The 2nd phase of the competitive season is upon us…and so many clubs have spent valuable time at their home pools and destination training camps to put in valuable mileage and technical stroke correction. That being said, there is always a transitional period between training and peak performance in the new season meets. Typically, too many have high expectations for the “first meet out of the gate” and come up disappointed…which is tragically unfair to the whole process.
I don’t buy in to the concept of a “training through” meet. Why swim teenagers through a slow process (because they don’t understand) and ask families to spend hundreds of dollars and hours officiating just to come through with lame-duck results and just like an onion, tears off a layer of passion because they don’t understand? I think it is a waste of talent and resources.
Just this weekend, while I was filming the UofT swimmers, I was so pleased to see Kylie Masse smack down a :59/2:09 fly combo (no not backstroke) to post the 2nd fastest times in the country this year in each event….and to see Rebecca Smith in her 200 IM/100 breast was very cool to see.
For me, I have had some very productive Private Coaching sessions at PanAm-TPASC today (Sunday). We are typically in the dive tank with three cameras (2 underwater) and its a delight to see reaction and modification to strokes, albeit feeling a bit odd for the swimmers trying to break age-old routine.
One of my swimmers just came off a three week family vacation, and while she could barely keep her eyes open from the long flight…after 90 minutes of non-stop coaching/video/swimming, she was coming along quite nicely!
Let’s have a great week!
I’m in Toronto filming at the UofT Varsity and Grand Prix meets this weekend…I just love that environment and the pool!
Coach Snow
jimsnow@icloud.com