IN – March-April 2004

CONTENTS Learn from the Olympians — ’ Head Position (Cecil Colwin)...... 67

Taking the next Coach – Confidence & Loyalty Preparing for — Training Pieter van den in Swimming () ...... 1 Hoogenband (Oene Rusticus)...... 70 Developing Young Distance Swimmers in A Golden Opportunity (Phillip Whitten)...... 74 Australia — (Laura Matuzak) ..6 The Resilience of a Champion – Enabling & Disenabling: (Stephanie Smith) ...... 7 (Tito Morales) ...... 75 Physiological Considerations in preparation for Phelps vs. Spitz: Who is the Greatest? (John Sprint Events (Leigh Nugent)...... 8 Craig) ...... 79 Contracts with Kids — Child’s Play? (Roland WSCA Newsletter...... 81 The Leader of the Future (William C. Taylor)...... 81 Davies) ...... 9 A Student’s View — Distance Swimming (Courtney LEARN-TO-SWIM ...... 11 Beyer) ...... 85 From Wiggle-Butts to Butterfly (Liesl Taner & Anya Recruiting & Retaining Minority Athletes (Lee Kolbisen) ...... 11 Willing)...... 90 Your Best Friend at the Pool (Jeff Grace)...... 12 Factors Affecting Performance (Greg Cronauer)...... 92 Security Alert ...... 13 How to become employed — stay employed — not Butterfly Drills ()...... 14 get fired (John Leonard) ...... 95 Warning Signs — unnecessary or a sign of the Don’t neglect the Immune System (Matt Fitzgerald)96 times? (Michelle Wilde)...... 16 1-2-3 … come Rhythmic Breathe with me! (Evelyn FINA Aquatics World ...... 17 Streett) ...... 98 Review 2003 – It was a very good year ...... 17 ASCTA, PO Box 824, Lavington 2003-2004 World Cup — Klochkova, superstar .... 20 Mailing Address 2003-2004 World Cup — Jones & Phelps, sublime21 NSW 2641 Development of Masters in Oceania — Continuous Email [email protected] Progress...... 22 Web Site www.ascta.com Concussion in aquatic sports: Brain — Sensitive Membership Phone: 02 6041 6077 Point...... 24 Enquiries Fax: 02 6041 4282 ASCTA Insurance Doping News...... 26 1300 300 511 7th FINA World Championships — Presentation of Brokers the Mascot ...... 26 SWIMMING in AUSTRALIA is published six times annually. 2004… a great vintage is coming! (Mustapha Copy Deadline January-February 15th January Larfaoui) ...... 27 th The star after three meets — LETHAL Jones (Pedro March-April 15 March May-June 15th May Adrega) ...... 27 th FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup 2004 ...... 28 July-August 15 July September-October 15th September Analysing Swimming Coaching (Osvaldo Arsenio) .29 th PhilatFINA & Olympism (Manfred Bergman)...... 32 November-December 15 November

FINA Calendar ...... 32 Advertising Rates (inc. GST) Fédération Internationale de Natation ...... 33 1 Issue 3 Issues 6 Issues Public Image Ltd (Joseph Carey)...... 34 $ $ $ Creating the COMPLETE SPRINTER (Brian Full Page 600 1,300 1,850 Sutton)...... 35 ¾ Page 500 1,100 1,500 Breathe Better – Swim Faster (Cecil Colwin)....42 ½ Page 300 750 1,200 GREATNESS won’t be thrust upon you (George ¼ Page 200 500 900 Block) ...... 46 Banner 4cm x 1col 55 Health Waves: Hip Replacement – Returning to NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Swimming (Nadine K.M. Day)...... 47 All copy is subject to acceptance by the publisher. All Swim for Fitness: Recovery Training – It’s OK to advertisers must ensure that their advertisements comply strictly with the requirements of all Federal Legislation. The Slow Down (Scott Rabalais)...... 49 publisher reserves the right to reject copy without giving any What’s Cookin’? — Celebrate your success! (Bill reason or explanation. Volckening)...... 51 COPYRIGHT ISSUE FROM THE PUBLISHER A Tale of Two Swimmers — USMS Long Course As more and more articles with invaluable technical and Nationals (Karen Einsidler & Richard Benson)..52 research data have and will be published through our Magazine for our Members to read and use, it is timely to Hard work pays off (Jeff Grace)...... 58 mention Copyright infringements. Building a Senior Program — Dick Jochums The ASCTA Magazine (SWIMMING in AUSTRALIA) Publisher (Laura Matuzak) ...... 60 strongly advises all concerned that any attempts to reprint Training Technique — ALL THE TIME (Phillip articles or excerpts from contents is prohibited without the Whitten)...... 61 written permission of the publisher and author. Any infringements of copyright will be dealt with accordingly. A Medicine Ball Training Program (Mike Views expressed in articles are those of the authors and Barrowman) ...... 62 do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Board Tower of Ten (Dr. Doug Hankes)...... 65 of ASCTA.

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

TAKING THE NEXT COACH frustrating years weathering all sorts of situations. Coaches also become ill or distracted CONFIDENCE & LOYALTY IN SWIMMING by personal issues, which may pique an By Brad Cooper impatient or unsympathetic competitor. Others 1972 Olympic Champion – 400m Freestyle might inexplicably lose the knack of sustaining For journalists covering athlete/coach a keen training environment, or have it done for relationships, the dog-bites-man story is the them by a multiple retirement of top swimmers feature article about hard won success and ... or relocation of venue. Swimmers, for their loyalty, while the more coveted man-bites-dog part, might agonise over switching following piece is about break-ups. Front page treatment chronic poor form, health or attitude. Others, for the Thorpe-Frost separation and Leyton less genuine, can be swayed by a charismatic Hewitt’s last switch showed nothing changes. peer, speculating that such a positive athlete GETTING ON & GETTING OUT... must have a positive coach. One suspect motive Aleksandre Popov’s and Gennadi Touretski’s is the complaint that a coach relies too much on partnership is often held up as an ideal. In their hard work and not enough on technique. This case, public deference to the other’s abilities may be taken as code for it must be easier has been an art form. Their regular avowals of somewhere else and signals a decline in the confidence, as well as being a wise public motivational ethic. relations expedient, also indicate a deep Some simply resent the public primacy of the personal responsibility for performance ... coach, and migrate to shake off a demeaning (another great career move!). While some may perception of conquering puppet. ( wish to replicate this teamwork in their own was under no illusions about swimmer self- backyards, the real power in such relationships centredness on this issue, reassuring suspects seems to lay more in unilateral commitments to he could only be successful with likely winners the whole than in mutual synchronising of the anyway). Another dubious motive asserts that a halves ... making prescriptive duplication rare. swimmer has outgrown his squad. But In fact for many athletes, the self-serving complaints of having nobody to chase can be imperative of sport tempts cyclical positions of an insincere rationale to bask in the prestige of expectation, doubt and frustration, relieved – a more prominent venue. has but not dispelled – by occasional satisfaction gone from success to success chasing nobody and celebration. If worse comes to worst in for much of the last decade. And it seems only terms of confidence, separation can be fair that swimmers who benefit from chasing contemplated. While this is an option of last leaders must also expect one day to pay their resort for the coach (being hostage to entwined dues by leading themselves. And finally, in very interests of swimmer, squad, and career), rare instances, coaches have been known to swimmers may act more capriciously. Age- breach trust to a degree that not only destroys groupers might follow parental advice, but those one relationship, but jeopardises whole careers. old enough to leave home will be old enough to WHY DOES “SWIMMER SECURITY” leave a coach for any reason they like. At the MATTER? bottom line, they might vigorously defend a Some coaches get off to flying career starts change by citing the customer’s prerogative by unearthing jackpot talent in their very first (the right to shop where I like) or the acolyte’s draft, or as assistants inheriting elite squads prerogative (a good mentor would know how to from retiring superiors ... or via a position at an engage my loyalty). established monopoly. Maintaining this impetus In most cases, fallout is felt in doldrums is of course the real test. On the other hand, rather than dollars, but with the potential for cold-start coaches rely on steady consolidation elite swimmers to make a living may come more on the backs of rare winners emerging from interest in financial and moral aspects club to elite level. Each winner is a toehold on particularly in consideration of a coach who an uncertain career path and a tangible return spends a decade trying to shape every on many hours invested. When they leave, they competitive fibre of his elite athlete. undermine the coach’s reasonable expectation The general heading of squad tourism of career advancement indexed to such success. describes the more facile motives for change, It is not simply the absence of one swimmer, but others can be genuinely problematic. For but the disturbing legacy of lane reshuffling, example, a coach’s manner might turn abrasive social readjustment and confidence that rattles as his success peaks, bringing increased the squad. And while coaches become hardened derision of difficult swimmers – or the to the vacillation of parents, they can be dismissing of all sorts of valid enquiries. He may emotionally vulnerable to the actions of act this way in an unwise and rash adolescents or young adults with whom they consolidation of authority after many

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sensed a mutual regard. More than a few senior role of the coach as entrepreneur ... and coaches have fast-tracked retirement plans after founding guarantor of all the resources receiving what one once colourfully called “a underpinning a successful relationship. Other final kick in the guts” from a previously loyal, nascent circumstance relationships that carry but departing, champion. natural obligations (e.g. filial respect, civic duty, WHO OWES WHOM ... AND WHAT’S OWING? national pride) may point to a moral expectation Age-old industry speculation about whether of loyalty or indenture. coaches make champions or vice-versa has Regardless of consensus about natural become quite public ... with at least one coach justice in this matter, it is inevitable that well claiming his efforts deserved a commission on reimbursed swimmers will “cough-up” a bounty champions’ earnings. One rebuttal is that stars of sorts for their coach ... but may also demand automatically pay-back, through their drawing more than the normal level of service. For some power to the swim school. But coaches may see coaches this might mean re-wiring residual this as merely balancing the ledger, since lane- notions of patriarchal authority to totally satisfy hungry elite coaching is subsidised by adjacent their new financial taskmaster, the swimmer lane-musters of junior programs in the first just as the swimmer must exorcise the place. The pool’s finite boundaries will also put formative spectre of the coach as his (sometimes a cap on new recruits if it is not already at full resented) conscience in order to respond with a capacity just to keep the coach employed. corporate maturity to his instructions. If the issue is also whether a coach SPLITTING HEADACHES... contributes anything unique beyond Swimmers might have little trouble professional competence, then it may be a job anticipating a continuation – or resurrection – for the CSIRO, since the chemistry of fruitful of good form after a split. After all, their tools of relationships is often fortuitous. (It seems trade (body and mind) go with them. obvious however, that certain coaches, like good Enthusiasm for change itself, along with salesmen, can distil the generic base in such pressure to validate through hard training, can chemistries for better strike rates of higher create self-fulfilling success in the short term. enrolments, motivated swimmers and But for a “sacked” coach who is a surprise actor supportive clubs). in such circumstances, the perceived insult Certainly, coaches forced into caravans or may test confidence and support, sometimes other frugal lifestyles to subsidise early careers triggering an exodus. Conversely, if there has would see the prospect of a future income been some history of swimmer issues, then the rocket attached to a swim celebrity as a rightful coach may be more than an interested party – bonus. But again, if rising swimmers were even actively precipitating the departure with an similarly radicalised with mercantile sentiment, ultimatum – and emerge with venue support. they might boldly canvass their wares to any But swimmers may underestimate the squad (at a price), since a coaching bidder may difficulties of switching. Firstly, the new coach see benefits in successfully handling such a (intentionally or otherwise) may show some recruit. probationary caution in relations with the star To be even-handed but slightly perverse in a boarder. Feeling marginalised in an established pitch for unique attribution, notoriously failed hierarchy of intimacy, the swimmer may for the swimmers might also wish to quantify a coach’s first time acknowledge the emotional centrality culpability, after spectacular but of the coach. unconsummated Age Group promise. If such In a Machiavellian approach, the new coach failures are disclaimed by coaches as inevitable may deliberately set the bar of training and and inexplicable by-products of legitimate behavioural compliance exceedingly high to coaching regimes, then winners might equally ensure the newcomer is galvanised to new nominate as serendipitous outcomes of the career heights, or alternately, is quickly forced same uncertainty principle, thereby mitigating to review their decision. Such a coach thereby claims of unique attribution. This idea is known attempts to define himself as a choice of both more colloquially as “claim the winners, claim great cost and opportunity to the swimmer ... the binners!” Recent light-hearted comments by rather than as a port-of-convenience flattered to on (“my mother could receive the illustrious visitor. If the swimmer coach him”), or by Gennadi Touretski on resiles from his new challenge, and departs another matter (“talent beats coaching every discredited in the eyes of his adopted squad, the time”) indicate some anecdotal sentiment for the coach may feel that he has saved himself a few swimmer being the key reagent. headaches ... suspecting that the acquisition of But to examine loyalty only on competing even the most stellar swimmers can harm a merits of attribution is to ignore the seminal squad by loitering in career twilight. (The

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concept of a disposable coach may have overblown if a departed champion holds form remained a whimsical notion to his home-grown with his next coach ... and they can be swimmers before the consummating effect of a extremely keen observers of his subsequent worldly newcomer.) Other coaches, perhaps out exploits, despite affectations of indifference. of genuine empathy with the unique life DO SWIMMERS & COACHES HAVE challenges faced by elite athletes – and more DIFFERENT STROKES? relaxed about squad security – may trust in It has been said a born athlete takes things dialogue and time to achieve some motive upon himself by taking it out on himself, while assurance. Yet others again simply turn away a coach takes it upon himself by taking it out certain athletes, both out of concern for their on others. Although overstated, this claim own squad and in solidarity with “cuckolded” alleges differences in political orientation to peers. challenge, and hints at the scarcity of career Further challenges in store for the swimmer overlap between champions and coaches. might be domestic disruptions (new flat mates, Top coaches do have keen political instincts diet, relationships, etc.), lingering loyalty issues, ... and an arsenal of life skills that enables career uncertainties and homesickness. uncertain adolescents to see them as masters of DOES THE ONUS OF PROPRIETY FALL ON their surroundings. A successful swimmer, on THE COACH? the other hand, has found an early shortcut to When a winner leaves, the coach gains little social prestige in the autocratic efficiency of by spitting the dummy, regardless of his sense athletic effort. His sense of identity, by of betrayal. The truism, “what goes around, definition, will be strongly elitist – or exclusivist. comes around”, aptly describes his exposure to It is not the sort of full-blown identity aspiration the independence of human volition which is health authorities would want all youngsters to capable of generating both winners and have, since in less disciplined and unrequited recalcitrants – sometimes in one body – and in forms it is commonly associated with later one season! But because there is more than one regret, pretence, denial and even depression. (A body to go around, he can console himself as Northern Territory newsreader was very publicly the cat losing just one of its nine metaphorical sacked last year for allowing himself to be lives. (Coaches have been known to slam the introduced as a “former Olympian” at social door behind deserting swimmers and yell good functions, on the basis of having once trialled.) riddance, but this eccentric response is seen At its unmitigated worst, the exclusivist less and less.) instinct can be a type of personal fascism. But Swimmers, on the other hand, have just one with the combined buffing effects of sporting life to answer for. While the coach has competition, robust peer feedback, training time on his side, the swimmer has time on his sacrifices and mentoring, young sporting tyros mind. Murmurings of disloyalty carry far less are ultimately expected to tame it to a level of imperative than the risk of failure, and their social innocuousness. Charity work by mature intentions can be very guarded. They may sportsmen is sometimes seen as evidence of appear to defer to the coach’s posturings of final rehabilitation of such chauvinism ... competence and leadership, but private although recent saturation of management spin mistrust of his superior rhetorical skills may in their day-to-day affairs have given such cause them to revert to instinct when push worthy activities a sense of public relations comes to shove on career issues. In some orthodoxy. instances such core misgivings about the terms The hopes of high achievers have always of dialogue may even licence swimmers to seemed paradoxical. While they undoubtedly renege on previous commitments, resulting in revere the powerful and successful, they also jaw-dropping dismay for the coach. (A coach require an iconoclastic or even anarchic streak should probably not be too surprised at to wish to displace them. Elite swimmers may swimmers’ readiness to dishonour protocol require this motivational complexity very early since he himself is an enthusiastic co- in life for historical physiological advantages conspirator to the breaching of notional achieved only by embracing the many offences conventions like pain thresholds). A coach’s of hard training. seeming insouciance and secure circumstance A successful coach, on the other hand, by can further enfranchise the swimmer to act natural disposition or through vocational unilaterally as may uncertainty about the discipline, is expected to have a more inclusive coach’s regard for him/her. take on life, quite readily finding commonalities Coaches’ sensitivities to swimmer departures between his own experience and others. In his will vary, but they will certainly resent any profession though, he will promote the mischievous inference that their reputation was exclusivist ethic to his athletes by exploiting his

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own generous empathies to articulate their expectation and are masters of ambit dreams. negotiation and pre-emption. They may also Too fine a point can be made of innate motive acknowledge the necessity of defending dualities between coach and athlete, however. authority from the moral high ground of In fact, a successful swimmer also needs a propriety ... by being as blameless as possible in certain inclusiveness – or generosity of spirit – punctuality, professional discretion and team to transcend the alienating potential of support. A coach can hardly go around metabolic discomfort. In other words, he needs thumping insistence on training altruism if he faith in the ethic of shared experience to is often late ... nor ask for team solidarity if he rationalise the intensely personal insults of shares gossip about one athlete with another. acidosis, etc., and then to explore further. (Those who suspect that propriety is not god- Experienced coaches know only too well that given may alternately follow the advice of swimmers who refuse to push through Grouch Marx, who mused “honesty and metabolic pain have trouble accepting it as sincerity are the most important things in life — universal. (Such swimmers may be said to fail if you can fake those you’ve got it made!”) generically because they cannot try uniquely.) Propriety is said to win in the long run by Hierarchical success also requires insightful default. It outlasts populist authority by peer empathy in order to know the enemy and avoiding the calamitous outcomes of mob- thereby avoid the conceits of self-serving driven causes. (In a squad scenario this might assessment. mean avoiding intimate confederacies with a Similarly, a coach must have more than a dominant group of colourful or successful pinch of the athlete’s exclusivist instinct in his families.) It survives, often blandly, until all own career to push the squad (and his other contenders, theorists and disputants have reputation) to success. But his personal had time to discredit themselves or run out of expressions of hegemonic ambition must be steam. This does not mean either, that he will carefully chaperoned by an awareness of the always have total control over the complex penalties for narcissistic vices like petulance, group dynamics his venue inevitably hosts. irritability and paranoia ... common baggage Even the best coaches take casualties on the risks for the exclusivist temperament. He is also road to support and loyalty. denied the journeyman’s occupational hazards Elite swimmers, on the other hand, who wear of ambivalence and staleness, since he is paid their metabolic and hegemonic hearts on their to be a constant beacon. A well-rounded sleeve, will be unfamiliar with the slow steady personality is therefore an indispensable C.V. pulse of proprietal assertion. In fact, the energy item for the coach, but not the athlete. sustaining their enthusiastic responses to Finally, the defining limitation of an stacks of laps rarely answers to civic or moral exclusivist ethic is that it cannot exist (however altruism. More often than not it is fired by a symbolically) without those it wishes to exclude youthful, idiosyncratic ensemble of visceral and ... i.e. society in general. Therefore, maverick emotional cues; from vague, unstoppable elitism, like dissent, is a self-levelling anomaly rhythms of triumphalism to hormone-powered in the communal instinct, totally dependent on expansive euphoria. On their best days, training society’s wellbeing for its indulgence. This is a might seem merely a matter of flipping from sobering caution for all high-flyers. (Note how catwalk to catwalk of metabolic tickertape ... very few sporting events were worth holding in while those in adjacent lanes appear to engage the period immediately after “9-11” and how drearily in tumble-and-bumble. leftist academics who questioned their nation’s (It would be unfair, however, to characterise right to moral outrage were told very publicly to the drive-archetype of all promising aspirants as “shut up”.) a type of venal juggernaut. There are always CHAMPIONS COACHING & CHAMPIONING exceptionally talented athletes who simply love COACHES... the idea of excellence, untainted by incentives of When swimmers themselves attempt to personal suzerainty. But whether such coach, they may naively expect a lot but individuals can achieve the emotional demand little, so accustomed are they to complexity to step over the husks of incumbent perceptions of their own body’s metabolic elites is another matter. They are often the type obedience. And then when other bodies under of athlete who makes the coach sigh “if only!”) their instruction fail to quickly follow suit they Swimmers-turned-coaches might also be may become disillusioned, and in turn, lose slow to distance themselves from the occasional energy for goals they can’t personally vouchsafe. passions released by parental aspirations. While Experienced coaches, on the other hand, will no one can accuse an elite swimmer of lacking have outgrown conceits of deferential passionate intent, it is a passion based on fair

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intelligence about their own abilities ... and iconoclasm of those who assert that all teachers wholehearted acceptance of the unsympathetic trumpet themselves as experts. But typically, if reality of the bidding process for success. But an experienced coach has not been a champion, when, as would-be coaches, they are confronted he will readily less-up, even adding “amen” for by the occasionally righteous energies of the mixed blessing it implies. It is also likely parental expectation, they can find themselves that many coaches are motivated in homage to yearning for a retreat back into apolitical the sport, rather than by a second, vicarious certainties like a tough training set. And if they chance at achievement. are struggling to curb an instinctive fury, they While swimmers seem to come and go like might also find themselves swallowing minor fireworks in a long parade, the coach can something unfamiliar and toxic in its raw form be there at the end of the pool for decades. His pride. job description might appear to be quite cushy, But even highly experienced coaches (with with little evidence of physical effort beyond their pool days far behind them) do not always operating a stopwatch and pushing through the have everything down pat. In the course of a pool turnstile. Therefore, some envy of his busy afternoon squad session they may have to seemingly totemic stature is inevitable. motivate, discipline or judge from the hip. He is often accused of leading families up the Hasty appraisals and ultimatums often land on garden path of high hopes when little promise sensitive ears and get back to sensitive parents. was shown. His defence is that potential is not The coach must be able to convince swimmer always apparent until galvanised with self belief and parent alike that an athlete should be able ... and that even failure is worth paying for. He to take seemingly unjust comments on the chin. might also remind parents of the advantages of If he can’t, he will probably have a swimmer a structured childhood with healthy who regards even metabolic insults as an abuse commitments ... in contrast to undirected peers of his civil rights. making phone calls to see who wants to hang THE COACH’S PLACE & HIS out at the mall. He may therefore be excused a CONSOLATIONS.... degree of hyperbole in selling his sport. It Prominent swimmers who from time to time would be painting too rosy a picture, however, express a dim view of the coaching profession to portray all coaches thus. Some do appear have a limited perspective of its skills, from time to time who are no more alive to the pressures, and the broad criteria used to define welfare of their charges than an unscrupulous success. Their natural elitist and combative car salesmen cares whether a car he sold will pride may rank coaching a tier or two below break down tomorrow. A sign of the career their own efforts in a relative pantheon of coach is that he feels privilege in his influence achievements, regardless of respective peer on young minds and bodies. If he is rational accolades. about this, he does not automatically conclude While the swimmer enjoys the excitement of his influence is always beneficial or benign ... hunting for scalps whenever he races, the he simply tries to honour the privilege with good coach’s method of career predation is more like intentions. He may also have mastered the a trapper. He can’t force the hand of fate in one challenge of finding something admirable or great moment of truth like the swimmer, but by even entertaining in every swimmer in his knowing his environment, watching seasonal charge. Professional expediency alone will have responses and fine-tuning his methods, he may taught him the necessity of these sentiments to steadily reel-in success. Finally, his ecosystem maintain health and motivation ... not to must be large enough to replace attrition mention the security of alliances between happy caused by his hunting. In other words, a squad swimmers and coaches against unsettling of 200 will replace more winners than a squad political undercurrents. of 20. Ultimately, his most valuable skill above any He may, at times, be acutely aware at and technical expertise will be an ability to retain feel frustrated by the differences between his swimmers. He is therefore by necessity a captive own “long-course” trek to success and the of rhetoric ... not to vainly inflate his swimmer’s visceral route. He is only human and contributions, but simply to shore them up wants something to show for his efforts beyond against the inevitable erosion of ambivalence, receiving invitations to ex-squad members’ dissatisfaction and wanderlust. He will never weddings for the rest of his life, touched as he have any proof that he is doing a better job with may be to accept these gestures of respect. swimmer “A” than coach “X” could have, so he Teachers of all kinds come in for unfair must roll with the oft-asserted claim “the attention; for example, the axiom ... “if you can’t perception is a reality” ... and cultivate do it, teach it.” This of course, is just the cheap favourable perceptions.

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DEVELOPING YOUNG DISTANCE • Up technical skills. • Up pacing skills. SWIMMERS IN AUSTRALIA • Up stimulus (change something). • Be stronger (but this is a poor substitute for efficiency). Bill Sweetenham 7 September 2001 • Work with time, stroke count and heart 4:15pm-5:30pm rate. • A woman should strive for 32-sec 50m long course (30-sec for a man) with the Notes by Laura Matuzak least effort. This article appeared in American Swimming • Negative split training is the heart of Magazine, Volume 2003 Issue 4 Australian distance training. • Love what you do — do what you love — • Skill acquisition never comes before skill always give more to it. perfection. • Never look good by making someone look • Try this: a 50 in 28 strokes in 28 seconds. bad. • Talent ID: who can do the drills quickest? • Coaches… Complete technical knowledge • 5x5x5: 1 skill, show 5 different ways to is expected. Read everything and stay in teach the method, give 5 attempts and touch. This alone won’t make you a spend 5 minutes on it. winning coach though. It’s how you have • Speed and Effort: Ask for 90% effort with the athlete do it. 100% speed. Rarely ask them to give • Live the dream—but never live in a dream. 100% effort. The effort should be in • You don’t need a champion athlete to be a technique and balance. champion coach. • Efficiency always wins ahead of fitness. • As a coach, never say, “If”. • Training: Use Heart Rate (HR) to record • Coach must raise swimmer’s level of and measure speed. I want you to hold expectations and never come down to 90 bpm (15 beats for 10 secs). Hold stroke what swimmer is prepared to deliver. count same each lap. Record time • The great athlete desires success more (assume 1:06). than the coach. Enthusiasm of the coach • Next, hold 1:06’s and record HR with and athlete must be equal in the same stroke count. partnership or problems will occur. • Next, hold 1:06’s and hold stroke count • Coach experience is always in advance of but reduce your HR. athlete’s talent. • Improve only one skill at a time. Don’t • Learn fundamentals — train the basics — improve fitness and efficiency at the same train to train — train to compete — and time. train to win. • Never compromise the speed of the • Swimmers need: Speed, Efficiency without workout. Maintain speed. Break it up if effort, Fitness, Technical skills, Tactical needed. skills, Psyche skills under pressure, and • Never compromise. It’s the cancer of Teamwork. achievement. • 1. Head down and hip up (minimise • Do a different warm up for every single resistance). workout. Variety in warm up, not in the • 2. Hips before hands. main set. • 3. Pick up what you can’t feel (feel the • We do lots of high velocity training like water). 80x25m at (Best 100 time – 5 sec)/4 to get • 4. Slow to fast (accelerate through stroke). a 25 time. • 5. Fingers first (pushing back with elbow • Don’t blow yourself out! Work efficiency stationary on catch). versus speed. Speed will come. • is the core stroke in all • Never train to failure. Pick a point in the swimming. All great swimmers in workout and hop out when they’re doing Australia came from Backstroke. No well. shoulder problems with the stroke and • Drills must be linked to the strokes and breathing is simple. constantly supervised by the coach or it • Backstroke is the key! Make it your first could be a negative. step to base. Limit short rest training for men — girls METHODS TO MAKE SWIMMERS FASTER thrive on it. • Up volume.

