The POWER of the mind.

At sometime in life we have all used or heard the phrase "Mind over Body".  Whether it is pushing ourselves through a workout or telling our body that we don't hurt to push it to the finish line, our mind can do some pretty powerful things if we use it.

The study of Sports Psychology has been something very important to me and my coaching.  PMA and everything that comes with it has helped me and my student-athletes get the best out of everyday and every opportunity life presents us.

There are a couple of other important parts of Sports Psychology that can really make a difference: Visualization and Relaxation.  Yesterday I had to use them during a very scary part of one of my swimmers practices.

Towards the end of practice one of our swimmers was having trouble catching her breath.  She was so worked up that she was panicking and making it worse.  I got her out of the pool and had her sit on the side of the pool.  I talked to her very calmly and told her to listen to me and relax.  I told her to think about being in a grassy field, under a sunny sky.  I continued to tell her about the big white puffy clouds in the sky, the breeze blowing through her hair and the heat of the sun on her face.  I told her to picture that in her mind and relax. The smell of the grass and how peaceful it was in this field.  Slowly but surely she regained her composure and her breathing got back to normal.  It was impressive to watch it all happen and really showed that if you stay within yourself, you can take control.

The will and ability to do that sometimes comes from having to experience it first.

Mind over Body.

Coach Scott

Tomorrow we begin a great season...

Every race, marathon, triathlon, journey, adventure, or quest starts with a first step.  Tomorrow the 2012 edition of the Penfield High School Girls Swimming and Diving team begins their season.  A scrimmage against Spencerport.  Poetic Justice I guess, a meet against a team that I spent 7 years with.  Those memories and the chance that Coach Johnson gave me started my journey as a coach.

I am so happy and encouraged by the Pride and First Class attitude these girls have shown over the last couple of weeks.  You are never going to swim a best time every time you touch the water but you can execute a quality race plan and learn from every swim.

It won't be Mt. Dew that I am drinking on deck tomorrow, times change.  An ice cold bottle of water will keep me hydrated.  The message and cheering from me will be very similar.

Do your best...no one can expect anything more than that.

PMA!

Penfield Pride.


Coach Scott

Preseason comes to a close

One of my favorite parts of High School Swimming is Preseason training.  It allows the team to come together, work hard, and set the tone for the upcoming season.  Sure double practices, 7AM workouts, and running stadium steps in the sunshine are all a part of it.  All those years of Preseason while coaching at Spencerport showed me a lot.  Whether it is dry-land training, lap after lap in the pool, or team building activities the girls come together to become a team.

This year is going to be pretty unique I think.  This is a very skilled group of student-athletes.  I really do not think they even realize the great things that are to come.  I think we are going to have 2 girls under 1:00 in the 100 Fly, 2 girls under 5:15 in the 500, and a 400 Free Relay under 3:40.  That is what is on the top; the greatness of this upcoming season is going to be the overall improvement by each and every swimmer on this team.

When you measure success it is not on wins or loses, best times or yardage in practice.  You measure success on the overall sense of pride you have after doing your best every day.  That when you look in the mirror you are happy with who is looking back at you.

No doubts, no what ifs.

Penfield Pride!

PMA

Coach Scott

Act With Respect Always

Yesterday Penfield Student-Athletes, Coaches, and Parents got the chance to hear a great motivational speaker, Coach Rich Johns.  His initiative "Act With Respect Always" is an incredible principle of conduct.  It was inspiring to hear such great words from someone who shares in the same values and ideals that I do.
I would highly suggest that you check out his website www.actwithrespectalways.com

Coach Jonns spoke of the 8 important character traits that all coaches should have and live by.  As I coach I am always focused on my student-athletes but now see that this goes further and affects everyone we come in contact with.

I have always been a "Pay it forward" person and it will be a daily goal to pass Coach Jonns message "forward".

