What a meet...was I dreaming? NO!
It is something to have a couple of great swims. It is another to have a truck load. I'm not shy about it. I have been blessed with great student-athletes for the past 23 years of taper season coaching. In 1999 Brian Bartalo and I came up with a 3 week taper. How much yardage we needed to get done and then how to take it down. The method to the madness. The "madness" over the last 13 years has been designing the sets. What works best. What is the right thing to do with certain swimmers? Ed Denny and I have worked at getting the "each season is special" perspective in motion. No 2 teams, no 2 athletes are the same but the general idea stays the same. Everything is different but you keep to your basics...what you know works to get the lightning in the bottle. The basics seem to be get a great base of training during the season then decrease the yardage, increase the interval, believe it or not increase the enthusiasm and intensity. Watching the kids go through it this season was a lot of fun. They worked so hard and got the results.
It is faith and belief, the funny thing is about a taper is that it is 75% season long work and 25% PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) and confidence.
I told a coach on deck today "Funny things is...I never thought you could taper an 8 year old". Well after watching an 8 year old pull off the perfect race plan and drop 9 seconds in the 100 free, I have to believe in "The Taper".
It is magical.
More details and thoughts tomorrow.
For now.....WOW....OMG....and just plain AMAZING.
Making dreams come true one swim at a time!
Coach Scott
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Speechless
Every swim today told a story. In the book of a swimmer's career not every chapter is a fast or glorious one. Some chapters are of hard work and times missed. That was 2 of my incredible young ladies today.
I really cannot pick 1 swim that was my favorite because this team has nailed this taper. When you have 4 guys in the 13 and 14 200 Freestyle Consol/Finals and ALL of them step up and shatter their best times they set in the morning it is a good day. When an 8 year old girl swim the PERFECT race and drops 9 seconds in the 100 free is it a good day.
When 4 special girls come together as 1 perfect 200 Medley Relay and go 1:59.75...life is good. Plus I am now out 4 $20 Dunkin Donuts Gift cards...yes I still make wagers...
Watching the smile on a 10 year old boys face when he sees a best time...Priceless.
By the way...we still have a FULL day tomorrow!
Taper....Taper....
Coach Scott
I really cannot pick 1 swim that was my favorite because this team has nailed this taper. When you have 4 guys in the 13 and 14 200 Freestyle Consol/Finals and ALL of them step up and shatter their best times they set in the morning it is a good day. When an 8 year old girl swim the PERFECT race and drops 9 seconds in the 100 free is it a good day.
When 4 special girls come together as 1 perfect 200 Medley Relay and go 1:59.75...life is good. Plus I am now out 4 $20 Dunkin Donuts Gift cards...yes I still make wagers...
Watching the smile on a 10 year old boys face when he sees a best time...Priceless.
By the way...we still have a FULL day tomorrow!
Taper....Taper....
Coach Scott
Friday, March 16, 2012
Recap of Day 1 - WOW
An incredible first session! The anticipation of the first swim is mind bending. As a coach you try to be calm and reserved. Inside you are going crazy wondering if the "taper" worked. I have so much faith in my taper but it is like catching lightning in a bottle. Well, I have a lot of bottles of lightning!
All 6 swims were very special and the other swimmers in attendance now know that it is time to race. Watching a swimmers reaction to seeing their new best time on the scoreboard is a special moment. I watched one happen tonight that is now in the top 5 all time. Watching kids realize they just did something even they did not think possible is an amazing thing to see.
It was great to be on deck and see some many swimmers that I have gotten to work with at Hartwick Swim Camp.
Tomorrow is gonna be another great day!
All 6 swims were very special and the other swimmers in attendance now know that it is time to race. Watching a swimmers reaction to seeing their new best time on the scoreboard is a special moment. I watched one happen tonight that is now in the top 5 all time. Watching kids realize they just did something even they did not think possible is an amazing thing to see.
It was great to be on deck and see some many swimmers that I have gotten to work with at Hartwick Swim Camp.
Tomorrow is gonna be another great day!
YMCA NY State Championships Day 1
Greetings from Buffalo!
After 6 months of training the Bay View Tigers are ready for States. I love this time of the year. Tapering is an art form among Swimming coaches. Every season, every team is different but a good taper is like a chefs secret ingredient list to his award winning dish. We are ready and I can't wait for this evening's Prelim session. Our 13 and 14 Boys and Girls will swim the 500 free and the 200 IM.
Swimming at the ECC pool brings back so many memories of great meets as a High School coach and as the coach at GCC. Incredible swims each with it's own story of how it came to be. Championships won and Championships missed.
It is going to be an exciting and incredible weekend.
"Confidence brings results" I told the kids last night, I am so proud of all of them. They have done everything they needed to get ready for this meet.
Now with a few jitters and a lot of confidence it is time to Swim Smart!
Tiger Pride!
After 6 months of training the Bay View Tigers are ready for States. I love this time of the year. Tapering is an art form among Swimming coaches. Every season, every team is different but a good taper is like a chefs secret ingredient list to his award winning dish. We are ready and I can't wait for this evening's Prelim session. Our 13 and 14 Boys and Girls will swim the 500 free and the 200 IM.
Swimming at the ECC pool brings back so many memories of great meets as a High School coach and as the coach at GCC. Incredible swims each with it's own story of how it came to be. Championships won and Championships missed.
It is going to be an exciting and incredible weekend.
"Confidence brings results" I told the kids last night, I am so proud of all of them. They have done everything they needed to get ready for this meet.
Now with a few jitters and a lot of confidence it is time to Swim Smart!
Tiger Pride!
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