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.com
Here are the former GCIT Swimming team members that will be in action during the months of February and March:
This Weekend (Feb 14-17)
Lauren Stull, Mike Tubb, and Brian Brady (Rider/MAAC)
Matt Fralinger (Loyola/MAAC)
Weekend of Feb 20-24
Kacey McCaffrey (NYU/UAA)
Kerry Choplin (Kutztown/PSAC)
Michelle Wesh (Bloomsburg/PSAC)
Jamie Marks (Arkansas/SEC)
Mandee Cregar (South Carolina/SEC)
Bill Cregar (Georgia/SEC)
Sammi Edwards (Rowan/Metropolitan)
Meghan McCourt (Rowan/Metropolitan)
Stephanie McAllister (Rowan/Metropolitan)
Ryan Gorsky (Montclair State/Metropolitan)
Cassie Tubb (College of Charleston/CCSA)
Kellene McCall and Owen Black (LaSalle/Atlantic Ten)
Kelly O'Hara (Pittsburgh/Big East)
Greg McFadden (Bentley/New England DII-DII Champs)
Weekend of Feb 27 - March 1
Sabrina Warren and Ryan Majek (Towson/CAA)
Christian Sprang (Michigan/Big Ten)
Megan Carlin (Penn/Ivy League)
ECAC Championships for various teams and swimmers
Weekend of March 6-9
Evan Schindewolf (Harvard/EISL)
The results of the various conference championship meets are a great way to see what conferences and teams would be a good fit for you. Take the time to look at the results from as many meets as possible and compare those times to the times you are doing now. You will be able to see how you would fit in right now as well as how much faster you would have to get to swim at different schools. Just keep in mind that the times for each conference will get faster every year.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Its Not About the Suit
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 championship suit catalogs. If you tuned in to the Today Show this morning you would have seen the official release of the new Speedo LZR Racer which will be available this summer. Technical words that are not readily thrown around the pool deck (like "compression" and "repellency") are used to describe these suits which, seemingly, are there to take you to the next level. Unfortunately some see these catalogs or see (insert USA Swimming National Team Member's name here) swim fast wearing a certain suit and think "That's what I need to swim fast." However, in the end, its not about the suit. Its about the person that is wearing the suit.
We do have to talk about the fact that these suits are very expensive. Yet most of them are not meant to be worn constantly and really only last for a couple of meets. This is the compression factor working against you : every time you put that suit on it stretches out a little bit. The more you wear it the more it stretches out. Once the compression aspect of the suit has been compromised the suit has no "added edge" in a race. It is about assessing the value of the suit and using it at the right times. Since the suit is only meant to be used, at most, six times you have to save it for the six most important meets in the future.
Do you attend every dryland session offered? When you are at practice, are you working hard when you are asked to work hard and focusing on technique when told to do so? What is your practice attendance percentage? 70%? 80%? 90%? We have said before that the percentage of practices you attend is akin to the level your body will be able to perform at a meet. If you attend 85% percent of the workouts, you can expect to be at 85% of your best at the meet. There is absolutely no LEGAL substitute for these factors.
This sport, perhaps more than any other, is driven by science and technology. This is a great thing as it is the perfect combination of physical and mental abilities. There has been an amazing impact on this sport through the evolution and technology behind the swimsuit, especially since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. But a swimsuit on its own can not move anywhere; there has to be a body in that suit to make it go...not the other way around.
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 championship suit catalogs. If you tuned in to the Today Show this morning you would have seen the official release of the new Speedo LZR Racer which will be available this summer. Technical words that are not readily thrown around the pool deck (like "compression" and "repellency") are used to describe these suits which, seemingly, are there to take you to the next level. Unfortunately some see these catalogs or see (insert USA Swimming National Team Member's name here) swim fast wearing a certain suit and think "That's what I need to swim fast." However, in the end, its not about the suit. Its about the person that is wearing the suit.
