Butterfly and making a difference...

The great thing about camp is that you have countless chances to make a difference to each swimmer.  They all come to camp needing something.  From an adjustment on their outlook on the sport, to work on Streamlining, maybe major change in one of their strokes, to something as important as having a 2 beat kick in Butterfly.

The amazing thing is when they make the change right in front of your eyes.  This week it has happened every day, but on Thursday a couple of swimmers made huge strides forward.  One swimmer improved their entire Butterfly from top to bottom and start to finish.  Basically a total over haul of their stroke.  It was truly incredible to watch.  Another swimmer came to camp very skilled and very accomplished.  The one thing lacking was a 2 beat kick for their fly.  It is pretty simple, you need to kick when the hands enter the water and again when they exit the water.  This swimmer just had a kick at the top and not at the bottom.  They had a very good fly but by adding that second kick you be on the road to something amazing.  Every swimmer is different but I really believe that they are the most coach-able athletes that there are in any sport.  I explained that there needed to be a kick at the top and at the bottom.  Slowly but surely this young and up and coming swimmer added the second kick.  It was really cool watching this good Fly become something that will really make an impact on the swimmers future.  By the end of the day they had it!  When I asked the swimmer how it felt, they replied "Fast".  Now the true test will be taking this back home and making it a daily good habit.  If that happens look out, great things are gonna happen.

Our swimmers ask such great questions and give such great answers.  "Students of the sport" I told them.

Each swimmer will leave better than when they arrived on Sunday.  Thanks to their work and effort, I will leave having gained more experience in making a difference.  Miracles don't happen every day and not every swimmer has a break through moment but on Thursday great things happened at CAL U Swim Camp.  Then again those things happen every year and that makes everything we do as coaches so worth it.

The last session of the last day of Week 2 is just 15 minutes away...


Coach Scott