I am pleased to announce that the kids have raised over $1800 bagging groceries at Winn Dixie. This money will go towards a new record board. As older swimmers look to the excitement of setting records, younger swimmers look to crush those records to bits. This board is more than a record board. It is a hint of progress. It is this teams desire to push beyond a mediocre club.
I am so pleased to be a part of this great effort. Although the numbers have cooled down with the temperature we are still looking forward and still planning for spring and summer. Please continue to support the club in these next few months as we go through some cold fronts. Without consistency it is hard to achieve our desired results. Both pools have promised to try their best to maintain a 79-80 degree temperature. I will heat them up from there :)
Congratulations to this club for an outstanding job raising this money for your board. Without the help of the community, the swimmers, and the parents none of this could be possible. I thank you all.
Please look ahead next year as we are planning a Swim-A-Thon in March to hopefully nudge us along further.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Winter Champs
http://www.teamunify.com/TabGeneric.jsp?_tabid_=11068&team=fgcspst
The link above is for the results of the 2008 winter Championship meet in Plantation, Fl.
Winter Champs is a meet we look froward to. It is a three day championship meet which in many ways is a learning experience in itself. First, you need to train your body to handle three 10 hour days of warming up, racing, warming down, racing again, warm down, race again, warm down, possible racing again, warming down, check the final results. If you made finals, which was most definitely a goal of our ours, then you have 3 hours to eat and rest before you come back for finals. If you have more than one final it will be warm up, race, warm down, race, warm down again. By the way, in finals the requirements are to go faster than your best time AGAIN. Three days of maximum physical, mental and emotional stress. I congratulate all swimmers who competed.
We had great times, we had good times, we had bad times. We won medals, we made finals, and we also watched finals from the side of the pool. The ones that did will will continue to work. The ones that wanted to do better will continue to work. I will continue to work.
I am excited for some rest during the holiday season. This week I will be putting together a schedule for the winter that will be different from the regular schedule. Please make sure you utilize the website during the winter months.
The link above is for the results of the 2008 winter Championship meet in Plantation, Fl.
Winter Champs is a meet we look froward to. It is a three day championship meet which in many ways is a learning experience in itself. First, you need to train your body to handle three 10 hour days of warming up, racing, warming down, racing again, warm down, race again, warm down, possible racing again, warming down, check the final results. If you made finals, which was most definitely a goal of our ours, then you have 3 hours to eat and rest before you come back for finals. If you have more than one final it will be warm up, race, warm down, race, warm down again. By the way, in finals the requirements are to go faster than your best time AGAIN. Three days of maximum physical, mental and emotional stress. I congratulate all swimmers who competed.
We had great times, we had good times, we had bad times. We won medals, we made finals, and we also watched finals from the side of the pool. The ones that did will will continue to work. The ones that wanted to do better will continue to work. I will continue to work.
I am excited for some rest during the holiday season. This week I will be putting together a schedule for the winter that will be different from the regular schedule. Please make sure you utilize the website during the winter months.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Splash And Dash
This Last Saturday I am pleased to report that four kids on the team Daniel Michael, Kelsey Volland, Evin Zekthi and Taelor Cuppett all participated in a "Splash and Dash" event at Founders Park. The race was a 500 meter swim and a 3 mile run. The kids crushed everyone in the swim and lost a little ground on land but each one of them won their age group. I was very proud of all of our swimmers who represented FKSC in fine fashion. Hopefully next year we can have some more kids, and even parents get involved. It is a healthy and fun way to stay active and most importantly these are activities that these kids can do for the rest of their life. Congrats to all the participants!
I am off for Winter Champs this week. Keep checking for updated
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
To The Parents
I always like to take a moment out and thank the parents. I have no assistant coaches and they parents do a lot for me. Without them I would most definitely not achieve the same kind of success. They are organized and committed.
So thank you parents for being a shuttle, a supporter, and shoulder to cry on, a cheerleader, a motivator and for everything else you do to make this possible.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So thank you parents for being a shuttle, a supporter, and shoulder to cry on, a cheerleader, a motivator and for everything else you do to make this possible.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Devil Rays Invite
I always get worried that in the midst of the High School season my younger kids, the backbone of the team, get pushed to the side. We went to a meet this weekend, however, and they proved to me that although they havent been they primary focus for the last month they perhaps should have been. These kids have been working just as hard as anyone else and it shows. Every kid at this meet was CRUSHING thier personal best times or even qualifying for JOs. I am so proud of them and I cant wait to get back to making sure they grow up to be big fast swimmers.
Regionals
High school seson is coming to a end now that we have finished the Regional Championship meet. The meet was a lot of fun. At this meet we dont have the added pressure of winning the Regional Championship. Im not saying that I would not like the pleasure of that pressure someday but this year it was all about individual performance and fun. I was very impressed with all of the kids on the Regional Team. Not only did they do a great job of representing the school with thier mature behavior but they also represented the school with thier athletesism as well. All of the kids that swam got another chance to swim in either an A or B final. It was a LOOOOOONG day but they stayed mentally strong and physically tought and in the end we left with some good memories and some best times.