We do have to talk about the fact that these suits are very expensive. Yet most of them are not meant to be worn constantly and really only last for a couple of meets. This is the compression factor working against you : every time you put that suit on it stretches out a little bit. The more you wear it the more it stretches out. Once the compression aspect of the suit has been compromised the suit has no "added edge" in a race. It is about assessing the value of the suit and using it at the right times. Since the suit is only meant to be used, at most, six times you have to save it for the six most important meets in the future.
Do you attend every dryland session offered? When you are at practice, are you working hard when you are asked to work hard and focusing on technique when told to do so? What is your practice attendance percentage? 70%? 80%? 90%? We have said before that the percentage of practices you attend is akin to the level your body will be able to perform at a meet. If you attend 85% percent of the workouts, you can expect to be at 85% of your best at the meet. There is absolutely no LEGAL substitute for these factors.
This sport, perhaps more than any other, is driven by science and technology. This is a great thing as it is the perfect combination of physical and mental abilities. There has been an amazing impact on this sport through the evolution and technology behind the swimsuit, especially since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. But a swimsuit on its own can not move anywhere; there has to be a body in that suit to make it go...not the other way around.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Update on last post
I've gotten a lot of great feedback on the last post. Two things I wanted to add/clarify:
The next logical thought would probably be something like..."so much talk about failure can be rather negative. How can failure be avoided?" I have been thinking about this all weekend and will be posting something in the next couple of days.
- 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 are, how you prepared for the meet/race, and how you approached that meet/race mentally.
- It is important to understand failure as a possibility, but in no way do you have to accept failure as your fate.
The next logical thought would probably be something like..."so much talk about failure can be rather negative. How can failure be avoided?" I have been thinking about this all weekend and will be posting something in the next couple of days.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thoughts Left Over From The Summer
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 able to start focusing more on how we prepared rather than just what the steps toward full preparation were. I tried to watch the meet day habits of swimmers on our team and other teams while at Nationals and Junior Nationals and see what differences there were between those who seemingly "achieved" and those who did not.
During this time I was also reading Walter Issacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life as recommended by fellow GCIT coach and history buff Dan Saia. I have always marveled at Franklin's work ethic and intellect, not to mention the fact that Franklin is a fellow Philadelphian. Let me say that I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is, in my opinion, an examination of the true genius that was Benjamin Franklin. There are some mature themes in it (like all of us Franklin was in no way perfect) so parents, please, be sure that it is in the hands of the right young people.
One quote in particular really piqued my curiosity when coupled with what I was observing at Nationals and Junior Nationals:
“An infallible rule: if two persons equal in judgment play for a considerable sum, he that loves money most shall lose; his anxiety for the success of the game confounds him.”
-Benjamin Franklin
This rule applies to many situations in every day life and especially in a sport such as swimming. When it comes to competition a person who is too fearful will end up performing defensively (i.e. to not lose or not fail) and actually fail to accomplish their goals or the task at hand (Issacson 58). Our sport is unique in that victory, nine times out of ten, is not determined by place finish in a race but by the amount of time it takes you to complete the race. The only true foe, in that regard, is time itself.
I began to think that a major difference between those reaching their goals (or "achieving") and those that were not (or "failing") was the confidence they brought to the table. I began to try and assess where this confidence was coming from and began to understand that the "achievers" were not spending unnecessary time before the race thinking about what they will do if they fail to succeed. As coaches we want, above all, for the swimmers to improve in and out of the pool and reach their goals. I personally feel that everyone (swimmer or not) should set high goals for themselves as long as they understand the steps, sacrifices and, above all, time necessary to reach those goals. But if you spend too much time concentrating on failure, to paraphrase an old saying, "You are doomed to repeat it."
One cannot perform at their optimal level if their thoughts are clouded in any way by the fear of failure. You must first acknowledge and accept the fact that failure is a possibility if you are going to be able to avoid it in any way. That being said, you do not have to accept the fact that failure occurred or be happy with it in any way. What you need to do is understand all possible outcomes and move on to the task at hand.