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ENABLING & accepting a person’s application for membership. Section 100 specifies that where DISENABLING: an individual requires the supply of special The Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 services or facilities, membership may be denied Qld and how it applies to disabled where the club can prove that to do so would and able bodied sporting impose an unjustifiable hardship on a club. participants The Act stipulates many factors need to be By Stephanie Smith considered when determining whether an Mullins Lawyers, Level 22, Central Plaza One, “unjustifiable” hardship exists. Factors to be 345 Queen Street, Qld 4000 taken into account include the nature of the service or facility, the cost of providing the This article appeared in Mullins Lawyers service, the financial circumstances of the club Newsletter, Issue No.17, December 2003 or entity, the levels of disruption that supplying

the service may cause and the nature of any aving a disability does not prevent a benefits or detriments. person from participating in sport. As For example, if a floor/court of a local gym H evidenced by events such as the Para- needs to be resurfaced to accommodate the use Olympics, the number of disabled persons of the facility by a disabled person, this might participating in sporting events is increasing. give rise to the club or body suffering an The increase of disabled participants in sport “unjustified” hardship. The time and cost of the however is not without issue. Disabled and re-development would arguably be an impaired persons are, and will likely remain, unjustifiable hardship suffered by the body, subject to legislation which authorises their depending upon the financial circumstances of lawful exclusion from the use of certain facilities the club or body. and the participation in events otherwise Section 111 of the Act deals specifically with available to able bodied people. the participation of people in competitive sport. Discrimination laws in Queensland are This provision stipulates that any participation governed by the Qld Anti-Discrimination Act in a competitive sporting activity can be 1991 (the Act). By the terms of the Act, restricted to those who can effectively compete, discrimination is the “less favourable treatment or to those people who possess a specific or of a person on the basis of an attribute”. general “impairment”. Section 7 of the Act specifies that an The purpose Section 111 of the Act is two- “impairment” is an attribute for which fold. Section 111 authorises the exclusion of “discrimination” is prohibited. Discrimination disabled and impaired people in certain however will be lawful under the Act if one of competitive sports as they cannot effectively the exemptions contained in the Act applies. compete. However the section also works to Section 51 of the Act authorises those who exclude the participation of able bodied persons provide goods and services to exclude impaired in events specifically organised for impaired persons from using a facility or participating in people. an activity. Policies should be devised by sports

associations to assist in determining who shall According to section 51 …IT IS NOT UNLAWFUL TO be excluded from participating and utilising DISCRIMINATE AGAINST AN their services on the basis of impairment.

IMPAIRED PERSON WHERE THE CLUBS WHICH DEVISE A SET OF IMPAIRED PERSON REQUIRES THE GUIDELINES FOR THE TREATMENT PROVISION OF SPECIAL SERVICES OF IMPAIRED PARTICIPANTS IN OR FACILITIES… SPORT REDUCE THE RISK OF THE and the supply of such special services and ASSOCIATION BEING FOUND facilities imposes on “unjustifiable hardship” on DISCRIMINATORY. the person providing the goods and services.

Clubs are also specifically authorised in Section 100 of the Act to discriminate when

7 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

SPECIFIC AEROBIC CONDITIONING PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS • Specific aerobic conditioning is achieved IN PREPARATION FOR in the sub-VO2 to VO2 max zone ... this type of training places the oxygen usage SPRINT EVENTS and bi-product removal systems under By Leigh Nugent extreme pressure This article was presented at the ASCTA 2003 • In this work the speeds are fast and the Convention heart rates are high (sub max to max) • Repeat distances 50s to 100s (25s The information presented in this document depending on set design) relates more specifically to preparing for the 100 • Work to rest ratio range 1:1 to 1:2 metre events but in many respects is also • Stressful work applicable to the 200 metre events. • Performed at predetermined speeds In the design of any training preparation for • Must be monitored the sprint events the key factors for • Tailor to suit the swimmer consideration are... • Suggested set distance 800-1200 metres • General aerobic conditioning – fat • Involves significant lactate production metabolism and the aerobic glycolytic systems ANAEROBIC CONDITIONING • Specific aerobic conditioning – upper range aerobic glycolysis (VO2 max) In the 100 metre events the energy required • Anaerobic conditioning – ATP-PC system to enable the swimmer to swim at the race and anaerobic glycolysis speed is primarily delivered through the • Fundamental strength development anaerobic systems. Speed endurance training is • Muscular or strength endurance essential in developing the ability to perform the • Psychological factors race in its entirety at the fastest possible velocity. Anaerobic conditioning will be GENERAL AEROBIC CONDITIONING compromised if insufficient aerobic conditioning has been performed. • Is not specific to the event • Is vitally important as it is the foundation NON-SPECIFIC ANAEROBIC TRAINING or support structure in determining the regularity and dosage of high speed This training comes in various forms and is training to which the swimmer can be relatively specific to stimulating the anaerobic exposed energy systems but not entirely specific to • The sprinter’s points of anaerobic training for a particular race or event. threshold and VO2 max are not as closely Forms of anaerobic training... related as they are in the distance • High Velocity Overloads or Alactic Sprints swimmer ... this requires the sprinter to – 10-25m max efforts train at much slower speeds in • Muscular or speed endurance – 25-75m comparison to their VO2 max speed when quality efforts swimming in the lower aerobic ranges ... • Lactate Production – 50-100m quality high aerobic volumes need to be efforts performed by the sprint swimmer but at • Lactate Tolerance – 100-200m quality controlled speeds efforts • Must be developed early in the • MVO2 – certain set designs can have a preparation before exposure to significant high anaerobic component high speed training sets • Consolidation of technique is gained in SPECIFIC ANAEROBIC TRAINING the aerobic ranges • Cover repeat distances over a wide range – The repeats are performed at race speed over distance 400s to 1000s down to 50s according to the desired splits, race stroke rate, on short rest cycles stroke count and with the breathing pattern • Aerobic conditioning sets for the legs used in the race. • Race specific training needs to be done twice per week

8 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

• It can be presented as sets done entirely at race pace or integrated with other CONTRACTS WITH KIDS repeats at lower intensities — CHILD’S PLAY? • The introduction of this work is often left By Roland Davies too late in the preparation, resulting in Mullins Lawyers, Level 22, Central Plaza One, incomplete adaptation to this training 345 Queen Street, Brisbane Qld 4000 influence • Swimming at racing speeds must be This article appeared in Mullins Lawyers introduced early into the preparation with Newsletter, Issue No.17, December 2003 the volume being adjusted according to the swimmers ability to cope he emergence of young professional • Don’t completely drain the swimmers T athletes means that sporting bodies and anaerobic energy reserves as it runs the corporate sponsors must be aware of the legal risk of significantly delaying the recovery consequences of contracting with minors. The

CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNING & ability to enforce a contract involving a minor is PERFORMING SPECIFIC TRAINING SETS highly restricted to ensure that the contract is largely for the minor’s benefit. • It is critical for the swimmer to be able to The restricted ability to enforce contracts swim at race speed involving minors reflects the perception that • The rest period must be long enough for minors often do not have the maturity to speed maintenance but short enough in appreciate the effects of entering into contracts. some sets to create an endurance stress The inability to contract with young athletes • The swimmer must practice swimming at poses significant problems for sporting the required speed with the desired stroke organisations that recruit young athletes. rate and stroke count Sporting teams that invest substantial • The 100m events require sets designed for the first 50 as distinct from sets created resources into young athletes may not be able for the second 50 to recoup their investment if the athlete fails to • Racing at constant velocity is a common fulfil their obligations. strategy used in the events 200, 400, 800 The Courts have ruled that in certain and 1500 ... specific sets may need to be circumstances a contract with a minor may be developed for the first 50 split of the 200, binding. The Courts have shown a willingness first 100 of the 400.or first 200 of the to enforce contracts for the provision of 1500 “necessary goods or services” which are in the • Speeds need to be determined from the minor’s best interest. Contracts in a sporting projected race time and not current PB context include playing contracts, sponsorship • Individual Medley sets need to be done as contracts, endorsement contracts and waivers. broken IM’s as well as sets dedicated to each particular stroke • Swimmers need to learn what the selected PLAYING CONTRACTS stroke rate and speed feels like ... get regular feed back from the swimmer of Playing contracts involving a minor are what they think their stroke rate and time generally enforceable providing the contract is was ... by doing this the swimmer will for the overall benefit of the minor. become more in tune with their body In the case of Roberts v Gray (1913) the • For sets for the first 50 of the 100, repeats Court held a playing contract between a minor can vary from 25-40m ... the second 50 is and an adult was enforceable. The minor was best reproduced with 50m repeats ... an aspiring billiards player who entered into a maximum distance of 400-500m per set • Sets for the 200 events are best done as contract with a notable billiards player to 50s with a maximum distance of the sets accompany him on a billiards tour. The minor achieving up to 800m did not fulfil the contract. The Court ruled the • Race specific training is an essential part contract was enforceable as “playing billiards in of all preparations and must be included company with a noted player … must be in the training cycles from the early stages instruction of the most valuable kind … and for of the preparation to achieve a complete the benefit of the infant”. adaptive response

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Sporting contracts involving minors will not INDEMNITY always be regarded as beneficial. The Canadian case of Toronto Marlboro Major Junior “A” Sporting organisations may seek to obtain an Hockey Club v Tonelli (1979) is an example of a indemnity from a young athlete’s guardians to contract that was found to be overly onerous ensure the athlete fulfils the contract. An and unenforceable at law. In this instance a 16- indemnity signed by the young athlete’s year-old hockey player was contracted for four guardians allows a sporting organisation to years with an ice hockey club. The contract recover monies directly from the guardian in the stipulated the minor was required to pay the event the minor fails to fulfil the contract. club a proportion of any future income earned in the event he played professional ice hockey. The recent Court action against entertainer The Court refused to enforce the contract on the Holly Valance involved a situation where she basis that it was not of benefit to the minor. entered into a contract with her manager using an affiliated company. Ms Valance was a minor SPONSORSHIP & ENDORSEMENT at the time the contract was executed. The CONTRACTS contract contained an indemnity clause which enabled the manager to recover monies from the In recent times organisations have used company in the event Ms Valance did not fulfil young athletes to market their products. Six- her obligations under the contract. year-old American Skateboarder, Mitch Brusco, has 11 corporate sponsors and has recently STATE LEGISLATION hired an agent to negotiate further contracts. Sponsorship contracts and endorsement New South Wales, Victoria and South contracts are “contracts for services”. These Australia have all introduced legislation to contracts will generally not be binding unless provide parties with some certainty when the Court believes the contract is beneficial to contracting with minors. Parties to a contract the minor. An endorsement contract with a will generally be governed by the law of the minor will only be binding if the terms of the State in which the contract was made. contract are not overly onerous and the Contracts made in Queensland are still duration of the contract is not excessive. governed by case law rather than legislation. Minors may also be able to use a trust or company to enter into contractual relations with The laws regulating contracts with minors a corporate sponsor. This method removes are necessary to prevent unscrupulous sporting many of the problems associated with the and corporate organisations from exploiting minor’s diminished capacity to enter into young athletes. However the emergence of a new contracts. breed of successful young athletes has necessitated a need for law reform in this area. WAIVERS & EXCLUSION CLAUSES Professional young athletes are now in a position to earn a significant income from sport The increase in litigation arising from and corporate sponsorship. Legislation is sporting fixtures has sparked the introduction required to ensure that young athletes with of exclusion clauses and indemnity clauses into sufficient maturity honour their contractual participators’ agreements to prevent or reduce obligations to sporting bodies and corporate liability for negligence arising from sporting sponsors. accidents. It is unlikely a Court would construe a contract absolving another party of liability for negligence as in the minor’s best interest. Therefore it is likely exclusion clauses would not be enforceable.

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keeping the child safe. Gauging the period of submersion is critical to the comfort level of the young swimmer. No child is ever completely water-safe or drown-proof. So what does this have to do with my child being a great swimmer? Quite a bit! If you keep in mind and foster From the nature and nurture aspects of swimming, Wiggle-Butts to your children will learn to love the water. You can’t be a successful swimmer without the love Butterfly of being in the water.

The underwater dolphin kick component of NATIONAL SWIM swimming has revolutionised Backstroke SCHOOL and contributes to improve Butterfly and, ASSOCIATION www.NationalSwimSchools.com in some cases, Freestyle. Introducing the dolphin kick early in life makes the action By Liesl (Kolbisen) Taner and automatic, natural and more likely to Anya Kolbisen become more efficient. This article appeared in Swimming Technique October-December 2003 By age 4, many swimmers are starting to Children under 3 doing Butterfly? Not quite. learn competitive strokes, such as Freestyle and At this age, it is all about fun and Backstroke, but at La Petite Baleen, the experimentation on the child’s part. These two swimmers hold off on Butterfly. Instead, the things can come from both nature and nurture. instructors at the school break the stroke down Nature: Babies are born with a natural into smaller bites. ability to submerge in the water, thanks to the First, they introduce “wiggle-butts” — swim Moro reflex. This allows us to have tiny babies school jargon for dolphin kicks. The children swim, knowing they are not swallowing water are asked if they want to be a dolphin, mermaid but actually holding their breath. When reflexes or whale. Then they practice putting on an are left behind due to the maturation process, a imaginary tail that matches their choice. child’s conscious efforts take over easily, due to Allowing young students to use their vivid previous exposure to the aquatic environment. imaginations helps them visualise their bodies Getting our babies into the water early will moving in the water. support these natural instincts and allow for Wiggle-butts is first introduced, using a nurturance to have an influence. technique developed by Ginny Flahive, Dave Salo’s Swim School consultant, called “Mad- Cat, Fat-Cat,” where the kids practice arching the back and stretching the tummy on land. Next, the instructors give them a visual demonstration of what wiggle-butts look like in the water. Now, the children are ready to try it on their own, using fins. Fins add speed and flexibility to their small body movements while adding another playful visual for the dolphin, mermaid or whale analogy. Each student finds a balance that works just right for his or her strength, body size and comfort ability. Nurture: Through experimentation, babies The students must learn the correct body can explore their natural movements, deciding position and timing of the breath as a precursor what will move them through the water most to doing the full stroke of Butterfly. The efficiently. Toddlers wiggle side-ways like a instructors teach them how to undulate the salamander, frog-kick, flutter or perform what hips downward while tilting their chin upward we call “wiggle-butts” — an up-and-down for the breath. This breath is taught one per movement with their bottoms. They learn that a every three or four wiggles. horizontal position is the fastest and easiest It is extremely important to watch the way to get around. It’s the qualified adult’s job swimmers’ mouths closely to ensure a proper to allow this experimentation while always exchange of air for each quick breath. While

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breathing, the arms are to remain relaxed at University of Arizona and a mother of two their side, as if they are ready to recover over children under 3 years old. Anya Kolbisen is a the water for a . When flutter four-year NCAA All-American with the kicks and dog paddles occur, the teacher must University of California and a current U.S. back up a step and make sure that proper Masters national champion. rhythm, speed and amplitude are present. Hands-on corrections are the most effective way Your Best Friend at the Pool to ensure proper breathing in wiggle-butts. By Jeff Grace The swimmers build up their shoulder This article appeared in American Swimming muscles by practicing their wiggle-butts with Magazine, 2003 Issue 5 their arms in different positions — hands behind their heads, arms extended forward in Who’s your best friend at the pool? Is it Sally, “silly-clap” position (back of hands together). Johnny, Sam or Steph? Why are they your best The timing is perfected when the swimmers are friends? Is it because they are fun, exciting, able to perform the underwater pull, from silly- trustworthy and honest? clap position (hips up) to hands at their sides Well there is another friend at the pool that (hips down). all great swimmers discover at one time or The arm recovery is ready to be introduced another. This friend has all of the qualities I after the children’s strength and timing just mentioned. Can you guess who I am talking foundation has been set. La Petite Baleen about? It is the CLOCK. That’s right that funny believes that teaching Butterfly with only one thing on the wall or the side of the pool. Some wiggle-butt (rather than the traditional two) per are digital, some have four hands with many arm pull helps eliminate the occurrence of colours and some are just plain and simple, but multiple, unnecessary dolphin kicks and they all have the same qualities as your other maintains the rhythm of the stroke. The breath friends. is taught to occur every other arm pull, and The clock will always be there for you at emphasis is placed on maintaining the every practice no matter how your day went. It student’s rhythm — or stroke rate — while makes each practice more fun and exciting by breathing. allowing you to see how well your training is

going and by giving you a way to measure your goals for each practice. And the best thing of all is the clock will never lie to you. Have people who are not swimmers ever asked, how you can go to the pool day after day and just swim length after length? These people don’t understand how exciting our sport can be, especially after you meet that friendly face on the wall. HOW IT WORKS You may be asking yourself, “How can the clock make that much difference in practice?” I will give one example. Let’s take a typical set of 15x100 on 1 minute and 45 seconds. For the About La Petite Baleen Swim School inexperienced swimmer the typical way to do John and Irene Kolbisen, owners of La Petite this set would be to just swim it going 10 Baleen Swim School, have been in the swim seconds after the person ahead of them and business for over 35 years. Today, almost 5,000 hope that they do it properly. HOW BORING!!! students per week grace the waters of La Petite Since you have now met our friend on the Baleen’s two San Francisco Peninsula pools on wall let’s transform this set. Let’s take your goal a once-a-week, year-round basis, making the time for a 400. Is it six minutes, five minutes or Kolbisens’ program one of the finest in the maybe four minutes? I am going to use the nation. As consultants, they have helped example of five minutes. notable USA Swimming coaches (such as Pete Raykovich) establish swim schools that generate Fill in your Goal Time in the blank revenue and act as feeder programs for competitive teams. ______Liesl (Kolbisen) Taner is a former USS national champion, a four-year NCAA All- Take that time and now divide it into four to American with University of Pacific and give your goal race pace per 100 metres. With

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our example it would be 1 minute and 15 In Queensland, under normal circumstances, seconds per 100 metres. security guards are private employees of stadium management and have no greater Fill in your Race Pace in the blank powers than those of ordinary citizens. Whilst

they are hired to protect property, maintain ______security and enforce regulations and standards When looking at Ian Thorpe, he always either of conduct, they are unable to compel you to even or negative splits this race so this is the answer any questions they ask you, and you are strategy we are going to use when doing this under no obligation to give them your name and set. Have a goal for each 100 in the set so that address when requested. you are always challenging yourself and staying focused (remember with every friend you have THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SEARCH give them attention, so we will give our new YOUR BELONGINGS, EVEN IF A friend attention right from the start). The first PROMINENT SIGN STATES THIS IS A 100 go 1:20 how was that? Probably pretty CONDITION OF ENTRY TO THE comfortable so let’s build into the set by PREMISES. descending the next five by one second to our 400 race of 1:15. Probably feeling good in the In such a case, the guard is only able to ask first five—now let’s get to it!! you to leave the premises. If you refuse, you are What a feeling when you have accomplished trespassing and the guard can legally use something great in this set. You have held 400 reasonable force to remove you from the site. pace for ten 100s; you only have to do four of This all changes where an occasion is them in a race. How awesome! By using the clock, that set was challenging, exciting and you deemed a “Special Event” by the Minister under are one step closer to your goal; what an the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act (2000) experience. such as The Rugby World Cup. These special Now next time you do this set maybe do all powers were introduced in 2000, ahead of the 15 at 400 goal race pace or try the same Olympic soccer games in Brisbane and apply to strategy going on 1 minute and 40 seconds! games sites, airports, team accommodation and This is just one example of how the clock can training sites. keep you focused and make practices more fun. The things you can do and accomplish by Under the Act, security guards are cooperating with your new best friend are authorised to… endless. Ask your coach what other games you can play using the clock. Once you get more 1. Electronically screen people familiar you can let your splits create goals for 2. Search vehicles entering a site each and every set. The challenges and fun are 3. Search belongings of those entering a site endless. 4. Refuse entry if a person refused to allow the search, and… 5. Refuse entry if a person attempts to enter a site carrying a prohibited item. Items Security Alert prohibited from The Rugby World Cup By Kate Williams games include rocks, stones, firearms and Mullins Lawyers, Level 22, Central Plaza One, replica firearms, explosives, spear guns, 345 Queen Street, Brisbane Qld 4000 certain knives, glass containers and commercial food items. This article appeared in Mullins Lawyers Newsletter, Issue No.17, December 2003 The special powers applied until 11th

November 2003, the day after the last team left If you were one of the 400,000 people who Brisbane. ploughed through the turnstiles at Suncorp Civil libertarians had criticised the increased Stadium for a Rugby World Cup game, it is powers, concerned that there could be possible you were searched by security guards widespread misuse of power if security who were exercising “special powers” under the personnel were not carefully supervised. To date Police Powers and Responsibilities Act (2000). however, these fears have been unfounded.

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Butterfly Drills Performing drills that focus on breathing, timing and acceleration can help a swimmer grasp the finer points of swimming Butterfly. By Ugur Taner This article appeared in Swimming Technique, October-December 2003

n an article sponsored by the National Swim faster speeds, with a flat profile while pressing I School Association, “From Wiggle-Butts to the “T” forward and down. Butterfly”, the focus is on babies and young Once the swimmer has achieved ideal body children, from 6 weeks to 3-years-old, then from position, the snorkel may be taken away to 3-years-old to 6-years-old. The following story allow him to practice the low-profile breath. The focuses on swimmers from 6-years-old until breath should be taken every fourth kick as the they join a swim team. body lifts the head, while making sure there is Once the young swimmers at the La Petite little head movement. Baleen Swim School in northern California earn As the swimmer progresses at these drills, their “gold ribbon,” they’re given an opportunity the arms may also be incorporated at a ratio of to “graduate” to the Advanced Swim Program. four kicks to one pull, gradually working the This is a one-hour class that prepares them for ratio down to a full stroke. The final step is to the next level at a competitive swimming team. swim Butterfly with fins, concentrating on As an instructor at the swim school and the pressing the “T” forward and down while head swim coach of the local swim team in Half breathing every other stroke. Moon Bay, Calif., I have a chance to work with some of these young “gold ribbon” swimmers. The areas in which I refine their strokes are breathing, timing and acceleration. These are achieved through a number of Butterfly Drills that focus on each of these aspects one at a time as well as simultaneously. BREATHING The first part of the stroke that I address is breathing. The head position, as in all strokes, is very important in order for the stroke to be performed efficiently and effortlessly. The head position should be neutral at all times during TIMING the stroke. While the breath is taken, there The second area that I concentrate on is should be as little head lift as possible. timing. There are two common timing issues The amplitude of the body dolphin movement that I encounter. One is what I call the “two- must flatten out the faster one swims. This is wiggle” Butterfly, and the second is the achieved through “pressing the T” forward and mysterious two-kick deficiency. down. The term, “pressing the T,” describes the The two-wiggle Butterfly is a bad habit and “T’-shape of the shoulders and chest. A line very difficult to correct if not treated early in the drawn from the left to right shoulder and down swimmer’s life. It occurs when the swimmer’s from the neck to the sternum is the “T.” hips go up and down when the arms are The more forward a swimmer presses the ‘T” forward, and once again go up and down when — rather than downward — the flatter the the arms are at the sides for recovery. amplitude. When the breath is taken, the same This is incorrect because in order for the amplitude should be achieved, with the eyes arms to recover comfortably without injury over looking forward at 45° or less. time, the hips must be down when the arms are A drill to develop this body position involves at the side. The two wiggles also interrupt the swimming with fins and a snorkel. The flow of the stroke. swimmer should move through the water doing Although this is legal, it is not proper body dolphin movements, experimenting at Butterfly technique. The hips must be up when

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the arms enter forward, then the hips must be bend to approximately a 90° angle and the down when the arms are at the side just before hands form a “diamond” shape under the belly recovery. To achieve this key stroke skill, my and sweep out past the hips for recovery. This is favourite drill is “four kicks-one pull” where the acceleration of the Butterfly stroke The swimmer begins the lap in a begins. position, counting his kicks. At the fourth up From the “Y” position, the arms accelerate in position of the hips, the arms should go out to order to generate maximum power. This portion the “Y” position, then pull underneath the body. of the stroke must be completed in a powerful At this point, I tell my swimmers that while they manner in order to generate enough power to are pulling underneath their bodies, they need take the breath and recover the arms at the to press their belly buttons down and forward. same time. This is where that second kick This brings their hips into the correct position comes into play as was discussed earlier. for the arm recovery. With the arms accelerating toward the hips, The “Y” position is also used in . and the legs completing a kick, the swimmer’s I call it the “Y” because that is what the body body eventually becomes streamlined with the looks like when the swimmer spreads his arms arms at his sides and the legs in a finished apart at a 45° angle. Once the swimmer is kicking position. The body is basically like a having success with the “four kicks-one pull” surfacing submarine. The acceleration of the drill, reduce the ratio of kicks-to-pull by one, arms under the body combined with the second and have him practice again, eventually quick kick allows the swimmer to breathe and working his way down to a full stroke with a recover. “one kick-one pull” ratio. Once the arms begin to recover out of the The second timing issue is the mysterious water, the swimmer must continue to accelerate second kick. Many swimmers suffer from this the arms forward. The longer the arms recover important, yet subtle kick deficiency. out of the water, the more time gravity has to For every one wiggle, there need to be two pull the body lower in the water. kicks: one kick when the hips are up and the In order to work against the pull of gravity, arms forward, and a second kick when the hips the swimmer must recover the hands quickly, are down and the arms at the side. The drill arms straight, with thumbs relaxed, pointed that I like to use for this is also “four kicks-one downward. At the end of this recovery, the arms pull”. act as weights, pulling the body over the hump The swimmer should begin the drill with his and putting the hips into the up position. Now, arms at the side, Count the kicks, using the up the swimmer may decelerate his arms to position of the hips. On the fourth up position position them into the “Y”. of the hips, the swimmer will attempt to recover Drills to practice acceleration are very the arms, thus forcing him to attempt a second simple. One is swimming Butterfly with each quick kick. By repeating this drill, the swimmer hand closed into a fist. This allows the swimmer should be encouraged to complete the second to move his hands through the water at faster kick in order to generate enough power to speeds, getting him accustomed to this tempo. recover the arms. Another drill that can aid in the acceleration This drill may also be done with a ratio of for recovery is swimming Butterfly with a flutter “three kicks-one pull” However, anything less kick. This drill encourages the desired result. will not allow the swimmer to set up his body The swimmer must accelerate the arms in the position to perform the drill. recovery; otherwise, he will sink. Without the ACCELERATION body dolphin and powerful Butterfly kick, the The final technical correction that I make is recovery is much more difficult to perform, in acceleration, Acceleration of the arms varies forcing the swimmer to recover quickly to the at different phases of the stroke. Let’s examine front. a full-arm cycle starting from a streamline Ugur Taner is a former U.S. position, When the arms are in front, the national and NCAA champion. swimmer first begins the stroke by sculling the Representing the , arms out into the “Y” position. It is very he competed at the 1994 and important for the arms to be in the “Y” position 1998 World Championships as right before the swimmer begins to pull well as the 1997 and 1999 Pan underneath the body because this position Pacific Championships, collecting gold in ‘94 and ‘97. maximises the swimmer’s pulling ability under With dual U.S./Turkish the body. citizenship, Ugur represented After the arms are in the “Y” position, they Turkey at the 1992 Olympics. begin to pull underneath the body, the elbows

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judge’s findings that even if a warning sign had been visible regarding the retractable seating, no amount of exposure to warning signs or announcements would have changed the outcome or her injury.

It was unnecessary for Hoyts to place warning signs regarding the retractable seating. SIGNS — Unnecessary or a sign of the times? The case of University of Wollongong v By Michelle Wilde Mitchell (2003) NSWCA 94 was similarly Mullins Lawyers, Level 22, Central Plaza One, decided. 345 Queen Street, Brisbane Qld 4000 Mrs Mitchell was attending her son’s This article appeared in Mullins Lawyers Newsletter, Issue No.17, December 2003 graduation in the theatre of the University and stood to take a photograph, upon If you have visited Suncorp Stadium resuming her seat, which had retracted, recently you may have heard various risk she fell and struck the metal pedestal of the management announcements helpfully seat and suffered injury. advising that your seat will retract when you stand up. Meagher J.A. (along with Giles J.A. who allowed the appeal) stated that whilst The risk of injury caused from such “failure to erect signage may amount to seating may seem agonisingly obvious to actionable negligence, it must be the law most and recent High Court decisions have that there is no need to warn against any clarified the law in this area of negligence. danger whose existence is glaringly obvious (and) since every object can in some THE HIGH COURT SUPPORTS THE circumstances be dangerous, it would be VIEW THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY inconvenient if it had to carry its own TO PLACE WARNING SIGNS warning notice”. WHERE THE RISK IS OBVIOUS OR These cases demonstrate the opinion by APPARENT, YET DESPITE THIS… the courts that signs warning of blatant various public sporting and cultural venues risks to patrons or visitors at venues and across the nation are escalating their stadiums are simply unnecessary, as efforts to warn their patrons of any risk of liability will not be attributed for failure to injury. erect such safety warnings.

