Titans E-news for the first week of October.
There is much to report on as we move into the season, so please read carefully.
 
Parent Meeting October 20: Long Term Athlete Development and the Link to the New Titans Programme Model
Parents are invited to a meeting on Saturday, October 20, 3:30-5:30pm at the University of Ottawa. Please consult the Titans website Calendar closer to the time for meeting room location.  Head Coach David Hart will present on Long Term Athlete Development, as it applies to the new Titans programme model. The meeting has been timed so that it is accessible for parents of athletes of all ages. We hope you can join us.
 
Children's Fitness Tax Credit
Earlier this year, the Federal government announced the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, a big step in recognizing the value of children involved in physical activity. Further information is available at the following link:
 http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/whatsnew/fitness-e.html . The Titans programmes are eligible for this tax credit.  Please note that only the fees paid in this calendar year are eligible. The tax credit can only be claimed for children who were 16 years of age or under for any part of 2007, and the maximum allowable per child is $500. Because many of our families pay with post-dated cheques, the Titans will be waiting until after December 31 and will issue ONE tax credit per athlete for the 2007 calendar year. Families will receive their receipts by the end of February 2008.
 
Ontario Summer Games (OSG) Announcement for Athletes Born 1992 or later:
Water Polo has recently moved from the Ontario Winter Games to the Ontario Summer Games, which are being held in Ottawa in August 2007. Ontario will be selecting the best 60 male and 60 female athletes born in 1992 or later to compete in this large multi-sport event. Applications to participate in this event must be received by Ontario Water Polo by Friday, November 30, 2007. Further information is in the attached link to the OWP website:
http://www.ontariowaterpolo.ca/admin/docs/2008%20OSG/OSG%20water%20polo%20announcement.pdf
 
Team Ontario Youth Program for born in 1990 or later:
Close to 30 Titans athletes have applied for the Team Ontario Youth Program, and many of you attended the training Camp in Toronto the weekend of October 29 and 30. Further information is available at this link: http://www.ontariowaterpolo.ca/ShowNews172.aspx. A list of selected athletes to be invited to the fall camps/ competitions will be announced by Friday, October 12. The first training camp will be the weekend of November 9-11 (men in Ottawa and women in Montreal), where the born in 1990+ athletes in Ontario will compete against Quebec. The tournament will also be used for selections to the born in 1991 National Team and Talent ID for the 1990's. December training camp information to be announced. Based on performance at the fall events, athletes will be sent letters of invitation for the summer program by February 1, 2008.
 
We Need Your Help Recruiting for our Recreational Programmes:
We still need to fill spaces in our 'I Love Water Polo' (for 7-12 year olds) and Rec House League (for ages 13+) programmes. Brochures are attached. Please forward them to anyone you know who might be interested. Hard copies are available in large quantities.  Are you able to bring a small poster to your son or daughter's school? If you are able to get a small 'blurb' put in your school newsletter, we can provide one quickly. Contact Deanna at INFO@titanswaterpolo.ca
 
Wednesday Dryland Training at Alta Vista Pubic School for White Group:
For those of you registered in this program, we would like to confirm that the training time is 6:30-8:30pm.  Some of our coaches have had to wait as late as 8:55pm for athletes to be picked up! Please pick up your son or daughter promptly at 8:30pm.
 
Performance Polo Programme:
A number of you signed up for our Performance Polo. Unfortunately we did not have sufficient registration to be able to implement the programme as originally offered. We are currently working to design a new programme, and will communicate details to you as soon as possible. Stay tuned!
 
Message from Head Coach David Hart Regarding Hydration and Injury Prevention/ Use of Stretch Cords:
 
1. Proper hydration before, during and after a training session (or game) is essential. ALL athletes (RED and WHITE training groups) are expected to bring a water
bottle (with their name on it) to practices. If parents and players would like more information on the reasons for proper hydration we can post on the website.
 
2. Injury prevention is another important issue for all our athletes. We are asking the cooperation of athletes and parents in assisting us to minimize the occurence of shoulder related injuries (the most common injury in our sport). All RED training group athletes are expected to bring a stretch cord to the pool for a pre-water stretch session. We also take care every practice to warm up the athletes both in and out of the water prior to the commencement of practices. Stretch cords can be purchased at local sports stores. If in doubt, athletes should ask their coach about what type is appropriate for them.
Concerning the WHITE training group we are not able to guarantee the use of stretch cords before most sessions (due to the swim club being ahead of us) and we will
take alternative measures to ensure the athletes are properly warmed up.
We are asking the cooperation of parents and athletes to ensure they are on deck 15 minutes before the start of our training sessions ready for this warm-up procedure.
 
Titans E-News:
We are pleased that Sue Sidebottom has agreed to take on the weekly e-news starting with the next issue.  If you have something for our athletes and their families, please submit to news@titanswaterpolo.ca.
What were the Titans up to this summer? Did you travel for water polo? If you haven't already submitted something, please send to Sue for an upcoming issue of e-news.
Many thanks to Carolyn McGill for her work creating newletters and e-news, and keeping us all in the loop over the past couple of years.
 
Enjoy the long weekend!
 
Respectfully submitted,
Deanna Barry
General Manager