"WIN" what's Important Now

 

Welcome to the New Season (23-24). It was great seeing all of you this past Saturday as we had a chance to dip our toes into the water and get back to a little swimming.

We hope that your first week of school went well and that you are starting to settle into a routine so that you can throw your swimming into the mix in a couple of weeks. This is an exciting time for you all as you may be settling I not new schools, new classrooms, new teachers, and maybe even some new friends.  Most of all your starting a new year ready for all the new knowledge that you will be absorbing as you go along.  Take advantage of it and remember that you are a student-athlete (notice that although it is a compound noun, which noun comes first).  Keep up with your school work.

For those of you who missed Saturday let's take a moment and re-cap some information we went over so that we are all starting on the same page.

GOLD and PREP GROUP MOTTO THIS SEASON--"WIN". What's Important Now. We want you to stay in the moment and avoid the outside noise this year.  This means the turn coming up is what's important, the set we are working on is the only thing important right then.  You get the message. 

WIN the Day

COACH MIKE'S GOALS FOR SEASON

• Get your swimmer to enjoy a lifetime sport
• Have fun while they are training (this is possible they just have to open their minds to it)
• Help your swimmer grow in the sport and be ready for the next level, and on to H.S swimming and of course be ready for the summer of 2024.
• Prepare them to race all events and give them the confidence to do it and then sit back and enjoy watching them go out and execute.
• Fast times.  Notice where this falls on my list.  If your swimmer follows the process times will take care of themselves.
• Get as many of these swimmers to 14 and under champs and the Elite Classic in March and April.
• Some will make it. Some will not, but life will go on.

NEEDED FOR PRACTICE

• good attitude as you come onto deck. get excited to get better that day.
• be on time
• water bottle HYDRATE DURING PRACTICE.
• listen to the coaches (if your talking your not listening)
• fins, kick-boards, paddles, buoy

TIME MANAGEMENT--this is so important and more so for each of you because you are student-athletes.  Coaches always here this statement from athletes, I never have any time!  Let's break down your week

• A week has 7 24 hour days which gives you 168 hours to work with.
• Average weekly school hours is 31. You have 137 hours left.
• average sleeping hours based on 9 each night is 63. You have 74 left.
• meals 7 hours  week.  You have 67 hours left
• swimming based on 1.5 4 times a week.  You have 61.5 hours left for your self.

Everything is your choice but then so is everyone else's.

EVENTS

• FREE 50-100-200-500-1000-1650
• BACK 50-100-200
• BREAST 50-100-200
• FLY 50-100-200
• IM- 100-200-400 (this is what we are training for)

Know what is required for each group.  In order to get better and improve we will need to step outside of our comfort zones from time to time.

MEETS

Fall invite 9/30-10/1 training meets

Mako Pumpkin 10/28-10/29 training meet

Mako Gobble 11/1-11/2 training meet

Swim and Rock 11/16-11/19 (Trials and final) mini target meet

Mako Holiday 12/1-12/3 mini target meet

Winter Classic 12/7-12/10. First Target Meet

Mako Polar Plunge 1/6-1/7 training meet

Jump Start Travel Meet-1/12-1/15 target meet

Mako qualifier 2/3-2/4 

Presidents Meet 2/16-2/18 Last shot to qualify for championship meets

14 and Under Champs 3/14-3/17

Mako Spring Champs 3/15-3/17

Elite Classic St. Petersburg 4/;3-4/6

Plan early and start thinking about when you are going to swim your events.  Challenge yourself early in the season.

GOALS

As you start planning the first thing I would like you to do is think about some goals for the season ahead. Include big goals and some smaller ones.  Don't just throw out times I want to know the How.  Its like doing your math and school. They don't want to see the answer they want to know how you got there!

PRESEASON WORKOUTS

we talked about getting in a couple of times this week and next so that you get the feel of the water before that first day.  Here are a couple of workouts this week. I f there is no clock just rest 10 to 20 seconds between repeats. you all know the drill.

WORKOUT #1 

WARMUP (600) 3x100 free/ 4x50 kick/swim (no boards odds free even back) 4x25 IM drill

MAIN SET(750)

3x 1st and 3rd round free 2nd round back. 1:00 rest between rounds

4x50 free (right arm only down left arm only back) arm not using at side
1x50 free long and smooth

FINISH UP SET(400) 

8x50 @1:00/1:10 breast to free to back with a twist. On the breaststroke first 50 pullout 1 stroke get flat free to the wall flip backstroke back. Next 50 add a stroke to breaststroke.  Point here is to see how many strokes of breaststroke it takes you to get to the other end.  Once you hit that number stick with it.

