tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84039084752594472942012-02-16T05:25:33.120-05:00Information, insights, and views regarding the sport of swimming as it pertains to the Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club.coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-35512051900116551072009-05-19T11:31:00.003-04:002009-05-19T12:11:48.064-04:00

This is not another attempt to coerce you into training with GPAC this summer as the title may indicate. It is, however, an attempt to help you understand the differences between Long Course Meters (LCM) and Short Course Yards (SCY). As I have said before long course and short course, for all intents and purposes, are two totally different sports. There are many differences between the two that

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-11509831604413174502009-04-21T13:41:00.004-04:002009-04-24T09:49:12.607-04:00

Summer long course training is the key to continued development in this sport. Some people may say "We do train in the summer, with our summer club." I have always been an advocate of summer swimming. It is where most swimmers get their start with this sport as well as most of the coaches on our staff got started coaching. But summer swimming should lead you to year round swimming with a USA

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-81465131582021067872009-03-06T08:47:00.002-05:002009-03-06T09:04:36.690-05:00

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."Today's quote is a great one from Henry Ford. Oftentimes we (the coaches) hear a swimmer tell us they "can't" do something (I can't go that fast...I can't beat her...I can't make that interval...etc.). The most frustrating thing about this is the fact that they are making up their mind before they even make an attempt

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-66544388041545086772009-03-05T11:54:00.001-05:002009-03-05T11:55:47.492-05:00

Don't worry, this is not a proposal along the lines of Jonathan Swift's 1729 essay of the same title... We are 1 week away from our first Championship meet, Junior Olympics at GCIT, and I feel there is a strong need to give everyone a picture of how we have fared in these meets over the last couple of years as well as establish some team goals (and rewards for reaching these goals) for the 2009

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-7567079188043125852009-03-04T09:45:00.003-05:002009-03-04T09:53:03.002-05:00

"Build up your weaknesses until they become your strong points."There you go Notre Dame fans, a quote from Knute Rockne who was born on March 4, 1888.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-26134855626522049862009-03-03T14:41:00.002-05:002009-03-03T14:44:30.174-05:00

The lion's roar yesterday kept me from posting a quote of the day. Sorry about that. Here is today's QOTD:"A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with - a man is what he makes of himself."Today's quote comes from the man credited with inventing the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell who was born on March 3, 1847.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-43083402849168796522009-03-01T12:03:00.002-05:002009-03-01T12:13:54.655-05:00

"The end is the beginning and lies far ahead."Going a little philosophical on a dreary Sunday morning (I'm sure Coach Gordon will appreciate it). This quote comes from the novel The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, who was born on this day in 1914.What does it mean? I'm sure it could mean many different things to many different people (especially when taken out of context). If you have an idea

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-59915579811812588452009-02-28T09:38:00.004-05:002009-02-28T09:57:00.709-05:00

"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough."The quote for today comes from open wheeled racing legend Mario Andretti who was born on this day in 1940.Watching the Men's Big 10 Championship Meet really brings this quote to life. Its really neat to watch guys go after the first 100 fly of the 400 IM, well, like they are just swimming the 100 fly. They are swimming fast

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-66454624693588296682009-02-27T00:16:00.003-05:002009-02-28T10:14:21.532-05:00

"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."The Quote of the Day comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poet and writer was born on this day 102 years ago in 1807.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-88880297622094433612009-02-23T13:36:00.004-05:002009-02-23T14:28:28.634-05:00

Okay everyone. I am going to attempt to explain each of the Championship Meets our team is attending in March and April. I will go through the meets in chronological order, starting with the meets closest to starting now.One thing everyone should remember: you can go to more than one meet. Some swimmers may actually qualify to swim in up to three or four meets. The coaching staff feels it is

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-84035038836765703532009-02-18T11:44:00.003-05:002009-02-18T12:22:17.268-05:00

Yeah more than a little bit behind on the Phelps issue. However I think it is important to say a few words about the situation. Phelps, in short, was stupid. Stupid for being 24 years old and still hanging at what amounts to a fraternity house; stupid for putting the pipe to his lips; stupid for being around an illegal situation. But nothing tops the fact that Phelps was stupid for not

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-89384598238903159362009-01-27T13:57:00.002-05:002009-01-27T14:05:41.044-05:00

There will be no practice this evening due to the weather forecast. Practice will resume as scheduled tomorrow evening, snowstorm permitting. The high school dual meets scheduled for today have been rescheduled for Thursday. Please check the team calendar for Thursday's modified practices times.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-29374238775962418002009-01-19T11:10:00.003-05:002009-01-19T11:18:15.679-05:00

Here is a great video from floswimming.org. This is Mike Bottom, Head Men's Swimming Coach at the University of Michigan. The meet they are at is the Southern Methodist University Invitational held this past weekend in Dallas, TX. This meet was not a big meet for the Michigan Men. However Coach Bottom's words let the team know what he expects from them and, most importantly, what they should

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-58822957161160258602009-01-16T11:50:00.002-05:002009-01-16T12:27:08.216-05:00

