Swimtelligence

Free Videos Your Swimmers Need to Watch

2011-01-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Coaches, if you aren't using video to teach, inspire, and correct your swimmers, you are missing out in a big way. Here are some videos that you simply must show your swimmers:
1. Ryan Lochte Backstroke Technique. Perhaps the world's best all-around swimmer performing his best stroke. Excellent underwater example as well.

2. Men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay from 2000 Sydney Olympics. One of the most exciting races in history, with a background story that you can use as an anti-trash-talking lesson. It can also be used as a lesson on how NOT to chase down your competition.

Top Christmas Gifts for Swimmers (and One for Your Coach)

2010-11-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

...and you don't even have to go out on Black Friday!

For the gift that keeps on giving, get The Original Backnobber II ($28.95)and help your swimmer get rid of those tight back and shoulder muscles by making him do it himself. Or, if you really want to pamper your swimmer and save a little cash, get the Original Palmassager ($7.95). While relaxing, your swimmer can watch The Three Styles of Freestyle DVD ($39.95). Mike Bottom is the world's preeminent sprint freestyle coach, and his philosophy on freestyle technique can help swimmers improve at all distances. To help your swimmer figure out what style is best for him, get The Athlete Village video review ($49.99 or use this discount code for 10% off: RW21846) and have an elite coach review your swimmer's stroke remotely through the internet. The best part - it's 100% guaranteed money back if you aren't satisfied. For a little inspiration and a dose of history, put The Great Swim by Gavin Mortimer ($6.40) in your swimmer's stocking. After all that therapeutic massage, education, and inspiration, it will eventually be time to get in the water for that post-holiday training. The Finis Tempo Trainer ($31.99) is the ultimate tool for the precision-oriented athlete. A yardage monster who swims for fitness might be more interested in the SwiMP3 ($149.99). And don't forget to get Games, Gimmicks, and Challenges by Bob Steele ($29)for your coach who may need a few ideas for games to break up those New Year's distance sets.

The ABCs of Coaching

2010-11-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Some lessons learned from a decade in the sport...

A is for Accountability. Be accountable for your actions and hold your athletes accountable as well.
B is for Basics. Stress the basics of sound technique every day.
C is for Communication. This is the foundation for your success or failure as a coach.
D is for Developing your skills. Keep learning and improving your skill set.
E is for Encouragement. Your athletes need to hear it from you more than you think.
F is for Fitness. If you are physically fit you will feel good and your athletes will respect you more.
G is for Games. There is a place for these in every training program.
H is for Hard work. There simply is no other way.
I is for Individualize. Show an athlete that you are planning specifically for him and his motivation will soar.
J is for Jokes. Tell them from time to time.
K is for Know your athletes. As people first, as athletes second.
L is for Learn. From your mistakes and from every possible source.
M is for Mentor. Have one and be one.
N is for Negativity. Run from it. Be a force against it. The world puts enough of it in your swimmers' lives already.
O is for Openness. Be sure that your athletes feel they can talk to you.
P is for Parents. The successful coach makes them his partners.
Q is for Question the conventions. "Because that is how we do it" is not a good enough reason for anything.
R is for Racing. Teach it. Preach it. Encourage your swimmers to compete.
S is for Swim yourself. You will have a better understanding of what you are asking your athletes to do.
T is for Teach. The primary mission of a great coach is to be a teacher.
U is for Use your time wisely. Coaching can take over your life if you don't prioritize your time.
V is for Vacation. Make sure you take it. It will make you a better coach.
W is for Winning. Celebrate it, but don't make it your sole focus.
X is for eXamine your process and your results.
Y is for Yourself. Being yourself is the most fundamental form of honesty.
Z is for Zeal. Be a zealous fan of your swimmers.

One for Mom and Dad

2010-08-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Don Swartz and Ken DeMont had an amazing post over at Swim Coach Direct. A must-read for all swim parents.

Confessions of a Psycho Swim Parent

2010-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today, I received an e-mail from a swim parent whom I have never met:

Dear Coach,
Last year I discovered your blog Swimtelligence and have really enjoyed reading your insights and tips into the sport my eleven year old son has come to love.

I must confess that for the first two years I was probably best described as the epitome of a psycho swim parent. I pushed my son to push his own limits, I pushed the coach to do better, I bought all the training tools, 47 different suits--although even I drew the line a the purchase of a technical suit for a 10 year old going to state for the first time.

It must be something about parenting, and kids sports that causes some of us to lose our minds so completely.

I will tell you that our team, is blessed with a really great coach. Coach X has a skill and wisdom that far outstrips his youth. At less than 25 years old he seems to have gained the patience of Job himself when it comes to parents and swimmers.

He is also a truly gifted coach when it comes to developing some swimmers to the amazing results leading them to sectional, zone and even junior nationals---all the more amazing when one considers the team is only about 100 swimmers total. But, it isn't just with the "super stars" that he is a great coach. It is with the overweight kid who has no shot at state times but continues to improve and strive to do his best, it is with the middle school girls who frequently have to pause in the middle of sets to discuss in detail the drama of their lives. He is great with the kids who screw around and the kids who are shy and quiet. He is great with the kids with disabilities, and the kids who are only there because their parents "make them."

In short, in the last couple of years I became a much less "psycho-swim-parent" in large part because of the calm professional demeanor, cool temper and quick wit of our coach. Sure every coach has a bad day, and lets slip something regretful, but those are extremely rare with Coach X.

I guess the reason I am writing to you is because I was hoping you might include something in the "for the coaches" section--encouraging them not to give up on the crazy parents---just keep their cool, remain professional, let us blow off the steam---Parenting is much more difficult that I ever thought it was going to be, and being a "psycho-swim-parent" was only one of the mistakes I made along the way. I was fortunate enough to have a Swim Coach with enough patience to let me discover the problem and correct it.

While not perfect by a long shot, I have become a much more encouraging parent, a supportive parent (of both the coach and of my kids).

I focus on the contributions I can make to my son's development of character, integrity, and commitment instead of on his stroke count, streamlining and freestyle technique. The leadership and modeling of behavior that I give my son in those areas transfers to his performance in the classroom, in the pool and with his friends. I let the coach do his job and I do mine and my son gets the best that both of have to offer.

Sincerely,

Former Psycho Swim Parent

Thank you, Swim Parent. I published your e-mail in its entirety because I couldn't write it any better than you did.

Those Who Do

2010-05-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here's an excerpt from Dara Torres' book Age is Just a Number.

"When I was training for the 1984 Olympics at Mission Viejo, a sociologist named Daniel Chambliss watched us practice nearly every day. Chambliss then wrote a book called Champions: The Making of Olympic Swimmers. That book totally captures the details-matter mind-set... swimming is sort of like one of those Impressionist paintings made with millions of dots. Sure, a dot is a dot. What's the big deal? But if you care enough to make each dot the exact right size and the exact right color in the exact right place, something amazing occurs."

She goes on to say:

"The truth is simple: Most swimmers choose every day not to do the little things. They choose, in effect, not to win...In some sense everyone 'could' win the Olympic Games, but 'could' doesn't count. The gold medal is reserved for those who do."

I couldn't have said it better myself... the gold medal is reserved for those who DO.

Not those who dream.

Not those who wish.

Not those who want.

THOSE WHO DO.

The Case for Breathing Every 3

2010-04-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Every swimmer should breathe every 3rd stroke during freestyle training. Many are reluctant to change. Allow me to state my case:

Exhibit A: Breathing bilaterally keeps your stroke even. Ever seen a swimmer who "limps" as they swim? Was he breathing every 3? Exactly.

Exhibit B: Breathing every 3 helps avoid neck and shoulder tightness. Swimmers who breathe only to one side try this: Turn your head to the right. Turn your head to the left. Is your flexibility equal in both directions? Most likely you can turn your head further to your breathing side.

Exhibit C: Head position determines body position. We breathe with our heads. In my observation, 99% of freestylers could improve their breathing mechanics. Thus with better breathing mechanics, almost every swimmer can improve her body position, reducing drag.

Exhibit D: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. To pick your head up or to pull your head to the side to side to breathe, you must support that position. Thus, unless your breathing mechanics are perfect, you are exerting energy and effort to support that imbalance. This is energy that could be used to propel you forward.

Exhibit E: "I get less oxygen when I breathe every 3rd stroke," say the every-stroke-breathers. Changing a habit is not easy. Learning a new skill takes time. At first, you will get less oxygen when you breathe every 3. As you develop your bilateral habit, you will learn to relax and breathe deeper. Soon you will be able to take in nearly as much oxygen as before.

Exhibit F: With imperfect breathing mechanics, the equal and opposite reactions can often cause stroke irregularities that can cause injury, most often to the shoulders. Who would have thought that simply breathing could injure you?

The floor is open for cross-examination.

Are You an UGLY Swimmer?

2010-03-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Do you exhibit these traits that might make you an UGLY swimmer?

U sually late is how you arrive to the pool. Be prepared and start on time to maximize your improvement potential.

G oal setting is a chore for you. Become a champion goal-setter if you wish to become a champion.

L azy around your walls. The turns can make an ordinary swimmer good and a good swimmer great. Concentrate on making yours better to make the leap to the next level.

Y earning to be better without making an increased commitment. Achievement follows a commitment to excellence.

Check out SwImtelligence at The Athlete Village

2010-03-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

SwImtelligence is growing wings! I will now be simultaneously be publishing here and at The Athlete Village (www.theathletevillage.com). Hopefully, this will attract some new interest from readers and help inspire more innovative ideas. Check it out!

Featured Drill: Flags-In Finishes

2010-03-12T02:28:00.000-08:00

The finish is among the least frequently practiced skills in our sport, in my observation. This drill serves as a mini-progression to help swimmers adjust to the presence of the wall appropriately during a finish, thus practicing for that gold medal moment.

We did this as a set of 16 x 50 today, 6 done like phase 1, 6 in phase 2, and the final 4 in phase 3. Here's the progression.

Phase 1
At the conclusion of the 50, the swimmer takes his last stroke at the backstroke flags and then positions his body for the finish, kicking strong all the way to an extended touch.

Phase 2
Same idea as the first phase, just move everything closer to the wall. Take the last stroke halfway between the flags and the wall. Make sure the swimmer is paying close attention to the spacing with the wall.

Phase 3
Now do an all-out finish, touching with the body at maximum length. The swimmer should touch with the fingertips. With the wall-judging ability honed in phases 1 and 2, the swimmer should be able to time his finish very precisely.

Try this progression for any stroke. You never know when your finish will make the difference between gold and silver!

Thank you to Heath Hudgins (the swimmer in the videos) for being a willing example.

A Father's Example

2010-03-01T02:03:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was struck by the brilliance of American speedskater Apollo Ohno's daring tactics and last-minute heroics at the Winter Olympics' short-track speed skating events. I was even more in awe of NBC's "human interest" story on Apollo and his father. It went something like this:

Apollo was raised by his single father Yuki in Seattle. As a young speedskater, he excelled in his sport despite skipping out on training from time-to-time without the knowledge of his father. He and his father lived the crazy life of a skating family, so similar to that of many swimming families - up in the morning for practices, entire weekends spent at meets, much of the family time devoted to the sport. Apollo eventually became an elite athlete by 1998, but finished dead last at the Olympic Trials. "He could tell that I didn't give my best effort, that I gave up, and it crushed him," says a more mature Apollo now. When they returned home, Yuki took him to a remote oceanside cabin and DROPPED HIM OFF, saying "you need to decide what you want to do with your life." Heavy stuff for a teenager! Young Apollo sat in that cabin and thought, and finally EIGHT DAYS LATER, called his father and said, "this is what I want to do, I want to skate." Ohno has since become one of the most decorated Winter Olympians in history, by his own admission largely due to the path he has chosen since that day.

Hearing that story, part of me thinks Yuki must have been crazy to drop his son off and not go check on him for eight days. The lesson here is not in the details, but that Apollo's father asked him to make a commitment. After his son's last-place finish, it would have been easy for him to say, "You've reached a high level, and you did your best," even when it clearly wasn't the case. Instead, he asked his son to make a commitment, and backed it up with an equal commitment on his part. What a terrific example to sports parents everywhere who might struggle to get up early to drive their kids to morning practice, or who question whether their child needs to attend ANOTHER competition. Maybe the kid will become an Olympian, maybe he won't. But by encouraging him to make and keep a commitment and making the same one yourself, you are teaching your child a valuable lifelong lesson that won't be undone.

The T-Shirt Watcher Reports from Ohio

2009-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the best t-shirts spotted at this week's Junior Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

This one was my personal favorite:

And this one a close second:

"Trying is for little girls with easy-bake ovens."

"Life without goals is like a race without a finish line."

"Fo Sho!"

"Onipa `A - Life is too short to live any other way."
(The phrase is Hawaiian for 'steadfast and true')

"OpportUNITY"

"Strong in body, strong in mind"

"When you are behind, don't give up. When you are ahead, don't let up."

"The fire of glory is the torch of the mind."

"Do work, son!" - BB

"Fate rarely calls upon us at the moment of our own choosing." -Optimus Prime Transformers

Though this one wasn't a t-shirt, it was too funny not to include here. Can you guess which coach this is?

4 Laws for Your Best 400 I.M.

2009-12-06T04:09:00.000-08:00

Want to have the race of your life in the "Decathlon of Swimming?" Obey these four fundamental laws of the 400 I.M.

1. Negative split the backstroke, breaststroke,and freestyle legs. Ideally, the difference is less than 1 second. Because of the time spent executing the back-to-breast and breast-to-free turns, this actually represents near even-pace swimming.
2. Finish each stroke before you begin the next one. It sounds so simple but requires a focused effort to make it happen. Finish each stroke with a bit of extra "oomph" and you will catapult yourself into the next stroke. Limp into the transition and you are already off to a bad start on the next 100 yards.
3. Exploit your strengths. This is your opportunity for an advantage over your opponent. Failing to do this is like keeping your pistol in its holster during a swordfight.
4. Cover your weaknesses. Swim the worst stroke well, with an extra eye for efficiency. Does it seem like this means you have to do EVERYTHING well? Welcome to the 400 I.M.

Determining Goal Pace for SCM

2009-12-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Had a request for a SCM version of the Goal Pace worksheet. I have posted one at swimmingwizard.blogspot.com. See the column on the right called "Tools for Coaches."

Determining Goal Pace

2009-11-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Don Swartz and Ken DeMont over at Swim Coach Direct had an interesting post Sunday on race splits and training for the 200. I highly recommend it.

Their post encouraged me to share with you a tool we use to help swimmers on our team establish race paces for training purposes.

Click here to download our Excel spreadsheet for determining goal paces.

