At the NCAA Men's DI National Championships, a breaststroker from the University of Arizona swam a 100 breaststroke in 49.56 as part of his team's National Champion 400 medley relay. The day before, a swimmer from USC split a 17.86 in a 50 freestyle as the third leg of his team's 200 freestyle relay.
Swims like these provoke two responses: awe and inspiration; and hopelessness.
As much as I don't like to admit it as a coach, the next groundbreaking swim (I'm guessing for the Men that means cracking :40 in the 100 freestyle, or 1:30 in the 200 freestyle and for the women, breaking 1:40 in the 200 freestyle or 4:30 in the 500 freestyle) is not going to belong to a swimming on our team. I wish that it would! But unfortunately, as many talented and hard working people as we have on our team, none of them are going to be setting world records in the pool. NCAA DIII National records? Definitely a possibility! Even though we probably won't be the team shattering world records and sending people the Olympics, we can still think and work like a team that does and choose to be inspired to continue to strive towards more great things rather than losing hope.
I believe that we have a good enough team to send at least 10 people to Nationals next year. The work that is being put in right now by our swimmers in the pool and weight room in preparation for next year is truly exceptional. The odds are good that we don't have any future Olympians on our team but it's not stopping any of our swimmers from thinking and working like world-class athletes. It's impossible to predict what is in store for us next year but it's certain to be another record-breaking year full of surprising swims and unprecedented success. I can't wait until September 23rd and the first day of the 2013-2014 swimming season!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Swim Lessons!
Every year, during the Walla Walla Public Schools' spring break, the Whitman Swim Team offers swim lessons to the general public. The week of swim lessons is an opportunity for us to raise some funds to put towards our winter training trip and a chance for our swimmers to put their knowledge of the sport to good use and to gain some perspective.
In a sport that so often boils down to 100ths of a second and the details of hand-entry, head position, and body alignment, it's easy to forget that at some point all of us were being told by an exasperated swim instructor to put our face in the water. All of our swimmers have moved past holding onto the wall with both hands and blowing bubbles under the water, but there's something unique and awesome about getting a five year old to have a break-through in freestyle by telling him or her to imagine that he/she is swimming in ice cream and that he/she has ice cream scoops for hands.
In a sport that so often boils down to 100ths of a second and the details of hand-entry, head position, and body alignment, it's easy to forget that at some point all of us were being told by an exasperated swim instructor to put our face in the water. All of our swimmers have moved past holding onto the wall with both hands and blowing bubbles under the water, but there's something unique and awesome about getting a five year old to have a break-through in freestyle by telling him or her to imagine that he/she is swimming in ice cream and that he/she has ice cream scoops for hands.
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