Check out his Facebook page also:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ActWithRespectAlways/172192785698


PMA
Coach Scott

Skill and Potential

What an incredible beginning to the 2012 Penfield Girls Swimming Season.  2 days of preseason work outs both in the pool and doing dry land stuff.  I must say that there is nothing like a Saturday morning doing drylands on the Football field under a sunny blue sky. 

It has been a blast getting to know this very gifted young ladies.  There is a great level of spirit on the deck.  I am the "new" guy and it will take a bit for them to get to know me.  It is tough to keep my enthusiasm from bubbling over after seeing the skill and potential in the water and walking around the deck.

I am really starting to get away from using the word talent for many reasons (to come in a future post) but to some it up there skill needed for smart swimming.  You take that skill and with the proper coaching great things can happen.  When I look at every swimmer I see a lot of potential for them to all be "the best possible YOU that YOU can be".

There is a great tradition at Penfield and I think we are all looking at a great new chapter.

PMA!

Coach Scott

A new journey and team begins tomorrow...

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for me. 

I start coaching at Penfield HS.  I will serve as the Assistant Varsity/JV coach for the girls and the Varsity Coach for the boys.  I am very excited to be working with such a great program and only hope that a little Smart Swimming and PMA will take them to the next level. 

PENFIELD PRIDE!

My workout is written, swim bag is all set.  Just need to put a fresh shave on this bald head.

I am as nervous as a kid on Christmas Eve...

As my college coach Stephen P. Mahaney told me many times...

"Nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm..."

PMA!

Coach Scott

What is next?

After 7 weeks of camp it is time to relax and get ready for some great new adventures.  I have already begun thinking about my upcoming seasons and I am very excited about the future.

I have meetings this week with my coaching staffs from Bay View and Penfield.  I must say that I am really looking forward to bringing "Smart" swimming to a new group of student-athletes at Penfield.

I will continue to post as the seasons progress.  I am currently working on my next post concerning talent and ability.

Thanks to all of you that have been following.

Coach Scott

The End of Hartwick Swim Camp 2012

3 incredible weeks of swim camp came to a close on Saturday with our end of the camp meet and awards ceremony.  When I look back on all the great young people we were fortunate to have at camp this year it really was by far one of the best summers ever.

Smart Swimming was a gift given to over 180 swimmers over 3 weeks at Hartwick.

The end of camp is always a very emotional time, you are physically and emotionally shot from giving 110% everyday.

Week 3 Survivor Winners Team Jade!

Most Improved - Ava

Counselor's Award Winner - Reyers

Coaches Award Winner - Taylor

Thanks to all that came to camp and I hope to see you next year

Breaststroke, Butterfly, a Talent Show, so much more and a Baseball game

This has been an incredible couple of days.  So much fun, so much instruction.  The idea over the course of the past few days has been to get swimmers to think and feel.  WOW.  Such great accomplishments.

Talent...We had a great talent show.

Today more swimming...finally a hometown baseball game. 

This has been a great week with some great young people.

USA Olympic Swimming Team - Call Me Maybe Video

This is what FUN is all about.  Plus it is Coach Dale's favorite song!

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qU3kwef-yo

I will send a Hartwick Swimming T-shirt to anyone who can name all the swimmer by name.

Post in the comment section.
Contest ends tomorrow at 1pm.


Coach Scott and Coach Dale

1/2 way

We are a bit more than half way through this third week and I am constantly amazed by the great things that happen here.  Yesterday and today we have been working on Breaststroke, Coach Brendan has done an awesome job conveying the ins and outs of a great Breaststroke.  Finding the line and increasing each swimmers Distance Per Cycle have been some common topics.

Yesterday the camp went to Gilbert Lake and gave everyone a chance to enjoy the great weather.

We wrapped up the evening with a Scavenger Hunt around campus and continued our Survivor competition.

Smart Swimming is a daily focus but making swimmers smile has been our goal everyday.

Coach Scott

My Coaching Philosophy

Many have asked, so here it is.  This is what I am about.