The quotes used to create this post come from "How to Describe the Fiercest Players: Dawkins is Dogmatic" by Ashley Fox. The article was originally printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer on October 23, 2005.Brian Dawkins is one of the greatest free safeties in football history. A lifetime Eagle, Dawkins will be playing in his 5th NFC Championship Game this weekend when the Eagles travel to

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-69290289145592127492009-01-14T12:56:00.003-05:002009-01-14T13:24:17.299-05:00

Let's start by thinking back to what Dr. Alan Goldberg taught us in October. If you remember, he started his talk by explaining what goals are, how we should establish our goals, and (most importantly) when we should be reminding ourselves of our goals. He told everyone that "Goals are for practice, not for meets." If you are reminding yourself of your goals on meet day (especially when you

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-39639170507720684032009-01-12T14:44:00.002-05:002009-01-12T15:07:48.558-05:00

We have reached the point of the season I like to refer to as "The Grind". Its a grind because we are coming down off of a high in competition (Pittsburgh Christmas Invitational and NJ State Meet) and training (Winter Break). The end of the season is now within sight but still a bit off on the horizon. We now face two months of training through conflicts and practice changes (see the calendar

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-11908177728458045922009-01-07T11:51:00.003-05:002009-01-07T12:01:51.041-05:00

Coach George is in the process of putting together a team site at www.floswimming.org. If you have never visited this site you should take some time to do so. The site is run by swim coaches and gives you a lot from exclusive footage from the Olympic Games and Trials to full coverage from college dual meets to interviews with swimmers and coaches from around the country. By creating a team we

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-67611679801569408432009-01-01T14:23:00.007-05:002009-01-01T14:49:51.034-05:00

Briefly looking back at 2008 I realize its going to be a hard year to top. So many changes for the good: changes for the team, my family, and myself. How about a Top Five?5. Adding to the Family. Many of the swimmers have had a chance to meet Izzy the newest member of our family. She's a Pug/Shar-Pei mix who is quite energetic. 4. 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha, NE. I got the chance to fly to

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-86902503676858623762008-10-29T23:02:00.002-04:002008-10-29T23:05:41.464-04:00

Finally. Just plain finally. To finally have a World Championship in this city is amazing. For it to be the Phillies who have brought that World Championship here is a dream come true.There will be no practice on Friday. If you go to the parade or not, enjoy the day. We'll see you at the meet on Saturday.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-41682296918903668792008-10-18T17:20:00.002-04:002008-10-18T17:27:23.458-04:00

Hopefully everyone got as much out of the presentation by Dr. Goldberg yesterday as the coaching staff. I am sure many of you would like to follow up with his website check out all of the stuff he has under "Free Online Resources". If you like what you see there are plenty of great products he has available for purchase. The website is: www.competitivedge.com

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-10398918986853515902008-10-14T15:35:00.003-04:002008-10-14T15:41:27.547-04:00

Yeah, so with everything that has been going on over the last two months I kind of completely forgot about this blog. It was not until last night when I went online to read my mother-in-law's blog regarding her work in Haiti that the light bulb went off in my head. So I took a brief moment today to change the name of the blog, the banner, and a couple of the links. Don't expect much out of

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-67428037019676019852008-09-03T11:14:00.003-04:002008-09-03T11:26:05.672-04:00

Some of you may know that Chicago is one of the finalists to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Having been in the city this past weekend I think it would do very well hosting the Games with its biggest bonus being the large number of knowledgeable and enthusiastic sports fans in the city. You would not believe the hospitality shown to us (dressed in complete Phillies garb) by Cubs fans over the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-25593667704249704802008-09-01T16:59:00.002-04:002008-09-01T17:01:52.337-04:00

This blog will be undergoing some changes over the next couple of weeks for obvious reasons. Don't get used to the current name because that will go away once we settle everything with the team.Be excited! The changes coming for the team are exactly what we need to advance this program now and ten years from now.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-20888494023752152632008-08-25T15:23:00.003-04:002008-08-25T15:26:33.593-04:00

We will have one final team tryout on Wednesday, September 3rd at 6 pm. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS TRYOUT BY EMAILING msprang@gcit.org.Some of our practice groups are at or beyond capacity and, thus, have been closed for further registrations. We are trying to come up with a way to accommodate all interested swimmers, however that may not be possible. We will have more information on the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-28928438790546159912008-08-16T20:54:00.005-04:002008-08-16T21:43:43.868-04:00

Here is what is on tap for tonight, the last night of pool swimming for the Beijing Games:10:03 pm: Women's 50 Free Final. Dara Torres is the top seed in the race that does not look to be a fast one, judging by the preliminary and semi-final heats. Torres is going to have to swim the perfect race to bring home a medal, let alone the gold. Tonight's race will feature five of the seven fastest

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-69011964386989597252008-08-16T08:26:00.004-04:002008-08-16T08:53:40.139-04:00

Put the conspiracy theory down, Phelps won the race. I have looked all over the internet for someone to wave the flag of conspiracy (and frankly I am shocked that Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post has not). I figured there would be plenty of people out there who were certain their eyes could see the difference of one one-hundredth of a second better than an expertly calibrated electronic

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-91715652507166714032008-08-13T12:10:00.004-04:002008-08-13T12:53:45.195-04:00