Congradulations to Kelsey Anderson and Meghan Miller for moving on to the State Meet.
Back to the grind of US club swimming. We have Winter Championships comming up. Check For details!
Congradulations to Kelsey Anderson and Meghan Miller for moving on to the State Meet.
Back to the grind of US club swimming. We have Winter Championships comming up. Check For details!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
District Championships
The team swam well at the District Championships. We did not place as high as we did last year seeing as we did not have the numbers to compete in championship style scoring but that did not stop many individuals from swimming best times and making the Regional Championship meet. We had several swimmers make the finals and most importantly every single relay, with the exception of one, made the final. That just shows me the potential of the team when they can swim together.
There were many things that I took into consideration after this meet. The first being that I am going to really miss our seniors. They supply the blood flow of the program with their energy and race style mentality. The second, however, was how proud I was of the upcoming team. I know that the future of the team is secure because every class below the seniors is strong and has the ability to continue the tradition of swimming fast and competing at the highest levels of High School swimming. I know that with a little more commitment in the off season this can be a team that grows to be a real competitor in this district.
There were many things that I took into consideration after this meet. The first being that I am going to really miss our seniors. They supply the blood flow of the program with their energy and race style mentality. The second, however, was how proud I was of the upcoming team. I know that the future of the team is secure because every class below the seniors is strong and has the ability to continue the tradition of swimming fast and competing at the highest levels of High School swimming. I know that with a little more commitment in the off season this can be a team that grows to be a real competitor in this district.
Friday, October 3, 2008
County Champions
Another year and we won another County Championship. I was very impressed with the team as a whole. I really believe that we are a team that does not have a weak swimmer and I think that was the real difference between us and Key West. They definitely had the numbers on their side but we had the quality on our side. It was really nice to see the team clicking as one cohesive machine. Even when we already knew that we had secured the victory every kid swam hard right until the last swim. It's just the way we are. We will swim same against Marathon that we swim against Ransom. We swim to our best potential every time!
Our eyes are still focused on the future. I brought the championship plaques to practice the other day. I had everyone just stare at them for a moment and allow themselves to feel accomplishment. Directly after, however, I talked about District Championships. The season isn't over and we still have a lot to do. I still want to take a big team to Regionals and the only way to do that is to swim well at Districts. I think we have the ability and the potential to place high at districts and we are not only ready but preparing ourselves for the opportunity to perform!
Keep checking for updates!
Our eyes are still focused on the future. I brought the championship plaques to practice the other day. I had everyone just stare at them for a moment and allow themselves to feel accomplishment. Directly after, however, I talked about District Championships. The season isn't over and we still have a lot to do. I still want to take a big team to Regionals and the only way to do that is to swim well at Districts. I think we have the ability and the potential to place high at districts and we are not only ready but preparing ourselves for the opportunity to perform!
Keep checking for updates!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Miami Dade Invite
Fast swimming for the club swimmers in Miami! Most people probably think that club swimming stops during high school season but we are in full swing. Kids are trying to get best times, JO cuts, score points for top 16. We most definitely haven't stopped. Kids are setting goals and achieving them! When I look at them one thought crosses my mind: The future is secure.
These kids have been working just as hard as the HS team. They have goals in the sport that include, but also transcend the HS season. These are the kids that are with me ALL YEAR long. I respect these kids and the commitment they continue to give me.
Well, that being said I hope they don't mind that we go on a bit of a grind while we have a break in meets. Swimmers times have advanced themselves so practice will advance itself to follow suit. Keep moving things ahead!
Champs WED check for updates!
These kids have been working just as hard as the HS team. They have goals in the sport that include, but also transcend the HS season. These are the kids that are with me ALL YEAR long. I respect these kids and the commitment they continue to give me.
Well, that being said I hope they don't mind that we go on a bit of a grind while we have a break in meets. Swimmers times have advanced themselves so practice will advance itself to follow suit. Keep moving things ahead!
Champs WED check for updates!
Friday, September 26, 2008
La Salle & St. Brendan
Yesterday we became a team. I say that because yesterday I used a unusual lineup. I put every swimmer in at least one unusual event for them or in one event in which they felt uncomfortable. I asked them to sacrifice a little bit of personal comfort to win a meet and they did just that. Every person on this team swam a event that made them feel uncomfortable. Every person swam off events and we won. We defined what it means to be a team, and what it means to act like a team. The meet was probably closer than I would have liked to see it but we rallied and won at the end. After that meet I am confident in our team going into County Championships. We have a couple of more practices to tighten all the loose ends before we compete.
I will be asking the Capts. to hold workout this weekend as I will be attending a club meet. Please Check for updates and announcements!
