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.
Monday, January 28, 2008
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_
Monday, December 17, 2007
Small Meet, Big Times
We went to a small meet this past weekend in Key West. My swimmers have had success in this pool in the past as this is the pool in which we won the County Championship for the High School season. We only took four swimmers all together, but as usual it did not seem to matter one bit. Of all the swimmers, no swimmer finished with a rank lower than 3rd in any event they swam. Of those races we had several event winners. I sometimes cant get over the fact that team are rolling in with triple or quadruple the amount of swimmers, and they still cant touch us. It reinforces the fact that we do things right here!
There was a couple more JO cuts made from two of our swimmers who are really feeling fast right now. Both of them really impress me when they get up to swim. One of those swimmers has now achieved a JO cut in every single event for her age. I was quite impressed. Also, our youngest member of the team won every event she swam for her age group. She was dropping times like a crazy person.
And as usual it was FUN FUN FUN to watch such a small team show such domination. KeyFish (Swimus fearus!)
Well, off for a long break. I will be updating quite soon for anyone interested in the January practice schedule. I will also be posting several meets under the announcement portion of the blog. Have a safe and happy holiday, and I will see you next year!
There was a couple more JO cuts made from two of our swimmers who are really feeling fast right now. Both of them really impress me when they get up to swim. One of those swimmers has now achieved a JO cut in every single event for her age. I was quite impressed. Also, our youngest member of the team won every event she swam for her age group. She was dropping times like a crazy person.
And as usual it was FUN FUN FUN to watch such a small team show such domination. KeyFish (Swimus fearus!)
Well, off for a long break. I will be updating quite soon for anyone interested in the January practice schedule. I will also be posting several meets under the announcement portion of the blog. Have a safe and happy holiday, and I will see you next year!
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Santa Claus Invitational
I was very pleased with the outcome of the Santa Claus Invite. First of all we went to the meet with 17 kids, most of which were below the age of 12. It is always exciting to see the future of your team get involved, and excited with swimming. We had a couple who swam in their first meet ever, and a few young ones that are starting to get used to meets. We had several top 8 finishers, so as always we were not the biggest, but we were well represented. We also had a few more JO cuts made, and I always love to see that happen.
For the most part I love it when we bring a lot of swimmers to a meet. I love to watch them laugh, play cards, eat snacks, and have fun. It reminds me of what I REALLY love about swimming... my friends. They don't know it, but they are developing confidence, and social skills that will last a long time.
Well, now we have a long break. I will be gone for a week in December so please pay attention to all practice announcements, updated blog information.
For the most part I love it when we bring a lot of swimmers to a meet. I love to watch them laugh, play cards, eat snacks, and have fun. It reminds me of what I REALLY love about swimming... my friends. They don't know it, but they are developing confidence, and social skills that will last a long time.
Well, now we have a long break. I will be gone for a week in December so please pay attention to all practice announcements, updated blog information.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Short Course Champs
This blog is a little late in coming, but things got kinda crazy around Thanksgiving, and this post got pushed back just a bit. We had Short Course Championships about a week ago, and I will say that we had a great showing. We only had 5 swimmers qualify, we were by far the smallest team there, but of those 5 swimmers 3 of them made finals in the events that they swam. Calculated out that is about 60% success rate. For a small team we were well represented, but it only fortified my real dream for us to show up to a championship meet with 20+ kids and have the same success rate. I was still, none the less, impressed with our swimmers performances, and it will be these few who pave the way for many more!
Well, now that Thanksgiving is over we are now officially in our winter season. We have a meet coming up this weekend in Tamiami, and we will be taking about 17 kids. Most of these kids are under the age of 11, and that makes me feel good because these are the future JO, and Championship qualifiers. Check the blog for more updates soon because our practise schedule will change slightly due to college teams coming on training trips. As soon as I know the new schedule, I will post it for everyone.
Well, now that Thanksgiving is over we are now officially in our winter season. We have a meet coming up this weekend in Tamiami, and we will be taking about 17 kids. Most of these kids are under the age of 11, and that makes me feel good because these are the future JO, and Championship qualifiers. Check the blog for more updates soon because our practise schedule will change slightly due to college teams coming on training trips. As soon as I know the new schedule, I will post it for everyone.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Pot Luck
Well, we had our pot luck this weekend, and I think that things went great. First the kids on my team got to see the race club guys swim a 100 FAST! And, when I say fast, I mean guys were swimming :43-:44 sec for a hundred freestyle in practice. Also, there were a couple of guys who went :54-:55 in the 100 breaststroke. Those are close to NCAA A cut times. I know for a fact that my team never saw first hand people swim that fast. I will never forget the ooo's and ahhh's from some of them.
After the race 100, my swimmers had a opportunity to work with the swimmers on their strokes in a mini clinic. It was nice to see the Race Club in the water with my club kids. My swimmers got little tips, and pointers from the best in town!
After some stroke work the Race Club guys swam a race 50. Again people were putting up very fast times. Nathan Adrian went 19.89! Even I got super pumped up for that one. The kids also got a chance to see swimmers like Gary Hall Jr. and Sabir Mohamad race. That is a once in a lifetime thing for some of them, and I hope they wont ever forget it.
At the end of the Race 50's Gary and Sabir were picked as team capt's and they split the whole group into two relays. The relay's were a mix of my club team and the world team. I was so happy to see my kids excitement when they saw they would be swimming on the same relay as a Olympian.
In the end, I don't think things could have gone better. My kids were excited by fast swimming, and it motivated them to want to swim fast. As a coach I could ask for nothing more. It opened up their mind, and it was as if someone told them YES you can be this fast one day. It helped reinforce all that I do, and I couldn't have been a happier coach.
After all the swimming we ate, and hung out together as one big team because that is what we really are. Some took pictures, and some got autographs from some of the swimmers. Everyone was smiling,my kids were running around laughing, the weather was beautiful, and I couldn't think of a place that I would have rather been at that time.
After the race 100, my swimmers had a opportunity to work with the swimmers on their strokes in a mini clinic. It was nice to see the Race Club in the water with my club kids. My swimmers got little tips, and pointers from the best in town!
After some stroke work the Race Club guys swam a race 50. Again people were putting up very fast times. Nathan Adrian went 19.89! Even I got super pumped up for that one. The kids also got a chance to see swimmers like Gary Hall Jr. and Sabir Mohamad race. That is a once in a lifetime thing for some of them, and I hope they wont ever forget it.
At the end of the Race 50's Gary and Sabir were picked as team capt's and they split the whole group into two relays. The relay's were a mix of my club team and the world team. I was so happy to see my kids excitement when they saw they would be swimming on the same relay as a Olympian.
In the end, I don't think things could have gone better. My kids were excited by fast swimming, and it motivated them to want to swim fast. As a coach I could ask for nothing more. It opened up their mind, and it was as if someone told them YES you can be this fast one day. It helped reinforce all that I do, and I couldn't have been a happier coach.
After all the swimming we ate, and hung out together as one big team because that is what we really are. Some took pictures, and some got autographs from some of the swimmers. Everyone was smiling,my kids were running around laughing, the weather was beautiful, and I couldn't think of a place that I would have rather been at that time.
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