Michael Phelps is now 5 for 5 for 5: 5 Gold Medals in 5 World Record Times in 5 events. I have been racking my brain to try and come up with the historical significance for what Phelps is doing but there really is no comparison. There certainly is no comparison between what Phelps is doing and what Mark Spitz did in 1972 for two reasons. First, Spitz did not have to swim semi-finals in his

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-52536188425573420732008-08-11T22:45:00.002-04:002008-08-11T23:00:09.844-04:00

Because I can...Men's 200 FreeThat looked real easy, at least to me it did. I really wasn't paying attention to Phelps at all because I just knew he was going to win going away and probably break the World Record. I was completely focused on Peter Vanderkaay. I was ecstatic when he finished third for the Bronze medal. So Phelps is 3 for 3 for 3: 3 events, 3 Gold Medals, 3 World Records.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-21394842246575858742008-08-11T14:39:00.002-04:002008-08-11T14:51:50.702-04:00

So I've watched this race about 30 times in the last 12 hours at nbcolympics.com. If you haven't seen it again go HERE. You need to download Microsoft Silverlight but its completely worth it. I think the most exciting thing about the race is the excitement Dan Hicks showed in his call of the last five meters of the race. I can only imagine Hicks and Rowdy Gaines jumping up and down and hugging

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-80067438641312942392008-08-10T23:47:00.003-04:002008-08-11T00:20:38.422-04:00

I was completely content with not posting anything today, but Jason Lezak's anchor leg just changed all of that. First off, he had one of the best relay starts I have ever seen. He also seemed to keep things under control, not over swimming the first 50. Jason knew he had 100 meters to catch Bernard and he used every one of them to do it. Its a shame Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines decided to focus

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-46194729581434684952008-08-09T17:21:00.003-04:002008-08-09T17:43:08.748-04:00

If you watched the Opening Ceremonies last night you probably saw the young Chinese boy who walked out with Chinese Flag Bearer Yao Ming. This six year old boy was in school on May 12th when a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck. Two-thirds of his classmates were killed in the quake and he was buried under a pile of rubble. However this boy was able to climb out from underneath the rubble and pull

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-68740650481691243512008-08-09T16:28:00.005-04:002008-08-11T23:01:11.643-04:00

Don't count on a recap of every swimming session from me, I'm just telling you that now. After tryouts on Monday and Tuesday Tjitske and I will be taking some much needed R&R with the rest of the family at the Shore. We don't get the greatest internet signal down there, so it all depends on how the wind blows I guess.However, while I'm here.......Tonight you will have the chance to see Finals I

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-81264943243670012752008-08-09T16:08:00.004-04:002008-08-09T16:28:41.140-04:00

Back home this morning from Juniors. The girls finished off the meet as they started with two more best times and two more team records. Hayley dropped 8 seconds off of her best time in the 1500 for a 16:56, good for 11th place in the event. Emily then finished 10th in the 200 IM and set new 17-18 and Open Team Records with a time of 2:20.39, under the 2008 Olympic Trials standard. So for the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-26659505861601492512008-08-08T12:53:00.002-04:002008-08-08T13:16:58.746-04:00

I've been so immersed in what is going on here in Minneapolis that I haven't even thought about the fact that the Olympic (technically) have started already. I watched a couple of clips from the Opening Ceremonies online and it looks amazing...be sure to tune in to NBC tonight to watch.The swimming gets started tomorrow with preliminaries beginning at 6:30 am Eastern Time. Finals will be

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-48614107295597591642008-08-08T12:30:00.002-04:002008-08-08T12:41:22.206-04:00

Chelsea Martin, Alaura Walz, and Delaney Walz are all representing Middle Atlantic at the Eastern Zone All-Star Meet in Rockville, MD. Chelsea finished 7th in the 800 Free on Wednesday night. Then last night she took home 2nd place in the 200 Backstroke with a personal best time of 2:26.46. She is also seeded 2nd tonight in the 100 Back. Alaura swam a personal best time in the 200 Free by a

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-24872614316968318342008-08-08T12:03:00.003-04:002008-08-08T12:30:37.914-04:00

Five great swims from Hayley and Emily on Thursday. Emily swam both of her races first. She dropped a second off of her best time in the 100 Backstroke (lowering her 17-18 and Open Team Records in the process). Then she won her heat going away in the 400 Free with a 4:25.11, her best time by a second and a half. Hayley dropped three seconds in the 400 Free for a 4:21.43. That time qualified

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-55550787421553150382008-08-06T17:07:00.002-04:002008-08-06T17:11:05.471-04:00

Both Hayley and Emily are swimming very well thus far. Emily went a 2:16.07 to finish 10th in the 200 Backstroke. Her time established new 17-18 and Open Team Records in the event. Hayley had a great swim dropping three seconds off of her previous best time (done at the Summer Solstice in June) in the 200 Fly for a 2:17.43. The time was good enough to break both the 17-18 and Open Team

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-73687942738344126312008-08-06T16:08:00.004-04:002008-08-06T16:24:20.199-04:00

Team tryouts for group placement purposes will take place as follows: Monday, August 11th: 6pm to 7pm Tuesday, August 12th: 1pm to 2pmIf you can not make it to these tryouts please call 856-468-1445 x. 2304 to arrange a separate tryout date and time.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-84498158731896978012008-08-04T19:33:00.004-04:002008-08-04T19:38:51.847-04:00