I will be asking the Capts. to hold workout this weekend as I will be attending a club meet. Please Check for updates and announcements!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Miami Country Day/ Ransom/ Gulliver
So we had a pretty exciting/stressful weekend. We swam two meets against really tough opponents in a row. The first meet was a tri meet v.s Country Day and Ransom. We won fairly handily against Country Day, and lost by less than 10 to Ransom on both the girls and the boys side. The boys only lost by one. On Saturday we raced Gulliver. The boys lost fairly handily but the girls only lost by 4.
I was very proud of our win v.s. Country Day but I do have to say I REALLY wanted to beat one of the upper echelon schools. I think that everyone expects them to win because they have tradition. They have always beat us. They have always been better teams. But I cant say that everyone still believes these things. Me least of all. I think that we have the talent, spirit, competitiveness, skill, and team to get the job done. All we lack is pre/post season consistency. The only real difference between these "better" teams and us is the fact that their swimmers swim all year or at least all summer. The do a better job of preparing.
We aren't there yet but we are on the right track. I think that although we did lose these meets it was also something that we will use to slingshot us into the County Championship and Districts. Our team is focused and ready which makes my job easy for the next week. So back to the pool and back to the road ahead of us.
Keep checking for updates.
I was very proud of our win v.s. Country Day but I do have to say I REALLY wanted to beat one of the upper echelon schools. I think that everyone expects them to win because they have tradition. They have always beat us. They have always been better teams. But I cant say that everyone still believes these things. Me least of all. I think that we have the talent, spirit, competitiveness, skill, and team to get the job done. All we lack is pre/post season consistency. The only real difference between these "better" teams and us is the fact that their swimmers swim all year or at least all summer. The do a better job of preparing.
We aren't there yet but we are on the right track. I think that although we did lose these meets it was also something that we will use to slingshot us into the County Championship and Districts. Our team is focused and ready which makes my job easy for the next week. So back to the pool and back to the road ahead of us.
Keep checking for updates.
Monday, September 15, 2008
St. Andrews
In the first meet of the season our team felt the sweet taste of victory. In the second meet we felt the bitter taste of defeat. A mentor of mine Mike Bottom told me, however, that each race, each meet should be swum as a learning experience. There is never really any finality in any sport. Even when a athlete achieves a specific goal they still aspire to achieve more. It is a innate human characteristics of a athlete. A unsettled nature and a desire to always be better.
So Hopefully we will learn from this experience. We did a lot of things right. We had good starts and turns. We swam with a lot of heart. We cheered for each other. But we still need to get into better shape. Ike put a damper on our training a bit. When we get in better shape we will stop getting passed when we hold the lead. We will finish our races etc. etc. etc.
After the meet we had a great Pot Luck/ BBQ with the St. Andrews Team. It was nice because events like that reinforce the true nature of competition. Its always nice to just see kids acting like kids. Thanks to Rich Russel for helping me fund the event, and thanks to all the parents for all their work in the meet and with the Pot Luck. You are very appreciated.
So back to the pool and back to work. Keep checking for updates
So Hopefully we will learn from this experience. We did a lot of things right. We had good starts and turns. We swam with a lot of heart. We cheered for each other. But we still need to get into better shape. Ike put a damper on our training a bit. When we get in better shape we will stop getting passed when we hold the lead. We will finish our races etc. etc. etc.
After the meet we had a great Pot Luck/ BBQ with the St. Andrews Team. It was nice because events like that reinforce the true nature of competition. Its always nice to just see kids acting like kids. Thanks to Rich Russel for helping me fund the event, and thanks to all the parents for all their work in the meet and with the Pot Luck. You are very appreciated.
So back to the pool and back to work. Keep checking for updates
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Carrolton & Marathon
So back to High School duel meets! We started out with a pair of wins on the girls side and one win for the boys as Carrolton only has girls. I was really proud of our team today because although we were not in the best shape I still saw kids relying on their competitive spirit to get them thought the race. And I will take a win on a off day any time.I think the thing that really was the best was that this team relied on each other to win races. We are one machine! The races that we did not win we picked up second and third. That is a textbook way to win a meet. Everyone takes a role in the win.
I have to admit that I love how fast these meets run. Its so much more competitive and I can feel the enthusiasm and intensity in the air. We have another meet on Sat. Some bigger competition so I hope we can step it up.
Keep checking for updates.
I have to admit that I love how fast these meets run. Its so much more competitive and I can feel the enthusiasm and intensity in the air. We have another meet on Sat. Some bigger competition so I hope we can step it up.
Keep checking for updates.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Miami Dade Meet
I first want to thank all of the parents and swimmers remained patient during the delays in the meet. We are currently making a push to have some meets in the Keys! We will most certainly be more organized.
Despite the long delays, blistering heat, and overwhelming anticipation the swimmers did great. It is always expected that after a long course season that short corse times will be faster but these were really huge drops. Anywhere from :30 to :1 sec time drops. The JO team continues to grow as there were several cuts posted and all swimmers got best times in all thier events.
Most of all I saw great sportmanship. I saw key fish swimmers congradulating other swimemrs, giving each other high fives, spreading the word of a fast swim like wildfire, and cheering for each others races. I had to tell kids to go sit down and relax! It was great. Work from the summer is paying off and we are more ready for this upcoming short course season than ever.