Here are the instructions once you have the sheet open in Excel:
1. Type the swimmer's name where it says 'Name here.'
2. Enter a swimmer's goal time in the C column. Do not use any punctuation. For instance, for a goal time of 24.99 in the 50 free, type 2499. For a 2:28.50 in the 200 breast, type 22850.
3. The sheet should automatically compute pace times for you. 'Pace' means the swim is from a push. 'Start' means the swimmers goes off the blocks (or from a start for backstroke). The sheet computes different pace values for different events based on what I deemed the most useful information. A 15m start time is of little consequence in the mile, but could come in handy in the 100 fly.
4. Print out the pace card and take it to practice!

A few other notes:

* The sheet is based on the assumption that a swimmer will swim an even pace for every length after the 1st 25. For freestyle, the difference between the 1st and 2nd 25 is 1.7. For fly, the difference is 2.0, for backstroke the difference is 1.0, and for breaststroke it is 2.5 seconds.
* The C column is cross-hatched and the goal time is in gray in order to keep the swimmer's focus on the race pace rather than her goal time.

Enjoy - let me know how it goes!

World's Fastest Man

2009-11-18T04:23:00.000-08:00

Check him out... 7.4 seconds for a 25 yard fly.

Fun stuff

The Top 8 Christmas Gifts for Swimmers (and 1 for your coach)

2009-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

...and you don't even have to go out on Black Friday!

For the gift that keeps on giving, get The Original Backnobber II ($28.95)and help your swimmer get rid of those tight back and shoulder muscles by making him do it himself. Or, if you really want to pamper your swimmer and save a little cash, get the Original Palmassager ($7.95). While relaxing, your swimmer can watch The Three Styles of Freestyle DVD ($39.95). Mike Bottom is the world's preeminent sprint freestyle coach, and his philosophy on freestyle technique can help swimmers improve at all distances. To help your swimmer figure out what style is best for him, get The Athlete Village video review ($49.99 or use this discount code for 10% off: RW21846) Have an elite coach review your swimmer's stroke remotely through the internet. The best part - it's 100% guaranteed money back if you aren't satisfied. For a little inspiration and a dose of history, put The Great Swim by Gavin Mortimer ($6.40) under the Christmas tree. After all that therapeutic massage, education, and inspiration, it will eventually be time to get in the water for that post-holiday training. The Finis Tempo Trainer ($31.99) is the ultimate tool for the precision-oriented athlete. A yardage monster who swims for fitness might be more interested in the SwiMP3 ($149.99). And don't forget to get Games, Gimmicks, and Challenges by Bob Steele ($29)for your coach who may need a few ideas for games to break up those New Year's distance sets.

Fun

2009-11-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

Today at practice, the quote on the top of the workout read: "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

A swimmer walked up to me and said, "but coach, impossible is nothing," parroting a phrase I have uttered once or twice.

"That's correct," I said, proud that my words were sinking in.

"That means it's kind of fun to do nothing, so we should do nothing."

Ha ha! Clever. Made me laugh.

Coaches Are Thieves

2009-11-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

That statement is true of every good coach I have ever known. We are thieves.
We take training ideas from each other, borrow a saying, or use a set that we saw or heard from another coach.

And this is a good thing. Stealing from another coach's idea stash keeps our training fresh. It helps keep the athletes and the coach motivated. In the most successful eras of American swimming, coaches openly discussed, shared, contributed, and stole training ideas. In my experience, just one idea from another coach has often been the inspiration of many new sets, workouts, or training exercises.

I want to make this exchange of ideas among coaches (and swimmers) easier. There are a ton of brilliant minds, great sets, and fantastic drills out there that we can all benefit from. To that end, I have created the Swimming Wizard at swimmingwizard.blogspot.com. It is an open-sourced blog designed to collect ideas, bounce them around, and inspire new innovation.

Coaches, check it out. The Swimming Wizard would love to hear from you.

Stop Wasting Your Walls

2009-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

You are a fast swimmer. But are you a fast turn swimmer? There is a difference, you see. Many swimmers have been defeated by slower competitors who simply have superior turns, thus gaining an advantage that leads to victory. Most likely, we have all faced someone who turns faster than we do. The solution, in part, lies in your mental approach to your walls.

Without realizing it, you may have subconsciously allowed yourself to believe that the turn is a place where you get a little rest. You push yourself really hard when you swim, and you are so happy to get to the wall that you take an extra few fractions of a second to reverse your direction. It is an easy habit to fall into, but a very bad one.

To reprogram yourself for new turn habits, begin thinking of each turn as an opportunity to accelerate, to pick up speed, and to gain ground on your competitors. With this approach, your eyes will be opened to how much faster you can be. So stop wasting your walls and start making the most of every opportunity!

The Junior Year Myth

2009-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

There is a belief common to many swimmers and their parents that one's junior year of high school is the "make-or-break year." They view the junior year as a swimmer's final opportunity to earn a spot on a college team. I won't argue that the junior year isn't important, but here are a few concerns I have with emphatically taking this approach:

1) Whether they mean to or not, when parents frame it as the "make-or-break year," it places an undue pressure on the swimmer to perform. Often, high-achieving parents have high-achieving kids, and the parents just want to make sure their swimmer understands what is at stake. Inadvertently what the parents are really doing is turning the pressure up a few notches. More often than not the result: A swimmer who shifts his focus from the reasons he joined the sport (fun, self-improvement, competition) to a new goal; earning a college scholarship. This makes swimming feel like a job for many, and takes the fun out of it. Some swimmers even tighten up under the pressure at meets, causing poor results and increasing the pressure again. Parents, please understand that if your swimmer is a high-achiever and is planning to swim in college, he probably already realizes the importance of his penultimate year as a club and high school swimmer.

2) This approach emphasizes the swimmer's short-term performance rather than her long-term athletic development. A swimmer's performance isn't merely a function of how hard she trains that year. Rather, it is the sum of the years of well-planned and committed training that have progressively improved a swimmer's skills. Yes, it will help the swimmer's college prospects if she swims well. Ideally though, the coach and swimmer have been focused on steady improvement all along. The junior year will just be another step forward from that firm foundation. I am glad to have anything that motivates a swimmer, but I am skeptical when I hear "it's my junior year, I am REALLY going to work hard now!" Welcome to the party, you are a few years too late.

3) Rarely does the prospect of swimming in college serve as a proper motivator. Just as paying employees more on the job has been shown not to increase productivity, earning a scholarship spot on a college team does not always bolster a swimmer's motivation to compete well. My theory is that this happens when the athlete's primary motivators have been intrinsic and outside influences counsel him to trash those in favor of the extrinsic motivation of a college scholarship.

4) What then becomes of the swimmer's senior year? If the junior year is the make-or-break year, what comes after that -- the made-or-broken year? From the standpoint of the athlete, if he now has it made, then what's the point in trying to improve? If he has blown his chance to swim at the college program of his choice by not posting the necessary time, then his drive to improve may be even lower. As a coach on both the club and collegiate sides of the recruiting fence, I have seen this happen too many times. The athlete has a great junior year, signs a letter-of-intent to swim collegiately, cashes in his chips during his senior year, and then suffers the consequences well into his collegiate career.

Don't buy into the Junior Year Myth. Though parents (and coaches) may have the swimmer's best interests at heart, the high school junior year should be just another step in a long-term program emphasizing continual improvement toward individual excellence. Making it out to be much more than that is often counterproductive.

Top 10 Ways to Impress Your Swimming Coach

2009-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

10. Don't miss practice. Want to be the best swimmer you can be? Showing up is a good start. As a coach, our primary chance to help you is at practice. If you are not there, we simply cannot help.

9. If there is a legitimate reason why you will miss practice, contact your coach beforehand, explain the circumstances, and ask how you can make it up. Connecting in advance of your absence suggests you care about the practice and more importantly, about your own training.

8. Show up on time. Don't be that swimmer who is perpetually late to practice. You'll anger most coaches and frankly, even perturb your teammates. If you think your fellow swimmers are forgiving of your tardiness, you're mistaken. Most dislike it or conclude you feel like you deserve special treatment or consideration.

7. Be prepared for practice. When the coach is planning your training, he is expecting that you will have the necessary items to perform as instructed. Not having your mesh bag, swimming equipment, water bottle, shoes for dryland, etc. is just plain sloppy and makes him wonder whether you really intend to improve or if you are just showing up hoping to get better.

6. Give your best effort consistently at practice. We are not asking nor expecting every swimmer to be a world-beater every day. We merely expect you to perform at your capability and be willing to push that boundary every once in a while. Your effort will determine your results. Even the best coach does not bring magic swim-fast fairy dust to practice.

5. Listen and ask good questions at practice. Coaches like swimmers who are attentive and focused. If your coach constantly has to repeat himself, it wastes your time and his. If you have a question, find the right time to ask it--not 2 seconds before you are supposed to push off the wall, but during the explanation of the set or after practice.

4. Understand that every day is an opportunity to improve and once it is over the opportunity has passed. Be sure to get the maximum benefit each day. Be willing to make changes and seek the coach's insight on how you can do this. Don't just keep doing what you're doing and hope that your hard work will overcome your other mistakes. We know that many of you dream of achieving at the highest levels of the sport, so we have to work together to get you there.

3. Set awesome goals. Make them reasonable yet challenging, clear but flexible. Not only are they important to help you focus your energies, but goals can also help inspire your coach. A good coach is motivated by a swimmer with high goals and the drive to achieve those goals.

2. Let your coach know if he's doing a good job. If the practice engaged and challenged you, tell him. If you enjoyed the new exercise you tried for the first time, let him know. If you're a better swimmer or person at the end of the season, send him a handwritten thank-you note. The flip side to this, of course, is helping him improve. Is he unclear in his instructions on a set? Did he misunderstand your question or put you on an easier interval than you are capable of? Is there something that you are missing in your training? A good coach is responsive to your feedback and will look to improve.

1. Be a leader and make your personalized contribution to the team. The best compliment a coach can give any swimmer is that "you made everyone around you better than they would have been without you." If you hear your coach say that, know this: we were indeed impressed. Be THAT swimmer.

This post was adapted from 10 Ways to Impress Your College Professor

The Promise

2009-09-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

To: The Swimmers I Coach

If you give me a commitment composed of your presence and your effort. If in your effort you deliver determination and persistence. If your determination is driven by goals of achievement. If your goals are truly your own. If every day you strive to be the best you.

I promise my commitment composed of my daily presence and my intense effort. I promise my determination and persistence in the face of obstacles small and large, expected and unseen. I promise to steer you toward achieving your goals. I promise you a training program to give you confidence, preparedness, and unassailable fitness. I promise to strive to be the best me to help you be the best you.

Why You Need a Coach

2009-08-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Because coaches have wisdom gained from years of experience watching swimmers succeed and fail...because as an athlete, you only get one opportunity to reach your potential... because you need an honest voice to tell you how things are, not just how you want them to be... so that you have someone who has been there for every moment of preparation to share the excitement of victory with... so that someone who knows how bad you wanted it and how hard you worked is there to pick you up when you fail... so that when the days are long and hard, there is someone in your ear asking you to be better... because you do not really know the achievements of which you are capable... because the pool doors are locked at 5 a.m.... because deciding what to do every day at practice would take longer than you think... because where else would you hear the joke of the day?

The T-Shirt Watcher Rides Again

2009-08-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some I've seen on the pool deck at this week's Junior Nationals in Federal Way:

"Those who have the right kind of character don't tremble at the first sign of adversity."

"Great thoughts coupled with intense actions produce unbelievable results."

"Resolve to succeed. The greatest discovery one can make is that nothing is impossible."

"A very clever brain can catch a heffalump, if only he knows the right way to go about it." -Pooh

"Hotter than fish grease."

"It is a sublime thing to suffer and be stronger." - Longfellow

"There's a choice you make
in every thing you do.
But keep in mind that in the end,
the choice you make makes you."
-John Wooden

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

"Fortitudine Vincimus" (By Endurance We Conquer)

"Wake early if you wish to take another man's life or land. No lamb for the lazy and no battles won in bed." -Hannibal

"When your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme."

"There is no point in saying, 'I am doing my best.' You must succeed by doing what is necessary." -Winston Churchill

"Bring it pansies."

Until next time...

Deciphering Bowman

2009-07-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Some fascinating quotes out of Rome at today's World Championships, particularly from Phelps' coach Bob Bowman after Phelps was drubbed by German Paul Biedermann in the 200 free in WR time. So I'm bringing out my magic deciphering device to help us all:

Bowman: "Probably expect Michael not to swim until they (restrictions on high-tech bodysuits) are implemented."
Deciphered: "We will not participate in another race that we aren't sure we can win. We are taking our ball and going home."

Bowman: "I'm done with this. It has to be implemented immediately. The mess needs to be stopped right now. This can't go on any further."
Deciphered: "Right now! Before we get egg on our face again!"

Bowman: "Does a 10-year-old boy in Baltimore want to break Paul Biedermann's record? Is that going to make him join swimming?"
Deciphered: "10,000 kids in Berlin just joined their local swim teams. Watch out for the German team in 2020!"

Bowman: "The sport is in shambles right now..."
Deciphered: "The world is upside down! Michael is human!"

Bowman: "...and they better do something or they're going to lose their guy who fills these seats."
Deciphered: "Ryan Lochte is going home too!"

Underdogs Watch This

2009-07-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Great motivational video. Gives me the chills.

Here’s the thing that makes life so interesting.
The theory of evolution claims “Only the strong will survive.”
Maybe so.
Maybe so.
But the theory of competition says “Just because they are the strong doesn’t mean they can’t get their butts kicked.”
See, what every long shot come-from-behind underdog will tell you is this:
“The other guy may in fact be the favorite.
The odds may be stacked against you. Fair enough.
But what the odds don’t know is this is not a math test.
This is a completely different kind of test,
One where PASSION has a funny way of trumping logic.
So before you step up on the starting block, before the whistle blows, and the clock starts ticking, just remember:
Out here, things don’t always add up.
No matter what the stats may say, and the experts may think, and the commentators may have predicted, when the race is on, all bets are off.
Don’t be surprised if somebody decides to flip the script, and take a pass on yelling ‘uncle.’
And then suddenly, as the old saying goes, ‘We’ve got ourselves a race!’”

How To Be Mediocre...

2009-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Set goals you can easily achieve...Count on luck to help you reach them...Count on your talent even more...Congratulate yourself for trying...Accept less than your best...Be inconsistent in your daily effort in training...Arrive late to practice...Blame others for your failures...Forget to thank others for helping you succeed...Speak every negative thought you have...Relish being a big fish in a small pond...Rationalize your results when you come up short...Let your bad habits persist...Let factors you cannot control get in your head...Avoid improving your weaknesses...Commit halfway...Take it personally when your coach says you CAN do better...Ignore the clock at practice...Draft instead of passing...Do NOT kick under any circumstances...Read this list again and say "That's not me - I don't do that!"