I'll be blogging from Minneapolis this week as I am at Junior Nationals. Hayley Edwards and Emily Creran are here representing GCIT. Hayley got the ball rolling this evening in the 800 Freestyle: she dropped seven seconds for a 8:54.38. The time is a second under the Senior National qualifying time (Hayley also has the 1500 Free cut) and was good for a 12th place finish in the race. You can

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-35403670487637293572008-08-04T13:41:00.003-04:002008-08-04T13:47:14.327-04:00

GCIT swimmers had a great showing this weekend at the Tri-County Championship Meet. We had 8 individual winners, two swimmers who were double winners, and one new meet record.Brittany O'Brien (11-12 Girls 100 IM and 50 Fly)Emily Shenk (11-12 Girls 50 Free...touching out Brittany Bayes for a 1-2 GCIT finish)Julia Costa (9-10 Girls 50 Free)Jamie Noonan (15-18 Girls 100 Free)Marissa Moskalow (11-12

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-80444918338782143742008-08-01T12:30:00.004-04:002008-08-01T12:41:03.645-04:00

Swimming World Magazine is making the online version of their Olympic Preview Issue free for everyone! All you have to do is click on the link at the bottom of this post to gain access to the page. The issue contains full page previews of every event, including all of the relays and the two 10K Open Water races. There are many names (especially those from other countries) you may not be

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-72318279055657220532008-08-01T10:46:00.002-04:002008-08-01T10:51:20.954-04:00

Just a note to all current and future GCIT Swimming members...best of luck this weekend at the 52nd Annual Tri-County Championship Meet! Swim fast, have fun, and put a good ending on your summer swimming season.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-80450398115101657332008-07-30T12:37:00.004-04:002008-07-30T13:17:54.993-04:00

Name: Gil StovallAge: 22College/Club: Georgia/Athens BulldogsHometown: Memphis, TennesseeGil Stovall has not just "burst onto the scene" but has been steadily improving over the last four years. This improvement culminated (thus far) in a second place finish in the 200 Butterfly at the Olympic Trials last month. It is tough for any male butterflier to get their due these days since Michael

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-32991950671398567922008-07-29T11:29:00.005-04:002008-07-29T12:16:19.457-04:00

NBC owns the rights to all Olympic video and is planning an absolute all-out blitz to bring everything they can to you. I am going to attempt to breakdown the coverage for you here focusing on swimming. However I encourage everyone to utilize NBC's Olympics website (www.nbcolympics.com). Here you can click on "TV & Online Listings" at the top and figure out when and where you can go to watch

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-20859694275814679792008-07-29T10:59:00.003-04:002008-07-29T11:08:34.340-04:00

The US Open starts today in Minneapolis. Jamie Marks (2007), Bill Cregar (2007), and Christian Sprang (2005) will be in action over the course of the week. This meet will serve as the qualification meet for next summer's World University Games to be held in Belgrade, Serbia. For some reason USA Swimming does not have special page set up for this meet (or allow bonus events for that matter) but

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-11273084609929293552008-07-26T12:07:00.003-04:002008-07-26T12:16:13.053-04:00

NBC.com has provided a widget (code that is embedded into a website to make content available without leaving that site) that I have placed at the bottom of the blog. Right now I have the "News, Photos & Videos" widget up and may mess with some of the other ones they have made available. The only place I can put it without cutting it off is at the bottom of the page. I will try to find a way

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-29411685008466315942008-07-24T14:47:00.005-04:002008-07-26T12:16:48.316-04:00

Two in one week for the United States? First there was University of Missouri distance swimmer Max Jaben. Jaben, an American who holds dual citizenship, was preparing to represent Israel in Beijing but was thrown off of the Israeli Olympic Team for testing positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone. Jaben has appealed to an international sport arbitration court for a penalty less than the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-92175191945010181402008-07-24T12:56:00.006-04:002008-07-30T13:20:34.769-04:00

I would imagine that most people watching the Olympic Trials said the same thing during the Women's 400 IM "Who is that 15 year old" and, during the 200 Back, "That 15 year old might make it in this event, too". Elizabeth Beisel, that 15 year old, has been on the National and International scene since she finished 15th at the 2004 US Open as a 12 year old. I first saw Elizabeth swim at GCIT in

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-43184135394672462632008-07-21T13:52:00.002-04:002008-07-21T13:53:06.943-04:00

We will still hold team tryouts on July 22nd from 11am to 1pm. Tryouts that were originally scheduled for July 29th and July 31st have been postponed until August.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-55313423955536391192008-07-14T10:44:00.004-04:002008-07-15T16:57:51.444-04:00

Tryouts are necessary for most new team members for the purposes of group placement. We will hold new swimmer tryouts on following dates:TUESDAY, JULY 22ND 11AM TO 1PMTUESDAY, JULY 29TH 6PM TO 7:30PMTHURSDAY, JULY 31ST 5:30PM TO 7PMSwimmers should come prepared to get into the water and the tryouts typically last about five minutes. If you have any questions or need to schedule a different

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-84506615824582548632008-07-13T10:27:00.002-04:002008-07-13T10:50:31.844-04:00

