JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know – Global News

A new COVID-19 subvariant, known as JN.1, has emerged and is now the prevailing strain across Canada, prompting health experts to caution that it may be more infectious and could even have extra symptoms.

Currently, the subvariant makes up the highest proportion of all COVID-19 variants, accounting for more than half (51. 9 per cent) of all infections in Canada, according to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

JN.1 was first detected in Canada on Oct. 9, and since then has rapidly increased.

If this virus continues to circulate at high levels, that means more virus, which means more mutations and more evolution, which means more of this same kind of issue happening repeatedly, warned Ryan Gregory, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph, and evolutionary biologist.

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1:54 Low vaccine uptake fuels spike in respiratory illnesses: health officials

On Dec. 10, the JN.1 subvariant made up 26.6 per cent of all COVID-19 variants in Canada, but was not the dominant strain. At that time, HV.1 still made up 29 per cent of all subvariants, according to PHAC data. By Dec. 17, JN.1 made up the highest percentage (38.5 per cent) of all subvariants across Canada. Meanwhile, HV.1 fell to 24.4 per cent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 19 added JN.1 to its list of variants of interest, its second-highest level of monitoring. Despite the categorization, the health organization said JN.1 poses a low additional public health risk.

Two days later, on Dec. 21, PHAC labelled it as a variant of interest in Canada.

As the subvariant continues to circulate, here is what we know so far about JN.1.

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The JN.1 subvariant is a sublineage of BA.2.86 that emerged in Europe in late August 2023. It is another Omicron variant, according to PHAC. Gregory explained that JN.1 is a grandchild of BA.2.86. The original BA.2.86 probably evolved within a single person with a long-term infection over a year, he added.

So, somebody was infected. The virus continued to replicate and change within their body and then it reentered the rest of the population, he said. Once it gets back into the main population, its now evolving at the level of among hosts.

This in turn created the more competitive and successful JN.1. It featured a single alteration in the spike protein, enhancing its ability to effectively bind to cells, according to Gregory.

6:14 Holiday health update: Navigating the flu, RSV and COVID

It has massively managed to compete with the existing things that were out there, which suggests that its either very good at transmitting, and escapes immunity that is otherwise conferred by prior infection or previous vaccination, he said. So in other words, its different enough that your immune system, having been trained on older variants, doesnt recognize it as well.

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He also believes JN.1 may be the starting point for subsequent evolutions, much like the XBB variant. The XBB variant, another sublineage of Omicron, started circulating the world in late 2022. In 2023, some of its descendents, such as XBB.1.5 and EG.5, became dominating COVID-19 infections.

It is currently not known whether JN.1 infections produce different symptoms from other variants, health experts say.

The typical symptoms of COVID-19 according to the government are:

Additionally, Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queens University in Kingston, Ont., said he has heard more people report gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as diarrhea.

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The one thing I have been hearing about, they have GI symptoms, and these are not new, these have been recorded since COVID came out, he said. But anecdotally, the number of people having GI symptoms seems to be slightly higher, but you have to be careful with that because its an observational bias. But it does strike me that its becoming a bit more of a theme in the last month.

Gregory agreed with this observation but added that it may still be too early to tell if this is a hallmark symptom of the JN.1 variant.

He added that it is difficult to determine which symptoms go with what variant, especially when so many are circulating and there is less testing for COVID-19.

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Due to JN.1s fast growth, experts like Gregory say its either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. However, PHAC said in an email to Global News on Dec. 19, there is no evidence of increased severity associated with this variant.

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The WHO also stated last month that it is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

Since the spike protein is also the part that existing vaccines target, current vaccines should work against JN.1 and other lineages of BA.2.86, explained Evans. Preliminary evidence shows that protection by the XBB recombinant vaccine also guards against JN.1, he added. However, he cautioned, If it has been a year since your last vaccine or COVID infection, you may be more susceptible.

Personal protective measures are effective actions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, PHAC stated. They include things like staying home when sick, properly wearing a well-fitted respirator or mask, improving indoor ventilation and practicing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

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These measures are most effective when layered together, PHAC stated in an email.

Laboratory studies also suggest that the current therapeutic antiviral options, such as Paxlovid, available in Canada are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages, PHAC added.

In some parts of the country, COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the fall, yet the numbers appear to be stable now, according to Evans. However, while infection numbers remain stable, they are still very high and very steep, he warned, well beyond influenza, RSV and all the other viruses.

