A SWIMMERS TOOLBOX

 What’s in your tool box?  Every swimmer has a tool box that accompanies them to workouts and swim

meets.   Your tool box has all the essentials that a swimmer relies on for workouts and races, tools that that you can rely on in times of stress, anxiety and fatigue.  There may also be those specialty tools that you relay on and fit your unique personality and talents.

Great swimmers don’t just build stronger bodies during workouts.  They also build stronger tool boxes out of the water.  Every practice, race, challenge, and setback gives you a chance to add a new tool and the more tools in the box the more prepared you’ll be in any situation you face.

PRACTICE TOOLS

When workouts get hard….

_x_positive self talk

_x_ focus on the next repeat

_x_strong body language 

_x _consistent effort 

_x_trust the process

My best practice tool is_________________________

RACE DAY TOOLS…..

 

When it’s time to perform

__x_race plan

__x_visualization

__x_pre race routine 

__x_ controlled breathing

__x_focus word

My focus word is________________

CONFIDENCE TOOLS

Confidence is built one day at a time.

__x_track progress

_x__celebrate small victories 

_x__remember past success 

__x_stay coachable

_x__believe in work preparation 

I’m proud of__________

RESILIENCE TOOLS

Every swimmer faces challenges 

_x__learn from mistakes

X__bounce back after tough races

_x__keep a growth mindset

_x__ask questions 

_x__never give up

A challenge I overcame________

WHATS IN YOUR TOOLBOX

___POSITIVE SELF-talk

___GOAL SETTING 

___VISUALIZATION

___FOCUS WORD

___ RACE STRATEGY 

___HEALTHY RECOVERY HABITS 

___STRONG WORK ETHIC 

___CONFIDENCE

___RESILIENCE

___GROWTH MINDSET

Remember:  Talent may help you start.  Your toolbox helps you succeed.  You will have set backs and at times anxiety during workouts and races but always remember this, “ A good swimmer will always know which tool to reach for when challenges appear.

    

SWIM MEET WRAP UP

 

What were the take always from the meet this past weekend?  Did you meet your expectations?  Did you set those expectations too high?  Too low?  Maybe you did not have any?  

Setting expectations centered based solely on the time is not always the best way to go.  Why, because you are basing everything on an arbitrary result that in reality you cannot control.

Your time does not paint a full picture on your canvas….it will only tells you what happened but not why it happened or whether you’re really improving in the ways it truly matters. If your mechanics (little things) are not sound it only gives you a false signal.  Best times with negative attitudes weak starts, sloppy turns, weak underwater’s, no pacing is not the same as best times when those mechanics are working.

If you judge your performance based solely on the time you may miss the parts of your race that will help you in your future development as you chase those goals and dreams.

FALL MEET PREPARATIONS

 

Use this bingo card this weekend as you prepare to go out and race.  Can you get a bingo, let me know.

HUNGER TO SUCCEED

 "It's not what your capable of doing.  It's what your willing to do to succeed."

So, you have these big dreams and goals that you would like to achieve during this short course swimming season and maybe as Buzz Lightyear would say "To infinity and beyond."  Having those goals and dreams is awesome but i ask you this, How hard are you willing to work to achieve them.

One of my favorite quotes is "ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS."  Life and swimming is all about actions- actions that we do on a daily basis (or don't do) both in and out of the pool.  Those actions will always come with consequences.  Depending on the actions or choices you make the consequences will fall into the good or bad  columns.  Words are cheap-Actions are expensive and take a investment.

These actions come from our conscious choice to either do or not do something and it is those actions that will shape who you become as a person and a swimmer.

Actions that impact you as a swimmer are consistency at workouts, hydrating throughout practice, eating healthier and focusing on technique throughout practice such as turns, streamlines, underwater kicks, and breathing.  Funny how those "LITTLE THINGS" have a way of popping up.  These small, consistent actions build character and influence performance both in and out of the pool.

Positive actions and choices build good habits on top of each other and when that happens it will turn into something bigger like a dream or a goal you might have. 

WEEK’s REVIEW

This past week we continued to work on our streamlines, underwater kicking which is known as the fifth stroke.  The swimmers are working really hard with this technique which will translate into better body position coming off all their turns and will eventually become a big advantage in all their races.   This is extremely important during the short course season because an age group swimmer will spend anywhere from 30 to 50 %  of each 25 of the race underwater.  

We also spent time working on our IM’s this week with an emphasis on our fly technique.  The swimmers had a great week of work and we will continue to move forward as our first meet of the season is this coming weekend.

This week’ s set comes from our senior prep group done on Thursday to wrap up a week of IM work.  You all were awesome as you worked through the set.

Last week the answer was elephant.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

 “Mindset is everything.  The difference between a good day and a bad day comes down to your choice of attitude.”

What attitude do you bring to workouts and meets.? Is it positive or is it full of negativity?  Does it bring the group up or down?

One of the most important choices you can make in life and your swimming, is the attitude you choose.  Anything becomes possible if you have the right attitude and perspective.

The "AMA" for swimmers;

• A is the ability of what you're capable of doing.
• M is for the motivation that will determine what you do.
• A is the attitude that will determine how well you do it.

On a good day of swimming everything just clicks.  In workouts you are moving through the water as if you're flowing with the current.  In competition everything goes right start, breakout, turns, pace and finish.  But what happens when things go wrong and the plan doesn't seem to be working the way you think it should.  Do you abandon the plan?  Do you fall apart both emotionally and physically?  Your at a moment when pressure and adversity rise up and smack you in the face.