I had the idea to try and introduce you to some of the members of Team USA in the weeks leading up to the Beijing Games. Most know of the Michael Phelps' and Katie Hoff's; we will be inundated more and more about the household names on the team leading up to the start of the swimming competition in Beijing. But there are a number of team members many people don't know very well.FIRST UP: ERIC

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-29288821305997878922008-07-13T10:21:00.005-04:002008-07-13T11:18:06.360-04:00

Registration information for the 2008-2009 swim season, which begins on Monday, September 8th, has been sent to all current team families. Registration and deposits for all current team members in good standing are due by July 30th. We will take registration and deposits for new team members during this time period, but they will not be placed on the team until July 31st. Once the caps on the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-64508233584286833172008-07-05T15:10:00.002-04:002008-07-05T15:18:44.503-04:00

Erik Vendt looked great cruising in to a 14:50 in the 1500 Free. He will be the top seed in tomorrow's Final, a full 12 seconds ahead of Chad La Tourette. I first saw La Tourette swim at the World Championship Trials in 2005 where he was named Rookie of the Meet. Chad is definitely the future of distance swimming in the United States. I fully expect Larsen Jensen to be much faster than the 15

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-13665718388334491032008-07-05T12:45:00.003-04:002008-07-05T13:19:32.222-04:00

Watching the preliminary heats of the Women's 50 Free it was interesting to see that Lanes 7 and 8 were consistently faster than lanes 1 and 2 and often the fastest lanes in the pool. I noticed the same thing in Long Beach for the 50 Frees at the 2004 Trials. Of the 10 women that swam their 50 Free out of Lane 1, only two improved their seed time. On the other side of the coin, only two of the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-79780012148650675132008-07-04T21:25:00.002-04:002008-07-04T21:31:21.477-04:00

Phelps and Crocker again. The two guys who have dominated the 100 Fly on the international level for the last six years will duke it out for the victory at Trials tomorrow. But watch out for Gil Stovall, he closes as well as anyone I have seen in a very long time. Hey, what about Chris Brady? Our friend from Team Delaware took second in heat one of the semi-final to Michael Phelps out of lane

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-30664730420624902792008-07-04T20:55:00.002-04:002008-07-04T20:59:27.793-04:00

Does it matter? Evidently not when it comes to qualifying for the US Olympic Team in the Women's 100 Freestyle. Dara Torres just won the race to qualify for her fifth Olympic Team. Yeah, that's a record.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-16499695204604535142008-07-04T20:43:00.002-04:002008-07-04T20:55:29.654-04:00

So as of now we have two new World Records with Piersol tying Lochte's record in the 200 Back and Phelps shaving a couple of tenths off of his WR in the 200 IM. Liz Beisel flirted with the American Record in the 200 Back while Margaret Hoelzer looked like she was in the cruise control to finish second in the heat. Going to be a great race tomorrow.Ryan Lochte was great tonight. Eventhough he

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-3935064735410345002008-07-04T13:30:00.004-04:002008-07-13T10:21:32.694-04:00

I can't end the posting for now on a down note. So let's go with a big congratulations to New Jersey native Cullen Jones who broke the American Record in the Men's 50 Free today with a time of 21.59. Going through the results of the race I think its safe to say that this is the deepest and fastest 50 Free field in history. Case in point: in 2004 Sabir Muhammad was the 16th and final qualifier

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-82942815558958054192008-07-04T13:16:00.002-04:002008-07-04T13:29:36.860-04:00

Sorry for the lack of a wrap-up last night. Immediately after Finals ended Tjitske and I were in the car for the four hour trip to Virginia. Well as you all know now, Haverford's Brendan Hansen failed to qualify for the Olympic Team in the 200 Breaststroke last night. Hansen was in control of the race until the last 25 meters when three swimmers, including eventual winner Scott Spann, caught

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-68831538519407682008-07-04T13:08:00.004-04:002008-07-04T13:16:43.181-04:00

Happy 4th everyone! Please enjoy a safe and healthy weekend. The festivities got going a day early in Philadelphia when The Guy Who Plays Ben Franklin actually married The Woman Who Plays Betsy Ross on the steps of Independence Hall. Yeah, you can rest easier this evening knowing that happened. Tjitske and I are in Harrisonburg, Virginia visiting my brother Ryan and his wife.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-24230184758375904092008-07-03T18:41:00.002-04:002008-07-03T18:42:58.291-04:00

Ian Clark from Suburban Swim Center will swim in the semi-final heat of the Men's 200 Backstroke tonight. As has been written here before, Ian has trained with our National group a few times this year in preparation for Trials. Keep an eye on him in Heat 2, Lane 1.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-13499725944026688302008-07-03T16:34:00.003-04:002008-07-13T10:57:15.888-04:00

We are running triple practices today and I didn't have time to get away from the office to get to a location I could watch online. I did catch some of the live results from Omega Timing's Website, at least enough to see the results from most of the Women's 200 Breast and Men's 200 IM.GCIT Swimmers Bill Cregar and Mike Joyce swam lifetime bests in the 200 IM today. Mike went 3 for 3 in best

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-78041346197744542352008-07-02T23:18:00.003-04:002008-07-02T23:25:26.064-04:00

I received an email just now from someone unrelated to our team which just said, "You write well for a swim coach." All I could think of was Gunnery Sergeant Hartman yelling, "You think you're Mickey Spillane? You think you're some kind of writer?"