4:50 Kingston pharmacist urging residents to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick this winter season

He believes there may have been a holiday spike in COVID0-19 infections for several reasons, but most importantly noting that the uptake COVID-19 vaccine has been very poor.

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As of Dec. 8, PHAC reported that 14.6 per cent of eligible Canadians have received the updated vaccines targeting XBB.1.5.

The second reason, of course, is were in the middle of the respiratory virus season, Evans said. And although there are still a fair percentage of people who are being careful, there are a lot of people really have just gone back to what life was like before 2020. And. Thats, of course, a moment of opportunity for all these viruses to kind of take off.

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JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know - Global News

Catholic parishes in Tonawandas put wine chalice on shelf to ward off flu, Covid, other viruses – Buffalo News

Some area Catholic churches have temporarily shelved their Holy Communion wine cups to help keep seasonal viruses at bay.

Citing an increase of various illnesses in our community, priests of the family of Catholic parishes in the Town of Tonawanda and cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda agreed this week to suspend distribution of wine in the chalice during Holy Communion.

The move was temporary and will be revisited as we get through this time of year when illnesses seem to rise, the priests said in a joint statement posted on Facebook.

We know many devoutly receive from the cup, but this is for the health of the community, the Facebook post noted.

The suspension applies to six parishes that make up Family #18: St. Amelia, St. Andrew Kim Mission and St. Christopher in the Town of Tonawanda; St. Francis of Assisi in the City of Tonawanda; and St. Jude the Apostle and Our Lady of Czestochowa in the City of North Tonawanda.

St. Gregory the Great is the biggest Catholic parish in the Buffalo Diocese, but the Rev. Leon Biernat says while many parishioners were enthusiastic about returning to the building worship, others were not due to worries about the coronavirus.

It had been brought up to me by a couple parishioners are we considering it? said the Rev. Michael Lamarca, pastor of the family of parishes.

Lamarca said he mentioned it Wednesday at a weekly meeting with fellow priests and it was unanimous right off the bat that weve all noticed more and more people getting sick.

Theres just so much out there, so we said, Lets just do it temporarily and well revisit it as we get through flu and Covid and RSV season, he added.

The Buffalo Diocese has not issued a directive and, so far, has left it up to pastors to decide. A diocese spokesman said officials were not aware of the communal wine chalice being removed for public health reasons at other parishes across the eight counties of the diocese.

Catholics believe bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the celebration of the Eucharist, and Holy Communion reception of the Eucharist is a central sacrament of the faith. The ritual dates back centuries.

Bishop Michael Fisher and three other bishops in the state this weekend lifted dispensations from obligatory Mass attendance that had been in place since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Body of Christ, in the form of an unleavened bread wafer, will continue to be offered at Communion in the Tonawanda parishes, and Catholic teaching promotes that receiving either the body or blood of Christ is as if receiving both.

Offering the Blood of Christ in the form of wine in a shared cup was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the behest of bishops, the practice began returning to most parishes by fall 2022.

The rim of the communal chalice is wiped with a cloth after each recipient. It receives a wash in soapy water after the Mass.

Withholding the chalice during high respiratory virus season is a quite reasonable way to reduce some risk of disease transmission, said Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Respiratory viruses such as Covid-19, flu and RSV spread through respiratory droplets and secretions, and oral secretions potentially have infectious particles, he said.

Removing the chalice also can help limit exposure to norovirus, an extraordinarily infectious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea and can peak in the winter, Russo said.

On the other hand, assuming the person handing out Holy Communion is not infected, receiving it in wafer form should present little risk, he said.

The bigger concern is crowded churches with poor ventilation, said Russo, who recommended that people with high-risk conditions wear masks to cut down on exposure to airborne viruses.

This applies not just to church, he said, but any venue thats indoors, particularly if the ventilation is poor, if its crowded and other people arent wearing masks and youre high-risk. That would be a setting where you would want to wear a mask to protect yourself. Masking isnt perfect, but its not bad. Its better than no mask.

Lamarca said he wasnt sure exactly when the shared cup would return.

We didnt want to put a timeline on it, he said, because we wanted to see how things play out.

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms – Yahoo News

A heavily mutated, fast-spreading new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is on the rise in the United States. Last month, JN.1 swept the country and quickly overtook other variants of the coronavirus to become the dominant strain nationwide.

