STARTING AGAIN

Hope you all were ready for your first day and everything went smoothly for you.  Lots of new friends, classes and exciting new assignments.

 

As we are about to launch into our journey in the pool, lets lay some groundwork.  As you start this journey you may find yourself in a new group that will provide new challenges as you move along.  You will find some of the challenges easy, and some will probably push you to limits that you thought were impossible.  All of this is meant to put you in a good position come championship season come March and April.  The first part of our journey will involve building a strong foundation which will allow you to become a better swimmer and put you in a great position to attain your goals.  Although this may seem easy, we want you to focus in on all the little things as this will build a good base as we enter into the harder works.  What are the little things you may ask?

 

• Leaving the wall correctly EVERY time ( on your sides with tight streamlines)
• Finishing at wall correctly EVERY time (fingers/hand on the wall
• No breath off first stroke every time
• Underwater dolphin/fish kicks every push off a wall (fast past the 10m and near the 12.5)
• Deep arm off free turns (arm near the bottom and no breath)
• Drilling properly 
• Hydrating during practice 
• Showing up both physically and MENTALLY

 

MEETS

 

Are meets a necessity?  What can be gained by swimming in a meet?  As a swimmer we spend countless hours training in a pool and at certain points it is important to go out and race and measure our progress.  It is important to realize that the progress your making is not always measured on the scoreboard.  It could be something new you have been practicing and now you are going to see what it feels like in a meet/racing situation.  The meets allow you to prepare a plan for each event and then go out and excuse it.  Here is an example of what some of you may think a plan involves,  my goal is to break a 2:00 in a 200 free.  I hear things like that all the time. That is a goal but not a plan on how to do it.  I want you to be smarter and more invested in your goals.  I want you to give me specifics on how we are going to break that 2:00 and by doing that you become not only a better swimmer but a more successful one at that.

 

The meets not only allow you to experience success, but at the same time will also teach you to cope with failure.  As you go through a swimming career there will always be up and downs. All athletes in all sports experience this.  As a 10 and under yo will experience many best times, and then as you move into the 11-12 age group you will still see lots of best time but fewer than before.  Now we enter into those teen years13-15 where the distances change and you see far less best times.  Plateaus will happen and they may happen this year, but then you have that massive growth spurt and will see ridiculous results.  Understand that plateaus do happen and may indeed occur more than once, but We will work through them together and will come out the other side.  

 

With all that said lets take a look at the first few meets so we have an understanding of what we are doing

 

Senior Prep group

 Mako Invite. This meet is early in our training period so I am asking you if you want to swim just pick one day and do not swim ANY of your best events.  Pick off events and distances.

October Open. Again stay away from your best events and try ev ends different from Mako Invite. You have a  choice of one or two days here

Marlin Invite will be discussed later

Swim and Rock will be are first big meet.

 

Junior Gold

Mako Invite You May swim both days but I would like you to swim only a 50 100 200 each day, and only swim one of your best events.

October Open  Same as above but choose different events

 

Junior Blue

Both meets swim a couple of the 50’s if you wish but we would like to see the 100 free 100 back and 100 IM done by November 1.

 

What ever you decide please don’t limit yourself to just the events your comfortable with.  Try some scary things they will help you become a better swimmer.

 Step outside yourself and realize the endless possibilities within yourself and this sport!