A person must experience and understand the feeling of losing or failure if they are going to be able to truly appreciate winning or achieving. No person, especially a swimmer, should be protected in any way from defeat or failure. As coaches or parents this can be the hardest thing to do: allow a child to fail. However this is most definitely in their best interest (as Bruce and Thomas Wayne say in Batman Begins "We fall down so that we can pick ourselves back up."). We must guide them down the right path toward understanding defeat/failure as well as through the steps toward avoiding the exact same fate in the future. They must pay attention to proper preparation with the understanding that (in a sport where the difference between accomplishing or failing to accomplish a goal can be 1/100th of a second or less) skipping the minutest detail can be the difference between failure and accomplishment.
Everything is a learning opportunity, every accomplishment and every failure. The problems leading to failure may not be rectified in one attempt. While this would be the ideal situation it is just as important to show progress toward rectifying the issues. The more daunting the task, the more time it usually takes to master.
Above all, your mind cannot be constantly clouded by the fear of failure. Once you are able to accept failure as a possibility it will become easier to focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about what will happen if you fail. Some of the greatest accomplishments known to man are preceded by failed attempt after failed attempt. Failure will make you stronger and smarter and make reaching the goal so much sweeter.
During this time I was also reading Walter Issacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life as recommended by fellow GCIT coach and history buff Dan Saia. I have always marveled at Franklin's work ethic and intellect, not to mention the fact that Franklin is a fellow Philadelphian. Let me say that I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is, in my opinion, an examination of the true genius that was Benjamin Franklin. There are some mature themes in it (like all of us Franklin was in no way perfect) so parents, please, be sure that it is in the hands of the right young people.
One quote in particular really piqued my curiosity when coupled with what I was observing at Nationals and Junior Nationals:
“An infallible rule: if two persons equal in judgment play for a considerable sum, he that loves money most shall lose; his anxiety for the success of the game confounds him.”
-Benjamin Franklin
This rule applies to many situations in every day life and especially in a sport such as swimming. When it comes to competition a person who is too fearful will end up performing defensively (i.e. to not lose or not fail) and actually fail to accomplish their goals or the task at hand (Issacson 58). Our sport is unique in that victory, nine times out of ten, is not determined by place finish in a race but by the amount of time it takes you to complete the race. The only true foe, in that regard, is time itself.
I began to think that a major difference between those reaching their goals (or "achieving") and those that were not (or "failing") was the confidence they brought to the table. I began to try and assess where this confidence was coming from and began to understand that the "achievers" were not spending unnecessary time before the race thinking about what they will do if they fail to succeed. As coaches we want, above all, for the swimmers to improve in and out of the pool and reach their goals. I personally feel that everyone (swimmer or not) should set high goals for themselves as long as they understand the steps, sacrifices and, above all, time necessary to reach those goals. But if you spend too much time concentrating on failure, to paraphrase an old saying, "You are doomed to repeat it."
One cannot perform at their optimal level if their thoughts are clouded in any way by the fear of failure. You must first acknowledge and accept the fact that failure is a possibility if you are going to be able to avoid it in any way. That being said, you do not have to accept the fact that failure occurred or be happy with it in any way. What you need to do is understand all possible outcomes and move on to the task at hand.
A person must experience and understand the feeling of losing or failure if they are going to be able to truly appreciate winning or achieving. No person, especially a swimmer, should be protected in any way from defeat or failure. As coaches or parents this can be the hardest thing to do: allow a child to fail. However this is most definitely in their best interest (as Bruce and Thomas Wayne say in Batman Begins "We fall down so that we can pick ourselves back up."). We must guide them down the right path toward understanding defeat/failure as well as through the steps toward avoiding the exact same fate in the future. They must pay attention to proper preparation with the understanding that (in a sport where the difference between accomplishing or failing to accomplish a goal can be 1/100th of a second or less) skipping the minutest detail can be the difference between failure and accomplishment.
Everything is a learning opportunity, every accomplishment and every failure. The problems leading to failure may not be rectified in one attempt. While this would be the ideal situation it is just as important to show progress toward rectifying the issues. The more daunting the task, the more time it usually takes to master.