Coaching Philosophy

Scott William Hunsinger - Swimming Coach

In best describing my coaching philosophy I feel that it can be  put into a very simple equation that I created back in 1991; “Swim Smart+Have Fun =Swim Fast”.  Everyone wants to swim fast, the commitment and dedication it takes makes it so important to focus on what it truly takes to getting us there.  I tell my student-athletes that they can never sacrifice a good stroke for speed.  Every stroke, every start, every turn has to be technically correct.  The time and effort that is put into “Swimming Smart” is crucial.  I feel that drilling and breaking down each swimmer’s strokes helps to achieve that.  The evaluation process I have developed brings it all together.  My back ground in Exercise Science and Stroke Mechanics allows me to break things down for each swimmer.  Knowing how to swim allows all the parts of a swimmers body to work with their mind to be efficient.  Knowing why your hand needs to travel along a certain path is a result of wanting to create the sufficient  amount to lift to generate force.  Everything that I can do to help a swimmer to bring this together is one part of the equation.  

When you are swimming back and forth in a pool the scenery never really changes, your mind can wonder.  As a coach you have to make practices challenging yet enjoyable.  Through designing different swimming sets and having a comprehensive seasonal plan it is possible to show each student athlete what the goal is and how we are going to get them there as individuals and as a team.  I feel that core and dry land training is another piece of the puzzle and again making things fun.  I have a very positive and enthusiastic attitude in all aspects of my life and in swimming it is crucial.  A simple smile, positive encouragement, and goal setting are all additional avenues that allow a swimmer to have fun.  Without fun swimmers lose interest, lose focus, and soon burnout or get stale.  Weekly team building activities also make the 1000’s of yards enjoyable and worthwhile.

When I bring those two elements together I put each student-athlete in a position to swim fast and in the end using this equation allows them to be the “best possible you that you can be”.  I do not encourage my swimmers to compare themselves to anyone other than themselves.  Through realistic goal setting it becomes about what they want to accomplish.  Not every swimmer is going to be a champion but I want their educational and swimming experiences to in the end make them an incredible young person ready to take on the real world.

Freestyle, Backstroke, and movie night

Monday started off with our camp picture and an in depth lecture on Freestyle.  The swimmers really got a lot out of it.  Most of them commented that they had heard things described like never before and they actually understood it more.  We spent the afternoon working on Distance Per Stroke, which lead into wrapping things up with Stroke Rate.  It was a full day for sure.

Today Coach Kellen introduced Backstroke and took the lead on deck.  A lot of fun drills lead to Smart Swimming.  Getting the swimmers to understand the path of the hand and body roll was a major focus.

We will wrap things up with Backstroke tonight and the watch Journey 2 with the Rock for movie night.

On of our Freestyle discussions....

Coach Scott

Week 3 poster...

Every camper receives a poster at the end of camp.

Some great shots!

Week 3 begins!

Another Sunday and another first day of camp.  37 campers ready to go.  We got everyone checked in and got the parents informed and off on their way.  In typical fashion for a Sunday, Beef Stew was on the menu.

A campers meeting reinforced our rules and we were off and walking the stairs to the soccer field for some ice breaker activities.  An evening session of Streamlining, Ready Position, and Breakouts rounded out the day.

The swimmers were treated to an Ice Cream social before lights out.

Tomorrow will be Freestyle Day.  Smart Swimming is on the way!

Coach Scott

Downtime...

Week after week we as coaches start each week with enthusiasm and energy.  By the end of the week we are still at that intense level.  We have to be to provide the level of experience the swimmers deserve.

And when the last camper is gone, here at Hartwick we have about 22 hours to rest and recharge before the next week begins.  So our downtime is precious.  Last night Coach Dale allowed me to spend the night at his cottage on Goodyear Lake.  To say that it is incredible is an understatement.  I used the time to read and relax.  I also cooked myself dinner.  There is nothing like a grilled steak with a lobster tail, fresh cooked corn and grilled Zucchini.  Fresh raspberries for desert and I was in bed.