Injury which may result from retractable Regardless of this, warning signs and seating and the issue of negligence where safety announcements have become a sign there were no warning signs was discussed of the times as various establishments in the High Court decision of Hoyts Pty increasingly utilise safety awareness at Limited v Burns (2003) HCA 61). events by stating the painfully and

annoyingly obvious. In this case Mrs Burns had attended the cinema with a group of disabled children PERHAPS VENUES AND SPORTS when she moved to contain a child and STADIUMS WILL CONTINUE TO then attempted to take her seat, which had retracted, resulting in her hitting the metal “PLAY IT SAFE” AND SIT ON THE bar with her coccyx and suffering injury. SIDE OF CAUTION.

Mrs Burns was unsuccessful against Hoyts appeal, which upheld the primary

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Reproduced from December 2003, No.12

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

A wrap-up of the competitive year 2003 (USA) By Camillo Cametti Phelps managed to make the Top 10 long FINA Press Commission Chairman course world rankings in eight events: besides Although one month is still missing to the the 100 and 200 Butterfly and the 200 and 400 end of this year (I am writing this article on 30th IM, he made the Top 10 also in the 100 November 2003) a wrap-up of the season 2003 Freestyle (10°), the 200 Freestyle (2°), the 400 is both possible and meaningful and it is easy to Freestyle (3°) and the 200 Backstroke (2°). Only affirm that it was, or it is, a very good year. in Breaststroke Phelps did not make the Top 10 All of our sports — swimming, water polo, world rankings. diving, synchronised swimming, open water His versatility is probably comparable only to swimming — have provided memorable that of . Phelps may be able to cash a highlights and have enhanced the vitality of the million dollars from his sponsor () if in FINA disciplines, boosting their popularity. Athens at next year’s he Michael Phelps, the 18-year-old swimmer manages to equal Spitz’s 7-gold medal win at from North Baltimore, USA, was undoubtedly the Munich’s Olympics in 1972, a goal he may the most outstanding personality of the year. achieve seeing that he may represent his The disciple of Coach Bob Bowman made the country in all events but the 50 Freestyle and headlines (plenty of hyperbolic headlines: he the 100 Breaststroke. was nicknamed everything from “superman” to WORLD RECORDS “terminator”) by setting eight world records, an Progress was more evident and consistent amazing and perhaps unprecedented number in among men with 16 new world records in long one season and half of the total of 16 set by course. In addition to Phelps, other new world male swimmers in 2003, and by winning three record setters were the following world world titles at , as well as two silver championships winners … Japan’s Kosuke medals. Kitajima in both the 100 and the 200 Phelps set very high standards of excellence Breaststroke, Ian Crocker (USA) in the 100 in almost all strokes thanks to his innovative Butterfly, Matthew Welsh (AUS) in the 50 technique and training methodologies, his Butterfly, (GER) in the 50 natural fitness for water and his class (which is Backstroke and the USA 4x100 Medley Relay. the result of a desirable combination of mental, At the worlds there was one more world record physical and technical skills). in the 100 Butterfly set by Ukraine’s Andriy The American teenager collected world titles Serdinov in the semi-finals. There was also a in the 200 and 400 Individual Medley and the second world record in the 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly. He set world records before (400 thanks to Dimitri Komornikov of Russia, who and 200 IM), during (200 Butterfly, 200 IM, established it also in Barcelona but in mid-June twice, 100 Butterfly and 400 IM) and after (200 at a “Mare Nostrum” meet. IM) the world championships. Just two world records were set in the As it can be seen, Phelps bettered the world women’s section, both of them in Breaststroke record mark four times in the 200 IM, twice in and both of them at the worlds in the 100 the 400 IM and once in both the 100 and the metres by the Australian (in the 200 Butterfly. He set the 100 Butterfly world semi-final), in the 200 by the American Amanda record in the world’s semi-finals. As all Beard, gold medallist, who equalled the existing remember he improved his time in the final but world record held by the Chinese Hui Qi. As an he lost the title to his fellow country man, Ian average, top-level performances among women Crocker, who unpredictably beat him in a new were less brilliant than among men. Occasional world record time. factors, such as the illness at the worlds of

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Natalie Coughlin (USA), probably the current Germany’s impressed female world best swimmer, the absence from for her authoritative wins in the 400, 800 and the world championships of some top guns 1500 metres Freestyle at the worlds. In an (, …), and Olympic perspective, we need to consider the ’s choice to compete in Barcelona sensational progress of Briton Kathy Sexton in only in the 50 metres events, may have had the 200m Backstroke, the gold medal winner at influence on the final results. the worlds and the world-ranking leader. Among the men, Freestyle appeared the less “Chapeau” to . At 30, the dynamic stroke — no world records — the American veteran managed to win the gold average of the Top 10 performances higher than medal at the world championships with the best the previous year and the continuing leadership time this year. Ukraine’s Yana Kotchova of the Australians in the middle distance events continued her quiet domination in the — Ian Thorpe in the 200 and 400, Grant Individual Medley while the 200 Butterfly world Hackett in the 800 and 1500. The glamorous record holder, Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak, comeback of the “Tsar” Alex Popov as the confirmed herself as the world’s best claiming winner of both sprint events at the worlds was gold in Barcelona in the world’s best time this one of the most fascinating accomplishments in year. this season. IN the 50 metres the Russian If we take into account also short course managed to win with a time under the 22 swimming, the best woman this year should be seconds barrier — 21.92, the fourth of his considered Leisel Jones, who added both short career. Popov’s bests in 2002 and 2001 were course world records in the 100 and the 200 respectively of 22.03 and 21.91. In the 100 metres Breaststroke to the world record she had metres final Popov beat Dutch Pieter van den set in Barcelona (long course) in the 100 Hoogenband, who had clocked the best time metres. The young Australian managed such a this year in the semi-final. feat in the second leg of the 2003-2004 FINA In the 2003 rankings, Thorpe confirms his World Cup series in Melbourne on 28th leadership in both the 200 and the 400 November (100m in 1:05.09, shaving 0.02sec to Freestyle, however with times that are slower Swede Emma Igelstrom’s previous record) and than in the previous two years. In the 400 on 29th November (200 in 2:17.75, 1sec and Thorpe finds himself on top of the world ranking 11/100 under Chinese Hui Qi previous mark). for the fifth consecutive year. Hackett’s So far, seven world records were improved in performances emulate Thorpe’s in the 800 and short course — five among women and two 1500 metres. among men. Overall — long course plus short In Backstroke, the new leader is Aaron course — 18 world records were set among men Peirsol (USA) who tops both the 100 and the and seven among women for a total of 25 200 metres rankings, thanks to his world through the year. Among women as many as six championships times, both worth a gold medal. records, out of seven, were set in Breaststroke! In the 100m, Peirsol has become the second The Men’s 100m Butterfly Final in Barcelona fastest performer ever — just 1/100 above the is to be considered the “race of the year”, with world record mark set by his fellow American the three all-time world best performances set back in 1999. In the 200, by the three medallists: the first by Crocker Peirsol confirms himself on top of the world 50.98, the second by Phelps 51.10 and the third ranking for the third consecutive year. Other by Serdinov 51.59. Moreover, Igor Marchenko new stars have begun to shine on the (RUS) became the all-time sixth world performer international scene. Among them, the with 51.95 and Japan’s Takashi Yamamoto the sensational 18-year-old Individual Medley ninth with 52.27 (equalling Russian Denis specialist Laszlo Cseh of Hungary; the 19-year- Pankratov). Crocker progressed 1.23sec from old Backstroker Arkadi Vyatchanin of Russia his previous best time to set an amazing world and (TRI) also an emerging talent record! in the Individual Medley. Thomas Rupprath If we consider that the world record was (GER) and (AUS) both able to set a improved three times by three different world record, respectively in the 50m swimmers during the championships and that Backstroke and Butterfly, have confirmed their all the three medallists went under the previous right to be counted among the world’s elite. world record (set during the semi-finals), we Among women the novelties are represented by have an idea of how much this event has Hanna-Maria Seppala from Finland, the evolved during this season. surprising winner of the 100m Freestyle in Barcelona and by the young Australian sprinters, Lisbeth Lenton and Alice Mills.

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SWIMMING WORLD RECORDS 2003 Up to 4th December 2003 Swimmer Event Time Date Place LONG COURSE (50 metres)—MEN Dimitri Komornikov (RUS) 200m Breaststroke 2:09.52 Jun 14, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 200m Individual Medley 1:57.94 Jun 29, 2003 Santa Clara (USA) Michael Phelps (USA) 200m Butterfly 1:53.93 Jul 22, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 200m Individual Medley 1:57.52 Jul 24, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 100m Butterfly 51.47 Jul 25, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 200m Individual Medley 1:56.04 Jul 25, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 400m Individual Medley 4:09.09 Jul 27, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Michael Phelps (USA) 200m Individual Medley 1:55.94 Aug 9, 2003 College Park (USA) Matt Welsh (AUS) 50m Butterfly 23.43 Jul 21, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) (JPN) 100m Breaststroke 1:06.37 Jul 21, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) 200m Breaststroke 2:09.42 Jul 24, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) (UKR) 100m Butterfly 51.76 Jul 25, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Ian Crocker (USA) 100m Butterfly 50.98 Jul 26, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Thomas Rupprath (GER) 50m Backstroke 24.80 Jul 27, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) USA (, , Ian Crocker, ) 4x100m Medley Relay 3:31.54 Jul 27, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) LONG COURSE (50 metres)—WOMEN Leisel Jones (AUS) 100m Breaststroke 1:06.37 Jul 21, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) Amanda Beard (USA) 200m Breaststroke 2:22.99(eq.) Jul 25, 2003 Barcelona (ESP) SHORT COURSE (25 metres)—MEN Thomas Rupprath (GER) 100m Individual Medley 52.58 Jan 25, 2003 Berlin (GER) Brian Johns (CAN) 400m Individual Medley 4:02.72 Feb 21, 2003 Victoria (CAN) SHORT COURSE (25 metres)—WOMEN (USA) 400m Freestyle 3:59.53 Jan 26, 2003 Berlin (GER) Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 100m Breaststroke 1:05.29 Mar 15, 2003 (SWE) Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 100m Breaststroke 1:05.11 Mar 16, 2003 Stockholm (SWE) Leisel Jones (AUS) 100m Breaststroke 1:05.09 * Nov 28, 2003 Melbourne (AUS) Leisel Jones (AUS) 200m Breaststroke 2:17.75 * Nov 29, 2003 Melbourne (AUS) * Pending FINA approval

SYNCHRO In synchronised swimming the Spanish swimmers, led by Gemma Mengual, provided a major breakthrough. At the worlds, they managed to win three medals, a silver and two bronze, leaving behind the United States (a silver and a bronze), historically a power in synchro.

Russia confirmed its leadership, also with three medals: two gold in the team, led by Olga Brousnikina and in the duet with their fabulous Russian team in synchronised swimming pair, Anastasia Davidova and Anastassia Ermakova, plus a silver in the solo, with OPEN WATER Ermakova. Japan totalled also three medals. Russian swimmers dominated the Men’s The Japanese won the combo; the new event Open Water competitions at the worlds. Russia introduced in Barcelona and claimed also two took three gold with three different swimmers: silver. the 5k with Evgeni Koshkarov, the 10k with Vladimir Diattchine and the 25k with Yury France came back on top in the solo event Koudinov. In addition, a bronze in the 5k with with Virginie Dedieu, an absolute deliver to the Diattchine. Viola Valli of Italy confirmed her eyes of both the public and the experts. dominance among women by claiming gold in both the 5k and the 10k. She did not take part

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in the 25k that was won by Edity van Dijk of overall ranking, with 973 points. In the group of The Netherlands. athletes with two triumphs, we find Katrin Bulgarian Petar Stoychev, who in Barcelona Meissner (GER, 50m and 100m Freestyle) and claimed the bronze medal in the 25k, dominated Mai Nakamura (JPN, 50m and 100m the FINA Marathon World Cup series, with Backstroke). Gabriel Chaillou and Rafael Perez, both from Amongst the men, (GER) Argentina, respectively in second and third conquered three gold medals (100m and 200m place. Among women Britta Kamrau and Angela Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley) and is Maurer, both of Germany, placed respectively in also the leader of the men’s ranking with 973 first and second place, with Natalia Pankina of points (1:45.15 in the 200m Freestyle). The Russia in third. other multi-medallists were his compatriot As a final note, Russia was the only country Steffen Driesen (50m and 100m Backstroke), able to win medals in every discipline at the Justin Mortimer (USA, 400m and 1500m World Championships. They did so in Freestyle) and Seung Hun You (KOR, 100m and swimming, water polo, diving, synchronised 200m Breaststroke). swimming and . “Chapeau” also to Russia and to its athletes.

Yana Klochkova (UKR) Highlights of Day 1 The Ukraine’s won three gold medals on the first day of the two-day World Cup swimming meet at the Chung-mu

Vladimir Diattchine (RUS) Swimming Pool. Klochkova reigned supreme with victories in the 200m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley and then the 200m Backstroke. Hers was a solid effort and gained her three rankings in the top seven on points for the evening’s work — not to mention the healthy pay packet. While she was busy with her 200m rout, there was some effervescent swimming from the host nation’s swimmers with none better than Seung Hun You upsetting Russian world champion Roman Sloudnov. You was biding his KLOCHKOVA, superstar time in the first half of the race but churned up By Russell McKinnon the water in the third quarter and rubbed out FINA Press Commission Member Sludnov in the touch. Yana Klochkova (UKR) was the star of the Earlier, Korea’s Gyu Chul Han blitzed first leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup 2003- Japan’s Taishi Okude in the 400m IM. 2004 held in Daejon (KOR) on November 24-25 If Klochkova was the queen then Germany’s by winning six events — the 200m and 400m Stefan Herbst was the king with two gold Freestyle, the 200m Backstroke and the 100m, medals — the 100m Freestyle and then the 200m and 400m Individual Medley. 100m IM from lane one. He looked stunned at In the women’s competition, Mirna Jukic the result of the latter. (AUT) was also in evidence with three victories It is the first time Korea has hosted a World in the Breaststroke events (50m, 100m and Cup leg, debuting in this middle-Korean city, 200m). Her performance in the longer distance, which last year hosted World Cup soccer 2:23.19, gave her the provisional lead of the matches. FINA Swimming World Cup 2003-2004 women’s

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There were 258 swimmers from 16 nations competing in Daejon and 13 of those athletes won at least two medals in the first day.

Highlights of Day 2

The two-day World Cup swimming meet at the Chung-mu Swimming Pool proved to be a JONES & PHELPS, sublime happy hunting ground for the Ukraine’s Yana By Russell McKinnon Klochkova. FINA Press Commission Member Leisel Jones (AUS) and Michael Phelps (USA) She won a staggering six gold medals but it were the two most “valuable swimmers” of the was Austria’s Mirna Jukic, as a winner of three second leg of the 2003-2004 FINA Swimming golds and a silver, who clocked three of the top World Cup held in Melbourne from November five female swims of the meet. 28-30. The Australian was brilliant in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke, in which she Her final swim in the 200m Breaststroke established two new world records (WR) of gave her 973 points while the fourth and fifth 1:05.09 and 2:17.75 respectively. Phelps, in the best swims came in the 100m and 50m men’s competition, went home with six victories Breaststroke respectively. and two World Cup Records (WCR) in the 200m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley. Japan’s Mai Nakamura swam the second and third highest scoring races, gaining 970 points for the 100m Backstroke and 962 for the 50m Backstroke. Klochkova, on the other hand, scored four in the top 13 but her best came in the 400m Freestyle, the sixth best of the meet. By the time she won the 100m IM late in the evening, she had slowed considerably but was still dominant.

On the men’s side of the ledger, Germany’s Stefan Herbst was the standout with three gold medals and one silver. Leisel Jones (AUS) Other highlights of the competition were Matt His fastest swim earned 973 points, the Welsh (AUS, WCR in the 50m Backstroke), and same as Jukic, while he had two others in the his compatriots Lisbeth Lenton (also a WCR in top eight. The best points came in the fast the Women’s 100m Freestyle) and Brooke 200m Freestyle. Next best was Croatian Gordan Hanson (WCR in the Women’s 50m Kozulj in the 200m Backstroke with 964 in Breaststroke). what was a fast race. 271 swimmers from 21 nations competed in Melbourne. Slovenian Peter Mankoc with 960 points in Highlights of Day 1 the 200m IM, the only gold of his four medals, Australian Leisel Jones broke the world was the third best. The other medals were all record for the 100m Breaststroke on the first silver. day of the three-day World Cup swimming meet at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre. TOP THREE PERFORMERS IN DAEJON Jones was pushed all the way by teammate Swimmer Time Pts Event , who recorded the third fastest MEN time in history in the crackerjack race. Jones 1. Stefan Herbst (GER) 1:45.15 973 200m Freestyle 2. Gordan Kozulj (CRO) 1:55.02 964 200m Backstroke was .44s off world-record pace at the halfway 3. Peter Mankoc (SLO) 1:58.90 960 200m IM mark but shot home using new-found strength WOMEN to claim the record. 1. Mirna Jukic (AUT) 2:23.19 973 200m Breaststroke While Jones reigned supreme, there was a 2. Mai Nakamura (JPN) 59.48 970 100m Backstroke 3. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 4:10.66 945 400m Freestyle host of class swims during the evening with three Australians breaking World Cup records. Jones’ was the obvious record, followed by Lisbeth Lenton’s 100m Freestyle and Matt

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Welsh in the 50m Backstroke. USA sensation Australian Matt Welsh won the 100m Michael Phelps didn’t disappoint with two top Backstroke for two gold and two silver, while swims in the 200m Butterfly and 100m IM. Jason Lezak (USA) continued his excellent run The meet was robbed of some star of victories in Melbourne with the 50m Freestyle performers when 1500m Freestyle supreme victory over Australians and Grant Hackett (AUS) collapsed (virus in his Michael Klim. chest, combined with an asthma attack) at the TOP THREE PERFORMERS IN MELBOURNE * Qantas Skins meet in during the week Swimmer Time Pts Event MEN and superstar Ian Thorpe withdrew from the 1. Michael Phelps (USA) 1:51.40 1010 200m Backstroke 100m Freestyle with an upset stomach, for 2. Matt Welsh (AUS) 51.13 1004 100m Backstroke which he had qualified in lane eight. 3. Jason Lezak (USA) 47.36 989 100m Freestyle Highlights of Day 2 WOMEN 1. Leisel Jones (AUS) 2:17.75 1028 200m Breaststroke Two nights—two world records — and both 2. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 1:05.45 1006 100m Breaststroke records belong to one person … Australia’s 3. Lisbeth Lenton (AUS) 52.64 1006 100m Freestyle Leisel Jones. After the 100m Breaststroke it was * Also the provisional top-three of the overall ranking of the 2003- the 200m Breaststroke, finishing in a lightning- 2004 FINA Swimming World Cup after two meets. fast 2:17.75, a whole 1.1s faster than the record held by China’s Hui Qi. From the sunny State of Queensland, a Development of Masters in Oceania relaxed Jones turned it on for the 1620-strong CONTINUOUS PROGRESS crowd. She admitted to being relaxed going into By Lyall Mortimer & Ivan Wingate the meet. “That’s the main reason I’m swimming FINA Masters Committee Members so well. I’ve been socialising down here.” Background On the race, she said: “I went out pretty Masters Swimming was founded in the USA relaxed with no expectations, making it in 1970 and quickly spread to other countries controlled and taking it very easy. Just after the throughout the World. It has grown in this 100m I slowed down a bit and kept the stroke relatively short period to a total membership of controlled.” millions in over 70 countries affiliated to FINA. While Jones was setting the pool on fire with Masters Swimming became established in New her world record and World Cup mark, the Zealand and Australia in the early also. United States’ Michael Phelps was rattling the Membership of Masters swimming clubs in cage that houses the record book. While not most countries is made up of about 70% world records, he set two World Cup standards recreational swimmers and 30% competitive. in the 200m Backstroke and the 200m IM. Surveys reveal that the majority of members He toyed with the world record in the 200m were not formerly registered competitive Backstroke, swimming the second best in swimmers. Many swimmers just take part for history as he upstaged local hope Matt Welsh. the positive health and fitness benefits and Then he gained the third best of all time in the friendships offered by the club scene. 200m Individual Medley, with a 1:54.85, behind What are Masters Swimmers? two swimmers who share the world mark: Jani Masters swimmers are adults 25 years of age Sievinen from Finland and Hungary’s Attila and over, who enjoy swimming as a means of Czene, in 1:54.65. keeping fit while enjoying the benefits of healthy Highlights of Day 3 exercise and good fun. Age groups for The final night’s competition in front of 1800 competition are in 5-yearly increments. people yielded “just” one World Cup record, to Masters Swimming in Oceania Australia’s Brooke Hanson in the 50m Australia held its first “Masters” style meet in Breaststroke, where she dimmed the star of the 1971. A few more small Masters meets were all-conquering Jones. For Hanson, winner of the held but in March 1974 a team of U.S. Masters 100m Individual Medley the night before, and Swimmers visited Australia and New Zealand. three silver medals, it was a stellar meet. The meet in Sydney was also attended by Australian Petria Thomas earned her third swimmers from four Australian States. In 1975, gold medal of the meet in the 200m Butterfly for AUSSI Masters Swimming was formerly five medals to finish the leading women’s medal established as a national organisation based in taker, just ahead of Hanson. Sydney and this quickly spread in membership In the men’s competition, Phelps was the throughout the eight states. undoubted star with six victories, including Currently there are over 200 clubs in tonight’s efforts in the 100m Butterfly and the Australia and a total current membership of 400m Individual Medley. 7,300. AUSSI is a well-respected member of the international masters swimming community

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and has contributed in many ways over this Swimming country but we do have a small period of development. It was a leader in the share of world records through the age groups. establishment of Masters Swimming It is the participation that counts. International (MSI) before FINA developed the New Zealand contributed to the success of discipline of Masters Swimming internationally. Masters Swimming in the Oceania region by Since then, AUSSI has had a member on every holding a full set of championships events each FINA Masters Committee. The second World year, both long course and short course. NZ has Masters Swimming championships were held in a very full program of open water swimming 1988 in Brisbane where nearly 4,000 swimmers events from the 1km dash to over 7kms, and from 60 different countries took part. The first these events have a huge following. Each year Pan Pacific Masters Swimming Championships the Oceania one-hour postal swim is held for were held in Sydney in 1981 and the most swimmers from Australia and NZ competing recent, the 7th was in Perth in 1999. World against the clock in the pool where the distance Masters Games have been held in Brisbane is recorded after one hour of continuous 1991 and in Melbourne 2002. AUSSI was also swimming. the instigator of formalising the control of the New Zealand has a proud record in the biennial Australian Masters Games. international scene of Masters Swimming. The very first international masters swimming event was held in Christchurch in 1984 at which about 1,100 people from 12 different countries participated. This was the forerunner to the now established FINA World Masters Championships held every two years since 1986. New Zealand has also hosted the Pan Pacific Masters Swimming Championships, in 1993, and the 9th FINA World Masters Championships were held in Christchurch in 2002. This event attracted 2,500 swimmers from 52 countries. FINA Masters Committee The Oceania members on the current committee are Lyall Mortimer from New Zealand and Ivan Wingate from Australia. They are both currently in their second term. The committee is AUSSI is a professionally run organisation made up of 12 members — all from different and has a full-time office in Melbourne run by a countries, representing the different FINA full-time paid executive officer with part-time continental organisations. The chairman is staff. The national swimming scene is very busy Victor Nogueira from Portugal and the FINA and a full range of competitive opportunities is Bureau Liaison is Bill Matson from NZ who is provided over the year, from short course also the current President of Oceania championships to long course and open water Swimming, which is made up of 13 National events. A range of postal events is also provided Federations in the Oceania region. FINA which are very popular for people who cannot maintains the world record system for Masters make it to different venues. AUSSI has a very where records are kept for all events and structured administration system with State through the 13 age groups for male and female. committees and regional organisations. They Most countries maintain a Top Ten from times are affiliated to FINA through the National swum at official meets. These are collated Swimming Federation, Australian Swimming internationally by FINA into the FINA Top Ten, Inc. AUSSI conducts its own training and which is published every year. accreditation of coaches and officials. Development Proposals In New Zealand, the number of Masters Swimming as a competitive sport has never Swimmers is as high as any country in the been strong in the islands of the Pacific. world on a population basis. With a total Recreational swimming is obviously practiced population of 4 million and Masters Swimmers widely but mainly for fun or to catch fish. It numbering 1,500, this gives NZ one masters follows therefore that Masters Swimming will swimmer for every 2,666 people. Compare that not be a flourishing sport in the region. In this with USA with a population of 280 million and a day and age it makes common sense to membership of 42,000 — i.e. 1 for every 6,700. encourage physical activity for the health (Australia is much the same as for NZ.) This benefits that accrue from it. It is likely to be does not mean New Zealand is a top Masters more acceptable than outdoors exercise in hot

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climates as a means of keeping fit. Medical room on the beach. Since the results were on- research has shown that 30 minutes of physical line, the rankings in each age group were activity each day leads to greatly enhanced immediately available. Manual (back-up) time health status and long-term health benefits. was recorded on stop watches by a team of Physical exercise prevents the development of three timekeepers, their watches continuing to common lifestyle diseases such as obesity, “run” throughout the swim. As the signal was heart disease, diabetes, etc. This is the single given for the start of each wave, an official on most effective way of preventing the debilitating the beach contacted the computer room by effects of these diseases. mobile phone so that the computer operators An active Masters organisation in the island would know exactly when the start took place.” nations of Oceania would result in a positive contribution to healthy lifestyles while having fun. To get such a program started there needs to be an enthusiastic entrepreneur who will set Concussion in aquatic sports up clubs to run weekly training sessions in a BRAIN—SENSITIVE POINT lagoon or whatever and encourage the members By Dr. C.R. van den Hoogenband, FINA Sports to continue in their own time. From this small Medicine Committee Member & Dr. Erik J.T. beginning, members will find the benefits Matser, Department of Medical Psychology St worthwhile and some may even be ready to Anna Hospital Geldrop (NED) compete at overseas events. The possibility of In Sports Medicine, we see a variety of open water swimming events being held is real illnesses and injuries. One of the most and could be an exciting opportunity for the devastating injuries for the athlete is island nations and their people with an concussion or closed head injury. opportunity for swimmers to visit from other The brain is a complex organ that does not nations. has an international open water respond well to trauma. It often does not heal swim which attracts many overseas swimmers as predictably as bone or muscular injuries. each year. This unpredictability may lead to difficulty in If anyone is interested in the development of detection, treatment and recovery from Masters Swimming in any of the Oceania concussion. nations and needs assistance, please feel free to The function of the brain is vast. In addition contact the Oceania members of the FINA to the vital functions such as movement, Masters Committee. Contact details in the FINA sensation, and coordination of bodily functions, Handbook. the brain is responsible for memory, thinking, FINA innovation tested in Europe emotion, language, attentiveness, personality, Approximately 3,500 competitors, swimmers, perception and coordination. Disturbance in divers and open water swimmers, participated these functions from injury to the brain can in the 2003 European Masters Championships leave the athlete quite debilitated. This affects in Millau in France, during the last six days of not only their athletic performance, but also August. New FINA rule for open water their career, education and interpersonal swimming was applied there. Zvi Ruttert, Vice relationships. Chairman of FINA Masters Committee and Aquatic athletes are also vulnerable to Member of the LEN Masters Committee concussion. Due to the contact nature of water reported: “Until the 2002 Masters Congress in polo, traumatic head injuries can occur. Head Christchurch, swimmers were seeded according injuries in diving occur most often with to times, irrespective of age. As a result, there traumatic impact to the head with the board or were many neck-to-neck finishes with the the water. In recent years, there has been resultant problems both in timing and placing. clinical evidence of concussion in synchronised The event in Millau was conducted according to swimming. As this sport evolves, we are seeing the new FINA rule MOWS 4, swimmers being more complex high-risk entries, lifts, boosts and seeded according to age groups. This resulted in throws. Due to the explosive nature of these very few photo finishes and the timing and moves, and the close proximity of stacking placing of swimmers was handled with ease. underwater, head injuries are becoming more Males and females swimming in different waves frequent. also alleviated the pressure at the finish line. Medical knowledge of brain injuries is For the timing, two touch pads with electronic increasing. The feature Sports Medicine article timing were placed 25-30cms above the level of in this month’s FINA Aquatics World review the the water. On touching the pad, the swimmers latest medical information on concussion. Dr. continued swimming under them. The van den Hoogenband is a sports traumatologist electronic time was relayed to the computer in The Netherlands. He has a special interest in