Above all, your mind cannot be constantly clouded by the fear of failure. Once you are able to accept failure as a possibility it will become easier to focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about what will happen if you fail. Some of the greatest accomplishments known to man are preceded by failed attempt after failed attempt. Failure will make you stronger and smarter and make reaching the goal so much sweeter.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Its Been a While...
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 keeping up with all of you. Luckily I now have some time to get back into the swing of posting here on a more regular basis.
Since I came back to GCIT in October 2004 our number have increased at a steady pace. We have had to endure some tough times with the pool being shut down during the summer of 2005 and 2006 but with the help of a great coaching staff and a very supportive group of parents we got through it. Last September we started with 130 swimmers on the team and that number increased to 160 by the time we hit the spring season. By April I started to think we could get close to the 200 swimmer mark possibly by September 2008...as there is always a nice surge in registrations following the Olympic Games.
Heading into the month of September our registrations were at 130 and climbing, well ahead of the record pace we set in 2006. However I did not expect to experience the push on September 10th (the first day of practice) that happened. We had over 100 swimmers register for this team (for the full-time program and the high school warm-up group) in less than three hours! When all was said and done we had 200 swimmers on the full-time team and 55 in the high school warm-up group, reaching my personal goal one year early. The high school warm-up group has since grown to 60 swimmers.
There are probably many reasons as to why our team is at this size right now. However one thing keeps coming back to me as a major factor for the surge. I received a number of calls and emails from people who have said something to the effect of, "I have heard the program at GCIT is very good." We can put together a great looking brochure and can put ads listing our team accomplishments in the various summer league meet programs but nothing will ever top the personal endorsement of one of our current families. Knowing there are people on this team who think enough of the program to recommend it to their friends and summer league teammates is both very encouraging and humbling at the same time.
The coaching staff is very excited about the coming season. We hope to help the swimmers on this team become better athletes and better people over the next nine to eleven months. If there is anything we can do to help you or your child with this sport please do not hesitate to speak with one of the coaches.
Since I came back to GCIT in October 2004 our number have increased at a steady pace. We have had to endure some tough times with the pool being shut down during the summer of 2005 and 2006 but with the help of a great coaching staff and a very supportive group of parents we got through it. Last September we started with 130 swimmers on the team and that number increased to 160 by the time we hit the spring season. By April I started to think we could get close to the 200 swimmer mark possibly by September 2008...as there is always a nice surge in registrations following the Olympic Games.
Heading into the month of September our registrations were at 130 and climbing, well ahead of the record pace we set in 2006. However I did not expect to experience the push on September 10th (the first day of practice) that happened. We had over 100 swimmers register for this team (for the full-time program and the high school warm-up group) in less than three hours! When all was said and done we had 200 swimmers on the full-time team and 55 in the high school warm-up group, reaching my personal goal one year early. The high school warm-up group has since grown to 60 swimmers.
There are probably many reasons as to why our team is at this size right now. However one thing keeps coming back to me as a major factor for the surge. I received a number of calls and emails from people who have said something to the effect of, "I have heard the program at GCIT is very good." We can put together a great looking brochure and can put ads listing our team accomplishments in the various summer league meet programs but nothing will ever top the personal endorsement of one of our current families. Knowing there are people on this team who think enough of the program to recommend it to their friends and summer league teammates is both very encouraging and humbling at the same time.
The coaching staff is very excited about the coming season. We hope to help the swimmers on this team become better athletes and better people over the next nine to eleven months. If there is anything we can do to help you or your child with this sport please do not hesitate to speak with one of the coaches.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
2007 Nationals...in the books!
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 an amazingly gifted athlete who, right now at the age of 40, looks like a good bet to make her 5th Olympic Team. Oh, and her time tonight would be tied for the second fastest time in the world this year.