The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for over 60% of all infections in the U.S., and it's expected to continue driving an increasing number of cases as the country approaches peak respiratory virus season. In fact, data show and some experts say the country is currently in its second-largest COVID wave, smaller than only the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

JN.1 is also gaining speed in other parts of the world. On Dec. 18, the World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a variant of interest due to its rapidly increasing spread globally.

In the U.S., the share of cases caused by the JN.1 variant has nearly doubled in recent weeks. JN.1 is currently considered the fastest-growing variant in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for about 44% of cases in the U.S., per the CDCs latest data. This was a steep increase from the previous two-week period ending on Dec. 9, when JN.1 made up 21% of cases.

After JN.1, the next most common strain in the U.S. right now is the HV.1 subvariant, which comprised about 22% of cases as of Dec. 23.

Scientists around the world have been closely monitoring JN.1, which has sparked some concern due to its rapid growth and large number of mutations. However, the new variant is closely related to a strain we've seen before: BA.2.86, aka "Pirola," which has been spreading in the U.S. since the summer.

JN.1 has one additional mutation compared to BA.2.86, which has more than 30 mutations that set it apart from the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. XBB.1.5 was the dominant strain for most of 2023 and it's the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccines, TODAY.com previously reported.

All of the COVID-19 variants that have gained dominance in the U.S. in the last year are descendants of omicron, which began circulating in late 2021. Since emerging, JN.1 has overtaken its parental strain BA.2.86, as well as HV.1, EG.5 or Eris and XBB.1.16, aka Arcturus.

JN.1's growth comes as COVID hospitalizations rise, influenza continues to spread and RSV activity remains high in many places, according to a Dec. 14 update from the CDC. The agency warned that at the end of the month, emergency rooms and hospitals could become strained, similarly to last year, especially in the South.

Will JN.1 cause a COVID-19 surge? Does JN.1 have different symptoms and is it still detected by COVID tests? Does it respond to vaccines and treatments? Here's what experts know about JN.1 so far.

JN.1 was first reported in August 2023 and it has spread to at least 41 countries so far, according to the WHO. It was first detected in the U.S. in September, the CDC said.

Just like the other newer variants, JN.1 is part of the omicron family.

"Think of (the variants) as children and grandchildren of omicron. They're part of the same extended family, but they each have their own distinctive personalities," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB.

When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out, he adds.

Laboratory data suggest that Pirola is less contagious and immune-evasive than scientists once feared, NBC News reported.

JN.1, however, picked up an additional mutation in its spike protein called L455S, says Pekosz. Spike proteins help the virus latch onto human cells and play a crucial role in helping SARS-CoV-2 infect people, per the CDC. This mutation may affect JN.1's immune escape properties, says Pekosz.

"Now it's circulating and growing at a really fast rate compared to other variants, as well as the parent its derived from (BA.2.86), says Pekosz.

In early November, JN.1 accounted for fewer than 1% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Several weeks later, it was driving over 20% of cases, Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells TODAY.com. Now, it's the dominant strain in the U.S.

Its not known whether JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants, according the CDC.

Right now, theres nothing that says that JN.1 infection is any different from previous COVID variants in terms of disease severity or symptoms, but were paying close attention, says Pekosz.

The symptoms of JN.1 appear to be similar to those caused by other strains, which include:

According to the CDC, the type and severity of symptoms a person experiences usually depends more on a persons underlying health and immunity rather than the variant which caused infection.

While severe infections do still occur, overall (COVID-19) is causing a lot of milder illness, says Schaffner.

Some doctors have reported that upper respiratory symptoms seem to follow a pattern of starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a cough, NBC News previously reported.

The virus is adapting. ... I think its getting better at infecting humans and evading pre-existing immunity in the population ... but its not changing symptomology too much, says Pekosz.

At this time, theres no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe infection, the experts note.

One of the things these (omicron variants) have in common is that they are highly contagious, and as new variants crop up, they seem to be as contagious or even more contagious than the previous variants, says Schaffner.

According to the CDC, the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

Its probably a little bit more transmissible than its parental virus because weve seen an increase in case numbers that we didnt with (BA.2.86), says Pekosz. However, it is too early to tell how exactly JN.1's transmissibility or immune escape properties compare to other variants, such as HV.1, the experts note.

Many of the newer strains, including JN.1, have another mutation that affects how strongly the spike protein binds to cells in the respiratory tract, says Pekosz. We know that its probably helping the virus become better at replicating and helping the virus evade more of that pre-existing immune response, he adds.