Parents came up and congratdulated me. I will tell you, however, that the best thing that I do is let them get themselves ready and prepared for the meet. For the most part they are all stretching and warming up on thier own with minimal instruction from me. I did my work at practice so I am confident the work will pay off to those who also did thier work.
Keep checking for updates. Looks like a storm is comming. Stay posted for announcements.
Despite the long delays, blistering heat, and overwhelming anticipation the swimmers did great. It is always expected that after a long course season that short corse times will be faster but these were really huge drops. Anywhere from :30 to :1 sec time drops. The JO team continues to grow as there were several cuts posted and all swimmers got best times in all thier events.
Most of all I saw great sportmanship. I saw key fish swimmers congradulating other swimemrs, giving each other high fives, spreading the word of a fast swim like wildfire, and cheering for each others races. I had to tell kids to go sit down and relax! It was great. Work from the summer is paying off and we are more ready for this upcoming short course season than ever.
Parents came up and congratdulated me. I will tell you, however, that the best thing that I do is let them get themselves ready and prepared for the meet. For the most part they are all stretching and warming up on thier own with minimal instruction from me. I did my work at practice so I am confident the work will pay off to those who also did thier work.
Keep checking for updates. Looks like a storm is comming. Stay posted for announcements.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Phelps Under H2O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc&feature=related
Phelps at several angels. Watch the connection!
Phelps at several angels. Watch the connection!
Friday, August 1, 2008
JO's
The goal was not only to send more kids to JO's, but I also wanted to get a few top 6 finishers. Both goals were accomplished. Last year at this time I brought 3 kids to Jo's. This year I brought 9. I was so excited to finally bring a team to this meet.
Of those nine I had two finalists and those two finished in the top 5 in at least one final. I can truly say our goals as a team were met.Also, These accolades do not include the best times that were being recorded by all the swimmers. I saw great race preparation and mentality. These swimmers are truly becoming self sufficient athletes.
Now we move back to aerobic training to prep for High School and short course season. Let's keep on rolling into the future! Keep checking for updates.
Of those nine I had two finalists and those two finished in the top 5 in at least one final. I can truly say our goals as a team were met.Also, These accolades do not include the best times that were being recorded by all the swimmers. I saw great race preparation and mentality. These swimmers are truly becoming self sufficient athletes.
Now we move back to aerobic training to prep for High School and short course season. Let's keep on rolling into the future! Keep checking for updates.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Division II
Last weekend a group of our swimmers competed in the Division II Championships. It is a JO qualifying meet so some of our swimmers who are still chasing JO cuts got a chance to taper and rest for the meet. They knew they had to perform at the top of their game and I can happily say that they did just that. The heat, the several technical malfunctions, and meet delays couldn't stop them either. These kids knew they had a job to do and they went out and performed. We had several new JO cuts and several best times. We also had 80% of swims make it back to the finals and in the finals we had several top 3 finishers. And when I tell you these kids raced, they really released their competitive spirit and challenged all competitors. Needless to say I was fired up!
Aside from the swimming the meet was a great weekend for the kids. The camaraderie on this team is great. One night it was someones birthday so we all went out to Pizza Hut. We monopolized about 10 tables and had a great time. It was so nice to see that although this meet is a serious one that kids had the opportunity to chow on pizza, tell jokes, get in food fights, play games and just flat out be kids. More than anything that is what this is all about. In the daily grind it is easy to forget about that.
Thank you again to all parents for you patience, help, commitment to your children. Without you nothing is possible.
Sectionals this weekend, and JO's in two weeks! Check for updates.
Aside from the swimming the meet was a great weekend for the kids. The camaraderie on this team is great. One night it was someones birthday so we all went out to Pizza Hut. We monopolized about 10 tables and had a great time. It was so nice to see that although this meet is a serious one that kids had the opportunity to chow on pizza, tell jokes, get in food fights, play games and just flat out be kids. More than anything that is what this is all about. In the daily grind it is easy to forget about that.
Thank you again to all parents for you patience, help, commitment to your children. Without you nothing is possible.
Sectionals this weekend, and JO's in two weeks! Check for updates.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
FLA International Meet
I thought I knew what hot was but that was before I went to the Fort Lauderdale International meet last weekend. More than anything I give props to every swimmer who stayed mentally and physically on top of their game although the elements sought to break them down.
This was a great meet. It is one of the biggest meets that we go to with more than 1500 kids in attendance. These kids came from all over the country and they all had A times or above so I consider it a elite meet. For us is was a practice in elevating our performance at the more elite level.
I believe that we did that. Many swimmers placed in the top twenty and we had one swimmer place top ten. What I always have to remember is that these are the fastest kids in the Florida Keys and every time they go out to compete they prove that. I saw lots of confidence exuding out of all of the kids and most importantly they had fun.