Folks, this list is intended to be tongue-in-cheek and it is far from complete. Do you have any more ideas we should add to the list? Obviously, EXCELLENCE is the object of our pursuit.

Six No-No Phrases for the Swimming Parent

2009-07-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

Several parents have asked me what to say to their swimmers to help them succeed. The conversations that happen between a parent and child can have a dramatic impact in shaping a swimmer's attitudes toward swimming. The phrases below are all things I have heard before, and I just cringe when I hear them. Each is an example of what not to say to your swimmer.

1. Introducing your child to someone as "the swimmer." "This is Johnny, the swimmer." Swimming is something your child does, not who she is. Help your child cultivate his identity as a person, and encourage him to be the best he can be at swimming. Ultimately, he will better be able to weather the storms of failure and enjoy the fruits of success in swimming if his identity is not wrapped around it.

2. "We came all this way/spent all this money/took all this time... and you swam slow/didn't try/performed poorly." Your kid is probably already disappointed in her own performance, without adding the weight of your parental sacrifices. Understand that it is the nature of human performance that your child will not perform at his or her best at every meet or in every race. The effect of making this comment is that the next time you make a sacrifice to go to a meet, your child will feel the added pressure - possibly to the detriment of his performance.

3. "Good job" (When your child doesn't perform well) She knows when it was a good swim and when it was a bad one. False praise does nothing but cheapen the praise when it is actually deserved. Try "good effort" or "you'll get 'em next time" or "I love you anyway."

4. "WE need to get this cut, WE need to win this event, etc." How many lengths of the pool are you swimming, mom? It is your child's swim, not yours, and you should try to promote his ownership of his performance. Be his biggest fan--there to support him through good and bad--not his teammate.

5. "It's probably your training" (reason why you swam slow). As a parent, it is important that you buttress your child's confidence in his coach. If you have concerns about your swimmer's progress, address them with the coach. Passing your concern on to your swimmer is likely to weaken the coach-swimmer partnership.

6. "It's okay, you don't have to go to practice today." This one comes up when your child is tired, cranky, or is just not wanting to go to practice. It is going to happen at some point that your age grouper will have one of these days. But rather than act as enabler by caving to your swimmer's desire not to attend practice, remind him that it his swimming and his results at the end of the season that will be affected. Remind him of the commitment he has made to his team and to his own swimming. The key is to get your child to make the decision, rather than having you the parent act as the passive enabler. It's tough -- you may not want to take him to practice either, but taking this approach consistently will help your child take ownership of his performance.

Coaches, do you have more you would like to add? Parents, any questions about effective ways to talk swimming with your kid? Let me know!

Featured Drill: Triple Turn

2009-07-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

This drill was recommended to me by Griff Helfrich, one of our assistant coaches. It is designed to help a swimmer set up and execute a breast or fly turn correctly with maximum rotational speed. I'll call it Triple Turn drill.

The explanation is simple enough: when the swimmer approaches the wall, he or she executes three consecutive open turns. During the first two, the swimmer does everything but the push-off, then reloads the body for another turn. On the third one, the swimmer pushes off the wall as normal.

When executing the Triple Turn, the swimmer must pay attention to several technical elements - a strong knee drive, swift compact arm action, and driving the head straight back into an agressive streamline to depart the wall.

This drill could be performed in the middle of any breast, fly, or IM set, or could be done with the swimmer beginning from a prone kicking position and initiating the Triple Turn on command or on a whistle.

Here is a brief look at one of our swimmers, rising senior Bryce Mendes performing the Triple Turn during a breaststroke set.

What It Looks Like... Breathing to the Side in Butterfly

2009-07-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

The following picture appeared on the front page of wwww.usaswimming.org this afternoon. It is Christine Magnuson, American record-holder in the 100 fly performing her signature event.

Magnuson demonstrates great technique utilizing a side-looking breath in butterfly. There are many swimmers that use this technique, but curiously, the forward breath persists in many butterflyers. I believe this is because many swimmers will not take the time to learn it and coaches will not take the time to teach it. If you can learn, it can be advantageous for several reasons:
1. Allows the swimmer to stay lower to the water on the breath, which means more of the swimmer's energy is directed to going forward.
2. Because of #1, the swimmer may be able to breathe more often without sacrificing speed.
3. Enables the swimmer to see the competition more effectively than with a forward breath. If the swimmer can breathe to both sides, this is an even more useful skill.

If you want to learn to breathe to the side in butterfly, here are a few pointers.
1. Work on your neck flexibility. In my opinion, this is the primary reason why swimmers who try side-breathing have difficulty - tightness in their neck prevents them from doing it correctly.
2. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders on plane. By this I mean don't let your body roll to the side simply to get your side-breath.
3. Continue to do all the other technical elements of butterfly correctly. Strong kick, strong pull, good body dolphin, etc. The importance of these hasn't changed at all!

Featured Drill: Open-Mouth Swimming

2009-07-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Just as during many other elements of swimming technique, when breathing it is advantageous for a swimmer to relax to exert minimal energy while producing maximum forward motion. The goal of today's drill is to teach you to relax your jaw and facial muscles while breathing.

Try swimming freestyle with your mouth open - when it is in and out of the water. Try it for backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly too. Yes, you will get water in your mouth. Don't swallow it - spit it out as you exhale and keep going. This drill can also help swimmers become more aware of when their inhale/exhale cycle and prevents breath-holding. Try it and let me know what you think!

It's Great to Be a Swimmer

2009-06-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Put these at the top of the list for reasons why it's great to be a swimmer (and in this case, NOT a diver)

Featured Drill: Silent Swim

2009-06-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have used this drill, but it worked quite well with a group of our UNC Swim Campers yesterday.

I call it "Silent Swim." The idea is to have the group swim a distance (100m works well) without making any noise. To accomplish this, the swimmers can create no splash from either their stroke or kick. There is also one additional requirement - everyone in the group must be slower than a certain time (2:00 in this instance), or the silent swim must be performed again by the entire group.

By doing this drill, swimmers are forced to stop thinking about creating more power or exerting more force on the water, but rather to notice how their bodies interact with the water. An awareness of how one's body moves water out of the way can aid the swimmer's proprioception. The time limit is crucial - pick a time that will cause everyone in the group to really swim slowly.

This set is not hard, at least not in the traditional sense, so it may not seem like doing it again is very strong negative reinforcement. The solution: Use silent swim as a warm-down. If they do it right - they're done. If not? Again!

No Kid Is An Absolute

2009-06-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

In many areas of our lives, we are taught that things are black and white. There is right and wrong. Correct and incorrect. Winners and losers. But the reality is that ours is a world of countless shades of gray.

This thinking can creep into the coach and athlete's interaction at the pool. We must carefully guard against the human tendency to evaluate our swimmers into clear-cut categories in our minds. As coaches, we are constantly evaluating, assessing, and critiquing the athletes under our care - that is our job. It is our nature to classify Jimmy as a "hard worker" because we perceive him to be working hard on a regular basis. On the flip side, it is easy to classify Jane as a "lazy kid" because we don't perceive that she works as hard as Jimmy or his other teammates. Thus, we divide our swimmers in black and white terms in our minds.

The trouble with this thinking is that no kid is an absolute. Nobody does things correctly all the time, and nobody does them incorrectly all the time either. To see our swimmers in such black-and-white terms does them a disservice. For the swimmer who we perceive positively, it causes us to overlook his flaws and miss an opportunity to help him improve. For the swimmer we perceive negatively, we have not given him a fair chance to succeed.

The master coach understands that none of his swimmers are absolutes, and his evaluations of his athletes are flexible, fair-minded, and ever-changing. Take a look at your pool - do you see black and white or shades of gray?

Every Competition a Practice

2009-06-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Check out the corollary to this column, Every Practice a Competition

What are your goals for the end of this season? How fast do you want to go? What skills will you need to improve in order to achieve your goals? What steps are you taking today to improve these skills?

These are all crucial questions to ask yourself, particularly around each swim meet you attend. Meets represent a chance to test your skills, measure your progress, and hone your strategy. For senior swimmers, at in-season meets where a best time may not be the goal, it is important to have technical or strategic objectives so that the swimmer and coach may determine whether progress is being made. For age group swimmers who more often tend to improve their times dramatically while they are growing rapidly and learning new skills, it is equally important that the coach and athlete stay focused on the athlete's technical improvements, not just the swimmer's time. This approach will allow for continued development of the swimmer's ability and enjoyment of the sport.

Ideally, you have set goals for the end of your season. Use each competition during the season to take a step toward those goals, particularly in the areas of your technique and strategy. In this way, every competition can form a valuable part of your practice.

Are You a Big Shot?

2009-06-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

His career stats:
7.0 points per game
4.8 rebounds per game
2.1 assists per game
1,107 games played

He is former NBA basketball player Robert Horry, also known as Big Shot Bob.

Click here to see a list of Big Shot Bob's all-time Biggest Shots.

Though that career stat line is rather ordinary, Horry is considered by many to be a potential Hall-of-Famer because he is one of the most "clutch" players of all time. When the pressure is on, he always seems to come up with the big play, thus the nickname. The ability to come through in the clutch is such a priceless skill for an athlete. For swimmers, this means being able to perform at one's absolute best at the big meet, as the #1 seed, or on the crucial leg of the relay.

What skills enable a swimmer to perform at his best in these situations? I would argue that confidence is the clutch performer's biggest asset. Confidence developed over time, through success and failure, perhaps nurtured by a coach. Coaches - this may be the most vital skill we can impart to our athletes, the self-belief that "I can do it when it counts." For it is the performances in the clutch where the athlete is exposed for what he is, where ordinary actions become the stuff of legends.

Review: Tempo Trainer - The Smart Swimmer's Tool

2009-05-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pieces of training equipment is the tempo trainer. Made by Finis, it is a small device that beeps at an adjustable rate. Put it behind your ear inside your swim cap, and away you go... beep... beep... beep.

The Tempo Trainer allows a swimmer to ensure he is achieving specificity in training, working his neuromuscular system in a way that is similar to what he aims to achieve in a racing situation. A tempo trainer can also be used to help a distance swimmer hold a particular pace in training, being set to beep when a swimmer is expect to turn at the end of the pool. We use it regularly in our training, and I find it an invaluable tool, particularly for short sprinting sets.

Some pros and cons of the Tempo Trainer:

Pros: Low price tag($30), simple two-button operation, ability to set beep for paces or stroke tempos,a versatile tool that can be used for all strokes, small compact design

Cons: Battery wears out quickly and must be sent to the manufacturer for replacement, goggle strap clip doesn't work well, buttons are small and hard to push, inability to program specific sets into the device

Does your team use the tempo trainer? If so, do you have a favorite Tempo Trainer set or a particular way that you like to use it?

Smiles Are Contagious

2009-05-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

Our son is now almost four months old, and I am amazed by how much he changes daily. One of the most amusing developments of the past six weeks or so is that he now smiles - and does so all the time. It is heart-warming to see, and it got me thinking...

Nobody taught him how to smile or explained to him what it means. Sure, he's seen us do it. Clearly, we are hard-wired for this sort of expression. He recognizes my smile, and he smiles right back at me, without ever knowing how or necessarily having a reason. And seeing him smile makes me happy.

Could it be that smiles are contagious? Does seeing someone smile make you happier? If you smile, does it put you in a better mood? I am guessing there is something to this and there is a scientist somewhere who can prove my hypothesis.

I try to greet each of my swimmers at every morning practice with a "Good morning ______" and a smile. They do not always respond, but I am working on that...

Toiling Upward

2009-05-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last week during a morning practice that was poorly attended, a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow popped into my head. Quick research on the internet showed it was from the poem "The Ladder of St. Augustine," which I had never read in it's entirety. In my opinion it is pretty inspiring, particularly to the individual who faces challenges and adversity but is willing to work harder to achieve what it is that he wants.

The part that I remembered and especially enjoy is the 10th verse. Here is the entire poem:

The Ladder of St. Augustine
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!

All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.

The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;

The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;

All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will; --

All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.

We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.

The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs.
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.

The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern -- unseen before --
A path to higher destinies.

Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.

Whisper to Be Heard

2009-04-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened a few weeks ago.

While coaching our senior practice, I was holding my two-month old son on my chest for about half an hour between when my wife arrived and when one of our swim moms came to babysit him. Not thinking ahead, I had planned this 30-minute block to be a particularly teaching-intensive portion of practice. With my nearly sleeping infant son a mere inches from my voice box, I was forced to calmly and quietly give the swimmers verbal instructions. And the most amazing thing was that they really listened intently with a focus I have rarely seen.

Whispering isn't my style. Our pool sounds like most indoor pools during swim team practice - a cacophonous mixture of splashes and voices, and I typically yell or at the least speak very loudly just to make myself heard. Some of the swimmers pay close attention. Some don't. Most are casually listening, their other ear directed toward their private conversation with a teammate (perhaps this is an indictment of the weight they lend to my words). But this whispering thing was totally different. Ears perked up, they huddled around me, conversations stopped, and every eye and ear was on my next syllable. Maybe I'll give it a try more often...

Why the Subtitle?

2009-03-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

To explain the phrase below the title of this blog... I feel that many swim coaches do not use their creative or cognitive abilities to the maximum. Many of us (myself included at times) are slaves to the ideas of the successful coaches who came before us and are afraid to find a better way. I strive NOT to be this way - to find my own way to be most successful, incorporating ideas of my own with the wisdom I have gleaned from others to be myself, a "thinking" coach.

I'm a T-Shirt Watcher

2009-03-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Walking around at any national-level meet, one can always find a number of inspiring or amusing t-shirts. Here are a few of my favorites from this week's Junior Nationals in Orlando:

"It's time to take our dreams public."

"It's like we're a freakin' Nike commercial."

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

"No deposit, no return."

"Pain... If you don't mind, it don't matter." -Brett Favre

"Every day is THE day." -Lance Armstrong

"All greatness is achieved while performing outside your comfort zone."

"Smokey, my friend, you are entering a world of pain." -Walter Sobchak

"Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing." -Tyler Durden

"Finding enjoyment in the pursuit of one's maximum potential." -Eddie Reese

"You thought you were faster than me, but that's all it was, just a thought."

"There is always a higher level."

"Forged by fire."

"It's on like Donkey Kong."

"I've got a theory, that if you give 100% all the time, somehow things work out in the end." - Larry Bird

"Time will tell."

"Live your life so the preacher won't have to lie at your funeral."

"We talkin' 'bout practice." -Allen Iverson (a team's shirt for their annual 24 hour practice)

"Time to Rectify the Situation"

"It's Clobberin' Time!"

"Presence is more than just being there."