JN.1 does not pose an increased public health risk compared to other variants currently in circulation, the CDC and WHO said.

The genetic changes in JN.1 could give it an advantage over other variants, but its unclear how that will affect cases in the coming months. So far, there doesnt seem to be a massive increase in transmission. ... We would be concerned if there was a huge surge in cases, says Pekosz.

Right now, JN.1 is increasing in terms of the percentage of COVID-19 cases its causing, and theres also been a slight increase in total cases," says Pekosz.

Test positivity, an early indicator of case levels, is also on the rise, says Phillips the rate was 12.7% during the week ending on Dec. 23, up from about 12% the week prior, per the CDC. (The CDC no longer tracks the total number of cases in the U.S.).

Hospitalizations have also risen by 17% and ICU admissions by 16.4% in the last two weeks, according to an NBC News analysis.

"The good news is that as of yet we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations going up significantly, and ICU admissions are still very low, but we're going to watch these carefully," says Phillips.

COVID-19 activity was expected to rise around this time as the U.S. enters winter and respiratory virus season, the experts note. In recent years, the virus has followed a pattern of increasing and peaking around new year, according to the CDC.

"Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December," the CDC said. Only time will tell whether JN.1 or another variant will cause a surge in infections this winter.

All COVID-19 diagnostic tests including rapid antigen tests and PCR tests are expected to be effective at detecting JN.1, as well as other variants, according to the CDC.

Testing is an important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially ahead of indoor gatherings, says Schaffner.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are often indistinguishable from those caused by other viruses spreading right now, the experts note. These include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

The experts urge anyone who becomes ill or is exposed to COVID-19 to take a test, especially people at higher risk of severe disease, such as people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised and who have underlying health conditions.

Every American can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.

"Get tested because, whether it's COVID or flu, we have treatment available," says Schaffner. Current treatments are also expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC said.

"JN.1 should be just as sensitive to the antivirals available as any other variants," says Pekosz, adding that antivirals like Paxlovid are most effective when taken within the first few days after infection.

The new, updated COVID-19 vaccines, recommended for everyone 6 months and older, are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as well as other variants, the CDC said.

Although the shots target omicron XBB.1.5, which has since been overtaken by HV.1, JN.1, EG.5 and others, there is still evidence that it will protect against new strains circulating this winter, TODAY.com previously reported.

Data from laboratory studies show that the vaccine appears to generate a strong immune response against JN.1's parent strain, BA.2.86, Schaffner notes.

The new vaccines also protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the experts emphasize. So even if you get COVID-19 after vaccination, the infection will likely be milder and it can keep you out of the hospital, Phillips adds.

However, uptake of the updated booster among the U.S. population has been low so far, the experts say. As of Dec. 22, only about 18% of adults and 7% of children have gotten the updated vaccine, according to the latest CDC data on vaccination trends.

On Dec. 14, CDC officials issued an alert to warn about low vaccination rates against COVID-19, flu and RSV in the U.S.

Now is the best time to get vaccinated if you haven't already, the experts say. "The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you'll be protected and it does take seven to 10 days for protection to build up to the maximum," says Schaffner.

Phillips recommends everyone, especially high-risk individuals, to get the seasonal influenza shot, as well. Hospitalizations for flu increased 200% over the past month, according to the CDC's Dec. 14 warning.

"Getting vaccinated is the best present you can give yourself and your family this holiday season," Schaffner adds.

Every day, but especially during respiratory virus season, people can take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The experts encourage everyone to:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Test if you have symptoms.

Isolate if you have COVID-19.

Avoid contact with sick people.

Improve ventilation.

Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms - Yahoo News

More Is Not Always Better: How The Las Vegas Swim Club Rebuilt To The National Stage – SwimSwam

This article originally appeared in the 2023 College Preview issue of SwimSwam Magazine. Subscribe here.

At the end of 2013, Peter Mavro and Amber Stewart were given the task of resurrecting a swim club on the verge of falling apart. With determination, a clear vision, and the influence of one of swimmings brightest minds in Russell Mark, they were able to make it happen.

When Mavro and Stewart first took over the Las Vegas Swim Club (LVSC) as head and assistant coach respectively, there were only 25 members and a 50% athlete retention rate. Numbers had been dropping for the club ever since their training facility, the Pavilion Center Pool, shut down in 2010 and they had to relocate. When Pavillion opened up in 2012 again, LVSC had their facility back, but the culture and outlook of the club was still very bleak.

