The Swim Professor

Jim Reiser, M.S.

Swim Lessons Levels: Move up or stay down?

Dear Mr. Reiser,

I don’t know if other coaches have asked this question but…..After finishing a season of teaching & starting a new one a few months later–do you start your children in the level that they were at before or do you place them in the lower level to make sure the skills they learnt are still familiar?

If my swim lessons student swam without the flotation devise and performed the Surface Swim with Pop-up Style Breathing (just about) at the end of the season last year, do I place him in “Swim Strokes 201″ right away or go back to “Swim 101?” I’d appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you.

Helen H., Aquatics Director

Vero Beach, FL

Excellent questions.  Helen!  Your first question: 

Do you start your children in the swim level that they were at before or do you place them in the lower level to make sure the skills they learnt are still familiar?   Generally speaking, we would recommend that you place the child in whatever level he left off before taking a break.  Do students come back a little rusty sometimes?  Of course!   But our experience is that that won’t last very long.  Within a lesson or two, the skills and stamina will be back.   While I don’t like to compare swimming to riding a bike because it is much more complex skill, there is still truth in the statement.  Once you learn a skill, you don’t forget it.   You may lose conditioning, flexibility, reaction time, etc., but you remember the skill.

Your second question:

If my student swam without the flotation devise, Surface Swimming with Pop-up Style Breathing (just about) at the end of the season last year, do you place him in “Swim Strokes 201” right away or go back to “Swim 101?”  Now this part is a slight bit trickier.  Quite frankly, I would base some of this decision around the child’s age as well as the quality and consistency of his performance.

For example:   If you have a 3-year old or even young 4-year old who just barely passed the “Surface Swim with Pop-up Style Breathing,” then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that he continue to strengthen this skill.  If your best judgment is that you believe the young child will struggle to learn the new skill of Freestyle (Front Crawl), then I would recommend to his parents that the “Swim 101” skills are going to be a little more age-appropriate and stick with those for another session or so until they are “mastered.”  Don’t get me wrong, 4-year olds and some 3-year olds can pick up a crawl stroke, but there is plenty of time for that if the Basic Surface Swim with Pop-up Style Breathing can still improve a good deal.

When you look at the child development literature, research shows that most children develop in a natural, predictable sequence from one developmental milestone to the next.  AND THIS MILESTONE stands out to me in this case:  On average, three to five year olds do NOT have real control over their major muscles. They lack coordination, which is critical to combining the arms and legs in putting together the front crawl.  So this is why we teach 3-5 year olds the Surface Swim with Pop-up Style Breathing.  But again, as we pointed out earlier, once a 3-5 year old has mastered the “Swim 101” skills and is stroke ready, you can graduate him to “Swim Strokes 201” and add the Front Crawl (Freestyle).

I hope this helps, Helen!

Warm Regards,

Jim Reiser

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

 

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January 29, 2014 at 11:15 pm Comments (0)

Swimming Lessons for Preschoolers: Getting Started

When teaching swimming lessons to preschoolers, you can be so much more successful when you make learning like play. The famous children’s television series “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” coincidentally targeted the same age group as our Swim 101 course, which is our beginners course for young children between the ages of three and five years of age.

Mr. Roger’s put it like this: “When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”

Encouraging children to use their imagination engages and excites this young age group. This why it is important to use “make believe” in your classes with young learners. Here is a short video of two activities that you can use:


Could you see the effectiveness of the “pretend play?” When you can accomplish this in your Swim 101 classes, the skills naturally follow with repetition and your guidance. This is all possible because you were successful getting your students engaged in a manner that they are bursting with enthusiasm.

The trick then becomes in the transition from one activity to the next. You got to see one of those transitions. In the 2nd Edition of Swim 101 which will be published in January, 2014, you will get to see how to do it from the start of your class to the finish.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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September 26, 2013 at 3:45 pm Comments (0)

How do Children Drown : Reiser Interview on CBS WLTX

According to the American Institute of Preventative Medicine, DROWNING is the leading cause of accidental death of children age 5 & under, and 2nd only to automobile accidents to children age 6-14.  The number of children we lose every year to drowning is very troubling.  Especially when we know that in most cases–drowning is preventable.  One problem is that too many parents have the mindset that it can’t happen to them.

There are TWO REASONS for that:

  • Parents naturally OVERESTIMATE their child’s swimming ability.
  • Parents UNDERESTIMATE how quickly and quietly a child drowns.

