10 & Under Top 20 1000 IM Test Set Updated

10 & Under - 1000 yard IM (400IM, 300IM, 200IM, 100IM straight through)

TOP 20 LIST (since 2007) UPDATED!

Girls

1. 14:41 Jessica Epps / Malia Mills

2. 14:49  Lacey Hall

3. 14:53 Hannah Wilkens

4. 14:59 Charlotte Manser

5. 15:00  Marybeth Johnson

6. 15:03 Raselle Chetwynd

7. 15:12 Casey Brotherton

8. 15:13 Vicky Gong

9. 15:16  Ella Ristic

10. 15:23 Olivia Boisen

11. 15:23 Rachel Taylor

12. 15:37 Jami Hwang

13. 15:40 Keaton Klein

14. 15:46 Courtney Prefontaine

15. 15:46 Bobbi Thompson

16. 15:49 Mandy Barnes

17. 15:55 Samantha Shelton

18. 15:56 Bianca Tatum

19. 15:58 Kyra Bernhardt

20. 15:59 Shayna Vayser

Boys

1. 14:26 Matt Hales

2. 14:27 Min Zhi Chua

3. 14:34 Braden Olson

4. 14:50 Daniel Kim

5. 14:55 Alex Borjal

6. 15:01 Daniel Lew

7. 15:13 Michael Early

8. 15:13 Bryce Bernhardt

9. 15:41 Jackson Kent

10. 15:57 Michael Snodgrass

11. 15:59 Michael Smith

12. 16:04 Oliver Manser

13. 16:04 Brandon Kolarov

14. 16:05 Killian McShane

15. 16:06 Josh Dolendo

16. 16:08 Christopher McElroy

17. 16:13 Alex Qu

18. 16:21 Jack Trujillo

19. 16:23 Chris Hales

20. 16:27 Garrett Neamand

MVN Excellence Award Recipients: Maddy Tigert & Quinn Neamand

So, this was the short speech I had prepared for the recipients of the Mission Viejo Nadadores Excellence Award at the 2012 awards banquet.  The date of the banquet happened to coincide with my families vacation to Cancun so I was unable to attend.  Somehow, this speech never made it to the stage and one of the Nadadores most excellent athletes was not acknowledged for her dedication to being the best she could be.  So here you go, Maddy.  This blog is for you. 

When I think about what this award means to me and who I feel is deserving of this title, I simply go straight to the Nadadores mission statement...  

This swimmer must have "an uncompromised commitment to the pursuit of excellence".  

This athlete is constantly "striving to be the best they can be".  

This child has worked "to acquire life enhancing attributes such as integrity, discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship".

10 Blue Excellence Award - MADDY TIGERT

With a smile the size of the entire 50 meter pool and a laugh that can melt your heart; this child is so much more than an athlete.  It didn't take long after the move from the 10 and under Silver group to our 10 and under Blue group to make an impression on the coaches.  I could tell from the beginning that with the wonderful and unique personality in combination with the hard work ethic shown on a daily basis that this was one amazing kid.  We saw a ton of improvement in technique, a Never Ever Give Up attitude, and a love for the team that very few actually have.  This person was kind even when most kids would not be, a dedicated student of the sport and a true team player.  I ask the kids to believe in 3 things:  Their TEAM, their COACH, and THEMSELVES...I feel that this athlete believed in those three things with all her heart.

Congratulations to Madison Tiggert for receiving the Mission Viejo Nadadores Excellence Award for the 10 and under Blue Group!

10 Gold Excellence Award - QUINN NEAMAND

The words in the Mission Viejo Nadadores mission statement perfectly mirror the kind of person that is getting this award today.  

This swimmer came to my group as a tiny little lemon-head who was very quiet and needed a lot of improvement in stroke technique.  Through time, hard work, and dedication we saw a significant change take place. This kid was starting to own practices and show the signs of a great swimmer.  It took a full two years, but finally this athlete was able to really show off what all that work was truly about at the last meet of the 10 and under season...

He finished his final 10 and under season as the fastest 50 and 100 breaststroker in all of Southern California. He was also a finalist in his 4 other individual J.O. events in which he competed in.  

I feel confident and incredibly proud that Quinn Neamand is the recipient of the Mission Viejo Nadadores Excellence Award for the 10 and under Gold group.  Congratulations Quinn NEAMAND!

60x25's Accountability Set

Today the 10 and under Blue and Gold swimmers did 60x25's free on 1:00. The set was explained as an accountability set. We were focused on 4 super-important but often forgotten practice MUST-HAVES. The kids were to do the following off of every wall in order to complete the set. This was a team effort and any mistakes were counted as extra 25's and added in at the end.  Each child was held accountable for their mistakes and was expected to learn from their mistakes along the way.

1. Leave the wall from an exit (ready position). Basically, this is the second part of an open turn: They have one hand and both feet on the wall. They have the other hand dropped at the side or pointed towards the other side of the pool. Once they need to leave the wall they "exit" underwater with the hand cutting behind the head into the streamline. When they have submerged and are tight into their streamline they can push off on the side and begin the dolphin kicks.
2. Streamline TIGHT!. You might be surprised at how many sloppy streamlines little kids can do...Even the fast ones.
3.  5 dolphin kicks minimum.  This will get the kids past the flags and ahead of their competition.  Practice what you want to do in a race.  If my kids practice 1-3 dolphin kicks at workouts, they will do less in a meet.  5 is reasonable, especially in a set that gives them so much rest and time to reset.  Some did the minimum 5 while others worked on speed and distance going 7-10 with maximum effort.
4.  Hold your breath for three strokes out of the breakout.  This is the one discipline that my kids have the hardest time with.  They want air...They don't need air.  But all human beings need commitment and dedication to a specific goal in order to give up something that is so fundamental and free.

We started off a little sloppy at first but once the kids knew we were serious and holding them 100% accountable they jumped on board and set their focus on our goal.  We only added 10 extra 25's by the end of the first 60.  Unfortunately the kids pretty much checked out after that and we added another 8 to the last 10.  With a little hollering and, again, holding the kids 100% accountable, they finally pulled it together and finished off strong.  If you want to see your kids doing the good things at meets that are important and lead to BETTER swimming, then you need to practice, practice, practice the good habits.  The more the good habits are practiced the better the chances you will see it when it really counts.