At that time, LVSCs only purpose was to serve as a feeder organizationkids showed up to swim for three months, and then they either quit or moved on to the bigger, more lucrative Sandpipers of Nevada (SAND) club that was just ten minutes down the road. In other words, LVSCs biggest competition was the club that would later go on to produce six different Olympic and World Championship team members in the next decade.

There was just this constant revolving door of kids coming in and kids coming out, Mavro said. You cant build a consistent culture in that kind of scenario,

In front of them, Mavro and Stewart faced an organization that was barely holding itself together, and the fact that they were next-door neighbors with the biggest age group talent hotbed in the country only rubbed more salt into the wound. It was very easy for them to raise the white flag of surrender, but instead, they decided from day one that they were committed to reform.

I remember saying, what is our goal? What are we trying to be? Mavro said. From the day that I started working with this team, my mindset was to teach these kids, teach our families what it means to be in a committed environment, what it means to work hard, and not have it be a revolving door of swimmers.

It started from the little things, such as establishing attendance requirements, holding team meetings with parents, getting age groupers to have their cap and goggles on before practices started, never-ending practice early unless it was absolutely necessary, and finding alternate pools instead of canceling practice when the Pavillion wasnt available.

Another thing that Mavro and Stewart had to do was put their egos asideeven though Mavro is the head coach, he mainly works with age groupers, while assistant coach Stewart works with the older swimmers in the National Team group. Thats a non-traditional arrangement, with most clubs assigning their head coach to their fastest group of athletes.I believe in assessing my own strengths. That 10 to 14-year-old level is where my biggest strength is, so why wouldnt I be in that group? I believe Ambers biggest strength is to really inspire kids to do the impossible on a daily basis, so why wouldnt she be in that group? Mavro said. It just made so much sense to me, and thats why were set up the way were set up, so everybody can focus on their strengths.

Every small step that Mavro and Stewart took helped build LVSC from the bottom up, and in the end, it culminated into a growing culture of commitment and hard work.

Soon enough, the work of Mavro and Stewart began to pay off. In 2018, LVSC qualified swimmers for Sectionals for the first time. In 2019, Jack Gallob became LVSCs first Summer and Winter Juniors qualifier. In 2022, Owen Carlsen committed to Utah as the clubs first Power 5 Conference commitand his brother Max is on track to becoming one of the top recruits in the class of 2025. The number of swimmers in LVSC grew to around 200 and held steady, which is in line with Marvo and Stewarts mission to create a team that is both serious about swimming but still has that small, family-based feel.

Thats what separates us, Mavro said. When youre right next to another gigantic team thats shown a lot of success, you really have to give your families reason to believe that theyre getting something special. We want to build an environment where people want to bea hard work environment where the expectations are high, but we do not have coaches that yell, make kids feel bad about themselves, any of those kids. Its really about inspiring the kids to want to do it for themselves.

Were not just trying to throw a bunch of kids in the pool and let the best athletes find their way. We are trying to develop every single athlete to the best they can be.

More is not always better, better is better, Stewart added, making a statement that is frequently repeated throughout the national group that she coaches.

With LVSC and SAND being located so close together, they sometimes share a pool and hold practices back-to-back. When Stewart first began coaching LVSCs national group, she noticed that her swimmers acted complacently in front of the SAND swimmers, standing aside and waiting for them to finish warm-down even though it was LVSCs practice time. After time, though, Stewart decided that the dynamic and mentality of her program needed to change.

One of the first major things that I did as a coach was [make it clear that] we get in the pool at 4:30, we get in on time, Stewart said. There was a little bit of friction in the beginning, but [SAND] became very respectful of that and realized oh, okay, theyre serious. They arent gonna stand around just because we have this extra 300 to do.

Again, it was little things like these that sent out a message that LVSC was no longer going to be the pushover, and that they deserved the same respect as any other established club. Even though Stewart and Marvo dont want the entire identity of their club to revolve around being next to the Sandpipers, they acknowledge that getting over the hurdle of being overshadowed by their neighbors is a big part of what makes LVSC the club that they are today.

In the early days of Stewart and Mavros coaching, the LVSC had always looked towards SAND, with discussions at board meetings constantly being about trying to emulate what SAND does. Over time, however, they learned how to both co-exist with their neighborhood giant, as well as build their own, distinct, identity in their presence.