While most people think that there would be water thrashing and a real struggle before someone drowns, that’s not how drowning looks or sounds at all.  It’s not like in the movies, children drown without a sound.  If a child can’t swim and doesn’t grab the wall, what would happen?  Like any other drowning victim, would have one goal:  Try to breathe.  What would he breathe if his face was submerged?  Water.  So you would hear nothing.  And in far too many cases, the toddler breathes in water, slips underwater, and within as little as 90 seconds he is unconscious.   In as little as 2 minutes, even with the best resuscitation efforts, the outcome is not good, i.e., a parents worst nightmare, brain damage, even death.

For more information on drowning prevention, water safety, and learning to swim, contact Jim Reiser at Swim Lessons University.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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May 28, 2013 at 4:23 pm Comments (0)

American Camp Association Swim Lessons Provider

The American Camp Association has added Swim Lessons University as one of the ACA’s nationally recognized Learn-to-Swim providers. Says Rhonda Mickelson, ACA Director of Standards, “we are pleased to announce Swim Lessons University is now an officially recognized provider for ACA swim lessons programs and swim instructor certification.”

Swim Lessons University makes training swimming instructors more convenient and affordable. Through video-based instructor training and online certification testing, many organizations are looking to Swim Lessons University for their services. Barb Limbo, Aquatics Specialist and Supervisor for Rapid City Recreation in South Dakota says, “The ease of training staff is great. The videos not only show the instructors how to interact with the children, they show real classes and real teachers using the actual skill progressions. Executive director Jim Reiser is wonderful and has been great to work with on the switch at our facility–making our transition much easier.“ Teri Gotro, Recreation Director in El Dorado Hills, California, posted her thoughts and video samples of her instructors using the SLU curriculum on her YouTube page.

If you would like to learn how to become a Swim Lessons University Certified Swimming Instructor, or how to implement the SLU curriculum at your facility–visit the SLU website or call the SLU National Office toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim was the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com 

We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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January 30, 2013 at 11:03 pm Comment (1)

Swim Equipment for Teaching Toddlers in Swim Lessons

Somewhere between 19 months and 2.5 years of age, toddlers can learn to kick independently (continue “touch supervision”).  At Swim Lessons University, we found that combining a flotation device like the Swim Ways Power Swimmer and a SUPER SIZED Noodle (the fat ones), toddlers and young children will have a better opportunity to be successful and start learning how their kick technique will not only balance them, but it will propel them around the pool.

If you are holding them all the time, they can’t learn this independence, which we feel is critical to taking that next step toward efficient swimming.  The flotation equipment also affords the young swimmers to kick properly.  In other words, without the flotation they are likely to start picking up some bad habits and as they resort to a bicycle type of kick.  This can be a hard habit to break.  Again, we strongly recommend once young children start kicking independently that you continue to provide “touch” or “arms length” supervision in the event they lost their balance or slipped off the noodle.  You want to be right there for both safety reasons and to ensure their experience is a good one!

I hope you enjoy this video on teaching infants and toddlers to swim:

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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September 11, 2012 at 3:47 pm Comments (0)

How to Teach Freestyle to Beginners

First of all, if your student is under the age of six, I strongly suggest that you first teach a child to swim with the hands at the sides, using a “pop-up breath.”  Why?  It’s pretty simple.  At these younger ages, while children CAN and SHOULD learn the front crawl/freestyle, it takes LONGER to learn because of the where a child is at from a motor skill development standpoint.   Secondly, we know that over 50% of all drownings for children under the of six occur in residential pools (SafeKids World Wide).   If a child can master swimming with the hands at the sides with a strong flutter kick and a pop-up breath quicker than he can learn freestyle, then I think we need to teach them the basic swimming skill (kicking with a pop-up breath) as early as possible.  If the child is six years of age or older, we approach the skills progression differently.  Why?  Because by age six, the motor skills are much more developed.  Our experience is that if a six year old can hold his breath for 4-5 seconds, then he will pick up the freestyle (front crawl) quite quickly because his motor skills are better.   Children at this age have fairly good coordination, so teaching freestyle to the beginner is much more age appropriate.   Secondly, we know that between the ages of six and 14 years of age, more than 50% of all drowning are in open water situations.   Since freestyle is going to be much more effective skill in a more challenging situation such as in open water, it makes more sense to start teaching freestyle to beginners age six and over).

The secret when teaching beginners to swim freestyle (front crawl) is to utilize the progression principal combined with clear, precise instructions or cues that tend to the “whole idea” of the swimming skill.   In this video, you will see my young Swim Strokes 201 student make some nice improvements in just a matter of a few repeats.  This same progression can be used with a Swim 102 (6-9 year old beginner) or Swim 103 (10-12 years).  Rather than asking her to swim all the way across the pool, you can see the progression principle being utilized, making each improvement achievable.  You will also see the use of specific corrective and evaluative feedback.  Take a look:

For more video on “How to Teach the Freestyle and Backstroke,” check us out at Swim Lessons University.   All of these teaching concepts are discussed and shown in detail in Swim 102,  Swim Strokes 201/202/203, and” Teach Like a Pro!”