Got some other favorite t-shirt slogans you have seen before? Let's hear 'em!

Waiter, This Steak is Delicious!

2009-03-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Recently, we completed a shave and taper meet where the group was simply on fire. Many swimmers had huge time drops over a wide range of events, and the buzz in the stands among parents seemed to be positive. More than one parent complimented me after the meet on the "beautiful job with the taper" I did this season. I truly appreciate the compliment. We all like knowing that others approve of our work, but these parents missed out on an important concept, and I missed the opportunity to explain it.

Attributing one's success at a championship meet to a great taper is like crediting the delicious steak you ordered at a restaurant to the classy way the waiter carried it to your table. Certainly, it has an impact on the steak's presentation (you wouldn't like it if the waiter dropped it onto the floor), but to really find out what makes it a great steak, you need to look further back in time to its preparation in the kitchen.

A swimmer's success or failure is primarily due to his preparation or lack thereof. The taper is the final act that presents the season's results, but the main credit needs to go to the work the swimmer did all season long.

For more on this topic, see "The Six Myths of Fast Swimming" Myth #6.

The Ultimate in Teamwork

2009-03-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this video on youtube just the other day. Showed it to our senior kids and they seemed to love it. I can't take credit for it, but it's a humorous example of teamwork. Hopefully it provoked some thought.

How Swimmers Ruin Kick Sets

2009-03-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Kicking is among the most vital skills that young swimmers need to learn. A strong kick provides a firm foundation for success and improvement in the long term. Unfortunately, I think many swimmers sabotage their chances of improving when they do kick sets. Here are the ways I see this happen:

1. Turning Kick Sets Into Social Hour
When swimmers kick with boards, they often use it as a chance to chat with their teammates. This takes the focus away from the kicking,and may even encourage the swimmer to lift his head and drop the hips, ruining the body position.

2. Pulling Into the Turn
In a race, using the legs to kick hard into all turns (particularly in backstroke and freestyle) is important to maintain one's momentum and execute the turn at maximum speed. Yet, when I watch most swimmers perform kick sets, when they pass under the flags they will stop kicking, take one or two arm strokes, pull with the kickboard, and then reach for the wall. This reinforces the bad habit of not using one's legs into the wall, not to mention reducing the training effect. When a swimmer kicks for 15 yards, pulls for 5 yards, and then pushes off and glides 5 yards, the legs don't get nearly the same workout.

3. Impatience Leading to Cheating
The quality of patience is a difficult one to get youngsters to buy into, particularly in a competitive environment. Many swimmers put competing with their teammates ahead of focusing on their improvement. The impatient swimmer often pulls on the lane line, pulls into the turn (see #2), or if kicking without a board uses small hand sculls to keep up. Often the impatient swimmer is one who excels in swimming but lags behind his teammates in kicking. Coaches must be careful to emphasize improvement to this swimmer and put him in an environment where he doesn't have to worry about racing.

4. Only Performing One's Best Kick
Often, coaches will give a kick set and allow swimmers to choose whether they perform flutter, dolphin, backstroke, or breaststroke kick. Unfortunately, (often because of impatience -- see #3) swimmers will practice their best kick. That isn't bad in itself, except that means the swimmer neglects his weaker kick. Generally speaking, time spent working on your weaknesses is far more productive than time spent working on your strengths. In addition, we want every swimmer to be well-rounded and to be able to swim all four strokes efficiently, which requires strong kicking ability.

5. Not Taking Kick Sets Seriously
Many swimmers look at kick sets as a chance to rest between swimming sets rather than chances to improve. With that attitude, the swimmer is guaranteeing that is all the set will be.

6. Not Kicking Fast Enough
This often occurs in conjunction with #5. An intense and focused kick set can be just as difficult as a swimming set. Very good kickers understand this. Poor kickers often don't push themselves hard enough, sometimes because they don't feel as though they excel at kicking, thus perpetuating the mediocrity.

7. Holding the Kickboard Incorrectly
The proper way to hold a kickboard is with one's arms extended, grasping the sides (not the top)of the kickboard, leaving enough space between the swimmer's chest and the board to put the swimmer's face in the water. I see some swimmers wrap their arms around the top of the board, resting their chest on the bottom of the board. This causes several problems, including putting a strain on the swimmer's lower back, and forcing a kicking position that is unnatural. An unnatural kicking position leads to a movement pattern that is altogether different than that which we see during swimming.

And, in the spirit of fairness, two to blame on the coach:

1. Over-Reliance on the Kickboard
Kicking is best done while floating on the surface in a body position similar to that during swimming. Doing lots of kicking with a board makes your swimmers better...kickers with boards. To make them better kickers when they swim, do more than half of your kicking without the board, and include kicking in your swimming sets or do more drills that require strong kicking. Sean Hutchinson, the coach of King Aquatics whose swimmers are known for being strong kickers, does virtually no kicking-only sets.

2. Not Doing Enough Kicking
Make it a priority. Measure your team's ability. Work to improve it. Measure your improvement. Find creative ways to make kicking fun. Point out kids who are good kickers - they aren't always your best swimmers. Everyone can become a better kickers, and some swimmers can become MUCH better kickers.

What Your "Tech Suit" Will NOT Do...

2009-02-15T22:01:00.000-08:00

-It will not make up for the practices you missed.
-It will not correct your technique.
-It will not make you turn faster.
-It will not get you off the block more quickly.
-It will not help you stretch for the wall at the finish.
-It will not win a race for you.
-It will not keep you from breathing in and out of your walls.
-It will not make you more determined.
-It will not make you dolphin kick off the turn.
-It will not make you any faster than you deserve to be.
-It will not take credit for your successes.
-It will not take responsibility for your failures.
-It will not replace experience.
-It will not make you stronger.
-It will not help you take better care of yourself away from the pool.
-It will not cover for your lame excuse.
-It will not wake you up for morning practice.
-It will not help you warm-up properly.
-It will not make you tougher.

These things you must do on your own to become the best swimmer you can be!

When Sportscenter Gets Old...

2009-02-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been watching lots of Sportscenter in between late night diaper changings, and for the first time in my life, I am tired of it. Probably because lately it has all been about athletes and drugs. In a word, it is disappointing.

First, was Michael Phelps. Of course, it was disappointing to hear about his party antics to know that an athlete of his caliber would stoop to that.

Second was Alex Rodriguez. To hear that one of the best athletes in one of my favorite sports is a fraud is disappointing. To watch the continued downward spiral of baseball is disappointing.

Perhaps what is most maddening to me as a youth sports coach and as a sports fan in general is the way that each athlete chose to handle it and the opportunity that was missed to turn a negative into a positive.

Phelps' statement:

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

Rodriguez's statement:
"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day. Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

Both admitted their guilt, but in a way that avoided real responsibility.

Phelps stressed that he is "learning" from the incident. Really? Haven't we heard that before? What he seems most regretful for is that he disappointed people. Even USA Swimming's statement of suspension emphasized only that his actions disappointed people, not that what he did was illegal.

Rodriguez blamed the culture of baseball and the "pressure" of his quarter-of-a-billion dollar contract, and said that he as "young" and "stupid." I believe the stupid part. Young? In 2001, when he says he began taking PEDs, he was 26. When he says "I am very sorry and deeply regretful," it just seems like he is mostly talking about being caught and outed.

Both of these men are extraordinarily talented athletes whose accomplishments are impressive. It is most disappointing that their integrity in the face of their mistakes wasn't a better example for the young athletes who admire them.

What it looks like... Proper Backstroke Arm Recovery

2009-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

Proper form during the above-water portion of backstroke (known as the “recovery”) is crucial to developing efficient and powerful technique. The backstroke arm recovery occurs in three phases.

Phase 1: The Exit
Upon finishing the arm pull past the hip, the swimmer should lift the shoulder as the hip snaps up. The arm should follow the shoulder out of the water with the thumb side of the hand leading the way. Olympic Gold Medalist Kirsty Coventry demonstrates the thumb side lead below.

Phase 2: The Rotation
Once the arm is at least 45° out of the water (like the picture above) the swimmer should begin rotating the arm from the shoulder, keeping the elbow straight and the wrist relaxed. The swimmer’s palm thus moves from facing the midline of the body to facing outward. This happens while the arm continues its path of motion toward the water. Olympic Trials finalist and NCAC alum Tim Liebhold demonstrates what the arm should look like at the conclusion of Phase 2.

Phase 3: The Entry
The final phase of the backstroke arm recovery is perhaps the most crucial — the entry. The hand should enter the water directly above or slightly to the outside of the shoulder with the pinkie first. A common mistake is to over-reach, letting the hand enter the water behind the head. Once the hand is in position, it should slice deep into the water without slowing, setting up for a strong arm pull. The picture below shows proper hand position an instant before a perfect hand entry.

For an efficient and powerful backstroke that is shoulder-safe, be sure to follow these tips for the arm recovery!

Why Should I Dolphin Kick???

2009-01-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

I received the following question in response to one of my previous posts.

Why is dolphin kicking off your walls important? For me, it seems to waste energy and make me even more tired when I continue a race.

It is true that for some people, dolphin-kicking off walls is ineffective at helping them go faster in a race. These people simply haven't developed their underwater kicking ability to the point that it can help them.

One of the core principles of training is that you must train the way you want to race. Develop your skills in practice so that you can dive in on race day and be automatic. Improve your dolphin kicking at practice to the point that it can help you. Make it a habit. Become adept at it. Then and only then will it help you in a race.

It Ain't Over Until It's OVER!

2009-01-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

A terrific example of what not to do. The race is NOT over until you cross the line or until your hand touches the wall!!! Celebrate early and you may not be celebrating at all. Finish the race and THEN enjoy the moment!

Age Groupers - The Coach's Fountain of Youth

2009-01-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

This week, with some of our assistant coaches gone on our team trip to Atlanta, I stepped in to coach our age group swimmers for a few practices. Granted, I didn't have the whole group because many of them were on the trip, but it still presented a few fun challenges:

1. Just keeping them in the water. They have this strong desire to climb out of the water at every opportunity, or do an underwater back flip or some other trick that does not involve listening.
2. Tactfully explaining how really good swimmers don't have to get out of the water to go to the bathroom every practice.
3. Telling a joke of the day where they don't already know the punchline. I got beat to the punchline for "Where did the cow go with his girlfriend on their first date?" both times I told it. By the way - it's "the moooooovies."

At any rate, coaching the age groupers was an enlightening experience. I am reminded about the learning process, and I have to rethink how I give instructions for a set. Sometimes they inspire new ideas. For instance, tonight I came up with at least half a dozen ideas to use at senior practice just by watching how the age groupers swim. Their mistakes remind me how vital it is to develop good habits at a young age, so that when this 10-year-old in front of me gets to the Senior I group I teach him the subtleties of race strategy rather that repeat the not-so-subtle nuances of streamlining off the wall.

I also love how the 12 & unders are not encumbered by the weight of the expectations of others, for most of them are just there because they love to get faster. They also love learning new skills instead of looking at you like they already know everything. It's so refreshing, it's like a fountain of youth for my coaching enthusiasm.

The Athlete's Improvement Curve

2009-01-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is a simple model that can be helpful in understanding the long-term development of a swimmer. The scale on the left side represents the athlete's competitive performance. The scale on the bottom represents time over the span of the athlete's swimming career. Along the top, the dashed line signifies the athlete's ultimate potential. The three lines represent the Improvement Curves for three different theoretical athletes. Their trajectories follow three distinctly different paths, starting from roughly the same point.

Athlete 1 (bottom curve)
This athlete experiences moderate improvement early on in his career. Perceiving himself to lack skills that might make him a good swimmer, he mostly participates in swimming "for the exercise" or because his parents make him or both. Though he enjoys swimming, he is not highly motivated to get faster. He listens to his coachesat practice, but never really commits to making technical changes. His parents are only slightly supportive, believing that as long as their son is staying active, his activities are serving their purpose. Consequently, they only drive him to practice twice a week when he is 10 years old and only three times a week when he is 14. He does get taller, stronger, and more athletic as he grows up, and this means he does get faster, though at a much slower rate than his peers. His improvement flattens out in his teenage years as he enters high school. Competitively he lags far behind his same-age peers. He has no idea what his potential could have been because he never really made a strong attempt to find out. Athlete 1 represents the lower extreme of competitive swimming experiences.

Athlete 2 (middle, stair-stepping curve)
This athlete experiences an improvement trajectory quite different from Athlete 1. He too experiences improvement early in his swimming career. One of the key differences in Athlete 1 and Athlete 2 is that Athlete 2 perceives that he has some true ability. This occurs because he has a coach that believes in him, because he beat many of his peers at a meet, or because his parents encouraged him. He becomes highly motivated when he sees the connection between the work he does at practice and his own increased performance. After a string of steady improvement that may last for years, he goes through a rough patch where he doesn't improve with each swim or hardly at all. His improvement curve flattens out. This might happen because his workout attendance suffers, because his technique is limiting his performance, or maybe just because he is getting older. Eventually though, he gets back to near-perfect attendance, he and his coach figure out his technical glitches, or he gets taller and stronger. This leads his improvement to kick back up again, and soon he is dropping time again. This cycle of improvement and plateau repeats itself in varying time spans and for varying reasons for the remainder of his swimming career. He comes to understand that the stair-stepping pattern is part of the process. He takes failure in stride and looks forward to working toward his next success. Because of his persistence and enthusiasm, he enjoys his experience and succeeds in reaching high levels in the sport. Athlete 2 represents the broad majority of swimmers with a wide range of potential.

Athlete 3 (top, steepest curve)
This athlete experiences a meteoric trajectory over the course of his career. He experiences rapid improvement as a youngster. Immediately tapped by coaches and teammates as a prodigy, he is perfectly motivated from a young age. His parents take him to practice every single day and never have to convince him to go. He improves regularly even if by small amounts, and never has a meet where he doesn't go all best times. He does this by continually adapting and improving his technique, and never letting his motivation flag. As he grows taller and stronger, these physical adaptations exponentially magnify his improvement to even higher levels. Eventually, he becomes an unbeatable winning machine. Athlete 3 does not exist.

The reality is that nearly every swimmer follows an improvement curve that is similar to that of Athlete 2, depending on his natural talent, work ethic, commitment, and a host of other factors. More on the Improvement Curve in a later post.

Coaching vs. Managing Practice

2009-01-13T21:42:00.000-08:00

In my experience, there are a variety of ways that coaches go about running their practices. We all have our funny ways of doing things, and we each have our own style. What seems to me to be a common thread among successful coaches is that they don't just manage the practice, they coach it.
It may seem like semantics, but let me explain. Truly coaching practice means teaching, encouraging, correcting, disciplining, instructing, and demonstrating. In short, interacting with your athletes in a way that makes practice productive, fun, and successful. Sometimes I see coaches fail to coach practice and instead they manage it. Often, this coach is working with more athletes than he or she can handle, is under-prepared for practice, or is coaching athletes who swim at a level beyond the coaches' skills or maturity. This coach spends his or her entire time just making sure the athletes are doing practice. But in my view it's not just the "doing" that makes the athletes successful. It is the doing, the learning, the motivating, and the interaction that makes a coach-athlete relationship at practice successful.