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head injuries. He has recently developed Concussion Guidelines for the Treatment of Concussion for The most common neurological injury in the Dutch Government. He is also a member of sports is the concussion. Kelly and Rosenberg the FINA Sports Medicine Committee. Dr. (1) define concussion as a “trauma induced Matser is a sports neuro psychologist in The alteration in mental status that may or may not Netherlands. involve loss of consciousness”. Head & Brain Injuries in Aquatics – Some frequently observed early symptoms Introduction of concussion are… Head and brain injuries are common in • Vacant stare many sports. In aquatics, water polo players, • Inability to focus attention divers and synchronised swimmers are at risk • Disorientation to incur such injuries. Our growing knowledge • Slurred or incoherent speech concerning the detrimental effects on cognitive • Motor incoordination functioning (for example: memory, thought • Memory deficits (amnesia) processing and attention problems) of blows to • Slowing of mental functioning the head and especially of repeated blows to the • Slowing of motor speed head raises serious questions about these • Emotional lability (mood swings) consequences. Since many young people Late symptoms that can occur days or even throughout the world engage in aquatics, it is weeks after the initial injury are… important to provide information about the • Persistent low-grade headache symptoms of brain injuries and to educate about important prevention regulations. • Light headedness The past decade has seen a growing interest • Poor attention in sports neurology and the interest is founded • Inability to concentrate by ideas regarding the importance of so-called • Memory dysfunction cognitive processes (thinking) and by the way • Slowed reaction time brain injuries affect these processes such as The American Academy of Neurology has learning, memory, language, perception and developed a grading system for evaluating and attention. Furthermore, there is an overlap classifying the severity of concussion. As between the memory loss that occurs in evident by the chart below, the higher the concussion and pathogenic mechanisms seen in Grade, the more severe the symptoms. brain injured athletes due to recurrent brain AAN, 1997 Guidelines for Severity of injuries (boxers’ dementia) and the development Concussion of Alzheimer dementia. From the convergence of Grade 1 Concussion neurology, neuropsychology and sports, we are • Transient confusion gaining a new perspective on behaviour and • No loss of consciousness cognitive functioning (thinking capacity). • Duration of mental status abnormalities Incidence of Brain Injuries in Sport of <15 minutes The exact incidence of traumatic brain injury Grade 2 Concussion related to sports can only be roughly estimated. • Transient confusion World wide estimates of the incidence of • No loss of consciousness traumatic brain injury of all causes range from • Duration of mental status abnormalities 150 to 430 cases per 100,000 population per of >15 minutes year. The percentage of brain injuries related to Grade 3 Concussion sports ranges from 3-25%. Based on these 1. Loss of consciousness either brief figures, the rates of sports-related brain injuries (seconds) or prolonged (<15 minutes) could theoretically range from 5 to 68 cases Contusion with a median value of 42 per 100,000 person 2. Loss of consciousness for >15 minutes years. Other studies show that of all sports CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF CONCUSSION related traumatic brain injuries, 10-22% are As we gain more scientific knowledge about treated in hospitals and it is estimated that 11% concussion, it has become apparent that of all hospital treated traumatic brain injury in repeated head trauma or concussion can have children and adolescents are sports related. In an additive effect. Cumulative effects from aquatics, no scientific reports on this issue can repeated concussions are headache, classic be found but from a clinical point of view, head migraine and delayed recovery of brain and brain injuries (concussions) in water polo functioning. Even repeated mild brain injuries players, divers and synchronised swimmers do that occur over an extended period can result in occur. cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. Gronwall and Wrightson (2) found that deficits

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in information storage and information retrieval 9. Complete absence of all symptoms must were exacerbated by successive injuries occur before the athlete can return to play occurring over an extended period. European References studies demonstrate that repeated (1) Kelly J.P., Rosenberg J.H.: Diagnosis and subconcussive blows to the head can result in management of concussion in sports. planning and memory problems (3). Neurology 1997; 48: 575-580 Recent neurobiological research shows that (2) Gronwall D., Wrightson P.: Cumulative brain tissue is vulnerable to successive injuries effect of concussion. Lancet 1975; 2: 995- within a short time frame. Brain tissues tend to 997 be more vulnerable to two successive minor (3) Matser J.T., Kessels A.G.H., Jordan B.D., injuries within 15 minutes than a single severe Lezak M.D., Troost J.: Chronic traumatic concussive blow (4). Repeated mild brain brain injury in professional soccer injuries occurring within a short period (hours, players. Neurology 1998; 51: 791-796 days) when someone is symptomatic from a DOPING NEWS previous blow to the head can even be FINA Doping Panel Decision catastrophic or fatal. This information is The FINA Doping Panel has decided that Ms. critical for the athlete, the coach and the sports Yuliya Pidlisna (UKR) was suspended for two medicine physician to understand and respect. years after a positive doping control result for Athletes suffering from the symptoms of the substance Stanozolol (Anabolic Agent-Class concussion must not be allowed to continue to C). The doping control test was conducted on play. 31st July 2003 on the occasion of the European Preventive measures to protect athletes for Junior Swimming Championships held in cumulative brain injuries Glasgow (GBR). Ms. Yuliya Pidlisna’s To prevent the catastrophic effect of suspension started on 19th September 2003. repetitive concussion, the American Academy of THG on the Prohibited Substance List Neurology has developed the following The International Olympic Committee and guidelines for “return to play”. the World Anti-Doping Agency would like to AAN, 1997 Guidelines for return to play advise all stakeholders that Tetra- Grade 1 Concussion hydrogestrinone (THG) is a steroid contained in 3. Return to play once symptoms disappear the present and next year’s List of Prohibited Grade 2 & 3 Concussion Substances. Gestrinone is namely included on 4. No physical activity until athlete is the List of Prohibited Substances and THG, symptom-free for 7 days which has a similar chemical structure, The IOC guidelines developed at the Vienna therefore must be considered as an analogue conference in 2001 are somewhat different. The and as a consequence is a prohibited IOC consensus statement on Concussion substance. THG will be analysed as part of the recommends that when any player is showing steroid class of substances both in competition symptoms of a concussion he/she should be and out of competition analyses. stopped immediately and should be symptom- free for 7 days when he/she could return to play. SUMMARY Concussions occur in aquatic sports and can inflict long-lasting neurological symptoms. In addition, repetition of minor blows to the head, PRESENTATION OF THE MASCOT within a short time frame, may be life “Blast, the Rocket Penguin” threatening and can cause chronic cognitive impairments. It is advisable that all athletes, coaches and sports medicine physicians follow the IOC Vienna 2001 guidelines to prevent all aquatic athletes from cumulative brain injury. Key Points 5. Concussion occurs in aquatic athletes 6. Early symptoms of concussion differ from late symptoms of concussion 7. Concussions are graded according to their severity 8. Repetitive minor concussions can have serious cumulative health risks

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“Blast, the Rocket Penguin” was recently Shortly after these Olympic Games, winners presented as the official mascot for the 2004 and defeated of the swimming competition will FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), gather again in Indianapolis. The FINA World to be held in Indianapolis (USA) from October 7- Swimming Championships (25m), which are 11. Blast was unveiled at a news conference in scheduled there, are supposed to be a front of the penguin exhibit in the Waters spectacular settling of scores in one of the most Building of The Indianapolis Zoo. modern sport arenas in the world. Blast was created by Roman Brand Group, If the competitive year 2004 will certainly be the creative agency of the event. He was exciting, all the FINA responsible are working constructed by AvantGarb, Inc., an Indianapolis for it to also be a year of progress in all our costume and mascot maker. He will spend the domains of action. From the most important, we next 11 months making public appearances in find… support of the first FINA World Swimming • Our Development Policy and help to the Championships (25m) ever to be held in the National Federations United States. • Our Marketing Policy, essential to the “Swimming is such a great family sport we prosecution of our development projects felt the mascot representing this event should • Our TV Access Policy in order to give our be a loveable and unique creature of the water, sports the popularity they deserve familiar the world over”, said Brian Ritter of • Our Program of Fight against cheaters — Roman Brand Group. “After several brain- a combat with no mercy! storming sessions and some research on ‘things Finally, we rely on our Communication & that move fast in the water’, someone had seen Public Relations Policy to assure permanent a movie with penguins swimming toward their links between all the components of the FINA next meal and that was it! Then, to emphasise Family. Aren’t dialogue and cooperation the the speed even more, we thought ‘what if the pillars of a policy conducted to satisfy the penguin was more of a cartoon character with a largest possible number of people? rocket pack on its back?’ And there we had it: Blast, the Rocket Penguin”. In addition to the rocket pack, Blast sports goggles and the full-body racing suit popular The star after three meets among competitive swimmers. “We are confident Blast will appeal both to the swimmer community and the general public”, said Joe DeGroff, chairman of the Organising Committee. “He’s going to be one busy mascot over the next 11 months and we are sure he will be synonymous with the event once the World Championships arrive”.

Reproduced from January 2004, No. 13 “LETHAL” JONES By Pedro Adrega Editor-in-chief of FINA aquatics World 2004…a great vintage is coming! With her two new World Records (WR) in the By Mustapha Larfaoui 100m (1:05.09) and 200m (2:17.75) President of the Fédération Internationale de Breaststroke, established in Melbourne, Leisel Natation Jones is undoubtedly the star after the first Every four years, the sport community three legs of the 2003/2004 FINA Swimming revives the Olympic flame for the celebration of World Cup. Known as “Lethal” Jones, the the Olympiad. 2004 will be one of these special Australian swimmer is dominating the world years in which athletes around the world will scene in the Breaststroke events: after her long meet beyond their origins and what divides course WR in the last FINA World them. FINA is proud to belong to this Olympic Championships in July (semi-final of the 100m Movement, the most concrete example of Breaststroke in 1:06.37), she is now the “queen” successful international cooperation. Athens is of this stroke in the 25m pools. finalising its preparation. Our officials are “My two WR were certainly a shock. I wasn’t actively collaborating with the Organising even expecting to win events, let alone swim Committee, which deserves all our confidence. that well. I usually find it really difficult to swim short course but my coach Ken Wood and I

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have been working really hard on my turns and competitions, staged by Organisers under I think that helped me out a lot,” says Jones to the recognition of National Federations. our magazine about her performances in 4. All Events in this World Cup will be Melbourne, at the occasion of the second leg of conducted according to the FINA World this year’s edition of the FINA Swimming World Cup Rules. Cup. 5. For each event, FINA will nominate a Jones started to be noticed at the Sydney Technical and Medical Delegate. Both 2000 Olympic Games. A few days after Delegates travel expenses to and from a completing her 15th anniversary, she conquered competition will be covered by FINA. the silver medal in the 100m Breaststroke (she Accommodation, meals and local also won a silver in the 4x100m Medley Relay). transportation costs will be the Curiously, she would only obtain her first responsibility of the Organising international major individual title in 2002 at Committee (OC). the (first in the 100m 6. OC to provide accommodation and board and 200m Breaststroke). Last summer in expenses for all participating swimmers Barcelona, Jones got three medals, but no title and their coaches (1 coach per swimmer) of “World Champion”. for five (5) days and five (5) nights. Closing “My goals for 2004 are to firstly make the Ceremony dinner to be free. Olympic team. If I do make the team and 7. The Referee for each Event shall be from everything goes to plan, then I’m going to try the FINA Open Water Swimming Officials and put everything I’ve learnt in the past few List. years into practice and hopefully do the best 8. The Technical Officials for each Event will possible swim I can,” states Jones when asked be appointed or approved by the NF. about the expectation for the Olympic Games in 9. All remaining officials shall be appointed Athens. by the OC. Date of birth: August 30, 1985 10. In all competitions the doping control will Place of birth: Katherine – Northern Territory (AUS) be organised according to the FINA Rules, Weight: 66 kg with a minimum of two male and two Height: 1.72 m female tests per competition. Club: Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton SC Inc Coach: Ken Wood Each organiser will cover the cost of the Top performances: doping control and the analysis will be made at 2000: Olympic Games — 2nd 100m Breaststroke (1:07.49), the IOC-recognised laboratory. 2nd 4x100m Medley Relay (4:01.59) B. World Cup Events 2004 2001: LC World Championships — 2nd 100m Breaststroke 1. MARATON ACUATICA RIO CORONDA (ARG), (1:07.96), 4th 200m Breaststroke (2:25.46), 1st 4x100m 57km; February 29, 2004 in Santa Fe Medley Relay (4:01.50) 2. ABU DHABI (UAE) to be confirmed; March 2004 2002: Pan Pacs — 2nd 200m Breaststroke (2:26.42), 4th 3. XXX FINA MARATHON SWIMMING WORLD CUP, 100m Breaststroke (1:08.76), 1st 4x100m Medley Relay HONG KONG ISLAND (HKG), 10km; June 2004 (to (4:00.50); Commonwealth Games — 1st 100m Breaststroke be confirmed) in Repulse Bay (1:08.31), 1st 200m Breaststroke (2:25.93), 4th 50m 4. CAPRI-NAPOLI (ITA), 36km; July 11, 2004 Breaststroke (32.01), 1st 4x100m Medley Relay (4:03.70) 5. LA 48e TRAVERSEE INTERNATIONALE DU LAC 2003: LC World Championships — 2nd 200m Breaststroke ST-JEAN (CAN), 32km; July 31,2004 in Roberval (2:24.33), 3rd 100m Breaststroke (1:07.47), 4th 50m 6. ATLANTIC CITY AROUND THE ISLAND SWIM Breaststroke (31.50), 23rd 200m Individual Medley (USA), 37km; August 7, 2004 (2:17.95), 3rd 4x100m Medley Relay (4:01.37) 7. 10K FOR THE USA (USA), 10km; September 11, 2004 in Atlantic City, New Jersey 8. CANCÚN (MEX), 10km; November 2004 9. SUEZ CANAL (EGY), 10km; Date to be confirmed 10. MATROUH (EGY), 10km; Date to be confirmed

FINA MARATHON SWIMMING WORLD CUP C. Participants & Points System 2004* 1. Registration A. General Concept & Rules Registration will only be accepted from 1. The FINA Bureau approved the swimmers who are members of clubs or organisation of this event. associations that are in membership of the 2. Entries will be restricted to those National Federation affiliated to FINA. swimmers who are members of a Club or 2. Entries Association in membership with their The entries will be accepted only for National National Swimming Federation (NF), itself Federations and must include… in membership of the FINA. • For the events up to 10km 3. The FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup 1. The first eight (8) men and women 2004 will consist of up to 10 individual classified from the 2003 FINA Marathon

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Swimming World Cup. FINA World Cup Rules. 2. All open water swimming medal winners (c) Organise the competition for a total from the 10th FINA World Championships, distance of 10km and over. Barcelona, 2003. (d) Accept only swimmers registered with the 3. One man and one woman per continent. National Federations members of FINA. • For the events over 10km where escort (e) Agree to meet the accommodation and boats are required food costs and provide local transport for 1. The first eight (8) men and women the FINA Representatives. classified from the 2003 FINA Marathon (f) Agree to conduct doping control in Swimming World Cup. accordance with the FINA Rules, including 2. All open water swimming medal winners designating a qualified doping from the 10th FINA World Championships, control/medical officer and insuring that Barcelona, 2003. the samples are sent to an IOC Accredited 3. One man and one woman per continent. laboratory. 4. Subject to the number of boats available (g) Pay a Marathon Swimming World Cup FINA Technical Open Water Swimming 2004 registration fee of 3,000 US$ in Committee (TOWSC) will include a list of order to guarantee the prize money for the the above-mentioned swimmers. World Cup. Information: The Federation/OC shall provide E. Prizes the marathon race information (including entry 1. Individual events prizes form, accommodation, transportation, venue The allocations of prizes at each event shall and guaranteed prize money distribution) to the be the right of the Organising Committee for FINA Member Federations (with a copy to the each Competition. 80% of the total amount of FINA Office) at least two (2) months prior to the prize money will be distributed equally between race. men and women and 20% of the total amount of 3. Points system prize money will be for the general rankings In each event in the FINA Marathon (men and women together). Allocation of prize Swimming World Cup points will be awarded money to be announced at each marathon to depending upon overall finishing position. the swimmers at the briefing or technical Swimmers will accumulate points as specified meeting. below, providing that they take part in a 2. FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup minimum of one event in 3 zones: A. South Prizes will be awarded to the first eight America; B. North America; C. Europe and placed men and women. These prizes will be Africa; D. Asia and Oceania: awarded, based on overall points achieved. This Swimmers will accumulate points from all is the minimum prize money for the 2004 events they are competing in for the FINA Series, to be reviewed. st Marathon Swimming World Cup 2004 series. 1 US$ 12,000 2nd US$ 7,000 The point’s distribution will be as follows… 3rd US$ 5,000 World Cup Events Points 4th US$ 2,000 EVENTS PRIZES 40,000 PRIZES 25,000- PRIZES 10,000- 5th US$ 1,000 POINTS US$ and above 39,999 US$ 24,999 US$ 6th US$ 500 1st 25 20 15 7th US$ 500 2nd 19 16 11 8th US$ 500 3rd 16 14 9 FINA will guarantee a minimum up to a total 4th 13 12 7 th amount of US$ 57,000—to be paid for prizes. 5 11 10 6 6th 9 8 5 Any extra amount received from registration 7th 7 6 4 fees will be distributed as additional prize th 8 5 4 3 money. * All other Finishers of the race will receive: 4 3 2 * All other starters will receive zero (0) point. Swimmers who have agreed to finish with a tie, will be disqualified. ANALYSING SWIMMING COACHING D. Events Professional, psychological and educational In order to be accepted as an Event in the diagnosis and profile FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup 2004, the By Osvaldo Arsenio Organiser of each Competition shall… FINA Coaches Commission Member (a) Be recognised by their National Swimming Coaching Director of the Argentinean Federation, affiliated to FINA. Aquatic Sports Confederation, Social Psychologist (b) Conduct their event in accordance with Some years ago, no one would have hesitated

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to state that there was a special psychological through study and personal experiences. component and a predisposition in the These levels lead to a type of “coaching individual personality to take on and develop philosophy” with profoundly individual the job of swimming coach. differences like those that the best coaches in Added to the normal technical functions of history reproduced in their careers, that is to the profession there was a deep vocation for say, those who came to understand and control leadership and personalities which from the the elusive “X” factor superbly described by dominant to the participative marked for James Councilman as the paradigm of the decades the various leadership styles going from successful coach. empirical to scientific-systematic. Success comes from the conjunction of the At times, the vocational component inherited strategies of sports planning and the imperative from the perspective of the ex swimmer was psychological aptitudes of the coach: present in a high percentage of swimming Communication, motivation and leadership. coaches, in other cases interest in studying, Leadership is affected and modified by the developing and gaining access to top sports personality of the coach as described by performance and its innumerable challenges, Anderson and Pages. Dominant, Bureaucratic effectively motivated many other successful or Participative, being the most common ones. coaches. In the dominant personality we find Although from different starting points and prejudice, ritualism, dogmatic inflexibility, with different methodologies, swimming coaches mystification of obedience and hierarchy represented for decades a group of similar balancing with a strong charisma and vigorous vocations and objectives in a task which was activity. exaggerated by the most profound individuality In the bureaucratic personality we find from which we can take the relationship people who are passively adapted to reality, structure proposed by Rockeach (1973) and perceived as an external and invariable factor, Schwartz (1992) where a system of values who reveal, insecure character and almost non- defined attitudes and different behaviours are existent initiative, sometimes also extremely developed in specific situations. permissive, a defence of formal values and governing principles rule their activity in which they will try to avoid through immobility and abulia any action they consider risky for their position. The participative personality shows integration and balance among the various demands which the role of leader implies, authority with flexibility, self-respect, a spirit of multidiscipline cooperation, emotional maturity, a high intellectual level and an understanding of the various phenomena involved in modern sport. In the surreys that are included in this note, we proposed two objectives…

Ian Thorpe (AUS) and his coach Tracey Menzies 1. To try to verify the psychological, In the swimming coach this relationship professional and educational profiles of structure may be partially modified by future swimming coaches. specialised studies, experience and practical 2. To discover and relate differences and observation of the activity, even though the similarities in the behaviour of active biggest conditioner is usually one’s own coaches and students. intellectual, affective and psychological Although the size of the survey (216 students development. and 72 active coaches) and its being We could thus conjecture that every coach administered in few geographical regions has a perception of training, which is framed by (mainly Argentine and Latin-American three closely interrelated levels. countries) stop us from making generalisations, (a) Their concept of life. Marked by their some aspects should be observed to identify the family and affective environment. possible changes which in my opinion are going (b) Their concept of sport. Influenced by the to appear in the conception of this profession; dichotomy of giving priority to success or the most important being the self perception of to the athletes and their needs. the future coaches just as educators. (c) Their concept of training. Developed Bearing in mind as a starting point that

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without the leadership of the coach, (a) Active coaches: External factors: social, communication and motivation would not economical, cultural, emotional background interact, we should look at some definitions… 80%. Internal factors: injuries, bad planning, 1. For the leader to be perceived as such early specialisation, overload training 20%. they must be accepted by the group, (b) Students: Same external factors 85%. have a strong position of power and a Internal factors 15%. structured and planned task. Finally we find other highly worrying factors 2. The leader is the one who pursues the in the student survey, only 13% of the efficiency of the group. “To command, respondents recognise that they are studying to more than an objective in itself, is a train swimmers, versus 47% who are studying means to achieve the objective”. to improve their curriculum, finally 53% give 3. Fromm distinguishes between: priority to the education as a person of their encouraging praxis, that is to say that swimmers over winning 3% and best personal the success of the leader is linked to the time 2%. fact that they manage to make those This gives relevance to altruistic statements that follow progress and inhibiting like “Athletes first victory after” (Martens 1987) praxis or that where failure is represented taking them perhaps even further to “Victory by hypertrophy of the need to be never”, thus eliminating one of the principal dependent and insecurity in the one objectives of high performance. who commands. In the last decade other models of professional training have been creating in different countries a new stereotype of swimming coach. After the apparent need to give a more real framework to the often one-way technical scientific and above all emotional viewpoint of the traditional coach, new educational programs are being developed which basically contemplate curricular cohesion and the interesting alternative of improving the ceiling of general culture of future swimming coaches and trainers presenting them more as educators than as coaches.

Both the official and private education (USA), an efficient advisor offered in my country presents a menu of new About personality, active coaches who where and interesting subjects such as requested in the investigation, considered “Administration of Sports Processes”, “Applied themselves as follows: Dominant 76%, Computer Skills”, “Languages” and “Statistics” Bureaucratic 0%, Participative 19%, Others 5% among others. (Participative personality had a massive reject At the same time vital subjects like “Style from many coaches as being considered Techniques” and “Training” are considered to be synonym of permissive, another but very equivalent to “History of Sport”, helping in this different conduct). way to train future generations of coaches Students on the contrary think they will not motivated by the desire to know a little of be dominant, only 15%, but they can’t describe everything and with a greater disposition to the differences between participative and multidisciplinary relations, but at times permissive personalities with 68% of approval. completely disconnected from any vocation, The present survey lets us play with different sports experience or original impulses. questions even though it does not definitively These two tendencies in the profession, satisfy the different viewpoints involved. however, have points in common in the survey, However, I would like to reflect on two of all like… these questions. 1. Attribution of sports failure… Will some traditional coaches definitely (a) Active coaches — 73 % attributed to the “shake off” their apathy and lack of swimmer and 27 % to the coach or other development in other disciplines, will they factors. propose self-criticism and be able to review their (b) Students — 59 % attributed to the swimmer strategies and planning continuously? Could and 41 % to the coach or other factors. they be trained in participative leadership 2. Early drop-out rate of swimmers… instead ofthe bureaucratic model?

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Will the new coaches being developed be able to the Games. Yokoyama (born in 1913 and to correlate their high levels of general killed in the 2nd World War) also placed fourth information with their minimal aptitude for in 400m Freestyle event. specificity, practice and performance? That is to The only event not won by the Japanese was say, will they be able to coach? precisely the 400m Freestyle, conquered by C.L. The information revolution of the last decade “Buster” Crabbe (4:48.4, Olympic Record), who and its free availability for the coach does not also placed fifth in the 1500m Freestyle. Crabbe analyse the innumerable social, affective, (1910-1983), born in USA, immigrated with his cultural and psychological factors which family to Hawaii but returned to California in surround the swimmer and their sports results; 1928. In Amsterdam he placed 4th in the 400m this is therefore where the X-factor redefined Freestyle and won the bronze medal in the today as “emotional intelligence” or the skill of 1500m Freestyle. After the 1932 Games, he was the coach to understand, select and evaluate chosen to act in a film. He played in no the information received with enough ability to less than 192 movies and after 1940 he had his recognise the special among the merely own “aquatic show”. statistical, will be decisive. Helen Madison (USA) was the most This “new coach” will surely be the one who successful swimmer of the 1932 Games. She embodies the ideal prototype of swimming won the 100m (1:06.8, OR) and 400m Freestyle coach in the third millennium, perhaps (5:28.5, WR) events and was a member of the equidistant between the traditional model and winning 4x100m Relay team (4:38.0, WR). the artificial stereotype, which today is Madison (1913-1970) appearing on the horizon. obtained in 16 months Recommended Books & Articles (1930/31) 16 world records • Williams J. — Psicologfa aplicada al deporte from 100 yards to 1 mile. In (1991) 1932 she arrived in Los • Tomkinson-Fleming — Ethics, Sport and Angeles with 26 world Leisure (1995) records. After the Games she • Rokeach M.Schwartz — Structure of values gave up swimming and failed as a movie (1992) actress. In 1990 the US honoured her with a • Antonelli-Salvini — Psicologfa dello Sport stamp (see photo). (1978) • Balaguer I. — Entrenamiento Psicologico en el deporte (1994) FINA CALENDAR • Navarro-Arsenio — Natacion II (1999) FINA Championships, World Cups & Olympic Games • Bakker-Whiting — Sport Psychology (1993) 2004 • Chelladurai P. — Leadership in Sports (1990) Apr 15-18 Synchro Swimming • Arsenio O. — Causes of early desertion (1998) Olympic Qual • Coleman P. — Emotional intelligence (1999) Tournament Athens GRE • Vroom-Yetton — Leadership and decision June TBA Marathon Sw. World making (1973) Cup No.3 Hong Kong HKG Jun 2-13 10th FINA Masters ITA/ World Champs Riccione/S. Marino SMR PhilatFINA & Olympism Jul 11 Marathon Sw. World Olympic History – 5th part* Cup No.4 Capri-Napoli ITA By Manfred Bergman Jul 31 Marathon Sw. World Cup No.5 Lac St-Jean CAN Director of the Philately Department of the Aug 7 Marathon Sw. World Around the Island, International Olympic Committee Cup No.6 Atlantic City USA 1932 — Aug 13-29 OLYMPIC GAMES ATHENS GRE It was the Olympics of the Japanese male Sep 11 Marathon Sw. World 10km for the USA, Cup No.7 Atlantic City USA swimmers: five gold, four silver and two bronze Oct 7-11 7th FINA WORLD medals won in six events. Jasuji SW CH (25m) Indianapolis USA Miyazaki won the 100m Freestyle Nov Marathon Sw. World Cup No.8 Cancun MEX (58.2) and was also a member of rd the 4x200m Relay Olympic Nov 26- 3 FINA World Dec 2 OWS Champs Abu Dhabi UAE champions (8:58.4, WR). The TBA 9th FINA Junior team is featured on a Guinea- Synchro Sw. World Bissau 1983 stamp (see photo). Champs Moscow RUS The other members of the team TBA Marathon Sw. World Cup No.9 Suez Canal EGY were Masanori Yusa, Takashi Yokoyama and TBA Marathon Sw. World Hisakichi Toyoda. Miyazaki (1916-1989) was Cup No.10 Matrouh EGY only 16 and brought his school books with him