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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July 31, 2012 at 1:06 pm Comments (0)

How to be a “Black Belt” in Swimming

Every child should be a “black belt” in swimming! Why? Because if you give your child the opportunity to become a strong, competent swimmer, you are giving him the best “self-defense” against the leading cause of accidental death in children.

Despite popular belief, the biggest risk to your child isn’t the local school bully. It’s the neighbor’s swimming pool, it’s the pool party, it’s the boating or fishing outing, it’s the riptide your child finds himself in when “boogie boarding” in the ocean!   According to the the Center of Disease Control & Injury Prevention,  drowning takes more lives than any other accident for children under the age of six.  For children ages 6-14, only automobile accidents take more lives.  And when you consider the amount of time your child spends around the water vs. in the car, we can all agree that relatively speaking–the potential for accidental drowning should really be a parent’s biggest concern.

As a parent, even if you do the right thing and make sure your child becomes an excellent swimmer through ongoing and professional swimming instruction, it’s critical that you continue to respect the dangers of the water. Just as a parent of a young black belt should continue to respect and avoid dangerous neighborhoods. Just because a young child earns a black belt in karate, common sense guides parents against letting their child walk along down that dangerous street at night.

Parents of our young “swimming black belts” need to act accordingly as well. Children should never swim without constant supervision. Life jackets should still be worn on boats or when your child is swimming in the ocean or in open water. If you own a pool, you should still install four-sided fencing, self-closing gates and latches, and utilize the latest technology in swimming pool alarms. All parents should know how to administer CPR. This system is known as the Safer 3 and should be followed by parents of non-swimmers and swimmers alike.

How do you get a “black belt” in swimming? As far as I know, there is no such thing! But at Swim Lessons University, we do have a swim lessons award system that utilizes silicone bracelets that is quite similar to earning karate belts, and each colored wristband has a water safety component to it. For example, if a child is a beginner he/she wears a red wristband. Red stands for danger. A non-swimmer is obviously in danger when they are in or around the water. In addition, all major skills that the child needs to master in order to get his “next wristband” are abbreviated with a star beside the abbreviated skill right on the wristband.  When all stars are punched out of the wristband, he is awarded the next wristband, just alike a “karate belt.”

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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July 18, 2012 at 12:09 am Comments (0)

Learn-to-Swim Objective for 3-4 Year Olds

For three to four year olds, while we don’t expect a three year old to swim front crawl or freestyle with side breathing across the pool yet, a three year old can learn to swim distances any where from 15 feet up to 25 yards if parents continue to enroll their child in lessons with a quality swimming instructor and swim lessons curriculum.

During this time, the child will also be developing the prerequisite skills in his swimming lessons so he can swim the front crawl (freestyle) with side breathing and backstroke for distances between 30 feet to 50 yards by the time he is four or five years of age. On the other hand, if the young three or four year old isn’t developing these skills in swim lessons now, learning the strokes will be certainly delayed. The Front Crawl with side breathing and Backstroke will come MUCH EASIER to a four or five year old that has already mastered the Surface Swim with a Pop-up or Rollover Breath when they were three years of age. Mastering these skills will be much more difficult for the four or five year old who’s parent waited or discontinued lessons for other activities.

Here is Nolan, who just turned three years old. He was 37 months of age at the time of this video.

To illustrate what six to seven months of swimming lessons per year (not year-round) can do for your child, I will continue to post at least one more video of Nolan for another LTS Objective so you can see what can be achieved with a commitment to swimming instruction.

PLEASE NOTE: No objective or benchmark should ever be achieved because we (swim instructor or parent) want the child to achieve it, rather, when the child is developmentally ready to achieve it. Enjoy the journey. Stay child focused. AS a result, your student/child will develop a lifelong love affair with the water, as well as become a safer swimmer. That is what Swim Lessons University is all about.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim was the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com 

We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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May 31, 2012 at 3:18 pm Comments (0)

Swim Instructors Conference set for Las Vegas 2012

Swim Lessons University will hold it’s 3rd Annual Conference in Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 7th, from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at the World Famous Las Vegas Hotel (formerly Las Vegas Hilton). The conference is for Swimming Instructors, Aquatic Directors, and Swim School Owners. Whether you teach the Swim Lessons University curriculum, YMCA lessons, SwimAmerica, or Red Cross swim lessons, you are welcome and you will absolutely love this event.

