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.