32 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

2005 Vice Chairman Michel Salles (FRA) 11th FINA WORLD Honorary Secretary Søren Korbo (DEN) Jul 17-31 MONTREAL CAN CHAMPS Members Donald Blew (AUS) 2006 Ben Ekumbo (KEN) TBA 8th FINA World SW Champs (25m) Shanghai CHN Shinji Higashijima (JPN) 2007 William McFarlane (CAN) TBA 12th FINA World Championships Melbourne AUS Orban Mendoza (PUR) 2008 Kitty Orosco de Paluci (ARG) Aug 8-24 Olympic Games Beijing CHN Woon Sui Kut (SIN) Rüdiger Tretow (GER) FINA MEETINGS Andriy Vlaskov (RUS) 2004 Bureau Liaison Roger Smith (AUS) 15th FINA World Sports Open Water Swimming Oct 12-13 Indianapolis USA Medicine Congress Chairman Alan M. Clarkson (GBR) 2005 Vice Chairman Hans A. Beijer (NED) Jul 13-15 FINA General Congress Montreal CAN Honorary Secretary Shelley Taylor-Smith (AUS) Jul 13-15 FINA Technical Congresses Montreal CAN Members Valerius Belovas (LTU) Continental & International Competitions, other Flavio A. Bomio (SUI) Games Jaime Cardenas (COL) 2004 Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA) TBA Latin Cup Buenos Aires ARG Dr. Mohie Wahid Farid (EGY) May 5-16 27th European Tomas Haces German (CUB) Madrid ESP Swimming Ch Dennis Miller (FIJ) May 15-20 5th Oceania Champs Suva FIJ Vladimir Srb (CZE) Ronnie Wong Man Chiu (HKG) May 28-30 Latin Cup Buenos Aires ARG Bureau Liaison Nory Kruchten (LUX) Sep 31- Asian Swimming Doha QAT Oct 7 Champs Synchronised Swimming Dec 9-12 European SC Champs Vienna AUT Chairman Stefanie Haeberli (SUI) 2005 Vice Chairman Lina Rosa Becerra de Devonish (VEN) Jan 6-16 20th Deaflympic Games Melbourne AUS Honorary Secretary Virginia Jasontek (USA) Jan 19-23 Australian Youth Olympic Members Danae Christou (EGY) Sydney AUS Festival Sue Edwards (NZL) Miwako Homma (JPN) Jun 24- th 15 Mediterranean Games Almeria ESP Igor Kartashov (RUS) Jul 3 Diane Lachapelle (CAN) Aug 11-31 Izmir TUR Ulla Lucenius (FIN)

Stefania Tudini (ITA) 2006 Min Ja Shin (KOR) Jul 27- 28th European Swimming Budapest HUN Cristina Villicana de Gonzalez (MEX) Aug 6 Champs Bureau Liaison Gennady Aleshin (RUS) Dec 1-15 15th Asian Games Doha QAT Masters Chairman Victor Nogueira (POR) Vice Chairman Zvi Ruttert (ISR) Honorary Secretary Frantisek Stochl (CZE) FINA BUREAU Members Rose M. Cody (PUR) President Mustapha Larfaoui (ALG) Edward Evelly (CAN) Honorary Secretary Bartolo Consolo (ITA) Dr. Daniel Garcia (URU) June F. Krauser (USA) Honorary Treasurer Dr. Julio Maglione (URU) Tarja Liljeström (FIN) Vice-Presidents Gennady Aleshin (RUS) Lyall Mortimer (NZL) Hironoshin Furuhashi (JPN) Virendra Nanavati (IND) Dale E. Neuburger (USA) Mohamed Salah Redouane (ALG) Roger Smith (AUS) Ivan Wingate (AUS) Chief Olatokunbo Thomas (NGR) Bureau Liaison William Matson (NZL) Members Hussain Al Musallam (KUW) Sports Medicine Abd el Rahman Amin (EGY) Rafael Blanco (ESP) Chairman Dr. Margo Lynn Mountjoy (CAN) Sven Egil Folvik (NOR) Honorary Secretary Dr. Eide Lübs (GER) Eldon C. Godfrey C. A. (CAN) Members Dr. Khwaja M.S. Aziz (BAN) Manuel A. de Jesus (PUR) Prof. David Francis Gerrard (NZL) Nory Kruchten (LUX) Dr. Mohamed Kouidri (ALG) Francis Luyce (FRA) Dr. C.R. van den Hoogenband (NED) Guillermo Martinez (CUB) Bureau Liaison Manuel de Jesus (PUR) William (Bill) Matson (NZL) FINA COMMISSIONS Coaracy Nunes Filho (BRA) Athletes Pipat Paniangvait (THA) Chairman (USA) Sam Ramsamy (RSA) Honorary Secretary Alexander Popov (RUS) Qiuping Zhang (CHN) Members (BRA) Honorary Life Melissa Cunningham (AUS) Lic. Javier Ostos Mora (MEX) President Penelope Heyns (RSA) Immediate Past Tian Liang (CHN) Gunnar Werner (SWE) Honorary Secretary Fernando Platas (MEX) FINA TECHNICAL COMMITTEES Miyako Tanaka-Oulevey (JPN) Swimming Irina Vyguzova (KAZ) Chairman Carol Zaleski (USA) Bureau Liaison Gunnar Werner (SWE)

33 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

Coaches Chairman (USA) Honorary Secretary Alan Thompson (AUS) Public Image Ltd Members Osvaldo Arsenio (ARG) By Joseph Carey Leif Carlsson (SWE) Mullins Lawyers, Level 22, Central Plaza One, Juan Jane Giralt (ESP) Imura Masayo (JPN) 345 Queen Street, Brisbane Qld 4000 Shaozhen Zhong (CHN) This article appeared in Mullins Lawyers Bureau Liaison Abd el Rahman Amin (EGY) Newsletter, Issue No.17, December 2003 Development President Mustapha Larfaoui (ALG) Honorary Secretary Bartolo Consolo (ITA) In the last 15 years, the world has witnessed Honorary Treasurer Dr Julio Maglione (URU) a significant increase in the level of marketing Vice-Presidents Gennady Aleshin (RUS) and advertising involving sport. This increase Hironoshin Furuhashi (JPN) has led to the likes of some athletes, such as Dale E. Neuburger (USA) Roger Smith (USA) Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Chief Olatokunbo Thomas (NGR) Beckham, being recognised as individual Executive Director Cornel Marculescu “brands” in themselves, renowned as much for Marketing the products they endorse as their sporting President Mustapha Larfaoui (ALG) Honorary Secretary Bartolo Consolo (ITA) achievements. Honorary Treasure Dr Julio Maglione (URU) Executive Director Cornel Marculescu Whilst such global marketing of one’s image Swimming World Cup is perhaps unlikely in the foreseeable future for President Mustapha Larfaoui (ALG) Australian rugby league players, the issue of Honorary Bartolo Consolo (ITA) Secretary image rights control has recently been raised by Honorary Dr Julio Maglione (URU) and one representative the NRL Player’s Association. Treasurer from each Continent where the FINA Swimming World Cup Series meets are held: AMERICAS: Although the elite players have requested Chuck Wielgus (USA); ASIA:Jin Zhi (CHN); EUROPE: David Sparkes (GBR); OCEANIA: John greater control over their image rights, there is Devitt (AUS) some confusion amongst the public as to what Managing Mike Unger (USA) these rights entail and what remedies are Director presently available to the players if these rights FINA Legal Commission President Gunnar Werner (SWE), FINA Immediate Past are breached. Honorary Secretary Members Roger Smith (AUS) and Chief O. Thomas (NGR), Image rights are the rights attributed to a FINA Vice Presidents and Coaracy Nunes Filho person to prevent the unauthorised use of that (BRA), FINA Bureau Member Press person’s image for commercial exploitation by Chairman Camillo Cametti (ITA) someone else. Players in team sports, such as Honorary Secretary Jean-Louis Meuret (FRA) elite NRL players should be mindful of the fact Members Chaker Belhadj (TUN) that when their image is used with other Gregory Eggert (USA) Javier Lopez (COL) members of the team, it may no longer be the Russell McKinnon (AUS) use of the player’s image as opposed to the use Nick Thierry (CAN) of the team’s image. Elena Vaitsekhovskaia (RUS) Bureau Liaison & Spokesman at Sam Ramsamy (RSA) FINA Events Typically, disputes concerning a breach of FINA DOPING PANEL & DCRB image rights will arise when an elite athlete’s Panel image is used without their consent for Chairman Harm Bayer (GER) commercial purposes. As Australian law is Members Bemard J. Favaro (USA) Ben Belkacem Farid (ALG) unlike the US legal system which contains a Peter Kerr (AUS) right of publicity, athletes who feel aggrieved by Jean Lob (SUI) the misuse of their image have used a variety of Toshio Ueyanagi (JPN) legal methods to seek a remedy. Doping Control Review Board (Dcrb) Chairman Dr. Andrew Pipe (CAN) Members Dr. Larry D. Bowers (USA) Section 52 of the Trade Practices Act Dr. Brian Corrigan (AUS) provides a remedy to athletes whose image has Prof. Winton Arthur Hawksworth (RSA) been exploited as it prohibits commercial Prof. Willem L. Mosterd (NED) Prof. Moutian Wu (CHN) conduct which misleads consumers. To be Prof. Jordi Segura (ESP) successful under this provision, the athlete EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR must be known to endorse products so the Cornel Marculescu publication of the image, without consent, would lead consumers to believe the athlete had endorsed the product.

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An example of this remedy can be viewed in Creating the Talmax Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd (1996) “COMPLETE Sprinter” 36 IPR 46. In this case, Telstra placed an By Brian Sutton advertisement featuring in a This article was presented at the ASCTA 2003 Telstra swimming cap, without his permission, Convention at the time of the Optus/Telstra ballot.

INTRODUCTION The Court granted an injunction against

Telstra publishing the advertisement further as or almost two decades now, Australia has it led the public to believe that Perkins was consistently fallen behind the rest of the sponsored by Telstra, had consented to Telstra’s F world in our ability to create World Class use of his name, and generally endorsed the sprinters. Despite our success in the 4x100 products offered by Telstra over those of Optus. Men’s Freestyle Relay in Sydney, we have not

had a male or female Freestyle sprinter stand Another remedy available to athletes to on the dais at an Olympic Games since the protect their image rights is defamation. An early 1980’s. example of defamation being used to protect an The reasons I have heard to explain this athlete’s image can be seen in the decision of situation, vary greatly from the sublime to the Ettinghausen v Australian Consolidated Press. ridiculous. More times than not, the proverbial

finger eventually is found pointing at the Therein, the plaintiff rugby league player athletes we are dealing with at present … along took legal action after a magazine had with the so-called lack of natural sprinters we published a photograph of the player naked in possess within our sport. the shower. Ettinghausen argued that the Well, I for one think it is about time that we, publication of the image was an imputation that the self-confessed geniuses of the Australian he was the kind of person who would coaching fraternity, put those fingers away and voluntarily consent to the taking and stand in front of a mirror when looking for publication of a naked photograph of himself. answer to this problem. I cannot help but think The Court held that the publication of the photo that we have fallen into the trap of becoming was defamatory to Ettinghausen’s image and followers instead of innovators. We have been the player was entitled to damages. down this road before with other events and it

has not been until we have stopped listening to Issues concerning intellectual property and the rest of the world and become masters of sportsmen recently arose in the Federal court our own destiny so to speak, in regards to decision of Torpedoes Sportswear Pty Ltd v doing something different. Thorpedo Enterprises Pty Ltd (2003) FCA 907. Fortune has definitely favoured the brave The case involved a review of a decision by the with our middle distance and distance Trade Marks Office to allow a company programs, because we have the rest of the world associated with Ian Thorpe to register the trade guessing as to what the hell we are doing with mark “Thorpedo” due to its similarity with those guys. another trade mark “Torpedo”. While noting a Wouldn’t it be nice if they were saying that similarity between the two trade marks, the about our sprinters? Court held there were apparent visual and aural Anyway, the following notes have been distinctions, and allowed “Thorpedo” to be compiled with the hope that they will stimulate registered, both thought as well as generating some

constructive debates. If so, this must surely be These cases demonstrate that court action a step in the right direction in enabling us to can assist players when their image is used in become leaders again — instead of followers. the commercial world without their consent.

PUTTING THE HORSE IN FRONT OF THE With the level of marketing of sportspeople CART increasing, it is important that players be afforded the opportunity to control how their Identify your athlete’s physiological makeup image is used, so they may enjoy the financial rewards of that “image”. Having coached in several different

establishments — along with having numerous athletes come to my program from other squads, I am always amazed at the amount of

35 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

people who are being trained for events that involve swimming at velocities close to or at race they are not physically (and, sometimes, pace. Anyone can look good and do the little mentally) suited for. Subsequently, their things right when they are at half pace, but training regime is also unsuitable and, doing it right while under the same stress that therefore, it is highly unlikely these swimmers one will encounter in a race, is a different will ever reach their full sporting potential. proposition. This is why it is so important to have an So I guess the moral of the story is that open mind as to what your athletes will end up Stroke Mechanics is not something that should specialising in — along with having a barrage of be put aside for one or two specific sessions tests that will steer you, as a coach, in the right each month but be a daily commitment from direction. the coach to his athletes to look out for their I must admit that my preconceived thoughts technical well-being. on what several new members to our squad should be training for have been far from Program & continually re-program your accurate. So, as the saying goes, “You can’t Athlete’s Perceptions judge a book by its cover” can be very close to the mark in this area. Why does this rather unusual heading mean Apart from observing the athlete’s reactions … you may ask? Well, it may seem a little out to the many different forms of conditioning there for some but to me it is one of the most available, tests such as buoyancy, body density, important aspects of an athlete’s overall make- centre of mass, overall strength, power, strength up and one that must be addressed if one endurance … and let us not forget mental hopes to fulfil their optimum potential. I am toughness … are some of the tests that can referring to their perception of — not only their paint a clearer picture when analysing an sport — but also their opposition … and, most athlete’s capabilities. importantly, themselves. It is also an important point to remember As time goes by, we see more and more of that you can have two totally different make- our athletes becoming full-time athletes and, in ups training for the same events, with which some cases, actually making a damn good living their training programs must be separately out of their so-called chosen sport. This tends designed to cater for their individual needs. to put added pressure on the athletes to perform almost every time they step onto a Next step — Stroke Mechanics block, which in turn increases the anxiety level of not only the swimmer but the coach and the Over the past decade or so, I have had the many people who support them as well. This pleasure of working with many athletes who tends to have a snowball effect and, before you were nearing the end of their careers … or dare know it, this pressure creeps into the training I say, “mature athletes”, as they would put it. environment and can start affecting other One thing that I have learned through being members in your squad – in a negative way. in this position is that it is never too late to This is a perfect example of an athlete’s make changes to a swimmer’s stroke. Only a perception or priorities towards their sport — few years ago, I had a major disagreement with starting to become distorted or imbalanced. So a high-profile coach who told me that “you can’t many times I have seen great swimmers fall teach an old dog new tricks”. Well, it was easy short of their goals because swimming was not to tell he had not trained a four-year-old only the major thing in their life but it became greyhound bitch to win at Wentworth Park with the only thing in their life. Family, friends, half his life savings on it! study, social relationships — and in some cases Seriously though, it is very surprising to see general happiness — all become dependent on how many of our older, more experienced how fast one is swimming at the time. swimmers have let some rather fundamental This is certainly a recipe for disaster but by biomechanical defects creep into their strokes. simply changing the athlete’s perception of We all know that one of the most limiting where their swimming fits into the total scheme factors in our sport today is ability to transfer of things, can certainly help in getting the one’s strength and power efficiently into swimmer to focus on the many positives practical use within the H2O. Therefore, it is involved with their sport and give them a better hard to work out why more time is not allocated realisation that there is in face life after to this cause in many squads throughout the competitive swimming. country. Once this balance is restored, I have found I, personally, like to do most of our technique that the swimmers seem to be much more at work while we are doing our quality sets, which ease with themselves (and their results) and a

36 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

healthier respect for their coach and fellow than one way to skin a cat! … so I will just swimmers seems to follow. give an overall account of how I go about this This is a subject that is very rarely talked task – and why. about but is one that has brought many a These days, as coaches, we are expected to champion athlete down and will continue to do make some serious physiological changes with so if we don’t do a better job of addressing this our athletes and, as previously mentioned, are matter. given an ever-decreasing amount of time to do this — due to our racing schedule. PLANNING FOR SUCCESS It is also worth bearing in mind that we have two seasons within that year which are fast The Olympic Cycle — the lost art! becoming as important as each other, due to the wisdom of our “mental giants” at ASI. In my humble opinion this is one of the Therefore, it is imperative to make sure that all greatest issues or individual problems facing the necessary energy systems are well trained Australian swimming today. What is even more so that the physiological goals for that year can frightful is the fact that they are still yet to be achieved. identify it, so I guess a short-term fix is not I firmly believe that it takes longer to fully looking very likely at all. prepare a sprinter than it does a mid-distance In saying that, we as coaches must be held or distance swimmer. This is mainly because it responsible to a certain extent but at the end of takes 8-12 weeks to get a sprinter to the the day it is ASI who tells us when and where required level of aerobic fitness to do justice to we race because our athletes are continually the following quality phase. Therefore, I find fulfilling their commitments so they are eligible myself splitting my seasonal plans into 4-week for both funding and national team selection. blocks – i.e. Macro Cycles – to concentrate on I guess I should explain what I am babbling the different tasks at hand through different on about so you can draw your own phases of the season. Refer to the Seasonal conclusions. I am talking about the present Plan at the end of this article and you will mindset that we seem to be in, as a nation, of observe that, on occasions, you must be able to continually preparing our athletes for the next adjust these blocks to suit the racing calendar. international meet ahead. For example … World This is one of my pet hates but it is better Championships Trials, Mare Nostrum Tour, than watching your athlete being continually East Asian Games, World Championships, belted by people who are not as good as they Australian Short Course, , are. You can also observe how the stress levels World Uni Games, World Cups, Commonwealth placed on the athlete varies somewhat Games Trials, World Short Course, throughout the season. Commonwealth Games, Pan-Pacs, etc., etc., etc. It is just non-stop and doesn’t look like it is The Macro Cycle — Progression is the key to going to get any better with the World Success! Championships being held every two years instead of every four years. As mentioned above, these blocks are usually We need to set targets — i.e. predicted four weeks in length, with the last week being a winning times — four years in advance and Recovery Week. During this week we usually design training regimes to put the tools in the conduct a specially designed Step Test and our toolbox to do the job at hand. We can still overall workload is reduced by 50-60%. This become the No. 1 swimming nation in the world enables the sprinters to freshen up – both but not if we continue to stick our heads in the mentally and physically – and presents them sand when it comes to these issues. with the opportunity to capitalise on any major I will attempt to put all this into a practical adaptations that may have been activated sense by making an example of how I went during the preceding training phase. about planning the three years I had with Chris It also enables the sprinters to continue Fydler and the reasoning behind it. swimming fast in training over an 8-12 weeks quality phase without experiencing too much The Mega Cycle — Hitting your Yearly muscular breakdown. Physiological Goals! Instead of trying to explain on paper how this pans out, I will show you a quick example of This is a subject that has been bashed to four consecutive weeks in a typical Quality death at conferences and discussions alike so I Training Phase. will enter into the so-called right or wrong way to go about this. The fact is … there is more

37 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

QUALITY MACRO CYCLE — MAIN SETS ONLY Weeks Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Enduro Kick Sprint Kick Enduro Kick AM Prep-Set Prep-Set Prep-Set Rest 1 + Recovery + Recovery + Recovery PM X Rest O Rest X Rest Rest Sprint Kick Enduro Kick Sprint-Kick AM Prep-Set Prep-Set Prep-Set Rest 2 + Recovery + Recovery + Recovery PM O Rest X Rest O Rest Rest Enduro Kick Sprint Kick Enduro Kick AM Prep-Set Prep-Set Prep-Set Rest 3 + Recovery + Recovery + Recovery PM X Rest O Rest X Rest Rest Sprint Kick Enduro Kick Sprint Kick AM Prep-Set Prep-Set Prep-Set Rest + Recovery + Recovery + Recovery 4 X Race PM O Rest Rest O Rest Step Test (if possible) X = Speed Set O = Endurance Set

As the comment in the heading of this As you can see, there is an endurance-type section suggests, it is most important that the Main Set in between but this set is designed so sprinter does a good job of all the energy it does not draw on the fibres that were depleted systems that come under the aerobic in the previous Main Set. conditioning title before they move on to a I have often said to my sprinters that the more intensive form of training. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are our main If one system is lacking — the end result will sessions. The initial reply to this comment is definitely suffer. always the same, and that is … “but we don’t train on those days, Sutto!” The Micro Cycle — work hard then rest hard! This is my point exactly. I usually reply by saying, “when we work hard we work harder Over the years I have found that the biggest than anybody else but when we rest, we rest issue in training elite sprinters is how much harder as well!” Once they wrap their heads fast work they should do and how often they around that conversation they usually get a should do it. I still don’t have all the answers to better idea of where I am coming from in this age-old question but I must say that my regards to their program. opinions are made up from good scientific evidence, my powers of observation, along Terminology — God Bless the K.I.S.S. with a good dose of old-fashioned gut feelings. System! (And with a gut like mine, what else should a coach need!) Before I go any further, I though it would be I would like to use the above chart to help a good idea if I give a quick overview on the explain my thoughts on this matter. Firstly, if terminology I use when it comes to designing we look at Weeks 1, 2 and 3, you will see that I my program. In doing this, I will give a brief never sprint my athletes within four days of explanation so it is easier to relate to the many their last Speed Set. This ensures that the Fast more complicated terms that are being thrown Twitch Fibres (both red and white) have plenty around our sport today. of time to regain their glycogen stores — along Basically, most of the aerobic types of work with any muscle repair necessary — before they are the same — it is only when we get up the are put under pressure again. speed scale a little bit is when things start to differ. The list goes as follows… Aer- Sub Aerobic Warm-up and Swim-down pace Aer. Aerobic Pace 45-50bpm below max HR Aer+ Aerobic Plus 35-45bpm

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I have found over the years that the majority • The coach should also be aware that their of swimmers – both young and old – relate to swimmer may go through a period of time the terms better if you are referring to their where they feel lethargic and, in turn, feel specific race speeds. This also ensures that even terrible in the water. This is usually more when faced with a wide variety of standards in prevalent in those who are the hardest the pool at the same time they all get to do the workers because their adaptation phases work given at a pace that is relevant to their are more severe and sometimes lasting up own stage of development. to three weeks in duration. This is really a tough time for everyone but if the athlete Race Preparation or Taper Phase — when in is informed about this situation prior to it doubt, take ‘em out! happening, their anxiety level usually stays in a manageable state. This is another subject that has no set rules • I have seen, on many occasions, where and I will be covering it in much more detail coaches have hit the panic button and felt during our time together. I have included in that their athlete was losing condition your tables at the end of this article, an and a little top-up of work was in order. example of a taper I used with Chris for the This almost immediately spells disaster Commonwealth Games in 1998 – which, I must because the body is trying to cope with add, was rather successful at the time. There the muscle repair, etc., and then the body are certain observations that I have in mind is receiving a whole new set of when setting a taper, which I will share with instructions. Remember … a reduction in you now. Keep in mind that these points are not workload can be just as stressful for the in any particular order and they are merely body to handle as an increase in guidelines and not gospel. workload! • I feel that if there are any major • An increase in practising dives is a must adaptations taking place in the Fast but be careful not to increase the amount Twitch Fibres, their performance level can of fast turns to any great extent. Turn be grossly affected for at least five weeks. practice has been found to create a hell of Therefore, I make a point of dramatically a lot of lactic acid and even though this reducing any specific speed work 5-6 system needs to be stimulated throughout weeks out from a major competition. the latter part of the taper, too much can • On the other hand, I feel it is important to have catastrophic results. keep the pressure up to the aerobic • Finally, it is a good idea to get into the system until about three weeks out when, habit of meeting with your athlete prior to at such time, it also goes into a the meet to not only discuss race tactics maintenance mode where the aim is to but to re-enforce that they have done continue stimulating the necessary work and, in doing so, try to inject some systems — without tearing them down. confidence into them. It is also helpful for • Girls can obviously be held up for a some to discuss what you have in store further 1-2 weeks — depending on the for them in their next preparation so after athlete in question — and the reduction in their event (win, lose or draw) they have the workload is somewhat less dramatic some direction and are not walking than that of the guys. around like lost souls. • I am personally not a big fan in swimming my sprinters any faster than B.E.S. CONCLUSION during the last three weeks of the taper. I hope that this information is helpful to The occasional 25 metres at F.E.S. is OK, some and it is received in the same vein it has but this is usually to calm the coaches’ been given. nerves and make them feel better about how their charge is doing. Remember… • You must have faith in the work you have done. I have seen many a person (even on The training pool is where you MAKE it our national teams) sprint themselves out happen of doing well. The females seem to be able The racing pool is where you LET it happen! to cope with this much better than the guys but I am sure that has a lot to do with the differences in muscularity.