What I was most impressed with was our swimmers abilities to warm themselves up and mentally prep for a race. If you look at any other team they are all running group warm ups. I do not. I want to believe that I produce self sufficient athletes that can warm up on their own and swim fast on their own. I think that if they learn how to get themselves ready that any success is theirs more than anyone elses.
I give lots of props to all the kids and I hope we can carry the momentum through the summer and continue to grow and prosper as a elite level club.
This was a great meet. It is one of the biggest meets that we go to with more than 1500 kids in attendance. These kids came from all over the country and they all had A times or above so I consider it a elite meet. For us is was a practice in elevating our performance at the more elite level.
I believe that we did that. Many swimmers placed in the top twenty and we had one swimmer place top ten. What I always have to remember is that these are the fastest kids in the Florida Keys and every time they go out to compete they prove that. I saw lots of confidence exuding out of all of the kids and most importantly they had fun.
What I was most impressed with was our swimmers abilities to warm themselves up and mentally prep for a race. If you look at any other team they are all running group warm ups. I do not. I want to believe that I produce self sufficient athletes that can warm up on their own and swim fast on their own. I think that if they learn how to get themselves ready that any success is theirs more than anyone elses.
I give lots of props to all the kids and I hope we can carry the momentum through the summer and continue to grow and prosper as a elite level club.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Tamiami LC Meet
Finally back to long course season. I do have to say that I love swimming yards because of the speed, but lets be realistic for a second. No other country in the world swims 25yds except the United States. I would say that in order to be a successful meters swimmer, one has to be a good swimmer as opposed to someone who is just good at starts and turns. This meet gave me a chance to see what kind of swimmers we were with minimal meter training.
When I first opened the heat sheet I immediately relaxed. The times that I saw next to my swimmers names were going to get crushed. I had extreme confidence on that. Some of the best times that were on the heat sheet were intervals that we have been training in workout. Of course I really didn't let on too much. I wanted them to be confident, but not over confident.
This team has come such a long way in a year. Kids are so far in front of their former selves. Lets put it like this. Every swimmer at the meet swam 4 events each day. On each day only one or two kids didn't get a best time in one of those four events, but did best times in all their other events. EVERY OTHER kid did a best times in EVERY EVENT they swam on BOTH days. WOW! I hope they were please with themselves because I know I was pleased with them.
But the word that describes our team is EVOLUTION. I know that at the next meet it will be hard to get best times. The faster you get the harder it becomes. This meet was only the start. It has now motivated me to make sure our team keeps moving in a positive direction. If they are focused then so am I...and that is a dangerous combination for anyone swimming against us!
When I first opened the heat sheet I immediately relaxed. The times that I saw next to my swimmers names were going to get crushed. I had extreme confidence on that. Some of the best times that were on the heat sheet were intervals that we have been training in workout. Of course I really didn't let on too much. I wanted them to be confident, but not over confident.
This team has come such a long way in a year. Kids are so far in front of their former selves. Lets put it like this. Every swimmer at the meet swam 4 events each day. On each day only one or two kids didn't get a best time in one of those four events, but did best times in all their other events. EVERY OTHER kid did a best times in EVERY EVENT they swam on BOTH days. WOW! I hope they were please with themselves because I know I was pleased with them.
But the word that describes our team is EVOLUTION. I know that at the next meet it will be hard to get best times. The faster you get the harder it becomes. This meet was only the start. It has now motivated me to make sure our team keeps moving in a positive direction. If they are focused then so am I...and that is a dangerous combination for anyone swimming against us!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Meet At Ransom...Among other things
The hardest part of coaching is showing them something new after you've already showed them everything you know. I knew that kids improved when I first got here and that was good, but at that point everything was still too new to tell if it was signifigant. I only say this becasue I am wrapping up my first year down here, and I am still seeing improvement. I think we swam great at the meet. More than anything I like kids that are swimming with confidence. The younger swimmers knew thier heats and lanes. They got themselves up and they raced. Real veterans now! My older groups swam great as well! A few new JO cuts, a lot of new best times, and we are still having fun doing it.
Now its longcourse season. I personally am tired of short course and cant wait to swim a real distance. We have LOTS of work in front of us. Again I would like to thank the parents for doing all the driving and cheering! Your constant support allows us to achieve.
Keep checking for updates
Now its longcourse season. I personally am tired of short course and cant wait to swim a real distance. We have LOTS of work in front of us. Again I would like to thank the parents for doing all the driving and cheering! Your constant support allows us to achieve.
Keep checking for updates
Monday, April 21, 2008
8 and Under Meet in Miami
This past weekend the youngest Key Fish traveled to Miami to compete in a 8 and under meet. These meets are a great way for these younger swimmers to get excited about going to meets, and to discover themselves as swimmers.
The month of March was pretty slow in terms of going to meets, but with that "off" time we spent a lot of time trying to develop. My swimmers have been giving me great mental and physical focus over the last month and I would say that this was one of the key contributors to our success as a group. Many of the kids did a best time in every event they swam, while others were only off in one event. Many of the swimmers scored top eight in at least one event while others scored top 3 in every event. We had many heat winners, and for the first time in a long time we had a relay which finished third.