Breakfast at a local cafe and I was ready to go.  Our time is limited but essential to getting ready for the next group of campers who deserve and get our best every session and every day.

Coach Scott

 A great view...

A nice place to go for a swim...

Home for a night...

Dinner is served...

End of Week 2 with a smile...

What a great end to Week 2, a morning of starts lead to our end of camp meet in the afternoon.

Every week of camp has been different.  6 weeks and 262 swimmers.  The summer has flown by and it is so gratifying to see so many swimmers improve because of the message that the 2 camps deliver.

Here are some pictures of the award winner but in the end every swimmer left a winner; equipped with smarter strokes.

Taylor and Lindsay - Our record breakers!

Lane 2 - Yoshi's Eggs - Survivor Winners!

Most Improved - Steve (FYI - Steve is 8 and on Thursday completed his first 400 IM)

 Counselors Award - Stephanie

 Coaches Award - Lindsay

Tomorrow brings the last week of camp for the summer for me.  After 6 weeks of camp I think it is funny that I am already thinking about my upcoming seasons with the Bay View YMCA and my new teams at Penfield High School.

Off to Goodyear Lake for some downtime.

Coach Scott

Time flies when you are having fun...Part 2

The last 2 days have just flown by.  Butterfly, IM, and turns have been covered.  So much feedback, so much interaction between swimmers and coaches.  The coaches have really enjoyed this group of campers, they are so in tune with what needs to change.

Every group has had 4 specialty groups.  We have had fun with Hartwick College Swim Camp Survivor culminating with Team Building last night and wrapping up with putting a swimmer in a cap contest.  Literally putting a swimmers whole body into a swim cap.  It was done in 3.4 seconds by Lane 8.  WOW!


Tonight we had our Talent Show and it was one of the BEST ever.  The coaches will have a tough decision.

Tomorrow will be spent with Starts and our end of camp meet.

Here are some pics from our Team Building night of fun.

Sing!

Dance!

Group!

Good Night!

Backstroke, Sunshine, Breaststroke, and smiles...

Today brought more "Smart Swimming". After 2 1/2 days of Freestyle in every way possible, it was time to move on to Backstroke.  Coach Paul worked the ins and outs of Backstroke focusing on the subtle differences between between the 50, 100, and 200.  A great morning of progressions moved to Gilbert Lake for sunshine and downtime.  The time off at the lake was well needed and help everyone recharge.

The evening started with a Scavenger Hunt.  It is great seeing campers laugh and let their personalities come out.  One of the components was "tell a joke".  This brought some of the best laughter of the summer.

Coach Nikki finished up with introducing Breaststroke.  The amount of feedback our campers are getting is fun to watch.  Seeing the look on their faces is priceless.

Smart Swimming....

Coach Scott

Week 2 Poster - Hartwick Swim Camp

Week 2...

Freestyle and more Freestyle

Monday began a 2 day trip through the world of Freestyle.  I lead the discussion on Monday morning with a very thorough take of Freestyle and all of it's components.  We spent a lot of time on the "Power Triad" (the Entry, Roll, and Catch) that is critical in creating power.  The swimmers enjoyed the 3 session learning to think and take control of their Freestyle.  An afternoon Specialty Group gave the swimmers a new look at some old topics like Mental Training and Dryland Training.

The evening session was finished up with the beginning of Hartwick Swim Camp Survivor.  Challenging relays gave the swimmers a chance to have fun.

Tuesday has picked up right where we left off talking about Distance Per Stroke and Stroke Rate.

More Freestyle this afternoon before movie night featuring "We bought a Zoo".

Stay cool!
Coach Scott

One camp ends and another begins

We wrapped up a very successful week of Hartwick Swim Camp yesterday with a fun swim meet and our end of camp awards.  In reality all of the campers were winners, taking with them a new attitude of Swimming Smart.  It was sad having them leave but exciting to think about their potential. 