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-443315819994580462008-07-02T22:22:00.003-04:002008-07-02T22:57:53.743-04:00

What did we learn tonight?1) We learned that old is nothing more than a figure of speech. 32 year-old Jason Lezak became the third American in history to break the 48 second barrier in the 100 Free and reclaimed his American Record in the process. Lezak's 47.58 is just .08 away from the current World Record. The 100 Free Final is going to be exciting as six out of the eight swimmers in the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-74143688893421422752008-07-02T13:48:00.004-04:002008-07-02T14:23:28.777-04:00

Hats off to the competitors in the Men's 100 Free this morning as it doesn't seem like anyone held anything back. Jason Lezak broke his own American Record swimming out of Heat 13 only to see it broken by Garrett Weber-Gale in the very next heat. I am sure everyone in the Qwest Center expected the record to be broken yet again in the 15th and final heat but Michael Phelps came up a few tenths

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-5077170283077531882008-07-01T21:56:00.003-04:002008-07-01T22:10:26.782-04:00

A couple of surprises tonight: no Lochte in the Men's 100 Back, no Hayley McGregory in the Women's 100 Back...just goes to show you that those sprint races (100s and the 50 free) are hotly contested events where hundreths of a second can mean the difference between the shot at an Olympic Gold Medal and watching the event on TV with the rest of us. Lochte won't be watching on TV, but McGregory

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-57862440765547872912008-07-01T14:08:00.002-04:002008-07-01T14:50:52.554-04:00

Women's 200 FreeThere was no big surprise in the fact that Natalie Coughlin decided to scratch the 200 Free this morning. She has the finals of the 100 Back tonight, in what will be a great race with Hayley McGregory, and she was the top seed in the 200 IM later on in prelims today. Katie Hoff cruised home to take the top spot with a 1:57. In a minor surprise, one half of the of the relay

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-24678032948748264742008-07-01T12:00:00.003-04:002008-07-01T13:57:12.148-04:00

My travels home started at 4:45 this morning central time when the taxi picked me up from my Omaha hotel. It was the complete polar opposite of my travel to Omaha over the weekend, down to the size of the seats on the plane. I even arrived home 25 minutes earlier than scheduled.Olympic Trials was another amazing experience. I was in Long Beach in 2004 but only as a spectator, and the highlight

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-80906870876470213782008-06-29T18:06:00.002-04:002008-06-29T18:33:17.407-04:00

The first session of the meet went a long way toward setting the tone. The energy was definitely flowing through the crowd, the athlete/coaches section, and through the swimmers in the pool. Usually a preliminary session is low key, especially on the first day and this session was definitely that in some parts. But the crowd is ready to burst at any second, and they showed it when Elizabeth

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-22899544657706338842008-06-28T23:03:00.007-04:002008-06-28T23:49:17.946-04:00

I sat staring at the computer screen for about five minutes trying to think of an adjective to describe the competition facility at the Qwest Center. I finally decided on the generic title for this post because no one word can correctly describe the set-up created by USA Swimming, the Qwest Center, and the Omaha Sports Commission. I first walked through the warm-up pool area. I'll admit here

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-45303342301417344872008-06-28T16:27:00.005-04:002008-06-28T16:36:29.761-04:00

I thought I'd pass along a couple of photos I took at the venue today. There are only two because I just wasn't in a picture taking kind of mood. I have to go back over for a meeting a little later and I will be sure to get some pictures of the pool itself.The damage to the building was most definitely worse than I had expected. There is a team of workers trying to put things back together but

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-67436745886650107622008-06-28T09:34:00.003-04:002008-06-28T09:39:56.556-04:00

NBCOlympics.com will be broadcasting the preliminary heats from Trials all week. Olympic Gold Medalist Josh Davis will be providing the color commentary each day. Prelims start at 11 am Central Time each day (12 pm Eastern Time). You can get a full listing of the start times for the online webcasts here.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-35637651326390707802008-06-28T06:08:00.004-04:002008-06-28T06:16:44.796-04:00

Back at Philadelphia International Airport hoping to get on a flight to Omaha. The storms out there pretty much shut down the city, I couldn't even get through to my hotel out there because the phone lines were down all night. I heard reports that most of the city was without electricity leaving the hotels without any light or air conditioning. One hotel I know of issued flashlights to guests

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-46404012092436642362008-06-27T19:41:00.002-04:002008-06-27T19:56:14.310-04:00

If you are looking for a place to find as much Trials information as possible without having to go to more than one sight...well, you come here of course. But if you are willing to open two internet windows in your browser at once, make it Swimmingworldmagzine.com's Olympic Trials Page. I am sure Jason Marsteller and the rest of the Swimming World crew will provide great insight and great

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-61514223649642705052008-06-27T19:09:00.003-04:002008-06-27T19:34:39.907-04:00

om·i·nous /ˈɒmənəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[om-uh-nuhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective 1.portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: an ominous bank of dark clouds.When I received the 7:10 am text message from Mrs. Joyce that their flight to Omaha was canceled I knew it was going to be a rough day. Sure enough I learned once I