WORKOUT #2 

WARMUP THE SAME (600)

Mini set

• 4 rounds (600)
• 50 free kick no boards position 11
• 50 back kick
• 50 free to back swim

Main set (750)

• 3rounds
• 25 breaststroke using stroke count from last workout
• 50 back to breast using your stroke count
• 75 back breast (using stroke count) free
• 100 free (breathing every 3 or 2-3-2)

THE REAL CROSSOVER TURN

 I’ve been asked by some of you about the crossover turn.  A few years ago I found this video where Chloe Sutton does a real good job explaining the steps to a proper crossover turn.   We will spend some time with each step during practice.   If you’re just learning the turn it’s not to be used in any of the meets coming up.  

HEARING without LISTENING

 

Has your coach ever asked you the following question; “ you might be hearing what I say, but are you listening to what I said.”  There is a big difference between the two skills.  We hear through our ears, but I’ll put this out there, we listen with our minds.  Hearing noise involves only one of your senses but to listen you will need more of your senses.

When you hear things you are receiving vibrations through your ears, but listening is done consciously where your mind begins to process the information from the sounds you heard.  It is as importantly a skill as any of your swimming skills.

We LISTEN to our coaches to gain knowledge from our races and to understand what we are doing during the workout, so that we can all become better swimmers.  To listen properly you need talk less and concentrate more when your coaches are communicating.  KNOWLEDGE is POWER.  This is part of the process of this sport.

Don’t be that swimmer who swims mindlessly back and forth without a purpose, YOUR better than that.

Be honest at your workouts and work on the little things to make you a better swimmer.  Stop doing the things that are not helping and will sabotage your races.

BECOME A BETTER LISTENER BOTH AT PRACTICE AND YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE.

ENTITLEMENT

 The boathouse at UVA has this sign over their entrance and I thought how can our groups apply this principle in their swimming and daily lives.  You are not entitled to anything in life and anything you get be grateful for it.

Around swimming and for most sports where it's up to the individual as to how far we can go it's always said that these athletes have great "time management skills, life balancing skills and the ability to improve with each practice.  I fear that sometimes swimmers hear it so much that they have come to believe that all they have to do is pay their dues, show up and go through the workout without much thought on what is really going on.  I fear that there is somewhat of entitlement that has begun to form around some of our swimmers.

Coach Erica and I talked about this last evening after practice and the fact that some young athletes just are not listening and how the skills the coaches are trying to teach them are not being put into practice during the workout. We heard one swimmer exclaim as to how the league record is important to them this summer, however we didn't 't see this during our workout.  This is where "entitlement " comes into focus, yes they are at practice, yes they are swimming down and back the black line but with little thought about what they are doing.  In reality the majority of your best times are left to chance, but so our everybody else's.  Figuring out the process and doing those little things all the time and not just before a race are the things that will improve your chances at crunch time.  You are not "entitled" to your times.

The next item on my list are practices.  You are a young, healthy, and able-bodied athlete and there are very few reasons to miss workouts.  There are sometimes where excuses are justifiable but there are not too many.  You need to take ownership of your own swimming which includes making workouts, having an idea about your times, and putting more thought into your events art meets.  Your parents are not swimming your events, you are. 

It's up to you to take care of that person you see in the mirror even though some people will allow you to get away with things, I will not. "ENTITLED TO NOTHING, but GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING".

THE ROAD TRIP

So I know that Heather documented the very long drive back to Virginia but believe it or not I have my own version of how the trip unfolded.  It's funny how two people in the same car have such different perspectives on how things unfold. 

By now I'm sure that everyone knows how this trip was to begin.  With Heather working on the computer in the lobby I ventured out to bring the car around but as I was placing things in the back I dropped the keys, shut the door to get in the front, but the door magically locked (on it's own).  There were my keys on the

back seat and my very first thought was that this was a SIGN from above and in my mind the sign I read was, Tell her we can';t get in until Monday so you better get a ride to the airport.  Went back into the hotel and just informed her there is no hurry just keep doing your work.  Two hours
later and $260 poorer (I got a receipt to turn into someone😜)we finally got on the road.  The first disagreement went like this; Heather I don't need your phones GPS I'm going North and east and in case your not sure that means the sun is on our right and later it will be on our left.  Turn it off.

 No longer are we on the road when Heather spots a sign on the side road in involving horses and baby alligators and somehow Virginia seem to be getting further and further away.  Heather all of a sudden sees a sign "Horse Riding" what do you think.  So Heather I think it might be more important to see what the horses think when we show up.  After traveling around this small town we finally found the horse show who were in the middle of competition and I mentioned to Heather how if we started a horse team we would have a lot less drama.  On the way back to the car I told her to be careful walking because if you step in anything "your walking".   We did also find the baby gators but not for sale, thankfully I am sure we would have had one.