Just about 23 hours later 67 new campers arrived and we will be kicking it off here in about 15 minutes.  There are a lot of "new" campers this week but whether they have been here before or not the fun they all will have is going to be "legendary".

Here are some of the award winners from week 1.

 Most Improved - Olivia

Counselors Award - Mallory

Coaches Award - Alida and Hanna

The first rain of camp has not dampened our spirits...here we go!

Coach Scott

Time flies when you are having fun...

Sorry for no post last night.  It was written and posted (I thought) but when I checked it today it had been lost in cyber space.

Here we are on the last night of Week 1.  Where has the time gone.  The fact is with 1 day left this may be the most polite group of campers we have ever had.  Attentive, polite, and smart to some it up. 

We have covered Butterfly, Breaststroke, and IM.  We have had a great night of team building and tonight a night of talent.  Smart Swimming is sleeping peacfully.  They have learned, grown, developed as swimmers and as young people.  I really believe that.  Confidence is something that wakes a young person up to a great new world of possibilities.  We do a lot more that just teach swimming here, that is what makes this camp and the coaches special.  Tomorrow...


Some pics of the talent...

Team Building...

Singing...

Piano...

The crew...

All the acts...

Good Night from Hartwick.

Coach Scott

Butterfly and a trip to the lake, oh and a scavenger hunt too...

Today was the definition of a FULL day. 

The sun was shining, no clouds in the sky as I walked up to the pool.  An incredible summer morning.  Today was Butterfly day.  The key to Coach Dale's lecture and pool sessions was learning what each swimmer needed to do not to survive but to swim. 
2 pool sessions showed the swimmers the ins and outs of Fly.

The afternoon was spent at Gilbert Lake.  Whether it was swimming, boating, or just enjoying the day all the swimmers had a memorable experience.

The evening continued Hartwick Swim Camp Survivor.  Tonight's challenge was a Scavenger Hunt.  A fun experience lead to Lane 4 winning the day.

Another great day to be a Swimmer and a Swimming Coach!

Coach Scott

Before the FUN begins...8 teams...1 WINNER

The WINNERS!

Backstroke and starting the DVDs...

Today was Backstroke day with Coach Paul.  The swimmers were very attentive and learned a lot.  We ended the night with Pizza and Movie Night.  It was pretty impressive watching 77 swimmers tear through the pizza.

I started making the Underwater portion of the DVDs today, Coach Paul will start the Above water portion tomorrow.  Coach Ed Denny is missed by all of us this summer...

Here is my "cave" for the next 4 days...

This is where the magic happens...73 DVDs of Swimming Smart potential.


Goodnight from Hartwick...a trip to Gilbert Lake and Butterfly await us tomorrow.  Best to pack the sunscreen.  No paddleboat rides for me.

Coach Scott

Hartwick Swim Camp Week 1 Poster

Here is the poster for Week 1.  Each swimmer will receive one.

Wrapping up Freestyle

A great day in the water...
The kids were just amazing.  The concepts were new to some but familiar to others.  The drills were well done and everyone in the pool showed improvement in some area today.  Today is what coaching is all about making a difference to swimmers.  It is incredible the things that kids can do when they are motivated.
We wrapped up the day with Swim Camp Survivor.  Now some much needed rest.

The View...

Some words of advice from today.

Swim Camp Survivor after Day 1.

Good Morning from Hartwick

Today we started out the morning with Freestyle.  After an information packed lecture we were in the water swimming smart and having fun.

We will be talking a lot about Distance Per Stroke and Stroke Length this afternoon.

Coach Scott

Welcome to Hartwick...

After working here at Hartwick things work like clock work.  Registration has gotten better, smoother, and easier for parents.  The returning campers know the extra things to bring (window screens for example) and every Sunday night the menu is Beef Stew over Egg Noodles.  As funny as it sounds that is how camp is up until the first all swimmer meeting.

