Long Course Season

April was the start of "Long Course" season for swimmers.  That means the swim meets are held in 50 meter pools.  This also marks the one year anniversary that my daughter has been swimming competitively on a USA Swimming sanctioned swim team.  I am started to feel seasoned.

We started the long course season with a swim workshop so that my daughter could get some technique insight from a different perspective.  This is her third swim camp.  Here is a run down of all three swim camps she has attended since joining a competitive swim club.

Fitter and Faster Swim Tour Presented by Swim Outlet with Olympians Jimmy Feigen and Megan Romano.  This was a one day workshop held in May 2015 focusing on backstroke and freestyle and my first experience with a swim clinic for my daughter.  It was very organized with tents that were clearly marked and several stations for us to move through to get into the clinic.  One of the first stations was meeting the clinic leaders and Olympians Jimmy Feigen and Megan Romano.  There was an opportunity for my daughter to take a photo with Jimmy and his silver medal.  My daughter said the medal was really heavy.  We went into a dryland room and watched a video on each of the strokes and technique.  Then the kids moved to the pool to practice what they had learned.  After the clinic all the participants were allowed to race Jimmy and Megan.  That was alot of fun.  The clinic ended with a Q&A.  I learned about the tattoos that Olympic swimmers get with the Olympic rings.  I really enjoyed listening to what they had to say.  Jimmy Feigen talked alot about failure and having interests and socializing outside of the pool for life balance.   My daughter really liked meeting the Olympic swimmers as role models and listening intently to their advice and opinions.  I paid a total of $139.84 including online fees for a one day workshop.  My daughter received posters and a free t-shirt and other swim swag.  I paid for a professional photo that was autographed by the olympians that was an additional $20.00.  I enjoyed this clinic as a parent.  I enjoyed talking to other parents, learning alot of skills and interacting with the coaches from the other swim club.  All of the coaches were there from the host swim team and Fitter and Faster management team was very organized.  

4-Day Swim Clinic with an Olympian Chloe Sutton.  This clinic was held in December 2015.  Over winter break the swim team usually has a break from swimming to allow for holidays.  I was glad that this clinic took place so that my daughter could again get some help for her technique during short course season.  This clinic focused on all four strokes including starts and turns. I was unable to observe this clinic every day as I was working.  It started at 7 am and ended at 11 am.  This clinic was also very crowded and Chloe was the only person who was teaching and running the clinic.  My daughter talked about Chloe teaching yoga during their dryland portion of the clinic every morning.  All the participants received a free photo autographed and personalized by Chloe.  They received a free tshirt.  Chloe also signed my daughter's team swim cap and team sweats that she cherishes to this day.  This clinic was $295.00.

Peak Performance Swim Camp hosted by Olympic Coach Nick Baker.  Who is Nick Baker?  He is most notably known for coaching Lisa Flood at the 1992 Olympics.  This clinic was 2 days.  Nick Baker has written a few books and I have read one of them.  The swimming triangle talks alot about Nick Baker's coaching philosophy and he has a very holistic approach.  I liked that the clinic's dryland included a mental technique portion and a professional yoga teacher come each day and teach a yoga session.  There were alot of skills that were discussed and practiced in each session block. I learned that there are over 100 different skills that can be worked on in swimming.   There was a coach assigned to each lane.  There was a video analysis and then discussion with the lane group of how to improve what the video showed.  The lunches were catered.  There is also a Peak Refresher video that is accessible online for a year after the clinic to review what was learned.  I think this camp was well rounded.  It may have been too advanced for my 9 year old daughter.  An Olympic swim coach is professional and his camp reflected that.  This clinic was $425.

My hindsight is that there is value in swim camps and workshops.  I cannot predict when my daughter is going to "get" something.  Her swim coach may be giving her advice on how to improve her technique and she isn't able to process it into an improvement in her stroke.  However, when an olympian gives her advice or says something kind to her, she feels inspired to do better.  I think that there is value in meeting olympic swimmers and having positive role models.  My daughter was especially appreciative of Chloe Sutton's kindness and optimism.  I think that at 9 years old was too young for the Olympic Coach camp.  If she were to become more serious in the future then it's something I might consider again.





 

Short Course State Championships

At the beginning of the short course season, the swim coach asked the team to fill out a SMART Goals Sheet.  My daughter wrote that her goals were to qualify for the State Championships in February.  A swimmer needs "A" times to qualify to compete at the State Championship meet.  She achieved her goals of "A" times (bonus in 7 events).  She competed in 6 events and two relays.  The first day she was competing in 5 events.  The nerves were running high and the relays are such a great way to bond with other teammates and burn off some of the race jitters and anxiety.  On the second day she was focusing on trying to achieve a Regional time for the 50 free.  She didn't meet that goal but did get a bonus of a 10-year old "A" time in the 50 free.  For her first short course I am very proud of her!  I made this flier for her and she taped it to the wall next to her bed.  

First Short Course Season Coming to a Close

My daughter's first short course season is coming to an end this weekend.  I have learned alot.  The way that our swim club works is that each year is different and swim parents need to learn to go with the flow.  My daughter's club has had some major changes including a new head coach, growing the team to twice its size and also the way the swim squads were structured.

In August we were anxiously awaiting to find out how the new structure would affect us.   In July towards the end of long course my daughter achieved an A time.  Because of her "A" time she was moved to a squad called "black."  That means she swims 6 days a week and the workouts are more challenging.  She also had a new female coach who is an accomplished swimmer.  Most of the girls on her squad are State Regional and Zone qualifiers.  That means they are really fast.  This season my daughter achieved her minimum 6 "A" times and will be competing at State.

Towards the end of January she started to feel tired.  After cutting back on meets in February she feels strong and is ready to compete at the State meet this weekend.  I am so proud of her determination and drive.  I've learned to listen to her and when she says she doesn't want to go to a practice or a meet, I don't push it.  It's a rare occasion and I have to trust that she knows her body and her limits.

This is what I've learned:

You will not want to blog about swimming after sitting at the pool 10 hours a week, volunteering for 40 hours, riding the ups and downs of your childs emotions through failures and successes and paying all the expenses and fees.

Swim parents will be volunteering alot.  Short course season at our swim club requires 40 hours of volunteering.  Swim meets happen at 7 am which means parents get up at 5:30 am to get at a meet and ready to volunteer.  It is a rare occasion that I actually sit and watch my daughter swim at a meet.  I am usually volunteering during the meet and preoccupied with my duties.  I also volunteered at several meets that my daughter was not even swimming.

Read the Meet Information.  Each meet is different and run by a different club in a different way.  To know what to expect parents should always read the meet information thoroughly to avoid surprises.

Swim coaches have their favorites.

Do other things besides swim and talk about swim.  Having other outlets and activities other than swimming has kept us sane.  My daughter also has non swim team friends that she spends time with and has non swim team fun.

Great friendships are made on swim teams.  My daughter has made some close friendships with girls on her squad.  She also is friendly with everyone and loves socializing and joking around in the locker room and during practice.  She considers herself friends with everyone on her team.

Only one swimmer comes in first.  Teaching my daughter that success is not about finishing first but doing their personal best.  I really liked that my daughter high fives the swimmer on each side of her at the end of a race.  Every swimmer is working just as hard as she is and I like to see her developing that camaraderie.

Don't always be the complainer.  Every parent is doing as much as I am.  I often feel really overwhelmed and frustrated with the lack of communication of our swim club.  I felt like I was constantly complaining.  I am learning to thank other volunteers, ask questions and try to offer help.