Jim Reiser, AKA, “The Swim Professor,” and Executive Director of Swim Lessons University, will give four “information packed” presentations:

Talk #1: Successfully Teaching Infant & Toddlers
Talk #2: How to Teach Young Children More Effectively
Talk #3: Tips & Tricks for Teaching Advanced Strokes
Talk #4: The Business Side: Using Social Media, Marketing, Scheduling, & More!

Each presentation will all take place in the comfort of a spacious LVH conference room, featuring with incredible video footage on the big screen, power point, and a truly authentic and dynamic speaker in Jim Reiser. Listen to what Michele Smith had to say about her SLU Conference experience: “Today I have been blessed. I am here at the SLU Conference. I have already learned so much. Anyone who follows Jim Reiser on his website and through facebook gets to see great clips and I have always appreciated that, but to meet with him in a class you get to see that the love for kids and swim he speaks about is very sincere. Thanks Jim for the inspiration and confidence to be the “BEST” instructors. You have made me a better instructor and for that I will forever be grateful. What an awesome day at the conference! Thank you so much Jim for offering a “wealth” of information.”Michelle Smith, Instructor & Swim School Owner – Orlando, Florida

Each participant will also receive a conference bag with some free stuff! Early Bird Registration is just $85.00.

This is our third conference at LVH, and we’ve gone back each year for a reason. LVH is a beautiful hotel with a super friendly staff. This is the same hotel Elvis Presley used to do all his Las Vegas shows. Also, if you’d like to go visit the new strip, the LV Monorail leaves directly from LVH! The monorail fees are very minimal and it is super convenient. Secure your room today and get a great rate, as low as $79.00!

We do expect to sell out! So register today for the 2012 SLU Conference and get the EARLY BIRD RATE OF JUST $85.00! See you in VEGAS!

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May 29, 2012 at 12:01 pm Comments (3)

Swim Instructor Mentoring Program

When using the video-based Swim Lessons University Instructor Training and Certification program, we also advise that SLU programs incorporate a mentoring program for new swimming instructors.   In addition to the invaluable opportunity to train by watching the courses actually being taught, we believe nothing ever can truly take the place of real experience.  This is where the mentoring program comes to play.

At the Swim Lessons Company, I require my teachers to shadow either myself and/or several of our senior instructors.   I like to have our swim instructor candidates shadow four different experienced Swim Lessons University instructors on four different days for a total of 12 hours.  That 12 hours of practicum work, of course, is in addition to their 12 hours of classroom video-based training and online swim instructor testing.  This gives the new teacher “hands-on” experience with not only four different instructors teaching from the same lesson plans and curriculum, it also gives them experience working with a variety of children, personalities, levels, and age groups.

Here is an email I send to my Senior SLU Instructors when the mentoring program is about to begin.  This way they know what is expected of them as the new teachers participate in their practicums.

Dear Staff,

Please note that I have begun scheduling new teachers at various locations to do their practicums with many of you.  If for any reason you have to reschedule a class—please remind me if you are mentoring a teacher that night so we can let them know too.

READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.  The following is a set of guidelines for how you should help break in our new teachers.  Your influence on developing their teaching skills is an instrumental part of preparing them to represent us well and deliver the superior product that SLC parents in Columbia have come to expect.

  1. Introduce the teacher to your class and tell children that he/she will be helping you today.
  2. The first time you teach any particular level, begin to show them the various supports and manipulating techniques we do and let them try it with your guidance.
  3. Without taking away from your class, comment on the names of the exercise and on the cues we use, BUT for the most part you are demonstrating how we do it AND the teacher-in-training is just “shadowing” you.  Don’t overteach them, let them watch and learn and be a little “hands on.”
  4. LASTLY – THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL:

Once the teacher candidate has settled in, so to speak–take turns with them starting the children.  You always present the new exercise or activity, give the cues/instructions, give the start signal and give feedback AND THEN let the teacher candidate try it for the second practice trial.  REPEAT for each exercise or activity that we do.

* For the Parent & Tot swim classes— you teach the class, however, get teacher candidate involved in the holds, passes, safety skills, etc.

*  DO NOT TURN YOUR CLASS INTO TWO PRIVATE LESSONS.  YOU TEACH.  THEY SHADOW.   MANY OF THE TEACHERS IN TRAINING WILL BE DOING THEIR PRACTICUMS before they do their classroom training.

If you have any questions please let me know!  Thanks you!

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

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February 9, 2012 at 3:58 pm Comments (0)

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