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2000/2001 SUMMER SEASONAL PLAN – SPRINT GROUP Sydney University High Performance Centre

MAIN SETS SEASONAL PLAN – 1998/1999 SUMMER SEASON Sydney University High Performance Centre Mixing Kick/Pull/Swim Non-Stop Alt : 10x50’s on 45s (hold 1 Mon 27 Fri Tue (2,400m) 35s)=>500w/pb,f-padsx3 World Cup 3x (25 No.2 MAL 2 Wed 50x50’s on 45s (Hold Aerobic Pace) 28 Mon TES/25easy)=>200aer=>50BESw/2 50 Wed 00s/dx4 300m Straight (Going : last 25 of @ 6x500’s w/pb & Alt : bpds,f-pads 3 Fri 29 Wed Thu 200 solid) (Hold Aer Pace) 5x800’s Mixed Drill (Des x 200’s to TRAVEL TO COLORADO 4 Mon Thu 51 Fri Thres) SPRINGS 3x100’s on 1.30s (Holding 20 5 Wed 30 Fri Sat Aer=>10Thres) World Cup HVO’s (15m) Dives & Push w/Long No.3 PAR 6 Fri Sun Sun S/D’s b/w 31 Mon 52 Mon Iergrated Aer/Thr/VO /Lact.P w/ 7 Mon 2 32 Wed 53 Wed S/D’s b/w @ set 3,000m Timed Swim Desc. X 8 Wed 54 Fri 1,000’s 3x50’sLact=>150A/100Th/50 9 Fri 33 Fri VO2/100Th/150A(x4) Set HIGH ALTITUDE PROGRAM 10 Mon 150’sDescx50’s=>50mBES+1sec(x 34 Mon 55 Mon 12) 50’s/100’s/50’s Aer (3kms)=>500 at 11 Wed 35 Wed 56 Wed Threshold 25m TES/75 easy x 2 => 200 S/D 12 Sat 36 Fri 57 Fri (x7) 37 Mon 3 1000’s Desc w/last 200m 13 Mon 38 Wed 58 Mon VO2=>1x600 same Aer 50m=>33m BES/17m c/upx2=> 14 Wed 39 Fri 59 Wed S/D b/w sets Sets of Thres 100’s => O/D Thres 15 Fri Sun 60 Fri Swims TRAVEL BACK TO SYDNEY Iergrated Aer/Thr/VO /Lact.P alt 16 Mon 2 40 Mon w/easy swims Dist Threshold Swims w/VO 100’s 17 Wed 2 Tue 61 Mon w/S/D’s b/w Mix TES (20m) w/Aer S/D’s (130m) 18 Fri 41 Wed 62 Wed NB: Alt Sat AIS SPRINT MEET 42 Fri 63 Fri Sun (Canberra) 43 Mon

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Iergrated Set : Aer/Thr/VO => O/D 19 Mon 2 44 Wed Sat AUSTRALIAN Thres Swim OPEN 20 Wed 250’s Threshold Free => 50’s BES 45 Fri 64 PAN-PAC Pre-Race W/Up w/no stress (using TRIALS 21 Fri Sat 65 To w/end as set) NEW SOUTH WALES STATE (Chandler Sat SYDNEY METROPOLITAN Sun OPEN 66 Aquatic Sun (Homebush Aquatic Centre) 46 Mon (Homebush Aquatic Centre) Sat Centre) 22 Mon 7x200m Step Test (Pre-Altitude) Tue 67 Mon - Adaptation Phase - 47 Wed 68 Wed 3x50’sAer+150mThr+400Aer(x3)=> 23 Wed 48 Fri Thu Spr/Kick WORLD 50’s TES w/long s/d b/w (Scott: + 24 Fri Sat 69 Fri SHORT BES 50’s) World Cup No.1 GLASGOW COURSE 4x50’s(u/1.10s)=>50Thr=>50 25 Mon Sun Sat CHAMPS VO (x6)+1,000 Pull 2 (Hong Kong) (25BES/25easy)=>200Aer/100Thr/2 26 Wed 49 Mon 00Aer (x4)

MAIN SETS FOR SPRINTERS Sydney University High Performance Centre 7-Monday 26/10 8-Wednesday 28/10 9-Friday 24/11 10-Monday 27/11 11-Wednesday 29/12 12-Friday 1/12 150 Threshold Dive 25m TES on 2.10s 3 x 25’s on 45s 350m Aer/Thr 8 x 50’s on 3 x 1,000’s Mixed => 125m Aer Free => 50 VO2max (Hold Race Pace) => 10s rest 1.30s w/1min rest b/w => Push 25m BES on 60s => 300m A/Thr 150 Desc x 50’s [Going 1 Go: => 125m Aer Free Pace to VO max easy/1BES] 1. w/pb & f-pads => Push 25m BES w/2 mins Rest 2 x 15 (w/ 2 mins rest b/w => 600 Aer + 2. w/pb only => 75 Aer Free Note… Boys are sets!) w/fins 3. Swim still struggling – x 8 x 6 Take 2 mins rest [Going: 800 Aer] x5 (on ???) all need a Brett… Go 3 sets Brett… go half of [200 Thr] Take 10s before all couple more only and Aer for main set! x 3 fast work! weeks to handle 300m nitty gritty! 13-Monday 4/12 14-Wednesday 6/12 15-Friday 8/12 16-Monday 11/12 17-Wednesday 13/12 18-Friday 15/12 Dive 25m TES => 125m Aer Free 1. 2000 (Aer/Thr) 4 x 800’s Free 40 x 100’s Free => Push 25m => 50m VO2 x 2 w/ 1 min rest b/w Dive 25m TES O/S on 1.40s BES 2. 300 (Aer/Thr) @ 20 x 150’s Free => 225 Aer Free (Holding Aerobic => 125m Aer Free => 100m VO2 x 2 Going… holding u/1.50s on => 10s Rest Pace) => Push 25m 3. 400 (Aer/Thr) 600 Aerobic 2.10s => 1 x 50 BES O/S Note… BES => 150m VO2 x 2 w/fins => 75 Aer Free [Alt 4 swim Adam must hold 4. 500 (Aer/Thr) => 10s rest 4 w/f-pads] x 6 1.08’s => 200m VO2 x 1 200 Thres Pace on 7.30s Nathan around x 6 10s rest before VO2’s Make sure they 1.10s (on ???) 30s b/w reps & 60s flush out in Take 10s before b/w set parts! S/Down!!! all fast work! 19-Monday 18/12 20-Wednesday 20/12 21-Friday 22/12 22-Monday 25/12 23-Wednesday 26/12 24-Friday 28/12 1. 6x25’s O/S 6 x 50 O/S on BES on 30s Must swim 1. 16 x 25 Free on 1.15s 1x25 build to RP 3,000m 30s (25 TES/25 Easy) on 30s w/1500m * VO Balanced * 4 x 50 S/D on 50s 2 1x25 TES O/S Aerobic set => 50 Aer Back on @ set on 12 mins on 40s included. Be 1.15s => 150m Desc x honest with CHRISTMAS BOXING yourself but x 6 50s to VO2max x 3 DAY DAY more importantly Note… Chris held on 2 mins 2. 1,000m Aer Pace be honest with 11.8’s & 24.3 last => 50 easy s/d * Timed & Rec * me! Enjoy your 50 effort Chris held u/12.5’s in let-up and I will Scott held 13.2’s x 5 25’s & went 12.15s in see you all on b/k (3) & 12.3’s fly on 8 mins 1k Monday. (3) s/r 47spm 2. 800 Aer b/k Sutto => 200 solid

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of breathing ensured that the lungs were BREATHE BETTER completely filled, whereas shallow intercostal breathing filled only half of each lung — so the swimmer, in effect, was only using one lung! Much has been made of the term Swim Faster “diaphragmatic breathing” but the fact of the By Cecil Colwin matter is that ALL breathing is diaphragmatic, This article appeared in American Swimming particularly when we breathe deeply. The use of Magazine, 2003 Issue 5 the term “diaphragmatic breathing” in this text is made to show the different between shallow ontrolled breathing is the main factor upper-chest (intercostals) breathing and C contributing to swimming efficiency. diaphragmatic breathing which causes a quick, Breathing control involves timing the breath deep breath followed by a long slow exhalation. within the rhythm of the stroke and ventilating To feel the difference between shallow upper- the lungs for the work to be done. Many chest breathing and diaphragmatic breathing, talented swimmers, with the ability to become one has only to inhale deeply and exhale while great, fall short in this department. placing one hand on the chest and the other on For instance, in , the abdomen and feeling the abdomen rise and mastering the fundamentals of balance, fall; this is sometimes called “belly breathing.” relaxation, arm-timing, streamlining, stroke Diaphragmatic breathing, as used by singers length and the effective application of power or musicians playing wind instruments, is the depends on a swimmer’s ability to prolong key to advanced breathing skills. Famous exhalation so that it blends smoothly into the singers such as Pavarotti and Placido Domingo total action. The stroke movements used in practice breathing control. The singers’ smooth swimming interfere greatly with ordinary performances are achieved by mastering a long, respiration and swimmers overcome this slow exhalation, and a deep but quick inward tendency to inhibit breathing only by developing breath that is undetected. Their effortless unusual respiratory powers. Tests made on phrasing would be impossible without a well- expert swimmers as compared with average regulated exhalation aided by exceptional swimmers of a similar age show that top control of the diaphragm. Swimmers could take swimmers are superior in vital capacity, and a page from their book. both inspiratory strength and expiratory Placido Domingo says, “Before you take a strength. high note the diaphragm should not go up, but A survey of the swimming literature shows all the way down, pushing the stomach out, and that most references to breathing refer either to providing room for the lungs to expand and fill head-turning mechanics or the frequency of with air.” He likens it to squeezing a soft rubber breathing, but references to the actual act of ball with a hole in it. When squeezed the air breathing are sparse. The omission is empties out of the ball; when released, air understandable because breathing on land is rushes in to fill the empty space in the ball automatic, and few realise that swimming because nature abhors a vacuum. (See performance can be improved by learning illustration showing “Action of the Diaphragm breathing techniques that delay the onset of during Exhalation and Inhalation”.) fatigue and enable swimmers to adjust their THE ROLE OF DIAPHRAGMATIC breathing for specific paces and events. BREATHING IN BREATH CONTROL Controlled breathing will help a swimmer to When we inhale, oxygen from the air enters take a deep breath quickly and easily, and the lungs from where the blood takes it to all then follow with the long outward breath that the cells of the body. At cellular level oxygen provides enough time within each stroke cycle, acts on glucose (from food) to produce energy. or series of cycles, to keep the action long, loose Water and carbon dioxide are by-products of and rhythmic. To reach the highest level of this process which are returned to the lungs by stroke fluency, even top swimmers need to pay the venous blood, to be exhaled. attention to breathing effortlessly. Carbon dioxide is never completely DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING eliminated from the system, neither is all the air Back in the 1920’s diaphragmatic breathing exhaled; some residual air always remains in was considered an important part of the new the lungs. American crawl being developed by pioneer The diaphragm is the large muscle stretching coaches, such as Bacharach and Handley, but across the body at the floor of the chest under the idea was lost somewhere along the line. the heart and lungs. Because the lungs They believed that “the diaphragmatic method” themselves have no muscles and are passive,

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they need the help of the diaphragm and should not be gasped in. intercostals muscles to function. The outward breath follows as soon as the When at rest, the diaphragm is held up in mouth moves under the surface. Important: two domes by the abdominal viscera. When the never blow the air out forcefully, because doing diaphragm contracts, the domes flatten out, the so causes breathlessness and loss of breathing lungs expand downwards and the abdomen is control resulting in premature fatigue. pushed out. Lung capacity is further increased Let the outward breath escape gradually by by the intercostals muscles contracting and allowing the air to flow out easily until the lifting some of the ribs in an outward and mouth has almost returned to the surface for upward direction. The result is that the rib cage the next inhalation. At this point, the swimmer expands and suction is created which draws air expels the remainder of the air with a small puff into the lungs. that clears the lungs for more air, and moves Difference in Lung Expansion between Shallow the water away from the front of the mouth so “Intercostal” Breathing and “Diaphragmatic Breathing” that air is inhaled without taking in water. IMPORTANT BREATHING TIPS: • Inhalation: Should be an easy reflex action — don’t gasp in air! If exhalation is adequate, air will flow in on its own! • Exhalation: Always flow the air out easily. Never blow the air out forcefully, because this causes breathlessness and loss of breathing control resulting in premature Shallow “Inter-Costal” Breathing fatigue. Exhalation should be at least twice as long as the inward breath. INWARD-OUTWARD BREATH RATIOS A “breath ratio” is simply the amount of time a swimmer spends exhaling compared to the amount of time spent inhaling. On land, we tend to breathe in equal timing — in and out, in and out. But, if this equal breath ratio (1:1) is ”Diaphragmatic Breathing” EXHALATION THROUGH NOSE OR transferred to Freestyle swimming, for example, MOUTH? the body will often ride off balance because the Swimmers have a choice of three different outward breath will be too short to permit time methods… enough for the swimmer to complete the natural 1. Inhaling through the mouth and roll of the body. Neither will the swimmer be exhaling through the nose only. This is able to maintain equal stroke length on each a good way to learn prolonged exhalation side of the body. Furthermore, as oxygen because of the smaller opening at the demand increases, the swimmer will tire quickly nostrils. because there has not been enough time to 2. Inhaling through the mouth and complete the exhalation to allow an adequate exhaling through nose and mouth inward breath to follow. Remember the simultaneously. For some individual important breathing rule in swimming: the swimmers this is a good method to use ratio of the outward breath to the inward when sprinting when a greater volume of breath should always be at least twice as air has to be exhaled. long (2: 1). 3. Inhaling through the mouth and It is possible to consciously control the exhaling through the mouth only. This breath ratio according to the needs of the method is recommended for beginners as individual swimmer. With practice, it will be it is the easiest to learn. Ask the swimmer possible to increase the breath ratio to 3: 1 and to exhale through pursed lips. Keeping the even longer. The volume and pace of the lips pursed teaches the beginner to outward breath will vary according to which regulate the flow of the outward breath, style is swum; for example, there will be and helps avoid water accidentally significant differences between Freestyle entering the mouth... breathing and breathing while swimming DON’T GASP OR BLOW! Butterfly, Breaststroke or Backstroke. The The inward breath should be an easy reflex breath ratio may change according to the energy action; if exhalation is adequate, air will flow in demands of the distance to be swum, each on its own! The inward breath is quick, but individual’s most comfortable stroke length and

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rhythm, and the frequency of breathing. sprint and shorter events, 50 and 100, tend to Freestyle. In distances longer than the 100, breathe every second stroke, but some do most Freestyle swimmers inhale on every breathe once to every arm cycle. Swimmers who second while others may breathe bilaterally use irregular breathing patterns risk premature (once every three strokes). The pattern best fatigue by incurring too early an oxygen debt. suited to the individual should be established in Breaststroke. As the stroke starts, the practice, as well as in competition. swimmer begins to exhale through the mouth. Most short distance Freestylers do not The swimmer’s head gradually lifts as the breathe regularly; they might breathe three of elbow-bend increases and the shoulders rise. four times on the first 50 metres of a 100- Throughout the arm stroke the swimmer metres race (50 metres pool) and more regularly gradually increases the volume of the on the final 50 metres, such as once every four exhalation. As the shoulders reach their highest strokes or once every six strokes. Short distance point, exhalation is completed with a puff that swimmers need to experiment with different clears water away from the mouth. The patterns of irregular breathing to find the swimmer inhales and the face returns to the individual’s ideal rhythm pattern. water as the arms thrust forward to full Underwater observation of short distance extension. swimmers reveals a variety of breathing PROLONGING THE OUTWARD BREATH IN rhythms. A few will breathe on every stroke THE CRAWL STROKE cycle while others may breathe less regularly. The ability to prolong the outward breath is Inexperienced swimmers often fix the abdominal the key to efficient swimming. By prolonging and back muscles when swimming the crawl each exhalation and allowing the air to flow out stroke, thus interfering with the function of the easily, the swimmer will have more time diaphragm. On the other hand, expert within each stroke cycle to streamline and swimmers, who have mastered controlled balance the body while maintaining stroke breathing and relaxation of the abdominal length and rhythm. The result will be the muscles, seldom have difficulty in breathing “ghost-like” glide, so often the hall-mark of great under the exertion of swimming at full speed. swimmers. Backstroke swimmers usually inhale Practice face-down glides with slow through the mouth during the recovery of one exhalation; push off from the wall in prone arm, and exhale through the mouth during the position with arms and legs extended. Allow the recovery of the opposite arm. However, all body to continue its glide. Concentrate on swimmers, irrespective of whether or not allowing air to flow out gently until exhalation backstroke is their main stroke, should practice is completed. doing backstroke while inhaling through the Now start to swim Freestyle very slowly. Turn mouth during the recovery of one arm, and your face to the side and take a breath. As your exhaling through the nose during the recovery face returns to the centre position, continue of the one arm, and exhaling through the nose exhaling by flowing air out gently. When your during the recovery of the other arm. This outward breath is nearly finished, turn your practice helps the swimmer to learn good breath face back to the side with mouth open, lips control and how to flow the air out when curled outward, and air will flow in naturally. exhaling instead of blowing it out. Return your face to the centre position as you Butterfly swimmers start to flow air out in a continue into the next outward breath. Keep slow exhalation from the moment the stroke swimming slowly and allow the air to escape by starts. Exhalation gradually increases in flowing it out softly and gently without stopping. intensity throughout the arm-stroke and Select a distance over which you wish to finishes with a puff of air a moment before the practice in a non-stop swim. Swim as far as you mouth clears the surface. The inward breath is can, concentrating on allowing the air to flow taken (through the mouth) in the final stage of out gently in a prolonged exhalation. Try to the arm-push. Swimmers may breathe once to make each outward breath at least twice as every arm cycle or once every two strokes. In long as the inward breath. With practice, you’ll breathing once to every two strokes, the breath be surprised and impressed at how relaxed and is held throughout the first arm-cycle. facile your stroke will become. Exhalation and inhalation take place during the As you become more proficient the next step second arm cycle. The ideal breathing rhythm is should be to try timing your outward breath a matter for individual preference and depends with each phase of your stroke. Your outward on the length of the racing distance. Swimmers breath should finish just as the breathing-side need to breathe more frequently the longer the arm completes its stroke. The in-breath will distance covered. Butterfly swimmers in the occur as a reflex action; in fact you will not be

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aware of having inhaled. As you return your References face to the centre position, your breathing-side • Cureton T. K. — “Respiration in arm will have recovered from the water and will Swimming and its Relationship to Speed be about to slide forward into the entry. Efficiency”, “Research Quarterly”, Feb. As the arm enters and slides forward, thus 1930, 54-70. absorbing the body’s momentum, your outward breath will have started to flow out gently and THE IMPORTANCE OF BREATH CONTROL steadily. The outward breath will continue WHILE SWIMMING flowing non-stop throughout the ensuing stroke cycle, allowing you time to complete your body Today’s swimmers and coaches generally roll to the opposite side and recover and enter regard breathing as an automatic action not the arm on that side. As the entry arm is once requiring attention. They believe that swimmers again almost fully extended, your face will have fall into a natural pattern if not interfered with. returned to the breathing side. Just before the Attempting to teach breathing habits may seem mouth clears the surface, you should expel the an excellent example of over-coaching, like remainder of the air with a puff which not only trying to standardise swimming strokes. clears the lungs for more air, but moves the water away from the front of the mouth so that To some extent this may be true, but air can be inhaled without risk of inhaling because swimming respiration breaks the water. normal rhythm of everyday breathing, EFFECT OF RELAXATION ON STROKE swimmers can enhance their performances MECHANICS through analysis and special breathing Once a swimmer can breathe as easily in the exercises. Because people breathe on land water as on land it soon becomes possible to without thinking about it, there’s a tendency to cover long distances effortlessly and at speed. take breathing for granted when swimming. This is because relaxation within the stroke is improved by the ability to inter-time and control • The ability to prolong the outward breath breathing rhythm within the changing phases of is the key to efficient swimming. By the stroke. Once this expertise has been prolonging each exhalation and allowing achieved the swimmer will be surprised to find the air to flow out easily, the swimmer will how easy it is to swim at speed while have more time within each stroke cycle to maintaining a high level of relaxation. The aim streamline and balance the body while is to develop maximum stroke application with maintaining stroke length and rhythm. maximum relaxation. The result will be the “ghost-like” glide so Swimmers who use prolonged exhalation will often exhibited by great swimmers. have more time within the stroke cycle to • Mastering the subtleties of diaphragmatic achieve symmetrical body balance, and will find breathing requires repeated practice until their overall action more relaxed. In Freestyle, it becomes second-nature. The result is a for example, combining the inward breath with relaxed swimmer able to conserve energy, the push-back of the arm on the breathing side even when swimming at speed. automatically causes it to coincide with the • The natural reaction of the unskilled entry slide of the opposite arm. While tension on swimmer, obsessed with the need to the pectoral muscles acting between the pulling obtain air, is to breathe in more air than arm and the ribs tends to draw that side of the is exhaled. This often causes the swimmer chest upward, the ensuing motion of the to “blow up”. The important point in recovery arm helps to free and raise the ribs swimming is not how much air is inhaled away from the expanding lung on the opposite but rather the quantity of air exhaled; the side. These advantageous mechanical swimmer can only breathe in as much air conditions make this a particularly appropriate as is exhaled. time for inhalation. • Even with experienced swimmers the It is interesting to note that Michael Phelps, natural reaction under the stress of butterfly world champion and record-breaker, competition is to inhale more air than concentrates on setting up his breathing needed. The emphasis should be on rhythm early in a race. He says that he can only complete and prolonged exhalation find his rhythm by breathing once to every through the use of diaphragmatic stroke, and not once every two strokes. He adds breathing performed in time with the that finding his rhythm makes him feel relaxed, normal stroking action. and “when I feel relaxed, I know I’m going to have a fast swim”.

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stock market between 1975 and 2000—this includes the dot-com Nasdaq spike of 1999 GREATNESS — more than 15 times. In determining what great companies Won’t be thrust upon you had in common, Collins and his research By George Block team found… Head Coaches depicted by Collins as This article appeared in American Swimming “larger-than-life: celebrity coaches who ride Magazine, 2003 Issue 5 Adapted from an article by Dave Beck in the San in from the outside” are actually “negatively Antonio Express-News February 6, 2003 correlated with taking a team from good to great.” This echoes a point he makes in At first glance, you wouldn’t think small- “Built to Last”: The best change agents club boards could get much out of “Good to come from within. This makes perfect Great.” But the book, by Jim Collins (who sense, for a coach from the outside has to co-authored the groundbreaking business learn so much about the culture and fabric book “Built to Last”), shows greatness isn’t of the club, whereas someone inside a club a quality that you can attain by hiring a may have already been thinking of ways he single head coach, buying a new piece of or she would improve things if put in equipment or even coming up with a great charge. idea. Instead of focusing exclusively on Collins finds that to be great, your club adopting new training methods, good-to- must embark on a journey that has more to great teams “focused equally on what not to do with being willing to face up to your do and what to stop doing.” Though this team’s realities than seeking a quick-fix makes perfect sense, it requires taking a solution. Though his test cases are large good, hard look at your club and its and highly successful companies, Collins practices, and changing certain behaviours. offers valuable lessons that even small Collins also writes that “mergers play swim teams can use. virtually no role in igniting a transformation “Good to Great” examined a group of from good to great; two mediocrities average-performing corporations that joined together never make one great transformed into stellar, industry-leading team.” Without a unified vision, a team companies. The businesses he studied had, can’t succeed. While some mergers are as Collins notes, “15-year cumulative stock perfect marriages, others aim to fix returns at or below the general stock problems and end up compounding them, market, punctuated by a transition point, because two clubs with differing core values then cumulative returns at least three are wedged together. times the market over the next 15 years”. Interestingly enough, Collins points out The 15-year period was chosen to factor “the good-to-great teams were not, by and out those companies that might have large, in great swimming communities, and caught a lucky break or had a quick burst some were in terrible communities.” That’s of success. Collins was looking for important to note, because it shows that companies that made their success, as the proper resolve and right attitude can opposed to those who got carried along on a overcome difficult situations. wave. In other words, he sought If your team is poised for greatness in a companies that made a conscious terrible area, it could actually end up with a decision to become great, then went out larger piece of the pie than if it was in a and did it. good area, because fewer teams are likely to What he found surprised him. He tells start up in that area competing for athletes. the readers he was expecting companies His prescription for getting from good to like Intel, GM, 3M and Boeing to be stellar great includes an interesting point that can performers — not companies like apply to any team: adopting a culture of Walgreens, Circuit City, Kroger and Pitney discipline. Bowes. Walgreens, in fact, beat the general As he notes, “When you have disciplined

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people, you don’t need hierarchy. When you have disciplined thought, you don’t need bureaucracy. When you have disciplined action, you don’t need excessive controls. Health When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great performance.” But perhaps the most important lesson Waves of “Good to Great” comes from Admiral Tips for Improving Your Lifestyle James Stockdale, a former prisoner of war This article appeared in SWIM Magazine, best known as Ross Perot’s running mate Nov/Dec ‘03 during his 1988 presidential campaign. HIP REPLACEMENT Collins calls this lesson, the Stockdale Returning to Swimming Paradox. “Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and The most common reason for a total hip at the same time, confront the most brutal replacement is degenerative joint disease. facts of your current reality, whatever that Several things can cause a hip joint to deteriorate: an old injury, childhood diseases, might be.” arthritis and diseases that affect the vascularity Becoming great, in other words, starts of the hip joint. Hip replacement may also be with assessing how far from greatness necessary after a hip fracture. you currently are, and how you’re going There are two types of total hip replacement to get there. Collins finds, in his surgeries: non-cemented and cemented. The discussion with Stockdale, that faith is type of surgery chosen typically is based on age different from optimism. Looking on the and lifestyle. A swimmer facing this surgery bright side only gets you so far. You have may well ask: “Will I be able to swim or even to acknowledge your reality, whether compete again?” Being in good health and physically fit you’re No. 2 in your area and poised to get speeds recovery time from a total hip to No. 1, or teetering on the edge of replacement surgery because good muscle tone bankruptcy. stabilises the hip joint. Swimmers are already The difference between those scenarios is ahead of the game in the recovery process merely the difference in your team’s because they are typically in excellent physical situation. Your dedication to the process of condition prior to the surgery. becoming great should be the same If you receive a non-cemented prosthesis, regardless of where you are. you will be told initially to limit weight-bearing activities so that the bone can grow into the prosthesis. With a cemented prosthesis, full Greatness is not easy, which is why so weight bearing can begin immediately after few teams achieve it. surgery. In both cases, you will be encouraged to be active immediately after surgery to prevent But as Collins shows, even clubs that blood clots and to accelerate the healing didn’t seem close to becoming great were process. able to turn things around for the long However, physicians and physical therapists haul. will place certain restrictions on the kinds of movements you can do to prevent your hip joint And even though the changes weren’t from dislocating. For example, you should avoid dramatic in and of themselves, the results bending at a 90° angle at the hip, crossing your legs over the middle of your body or turning the definitely were. leg inward in a pigeon-toed position. Generally, you can expect to get back in the LET’S TAKE THIS TO HEART water between two and four weeks after the AND WORK TO MAKE ALL OUR surgery. The doctor’s decision regarding when to TEAMS GREAT. resume swimming will depend on whether the incision is fully healed, and whether you have enough mobility to navigate stairways and the distances to and from the pool.

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Ideal Exercise standing position. To decrease the amount of Swimming is the ideal exercise after hip hip flexion when doing flip turns, try an open replacement surgery because the water’s tuck position rather than a tight tuck. Of buoyancy helps to support weight, and its course, you should stop swimming immediately viscosity provides resistance for muscle if you feel your hip slipping or feel pain. strengthening. That is why doctors and physical How to Reacclimatise therapists typically encourage even non- • If your doctor approves, the following swimmers to participate in some form of aquatic routine may reacclimatise you to the pool therapy after surgery. and exercise. It should take about 30 Rehabilitation through water therapy is minutes. especially beneficial for non-cemented hip • Start with a warm-up consisting of gentle patients. You can effectively reduce the weight forward and backward walking and on your joints by 50% while standing in waist- sidesteps. deep water, by 65% in chest-deep water, and by • Next, do three sets consisting of 10 90% in neck-deep water. repetitions of each of the following As with any exercise routine, do not overdo it exercises… on the first day back. When you return from an 1. Mini-squats: bend your knee slightly extended absence from the pool, listening to less than 30° your body will be the key to avoiding pain and 2. Calf Raises: raise your heels off the injury. This is especially true after a major floor and stand on your toes surgery such as a hip replacement. 3. Toe Raises: lift your toes, rocking The first big challenge you will face is getting back on your heels in and out of the water. Stairs will be easier to • Next, do 2 sets of 10 repetitions of the manage than ladders, but in either case, you following exercises while standing on your should step down with your surgical leg first, non-surgical leg… and take one step at a time. Getting out of the 1. Standing Hip Flexion with Knee pool, step up with your non-surgical leg first. If Flexed: move your surgical leg you must use a ladder, make sure your hips do forward, as if marching. Be careful not pass a 90° angle. Do not get in the water not to pass 90° from the sides of the pool because it will cause 2. Standing Hip Extension/Flexion: you to adopt a position requiring greater than keeping your knee straight, swing 90° of hip flexion. your leg forward and backward Though you may feel fine after your very first 3. Standing Hip Abduction: keeping workout, you may feel sore the next day. This your knee straight, swing your leg soreness is called delayed onset muscle out to the side soreness (DOMS), and it should resolve itself 4. Standing Knee Flexion: bend your within a few days. knee backward, making sure your A typical rehabilitation routine usually kneecap faces the bottom of the pool begins with water walking. Gradually, leg • Follow this with a 5-10 minute cardio exercises involving moving the legs forward and segment consisting of kicking without backward will be added. At this point, you can fins, either using a kickboard or a noodle. begin freestyle and backstroke kicking, but you Alternately, you can do fast walking in the should not attempt whole stroke swimming for pool, adding arm movements if you want another four to six weeks, or when you feel in more resistance. Warm down with a slow control of your kicking and hip movement. You walk. should not attempt flip turns, which cause the • Repeat the single leg exercises. Do 2 sets hip to bend past the 90° angle. This stage of the of 10 repetitions. rehabilitation process may take around six • Conclude with a final warm-down months — the exact time will depend on consisting of easy walking. individual factors such as the physician’s As your body becomes accustomed to the recommendation and the strength of the movements, you should increase your recovering hip. repetitions and the length of the cardio portion. In the next stage — about 6-8 weeks after To avoid strain, do not increase both at the surgery — you can start swimming the other same time. Slowly incorporate your Backstroke strokes. You may have to modify your and Freestyle into the workout before the Breaststroke kick by spreading your knees kicking set. farther apart and by keeping your feet no wider Nadine K.M. Day, B.S.Ed., M.P.T., is a apart than your knees. You may also dive, but physical therapist in a sports medicine only from the edge of the pool and only from a outpatient clinic. She also works with her