I would say that the best part, however, was watching these young swimmers become more adept at dealing with the chaos that swim meets can sometimes present. They all knew their heats and lanes, and were getting themselves prepared to swim fast. I also saw kids trying new strokes techniques that they have been using in workout and it is always nice to know that my voice is not falling on deaf ears.
Best part of all was that smiles after a race, and the excitement to swim in another race. These young kids remind me to just relax sometimes and have a little fun. I am glad that my swimmers wont be burnt out at the age of 10 and still appreciate the fun, the camaraderie, and the personal achievement that this sport offers.
The month of March was pretty slow in terms of going to meets, but with that "off" time we spent a lot of time trying to develop. My swimmers have been giving me great mental and physical focus over the last month and I would say that this was one of the key contributors to our success as a group. Many of the kids did a best time in every event they swam, while others were only off in one event. Many of the swimmers scored top eight in at least one event while others scored top 3 in every event. We had many heat winners, and for the first time in a long time we had a relay which finished third.
I would say that the best part, however, was watching these young swimmers become more adept at dealing with the chaos that swim meets can sometimes present. They all knew their heats and lanes, and were getting themselves prepared to swim fast. I also saw kids trying new strokes techniques that they have been using in workout and it is always nice to know that my voice is not falling on deaf ears.
Best part of all was that smiles after a race, and the excitement to swim in another race. These young kids remind me to just relax sometimes and have a little fun. I am glad that my swimmers wont be burnt out at the age of 10 and still appreciate the fun, the camaraderie, and the personal achievement that this sport offers.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
New Faces In Tamiami
A little late with this post but I did not forget about it. In fact I left this meet feeling pretty good about the future of our team. For a while I had been relying on a small core group of swimmers on my team to attend all the meets, and really get involved with the team. Now, however, I am seeing lots of new faces at the swim meets; parents and kids alike. Hopefully this is jsut the beggining.
To this meet I took a a lot of newer swimmers, and with a new swimmer it is so easy to make small corrections and go a best time. Kids are just learning what events they like, what kind of swimmer they are, and what kind of a competitor they are. I think we had a terrific showing. Even without many of my "regulars" we still took a bigger group. And these kids ripped it up. We left with lots of ribbons, medals,best times, and most importantly the desire to come to another meet to try our talents again.
Keep checking for updates as I will be trying to get more and more of you out to some more meets!
To this meet I took a a lot of newer swimmers, and with a new swimmer it is so easy to make small corrections and go a best time. Kids are just learning what events they like, what kind of swimmer they are, and what kind of a competitor they are. I think we had a terrific showing. Even without many of my "regulars" we still took a bigger group. And these kids ripped it up. We left with lots of ribbons, medals,best times, and most importantly the desire to come to another meet to try our talents again.
Keep checking for updates as I will be trying to get more and more of you out to some more meets!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
JO's and The Race Club Banquet
A lot has happened in the last week that is worth discussing. The first of which is JO's. I had a great time at that meet mostly becasue I always enjoy a championship meet. There is a certain air at JO's that doesnt exist at the other meets. The swimming is faster, the competition is better, everyone in on top of thier game, everyone wants to win or make finals. It is the type of environment where swimmers either thrive or wither up, and I think that our swimmers did a good job of stepping up and swimming fast. Our goal for the next JO's is to get some more swimmers to the meet, and also to get more swimmers into the finals. Most everyone that swam, however, did personal bests and put thier hearts into each race. In the end what can I really ask for besides swimmers competeing with a big heart and a strong spirit. Now, I am looking forward to the summer when I know everyones focus will be on swimming and swimmers will be getting a lot faster! I plan on showing up to the summer JO's ready to rock and roll!
For the second order of buisness I would like to discuss the fundraiser held by The Race Club on monday night. It was a great event called The Race To Bejing where we tried to raise money for our swimmers competing for the Olympics. I will say I think we had a lot of success. There was a great turnout and it was nice to see the Keys coming out to support our team and our sport. Also, I think it was important becasue everyone saw how much we do here at The Race Club. Yes, our main goal is to send people to the Olympic Games, but we also run several of the aquatic programs here in the Keys, and for the first time I felt that The Race Club was more connected to the community. We are trying to create a symbiotic relationship here in the Keys, and when people show that they care about what is going on here, it makes it more fun for us coaches to give back to the community. All in all it was a very successful event, and maybe I just enjoyed socializing, but I cant wait until the next one.
There will be a few practice time that are canelled. Please continue to check for updates.
For the second order of buisness I would like to discuss the fundraiser held by The Race Club on monday night. It was a great event called The Race To Bejing where we tried to raise money for our swimmers competing for the Olympics. I will say I think we had a lot of success. There was a great turnout and it was nice to see the Keys coming out to support our team and our sport. Also, I think it was important becasue everyone saw how much we do here at The Race Club. Yes, our main goal is to send people to the Olympic Games, but we also run several of the aquatic programs here in the Keys, and for the first time I felt that The Race Club was more connected to the community. We are trying to create a symbiotic relationship here in the Keys, and when people show that they care about what is going on here, it makes it more fun for us coaches to give back to the community. All in all it was a very successful event, and maybe I just enjoyed socializing, but I cant wait until the next one.