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-42834142076523877962008-06-25T12:03:00.002-04:002008-06-26T10:56:33.043-04:00

Greetings everyone. Hope you are all enjoying your summer thus far. Things are going well at GCIT. The swimmers training in the summer are working very hard and we have had a considerable number of best times already. We will be looking toward Junior Olympics, Senior Champs, Sectionals, and Junior Nationals in July and August to finish the long course season.Now, as many of you may know the

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-73721333264111660322008-03-14T14:13:00.003-04:002008-03-14T14:14:59.861-04:00

It seems like every race for a GCIT Swimmer at JOs thus far has produced a best time. Congrats to the 11-12 Girls 200 Free Relay for taking first: Ali Bennett, Brittany O'Brien, Brittany Bayes, and Emily Shenk.Keep up the fast swimming back in NJ!!!

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-60253658646916409582008-03-13T22:29:00.002-04:002008-03-13T22:37:40.257-04:00

Sectionals at the University of Maryland got off to a great start this evening with the girls 1500 free and boys 800 free. Hayley Edwards dropped 25 seconds off of her personal best time to record a Senior National cut time and finish 3rd overall.Not to be outdone, Len Paccione dropped 12 seconds in the 800 to finish 9th and Ian Keyser dropped 5 seconds to finish 20th.Tomorrow is the first full

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-28683613686407737352008-02-26T12:42:00.003-05:002008-03-10T19:44:59.851-04:00

A big congratulations goes out to former GCIT Team member Bill Cregar. At the Southeastern Conference Championships this past weekend Bill clocked a 3:47 in the 400 IM. This time gives him a provisional bid to the Men's NCAA Championship Meet in Federal Way, Washington next month. Bill will find out the week of March 10th if he gets invited to the meet. Regardless, this is a great

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-65258304062739839592008-02-26T12:37:00.006-05:002008-02-26T13:09:46.517-05:00

We've got a big weekend on tap. The New Jersey State High School Meet of Champions will be held at GCIT this weekend. The preliminaries are Saturday and the Finals are Sunday. Many GCIT Swimmers will be in action representing their high schools. Last year GCIT Swimmers walked away with six individual state titles along with the South Jersey Female (Joanna Thomas) and Male Swimmer (Bill Cregar

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-41484858536683213982008-02-22T14:08:00.001-05:002008-02-22T14:10:09.757-05:00

Practice has been canceled for this evening due to the weather. There will be practice tomorrow for Gold, Senior 1, Senior 2, and National. Practice will be from 5:15 am to 7:15 am.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-61841967067045677442008-02-22T07:42:00.005-05:002008-02-22T08:00:48.048-05:00

Tjitske has a huge project due on Tuesday, her last major hurdle before receiving her doctorate. She also has an internship this year at a school in Morrisville, PA but really needed some more time to finish this project. She got her wish today thanks to, as she says, "Father Winter". I told her this is probably the last time she will ever welcome snow during the week. Its amazing how quickly

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-9010367225633642492008-02-21T20:57:00.003-05:002008-02-21T21:28:23.334-05:00

Today at practice I realized something very important: we were the only ones there! It is really tough working and training there between November 15th and the middle of February with the number of high school swimming and diving teams there every day. But from the middle of February through next November 15th the high school teams are not there and there is more space (and less noise) for us

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-38145676377424929092008-02-16T11:32:00.004-05:002008-02-16T12:14:19.812-05:00

Above is one of the most basic addition problem there is. This is something that is taught to us at an early age and is the basis of most of our knowledge of arithmetic. As we progress we move on to subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, percentages, algebra, trigonometry, calculus...and on and on (well, at least for some). All of this learning started with 1+1=2 and developed into

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-76542062727081331602008-02-16T11:05:00.005-05:002008-02-16T11:25:04.697-05:00

Some people look forward to February 2nd when groundhogs around the country (like Punxsutawney Phil) are pulled from a hole at sunrise to determine the proximity of springtime. Me, I prefer to look further ahead about two weeks when teams begin to gather in Florida and Arizona for baseball's Spring Training. That, my friends, is the truest indication that spring (and summer, for that matter) is

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-47022699364820085342008-02-14T15:19:00.006-05:002008-02-18T14:34:01.226-05:00

Its hard to believe but the College Conference Championship season has arrived. Many GCIT Swimming Alumni will be in action over the course of the next few weeks representing their schools against the other teams in their respective college conferences. Collegeswimming.com does a great job organizing results from these meets here: http://www.collegeswimming.comHere are the former GCIT Swimming

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-2132343076722152432008-02-12T12:10:00.000-05:002008-02-12T12:08:42.815-05:00

OK...look past the fact that I haven't posted anything since September. I'll spare you the "sorry I've neglected the blog" stuff. It is nice to see the number of people that keep checking back. I'll try to post more as we move forward.So what is the reason for this post, the first in almost five months? Well, as the championship meets approach the various swim apparel companies send out their

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-21784593996188352682007-09-23T20:03:00.001-04:002007-09-23T20:11:41.807-04:00

