress on his parents’ backyard swimming pool, while the soundtrack plays Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence.”
It’s a Wonderful LifeRanked high on many “best movies of all time” lists, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a troubled savings and loan manager who contemplates suicide. A memorable flashback has George on a date with Mary (Donna Reed) during which they’re dancing the Charleston at a high school hop—and the gymnasium floor opens to reveal a swimming pool underneath. This famous pool, located at Beverly Hills High School, is still in use.
Harold and MaudeNumber 45 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Funniest Movies of All Time, Harold and Maude (1971) is about Harold (Bud Cort), a young man obsessed with death who likes to stage his own suicide. During one brief, hilarious scene, Harold, wearing a suit, lies face down in his mother’s backyard pool while she swims by, blithely ignoring him.
Bathing Beauty (Esther Williams)The swimmer/movie actress Esther Williams had her first starring role in Bathing Beauty (1944), a musical about a swimming teacher (Esther Williams) at a girl’s college. The extravagant “water ballet” scene, featuring female swimmers who dive one by one into a pool and then surround their “queen” as she performs graceful swimming maneuvers, became internationally famous.
Something’s Got to GiveThis 1962 American film was Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, and was abandoned after she died in August 1962. Much of the footage was not seen for years after Monroe’s death. The movie is now known for its famous scene in which Monroe’s character is swimming nude in a pool at night and she is calling out to the character played by Dean Martin to join her.

Today Annette Kellerman gets only a brief mention in write-ups of 20th century swimming, but in her day she was a worldwide sensation as an athlete, performer and spokesperson for women’s fitness. She deserves a larger place in our history books for the many “firsts” she earned during her remarkable life.

Because of childhood illness, young Annette wore iron braces on her legs. When she was seven a doctor suggested she remove her braces and take up swimming. At age 15 Annette set a world record in the mile. In 1904 she drew crowds when she swam across London’s Thames River—a feat no one, man or woman, had ever accomplished. She was one of the first women to attempt to swim across the English Channel; she tried three times but didn’t finish. Still, she continued to outrace male swimmers in exhibitions throughout Europe.

In major U.S. cities she performed a “water ballet” act in a glass tank, and became the best-paid vaudeville star in the country. Kellerman is now credited with using moves that introduced the sport of synchronized swimming. In Boston she was arrested for “indecent exposure” when she wore a tight-fitting, one-piece swimsuit on the beach—a departure from accepted ladies’ swimwear: a cumbersome ensemble including a dress, bloomers and tights.

Her fame led to a career in the movies, notably as the star of A Daughter of the Gods (1916), the first million-dollar production. The film is also notable for Kellerman’s nude scenes, marking her as the first star to appear nude in a high-budget movie.

She became an advocate for health and exercise, particularly for women, and she wrote the first-ever diet and fitness book, Physical Beauty: How to Keep It. She designed and marketed a popular swimsuit known as the “Annette Kellerman,” now seen as the first modern swimsuit for women.

Kellerman and her husband retired in her native Australia, where she kept fit by swimming daily. In November 1975, she died at age 89, and her ashes were scattered over the Great Barrier Reef, in keeping with her wish to be reunited with the sea.

Accidental injury is the leading cause of death among children ages one to 14 in the U.S., according to a study by Safe Kids USA. One of the top risks for young children is drowning—and this risk is especially high if the child’s family owns a swimming pool.

Studies by safety groups have shown that at the time of most drowning incidents, a parent or a caregiver was supervising the child at the house, but the child got out of the adult’s sight—sometimes for just a few minutes.

Adult supervision is the first line of defense against children’s drowning death or injury, but the National Drowning Prevention Alliance says that “layers of protection” are vital. Swimming pool owners need several barriers to ensure the safety of children in the proximity. Another important “layer of protection” is an isolation fence that forms a barrier around the swimming pool. Studies have shown that isolation fences, used properly, can prevent up to 90 percent of drownings among children under age four.

What are the characteristics of effective isolation fences?

First, fencing around the property might keep neighbors’ kids away from the pool, but for the safety of children in the home, there must be a fence completely surrounding the swimming pool, isolating it from the house.

The fence should be at least four feet high and have no footholds or handholds a child could use for climbing. Vertical fence slats must be less than four inches apart so even a small child cannot squeeze through.

Gates must be self-closing and self-latching. Magnetically triggered latches have been shown to be the safest and most reliable because, unlike gravity latches, they do not mechanically resist closure. The latch should be high enough to be out of the reach of a child. Inspect swimming pool gates at least once a day to be sure they self-close and self-latch every time.

Never prop open the gate for any reason. Tell visitors and workers not to prop open the swimming pool gate. Many reports of toddler drownings cite a propped-open gate as a contributing factor.

Are you a swimmer who’s just taken up the sport? Are you new to lap swimming in public pools? You might be surprised to learn that lap swimmers have a generally understood “code of etiquette.” Follow these guidelines to make the most of your lap-swimming workout, to stay friendly with fellow swimmers and to avoid injuries.

Know how to choose a lane. It’s often tough, especially during peak hours, to find a lane that isn’t occupied—sometimes with several swimmers. Note the speed of the swimmers in each lane. Often there are slow, medium and fast lanes. Choose the lane with swimmers who match your speed. Enter the lane at the shallow end, preferably when no swimmers are near.

Should you “split”? If there’s only one swimmer in the lane, it’s usually OK to split the lane—meaning, both swimmers use one side. Stay on your side. It’s considered poor manners, not to mention dangerous, to hog a shared lane by swimming down the center. You risk striking, or getting struck by, another swimmer.

Or should you “circle”? If there are three or more swimmers in a lane (including you), it’s often best if all swimmers swim in a “circle.” This means that all swimmers swim up one side of the lane and back on the other side, generally in a counter-clockwise direction. With circle swimming, it’s especially important keep the same pace as other swimmers.

Know how to pass. Even if you’re swimming with others of similar speed and ability, you might need to pass, or be passed. To pass, tap the swimmer’s foot lightly once, the lap swimmer’s universal “passing signal.” If a swimmer taps your foot, stop at the wall and let the person go ahead. Don’t stop in the middle of the lane. Also, don’t speed up to prevent the swimmer from passing.

Don’t jog or walk in the lanes. It’s a pet peeve of veteran lap swimmers when people enter the lane and then walk instead of swim. Pool users who want to “aqua jog” should keep to a pool area that isn’t set aside for lap swimming.