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husband in his sports medicine outpatient unable to use a pull-buoy, as the hyper- private practice and has been coaching high extended position endangered the stability of school swimming in Danville, Ill. She has been her hip. For that reason, she also couldn’t do swimming Masters for three years, and is the the dolphin or Breaststroke kick. She was able current vice-chair and sanction chair for the to do a modified flip turn — never flexing more Central (Ill.) LMSc. than 90° at the hip — because she had already been doing them prior to the surgery due to her hip problems. SWIMMER SPOTLIGHT: Two months after the surgery, Barbara was Barbara Dunbar finally able to bear weight fully on her hip. By Jessica Seaton, D.C. Around the same time, she swam in her first post-surgery meet, starting from the blocks. Two-and-a-half months after the surgery, she broke her own national record in the One Hour Postal Swim (January 2003) and has been breaking her own records ever since. What can’t she do? Barbara has to do an adapted Backstroke start — she holds the wall with one arm, one leg is bent and the other hangs straight down. She also can’t run, which makes the starts and finishes of some open water swims challenging. She now swims five days per week, averaging 4,000-5,000 yards per

day, and she plans to resume weight training as One name dominates the long distance soon as she finds the time. records for women 50-54: Barbara Dunbar. Her Jessica Seaton, D.C., is the chair of the records were set in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. USMS Sports Medicine Committee. She is a She has also set many records in other events, chiropractic orthopaedist in private practice. including the IMs. Barbara’s accomplishments She has been swimming with West Hollywood are astounding, considering that in November Aquatics for over 12 years. 2001; she had a total hip replacement — and prior to that, she was unable to walk without forearm crutches. Barbara Dunbar was born with a congenital hip condition on the right side. By the time she was 12, she had to have surgery. Although she had started swimming a year earlier, swimming was also part of her rehabilitation. She was Swim generally athletic as an adult and swimming was always her main sport. Over the years, her for Fitness hip began to deteriorate. A year-and-a-half Everything you ever wanted to know before her hip replacement surgery, bone This article appeared in SWIM Magazine, density testing showed that her right leg had Sep/Oct ‘03 significantly less bone density than the left. She began a serious weight training program and RECOVERY TRAINING was able to equalise the bone density in both It’s OK to Slow Down legs. By Scott Rabalais Barbara did a lot of research on hip replacement before undergoing the procedure. “Slow down” is hardly a mantra for fast Among other things, she started practicing the swimmers. specific hip exercises that she would have to While the focus on training is often on the perform after the surgery — to get a “head start” workload or increasing the intensity of effort, it on them. She credits her quick recovery to her is not the actual training that directly produces diligent practice of these exercises for two the desired positive benefit in swimming. The months prior to surgery, along with weight increase in adaptation actually takes place training. during the recovery period. If you hit the ground Barbara was back in the pool 20 days after and complete 25 push-ups, you may feel surgery and five days after the staples were stronger, but actually the muscles are in a removed. She swam Freestyle with her legs depleted state. Through recovery — and, dragging, and a little Backstroke. She was perhaps, a few more repetitions — the body will

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rebound, and you will experience a higher strength level. The same holds true in a swimming work out. Recently, a top Australian coach, Wayne Goldsmith, offered a concept called Recovery- Based Training, which uses an athlete’s ability to recover as a primary factor in determining workout plans. While this form of training would require a coach to develop a very specific knowledge base on each individual swimmer, the concept certainly has merit on a general level for adult swimmers. Backstroke serves as an ideal recovery stroke for It is commonly known that the recovery Freestyle due to the reverse action of the stroke and abilities of adult swimmers generally decrease the ideal position for relaxed breathing. with aging. Masters coaches often include slow- to-moderate swimming in workouts to assist in Descending Sets the restorative processes of the body. While a gradual rise to a maximum heart rate should • 8x100 Freestyle on 1 minute 40 seconds take at least 20-30 minutes, a gradual recovery (descend numbers 1 through 6, with period should be more than just inactive numbers 7 and 8 as recovery swims) socializing on the pool’s edge. During this set, the swimmer increases his or Recovery training can have both broad and her pace to its maximum level on the sixth 100. specific implications. Over an extended period, There is a considerable drop-off in effort during such as a year, a swimmer may choose to take a the last two 100s so that the swimmer is able to low-intensity approach to recharge the recover for the next activity. batteries. If a swimmer is accustomed to a The first few repetitions in a descending set 3,000-yard workout, perhaps a 1,500-yard may be used for recovery purposes as well. For workout would suffice during a recovery period example, a swimmer can tackle a set of 12x50, lasting one month. Many swimmers who head descending in groups of 4x50. Following a fast to the pool on a daily basis take off one day a fourth 50, the swimmer will back down to a week for recovery purposes. Very common slower recovery pace before building again to among Masters Swimmers is the alternate-day top speed on the eighth 50. approach — that is, three times a week with at least one day between workouts. Following such Structured Warm-downs a schedule allows almost complete recovery from every workout. Rather than jumping from one set to the With regard to specific workout plans, next, a swimmer may wish to insert a low-to- recovery training can take many forms. The moderate set to allow for recovery. Here is an primary factor affecting recovery training is not example of a set with a structured warm- whether the activity is swimming, kicking, down… pulling or the use of drills, but, instead, the • 4x200 IM on 4:00 (sprint the 50 of your intensity level and corresponding heart rate. best stroke) • 300 swim, alternating 25 Backstroke kick, Here are a few examples of recovery training 25 Breaststroke pull, 25 Freestyle swim through the course of a workout… Following the IM set, the swimmer downshifts into a moderate mode to complete a Fast/Slow Sets warm-down swim that offers variety in stroke and mode. It is wise to warm down in the stroke • 2x25 Freestyle fast on 30 seconds — heart used during intense efforts (Butterfly excluded!). rate near 90% of maximum For example, a swimmer who has completed a • 2x25 Backstroke slow on 45 seconds — fast 100 Backstroke should warm down to a heart rate decreases to near 70% of significant degree swimming Backstroke, maximum (repeat several times) though not exclusively.

During this set, the swimmer builds intensity Pyramid Sets through the Freestyle swims, and then decreases it during the Backstroke lengths. Pyramid sets are those in which the pace gradually quickens in the first half of the set and gradually decreases during the back half.

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This is an ideal set for recovery purposes due to the gradual nature of the recovery process. An example of this set is… • 8x75 kick with fins on 1 minute 15 seconds

Times achieved may be 1:04, 1:01, :59, :57, What’s :57, :59, 1:01, 1:04. The 1:04 pace would be an easy effort for this swimmer, relative to the :57 pace. Cookin’? By Bill Volckening

This article appeared in SWIM Magazine, Ascending Sets Nov/Dec ‘03 Sets that start out with the fastest swim and conclude with the slowest are not recommended CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS! unless a swimmer has experienced a full warm- Swimmers love to eat. We enjoy every up. The advantage of an ascending set is that possible opportunity to celebrate with food — fast swims occur early in the set, when the from pre-meet pasta feeds and post-meet swimmer is relatively rested. Also, the recovery gatherings, to Friday-night pizza and Saturday- process is built in, as in a pyramid set. morning bagels. Many swimmers also like to A typical ascending set would be… drink. One of my most shocking discoveries • 10x50 on 1 minute during my weight loss process was the Repeat times start at :38 and increase by one revelation that alcoholic beverages have second each 50 to :39, :40, :41, etc. calories. Of course, I knew that before, but I

didn’t really account for how many calories were Workout Conclusion added by my daily beverage consumption. Every swimmer should conclude each work You are what you drink out with recovery training. The low-key Here are some examples of beverages that swimming may be in the form of the above sets, may add significant calories when consumed or just loosely structured stroking. Pay regularly in larger than normal amounts. attention to your body, and don’t leave the pool Beverage Serving Size Calories/Serving until your breathing and heart rates are back to Beer 12 fl oz 145 the normal range, and you feel loose and Light Beer 12 fl oz 99 relaxed. Recovery swimming in any part of the Microbrews 12 fl oz 150-200+ workout will help dissipate products such as Red Wine 3.5 fl oz 74 lactic acid that may have built up during faster White Wine 3.5 fl oz 70 swimming. Distilled Spirits 1.5 fl oz 97 Regardless of the investment in your work Cola 12 fl oz 151 out, recovery swimming is recommended. If you One of my favourite high-calorie beverages is are a lap swimmer who maintains a constant the popular Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (24 and comfortable pace through your session, a fl oz), which contains 530 calories and 18g flat. suggested warm-down would be relaxed sculling This drink has as many calories and as much drills on your back. On the other end of the fat as a typical meal, although most people do spectrum, a swimmer who has completed a not use this drink as a meal replacement. rigorous 100-yard time trial may require over 10 Some other numbers minutes of moderate swimming to return to This year, I celebrated my weight loss base levels. success with dramatic improvements in In any swimming endeavour, keep in mind swimming competition, which included dozens that the level of effort and corresponding of lifetime best swims, a one-minute drop in the breathing and heart rates should change mile swim, an increase of 490 yards in the One- gradually, rather than suddenly. After a strong Hour Swim and a cumulative time drop of over effort, there is oftentimes a tendency toward an six minutes for all events over all three pool inactive recovery. However, an active recovery of courses. Improved swimming performance is slow-to-moderate swimming will produce more only one of the many ways that getting on track favourable results. Rather than prolonging with your nutrition can enhance your life. conversations in the pool, save them for the NATURAL SPORTS DRINK showers! Here’s a natural alternative to the widely available sports drinks found in markets. Scott Rabalais, Fitness Editor for SWIM, Ingredients: Coaches Collegiate and Masters swimming in ¼ cup Sugar Savannah, Ca. ¼ teaspoon Salt

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1 cup Orange Juice USMS LONG COURSE NATIONALS Water • On low heat, dissolve sugar in 2 cups water • Add salt A Tale of • Remove from stove and let cool • Add orange juice Two Swimmers • Pour into quart bottle There’s so much more to a Masters National • Mix with water to fill Championships than winning and setting records, as Serves: 4 evidenced by the stories of two swimmers, Karen Serving Size: 1 cup Einsidler and Richard Benson. Calories per serving: 54 This article appeared in SWIM Grams of fat per serving: 0 November/December 2003 HARVEST BISQUE Warm up on a cold, dreary day with this IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE & thick, creamy, guilt-free soup made of pureed vegetables. RELATIONSHIPS By Karen Einsidler Karen Einsidler swims for Connecticut Masters. She has held many USMS and world records in the Freestyle, Backstroke and IMs. This year, I had great difficulty staying motivated and deciding what to swim at the USMS Nationals. Training is one of the many things I juggle in my life. Along with being the mother of triplets — Nina, Teddy and Scott, who were born in 1997 — I am happily married to my husband, Jon, and I work full time as an in- Ingredients: house lawyer. Needless to say, my swimming 3 large Carrots (l lb) peeled and diced suffers before family or work. 2 medium Potatoes (l lb) peeled and diced I don’t have the desire to compete at a 1 large yellow onion (1½ lb) peeled and diced 2T extra virgin olive oil national level every year, so I entered the meet 4 cups chicken broth (vegetarians may substitute with at Rutgers with mixed emotions. Much of my vegetable broth, which would add only 5 calories per motivation came from the fact that it was a local 1 cup serving) meet — only within an hour of my home in New 1 bunch fresh dill (2 oz) York. Kosher salt (to taste) I hoped to swim Relays with Jon and my Fresh ground black pepper (to taste) parents, and I had decided to focus on Freestyle Shaved parmesan cheese (optional) events — specifically, the 200, 400 and 800. In a large stock pot, sweat the vegetables in the olive oil over medium-high heat until tender. One factor pushing me to swim was my Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and desire to compete with the strongest women in simmer until vegetables are cooked through my age group. I have wanted to meet certain (approximately 20 minutes). Remove from heat, swimmers for years. Others are old friends who add dill and let stand for one minute. Strain I hadn’t seen for years. Even though I hoped vegetables and reserve broth. Puree vegetables these other competitors would be there, I knew in a food processor or blender until creamy. their presence would make it very difficult to Combine puree with small amounts of stock win any of my events. until you achieve a desired consistency. Season As soon as the psyche sheets were available, to taste with salt and pepper and serve I realised my wish had been granted when I saw garnished with a few shavings of the best parmesan cheese and a sprig of dill. the names of three swimmers — Suzanne Heim- Serves: 8 Bowen, Colette Crabbe and . Serving size: 1 cup Calories per serving: 95 with cheese, 80 without Day 1 Grams of fat per serving: 4½ with cheese, 3½ without I didn’t have a lot of expectations coming into the meet. I just wanted to be a part of some

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good races with some extremely talented The highlight of my first day came as we were swimmers in my age group. Although I set some leaving. Randy Nutt waved me over to the booth. personal goals, I was concerned about other Suzanne Heim-Bowen was sitting there. We peoples’ expectations. exchanged stories and, during the conversation, Thursday was my first day of competition we realised we had both crossed the English and I was already exhausted! I had a cold — Channel. given to me by my kids — and I was having Toward the end of our conversation the lights great difficulty breathing while swimming and flickered and we heard about the blackout. At sleeping. Jon and I had to get up early for our that point my focus turned away from one-hour drive to the pool. Even though I have a swimming and back to reality. hard time eating before swimming, I drank some How were the kids? Gatorade and had a Zone Bar and a Power Bar. Had we lost power at home? Upon arrival, we met Randy Nutt of the Victor. During our conversation, was discovered Day 2 that he knows Suzanne Heim-Bowen. I really wanted to meet her! Next, we headed to the pool As I stood behind the blocks waiting to swim for warm-up. the 200 Freestyle, I was feeling exhausted. The I did my usual warm-up: 600 Freestyle, 400 kids hadn’t slept well through the power outage, IM (25 kick, 50 drill, 25 swim), went off the which lasted until 1 am, and I was still a little starting block a few times, did some drills and a under the weather. I knew there were a lot of little more loosening up in the outdoor pool. I people watching race with expectations, and I wouldn’t be swimming for a while. doubted myself. Eventually, Jon swam the 800 Freestyle. It’s Gould was in the next lane and Tracy Grilli more stressful to watch his races than to swim was on my other side. Having Tracy next to me my own. Jon has been so supportive. He will was great. I really enjoy her positive outlook. actually miss a day of practice before allowing Heim-Bowen was next to Gould on the other me to miss one. Fortunately, his time was 15 side but nobody really had ideas about beating seconds faster than last year. Suzanne at that point. My focus was on Shane. As we approached my heat, the nerves were Shane and I took out the first 100 together. I setting in and I ended up going out a little too just wanted to be in the race and didn’t care as fast. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a great much about my time. As we turned for the swim but I directed my energy to try and stay second 100, I decided to put a little more with the swim. I was proud of myself. emphasis on my legs — as Paul Fortoul, my Afterward, I tried to find Suzanne Heim- coach, had recommended during the season. Bowen but she was so fast she had probably At the 150, I turned slightly ahead of Shane. already showered and dressed. I felt good. My legs were strong and Shane My next event was the 50 Backstroke, my would really have to work for it if she were going sixth event. Ordinarily, I don’t focus much on to catch me. I was thrilled and slightly stunned this event but I knew this one would be special. to reach the wall slightly ahead of her. I was swimming next to Shane Gould, Although Suzanne had won the race, that Australia’s Olympic gold medallist at Munich in didn’t matter to me. Many of my friends and 1972. teammates congratulated me after the swim. I arrived at the blocks and tried to focus but, Having the opportunity to swim a Freestyle race just before entering the water, I turned and with arguably the great female Freestyle looked at Shane. She looked back and smiled. I swimmer of all-time made the silver medal feel smiled back and just couldn’t stop smiling. I felt as good as any gold I’ve ever won. like a little kid. Unfortunately, I’d lost my focus. The start sounded and I forgot to dolphin- Day 3 kick underwater. Although I was ahead in the beginning, halfway through I could tell Shane I finally got to bring the gang — Nina, Teddy was going to overtake me. Still star-struck, I and Scott — to the pool. Fortunately I only had was powerless to prevent it. Afterward, I told her the 200 Backstroke. My primary competition in how thrilled I was to swim alongside her. the event was Patty Landers who was not

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entered in the meet, so the race didn’t have the of it. I was less than a second off the time I had same sense of excitement as the others. done 10 years ago and even though I had gotten Although I was having a hard time getting third, I knew I had put a lot into the race and “up” for the race, the butterflies in my stomach had left it all in the pool. returned as I prepared to get in the water. It The highlight of the day came when we were turned out pretty well — faster than last year — leaving the meet. Jon and I ran into Colette and but of all of my events; the Backstrokes are the I got the chance to talk to her for at least a half furthest off what I had done 10 years ago. hour. She was charming! A realisation started to hit me during this I realised after talking to Colette and meet: I can’t train for distance Freestyle, IM and Suzanne during the meet that I’m at a different Backstroke with the amount of time I am place in my life compared to most of the women spending in the water. in my age group. I suspected that all along. Jon and I gathered up the gang to get home I came away from nationals this year with a to rest for the final day. great feeling about the women in my age group. I will look forward to our next meeting. Day 4

Behind the blocks for my first event of the day, the 400 Freestyle — with Suzanne next to me — I couldn’t help thinking about how it would be the first time my kids would see Mommy not win her event. Sometimes they seem obsessed with winning, and I thought, “This will be good for them”. At the same time, I couldn’t prevent my mind from wandering to the 200 IM, which would be later in the day. The gun went off and I just couldn’t get into Karen Einsidler, Shane Gould & Colette Crabbe the swim. Suzanne was way ahead and I kept thinking about my next event. I finished, looked A VIEW FROM BEHIND THE at the clock and was disappointed in myself for BUBBLES not giving more of an effort. By Richard Benson I got a lot of good advice leading into the 200 The conversation went something like this … IM from friends, including Rob Goldbloom of “You went last year to USMS Nationals in Metropolitan Masters. It had been 10 years Hawaii — alone; and this year to Arizona — since I’d done the event and I knew I needed to alone; and now you’re going to take me along to swim a smart race. Long Course Nationals — in Piscataway?” Once again, I was next to Shane. Colette I tell my wife, Gayle, of 25 years, “It’s a Crabbe was on Shane’s left. Earlier in the meet, writing assignment”, and by way of exposition, Colette swam a fabulous 400 IM and broke my refer to my appointment by the august world record from last summer. I never really publisher to attend and participate in this year’s saw Colette during the race, so once again I event, giving the “rear-end” perspective. found my focus was on Shane. We would only stay 48 hours of the four-day Gould was ahead of me in the Butterfly leg, meet, which was held less than 60 miles from which I had expected. I then came back in the where we live. Once settled in our hotel, we met Backstroke leg, but she was still in front. fellow swimmers on the feeding line and around During the Breaststroke, my weakest stroke, I the lobby, including Suzanne Helm-Bowen of took Rob Goldbloom’s advice and tried to sprint. the Walnut Creek Masters. I managed to pull slightly ahead of her going Affable Suzanne gave us perspective on the into the wall but soon realised I didn’t have any ongoing California recall election, explaining legs left at the end. why she had decided not to throw her swim cap Shane pulled even, then slightly ahead, and I in the political ring. In the days to come, she felt powerless to do anything. She touched me would go on to set five world records in her age out. It was a great race and I enjoyed being part group.

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I also reintroduced myself to 23-year-old available in the hospitality room, courtesy of our Jessica Foschi, with whom I had done a 5K gold medal sponsorship. Swim Across America fund-raiser the previous summer on my 50th birthday, and who was Time to Cheer swimming in her second Masters meet — her premier appearance with our Metro team. Although I was done for the day, we returned With Suzanne in tow, we motored out to the with our feast to the pool to see our newest Sonny Werblin Center, site of the meet, located Metro member, Jim Anderson — late of the on the Rutgers campus in New Jersey. disbanded Rio Grande Masters — and watched The pristine 50m indoor pool was lined on as his Texas drawl of a crawl was edged out in one side with bleachers, filled with competitors the 200 Freestyle by Badger Steve Newman in and their minions, rallying around their the 40-44 age group. respective teams’ colours, and on the other by It was the Metro women who ruled the day. two milky-coloured, 20-yard warm-up tanks, Maria Doelger, who had entered the event filled to the brim with determined swimmers. intending merely to cruise through, couldn’t Lingering leisurely over breakfast and hold back on her competitive nature, as she experiencing some unanticipated traffic travails stroked her way to first among the 40-44 had made us dangerously late, and I was women. unable to take advantage of the mid-morning And for Jessica Foschi, the joy of returning to warm-up in the competition pool. After competitive swimming was evident on her changing into my Spiderman jammers, I was beaming face as she stared at the scoreboard barely able to get my heart rate up in the few and realised that she had turned in a 2:03.06 — hundred yards of warm-up in the crowded tank. with a split of 59.40 on the first 100. Flipping turns every 20 yards was not good preparation for a 200m long course race.

Time to Compete

To me, the 200m Freestyle is a hybrid event — too long for a sprint pace, but not quite a middle distance event. I’ve not yet figured out the proper race strategy, even though we train in a long course metre pool at least six months a year. My Aquafit Masters coach, Lisa Baumann, regularly drills us to work the middle 100 in wearing repeat sets. Yet, I just can’t grasp the elusive, yet optimal combination of a consistent four-strokes-to-one-breath pattern, high-elbow Jessica Foschi and Maria Doelger entry, maximal stroke length and core rotation I watched their strokes during the events — a that I’m able to bring to this event’s shorter low stroke count, no rapid turnover, no cousins. powerful motorboat kick and not a lot of body I thrashed my way through the water in what rotation. I thought, “Why are they so much felt like an endless effort, breathing in erratic faster than me? Is their draw and pull that patterns, the touch pad teasingly moving out of much more efficient, or is it some other aspect my reach. My 2:49 put me dead last in the heat of their movement that allows them to cover the and, although I beat my seed time, Lisa’s same distance as me in two-thirds the time — expressed opinion that I could knock off 15 with one-half to two-thirds of the stroke count?” seconds weighed heavily on my mind as I Later in the day, we watched Jeff Wortman’s hauled myself despondently from the water. performance in the Men’s 200 Breaststroke. I My wife was as supportive as ever and I had spent time in Arizona with Jeff, an didn’t want to dampen this special occasion, so introspective 58-year-old New Yorker, a we lunched on the delicious hero sandwiches Dartmouth graduate who struggled to help save

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his alma mater’s swim program from Our other women’s relay of Eiko Matsumura, budgeticide, a volunteer nonpareil who juggled a Lisa Martin, Marie Vellucci and Sue LeCarreaux typically busy schedule of working, swimming also turned in an estimable fifth in the same age and caring for his aging and ailing parents. group. After a wonderful evening of drinking and fine dining, we all slunk back to our respective rest spots and readied for the next day’s events.

Final Day

This would be our last day at the competition, which would continue into Sunday. Prior long-standing commitments — including performing on bass with the Roadhouse Blues Band before 2,000 contestants and spectators at the Vytra-Tobay Triathlon in Oyster Bay, N.Y. at 10 am on Sunday (coincidentally, my 51st birthday) — would prematurely bring us back from New Jeff Wortman Jersey.

This day I would be swimming in three In the water, Jeff put his all into the final events: the 100 Freestyle, 50 Butterfly and on a strokes, finishing fourth, and then took an Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay. Once again, I missed excruciatingly long time to exit the tank. His the mid-morning warm-up in the big pool and pained expression foreshadowed his death eight this time chose to loosen up in the outside pool. days later, when he suffered a massive heart We returned to the air-conditioned facility to see attack while participating in the New York Dick Guido, our 86-year-old “youngster”, grab a Hudson River swim. third place in the 100 Freestyle, his third event

for the day. While we had been lounging in bed Relay Success and eating breakfast, Dick had already captured

first in his age group in both the 400 Freestyle The afternoon culminated with the Men’s and and the 200 Backstroke. Women’s 200 Medley Relays. Our relays were I spent the remaining moments before my captained by our on-deck coach, Paul Fortoul, heat going over my race strategy: four strokes who monitored the heats, gave insightful last per breath on the first 25, then six strokes on minute pre-race and post-mortem advice and the next 50, then four again on the home provided splits for us throughout the meet. stretch. I was an alternate Butterfly or Freestyle As I took the blocks, I envisioned the catch swimmer in the law firm-like line-up of and the sweep of my stroke, mentally training Goldbloom, Wortman, Patterson and Goldberg. my muscles to feel the strong, even pull. At the Our other men’s squad was comprised of Mike sound of the horn, I hit the water — and all McDermott, fellow Aquafitter and New York City planning went straight to hell as my goggles fire-fighter Mike Brady and Joe Byrne, along came loose and I proceeded blindly up the lane, with that Irishman-for-a-day, Hashim Al- again thrashing through the water, anguishing Mashat. This blarney-encrusted crew took sixth over whether to stop and adjust my prescription in the 120-159 age group, while the other eyewear. quartet’s efforts were, unfortunately, DQ’ed. At the turn, I didn’t see the wall clearly and More successful were the Metro relay women. flipped too close so that my legs rose high out of Janet Harris, Megan Griffis, Maria Doelger and the water, hitting the rim of the pool. I struggled Jessica Foschi took first overall in the event, through the back end of the race, feeling as if I turning in a 2:09.13. This same line-up would, were finishing a 1000 as I hit the touchpad, well on the following day, set an age group USMS behind the nearest competitor. record in the Freestyle Relay.

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Somehow, I had finished only a second A Common Bond behind my seed time and then I remembered: I had paid $15 to have this debacle videotaped! As we showered, packed up our kit bags and bid adieu to our teammates, I thought about the World Records amalgam of athletes that participates in Masters swim competitions. In the women’s half of the 100, we bore witness to the breaking of two world records. From the elites to the pokers like me, each Our car-pool companion, Suzanne Heim- has brought thousands of hours of training to Bowen, went 1:02.11 in her 45-49 the arena, not dissimilar from that of the world- championship heat, while Maria Doelger — class athletes who appear quadrennially on taking her last 16 strokes into the wall without national television. a breath — shattered the previous record by three-quarters of a second with a 58.43 Each is out there to perform his or her performance. personal best, to beat one’s own previous Maria had saved a little something, though, accomplishment. for the relays. Our 160-199 Medley Relay team of Bob Goldbloom, the versatile Janet Harris, There is no “trash talk”, and besting another Maria and “cowboy” Jim Anderson edged out individual is rarely the point. If a record is the Illinois and New England Masters’ pursued, it is just a number and not a name. foursomes. And our fab four of Freestyle females The acclaim, when it comes, is brief — a continued their domination of the meet as patter of applause from fellow competitors and a Janet, Megan Griffis, Maria and Jessica few familial spectators, always cut short by the smashed another USMS record for the 120-159 commencement of the next heat as your name age group with their 1:52.46 performance in the disappears from the scoreboard before you can 200 Freestyle Relay. digest its content and, perhaps, relish the Our Men’s Freestyle Relay in the 120-159 age moment. group were no slouches, either, as the combo of Levy, Brady, Goldbloom and Anderson scored a Yet we all continue to drag ourselves to the second place in the division. pool, whether at the somnambulant start of a My own aggregate 202-year-old relay team long day or the weary conclusion of one. with Charlie Carson, Akira Suzuki and Bruce Goldberg accomplished our single-minded goal: And for those previous moments, we are to get our anchor in the water before the first- masters of the locomotion of our bodies through place team finished! the foreign medium out of which our evolutionary ancestors emerged, continually striving to improve our performance.

And in doing so, we are improving ourselves as human beings.

Those finned folks would be proud of our progress.

Richard Benson, who competed in the men’s 50-54 age group at Rutgers, is a charter (From left) Akira Suzuki, Charlie Carson, Richard Benson and Bruce Goldberg member of Aquafit Masters, located in Long Island, N.Y. Aquafit is a sub-division of greater New York’s Metro Masters.

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and is very demanding on a regular basis by giving them extremely tough sets as often as HARD WORK possible. He not only challenges them physically, but psychologically as well. When looking at his training program he states it Pays OFF simply, “It is hard training and the kids have to Bud McAllister – Head Coach be very motivated to do it.” Kitchner/Waterloo National Swim Centre By Jeff Grace A lot of his training philosophy comes from This article appeared in American Swimming what he has developed through years of working Magazine, 2003 Issue 4 with mid-distance and distance swimmers as well as observing great coaches such as Mark As a young Schubert, and Dick Jochums. It swimmer, September consists of two main principles, get them tired of 1988 had to be the and then ask them to go fast! “When I make up most anticipated sets I think, okay I want to get them a little bit month of my entire tired and then let’s go fast at the end,” says life. The Seoul McAllister. Olympics were full of extremely exciting In recent years one of the strengths Bud has events from Ben shown in his methods is how he has been able Johnson’s victory and to adapt that philosophy to fit the different inevitable fall to Matt athletes he has worked with, “Up to 1996 I Biondi’s quest for trained Suzu Chiba for the 200 and 400 Mark Spitz’s Munich record of seven Olympic Freestyle. I got her tired and then asked her to Gold Medals. go fast—she did, she swam okay, she went best times. Then when I switched and prepared her One of the most entertaining, inspiring and for 2,000 I just let her go fast and she amazing story of those games was that of a performed a lot faster. I think that race pace is young girl from the . This very important for people who are doing the 200 young sprite of a girl from Fullerton Swim Team and down. When I did a lot more of that with posted times that very few have approached in Suzu in Freestyle, that made a huge difference.” the 15 years that have followed her victories. When looking at the two different ways of When looking back on those swims I have training Bud points out you really have to know often wondered what type of coach helps such the athletes you are working with, their an athlete to these successes. When reading maturity level and their previous development. about Bud McAllister one will find that this is One of the biggest determinants that he uses not the only success story that has come out of when deciding on the type of program that is the many swimmers who have been under his developed is how the athletes respond to the tutelage. Swimmers such as Kristina Quance, many psychological challenges of training. Alexis Larsen, Suzu Chiba and currently Takashi Yamamoto and Keith Beavers have all PSYCHOLOGY OF CHALLENGES experienced a great deal of success at the international level through McAllister’s “If you don’t have the swimmers and coaches philosophy. who are willing to try it — it isn’t going to happen.” Bud feels that the attitude around When speaking with coaches throughout the challenges would have to be changed if the world you find that their philosophy on distance performance of swimmers is going to improve. training has been greatly shaped by Bud. When looking at racing the best in the world, Whether it was through articles on him and how you must be willing to do things daily that the he approaches the sport or by speaking to him best in the world are doing and then surpass on the deck his philosophy has had a lasting those performances. Most often for swimmers it impact on the swimming world. is how they handle those challenges mentally that makes the difference between being great PHILOSOPHY or good.

