Set of the Week

As our Championship meet creeps closer and closer, I thought my kids were in need of some racing fun.  So, we did this set 3 times last week and the kids loved it.

8x75 on 2:00 Free
I paired the kids up by similar speeds and racing abilities.  While swimmer 1 swam a moderate first 50 of the 75, his partner waited on the wall.  When swimmer 1 flipped and hit the wall to go on for the final 25, swimmer 2 pushed off (just a second later) and the pair raced side by side to the finish.  They alternated positions each 50.


I liked this because it made the swimmers race through fatigue.  They had to hold it together and race when they were tired.  It also put them in positions where they were in the lead and had to hold off their opponents.  And on the other side of it, catch the person ahead of them.  Lots of good racing fun on this one.
You could play around with the amount of time you want swimmer 2 to wait on the wall after swimmer 1 hits.  I had swimmer 2 push off right away the first time we did this set.  The second time I had swimmer 2 push off a second late and that made the race more competitive.  By the third time we did this set, I had the kids decide when they pushed off with the idea that they needed it to be a close race at the finish.

Dryland: The Nadador Way! - Presentation from the All-Sports Clinic 2011

My father has been battling a lung disease for the past 6 years.  On Friday morning he passed away.  He was going to come see me speak at a coaches clinic for the first time this weekend had he been healthy and able.  It was extremely difficult to finish this presentation before the clinic, but I managed to pull it together. I feel that it is somewhat incomplete in the details.  However, I thought that it went off successfully with the help of my mom and brother there to show support.  I know my dad would have been proud.

3 Weeks to Great Flip Turns - Presentation from the All-Sports Clinic 2011

This was the second of the two in my first hour.  The ideas are simple but can be used for any age athlete that is having trouble with their flip turns - specifically controlling the arms.  Let me know what you think.
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Teaching the Underwater Dolphin Kick - Presentation from the All-Sports Clinic 2011

This was the first of 2 mini presentations that I did in my first hour at the All-Sports Clinic on Saturday.  I thought that while the room was small the coaches who were present were excited to see some of the work I do with my kids on this subject.  I had some good questions and feedback on this one.  I have felt for some time now that it would be nice to see what more coaches are doing to promote better underwater kicking, especially at the young ages.  Are we teaching it early enough?  Are we training it?  Well, this is what I am doing with my Gold and Blue 10 and under athletes at the Mission Viejo Nadadores.  What are you doing?  Comments please!
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Croc's - Shoes with holes...Really?

Lately I have been noticing these ridiculous looking shoes all over the pool deck.  They are called Croc's.  Why my swimmers are wearing these things is completely beyond me. They look silly, have holes in them, and offer no protection from the elements other than having a sole that covers the bottoms of their feet.  What happened to Ugg's.  Now those things were comfy, they were warm, and covered your feet from toes to shins.

With all the talk about warming up properly and staying warm, I would think my swimmers would go for the best possible choice in outdoor and cold weather protection.  Unfortunately, it is cool to have cold feet.  Or is it that kids are just too lazy to put socks and shoes on?  I really don't know, but it bugs me to no end when I see my swimmers come to me before and after races with wet feet and these silly shoes with HOLES in them.  Some other bone-headed things I see on my swimmers feet are sandals, Birkenstocks (leather, really?), fuzzy slippers, just socks, and bear naked tippy-toes with nothing on at all.
Here is a challenge to all swimmers, parents and coaches out there:  Find a better shoe!  Seriously, find the best possible way to go through a cold swim meet with warm dry feet.  What do you say?