There will be a few practice time that are canelled. Please continue to check for updates.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Good Swim Videos
Most Recent World Record the 50 Free
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQPUlhqVJA4&feature=related
Jim Richardson, Head Women's Coach at the University of Michigan. A great coach who taught me a lot.
"The Moment Of Truth"
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=560&vid=5618
"Nothing Wrong With Failure"
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=560&vid=5618
Mike Bottom, a guy who is teaching me alot right now, reacts to the last meet.
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=713
Dr. Hall a great swimmer himself talking about putting the past behind you.
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=782
I find all of these videos at
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQPUlhqVJA4&feature=related
Jim Richardson, Head Women's Coach at the University of Michigan. A great coach who taught me a lot.
"The Moment Of Truth"
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=560&vid=5618
"Nothing Wrong With Failure"
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=560&vid=5618
Mike Bottom, a guy who is teaching me alot right now, reacts to the last meet.
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=713
Dr. Hall a great swimmer himself talking about putting the past behind you.
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=782
I find all of these videos at
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/index.php
Division II
So DII's finally happened. It is a meet that I have been focusing on, worrying about, preparing for, planning around since we all got back in the pool in the beginning of January. Quite honestly I was concerned that I couldn't get the kids back in shape and more importantly back in racing shape in a little over a month. So I developed a cyclical training plan, much like the one the swimmers on the Race Club use.
But no plan can ever work without consistency and commitment from parents and kids. We had that, and for that reason we found success.
DII's was overall a very positive meet. There were best times left and right. Alot of kids keep nudging closer to JO cuts, while others are just getting into the sport and are slowly becoming "pros." Kids were cheering, parents were cheering, and kids were swimming great. On the first day of the meet 5 of our 9 swimmers made the finals. In the finals we had 5 top three finishers, which means we brought back 5 medals. On the second day of the meet there were 10 swimmers and 7 made finals. A even better day because we had 2 JO cuts, and 3 top three finishers.
I also think we learned a lot of good lessons. I know that alot of kids that made finals had to figure out how to swim fast in the morning, make adjustments, and then swim faster at night. This is probably the most important lesson for anyone that ever wants to have a lot of success in the sport. I also think kids see the importance of focusing on the small things during workout. The goal now is to spend practice time becoming efficient in areas we were not. Becoming purposeful.
We have JO's this upcoming weekend so I am very excited. The trick for those kids is to fine tune everything and not change too much. It will be my goal to decide the balance between that adjustment, and a big correction. A lot of race simulation combined with low aerobic work. I am confident regardless. Not becasue of my training plan but becasue of these swimmer's commitment to be fast. That is always the most important thing.
I would also like to give a shout out to our parents who officiated the second day of the meet. I was the other one standing in the sun all day and I must say I appreciate your efforts. It is funny that for such a small team not only are we brining home a lot of the medals, but we are also keeping the meet alive.
I want to have another parents meeting in March. I am thinking the middle of March but do not have a specific date as of yet. These next few monthes will gear us up for the summer, and things must be discussed. Keep checking for updates...see you at the pool!
But no plan can ever work without consistency and commitment from parents and kids. We had that, and for that reason we found success.
DII's was overall a very positive meet. There were best times left and right. Alot of kids keep nudging closer to JO cuts, while others are just getting into the sport and are slowly becoming "pros." Kids were cheering, parents were cheering, and kids were swimming great. On the first day of the meet 5 of our 9 swimmers made the finals. In the finals we had 5 top three finishers, which means we brought back 5 medals. On the second day of the meet there were 10 swimmers and 7 made finals. A even better day because we had 2 JO cuts, and 3 top three finishers.
I also think we learned a lot of good lessons. I know that alot of kids that made finals had to figure out how to swim fast in the morning, make adjustments, and then swim faster at night. This is probably the most important lesson for anyone that ever wants to have a lot of success in the sport. I also think kids see the importance of focusing on the small things during workout. The goal now is to spend practice time becoming efficient in areas we were not. Becoming purposeful.
We have JO's this upcoming weekend so I am very excited. The trick for those kids is to fine tune everything and not change too much. It will be my goal to decide the balance between that adjustment, and a big correction. A lot of race simulation combined with low aerobic work. I am confident regardless. Not becasue of my training plan but becasue of these swimmer's commitment to be fast. That is always the most important thing.
I would also like to give a shout out to our parents who officiated the second day of the meet. I was the other one standing in the sun all day and I must say I appreciate your efforts. It is funny that for such a small team not only are we brining home a lot of the medals, but we are also keeping the meet alive.