What it looks like... when you enter the water properly from a dive

2008-12-26T06:49:00.000-08:00

When executed properly, a racing dive should take a swimmer through one “hole” in the water. Imagine yourself diving through a donut floating on the surface of the water. Watch this slow-motion example and watch the three stages of entry take place (the small circle represents where the swimmer will enter, and will not move.)

1. As the swimmer is about to enter the water, her hands are perfectly streamlined. Fingertips are touching the water in the center of the circle, the head is tucked between the arms, and the body is ready to “knife” into the water.
2. As the swimmer begins to enter the water to the shoulder, her head has entered the water in the same place as her hands, and she has lifted her legs to angle them toward the “hole”. Her momentum is carrying her entire body straight toward the circle.
3. The swimmers fingers, wrists, elbows, head, shoulders and hips have all entered the water in the same place, and her legs, ankles and feet follow into this same hole. Notice how her toes are pointed. This is the last thing you must do as your body enters the water. The smaller the splash, the better!

What it looks like... when you achieve your dreams

2008-11-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

It is my absolute favorite moment at the swim meet. The swimmer has put years of his life, thousands of hours of pain and fatigue, and every bit of his hopes and dreams into this moment. He has trained with this moment in mind, doing everything he can to make this moment turn out the way he planned. When the swimmer touches the wall and turns to look at the clock, he sees an instant verdict . He has either succeeded or failed, won or lost. This moment alone defines the million other moments of preparation. And when it arrives, this moment is as pure as they come. The emotions burst forth in their true form. This is what it looks like...when you achieve your dreams.

Every Practice a Competition

2008-11-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried training all by yourself? Did you feel motivated and find it easy to push yourself? If you are like most swimmers, you find a solitary training environment to be more difficult. Conversely, having a strong team around you can make you better.

Your teammates can be one of the most influential forces in pushing you upward toward swimming excellence. In fact, you should compete with them every day. It will make you improve, it will make your teammate improve, and it will make your whole team improve. On each and every set, pick out a teammate to race. Every lap, try to make your turn faster than the person next to you. Take fewer strokes than your teammate, or try to dominate your practice partner coming off the wall. Find ways to make every practice a competition, and soon you will be swimming to new heights!

What it looks like... when you use proper head position in breaststroke.

2008-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

One of the most common technical errors swimmers make in breaststroke involves head position. Inefficient breaststrokers commonly lift and drop their head over and over with each and every stroke. Obviously, your head will rise and fall as your torso rises and falls through the stroke. What needs to stay constant is the angle at which you hold your head.

To keep your head at the correct angle, be sure that your eyes are always looking forward and down. Rebecca Soni, who won the Olympic Gold in the 200 breast in Beijing, demonstrates perfect head position in the photo shown here. Her eyes are focused on the water out in front of her hands, not on the wall at the other end of the pool.

Steady head position means steady body position. Steady body position means less drag and more speed!

Recipe for "Ear Beer"

2008-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most common medical issue afflicting swimmers is Swimmer's Ear, an outer ear infection. It is caused by excessive moisture in the outer ear, and can lead to a more serious inner ear infection and time away from practice if not treated.

The good news is that "Swimmer's Ear" can be prevented by using a simple solution I call "Ear Beer." Here is the recipe:

In a small dropper bottle like the one at left, mix equal parts rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Shake. After each swim practice, place 2-3 drops in your ear, let sit for 10 seconds, and pour out on a paper towel. Then use a hair dryer or locker room hand dryer to dry out your ear. Repeat for the opposite ear.

Ear Beer is nearly 100% guaranteed. Be sure to make some, stick it in your swim bag, and use it after every practice! Don't forget to take it to meets - you are at a higher risk for Swimmer's Ear when you swim in a different pool!

The Big Small Things: Choosing the Right Water Bottle

2008-10-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

This post is the first in a series highlighting so-called "small things" that you can do to make a difference in your swimming performance.

Today's small thing is the type of water bottle you choose to bring to practice. We all have heard how important staying hydrated is. Consider this:

If you begin a workout dehydrated, your performance will suffer. Your muscles and other systems need water to function optimally. Without water, you can't perform at your best!
If you become dehydrated during a workout, your body will have difficulty adapting to the training you have done. You get physically stronger only when your body recovers after training. This means that all of the hard work you do won't be as effective at helping you improve if you get dehydrated during practice!
If you are dehydrated after practice your recovery is affected and could impact your performance in the next workout. This begins a cycle of training and lack of recovery which is detrimental to your physiology.

So you can see the importance of being and staying hydrated. Now what you might not have considered is the impact that a small thing like the type of water bottle you use has on how much you drink.

This Gatorade bottle is commonly used at practice, yet it is less than ideal. It only contains 20 ounces of fluid, which is not nearly enough for practices that range from 90 minutes to 3 hours in duration. This means that for a swimmer to be optimally hydrated, he has to refill the bottle during practice. There may not be time for this in the workout, or a swimmer may not want to make the effort to refill it. Not only that, but it has a screw on lid, meaning a swimmer needs at least 30 seconds to take it off, take a sip, and screw it back on. In a distance set with many repeats on a tight interval, there may not be time to do this!

This green Gatorade bottle is much better for your typical swim practice for two reasons. First, it holds 32 ounces, which is a good rule-of-thumb minimum for swim practice. Second, it is a squeezable, allowing the swimmer to take in 3-4 ounces in a matter of seconds. Both of these qualities mean a busy, hard-training swimmer is much more likely to hydrate appropriately.

It seems like a small thing, but the water bottle you choose can have a significant impact on how well-hydrated you are. The amount of fluid you have available and the ease of getting it can make a huge difference. Do this "small thing" right to make your training pay off to the max!

Featured Drill: Advanced Trampoline Drill for Turns

2008-10-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today's featured drill is designed to improve a swimmer's turns and underwater dolphin kicking, and is particularly effective for freestyle flip turns. It is an extension on a drill I first learned from Paul Yetter, coach of Katie Hoff. It is complicated, so let me outline the steps for you:

1. The swimmer kicks toward the wall, face down in a streamlined position.
2. The swimmer pikes and dives toward the bottom (works best in a 6-10 foot-deep pool).
3. When approaching the bottom, the swimmer tucks, flips, and pushes off the bottom vertically toward the surface.
4. Facing the wall as he surfaces, the swimmer throws his upper body into a fast flip turn off the wall.
5. Dolphin kicking fast off the wall, the swimmer takes two strokes into a phantom turn just in front of a pvc pipe (this will be a topic for a future blog) stretched across the lane.
6. The swimmer immediately starts kicking back toward the wall, and then breaks into a sprint for a few cycles before throwing himself into another fast turn (the swimmer in the video actually peforms an open turn here).
7. Dolphin kicking hard off the wall, the swimmer streamlines out past the pvc pipe and sprints to the opposite end.

Watch one of our swimmers perform the drill in video below:

Moving Up: The Parent Transition

2008-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

"Moving up" is an important experience in the life of a swimmer. When a swimmer is old enough, has shown a sufficient level of commitment, and has improved his skills to a new level, he will be invited to "move up" into the next training group. The invitation is an honor, a sign that the coaching staff believes the swimmer is ready to take his performance to new heights.

Moving up often means increases in commitment, training time, the difficulty of practices, and a new group of teammates to train with. Each of these aspects of the move-up can present challenges. Thus, the swimmer will need the support of his parents. This brings us to our topic: The Parent Transition.

When your swimmer moves from one group to the next, you as a parent must also make a transition. These changes include:

Increasing your own level of commitment. Your swimmer will likely be expected to practice MORE OFTEN. At NCAC, our groups are set up so that each group practices for a longer duration more frequently than the group below it. At the senior level, this means that your swimmer may now be expected to attend morning practices. This of course means that you may have to drive!
Adjusting your expectations for your swimmer's performance. Generally speaking, as swimmers get older they swim best times by smaller margins with less frequency. For instance, 10-year-old Johnny drops 6 seconds in the 100 free every meet all season long. When Johnny is 16, his goal may be to drop 3 seconds in the entire season. This may not happen immediately when a swimmer moves up, but with increased levels of training, he may be more fatigued and have a more difficult time swimming fast during the season. Rest assured, if he is working hard, the coaches are preparing him to swim faster than ever.
Being willing to travel more often and for longer distances. For younger swimmers, we often don't have to travel outside of the Triangle area to find competition to challenge our swimmers. As swimmers get older and reach more elite levels in our sport (particularly the Sectional level and beyond), it will become necessary to travel further for meets. Regional and National meets are usually held in locations outside of North Carolina, and we want to find new competition and faster competition to continue to challenge our swimmers. Think of the story of the Japanese koi fish. When kept in small ponds, they don't grow particularly large. When set free to larger bodies of water, they grow to much greater lengths. In order for our swimmers to become "big fish" we must expose them to the "ocean" of competition that exists outside of our North Carolina pond.
Taking a step back and encouraging your swimmer to take ownership. Often, young 10 & under swimmers are motivated to swim fast in order to make their parents proud. As swimmers progress into the early teens, this motivation dries up and a swimmer must be motivated from within by his own desire to succeed. He also must learn to take responsibility for all aspects of his swimming. For instance, a 12-year-old should be packing his own swim bag, and a teenager should be waking himself up for morning practice. With increased responsibility comes increased ownership and a stronger internal drive to succeed.

Making The Parent Transition is a vital part of a swimmer's growth and development from novice to age grouper, from age grouper to senior swimmer, and from senior swimmer to elite champion.

What does it mean to be "on time?"

2008-09-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

Much to my chagrin, I frequently observe swimmers walking into the pool area just a minute shy of the start time. Strolling in, they chat with friends and take their time walking in. No wonder that they are surprised when I tell them they are late.

In my opinion, being "on-time" is not:

Entering the pool area before practice starts
Being behind the blocks before people get in the water
Asking the coach the instructions once other swimmers are in the water
Getting wet before any other swimmer finishes warm-up
Being the last person in the water

Being "on-time" is:

Arriving at the pool at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start of practice
Using the restroom and having all training equipment ready to go
Getting changed and to your practice area 5 minutes before practice starts
Having your cap and goggles on when the instructions for the warm-up set are given
Hitting the water 1 minute before the scheduled start of practice!

The Top Ten Worst Excuses I have heard for being late to practice:
1. I thought practice started at ___(two hours ago)__.
2. I got pulled over for speeding and my car got searched.
3. I had to park too far away.
4. I had to stop at Starbucks.
5. My alarm didn't go off. (a.k.a "I forgot to set it")
6. I had to take the dog for a walk.
7. I had to help an old lady cross the street.
8. My mom forgot to pack my ______. (Said by a 17-year-old)
9. I couldn't decide whether or not to come to practice.
10. What time is it?

What Muscles Do We Use to Swim?

2008-08-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun and interesting video I found on YouTube. It is a computer model of a person swimming each of the four strokes. The muscles light up purple whenever they are activated or used. This was developed by a Dr. Nakashima at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I am not sure how this was created or what methods were used to determine when certain muscles are activated, but it is interesting to look at nonetheless. One thing to notice - look at how often the abs light up in each stroke - see, dryland really is important!

Another Reason Why Swimming Rules

2008-08-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the women's uneven bar finals from Beijing, and the now perfunctory commentary from Bela Karolyi about the unfair and ridiculous scoring procedures. This week there have been countless occasions where the scoring system seems to be unequally applied to some gymnasts, and NBC has been quick to bring up situations where an American athlete has been shortchanged.

To me the essence of sport is that the winners and losers are determined solely by the actions of the participants. It seems that in gymnastics this is many times not the case. Instead, the outcome is determined by the supposedly objective but truly subjective opinion.

Thank goodness that we will never have this problem in our sport. We have the clock, which never lies. Though it can be a cruel taskmaster, the clock is the most honest tool we can have to evaluate our performance. The time you swim is the time you earn. Nobody else can change it or affect it. No one can take it away. That is the beauty of swimming.

The Six Truths of Fast Swimming - Truth #5

2008-08-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Myth #5 of Fast Swimming: "That little technical thing won't make a difference."
The 5th Truth of Fast Swimming: "The little things ARE the big things."

First, there is no such thing as a 'little thing.' Drag is a huge factor in determining swimming speed, and each small technical adjustment can have an impact. Not only that, but a bunch of these small technical adjustments can add up to so much more.

Think about the last time you saw a penny on the ground. Was it worth picking up? Would you have been more likely to pick it up if it was a nickel? How about a dollar? What if every time you walked down the street, there was a penny, and every day you picked it up? Eventually, you would begin to accumulate enough money to be able to purchase something of value.

As swimmers and coaches, we sometimes get stuck in this "penny on the sidewalk" mentality, one that says the changes we can make are so small as to be insignificant. But the truth is that it is the sum of these changes that make a difference. Thus we must strive daily to make small incremental improvements. Some days, we may be able to make a dollar's worth of improvement. Other days, just a penny. But if we strive for improvement each and every day, the sum will be well worth the effort.

What it looks like when... you breathe low on butterfly

2008-08-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

The world's top butterfly swimmer of the last several years is of course Michael Phelps. While he does some things that are unconventional that may not be right for age group swimmers to duplicate, he does one thing in particular very well which often goes unnoticed. He breathes very low to the water, keeping his chin scraping right along the surface of the water. You can see what I mean by this in the top picture. This is very important in butterfly. By doing this, Phelps eliminates any unnecessary up-and-down motion, which cuts down on his drag.

Many young swimmers make a mistake (like the swimmer in the bottom picture) by coming up too high out of the water to breathe. Because they are tired and concerned about getting enough air, these swimmers breathe high. This requires extra work and in turn makes them get tired more quickly and need more air, beginning a cycle that is nearly impossible to break.
To make your butterfly as fast and efficient as possible, be sure to breathe low to the water. You can do this by keeping the following things in mind:

1. Use your hips and legs to make the dolphin motion -- don't pick your head up and down.
2. Focus on pushing your forehead toward the other end of the pool, even when you aren't breathing.
3. Snap your kick as you push yourself forward to breathe.
4. Use your hands to push water backwards rather than down!

What it looks like when...you have a perfect streamline

2008-08-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

It may be the simplest of all swimming skills, yet one that most swimmers have not yet perfected. It is STREAMLINING.