Coach Dale Rothenberger has been doing this a while, I am lucky to have been on board with him for 12 years.  This camp like CAL U is all about "Swimming Smart".  I think one of the most important parts of each camp is that we instill great morals and values.  Our "rules" help the campers be good people.

We started our evening session with a couple of "ice breaker: activities to allow swimmers to talk to new people and get them outside of their comfort zone.  The simplest of things such as lining up oldest to youngest allows kids to talk and get to know people from Queens, Rochester, Victor, West Virginia, South Carolina, Penfield, and beyond.  I love it because it allows me to be myself, enthusiastic and funny at the same time.

We did a "Human Knot" and a "My name is..." Ice Breaker that lead into a timed 75 followed by a solid pool session of Streamlining and Ready position.  Oh yeah...81 swimmers are doing all of this.

Our water session went a bit long but we leave nothing to chance.  We want kids to Swim Smart and learn new things or a different way of doing what they know.

An Ice Cream Social gave our campers the chance to enjoy something sweet while interacting with the staff and signing up for Early Bird practice.

Hartwick is a special place and a great camp.  There are a lot of unique and fun personalities here.

Pictures tomorrow as I take the lead on Freestyle.

Goodnight from Hartwick...

Coach Scott

Off to Hartwick Swim Camp

It has been a very busy 8 days since returning from CAL U.  Time spent with friends and family that brings some sunshine to my world.  I am now fully energized and ready to make the 3 1/2 hour road trip to Oneonta NY for another 3 weeks of swim camp.  This will be my 12th year at HSC and every year it just gets better and better.  I look forward to seeing the familiar faces and the new faces of Smart Swimming.

I will post the last pics from CAL U once I get settled into my accommodations at Smith Hall.

Be sure to check in for all the great experiences to come.

Coach Scott

Melissa Gates at the Olympic Trials!

Over the last 4 years I have been blessed to have had the chance to work with Melissa and now it is the best time ever.  Good Luck to Melissa Gates.  California University of PA swimmer/PSAC Champion/NCAA National Champion and Record Holder!

On Friday Melissa begins her Olympic Trail experience in the 100 Free with the 50 Free to follow.

Melissa is Swimming Smart to its fullest.

All the Best!

Coach Scott

Fly and a smile

Today, as with the other 3 weeks, allowed us to work on Butterfly and give our swimmers the chance to learn something new.  They all came in knowing Butterfly but having a coach that has taken it to a new level.
No more trying to survive.  Lets do it and take it 1 stroke...1 perfect stroke at a time.

Too often swimmers go through their swimming lives just trying to make it through, survive swimming fly.

NO MORE.

They now know how to swim 1 perfect stroke at a time.

Every coach on a seasonal basis should let every swimmer know they have potential.  Ability is the drive that gets them there.  Having Fun takes it to the next level.

4 weeks.  Each week with a different goal, a different focus.  Please continue to watch and read this blog.  I have a feeling that there will be a lot going on here in the coming months.

If you or your swimmers have questions...swhunsinger@yahoo.com

I will post a team picture of Week 4 and Week 2 over the weekend.  From Coach back to Daddy...

Thank you all for 4 great weeks.

CAL U Swim Camp...where smart swimming starts!

Coach Scott

Making new friends...

Over the years I have done a lot of private coaching with swimmers from other teams.  I am very fortunate to get to work with such talented swimmers.  Helping them with stroke technique gives them a different perspective to smarter swimming.

Over the last 3 weeks I have had 3 chances to work with a swimmer from Week 1.  Olivia and I have spent some quality time working on the little things.  Some kids just get it and Olivia is one of those swimmers.  Her smile and enthusiasm give me so much energy.  Whether it was here at CAL U or at the Bridgeport Country Club it has been a blessing to have had the chance to work with her.