After that little side trip we finally get back onto the road and I’m thinking 🤔 wow we are moving now and we may make it out of Florida sometime today.  About an hour down the road Heather spots the chair and thinks that would make for a great photo shoot so of course we had to make that U-Turn  which is impossible on 275.  We travel 15 minutes to the next exit make our turn and head south (wrong direction) for about 20 minutes past the chair to the next exit, turn and head north again and while Heather looks for the chair I’m thinking this is going to be a long trip.  Of course when she spots the chair I become the villain again, and I can only imagine what all those people traveling on 275 that day were thinking.

As evening was falling the clouds started to gather and the temperature started to drop we finally exited Florida and enter Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean with real waves kids.  Our first stop was Jekyll Island and this is where we would meet the pelican and of course I wanted to see if I could go up to it.  Our conversation went on for a few minutes until Coach Heather approached when all of a sudden he took to flight without even saying

goodbye.  Apparently this pelican had better sense than I did he flew away as I got back into the car with Heather.  Our next islands were Sea Island and Little Simons Island and this is were we stated to get  turned around going over the same causeway more than once and going down one way streets the wrong way (I really am a good driver, It's Heather). We finally were able to get our sense of direction and get the car headed down into the right direction on the road  and we were on the way to Sapelo Island and than inland toward Savannah for the evening and finally Easter dinner.

The morning was spent walking the around Savannah along the river (the river walk) and checking out the quaint little shops.  I would say that the shops were like any shop you would find in any tourist town on the water, although I did find a puzzle game that I will share with you all this week.  Later we would take an adventure on the  Georgia Queen.  It was now on to South Carolina and Heather's quest to find Buc-ee's.  

 Huh, was that a question?  As we were meandering up the road I found myself in that awkward conversation were the other person just talks and you are just going along with it. a nod here and there.  The problem is that all of a sudden Heather pauses and stops talking and knowing I'm in trouble I ask, Was that a Question?  At that moment in time all I could say was "works for me", she could have been asking me anything. I had to ask her if she talks to herself a lot and explaned that sometimes I'm not sure when she is talking to meet or just thinking out loud.  I guess we all do it, but you better be ready for that question.

We finally reached But-ee's and let's just say this place was crazy.  It was Cosco on steroids, people everywhere and as Heather found out they even had a person in the restroom directing traffic.  Laid back job fore any retired swim coaches I guess.  We could use our stop watches and give out intervals.  We had our photo opportunity with the mascot got lunch which was excellent and now it was on to Pedro and South of the Border.  It was sad to see how South of the Border has declined over the decades.  For those  of us old enough this place used to be an icon but as Heather and I both said we can see this place being torn down and Buc-ee's taking it's place in the near future, sorry Pedro.

With Pedro and South of the Border in the rear view mirror it was on to North 

Carolina and shortly back towards the coast and the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Sandbridge.  We finally made it to our destination and would you believe it we both headed to the dining room table with our computers there was work to be done and the tour would have to wait.

We headed out early to explore and see the are and yes Charlotte we checked out your place which was nice.  WE  found this chair and I now have a sense of how our 10 and under’s see me that first day walking onto the pool deck.  Getting in and out out of that chair was pretty easy, but it made the whole trip worth it to see Coach Heather as she struggled. The thought did cross my mind to leave her in that chair and head home now, but her husband Chris would have made me go back to retrieve her.  Eventually she got down and we headed out on our final leg and eventually home.

It’s a wrap

 We had 44 Mako swimmers travel down to St. Petersburg Florida last week for 4 days of some super fast and exciting races wrapping up Saturday night with a pizza/pool party at our hotel before we headed back to Virginia.  We were very fortunate to get 4 days of sunny  😎 weather for our stay in St. Pete’s.  Throughout the 4 days of the meet the heat was as sizzling 🌅 as the races in the pool.

We started off the week with 3 great practices on Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning and Tuesday evening.  It was a great way to adjust to swimming outdoors, get stretched out and get used to the facility.  Our Tuesday morning practice was awesome as we had the whole pool to ourselves.

During the prelims session on all 4 days our Mako swimmers arrived at the pool with a lot of enthusiasm and got right to work with their warmups after which they went back to our team area to enjoy the sunrise each morning.  We had a lot of awesome swims during our prelim session. 