SoCal All-Sports Clinic Swimming Program

2011 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ALL- SPORTS CLINIC     SWIMMING

FRIDAY JANUARY 21,  2011     Hyatt Regency Hotel, Irvine, CA  -  PELICAN HILL ROOM  

12:00 - 12:50 PM    JIM  MONTRELLAPast  USA Olympic Coach, Past ASCA National Coach of Year, Former Head Coach Ohio State,
5 x Big Ten Champions, USS National Mentor Coach
Teaching Turns of the Four Strokes - The 3 E’s Entry, Execution, Exit
1:00 - 1:50 PM       JIM  MONTRELLA
The 4 Common Denominators of the 4 Competitive Strokes
2:00 - 2:50 PM       TONY CIARELLI -
Considerations for Strength Training  of Female Athlete
3:00 - 3:50 PM       JIM  MONTRELLA
Tactical Side of Swimming: How to Win a Race, A Dual Meet, A League Championship
4:00-  4:30 PM       BREAK -------------------
4:30 - 5:20 PM       COREY STANBURYHead Coach (M/W) El Camino College, Over 100 athletes earned All-American honors, compiled 14 winning
seasons with 5 Conference titles. An El Camino swimmer has held 100 Fly record for Community College since 1999.
Coaching of Butterfly Swimmers - Learning the Stroke, Starts, Turns, Finishing, Workouts
5:30 - 6:20 PM       FRANK ADDLEMEN  ( Held in Volleyball Room, International Ballroom - A )Best Selling Author, “Winning Edge”, Member College of Sports Medicine
New Innovations: Understanding the Nutritional Requirements for Competition and Your Health

SATURDAY JANUARY  22, 2011        Hyatt Regency Hotel, Irvine, CA -  PELICAN HILL ROOM
9:00 - 9:50 A.M. ....…. GENERAL SESSION SPEAKER Salon D & E ………. Dr KEN RAVIZZA
America’s most distinguished sports psychologists, MLB, USOC, NFL, NCAA, Cal State Fullerton
Coaching Excellence for Today’s Athlete
10:00 - 10:50 AM   AD’M DUSENBURY
Coach, Mission Viejo Nadadores,   Ad'm has had more then 500 J.O. qualifiers, 80 Sectional qualifiers, 6 Junior National qualifiers,
75 Top 10 swimmers and 18 swimmers in the Top 3 in the Nation
Essentials of Constructing Best Training Sets
11:00 - 11:50 AM   AD’M DUSENBURY
Dry Land Strength, Flexibility, Conditioning, Training
12:00 - 1:30 PM     LUNCH BREAK -------
1:30  -  2:20 PM     RICK KLATTFormer World Record Holder, One original designers of  Swim America Program. Aquatic Director Central USD &
Head Coach Fresno Dolphins Swim Team.
Freestyle Swimming: Understanding the Difference- Sprint / Distance
2:30  -  3:20 PM     RICK KLATT
Favorite Workouts - What and Why / Pre Season /League Season / Championship Season
3:30  -  4:00 PM     ---------------BREAK --------
4:00  -  4:50 PM     BRYAN DEDEAUX
Coach, Mission Viejo Nadadores, Age Group Coach Of The Year 
3 Weeks to Great Flip Turns-Teaching the Underwater Dolphin Kick5:00  -  5:50 PM     BRYAN DEDEAUX- 
Out of Water Cross Training for 12 & Under Swimmers
6:00 -   6:50 PM -- DICK VERMEIL -- GENERAL SESSION Speaker (Football # 2 & 3) …  
One of FB Greatest Coaches / Motivators, 2 x NFL Coach of the Year, 2 x Super Bowl: Eagles & Champs - RAMS
The Essence of Leadership            


SUNDAY JANUARY 23,  2011    Hyatt Regency Hotel, Irvine, CA    -  PELICAN HILL ROOM
9:00 -   9:50 AM     GREGG WILSON
One of the most honored coaches in swimming. 22 x Big West Conference Coach of Year, 35 Big West Conference Team Titles, Has produced Olympic Gold Medalists, World Record  Holders, and 20+ NCAA Div I All Americans. Head Coach UC Santa Barbara
Breaststroke: Training, Starts, Turns, Finish, Tactics, Workouts
10:00 - 10:50 AM   GREGG WILSON
Developing and Training Individual Medley Swimmers: Starts, Turns, Finish, Tactics, Workouts
11:00 - 11:50 AM   GREGG WILSON
Planning and Implementation of Multiple Peak Season, The Season End Taper