This picture is of Natalie Coughlin, the world record holder in the 100 backstroke and a member of the U.S. Olympic Team this summer. She may be the world's best underwater dolphin kicker, in part because she has a near-flawless streamline.

To make your streamline like Natalie’s, be sure to do these things:

1. Place one wrist on top of the other, and wrap your top thumb around the bottom hand to hold it secure.

2. Stretch your arms overhead and lock your elbows.

3. Squeeze your ears with your biceps while keeping your head and neck straight.

4. Lengthen your spine with very straight posture.

5. Squeeze your butt cheeks together as you push off the wall.

6. Point your toes and kick like crazy!

Here's Hoping for Beijing

2008-08-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

In almost exactly one week, the world's greatest athletes will gather as the Olympic flame is ignited at the Bird's Nest in Beijing. As a swimming coach, an sports enthusiast, and simply as a human being I find the Olympics to be the most exciting, inspiring and interesting sporting event there is. So here are my hopes for the 2008 Olympic Games:

That the Games are peaceful like Athens and Sydney
That they have a long-term positive effect on human rights in China and improve relations between the most populous country in history and its global neighbors
That we hear more about the athletes and their stories of sacrifice and determination than about who might be cheating.
That the cheaters will be caught before they get to stand on the medal podium.
That team USA dominates in the pool.
That Michael Phelps gets his eight gold medals. Nothing could be better for our sport.
That someone (preferably an American) beats Michael Phelps in something. Just to keep it interesting.
That we get to see a tearful playing of the Star-Spangled Banner for an athlete nobody thought would win.
That our athletes who win will do so with humility and those who lose do so with grace.
That Lebron James and company have at least one competitive game on their way to the gold medal in men's basketball.
That somewhere in that 2,900 hours of live coverage (more than that of all the previous Games combined) I remember to sleep.

The Future is Now

2008-07-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

A huge part of a coach's job is to evaluate our swimmers' technique and make corrections. One thing that some age group coaches fail to keep in mind is that we shouldn't be correcting a swimmer's stroke to make him faster NOW, but rather guiding his technical progress so that he can succeed in reaching his potential in the long term.

One illustration of the importance of this concept can be seen in the video below. The swimmer in the video is a distance freestyler, and she was fantastic as a 10 & Under. Later in her career as a senior swimmer, she is still quite good but improved only marginally since the age of 12.

Notice how her stroke is extremely short and choppy. As a 10 year-old, she used this stroke and her coach actually encouraged it. This technique was reinforced as she steamrolled the competition and beat everyone her age. No need to change, right? Wrong.
Had her coach begun to emphasize stroke length, kicking, and reducing drag, I believe she might have continued to improve infinitely into her teens. Instead, she became stuck with her technique and stuck at a particular speed. In a future post, I will discuss this further from a coaching standpoint.

The Six Truths of Fast Swimming - Truth #4

2008-07-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

The 4th Myth of Fast Swimming: "Swimming is an individual sport."
The 4th Truth of Fast Swimming: "The fastest swimming is often performed by athletes who surround themselves with excellence."

To realize this truth, you have to look no further than the current state of swimming in the United States. Look at the success of North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which has placed a 15-year old on each of the last four U.S. Olympic teams. They have established a tradition of success that breeds more achievement today.

Look at the results for Olympic Trials - how many of the top swimmers are the lone standout on their teams? Not many. Most are part of programs that routinely develop swimmers to the highest levels, creating a culture of excellence.

Success in our sport occurs in clumps. Talented, hardworking athletes tend to train together and reach new levels together. Train hard to be the best you can be, and encourage your teammates to do the same. Together, you can push each other to new heights!

Why Should My Child Be a Swimmer?

2008-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Swimming is a terrific sport for people of all ages and backgrounds. We are glad you are considering participating in this sport which so many are so passionate about. Here are just a few reasons why swimming is a great sport.

1. Swimming is an outstanding activity for young people.

2. Swimming promotes fitness and teaches a child to strive for physical achievement. Many super-stars in other sports started out as swimmers and gained strength and coordination that helped them to excel.

3. Swimming is an exciting individual and team sport.

4. Swimming is a technical and specialized activity involving extensive skill development.

5. Swimming is a healthy "lifetime" activity. Participants may be 1 or 101 years old.

6. Swimming is relatively injury-free in comparison to other youth sports.

7. Swimming teaches the life lessons of sport and sportsmanship which include learning to deal with winning and losing, as well as working with officials, teammates and coaches.

8. Swimming motivates participants to strive for self improvement and teaches goal orientation.

9. Swimming cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem.

10. Swimming can prevent drowning. Learning to swim could save your child's life or help him save another's life in the future.

Did you know?

Drowning is a leading killer of American children.

In ethnic communities, drowning rates are nearly three times the national average.

More than 30% of kids are at risk for obesity-related illnesses.

SWIMMING IS A CURE.

To find out more about how to join the North Carolina Aquatic Club, click here

More Tidbits from Omaha

2008-07-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

With a bit more time to digest the Trials and crank out a few stats, here are a few more things for you to chew on.

The youngest female swimmer to make the top-16: 13 year-old Madison White from Crow Canyon Sharks. She was 12th in the women's 200 back, qualifying for a spot on the World Junior Team.

Interestingly, the next two youngest females to achieve this distinction were also in the backstroke events: 14 year-olds Elizabeth Pelton from North Baltimore in the 100 back and Bonnie Brandon from Mission Aurora in the 200 back. Topping that, the highest ranking 15 year-old female was Elizabeth Beisel, the backstroke specialist who made the team in the 200 back and 400 IM. This is too much to be coincidence. I would have expected this to happen in the breaststroke, in the tradition of Amanda Beard, Megan Quann and other young stars in that stroke. Can anybody suggest a reason why this may occur in backstroke events?

The youngest male swimmer to make the top 16? Nick D'Innocenzo, 17 from Magnus Aquatic Group was 15th in the 200 IM. The next two behind him, Austin Surhoff from North Baltimore and Andrew Gemmel from Deleware both also placed in IM events.

So what about the youngest competitors at the meet? There were 10 thirteen year-old women who made a total of 18 cuts, but no male competitor younger than 15 made the field. The four 15 year-old men who did qualify for Omaha all swam the mile.

Average age of all competitors: 19.73 years
Average age of all male competitors: 20.75 years
Average age of all female competitors: 18.79 years

The events with the youngest average age for men: 1500 free, 200 free, and 400 free
The events with the youngest average age for women: 200 back, 100 back, 400 IM
See the entire list of average age by event here

Number of male competitors 25 & Over: 39 (7 made the Olympic team)
Number of female competitors 25 & Over: 14 (4 made the Olympic team)

A little-known fascinating story I heard on deck in Omaha: Vladimir Pyshnenko, who is also a coach at Northbrook Spartan Swim Club was competing in the Trials for a fourth different national body: the Soviet Union (1988), the Unified Team (1992), Russia (1996), and now as a naturalized citizen here in the U.S. in 2008. He's not bad either: he owns a Gold medal from 1992 in the 4 x 200 free relay and a silver from 1996 in the 4 x 100 free relay.

The Best 18 & Unders in the Country?

2008-07-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Olympic Trials is the fastest meet conducted on American soil every 4 years. Though the meet is unscored, it is an interesting exercise to score the meet for all 18 & Under swimmers to see which programs are tops in the country at developing their swimmers to an elite level. I have broken it down event-by-event and will post the final team results in the summary chart when the meet concludes.

Summary Chart- Total points and Totals by Gender

18 & Under Only Results:

Event 1 M 400 IM
Event 2 W 100 Fly
Event 3 M 400 Free
Event 4 W 400 IM
Event 5 M 100 Breast
Event 6 W 100 Back
Event 7 M 200 Free
Event 8 W 100 Breast
Event 9 M 100 Back
Event 10 W 400 Free
Event 11 W 200 Free
Event 12 M 200 Fly
Event 13 W 200 IM
Event 14 M 100 Free
Event 15 W 200 Fly
Event 16 M 200 Breast
Event 17 W 100 Free
Event 18 M 200 Back
Event 19 W 200 Breast
Event 20 M 200 IM
Event 21 M 50 Free
Event 22 W 800 Free
Event 23 M 100 Fly
Event 24 W 200 Back
Event 25 W 50 Free
Event 26 M 1500 Free

Observations from the Olympic Trials

2008-07-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting last week in the world of American swimming. After being in Omaha for part of the meet and watching the rest of it, here are a few of my observations.
- The venue and location seemed to be a big hit. USA Swimming, the Qwest Center did a spectacular job putting on the meet. The exciting atmosphere no doubt contributed to helping our swimmers go fast.
- The meet has become extremely fast. Times that were good enough for top 8 at the 2007 World Champs weren't good enough for top 16 at the trials in some cases.
- In my opinion, there are three major reasons for this. First, there are so many more post-collegiate swimmers competing. Increased money in the sport and more collegiate coaches who are willing and able to coach post-collegians have made the field faster. Opportunities after college have allowed athletes to continue to train and compete at a time when their bodies are capable of higher levels of performance (especially men in their late twenties). With the cutting of college swimming programs, will this trend continue?
- The effect of these post-collegians is that the cuts have become fast enough that fewer "club swimmers" achieve them. This is particularly the case on the men's side, where fewer than ten under-18 swimmers even qualified for some events.
- The "Dara Torres effect" on the women's field has been real. There is a growing number of women over 25 who are startlingly fit competing. I suspect that for physiological reasons this effect will never be as great as that on the men's field. We will likely always have 14, 15, and 16 year-old women swimming fast, particularly in the breaststroke and distance events.
- USA Swimming must be cognizant of this effect on the men's field and the filter-down effects that it has. Many of today's late-twenties men have been competing at the national and Olympic Trials level since they were in their late teens. By looking at the 18 & Under standings in my previous post, you can see that fewer of today's best 15-17 year-old men are getting this opportunity. The current developmental gaps between local meets, sectionals, junior nationals, and nationals must be plugged to ensure that our talented young athletes have sufficient encouraging opportunities along the way to be sure that they don't leave swimming for another sport.
- The second major reason I see for the Trials field improvement is the advent of the drag-reducing suits that we have seen in the past 8-10 years. First, these suits help everyone go faster. Second, the revenues these suits have produced for the manufacturers have come back to the sport in the form of more opportunities that I mentioned above. Third, these suits level the playing field between younger and older athletes. Our older swimmers tend toward the sprints, and it is possible that the new suits also provide a measure of buoyancy that helps offset any deficit of power or endurance that a swimmer in his mid-to-late thirties might have.
- The third major reason is simply that our coaches and athletes are doing a better job. We are aspiring to bigger and better things, becoming more knowledgeable, sharing our ideas more, and training harder and smarter than ever before. There is no doubt in my mind that the work of Russell Mark, Jonty Skinner, Genadijus Sokolovas, Dave Thomas and the rest of the team at USA swimming are in part responsible for this.
- A few images that will stick in my mind from these trials: Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff, Aaron Peirsol, and the remarkable ability they have to ALWAYS get their hand on the wall first. The second-greatest swimmer of all time Ryan Lochte stalking Peirsol and Phelps so closely that he is sure to pull at least one upset in Beijing. Elizabeth Beisel lighting up the meet with Olympic berths in the 400 IM and 200 back. The likely retirement swims of terrific champions Gary Hall, Kaitlin Sandeno, and many others. And of course, that peculiar green waterfall.

10 Steps to Better Underwater Dolphin Kicking.

2008-06-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

It may be the single-most important skill in swimming today. Here's how you can maximize your underwaters:
1. Improve your ankle flexibility. Often overlooked, your ankles are the link between the final two segments of your leg that perform the whipping motion of a great dolphin kick.
2. Work on the “back kick” or kicking symmetrically in both directions. Most athletes accelerate their kick only as their feet move toward the front (I call this the front kick). The great underwater kickers accelerate the kick in both directions for maximum forward propulsion.
3. Improve your hamstring and glute strength. In order to do the “back kick” for maximum benefit, you will need to make these muscles stronger. The hamstrings are often weak in those who do not have a strong back kick.
4. Kick from the torso. Don’t just bend and flex at the hip and knee joints. Get your spine and torso involved.
5. Improve your thoracic flexibility. The dolphin motion should begin in your torso and travel toward your toes. If your thoracic region (think the part of your spine where your ribs are attached) can’t bend to begin this motion, your dolphin kick will be less effective.
6. Watch yourself on video. Then watch the person on your team who is best at dolphin kicking. What are they doing that you are not?
7. Count your kicks. How many kicks does it take for you to get to the 15m mark? To go 25 yards? Does it change whether you go fast or slow? Find out this information to tell whether or not you are improving.
8. Practice streamlining at high speeds using a stretch cord. Get used to feeling water move over your streamline at high speeds. Try dolphin kicking without adding drag while being pulled.
9. Improve your core strength. Your six-pack might look good, but do you have the strength and endurance to kick fast underwater during a race?
10. Make your legs stronger. It’s simple. The stronger your legs, the harder you can kick.

The Virtue of Failure

2008-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

One of the trends of the last several decades often lamented by coaches in many youth sports is that parents and administrators have become consumed with making sure that each and every child NEVER experiences failure. I spoke to one coach recently who told me about his son's little league baseball experience. Apparently, it takes four strikes to strike out. If a child does strike out, he still gets to go stand on first base. That way he FEELS successful. Though this may seem paradoxical, I can think of few things that we as coaches could do that would harm our athletes more than not allowing them to fail. Failure can be a tremendous learning experience. Failure is often the building blocks for future success. If a child never fails, how does he know when he is successful?

The senior swimmers I coach will tell you that they fail in practice frequently. If they didn't, I probably wouldn't be asking enough of them. It is on that border at the edge between CAN and CAN'T that an athlete finds out the stuff of which he is made. This is where he explores his abilities and summons his motivation to push himself to new heights. Being on this edge is how he learns to do what it takes to excel in life.

Check out this video from YouTube about some incredible successes who began as failures:

Failure is vital to an athlete's development of the characteristics that it takes to be successful. Failing helps define success. As the valley is deep, so is the mountain high.

The Six Truths of Swimming - Truth #3

2008-06-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

The third myth was: "This is just practice, I will do it correctly/faster in the race."

The third truth: You will race how you train. Your preparation will determine your results.

There is a reason while we call it practice. We are rehearsing what we want to do at the race, preparing our skills, and improving our fitness. If we were only doing the last of these, we would merely call it training.

When an actor is preparing for a broadway musical, he prepares methodically, rehearsing the production in parts. He repeats each line exactly as he hopes to perform it in the show. Not once does he allow himself to make up the lines as he goes or allow himself to perform them incorrectly. Doing so would encourage him to make the same error when he is performing in front of the audience.