My mindset was, were not Sandpipers, were LVSC. We dont need to do what they do, and frankly, were not gonna be able to compete with them that way, Mavro said.If were trying to build a mini-Sandpipers, why would a swimmer or a family ever stay with us when the Sandpipers are already there?

Beyond the fact that they are both located in Las Vegas, LVSC and SAND dont actually have much in common. SAND has over 500 swimmers, while LVSC is less than half its size. LVSC has a lower volume training philosophy than SAND. SAND does three doubles a week, LVSC doesnt do doubles during the school year because of pool availability issueswhich Mavro thinks acclimatizes swimmers to the training hour limits in the NCAA. Not all swimmers need the same thing, and LVSC offered families in the Las Vegas area an alternate option if their swimmers dont fit the Sandpiper lifestyle.

We are very different programs, Stewart said. With the approach that we have, which is different from theirs, we have kept swimmers in our program that probably would not have stayed swimming otherwise.

Besides some tension here and there, not much bad blood exists between LVSC and SAND. Mavro is good friends with Sandpiper age group coach Chris Barberthe two of them are open books, talking about practice strategy, training, and season planning whenever they see each other.

At the end of the day, Mavro and Stewart believe that having SAND right next to them ultimately makes LVSC a stronger club, and they are grateful for the challenges that come with it.

Having the Sandpipers right next to us holds us to an incredibly high standard, Mavro said. We cannot get away with making lazy choices. As much as it can be frustrating, it is our greatest motivator by far. Were better because were right next to them.

The teams [of Las Vegas] have quality staff that are working against each other, but they are also working to build a really fast swimming community.

Yeah, theres friction and frustration, but at the end of the day, were all here to support each other and make the world of swimming together. Stewart added.

Less than ten years after their rebuild, LVSC was seeing the kind of national-level success that some much older clubs havent experienced before. Prior to 2019, the club didnt know what coaching Junior National and DI-caliber swimmers was likethey ran headlong into a lot of firsts and learned by doing.

When Jack Gallob, LVSCs first Winter Juniors qualifier, came to the National Team group for the first time, he was instantaneously moved from the slowest lane to the fastest lane with no in-betweens. It became clear that he was a one-of-a-kind type of swimmer, and shortly thereafter, Stewart began giving him sets that nobody else in the club was capable of doing.

Initially, the transition for Gallob was challenging. In fact, he even complained to Stewart that his situation wasnt fair. But Stewart didnt buy it.

I told [him], I think what youre trying to do is say that the definition of fair is that everybody gets the same thing. Stewart said. But if thats the definition of fair that I abide by as a coach, then Im not doing a good job, because my definition of fair is that everybody gets what they need. And [he needed] something that [was] different from the rest of the athletes in the pool.

And he remembers that conversationit was really impactful, and a light bulb switched. I think he realized, oh, okay, I dont wanna get away with less. I wanna get away with what I can do and maximize what I can do.

Three years after swimming at his first winter juniors in 2019, Gallob is now set to swim at Indiana University-Purdue (IUPUI) starting in the fall of 2023. Since 2019, he has taken his 100 back personal best from 50.21 to 49.18 and his 200 back personal best from 1:50.15 to 1:47.56, amongst drops in other events.

After Gallob, the success train just kept on rolling at LVSC, with Owen Carlsen excelling in distance freestyle and committing to Utah, and Max Carlsen becoming the 8th-fastest 15-year-old of all-time in the 1000 free. Joe Christ came into LVSC with a 2:27 200 free and dropped down to a 1:39 by the time he was a senior and committed to Air Force. At the Carlsbad Sectionals in March 2023, LVSC won first place in the small team division.

Once Gallob reached heights that had never been attained before, it caused a domino effect.

Seeing [Gallob] do it makes that belief for the next group of kids, Mavro said. When you see your teammates do these sorts of things, it does help you with that belief so that when the coach sits down with you and looks at your individual goals, lets say its making futuresAmber [can say] well, I think your goals need to be a little more higher than that. Youve got more in you, youve seen your teammates do it.

Stewart said that she and Mavro discuss goals with all of their swimmers, trying to make them ambitious and realistic. After deciding upon what their goals are, those goals will then get laminated and put in the gear bags of swimmers so they can be reminded of them every day.