I want to have another parents meeting in March. I am thinking the middle of March but do not have a specific date as of yet. These next few monthes will gear us up for the summer, and things must be discussed. Keep checking for updates...see you at the pool!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Coral Springs Meet
I am a little late in posting this but we recently had a meet in Coral Springs. It is nice to see the swimmers coming out of hibernation and swimming in some meets. We took a bigger group this time, and as usual represented the Florida Keys pretty well. Many top 8 finishers, and kids are still dropping times after a long winter break wich makes me feel good. Also, we are still having kids attend thier first meet and that is always exciting.
I will say, however, that sometimes I am the one that needs to improve in areas, and meets are a great way to see that. I think I did a great job of getting the kids back in shape fast, but I did see swimmers getting sloppy with the small things like turns, starts, finishes etc. Now that most of us are back in shape we will be spending the next few weeks at practice refreshing our skills. Well, either that or racing!
Either way I am still looking at some March meets and will be posting those shortly. We have DII's and JO's coming up, and I think I am not the only one who is excited. Keep checking for updates
I will say, however, that sometimes I am the one that needs to improve in areas, and meets are a great way to see that. I think I did a great job of getting the kids back in shape fast, but I did see swimmers getting sloppy with the small things like turns, starts, finishes etc. Now that most of us are back in shape we will be spending the next few weeks at practice refreshing our skills. Well, either that or racing!
Either way I am still looking at some March meets and will be posting those shortly. We have DII's and JO's coming up, and I think I am not the only one who is excited. Keep checking for updates
Monday, January 28, 2008
Back In Season
Well, 2008 has officially begun. I say that beacause I dont really consider us back in season until we swim at least one meet. You can always train, but you will never know what really needs work until you evaluate the first meet after a long break.
Unfortunatly becasue of the "cold weather" we have lost a few regular swimmers. We only took a small group to a meet in Tamiami this past weekend. The kids that have been coming regularly to workout are back to form. This means that the training plan is working, and that these swimmers are still fresh after a long break. We had several best times, several top 8 finishers, and more JO cuts! I cant wait until the weather gets warmer, and things with our team start really heating up. My hope for this team is that JO cuts are a given...and Zones, or Junior Nationals is the focus. Not only would I like to be taking a bigger team to these smaller meets, but I also want to bring a big team to a big meet. With our success so far I feel that it will happen as long as we keep moving forward. 2008 will be a busy year, no time to settle just yet!
As for now we are entering the second part of our training for most of the swimmers. We will be doing a lot more racing in workout. Less yardage but more explosiveness. I mean, if your going to swim you mind as well swim fast!
Keep checking for updates...I will soon be posting March meets.
Unfortunatly becasue of the "cold weather" we have lost a few regular swimmers. We only took a small group to a meet in Tamiami this past weekend. The kids that have been coming regularly to workout are back to form. This means that the training plan is working, and that these swimmers are still fresh after a long break. We had several best times, several top 8 finishers, and more JO cuts! I cant wait until the weather gets warmer, and things with our team start really heating up. My hope for this team is that JO cuts are a given...and Zones, or Junior Nationals is the focus. Not only would I like to be taking a bigger team to these smaller meets, but I also want to bring a big team to a big meet. With our success so far I feel that it will happen as long as we keep moving forward. 2008 will be a busy year, no time to settle just yet!
As for now we are entering the second part of our training for most of the swimmers. We will be doing a lot more racing in workout. Less yardage but more explosiveness. I mean, if your going to swim you mind as well swim fast!
Keep checking for updates...I will soon be posting March meets.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Cat Mentality
A great Mike Bottom interview. It sums up many of my own beliefs on the sport of swimming, and it is proof that there is not only one training method to make someone fast!
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=713
http://www.flocasts.org/floswimming/speakers.php?sid=713
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
New Year
So, it's a New Year which means that we are back to training hard. OUr main focus for these next few weeks will be DII's, and then J.O's. For the first couple of weeks we will be primarily doing aerobic work, kicking, and drills. As the kids get beck into shape we will start to add some speed sets. After that we we have some short rest before DII's, and the plan is to rock that meet out!
Also, in this New Year we have already had a swim meet. It was the Orange Bowl Classic put on by the Jacobs Aquatics Center. All of the college teams that aredown here training competed against each other in a sprint style competition of 50's and 100's only. Now, FKSC did not compete, but there we many Race Club swimmers who did exibition and watching them race is always a treat.
So, for me it is back to work so we can get ready for J.O.'s, while Mike and the World Team are back to work so they can get ready for the Olympic Games in Bejing!
Here is a video clip of the Orange Bowl... http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_
Also, in this New Year we have already had a swim meet. It was the Orange Bowl Classic put on by the Jacobs Aquatics Center. All of the college teams that aredown here training competed against each other in a sprint style competition of 50's and 100's only. Now, FKSC did not compete, but there we many Race Club swimmers who did exibition and watching them race is always a treat.
So, for me it is back to work so we can get ready for J.O.'s, while Mike and the World Team are back to work so they can get ready for the Olympic Games in Bejing!
Here is a video clip of the Orange Bowl... http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_
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