We must take the same approach with our swimming technique. We must strictly avoid doing things incorrectly and always be exploring ways to perform better. We must visualize the championship meet performance that we seek and strive to prepare precisely for that. The great performance can only be preceded by careful preparation. Strive to practice correctly and prepare precisely to swim the race you dreamed.

The Six Truths of Fast Swimming - Truth #2

2008-06-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

The second myth was:"That swimmer is fast because he/she is just talented."

The corresponding second truth: You have inside of you right now what it takes to be a champion.

That's right. You already possess the mental and physical abilities to achieve your swimming dreams. These qualities have been present in you since birth and have been molded by your parents, your coaches, and your individual actions and choices. From now forward, it is your future actions and the choices you will make that determine the heights to which you will ascend.

You are talented in a different way than every other swimmer. When you see another swimmer succeed, it is because he or she has figured out how to get the best out of herself, not because he or she is any more talented than you. She has taken her talent and put it to use to the best of her ability. Will you do the same? Will you seek to maximize your talents by making the daily choices of a high achiever?

The second truth should empower and inspire you. Swimming success is yours for the taking.

The Six Truths of Fast Swimming - Truth #1

2008-06-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote about the Six Myths of Fast Swimming and it occurred to me that it would be useful to write the corresponding Six Truths of Fast Swimming to further explain my thoughts. Here they are one at a time:

TRUTH #1 - Swimming is Hard Work
There is no other sport that demands the combination of athleticism, physical fitness, attention to detail, and volume of rigorous training the way swimming does. There is no way of getting around it: if you want to achieve anything in swimming, be prepared to work hard for your goals. Those who begin by accepting this truth and embracing the challenge and the difficulty that it represents have taken a huge step toward their swimming success. A key to this step is understanding that though the effort required will be great, the rewards of achieving your goal will be equally rewarding.

Don't Coast on Technique

2008-06-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

"If you are coasting, you're going downhill." This phrase has powerful meaning when it comes to swimming technique. One of the main reasons that swimmers are reluctant to change a technical aspect is that they "have already made it this far with my technique" or "my technique is already pretty good." The unfortunate consequence that these swimmers fail to realize is that if they are not constantly working on their technique, their technical skills will actually diminish.

In physics, the term entropy is used to describe molecular systems and that fact they tend to fall apart, degrade and become more disorganized over time. The second law of thermodynamics says that this will happen unless a force counteracts this tendency. Taking this metaphor into swimming technique, inattention to detail allows your skills to deteriorate over time. This means if you are not constantly striving to improve your technique, not only will it not get better, but it will get worse. Call it "stroke entropy."

Pay attention to your technique. Be aware of what you did in the past, what you are doing now, and develop strategies with your coach to improve. Daily focus on these strategies will build your skills and increase your chances of climbing to the top of the swimming mountain. Lack of attention or desire to improve your skills, or unwillingness to make a change will leave you coasting into stroke entropy. And you know which direction that will take you.

101 Ways to Become a Better Swimmer Without Even Getting Wet

2008-05-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Becoming a better swimmer doesn’t only mean getting faster. It means learning more about yourself, the sport, and what you need to be successful. Becoming a better swimmer can also mean enjoying the sport more, or appreciating the efforts of those who have helped you achieve your goals.

1. Practice streamlining in front of a mirror every night before you go to bed.
2. Eat broccoli.
3. Stretch all of your muscles at least once every day.
4. Never get dehydrated- always be drinking water or a sports drink- especially before, during, and after practice.
5. Thank your coach after each practice. Your coach will appreciate it more than you think.
6. Practice swimming each of the four strokes in front of a mirror every day.
7. Go to bed early.
8. Know all of your best times in long course meters and short course yards.
9. Know all of your best practice times, long-course meters and short course yards.
10. Listen to your coach.
11. Pay attention to technique during dryland.
12. Thank your parents for driving you to practice.
13. Thank your parents for driving you to meets.
14. Encourage someone else to do their best at practice or dryland.
15. Know your race cycle counts for each different event in long course and short course.
16. Learn how to count laps using the flip-cards at swim meets so you can count for your friends in the distance events.
17. Ask your coach questions about your swimming technique.
18. Talk to your coach before your race.
19. Eat breakfast every day.
20. Have a small snack before practice.
21. Eat more vegetables.
22. Take a nap if you need one.
23. Be a good student. Excellence in one part of your life encourages excellence in others.
24. Become a student of swimming- learn as much as you can.
25. Read up the best American swimmers on www.usaswimming.org
26. Visit the “Perfect race” at www.usaswimming.org
27. Wear your team gear with pride at swim meets.
28. Have short term goals with specific times you want to achieve this season.
29. Have long term goals with specific times that you want to achieve in the next 1-3 years or even longer.
30. Know the time cuts for the next-highest age group or meet that you might go to.
31. Know your stroke count from the backstroke flags into the wall for a turn and a finish.
32. Bring a friend to NCAC.
33. Meet a friend at NCAC.
34. Be the first one to get wet.
35. Watch a swimming video.
36. Don’t think of any stroke as the one thing that you are good at. Be willing to train and race all 5 (counting IM).
37. Know what “I.M.” stands for.
38. Know the difference in the order of strokes between the I.M. and the medley relay.
39. Introduce yourself to the coach of the next-highest group so that he or she knows your name and can watch you at practice and meets.
40. Take the stairs, not the elevator. Don’t always go the easiest way.
41. Participate in another sport- be a well-rounded athlete.
42. Watch the Olympic Games on TV this summer.
43. Come watch a UNC swim meet. For a schedule, see www.tarheelblue.com
44. Count strokes for a friend at a meet.
45. Be early to practice. If you’re not early, you are late.
46. Read the technique tips at www.swiminfo.com
47. Watch yourself swim on video.
48. Don’t drink soda.
49. Don’t eat fast food.
50. Take pride in the place you train and compete- keep it nice and neat.
51. Pack your swim bag the night before practice so you don’t forget anything.
52. Have a goal meeting with your coach.
53. Write your goals down somewhere where you can see them every day.
54. Tell someone else your goals (a parent is probably best). That should give you extra motivation to achieve them.
55. Drink orange juice.
56. Go to the bathroom before practice.
57. Have your cap and goggles out and ready to go 5 minutes before practice is supposed to start.
58. Pay attention to the heat sheet at a meet.
59. Cheer for a teammate at a meet.
60. Wear shoes at a swim meet- not sandals. This will keep your feet and legs feeling good and energetic.
61. Know your splits from your best times in every event.
62. Wear sunscreen when you are outdoors- you don’t want to miss practice and be nicknamed “Red.”
63. Know your meet warm-up before a championship meet.
64. Attend a team function outside of normal practice time and have fun.
65. Read Swimming World to find out how the world’s best swimmers train and how they approach racing.
66. Always bring your water bottle to practice- never get dehydrated.
67. Don’t drag your equipment bag on the ground. Walk with pride in and out of the pool.
68. Watch the college swimmers practicing while you wait for your practice to start.
69. Improve your ankle flexibility through daily stretching to become a better kicker.
70. Bring a healthy snack to eat after school before practice.
71. Have a backup pair of goggles and a spare cap at practice and at meets.
72. Always wear a team cap and team suit at practice and at meets.
73. Lead a team cheer.
74. Make up a new team cheer.
75. Cheer up a teammate who is disappointed with his swim.
76. Teach a swimming skill to a younger or less-experienced swimmer.
77. Ask an older or more experienced swimmer a question about technique.
78. Have a plan with your coach about which meets you will be going to and which ones you will be resting for.
79. Talk to your coach after your race.
80. Relax. Don’t worry about swimming. After all, it’s just swimming.
81. Treat your competitors with respect.
82. Put as much effort into dryland as you put into normal practice.
83. Keep track of the deadlines for entering meets- be sure you are entered on time!!!
84. Keep a training log or journal. Be sure to include important practices or test sets and how you feel.
85. Be patient with yourself and your improvements- great swims require consistent, steady training over time.
86. Trust your coach with your training and racing instructions.
87. Communicate with your coach if you have questions, problems or concerns.
88. Keep up with team news by visiting www.ncacswim.org
89. Get e-mail updates by sending your e-mail address to ncacheadcoach@gmail.com
90. Have all of the training equipment required by your coach.
91. Understand what is expected of you in order to move up to the next training group.
92. Let your coach know ahead of time if you can’t make it to practice.
93. Have fun!
94. Look tough, act tough, and think tough behind the blocks, and you will BE tough!
95. Mentally rehearse your race. Imagine how your race feels, looks, smells, tastes, and sounds.
96. Enjoy coming to practice every day.
97. Mentally visualize yourself winning your race and achieving your goal.
98. Lead the team stretches before a meet.
99. Sit with your teammates at the meet- enjoy each other’s company.
100. Wear your team gear when you walk onto the pool deck at the meet- show everyone that NCAC has arrived.
101. Read this list again!!!

The Side Stitch Follow-up Self-Test

2008-05-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me after my last entry that though I have been running every day, it has been quite a long time since I got a side stitch during a run. This could be due to the fact that most of my runs are at medium to low intensity and for my minimum three miles. Or could my form have improved recently so that I run more smoothly now?

Since reading Dean Karnazes' book Ultramarathon Man I have also allowed myself to eat before a run more regularly. Karnazes' bragging about eating an entire pizza before a run made me realize that I could train myself to do this. I used to refuse to eat 2+ hours before a run, but now I can have dinner and be on the run before the last swallow is down. One would think this would cause me to have stitches more often, but I honestly can't remember the last time I had one.

Last night on my run I checked my breathing to see if I was a right-side or left-side breather, assuming I would be at a 4:1 steps-to-breaths ratio. To my surprise, I seemed to be holding a 3:1 pattern, meaning I was breathing in on my right foot and then out on the second left foot strike, then in on the second right foot strike after that. Could this be a reason I am not getting a stitch? Is this like breathing every 3 in swimming? Swimmers, do you notice you get stitches more often when you are following a certain breathing pattern? Coaches, do you have the same athletes getting side stitches repeatedly? I would love to hear your observations.

In Stitches

2008-05-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Monday I spent some time with our 12 & under age groupers putting them through their paces in dryland. Their dryland includes some running, ab exercises, and some body-weight strength exercises like push-ups, squats, etc.

The run required them to complete eight lengths of an approximately 80m distance back and forth along an outdoor corridor near our pool. Ignoring my instructions to start at warm-up speed and go faster each length than the one before, they took off on the first length sprinting for all they were worth. Interestingly, as they returned to the place where I stood after 2, 4, and 6 laps, several of them began complaining of a pain in their side.

As a runner for the past 13 years, I know that pain well. In the running community, we call it a "side stitch." Watching these kids get stitches just 30 seconds after beginning exercise got me thinking. What is a side stitch exactly and why does it happen? I did a little research and the answers I found were interesting.

A stitch actually has a scientific name, exercise related transient abdominal pain (ETAP). Pain from a stitch can be under the ribs, behind the back, or even in the shoulder and can lead some to believe they are having a heart attack.

There are essentially 3 theories about the causes of the "side stitch":

1. Tugging of the spleen, stomach, and liver on the underside of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle that pulls the bottom of your lungs downward on inhalation. The spleen, stomack, and liver are all held in place in the abdomen by ligaments attached to the diaphragm. Vertical displacement of these orgams (like during running) causes spasm in the diaphragm as the ligaments pull at it from below. Apparently, side stitches occur most often on the right side, presumably because that is the liver's location (it has the largest mass of the three). Maximum tugging would occur as the runner's foot strikes the ground when the diaphragm is at its highest point, during full exhalation. This all makes perfect sense to me, but does it explain why stitches can happen during swimming, too?

2. Diaphragmatic ischemia. This means there is a lack of blood flow to the diaphragm, causing it to cramp or spasm. Basically, the lungs and your internal organs pinch the blood vessels leading to the diaphragm.

3. Wikipedia says that imbalances in the thoracic spine can cause a stitch, but doesn't elaborate. I suppose this is due to some unnatural tugging on internal organs due to things being misaligned.

I was interested to find that the cures for a stitch:

1. Put your hand on it and squeeze. This stabilizes the tendons/organs and prevents the tugging.
2. Lay down on on your back. This will make the stitch go away immediately.
3. Improve your abdominal strength and lower back strength. Could the sudden stitches in our swimmers be an indication that they have weak abs? With this information, our age group coach correctly predicted on the first try which swimmer was the first to mention a side stitch. Interesting, huh?
4. Warm-up gradually and completely before exercising.

Other interesting facts and implications:

One source I found stated that 70% of humans breathe when their left foot hits the ground, and only 30% breathe when their right foot makes contact. Why is this? The rough percentage of right and left handers in the world is somewhere around 90 and 10.

Runners generally breath in a 2-1 stride-to-breath ratio while jogging and a 4-1 ratio while running at a faster pace.

Nowhere did I find anything saying that a stitch should be a reason to stop activity or that any damage would be done by a prolonged stitch. Did you read that, swimmers?

So how does this relate to swimming? And why do swimmers get stitches? I suspect that swimmers get stitches mainly due to ischemia (theory #2) due to shallow breathing during training. It is also possible that the reaching and pulling down motion of free, back, and fly could cause the tugging mentioned in theory #1. Perhaps the aspect of all of this that most piques my curiosity is the relationship of breathing to striding in running, and how this relates to swimming. What percentage of swimmers prefer to breathe on which side during freestyle? Does this relate to their handedness? Is there a correlation between this preference and getting side stitches while swimming?

Don't you just love it when a question leads to not to an answer but to even more questions?

The Six Myths of Fast Swimming

2008-05-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

1."There is an easy way, I just haven't found it yet." There is no easy way. All fast swimming for everyone comes as a result of hard work. There is value in always trying to find a better way (the reason for this blog), but there will never be an easy way. Realizing this is key to tapping your motivation to give maximum effort every day.
2."That swimmer is fast because he/she is just talented." These words are usually spoken by somebody who believes in myth #1. If you find yourself believing or maybe even saying this myth out loud, consider your own talents and find a way to maximize them to better achieve your own goals. This is far more effective than bemoaning your talent deficiency.
3."This is just practice, I will do it correctly/faster at the meet." This myth is perpetuated by those who have poor practice habits. When it comes to anything technical, only perfect practice makes perfect. The pressure and excitement of a competitive situation tend to exacerbate your bad habits rather than magicly improve them. Factor in the fatigue you will feel in a swimming race, and you can see that you are truly only as fast as your habits will let you be. Strive daily to eliminate your bad habits and practice good technique at all times.
4."Swimming is an individual sport." Ironically, this myth is usually believed by someone who has always been in a good team situation. Though it is true that we mostly compete as individuals in a race, the social nature of our sport cannot be totally discounted. If you believe this myth, try training by yourself. Better yet, imagine swimming at a meet where the only people in the building are you and your 7 competitors. Make the most of your teammates by supporting them, and they will support you.
5."That little technical thing won't make a difference." This myth is believed by people with poor attention to detail. This "pennies on the sidewalk" mentality leads them to believe myths #1 and 2, because only big improvements are worth the effort.
6."I messed up my taper." Usually stated after the meet or season concludes by someone who is unhappy with his performance. Though it is possible to not hit a taper correctly, the far more likely culprit is poor preparation all season long. Many swimmers and coaches who believe this myth don't honestly evaluate what came before the taper.

