Coach Kevin's Comments
Posted 2/44/10
Championships!
Wow! The season is
going way too fast for me. I feel like I’m like one of those crazy
Olympians careening down a hill at breakneck pace! We have had two
OUTSTANDING championship meets and I am AMAZED by the results and now we
are heading for the YMCA State Meet! At the Cluster Meet we picked
up several new State, AA and Zone qualifiers.
Banquets
We like to celebrate
the end of the season with two banquets for our swimmers. The Eight and
Under Ice Cream Social will be held at the Y on Sunday, March 7th. Details
will be posted soon. Eight and under swimmers who attended the Cluster
Meet and/or the Eight and Under State Meet are invited to come and
celebrate.
The banquet for
swimmers nine and up will be held Sunday, April 18 at Forest Lake Country
Club. Swimmers, nine and up, who participated through the championship
meets are invited. The coaches want this to be a memorable affair for our
swimmers with plenty of time to socialize with each other. That means we
need to plan our part of the program well, so that our swimmers are
recognized and honored without having to listen to us drone on endlessly.
To do that we need to know who is coming, so reservations must be made and
the deadline will be final. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Volunteers
BBD is a hugely
successful team because of the commitment of our volunteers. It is the
time of the season when we need to identify the people needed to fill all
of our leadership positions. Now that everyone has at least one year under
their belt, consider playing a larger role with the team. I know our
volunteers find their roles fulfilling. Would you like to take on a role,
but you feel like you do not have enough knowledge or experience? We’d be
glad to partner you with one of our veterans until you learn the ropes.
Spring/Summer
Programs
Our spring tune-up will
be five-week programs beginning April 26th. The ten and unders
will be at the Y from 5:00-6:30 Monday through Thursday. We need at least
twenty swimmers registered to offer this program. The eleven and ups will
be at Cranbrook Monday through Friday. Our summer program is
being planned; information is forthcoming.
Kevin
Coach Kevin's Comments
Posted 2/8/10
Clusters/Michigan
Open - I can’t believe we are already here! Our first championship
meets. The swimmers who are trying to get their first YMCA State
qualifying time are tapering this week and those swimmers (and only those
swimmers) may wear “speed suits” this weekend.
Remember, there are
relays AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SESSION! It is important that
the swimmers know what events they are swimming this weekend so they can
set goals and mentally prepare to do their best. Swimmers should eat
correctly and rest well for the meet. That means swimmers should eat
breakfast BEFORE they arrive at the meet and pack water and snacks to
maintain their energy during the session.
Time Trials will be
offered at the end of each session of the meet. Swimmers may come to swim
a time trial after any session. If your swimmer needs advice for what to
trial have them ask their coaches.
Taper As we move
into the championship season you will hear the word “taper” a lot both as
a noun and a verb. Swimmers taper once a season. Taper is the period of
rest and refinement in the period shortly before a championship meet.
While a taper isn’t magic, the results can be magical. During the taper
period a swimmer’s body is recovering from all of the stress created in
training during the season. The rest sets the stage for the swimmer’s peak
performance. The more a swimmer has trained the more dramatic the results
in taper can be. That is why consistent workouts done over a long period
of time create the background for a successful taper. A number of factors
determine how coaches will taper children. The older and more muscular
swimmer is the longer a taper will be. How much a swimmer has trained also
influences the length of the taper period. During this period swimmers
need to eat right, rest and rest well. Mental preparation is key as well.
Swimmers are encouraged to WRITE down their goals---both in terms of time
and method and focus on the goals as they prepare.
New Record -
Last week I reported about our success at Indy. What I didn’t realize at
the time was that Ava Suchara set a new team record in the 9-10 200
freestyle. This is a very impressive accomplishment. The team has kept
records for over forty years and for a swimmer to set a record is amazing,
but to do it during the regular season before they are tapered makes it
even more incredible.
Eight and Under
State Meet- The Eight and Under State Meet is the end of the season
for the eight and unders. We like to make sure it is special. Parents, we
want all of the swimmers to stay at the end of the meet for the trophy
presentation. Please plan to stay until the very end.
National Team-Our
National Team has grown! Jack Howard qualified in the 100 breast this past
weekend.