Thank you to Olivia and her parents Pam and Matt for the chance to work with her.

Coach Scott

Changing "OLD" to "Better"

What a great group of swimmers we have this week.  It is funny when you work with kids and tell them of the potential you see in them and they are shocked and amazed.  Whether they never get positive reinforcement at home or just don't have the confidence it is so much funny "Breaking the glass ceiling".  The smile is so big and you can see them trying that little bit harder.  One little positive comment brings such confidence.  Audra, Jade, Emma, and Krystal have all had that look this week.

Even my 4 Bay View Tigers are making great progress this week.  Having swimmers that you see all the time make improvements it is still so exciting to see.  I am so glad to have them here.  I think it is a huge plus for the campers to see drills done the right way.  Having them here is such a blessing.

We are working on Breaststroke and Butterfly today.  The campers all have said what a difference the little things are making to them.  I can only hope that all the things we teach them make a difference to them when they get back.

What Would Coach Scott Say...


A lot to do today!  What can I do today to help them improve?

We shall see.

Coach Scott

What did you learn that made the BIGGEST difference?

Over the last 3 weeks I have asked what made the biggest difference in helping you swim smarter.  Here is a sampling of their words.

Brooke - The drills.
Cody - The High Elbow on Freestyle.
Brittany - Tighter Streamline.
Logan - Tighter Streamline.
Rachel - Learning how to dive without my goggles falling off.
Thomas - Head placement.
Unknown - Head position in Streamline.
Olivia - How to do a faster start.
Maggie - Not worrying about anyone but me.  I can be good.
Gionna - Head Position in Streamline

It is great reading in their words what helped them.

Coach Scott

And then there was Freestyle

Today we focused on Freestyle.  What a talented group of swimmers to work with.  We spent a lot of time focusing on thinking and creating power...smart power.  I was really impressed with the changes that were made.  One of the great things today was the intensity of the breakouts that the swimmers now have.  We focused on 4 to 6 "shimmer" kicks as a prelude to the breakout.  What success we had.

Increasing Distance Per Stroke was achieved with focusing on body roll. Knowing what the hands need to do made a big difference.  We really took things slow and used the day to develop smarter Freestyle.

They are a great group with a lot of ability.  Tomorrow Backstroke...

Good Night from CAL U!

Coach Scott

And then there was Week 4

Time really does fly when you are having fun.  Here we are at Week 4 of CAL U swim camp.  We have 23 swimmers (4 returners/19 new campers), the unique thing about this week is that for the first time in the history of CAL U camp we have all female campers.  I joked with the girls this evening that it was so quiet and they were so attentive that it must be the boys that are the talkers at camp.

We worked on Streamline and Ready Position this evening with a lot of success.  There is a ton of ability in the pool this week.  It will be a lot of fun for sure.

An added part of this week is that 4 of my swimmers from the Bay View YMCA are here with me this week.  They are all great young ladies and it will be good for the other campers to be exposed to swimmers who have already gotten so much for the "Swimming Smart" concept.

Coach Scott

The "end" of camp is a "new" beginning...

Thursday was a day that I think surprised our campers.  They learned a new way to swim Butterfly that was easier, smarter, and doable.  We did not reinvent the wheel, all the staff did was show them the basics, help them to get the flow and then show them how to train so perfect swimming is the way to go.  Just getting kids to THINK...FEEL....and REACT is a big step.

To often swimmers just "try to survive" when the swim fly.  After Thursday, all things are different.

Friday was a sad but great day.

I am so impressed by this group of campers.  They were so raw, so in need of the basics.  They came to CAL U in one state of being, they left with an incredible understanding of what was needed to be the "best possible U that U can be."

Leaps and Bounds.

The Jersey girls were even better than last year...a lot of talent.  Shout of to Kendra Rae!

I thought it was great to watch all of the kids improve in all 4 strokes.