If you find yourself buying into one of these myths, honestly evaluate where this belief comes from and whether it truly holds any water (pun intended).

Stop and Think About the Flop

2008-05-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

Forty years ago a lanky American made headlines and captivated the crowds when he won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games using an innovative technique. His name was Dick Fosbury and his unusually daring maneuver has since been immortalized as the Fosbury Flop. Until Fosbury came along, the prevailing high jump techniques included the scissor kick and the straddle. In the scissor kick, the jumper elevated and then kicked first one and then the other leg over the bar. Using the straddle, the jumper passed over the bar face-down, essentially rolling over the bar with one arm and one leg at a time. Fosbury’s technique involved him passing over the bar on his back while passing his head, shoulders and then his hips and legs over the bar. Thus he was actually able to pass his center of gravity under the bar even as his body travelled fully over the bar. The Flop was a sensation, even distracting the crowd’s attention from the finish of the marathon, traditionally one of the Games’ most celebrated events. Some decried his technique as foolishly dangerous and mocked its awkwardness even as his jump broke the existing Olympic record and put him on top of the podium.
The most fascinating part of the story isn’t as well known. The fact is that Fosbury didn’t debut his technique in 1968 at the Games. He had begun perfecting his Flop five years earlier in 1963. Though he had never jumped higher than 1.6m using the scissor technique, by 1965 Fosbury was clearing 2m with his flop. Incredibly, most high jumpers continued using their old techniques rather than adopt the Flop method. According to Fosbury, "most of the elite athletes had invested so much time in their technique that they didn't want to give it up.” It took a gold medal winning performance at 2.24m (7 feet 4 ¼ inches) for people to sit up and take notice. Even then, it took a decade for the new technique to be fully adopted by the sport.
This story is interesting but not surprising to me. The high jumpers of 1968 are not altogether different from the swimmers of 2008. The most common reason I hear from a swimmer about why he won’t change his technique is that “it will make me slower.” True, it probably will. At first. Consider that in a swimmer’s career he might perform a stroke literally millions of times. Thus, the chances are high that by performing a stroke in a manner that he has never tried before, he will immediately go slower. Now imagine Fosbury trying his flop for the first time. Do you think he magically jumped a foot higher than when using his previous method? Not likely.
Swimmers are not the only ones to blame. I am amazed by the number of good coaches who allow obviously poor technique (even injury-causing technique) to persist in swimmers simply because we are unwilling to risk going slower in the short term in order to achieve long-term gain. We become comfortable with a swimmer’s level of performance and fear that if we change a swimmer’s technique he won’t be able to change it back!!! This irrational fear is paralyzing.
I believe the reason for this hesitant attitude in both swimmers and coaches lies in the lack of a change mentality. By being afraid of change and unwilling to risk the short-term loss, we prevent ourselves from reaching our long-term performance potential. If we are truly intent on achieving excellence, this cannot be.
Coaches, we must first adopt the belief that change is beneficial. Second we must realize that change is not merely beneficial but necessary. Third, we must have the wisdom and the foresight to see the changes that will maximize a swimmer’s long-term performance. Finally, we must impart the value of change to our athletes at a young age and instill it as one of their core swimming beliefs.
Swimmers, you must be willing to change and understand that the point of practice is not to become a better practice swimmer. You must be willing to be a bit slower in training if it means following your coach’s vision for a change you need to make. This is the beauty of practice. It is a place to not only train but to rehearse, to experiment, to attempt, to fail, to attempt again, and to innovate.
Fosbury's technique is still in wide use today, though it has been modified and improved as jumpers go ever higher. Thanks to Fosbury's change mentality, the course of an entire sport was altered. We too must develop a change mentality. This is a frame of mind that welcomes change as a positive necessity to helping us achieve our swimming excellence. This is a risk that requires courage and faith, and it is a risk we must not be afraid to take.

Swim Like a Monkey

2008-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe you remember the "monkey bars" from your childhood playground. For me, the monkey bars proved how weak I was as my ten-year-old arms tried to propel me over the fifteen feet of imaginary quicksand. In trying to race my friends, it became obvious the fastest way to get across the bars was not to hold myself up and grab every bar but rather to relax, swing long and stretch for the furthest bar. Not only was this faster, but it was also easier. Consider the two videos below:

In this first video, the monkey has very little wasted motion and there appears to be very little energy expended. Now check out this video of Alexander Popov, perhaps the most efficient sprinter the world has ever seen:

Popov clearly has tremendous hip and shoulder rotation, and though the video is in slow motion, he shows incredible fluidity of movement. He has very little wasted motion and when racing appeared to barely be trying.

This swinging "monkey bar" action looks a lot like swimming freestyle if you turn it on its side. As the monkey anchors his hand on the bar, Popov anchors his foreharm and hand in the water. As the monkey turns his hips and shoulders and trades gravity for forward momentum, Popov rotates his hips and shoulders and trades gravity (from one hip being elevated) for leverage on his forearm anchors. Whereas the constant force for the monkey is gravity, this constant force for Popov is his legendary kick.
So to swim with fluid efficiency of a swinging monkey like Alexander Popov it is vital that one use 1) a high elbow catch to establish a solid anchor, 2) a fluid, connected rotation of the core to get from one stroke to another with maximum length and leverage, and 3) a powerful kick.

The Key

2008-04-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

It’s been pouring rain in Chapel Hill for about 48 hours straight it seems, and as I left Home Depot today, the deluge seemed to have reached its peak intensity. Despite barely being able to see my car halfway across the parking lot, I made a dash for it. I ran clutching my purchase in one hand and my keys in the other, stooping as though being shorter would keep me from getting as wet. At my car, I fumbled with my keys for a moment before picking the right one. As the raindrops blew hard into my face and the wetness soaked through my t-shirt, I tried to quickly put the key into the lock. I missed. Tried again, missed again. Now, getting frustrated, soaked and even more hurried, I tried again and finally the key went straight into the slot. I quickly hopped in and slammed the door behind me. Totally wet and out of breath from the run, I wondered why that was so difficult. Why was putting my keys in the door, a task I performed at least 6 times every day without messing up, so difficult for me to do in the rain?

At practice, most of the yardage we swim is at easy or medium intensity. This has to be the case, because it is just not possible for us to do everything fast. So we must do some things easy. Most of the time when I put my key in the car door, I am not in a hurry. I do it slowly, and I do not miss the keyhole. But today when I was hurrying, I messed up not just once, but twice. If I want to get better at putting the key in correctly in a hurry, I should gradually work on doing it faster and faster correctly each time.

The same is true about our technique at swim practice. We need to start by doing things correctly when we swim slowly, for this is the easiest time to do things right. Next we must focus on doing them correctly as we begin to go faster. And faster. And faster. And eventually at maximum speed.

Almost anyone can use proper technique at slow speeds. Swimmers who can use great technique at any speed including all-out racing speed have a tremendous advantage at the race. And that could be the key to helping you unlock your potential!

How Good Do You Want To Be?

2007-11-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

After watching what I deemed to be an average performance by one of our senior swimmers the other day, I was exhorting this swimmer to improve his effort in training. "If you can learn to train better, you could be really good at that event," I said, hoping to awaken in him the desire to fulfill his potential. "But I am already pretty good," he said.
I paused for a moment. In a way, he was right. He has already ascended to the Senior I group, the top training group within NCAC. Just by doing that he proved his ability beyond probably 99.999% of the people on the planet. Still, he is only the 9th fastest swimmer on NCAC in that specific event, and nearly 2,000 swimmers in the USA his age are faster than him.
"You are missing the point," I responded. "How 'good' do you want to be? Are you satisfied with where you are at right now? Or do you want to be better?" Letting the thought sink in, he walked to the warm down pool, and I turned toward the next race which had already begun.
Each of us is faced with the same question in any endeavor we undertake; how good do we want to be? Are we so happy with what we have already accomplished that we are satisfied to sit right where we are? Or, are we willing to give ourselves a quick pat on the back for a job well done and then get back to the business of achieving our goals? Surely along the way we will experience success and we will suffer failure. Our response to success is as important as anything. Whether we sit back and stagnate or keep climbing the ascent is largely a matter of attitude. How good do you want to be?

Motivational Minute - October 10, 2007

2007-10-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

I am reading a book right now called The Man Watching about Anson Dorrance, the women's soccer coach here at UNC. You have probably heard of him. Since I have been here, I have had the opportunity to speak to him and to listen to him speak. This is a great book and I want to read you a brief passage from it. It is about Mia Hamm, who you may also have heard about before. Mia was on the US National team before she came to play soccer here at Carolina for Coach Dorrance.

Mia Hamm was nervous. She was sweating profusely sitting across the desk from her coach. It was the goal-setting meeting at the beginning of her sophomore year, and she felt woefully unprepared. She had been through these things before, and she knew what the critical question would be, but she had yet to figure out the right answer. Stalling for time, she spoke first, and her coach nodded a few times and waited patiently for Hamm to take a breath. Then he leaned over the desk, stared her down with his piercing blue eyes, and asked what he always asks, "Mia, what do you want?" Hamm had a million things swirling through her mind, but she didn't want to give him a dumb answer. "Ummmmmm, to be a good soccer player?"
"Can you be a little more specific than that?"
Hamm cautiously threw out some numbers about the goals and assists she'd like to accumulate that season and then immediately began questioning herself. "Are those too high...Too low?"
"But what do you really want?"
Hamm was dumbstruck. She couldn't think of anything to say. Suddenly, instinct took over and she blurted out, "To be the best." It sounded as much like a question as a statement, but Hamm still couldn't believe what she had just said. The words sounded crazy to her, but the more she thought about them, the more she realized that they were sincere. She sat in her chair, silently waiting for her coach to tell her to be serious.
"Do you know what the best is?"
Once again Hamm sat there clueless, perspiring and praying that the question was rhetorical. Finally Dorrance stood up and walked around the desk behind Hamm. He flipped the light switch off. The two sat in darkness for a moment. Then Dorrance flipped the lights back on. "It's just a decision, a light-switch decision," the coach said. "That's all it takes, but you have to make that decision every single day. You can't make it today and then say, 'Whew, glad that's over.' You have to make it tomorrow and the next day and the day after that for the rest of your career."
"I guess deep down I wanted to be great, but I had no idea what that really meant when I first said it in the meeting," Hamm says now. "On that day being the best became something tangible, no longer abstract. It would require a huge commitment made up of a series of smaller efforts."

Hamm went on to become the greatest player in the history of women's soccer. She graduated from UNC after leading the team to four NCAA titles. She became one of the most famous women athletes in the world, an iconic symbol of women's sports. She was named the FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that award was given.

This meeting with Dorrance was a seminal moment in Hamm's career, a moment where she could have gone one way or another with her career, and she chose to become the greatest player ever. Is there someone on this team who is going to become the greatest swimmer ever? Maybe, I don't know. I wish you each could see the goals that you have set for yourselves. All of you came in with goals that are set pretty high. If this group achieves those goals, we will be the best Senior group in the state of North Carolina. To top that off, it is possible that some of you sold yourselves short and didn't set your goals high enough! When you set those goals, you have to figure out what you need to do to achieve it. And that's our job - to help you realize what it takes. That's why we are on top of things like attendance, why we are trying to get the best effort out of you every single day - because you all have set your goals very high and have ambitions to be truly great in this sport. More than one person on this team told me they wanted to make it to the Olympics. That is a fantastic goal, but it doesn't happen without making that light-switch decision. From here on out, every time you have to make a decision to take a step toward your goal or not take a step, you need to take the step to be as good as you said you wanted to be.
The excerpt about Mia Hamm is a great example of an athlete who was already at an elite level deciding to become the best. Mia Hamm was already near the top of her sport before she came to play for Coach Dorrance at UNC, but she had to make that light switch decision to become the best player in the world. Whether your goal is to become the greatest swimmer ever or to be an Olympian or to just go two seconds faster than your best time, you have to make the same decision. Whether you make the decision every day or not will determine whether you reach your goal.

Why I Coach

2007-10-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” someone asked me.

“A swimming coach,” I said.

“Ryan, you’re smart. You should go do something worthwhile like cure cancer or solve global warming.” My classmate's words stung.

I was a senior in high school and had made up my mind the career path I wanted to take. Several of my classmates scoffed at my answer to the question, conjuring up stereotypical images of a swimming coach- a fat guy with a clipboard, a stopwatch, and a whistle sitting in a chair. “Is that really what you want to be?”

I don’t remember my exact answer to that question, but I knew that I had found the vocation that I would passionately pursue from that day forward – to be a swimming coach. I didn’t want to be the kind of coach my friends were imagining, but much more than that.

The reason I began coaching is because of my swimming coach. Though I swam for him for less than two years, I was transformed by the experience. I learned the value of discipline, the joy of effort, and the meaning of pain. I discovered that when I set an objective, I could surely reach it no matter how far off it seemed. My coach had such an impact on my life, that I felt called to have the same impact on others’.

“Why do you coach?” read the hand-written note card last Monday during a sit-down talk with the Senior I group. The question stared back at me. I had put considerable thought into that same question many times, particularly when I left Florida to come to Chapel Hill. Not since that day in high school had the situation called for me to articulate my answer as clearly as I hoped to then. My answer was this:

I coach because I enjoy it. I coach for that moment when the hand touches the wall, the scoreboard screams victory, and the swimmer’s face says the hardship has all been worth it. I coach for the chance to fail and the opportunity to succeed. I coach for the people I grow to know and the relationships I have made. I coach for the opportunity to show a swimmer that he is capable of so much more than he thought. For the chance to be for someone else what my coach was to me – a motivator and a mentor.

Early in the movie The Gladiator, the Roman general Maximus seeks to rally his soldiers before battle. Shouting to the masses before leading them to certain death and destruction, he proclaims that “what we do in life echoes in eternity.” For me, that quote put into words the value of my chosen career. I had the privilege of learning firsthand the impact on a life that a coach can have - the personal empowerment and confidence that can be discovered within one’s self and lead to a lifetime of achievement. That is the essence of coaching for me – to show young people what personal discipline, effort, and courage can achieve and then sending them on their way. It is much more than just swimming. If I can affect someone’s life for the better, I believe my efforts can echo in eternity and have lasting impact on the world.