On a more local note, Erik Vendt broke a 20 year old meet record in the 800 free tonight. Vendt's time of 7:49.75 broke the previous meet record established in 1987 by Sean Killion. Simply put, Killion was the greatest swimmer to ever come out of South Jersey. Sean graduated from Cherry Hill West and went on to a great college career at Cal and was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. Sean was named the South Jersey Male High School Swimmer of the Century in 1999. Sean was a great role model for all of the younger swimmers (myself included) in South Jersey during the 1980's. Sean proved that great swimmers don't just come from California or Texas...they can come from South Jersey as well. As much as I love to see fast swimming, it was a little sad to see Sean's record broken.
The end of Senior Nationals means the beginning of Junior Nationals is on the horizon. Seven GCIT swimmers will be in action during the week. They have been training hard since the beginning of April for this meet and I am very optimistic heading into Monday's events.
On a more local note, Erik Vendt broke a 20 year old meet record in the 800 free tonight. Vendt's time of 7:49.75 broke the previous meet record established in 1987 by Sean Killion. Simply put, Killion was the greatest swimmer to ever come out of South Jersey. Sean graduated from Cherry Hill West and went on to a great college career at Cal and was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. Sean was named the South Jersey Male High School Swimmer of the Century in 1999. Sean was a great role model for all of the younger swimmers (myself included) in South Jersey during the 1980's. Sean proved that great swimmers don't just come from California or Texas...they can come from South Jersey as well. As much as I love to see fast swimming, it was a little sad to see Sean's record broken.
The end of Senior Nationals means the beginning of Junior Nationals is on the horizon. Seven GCIT swimmers will be in action during the week. They have been training hard since the beginning of April for this meet and I am very optimistic heading into Monday's events.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Nationals after Day 4
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 because I wanted to stand next to him when Brendan Hansen swam the 100 breastroke. Brendan is from Haverford, PA and swam for Charlie before attending college at the University of Texas (where he still trains). Brendan wasn't able to break his own world record in the race, but he blasted past the rest of the heat in the last 25 for the victory. Charlie had some great insight into Brendan's stroke rate and other aspects of his race which he shared with me. Its a chance like this to listen to some of the best coaches in the country (and Charlie is definitely in that group) discuss everything from stroke technique to team administration that makes attending Nationals a treat for me.
I spent the entire finals session next to Charlie Kennedy, head coach at Suburban. I did this for a number of reasons but mostly because I wanted to stand next to him when Brendan Hansen swam the 100 breastroke. Brendan is from Haverford, PA and swam for Charlie before attending college at the University of Texas (where he still trains). Brendan wasn't able to break his own world record in the race, but he blasted past the rest of the heat in the last 25 for the victory. Charlie had some great insight into Brendan's stroke rate and other aspects of his race which he shared with me. Its a chance like this to listen to some of the best coaches in the country (and Charlie is definitely in that group) discuss everything from stroke technique to team administration that makes attending Nationals a treat for me.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Nationals
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 years she was a member of the team). Simply amazing to watch her beat people half her age and who were not even born when she was in Los Angeles for the 1984 Games.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
NCAA Clearinghouse for Seniors-to-be
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 I or II athletics.
The website you want to use is www.ncaaclearinghouse.com. From there you will be able to get all the information you need on NCAA initial eligibility and you can also register with the Clearinghouse online. You will also have to get your SAT/ACT scores sent directly to the Clearinghouse from the testing company. You will also need to get your official transcripts MAILED to the Clearinghouse by your high school. There is a $50 fee required to register with the Clearinghouse.
Remember, you can not take an official visit to a Division I or II school without being properly registered with the Clearinghouse (application filled out, test scores sent and received, transcripts sent and received, payment made).
The website you want to use is www.ncaaclearinghouse.com. From there you will be able to get all the information you need on NCAA initial eligibility and you can also register with the Clearinghouse online. You will also have to get your SAT/ACT scores sent directly to the Clearinghouse from the testing company. You will also need to get your official transcripts MAILED to the Clearinghouse by your high school. There is a $50 fee required to register with the Clearinghouse.
Remember, you can not take an official visit to a Division I or II school without being properly registered with the Clearinghouse (application filled out, test scores sent and received, transcripts sent and received, payment made).
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