Thanks to the parents that brought me treats.  As I am writing this blog post, I have a mini pepperoni roll and a Yann dog to eat as a snack.  Chocolate milk to wash it down.  My Fairmont foods as so special.  I need to get my buddy Guy Fieri to go do Fairmont with me to feature these treats!

Enjoy these pics and thanks you all!  1 more week of camp.

The last week will be special as 4 of my swimmers from home visit CAL U for the first time.

Group shot!

Wrapping up a great week.

Swimmer Profile (updated from week 1 to show "family" as a priority...yup in my rush Mental Training was left out.  Check back for the COMPLETE Swimmer Profile in Week 4.

Good Night from Cal U!!!

Coach Scott

Half way through Week 3

It is really hard to imagine that is has been 2 and 1/2 weeks of camp.  So many swimmers with so much ability.  So many laps in the pool getting smarter.  I can't even think to start to count the number of steps up and down.  We spent a lot of time today on Breaststroke, a lecture and 2 water sessions lead to a new understanding of what is needed to swim smart.  Coach April and Coach Nicole did an excellent job of getting our swimmers to grasp the new ideas in front of them.  A lot of today was spent getting a feel for creating lift.  Tomorrow we tackle the Pullout and Butterfly.  We wrapped up today with a walk (hot out...) to DQ and movie night watching Tin Tin.  And now, not a creature is stirring not even a mouse.

Life goes on even when we are a way.  Today was my daughter Julia's last day of Kindergarten...She is so smart...I am so proud and even more lucky and blessed.

Good night from CAL U!

Coach Scott

Backstroke and a "Golden" guest.

As I said before, we were right back at it today with Backstroke.

A great morning session was concluded by so many swimmers making impressive progress.  We had some swimmers that needed help with streamline, as of today we are 100% on the path to faster swimming with everyone streamlining.

We began our afternoon session with a specialty group talking about the "Complete Swimmer Profile", explaining what makes up what goes into being a swimmer.  This was briefly interrupted by a "Golden" guest.  One of my good friends Gold Medalist on the 4x100 Medley Relay in the 2000 Summer Olympics BJ Bedford Miller gave me a call to talk to our swimmers.  By speaker phone BJ told the swimmers some key points to improving their Backstroke.  The look in their faces was priceless as they huddled around the phone to listen to every word.

Sometimes pulling a rabbit out of your hat goes miles in making an impression to have swimmers get the idea.

Sometimes it is just making young people want to do the little things to become a better swimmer.

Another great day at CAL U!

Coach Scott

We are BACK!!!

Today is Backstroke Day at CAL U swim camp.  We started with a very good lecture and the kids are ready to hit the pool.

Sunday started camp with a very thorough review of Streamlining.  It is so important to have the best possible streamline you can.  We spent a lot of time both in the water and on the deck getting it right.

Monday was Freestyle day and a lot of great progress was made in getting smarter swimming to be the desired result.  Bryce and Rebecca S. were our swimmers of the day after making some great improvements in their Freestyle and Streamline.

This is a very spirited and fun group with a lot of potential.


Note:  Sorry it has taken me a couple of days to get a post up.  I was the victim of food poisoning (NOT from camp food)  and was doing my best to just be on deck and be the best I could be for our campers.  I am 90% recovered and ready to get back at it at 100%!!!

Coach Scott

A full day of Smart Swimming

It is so much fun having a captive audience.  We started with the Breaststroke Pull Out then went right into Butterfly.  I continued what we started with last week's group asking how many "hated" Butterfly.  With half the room raising their hands, I promised them that at the end of the day I would ask them again.

When I did ask again they had been introduced to a new thinking when it comes to Butterfly.  No one raised their hand.

It is funny that when kids really understand the secret to swimming fast is know exactly how they need to swim.  That core strength and focus can reshape them in the water.  This is a great group of swimmers, tomorrow we will focus on starts and turns, wrapping up a great week.

The Swimmer Profile...

The "Road Map" to a Smart Pull Out...