I've gotten a lot of great feedback on the last post. Two things I wanted to add/clarify:I do not think failure and losing are the same thing. For the purpose of the last post, failure is represented by not doing what is necessary to reach your goals. Losing is only what happens in a particular race. You can definitely lose a race and still be a success. It all depends on what your goals

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-79692366475815615822007-09-21T12:38:00.000-04:002007-09-21T13:48:52.817-04:00

I have done a fair amount of reading this past summer, mostly books and articles on psychology. This was great because it gave me a different perspective on my own coaching as well as some ability to see and understand things my swimmers were experiencing from a different perspective. I began to notice more than just what is said but how it is said: tone of voice, body language, etc. I also was

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-4780443413173911112007-09-20T15:06:00.000-04:002007-09-20T15:25:04.068-04:00

After rushing home early from Nationals for my brother's wedding, getting to spend two weeks on vacation and the amazing push in the beginning of September for team registrations (more on that in a second) I have completely neglected updating the blog in quite some time. I see by the hit counter that quite a few people have visited the site since I last posted in August and I apologize for not

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-51055880209425313892007-08-04T23:26:00.000-04:002007-08-05T00:26:40.409-04:00

Wow...I mean WOW! Dara Torres is simply amazing!! Tonight at the spry age of 40 she broke her own American Record in the 50 freetsyle en route to winning her second national title of the meet. This brought to mind the fact that about 18 years ago Mark Spitz tried a comeback in his 40's. Let's just say that Spitz' comeback never really got off of the ground (READ: failed miserably). Dara is

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-52661361629195321412007-08-03T22:42:00.000-04:002007-08-03T22:49:48.651-04:00

What an amazing night at Nationals. The night ended on an intense note with Michael Phelps missing the world record in the 100 back by .03. He was second at the 50 but used the best underwater kick in the world to blast to a 1/2 bodylength lead and never looked back. I spent the entire finals session next to Charlie Kennedy, head coach at Suburban. I did this for a number of reasons but mostly

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-60036945046048987312007-08-01T20:24:00.000-04:002007-08-05T00:26:21.979-04:00

Just finished up with the second day at Nationals and the swimming has been great to watch. Today ended with an almost World Record in the Men's 200 Backstroke by Michael Phelps. However the highlight of the night for me was watching Dara Torres win the Women's 100 Freestyle. Dara is 40 years old and has her sights set on making her 5th US Olympic Team (1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000 were the other

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-52625117084687333912007-07-25T10:31:00.000-04:002007-07-25T10:42:50.900-04:00

This one is for all high school seniors-to-be and their parents. You must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse in order to take official recruiting visits and compete as a part of an NCAA Division I or II sports program. The Clearinghouse assesses your initial eligibility (for recruiting) and your final eligibility (based on classes taken, your GPA and SAT/ACT scores) to participate in Division

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-29063754980197882382007-07-03T21:50:00.000-04:002007-07-05T10:31:05.262-04:00

The coaching staff would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day. Please, whatever you do, do it safe and have fun.Also, please take the time to remember those who have made the sacrifices so that we can celebrate our independence freely this and every July 4th.So whatever you do today have fun, be safe, and honor this great country!

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-64326139756839577542007-06-30T13:54:00.000-04:002007-06-30T14:03:49.468-04:00

We are hoping to have our new website at least partially operational sometime this week. The new address is www.gcitswimming.org. We will be getting the registration information for the 2007-08 swim season up as soon as the sight goes live. If you know of any swimmers interested in GCIT please have them contact me via email at msprang@gcit.org or call 856-468-1445 x. 2304. I will be conducting

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-43586132476858345992007-06-28T15:53:00.000-04:002007-06-28T15:54:41.227-04:00

As many of you know the period when college coaches can begin talking to the class of 2008 begins this Sunday. Some of you will get in upwards of 10 phone calls this Sunday. But if you do not get any phone calls don't worry, you just are going to have to do some work to get the attention of the colleges you are interested in. Please remember the following:1) Use the next month and a half to

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-80640131856252103922007-06-24T20:03:00.000-04:002007-06-24T20:56:27.792-04:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get some info up on the trip to Hawaii. To recap, six GCIT swimmers were selected to the NCSA All-American team based on their performance at the NCSA Junior National Championships this past March in Orlando. The top 9 swimmers in each event were selected for this trip. The six swimmers from GCIT represented the second largest contingent from one team behind

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-10161515695554548822007-06-23T11:49:00.000-04:002007-06-23T11:55:22.234-04:00

Just returned late last night from a simply amazing trip to England. I have some great pictures that will be posted this week along with some pictures from Hawaii. I grabbed the Senior 2 swimmers before the meet began this morning and told them how invigorated I felt upon my return. A lot of that is due to the book I read on my vacation: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8403908475259447294.post-64715280976901627582007-06-14T13:19:00.000-04:002007-06-14T13:22:50.644-04:00

This is the first post in what I hope will be a continual service to GCIT Swimming team members and families. My goal is to give you news and updates as well as a stream of consciousness view of our team. If at any time you have any ideas or thoughts to add to the blog don't hesitate to contact me!In the next couple of days I will be posting some thoughts and pictures from my trip to Hawaii with

coachmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162596331717371502noreply@blogger.com0