The National Team ran
two very successful clinics this past weekend. Members of the National
Team work to raise funds to help defray the rather significant cost of
making the trip to Fort Lauderdale. One of our parents was telling a
friend about our National Team’s efforts and they made a SUBSTANTIAL gift
to the team. I do not know the whole story, but I am certainly grateful
that someone could think so highly of our program and be so generous even
though they have no direct connection to it.
Last Word- As we
move into the championship season I have had time to review all of our
qualifiers for the different championship meets (Y States, AAs, Zones and
Nationals.) We aren’t done yet. We will add many new names to those
rosters in the next few weeks. What strikes me is the fact that if
swimmers commit to the team and do what they are asked they can qualify
for these meets. Already, we have fifteen 9-10 girls qualified to swim the
50 back at the Y State Meet. We have a raft of nine year olds who have
qualified for AA’s. We have large Zone team. My point is if swimmers make
qualifying for these meets their goal, they will get there. I often have
parents talk about our National Team as if their children will never be a
part of it…and that simply isn’t true. My experience tells me otherwise.
Yesterday, I was
getting ready for the 9-10 practice and we had about twenty swimmers doing
their dryland exercises. Of the twenty, more than half have already
qualified for Y States. Of those who haven’t there were only a few I am
not confident will qualify this weekend, and those few are mostly swimmers
who aren’t at practice regularly. The kids are able to achieve whatever
they choose.
Kevin
Coach Kevin's Comments
Posted 2/2/10
BBD did beautifully at
the Indy meet. Anne, Karen, Parker and Mike led a squad of just under 100
swimmers and we placed SECOND in the meet! What makes this especially
noteworthy is that many of our top swimmers did not opt to attend. Being a
Y team our swimmers have a much broader menu of meets to choose from and
so this isn’t a required meet like it is for many of our competitors.
Congratulations to all who made the trip. We are nicely set for a fine
championship season!
Highlights included
Peter Palmer winning the first event of the meet---the 1,650 (the mile)
and qualifying for the Y National Meet in that race. Ava Suchara and Katie
Minnich finished 1-2 in the high point competition for the 9-10 girls,
Jack Russell finished 3rd in the 11-12 high point race, Maggie
Pyett qualified for YMCA Nationals in the 100 breast and Christine Edwards
re-qualified for this spring’s meet in the 100 back.
Our first places came
from Ava Suchara in the 9-10 50 free (27.99,) 200 free (2:13.54,) 100 back
(1:10.25,) and the 50 fly (31.75.) Allie Russell took the 9-10 50 breast
(38.36.) Jack Russell won the 11-12 50 free (24.38,) 50 breast (31.79,)
and 50 fly (27.00.) Jaynie Pulte qualified first in the Open 50 free
(24.44.)
Our 9-10 girls and
11-12 boys won both of their relays: the team of Ava Suchara, Allie
Russell, Katie Minnnich and Mary Kate Nodland (medley 2:15.98 and free
2:03.22,) and the team of Mark Blinstrub, Jack Russell, Mitchell Buccalo
and Bobby Powie (medley 1:58.62 and free 1:45.42.)
Kevin
Coach Kevin's Comments
Posted 1/20/10
Bulldog/Macomb Meets:
We had fabulous swims at both of the meets that the swimmers swam last
weekend. The coaches are thrilled!
Some highlights: Mitchell Buccalo set a new team record in the 11-12 boys’
200 butterfly. Ava Suchara (9-10 50 back), Lara Kokubo (11-12 100 free)
and Jack Russell (11-12 200 free) set new meet records at the Bulldog
Meet. Andrew Biskup dropped nine seconds in the 9-10 200 fee and qualified
for the YMCA Zone Meet. Sarah Kilbride qualified for the Great Lakes Zone
Meet in the 400 Individual medley (4:57) and Mollie Pulte finished third
in the high-point race in her age group. At Macomb, Ally Vogelheim
(8 and under) won several events, Alexander Margherio (9-10) and Mary Kate
Nodland (9-10), in their respective relays, staged exciting
come-from-behind swims to capture first places. Alexander also had
impressive swims in the 100 fly and 200 free. Grace Wilkins (9-10) had
personal bests in every event she swam. Grace Wallace (9-10) got her first
AA cut in the 200 IM at the Bulldog Meet on Friday night, and then picked
up several YMCA State cuts at the Macomb Meet. Audrey Belf (11-12) got her
YMCA State cut in 100 free. There were many, many great
swims. Congratulations to all of our swimmers!