Increasing success also means greater chances of a swimmer competing at the highest level in college, which was also a hurdle that Mavro and Stewart had to overcome, as they had never experienced intense college recruiting until recently. However, just like with everything else, they adapted.

Stewart, who swam in college herself at Brigham Young University, used her own NCAA connections to help her swimmers in the recruiting process. Gallob had relatives who swam for Kentucky, and they came over to LVSC to speak about the college experience. Ben Loorz, the head coach of the University of Las Vegas-Nevada held a PowerPoint night at the Pavillion once. In addition, Stewart herself listened to swimming podcasts and exchanged ideas with other coaches on Facebook to familiarize herself more with recruiting.

Its not my forte by any means, but having relationships and being willing to reach out to coaches when coaches reach out to us and making sure that were responsive to them is [something that Im trying to be better at], Stewart said. Were kind of learning as we go.

However, arguably the best resource for LVSC has been Russell Mark, who is best known for being USA Swimmings former High Performance Manager, and who now works for the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). Mavro knew Mark from their time together at the University of Virginia, and the two are close friends. Frequently, Mark analyzes the strokes and techniques of LVSC swimmers via videos that Mavro sends him, and provides LVSC with connections to the great swimming community.

For example, LVSCs national group got invited to an ASCA clinic via Mark, where they got to meet names like Ohio State head coach Bill Dorenkott, Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo, as well as Mel Marshall, the coach of world record holder Adam Peaty. At that clinic, DeSorbo arranged a time with Mavro and Stewart where they would be able to travel to Virginia and come watch one of their practices.

Its random for a small team in Las Vegas to happen to have access to what I would consider the greatest swimming mind in this country, Mavro said. Without Russell, we would not be where we are. Everything Ive done in coaching and developing the kids is based on everything Ive learned from him, as far as stroke technique.

In the end, however, everything circles back to the values that Mavro and Stewart had wanted to ingrain in LVSC from the very beginning. Its not about the accolades, college commits, or timesits about developing a family-friendly culture, and for swimmers to grow into the best versions of themselves inside and outside the pool.

I cant say how proud I am of what weve been able to do with our program and what our programs athletes dobecause if they dont buy in then Im out of a job, Mavro said. You cant have a national group if you dont instill the tools that the kids need to be there in the first place. I want to see the kids succeed, but I want to see the kids fail and learn from it and learn how to take that next step.

One of the things we hear oftentimesis your kids are always so nice and respectful. And that thats always going to be mean more than me than your kids were so fast.

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More Is Not Always Better: How The Las Vegas Swim Club Rebuilt To The National Stage - SwimSwam

Miami Marlins announce exclusive multi-year partnership with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation for … – MLB.com

MIAMI The Miami Marlins and Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation today announce a multi-year exclusive partnership for the broadcast rights of the historic Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe). The partnership gives the Marlins exclusive rights across all platforms globally (excluding in Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela - the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation member leagues), including but not limited to linear, streaming, radio and more, beginning in 2024.

The Caribbean Series is a prestigious international event, and we are excited to team with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation as we look to expand the reach of the game, both in the United States and around the globe, said Caroline OConnor, Marlins President of Business Operations. With continued efforts to providing access for fans to enjoy the sport, we will work with broadcast partners to showcase the electric tournament to fans across the world who cannot join us in Miami.

One of the achievements that excites us most with this new contract, starting in Miami 2024, is the security that the Caribbean Series will have distribution in English, and of course partnering with an MLB club in the Miami Marlins, said Dr. Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, Commissioner of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation. With the signing of a new contract with the Marlins, we can expect that the Organizing Committee will achieve the sponsorship objectives, thereby favoring the association of the Caribbean Series with international brands and establishing better commercial foundations for the event.

The Caribbean Series is the annual Winter League Championship Tournament, sanctioned by Major League Baseball, and will be held at loanDepot park, marking the first time it will be held at an MLB venue in tournament history. The teams that will compete in Miami will be Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the three invited participants, Curaao, Nicaragua, and Panama. The tournament will begin on February 1, and conclude with the Championship game on February 9.

With a remarkably rich history since 1949, the tournament has seen many Hall of Famers and All-Stars participate in the Caribbean Series, including Rod Carew, Miguel Cabrera, Roberto Clemente, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz, Ivan Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, and many more.

For more information or tickets for the Caribbean Series at loanDepot park, visit Marlins.com/SDC.

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Miami Marlins announce exclusive multi-year partnership with the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation for ... - MLB.com