WEDNESDAY FINALS; Lyla Devlin 200 br, Sadie Buckley 50 back and 50 free, Jaxon Chan 100 br, Tyler Harris, 50 back, Anna and Laura Roth 200 br.

RELAYS at finals 200 medley-- 10 and under Serena, Tyler, Gina, Jaxon. 11 and 12 Dude, Laura, Anna Rizzardi, Andrew,  Maddie, Anna Roth, Darren, Alex.  13-14 Sadie, Lyla, Conor, Jacob.

THURSDAY FINALS: Sadie3 200 IM, Lyla 50 br, Tyler 50 fly and 200 free, 

RELAYS--400 medley--10 and under Hannah, Jaxon, Serena, Tyler.   11 and 12 Dude, Laura, Anna Rizzardi, Andrew.  Darren, Anna Roth, Claire Andresen, Sam.  13-14 Sadie, Lyla, Tony, Jacob.

FRIDAY FINALS: Sadie Buckley 200 back and a new meet record and 100 free.  Lyla Devlin 100 br.  Molly 50 br.  Evan 50 br.  Tyler 100 free and 100 back.  Anna and Laura Roth 100 br.

RELAYS--200 free--10 and under Hannah, Jaxon, Gina, Tyler.  11 and 12 Maddie,  Dude, Alex, Lucy.  Claire Anderson, Anna Rizzardi, Darren, Andrew.  13-14. Tony Sadie, Anna Helms, Conor.

SATURDAY FINALS:  Sadie 400 IM and 100 back.  Tyler 100 fly and 50 free.  

We choose to swim all our relays in the prelim session so our swimmers could get back for a pizza/ pool party.

TEAM SCORES: Mako finished in the top 10 out of 129 teams. Individual Sadie Buckley finished 4th and Tyler Harris finished 3rd in the scoring.

Great job by all our Mako swimmers!

RIGHT VAN WRONG VAN. THE TRUE STORY

 

 Okay I am here to set the story straight about the van at least the way the story plays out in my head.  

Upon walking back to the hotel in the sweltering heat🥵 running low on water from the 10 and under session on Saturday I am informed by a source who will remain anonymous that I had picked up the wrong van in the morning that belonged to another team who had to Uber over to the meet. Sorry that happened to them but I found it somewhat fascinating 🤨 and amusing at the same time.

Here is why I felt like that I honestly had been driving the same van since Thursday when I picked it up for the final session at 4:00 pm and headed out with the kiddos.  I know it was the same van from that point because I never returned it back to the hotel valet, so I had the same key from then on until coach Heather took my key from my bag on Saturday afternoon to return the van.

For those of you who are doubting as to am I senile or not let’s look at the time line here; 

Thursday

 5:30 am—  Coach Mike picks up a key from hotel valet after showing him a ticket.

3:00 pm—Coach mike returns to the hotel with 10 and under’s. Gives key to valet.  Gets van returns to pool at 4:30pm.

7:45 pm returns to hotel and drops off swimmers and park van on street because it’s free until 8:00 am

Friday 

5:30 am using same key he has had in his room picks up van from exact spot he left it the previous night.  Returns swimmers to pool for 6:30 warmup

3:00 pm leaves pool with swimmers in the same van after we all got out ice cream. Holds onto 🔑 

4:15 pm takes swimmers back to pool for finals in same van.

7:45 pm return swimmers to side of hotel for team dinner and parks van on street next to that spot. Keeps keys

Saturday 

6:30 am picks up swimmers using same van from the previous night using same key.

6:40 am drops swimmers in front of pool parks van puts key in bag and never sees it again

Questions to ask yourself 

When was the last time coach mike handed the key to valet?  Thursday at 3:00 pm

When was the last time did the valet hand the key to Coach Mike?  Thursday at 4:30 pm

If  Coach Mike had the same key from Thursday on could he have switched vans after that?

How could he have been driving the wrong van on Saturday only?

I submit to all that Coach Mike was probably in the wrong van but this mix up started on Thursday at 4:30 because of the hotel valet, thus if you are charging him with possession of the wrong van on Saturday only he has to be found innocent of that charge because Coach Mike had the van since Thursday afternoon.

That is the story that exists in my world inside my head and I stick to it regardless of what that woman says.  Bottom line is I got the swimmers to the pool on time.

As for the plaintiff who made the accusation what were you and your swimmers using Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.  Seems awfully odd.

The moral of the story is that if given the opportunity you should always upgrade which is what I did when I went from the 12 passenger to the 15 passenger van.  I thought we were getting more swimmers in the van but the swimmers welcomed the extra space and no one said anything. 

NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.