Indy-
We have over
100 swimmers going to the Circle City Meet in Indianapolis soon. There
will be teams from all over the country attending. It’s not unusual to see
the Colorado Stars, Parkway from St. Louis, or Atlanta teams in addition
to the Indiana and Michigan teams.
Please make sure you are wearing your team apparel…BBD
suits, caps t-shirts parkas, etc…..
We’re proud of you. We want everyone to know where you train!
Speed suits-Soon
we will be into our championship season. As you probably know there are
suits specifically designed for that time of the year. As a general rule,
swimmers are allowed to wear “speed suits” to their biggest meet AND NOT
BEFORE. National swimmers will wait until Nationals. AA and Zone swimmers
will wait until those meets. If in doubt…ask a coach. The suits lose their
effectiveness when they are worn too often.
Remember we raise fast
swimmers; the suit doesn’t do it.
Time Trials
At Clusters and State Meets time trials are offered at the end of each
session for swimmers to get qualifying times in events that they did not
swim in the regular meet. Swimmers may trial at the end of any session.
Registration for trials happens during the meet. I think it’s a great idea
for most swimmers to try at least one (It’s hard to do more than one per
session because the races come up very quickly.) All swimmers should get
the coach’s approval before registering for a trial.
Clusters
You have
probably seen that the deadline for Cluster entries was extended. It is
required that all swimmers swim in Clusters or the Michigan Open. We have
advertised that requirement since the introductory meetings when I said
that people who are unavailable to swim should not register for the team.
It has been on the website and in the handbook. In spite of that, I have
had e-mails from people who are unable to attend (and I am sure there are
people who simply won’t register and will let us discover it later.) I
know there are reasons that are justified, but many are not, and I think
of the swimmers we had to turn away because the team was full who would
have fulfilled the requirements. Swimming is a demanding sport. Our kids
have trained long and hard to be successful and our coaches have worked
diligently to produce as many big meet qualifiers as possible. The weekend
of these meets is the last chance to qualify for the Y State Meet and the
performances at these meets determine relay teams for future championships
so missing the meet is not something we take lightly.
The calendar for
championship meets has to be backed up from the National Meet and it will
not change. It will always conflict with some mid-winter breaks. It’s
another sacrifice good athletes make. Our swimmers have trained since
September to be successful at these meets and they need to be there.
Kevin
Coach Kevin's Comments Posted
1/7/10
Now that the holidays have come and gone we need to plan for our
championship season. It may seem early for this but I have had many requests
so that people can plan ahead. Please read through all of the meets so that
the swimmers are registered for all of the meets they are expected to
attend.
A swimmer’s season ends after their last meet. Swimmers MUST swim in all of
the championship meets for which they qualify.
February 13-14 - Our first championship
meet is the Eastern Cluster Meet which will be hosted by the North Oakland
YMCA at one of the Waterford schools. Each age group has one session. On the
same weekend there is a US Meet in Rochester (Oakland University). All swimmers are
expected to swim in one or both of the meets. High school boys are
required to be at the Cluster Meet so that they have a YMCA championship
meet.
February 21 - The YMCA Eight and Under State Meet hosted by
the Flint Y Falcons at Waterford Mott. This is required for all eight and
under swimmers. The eight and unders’ season is over after this meet unless
they have qualified as a 9-10 year old for another championship meet.
February 27-28 - The YMCA
State Meet hosted by the Rapids Area Y. This is a required meet for all
swimmers who have qualified for the meet (except for the high school boys.)
There is one session for the 9-10 year old swimmers, one for 11-12s and one
session for 13 and up swimmers.
March 6 The YMCA “B” Meet
at L’anse Creuse North. The “B” Meet is for those swimmers 9 and up who did
not qualify for the 9 and up YMCA State Meet. It is one session for all age
groups.
March 12-14
- The US 12
and Under State Meet at Waterford Mott. This is a required meet for all
qualifiers. This meet is pre-lims/finals. There are events on Friday during
the day.
March 19-21 - The YMCA Great
Lakes Zone Meet at Bowling Green (Ohio.) There are distance events on Friday
evening for older swimmers and a session on Saturday and Sunday for all age
groups 9 and up.
I hope this is helpful. Please ask a coach if you have any questions.
Kevin
Page last updated
February 28, 2010
