Who smells like Chlorine?

I have been MIA for awhile...So, until I get my act together:

Check out another successful Southern California age group coach that likes to share ideas through his blog.  Coach Adrian at Rattler Swim Club

Can Your Kids Handle the Pressure?

This is an amazing article explaining why some of our kids are flopping under pressure.  Read Here and find out who your "Warriors" are and who your "Worriers" are.  Chances are you already know.

Three Gates

Over the past couple of months, my groups have had tremendous success in the pool and at meets.  However, some issues due to impolite behavior and inappropriate "lane manners" rise to the forefront every now and then.  Each child in these groups is impressively committed to swimming and has a strong belief in their coach and this team, but this does not always mean that they will get along perfectly.  While doing some research on how to handle these situations I found this:  The Three Gates.  I used it as a discussion topic at one of our meetings and it did help some of our athletes "think twice" before speaking.  When there is a complaint of a swimmer being less than a perfect teammate I try to help the child solve the problem on their own.  This doesn't always completely solve the problem but it gives the swimmer a chance to work things out at the level in which the issue began, child to child.  I refuse to teach my swimmers, and my own child, that you can solve every problem by tattling and getting a grown up to do it for you.  I think this course of action strengthens independent thinking within the child and helps develop problem solving skills that they can take with them into their adult lives.  How do you handle interpersonal lane issues that come up?  Swimmers, parents, coaches, please share your thoughts.

500 Free Pace Practice

Practice for Wed. 1/30/13

Peak Intensity Week 2

4,000 yards average per day

Mia and Ella Ristic

Goal:  500 Free pace work.  High Intensity Training

Warm up

400 Free

4x100 Free

4x50 Free

(All on 10 seconds rest)

Pace Work for 500 Free

2 rounds

5x100 on 1:50

Take your 500 goal time and figure out what your 100 splits need to be.  Make sure your average 100 splits are on pace to meet your goal 500 time.

Pull w/paddles and buoy

1x600 (75 Bk, 25 Fr) 

Focus on rotation, hand to hip connection

 

Swim

1x400 (Build 75 brst, easy 25 fr)

Focus on long pull downs

Hardest Interval Possible

3 rounds

3x100IM

Focus on back to brst turns.  Make the base!

Lane 1 on 1:25

Lane 2 on 1:30

Lane 3 on 1:35

Lane 4 on 1:40

EZ 100 Cool down

Dryland

Circuit - 60 seconds per station for 15 min.

Station 1:  Drop jumps

Station 2: V hold

Station 3: Run 

Push ups

Stretch

Top 20 NEGU 1000y IM Test Set

TOP 20 LIST (since 2007) UPDATED!

400IM, 300IM, 200IM, 100IM Non Stop

Girls

1. 14:20 Malia Mills

Matt Hales - Boys NEGU 1000 Record Holder

2. 14:41 Jessica Epps 

3. 14:49  Lacey Hall
4. 14:50 Izzy Hopkins

5. 14:53 Hannah Wilkens

6. 14:59 Charlotte Manser
7. 15:00 Ella Ristic

7. 15:00  Marybeth Johnson

9. 15:03 Raselle Chetwynd

10. 15:12 Casey Brotherton

11. 15:13 Vicky Gong

12. 15:15  Mia Ristic
13. 15:16 Emma Diaz

14. 15:23 Olivia Boisen

14. 15:23 Rachel Taylor

16. 15:37 Jami Hwang

17. 15:40 Keaton Klein

18. 15:46 Courtney Prefontaine

18. 15:46 Bobbi Thompson

20. 15:49 Mandy Barnes

Boys

Me and Matt all grown up

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. 15:37 Michael Snodgrass

10. 15:41 Jackson Kent
11. 15:52 Killian McShane

12. 15:59 Michael Smith

13. 16:04 Oliver Manser

13. 16:04 Brandon Kolarov 

15. 16:06 Josh Dolendo

16. 16:08 Christopher McElroy
17. 16:13 Jack Trujillo

17. 16:13 Alex Qu

19. 16:23 Chris Hales
20. 16:27 Garrett Neamand

Stations

We have been doing stations this week at practice.  Each lane is a different station with it's own exercise.  We divide the kids up into 4 lanes and run 5 minutes each station for two rounds.  The total time it takes to complete the set is about 45 minutes.  40 minutes for the stations and some transition time to get from lane to lane.

12-12-12 practice:

Warm up
500 (50 free, 50 no free)

Stations
Station 1:  Rotation
8 twists & 50 backstroke.  (Out of the water, take a 6 foot long painters pole and rest it on your shoulders.  Hold the pole with your hands out to the side with your elbows bent.  Twist until the tip on the pole passes your center line.  Keep your head still and feet planted).

Station 2:  Sculling
Sit on a kickboard and front scull (windshield wipers) non-stop.  Hands and elbows in front of body.  Finger tips down, elbows high.

Station 3:  Pulling
With paddles and buoy, non-stop 5 minute swim.  50 back, 50 free.

Station 4:  Turns
Starting at the middle of the pool, race in and out of your walls practicing fast turns.  Alternate free and open turns.

Swim
12x100 lane 1 & 2 on 1:30, lane 3 on 1:40, lane 4 on 1:45 (50 stroke [IM order], 50 free)

Stroke Count Test Sets

Something new for the 2012-13 SCY season that I have implemented into my development plan for the 10 and under Gold and Blue groups is the use of Stroke Count as a test set.  I have always had fun in teaching the swimmers about counting their strokes with games like swim-golf.  The problem with this is that they are viewed as just that, games.   And without follow-through they lose their significance and impact on the swimmers mind set going into hard workouts where stroke count should be the focus.  My plan is to have a test set of 100 yards for each stroke.  In pairs, one athlete swims and the other counts strokes.  I get their times from the watch and call it out as they come in to the wall.  We add up their stroke count and their time (in seconds) to get their total score.  The difference between this and swim-golf is that this test set is going to be repeated throughout the season for each stroke so they can measure their improvement.  Also, they will have a chance to work on stroke count each day with a stroke count specific results set which is designed for them to work on distance per stroke and they can judge their efficiency through stroke count by comparing the test set scores to their current swimming.
So far it has been working great!  Every time we do a set that compares their test set scores to what they are currently doing, they immediately show signs of increased focus and a much better awareness of what they are doing.  Even some of the most stubborn of swimmers are slowing down to think about the actual distance each stroke can get them.  Hips are rotating more, kicks are consistent, arms are stretching out farther, and breathing patterns are holding strong.  I also see more commitment to longer under-waters and an increase in the average number of dolphin kicks off of each wall.  We have our first meet of the season coming up and this will be a great measuring stick event to see where we stand in terms of DPS vs. Tempo in our racing skills.  Will my swimmers blast through their strokes and forget everything they learned?  Will they swim too slow and over think their strokes counts and technique.  Or will they race with improved efficiency taking less strokes with an optimal racing tempo?  Time will tell.