Some swimmers will choose to give up and feel sorry for themselves.  They will complain and start making excuses.  Sometimes they will start making excuses before they even swim which they believe gives them a way "out" and a honest reason not to give it their all.  A good swimmer will dig deep and use their mental toughness and positive attitude to keep moving forward.

"You never lose, you learn."  The first step to overcoming failure is to accept it.  Let's look at the word Failure and think of it as an acronym: FAIL which stands for  "FIRST ACTION IN LEARNING."  When you come to terms with the results and reality in front of you, you are able to embrace it and work towards making things better.  this is the best way to progress, move forward and improve.

Excellence is an attitude and without the right attitude, greatness isn't obtainable.

Our first week of workouts went really well for all three of the groups (senior prep, junior gold, junior blue).  The week’s workouts focused on four major themes. 

1. Free and back strokes
2. Body lines, alignments
3. Streamlines and underwater kicks
4. Kicking lots of kicking

Parents all four of these areas will form a solid foundation for everything we hope to accomplish as we work through the season. Without this solid foundation to build on we would be throwing things at the wall and the hopes it will stick.  Patience is the key word for the few weeks so that when we get into the meat of the season (January thru March) we will see some good fast swimming with a lot of confidence.  

The junior gold group did this main set on Friday.  They were awesome as they worked through the set and parents you can be proud of your little 🏊.

This weeks trivia:  Which land animal can swim up to 20 miles a day and use its nose like a natural snorkel?

THE HARD WORK COMES FIRST

"Hard work is a choice.  Attitude is a choice.  Discipline is a choice.  Excellence is a choice."

 Happy labor day weekend.  We hope that your first two weeks of school went well and that you have settled into a regular routine and are now ready to dive into our first week of workouts starting Tuesday.

The theme for our first week of practice will center around re-establishing our feel for the water and with this in mind I want you to focus on these 4 areas during the week:

1. HEAD POSITION AND ALIGNMENT
2. BODY LINES
3. STREAMLINES +3 UNDERWATER KICKS OFF EVERY WALL (NO EXCUSES)
4. AGGRESSIVE TURNS AT EACH WALL

Let's set a positive tone and mindset from Day 1 and I promise you everything else will come naturally and you will be in a better position to achieve those goals.

All of this starts with hard work and yes even on those days when you’re not feeling it.  So let’s get to it.

I have never met a swimmer who is born great.  No one owns that podium when they are born and I venture to say it’s not even reserved for the most talented.  Being a “great swimmer” is a choice that you make.  Being great is the choice to maximize all the little things that require absolutely no talent.  They are the decisions you make everyday starting with hard work and discipline.  Those 3 words will determine the swimmer you will become during the upcoming season.

I will do my part to help you this season become the swimmer you choose to become and with that in mind here are the daily warmups for Senior prep and Junior gold.  This is our everyday warmup.  Why do it?  This allows you to be comfortable and know exactly what we are doing as soon as we get into the water.  No questions need to be asked and there so be no confusion.  

A quality warmup is not about yardage.  It’s about preparing your mind, body and stroke for a great workout.  Use this time to feel the water and your body connecting with each other, find your rhythm and get ready to swim fast.

SENIOR PREP WARM UP (1000)

JUNIOR GOLD WARM UP (850)

200 (100 free/ 50 back/50 kick boards)

4x75 (25 IMO +25 free +25 back) with aggressive flip turn +strong streamline +3 underwater kicks)

4x50 kick with boards (25 moderate +25 build to 90%)

Start looking at the fall invite meet at the end of the month this week.  Look at the days and events and make a plan.  Without the plan your throwing things at the wall hoping something will stick.

LABOR DAY TRIVIA

The “No White after Labor Day” Rule.  This rule originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Wealthy upper-class citizens used it to separate their summer resort leisure wear from their autumn city clothes.

My response would be I’ll wear what I want but you all knew that probably.

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE PROCESS

 

"Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want"

Swimming is a sport where improvement takes patience and time.  Some days you will feel good and then there will be those days where nothing 

seems to go as plan and you struggle.  that goes for competition also where you will have great races, good races and not so good races.  The process that you start with on day 1 will help you deal with all of it.

All of that is okay.  Your job is not to have a perfect practice or race.  Your job is to show up listen, work hard and embrace the process that this sport requires every day.   It's the little things in the process that you do every day that will get you to your goals such as:

• positive self talk
• pay attention to sets and focus on the work
• better streamlines
• better under waters
• stronger kick
• faster and more aggressive turns
• more confidence
• one practice at a time

As you work through the process this season don't be afraid of making a mistake, they will happen such as

a bad start, missed turn, bad finish or a race that just does not go the way you visualize it going. That's part of not just being a swimmer but a big part of being an athlete.

Mistakes aren't a sign of failure they are an opportunity to grow and learn.  The best swimmers are not the ones who never make mistakes, they are the ones who make mistakes learn from them and come back ready to get after it again.

So, enjoy the journey and process.  Laugh hard.  Enjoy your teammates. Celebrate your improvements.  Set big goals and try things that scare you a little.

PRE SEASON WORKOUT

PURPOSE: Shake off the rust and develop your feel for the water again.  Get some light aerobic work in early.

  Coach Mike’s Clipboard:  Warm up 200 MIX (50 free/ 50 back if you have flags) +12x25 kick every 4th one fast

6x50 @ moderate speed (25IMO+25 free) 15 seconds rest

FINS ON 4 sets of 4  with 10 seconds rest after each 25

25 position 11 kick

25 right arm lead

25 left arm lead

25 fast free

SWIM DOWN 200 (50 swim/50 kick)