READY TO DIVE IN

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

There is something special about starting a new swim season and although the pool feels familiar after that first dive, everything else feels different.  New groups, new teammates, new goals, new dreams and just maybe a new sense of what you are capable of this season.  

As we prepare to dive into those first practices this season hang onto this thought, "you don't have to be the best swimmer on the first day.  You just need to show up ready to get better."

All swimmers have this one thing in common, they show up that first day with a goal and whatever that goal is, it is important to them.   Most young swimmers look towards a time on the scoreboard as a goal

and that is a great goal to have, but there are other things to look towards that will influence that goal.  Try not to be narrow minded when establishing your goals for this season.  Other goals might be:

• "I want to be a better teammate."
• "I want to work harder when practice get's harder."
• "I want to focus on doing things correctly during practice.  No GARBAGE SWIMMING."
• "I want to be more confident when I step up on the blocks."
• "I want to listen, learn and always give my best effort."
• "I want to take meet feedback back to practice and focus on improving."
• "I want to improve my streamlines."
• "I want to be aggressive and master all my turns."
• "I want to be consistent and start all practices on time."
• "I want to challenge myself with new events this season."
• "I want to stay POSITIVE during tough times including bad races.

The important thing is to pick goals that matters to you.

"SEASON STARTER SET"

Has it been a while since you jumped into the pool and did some swimming?  Over the next few weeks would be a great time to go down to your summer pool and dive into those lap lanes and get in a small non stress workout.  How Often?   Two or three times a week in the water will make that first week of practice go smoothly.

SET:  Purpose is to blow out those cobwebs and reset your feel for the water

200 controlled swim (alternate 50 free/50 kick)

4x50 free @moderate effort 15 rest (focus long stroke and breathing every 3) 

4x50 kick with snorkels and position 11 (focus on your body lines)

2x4x25 IMO (10 seconds rest) Focus on your streamlines and first 2 strokes during breakouts)

4x50 free descend speed on each 50 (15 seconds rest)

SWIM DOWN WITH a 200 kick with boards.)

This won' t take you long but it will shake off the cobwebs and set your feel up for the water again.

DON'T FORGET YOUR WATER!!