McAllister has become to be known as a An example of one of the most challenging coach who consistently challenges his athletes sets that Bud has used he borrowed from Paul

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Bergen in the 80s. The swimmers do 15x100 on before.” an interval that you know that they can’t make; it is okay if they only make three or four; the It is a feeling of ownership that keeps the next time they may make six or seven, soon athletes in touch with their times “I had athletes enough they will make all 15. “Most of them who would say I don’t know them — I forgot. I handle it really well. You can tell them I know would ask what is your phone number, your you are not going to make it; to start off with address, your locker combination. You this is going to be a sprint set. You are going to remember numbers that are important to you.” sprint three or four of them. They fail and than This tactic has the ability to give coaches an you take a minute or two minutes and go back idea of how important swimming is to the into it. particular athlete and what level of maturity they are at. When looking back at the groups We used to start with 10 and go to 15 and that McAllister has coached in the past, he they did a pretty good job of it, even those kids reminisced of swimmers like Evans who not who weren’t at a high level. The interval may only knew her best workout times, but would have to be easier; they then would make all ten continually improve them day after day and that and that was almost too easy. But we would still was the most important aspect of the training be progressing. Looking at it common-sense plan right from their first meeting of the year. wise, what are you training for? You are training more for the 400 IM, the 800 Freestyle and the When taking athletes to higher levels the long stuff with this type of set. So now I have coach must have a belief and a vision of how to picked an interval where you are going to get 30 get to those performances. Bud feels too many seconds rest and go faster each time.” coaches dismiss many challenges because they feel that they are too hard. Coaches must have When exploring the realm of challenging a vision of how they are going to progressively athletes psychologically there must be get each athlete to continually higher levels of motivating factors that help them surpass those performance by planning many logical challenges. The largest motivator on a daily progressions. basis in Bud’s program is the importance he puts on workout best times. Athletes are held PLANNING accountable and are asked to continually compare themselves to their previous best While exploring the subject of planning, workout performances. “There is a girl I email- coaches throughout the world use two basic coach who swims over in Poland. She emailed methods of planning … (a) science and (b) art. me, depressed, because she didn’t do best The first tends to be a very detailed approach times. She then emailed me telling how good her that is designed to make sure that you are stroke feels and how she feels she is going to go consistently moving in the direction you want fast. by following many protocols based on scientifically proven methods. It usually has a I finally emailed her back and said, tell me lot of structure and tends to be rigid. The what you have done in workout that is a best second approach is that of the artist. Although workout time. What are the fastest intervals you not as precise in the way of monitoring and are going on? Why do you expect to go best specific methodology, this approach is led by times if you are not going on faster and faster the coach watching the athletes and using both intervals? Why do you expect to go best times if intuition and experience to guide them through you are not doing workout bests? If you haven’t their training. done things that are faster in practice why are you going to go faster in a race? It is not going Bud falls into the artist category. “I basically to happen; you have to be realistic.” To move try to go fast (as much as possible). I got that forward you must improve your workouts from really watching Schubert. I also had the regularly. This is the only way one can opportunity to watch Jochums when I was in realistically hope for continual improvement in Arizona and Coach Bergen. That is basically racing situations. “You can look at another what they would try to do, push them, push sport like weight lifting. If you are not lifting them and push them.” more in practice, are you going to expect to go to a competition and lift more? No, it is just One of the biggest things that coaches use in common sense. You can get all this fancy planning is their intuition. “I didn’t used to use scientific stuff, but it comes down to a simple microcycles — I completely did it on how they thing — doing things you have never done looked. Sometimes you have a person like Janet

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(Evans) who is completely on one side of the spectrum. It took me weeks, sometimes months to get her tired. Every day I would say you need BUILDING~~~~~~ to come back the next day and do it again — and she did it. That is basically how I used to do A SENIOR PROGRAM it. I remember when I first came here someone asked me what is your microcycle plan. It was Dick Jochums to work them, work them, work them until I see 8 September 2001: 8:30am-9:30am them get tired, and when they do put them on Notes by Laura Matuzak an easier set and the others I keep pushing.” This article appeared in American Swimming Magazine, Volume 2003 Issue 4 Bud is very aware of his critics in this sense, but feels that the results he has produced In 1988, I was fired by the NCAA. No one should stand on their own. “I had done a clinic wanted me back except Long Beach, then Santa talk back in the 80s and people said, you just Clara. I chose Santa Clara. pound the swimmers and that’s all. Well I guess Why? Water — water — water. All the time I I do (to an extent) but there has to be something could possibly have both LC and SC pools. But to it because a lot of (successful) coaches seem big debt problem at Santa Clara. to do it that way.” Masters swimming provided $ but they are dangerous people. Even though this was the case in the 80s, I started with straight stroke drills: Butterfly, Bud has once again learned and adapted that Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle. They philosophy to the swimmers he coaches now. “I thought it was going to be easy but once I do a lot more planning now than I did before, started the training 27 kids went quickly to 12. with different energy systems and what not. I Revolution started but I had a 5-year just did it by feel before and obviously it worked contract renewable at the end of year ‘x’. So, I pretty well. I don’t think it worked very well for could “destroy” the club if I wanted to. my 100 people, but for those people I have to be Parents have never “bought” me. If I see a careful to say okay here are your fast sets and parent coming towards me, I yell, “NO! What’s the in-between days aren’t that hard, for the question?” recovery with different energy systems.” I sell my program to my kids. Kids like it when the coach has problems with their parents There are still those athletes who need that — they respect me more. kind of push and can handle a lot more work on Be fair. Don’t let parents “buy” you. I have a more regular basis and Bud is still willing to zero parents as friends. push them as much as they need and still If you play favourites, they will come after believes in pushing each athlete to their limit. “I you and rightfully so. do more of that when I get someone who can My wife is the closest person to me. Coaching handle it. Take them to failure — coaches don’t is no worse than any other profession. know how far you can go. Okay you improved, Fortunately, my wife is not “high maintenance”. but you are at 88% of what your potential is. I’m like any other parent. Watching my own You have to go to failure until you can’t do the children is better than coaching an Olympic last one — until you blow up. Then I back off — Gold Medallist. it depends on the swimmer. was here at the end of last year and he is amazing in Must lay foundations down for your Senior what he can do. Almost every day ended up Program. being quality sets and he handled it. Every day (he) got better, as we went through the month. 1. Need contract that protects ME. You have to watch the individual and if they can 2. Phone calls — 99% are a waste — the handle it, why not push it.” other 1% may be worthwhile but all phone calls I reply, “Thank you for your phone The answer to the question, what kind of call, I’ll take care of it tomorrow”. If you coach directs athletes like Janet Evans to such say that, they will thank you for changing successes? A coach with a simple philosophy (whether you do or not). that hard work and high expectations mixed with continual day-to-day improvement will Age Group is designed to go up to the Senior result in success. Program. Design and aim your team toward the Senior Program. By aiming so high, no one will come out behind.

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(John Bitter, Assistant Coach, talking now) TRAINING TECHNIQUE —

• At Santa Clara, if you are 13 and older, ALL THE TIME you are on the Senior team. No required By Phillip Whitten, Editor-in-Chief workouts, but we tell them … this is what This article appeared in Swimming Technique you need to do to be the best you can be. October-December 2003 • Three people run the Senior Program. All do the sets: 800 w/u, kick set, main set, This is the second in a series of mini- pull set. interviews with some of the world’s leading • Allow them all a chance or opportunity to coaches — a new feature replacing the go as high as he/she wants. traditional “Editor’s Note.” • Four Age Group Coaches. • Learn-to-Swim Program: one coach (that’s This issue’s interview is with Bob the foundation and input into our team). Bowman, who coached Michael Phelps to • Masters is a $ maker — set boundaries — don’t bleed or they will come at you like seven world records in 2003 and was sharks. named the 2003 Coach of the Year by both ASCA and USA Swimming. (Dick Jochums talks again) Swimming Technique: If you leave my team for another one, you Coach Bowman, how important is aren’t ever coming to come back and we’re going technique in the success of your program? to whip you. Competitions are required. First thing I did Coach Bob Bowman: was eliminate the non-competitive team. Very important — essential. In fact, the We do one meet per month to evaluate our program. The two meets we think about are the higher you go up the performance scale, the Olympic Trials and the Olympics. That’s what more important it is. After all, there is a you have to do or you will never produce those finite limit to how many hours you can athletes. swim each day. After that, the only way a After stroke drills, we go big mileage Michael Phelps can improve is by becoming overnight — it’s great to toughen them up. more efficient in the water. Coaching isn’t a tough job — the kids make us — it doesn’t hurt me at all! They want to be ST: tough! What about your younger swimmers? Coach to the top.

Coach to success … we have no failures in this sport. Bowman: Weight room is a mistake for Distance It’s important to establish a base of good Freestyle — I pull instead. technique. I’d rather start kids off with Seniors teach with Age Group kids — team efficient technique and build training on building is important and the parents love it. that than vice-versa. For example, our Contracts: Don’t put in clauses or incentives youngest group, the 8-and-unders, swim — just protect yourself. one hour, three times a week. Virtually If you believe in yourself, the kids will follow. everything they do has a technique component. THE DAY YOU STOP LEARNING At the next level, they swim an hour and THE DAY YOU STAND STILL 15 minutes three times a week. Except for one conditioning set — which we use THEN YOU WILL GO BACKWARDS. basically to teach them to read the pace clock-all the time is spent on technique.

At our top age group level, the kids swim for an hour and 45 minutes five or six times a week. They spend more time on conditioning, but still about 40% of the

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time is spent on stroke drills. The most important improvements in technique take Express to Success: place when a swimmer is swimming under A MEDICINE BALL stress, and we have some long sets that test their technique under various degrees of TRAINING PROGRAM stress. By This article appeared in Swimming Technique With our four senior groups, more time October-December 2003 is spent training and the training-to- technique ratio changes. Right now As an older age group swimmer, I followed (September), I spend about half an hour per the path of many who had come before — I session teaching. At this level, though, that experimented with lifting weights to augment consists mainly of fine-tuning. my swim training. I realised that I needed to stimulate my muscles in a way that was ST: different from what they were used to in the How does that change as the season pool. progresses? The trick was to shock them in a new way, as Bowman: often as possible, doing different sets and Well, as you go through the year, the different strokes. But as I gained size physically, volume and intensity of work increase. In I saw little improvement in the pool. I was the fall, we work on learning new drills and certainly stronger, but while those new muscles skills. As the season progresses, the stress were great at pressing iron up and down (and levels are increased so the new skills can be impressing the girls — or so I wished), they did transferred under conditions of stress. As I very little when asked to perform in the complex see it, though, my job is to coach technique manner required to swim the four strokes. — all the time. Actually, one thing these new “beach ST: muscles” did was to draw precious oxygen from How would you characterise your own the muscles that were truly doing the work in approach to technique? the swimming pool.

Bowman: Much to my social despair, I decided that Think of it this way: to a biomechanist, lifting weights was not going to improve my swimming is all about arms and legs; to a swimming enough to be worth the time it took. physiologist, it’s about heart, lungs and It was just about this time that I met swimming blood pressure. I’m somewhere in between guru Joszef Nagy. Among the 32 billion changes these two. I stress the physical dynamics of he made in the pool, he brought with him an training. idea for a new style of dry land training — the medicine ball. When he asked me where to find I don’t condition swimmers; I condition a medicine ball, I didn’t know what one was. He their strokes. Almost everything we do told me, “You know, like Rocky Balboa”. involves increasing the level of stress placed on the athlete and ensuring that his or her It turned out that each high school in my stroke responds appropriately. For county had bought some in the late 1950s and example, we ask them to maintain a certain had not used them since. This was a great tempo or stroke length under specific thing, because as we wore them out, we had a conditions. steady source available for donations. (They thought they were useless — little did they There is nothing complex about what we know! Great improvements had been made in do. It’s beautifully simple. the balls since the days when I wore goggles to stop the sand from raining in my eyes on each catch!) The beginning of a new era of medicine balls was born.

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A secondary workout, in addition to began, the workout would not stop for any swimming, is a must for improvement after the reason. A continuous 55 minutes was the goal. first few giant leaps of the novice athlete are If you weren’t sweating after the first five, complete. The body as well as the mind need something was very wrong. By the end, we’d be different stimulation away from the pool. If I soaked — and most certainly exhausted. gave 100% to the swim workout, I had nothing left. But I could still have a good medicine ball I trained with two of the world’s best workout because many of the supportive swimmers. Together we tried to learn all that we muscles were not used in the same style during could about how best to use the balls. This the swim workout and were, therefore, fresh. meant everything from exactly how to catch the ball for maximum strength conditioning, to just But why the medicine ball? There were many how precisely to aim the ball to get through advantages that I could see very quickly. The your opponent’s hands and directly onto his most obvious was the similarity of movement nose — the latter being extremely useful on and speed between the medicine ball movement many occasions when the training was not and the actual stroke movement. Actually, over going well for me! 50% of the muscle movement done during our dryland workout is exactly the same as the The results of the program were both obvious muscle movement during swimming. In addition as well as stunning. Before I began the program, to many muscles moving in a similar way, my weakest link was my forearms. In the end, almost the same number was moving in the that was by far my strongest. The quickness in exact opposite manner. This was a superb way my stroke on the recovery phase was due to strengthen those injury-prone muscles that mainly to the medicine ball workouts. The were neglected so many times by even the best power of my kick and push from the wall was athletes. again from the dryland program. Many benefits came from the program that could not have Another quick-to-be-seen advantage was the been accomplished from simply swimming. joint stress, or lack thereof. During the medicine ball workout, the maximum weight These benefits are certainly available to carried by any part of the body would be the anyone. It’s best to start off easy with a body weight plus a maximum of only about 12 lightweight ball and work your way up to about pounds. This meant that even younger a 10-12 pounder when things become more swimmers — those who were old enough to natural. Of course, in the beginning, the ball need a little extra, but were not quite ready for will go flying all over as it takes a while to get weights—had a great, fun way to supplement the forearm muscles in shape to catch and hold what they were doing in the pool. For them, it the ball. But once this is accomplished, holding was also a way to begin learning about speed the ball is a key to the workout. Missing the ball and intensity, even if they were not yet at that becomes only a subconscious method of rest stage in the pool. and an interesting mental challenge.

For my coach and me though it became The workouts we designed were built something of an art to develop that “concise” specifically for my 200m Breaststroke, but are a program that would benefit my 200 metre great starting point for anyone (experiment with Breaststroke. It took several years for us to bits and pieces). Once there is some come up with the right mix, but in the end, it understanding of the reasons behind each included a multitude of exercises that spanned exercise, the program can be tailored for anyone about 55 minutes. The medicine ball was, of swimming any event, with a goal to reach the course, at the centre of the action, but also level where all of the outlined exercises can be included some sit-ups, push-ups, squats and completed in approximately 55 minutes. jumps, stretch cords and many other isokinetic exercises. Give the program a test run — not just a few weeks — but a true season. This is the bare The most important aspect was that once it minimum before any results can manifest. Be

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patient and find what works best for each individual. With this in mind, success is a certainty.

4. Laying down—sit-ups with ball (10x)

1. From the chest and out (20x)

5. Laying down—over head to waist with little arc (10x)

2. Overhead from behind neck. Straight arms at the finish (20x)

6. Laying down—push out from chest with Backstroke kick (20x)

7. Pass under legs and switch (20x) 3. From the floor in front of the feet to over head, making sure to keep the arms straight at the finish (20x)

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PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS OF ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE By Dr. Doug Hankes This article appeared in American Swimming Magazine, Volume 2003 Issue 4

FUN HAPPINESS

Attention Concentration Competition Dealing with Strong Emotions & Anxiety PROCESS

Preparatory Imagery and Visualisation Self-Talk People Skills Basic/ Goals and Commitment Foundation Motivation ATTITUDE Personal and PHYSICAL SKILLS/TOOLS Athletic Excellence COACHING

1. Physical Skills/Tools • Realise that many of the benefits come • Physically gifted from their participation — not solely the • Train hard and practice diligently performance outcome • Train and practice with the same effort 4. Goals and Commitment that one competes • Set short and long-term goals that are • Train with appropriate quantity and realistic, measurable and time-oriented, quality as well as dream goals 2. Attitude • Are aware of their current performance • Realise attitude is a choice and choose to levels and are able to develop specific and be positive detailed plans for attaining their goals • View their sport as an opportunity to • Are highly committed to their goals and compete against self and learn from carrying out the daily demands of their successes and failures training program • Pursue excellence rather than perfection 5. People Skills and realise teammates, coaches and • Realise that they are part of a larger others are not perfect system that includes family, friends, • Maintain balance and perspective between teammates, coaches and others their sport and the rest of their life • When appropriate, communicate their • Respect their sport and others involved in thoughts, feelings and needs to these it people and listen to them as well 3. Motivation • Learn effective skills for dealing with • Are aware of the rewards and benefits conflict, difficult opponents and others they expect to experience through their when they are negative or oppositional sport participation 6. Self-Talk • Persist through difficult tasks and times, • Maintain their self-confidence during even when rewards and benefits are not difficult times with realistic, positive self- immediate talk

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• Talk to themselves the way they would a Your Realistic Goal: Based on where you trusted, best friend are now physically, technically, and • Use self-talk to regulate thoughts, feelings motivationally, this is the best you can and behaviours during practice and realistically attain now and in the near future — competition if you really committed yourself. 7. Mental Imagery/Visualisation Your Self-Acceptance Goal: Even when • Prepare themselves for competition by goals are set realistically and you pursue them imagining themselves performing well in vigorously, some goals will be achieved and competition some not. If you fail to reach an important goal, • Create and use images that are detailed, you must still accept yourself as a worthy specific and realistic human being. The true measure of your self- • Use imagery during competition to worth is who you are and what you try to prepare for action and recover from errors become as a person — not what you achieve. and poor performances “A goal is created three times. First, as a 8. Dealing Effectively with Anxiety mental picture. Second, written down to add • Accept anxiety as part of sport clarity and dimension. Finally third, when you • Realise that some degree of anxiety can take action toward its achievement.” help them perform well “Goals that are not written down are just • Know how to reduce anxiety when it wishes.” becomes too strong, without losing their intensity TOWER OF 10 — OPTIONAL 9. Dealing Effectively with Emotions ASSIGNMENT Directions: The following questions can be • Accept strong emotions such excitement, directed to any part of your life that you believe anger and disappointment as part of their is important — education, sport, relationships, sport experience health, career, or lifestyle. In this optional • Are able to use these emotions to improve, assignment, think about your sport. Find a rather than interfere with high level quiet time and place where you can thoughtfully performance write down your answers. It is best to do this 10. Attention/Concentration assignment once or twice a year. Your • Know what they must pay attention to responses can guide your course and become when competing in their sport your destiny. • Have learned how to maintain focus and 1. Ultimate dream goal (long-term). What resist and/or counter distractions, is your potential if you accept the possibility of whether they come from the environment unlimited possibilities? or from within themselves 2. Ultimate dream goal (this year). What is • Are able to regain their focus when possible if you really open doors within yourself concentration is lost during competition and get everything on track? • Have learned how to compete in the “here- 3. Realistic goal. What is realistic this year and-now”, without regard to either past or based on where you are now, your potential for anticipated future events improvement, and how much you want to get there? TOWER OF 10 — GOAL SETTING 4. Self-acceptance goal. Can you make the “Goals serve as a stimulus to life. They tend commitment to accept yourself as a worthy to tap the deeper resources and draw out of life human being and learn from this experience, its best.” regardless whether you achieve your goals this “People with goals succeed because they year? know where they are going.” 5. Tower of 10 goal. Can you set specific “No matter how busy you are, it is important goals for this year related to your state-of-mind, to stop long enough to think about where you attitude, mental readiness, confidence, and really want to go and how you might best get joyfulness? there.” 6. Focus goal. Can you commit yourself to focusing fully in every practice and competitive PERSONAL GOALS performance and for the important parts of Your Dream Goal: Accepting the possibility every day? of unlimited possibility — allowing yourself to 7. Daily goal. Can you set a goal every day to dream. Even if you never attain your dreams, if do something that will bring you closer to where you can accept that they are within your you want to be? stretched potential, then you will remove some barriers that now limit you.

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LEARN FROM THE OLYMPIANS Head Turning Technique Group 1, Photos #1-3 MICHAEL PHELPS’ (Also see Group 3, Photos #1-2) HEAD POSITION As Michael’s body rolls to the side and initiates the arm recovery, he continues Text & Photos by Cecil Colwin exhaling. Throughout the movement, he keeps This article appeared in Swimming Technique his head well down, pushing against the water October-December 2003 with the top of his head. To avoid lifting his face

forward at this critical point, he keeps one eye Michael Phelps’ excellent balance and above the other. (Note how he has waited until streamlining are largely the result of his his left arm is extended forward into the water controlled head position. Leading swimmers, before starting to turn the head to inhale.) . such as Michael, keep the head well down and Group 1, Photos #4-7 do not lift it at any stage — even when turning it Michael inhales as his arm recovers and his to inhale or on approaching the turn or finish. body continues to roll to the side, all the time

keeping his head low and maintaining perfect Multi-talented Michael Phelps was the star of body balance. He takes a deep breath with the World Championships in Barcelona, where mouth wide open and lips curled outward to he won five medals and broke five world prevent inhaling water. (Also see Group 3, records. Within a matter of days, he went on to Photo #2) win five more golds at the US National The upper arm muscles do most of the work Championships in College Park, Md. during the recovery, while the forearm, hanging The following photos of Phelps were taken loose and relaxed from the elbow, swings during a training session at the North Baltimore forward like a pendulum. (Also see Group 3, Aquatic Club last May. Michael was averaging Photo #3) 60 seconds per 100 metres in a long course Group 1, Photo #8 training set of 30x100 on 2 minutes. He had Michael completes the inward breath as his returned from Australia only three days earlier, arm, elbow up, reaches forward to the entry. but showed no signs of jet lag. Note how, at this stage, the scapula (shoulder- Michael Phelps’ facile Freestyle technique blade) becomes part of the arm’s forward reach. provides the answers to two frequent questions His exceptionally high body position can clearly concerning ideal head position… be seen. Michael’s face has disappeared beneath

the bow wave, which is continuously being 1. Does the water line around the head pushed forward by the top of his head. (Also remain constant throughout both see Group 2, Photos #1-2) inhalation and exhalation?

What’s the neck got to do with it? The water line around Michael’s head breaks Any action in any part of the swimming halfway across the top of his head and remains stroke cannot be isolated, but must have the same throughout the breathing cycle, immediate consequences elsewhere. This is whether he is exhaling or turning his head to particularly true of head position in swimming. the side to inhale. Of course, it is really the movement and

posture of the neck that decides head position. 2. When the head is turned sideways for The neck is capable of moving in three planes, inhalation, should it (for want of a better all of which have an effect on body balance and, description) be held at right angles to the consequently, on streamlining, too. spine? In the sagittal plane, the neck can be flexed,

extended or hyper-extended, as in Butterfly or Yes. Michael’s head is turned so that his Breaststroke. In Freestyle, the neck moves in head is at right angles to his spine. His head is the frontal plane, turning the head to the side kept well down, with chin in front of his for inhalation, rotating it to the left or the right, shoulder, and one eye above the other. This or both directions, depending on the preference action contrasts with other leading swimmers of the swimmer. who, instead of keeping their heads down when The type of neck movement that all inhaling, lift their heads so that the side of the swimmers should avoid is lateral flexion of the face presses against the water, thereby causing neck either to the left or to the right. This resistance. (See Group 1, Photos #1-8) detrimental movement moves the head out of

the body’s long axis, and causes the body to ride off-balance.

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For each individual, even the slightest change in The Importance of Ideal Head Position the plane (too high or too low) of the shoulder girdle can influence — for good or for bad — the Variations in individual physique and angle of the upper arm (humerus) in the buoyancy affect a swimmer’s head position — shoulder joint (glenoid) as the arm starts its factors such as head shape, whether the face is pull. long and narrow, or broad with eyes set far apart; whether the swimmer is tall and lean or Where to Focus the Eyes thick-set and chunky with a short, thick neck and bulky shoulders, or has a long neck with The important point is that leading streamlined shoulders such as Gary Hall, Jr.; or swimmers, such as Michael Phelps, do not lift whether the swimmer has a long streamlined the head at any stage — even when turning it to torso such as Michael Phelps. In fact, all sorts inhale or on the approach to the turn or finish. of combinations go into the mix to produce the ideal technique for each individual body build. He looks straight down, and not at the wall. For directional control, the swimmer relies on Even a difference of an inch or two in the observing the lane line and turn markers on the height of the head in the water can influence bottom of the pool. not only body balance and streamlining, but also the effectiveness of propulsion. Finding the Although a swimmer may lose sight of the ideal head position for each individual is lane line during the brief moment the head is important in developing a swimmer’s overall turned to breathe, maintaining stroke balance efficiency. and head control (perhaps even watching the surface lane markers) will keep the swimmer Allowing the head to get too low may change moving in a straight line. the posture of the shoulder girdle and, thus, lessen the leverage applied in the arm stroke.

Group 1, Photos #1-2

Group 1, Photos #3-4-5

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Group 1, Photos #6-7-8

Group 2, Photos 1-2

Group 3, Photos 1-2-3

Excellent Balance & Streamlining roll back to the opposite side. The role of the upper arm in balancing the body is clearly seen. Seen from behind, Michael Phelps’ excellent Michael’s head position is lower in the water body balance and streamlined posture enable than that of most top swimmers. Note how his him to turn his face for inhalation at the precise low head position helps his entire body to ride moment within the overall rhythm of the stroke unusually high in the water, right to the back of so that his arms and legs, in effect, “do not his thighs. know he is breathing.” Michael Phelps’ low head position and straight body line is the key to his perfect streamlining; the finer the balance, the greater the speed! Even with his face turned to the side to inhale, the top of his head continues to push against the water to create a long graceful bow wave around his body. Michael’s leg action is always directly behind him and inside the body line, and although his body rolls quickly on its long axis as each arm pulls and recovers in the natural rhythm of the stroke, there is never any suggestion of lateral hip sway. Throughout each complete stroke

cycle, he keeps his body as straight as an An important transitional phase of the stroke arrow. is shown here as the arm reaches mid-point in recovery, and is about to move forward to the entry. From here onward, the body will begin to

69 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

before did our team have so many swimmers Preparing for Athens competing at the international level.

TRAINING PIETER VAN DEN “Until the Sydney Olympics, the number of HOOGENBAND swimmers at international competitions stayed By Oene Rusticus about the same, but eventually, the numbers This article appeared in Swimming Technique increased, resulting in more swimmers making October-December 2003 finals and even collecting medals.”

Among those swimmers were double Olympic bronze medallist , and Inge De Bruijn. Wouda and De Bruijn were also trained in the United States — Wouda by ’s and De Bruijn by Paul Bergen.

Nine of Verhaeren’s 12 swimmers made it to the Sydney Olympics and accumulated an astonishing eight medals, including five gold. Swimming World magazine chose van den Hoogenband and De Bruijn as its World Swimmers of the Year for 2000, unofficially making Verhaeren the best coach of the world that year.

Team Verhaeren

After Sydney, Verhaeren trimmed down his Three years ago, Pieter van den Hoogenband team even further — to only four swimmers. He of Holland was one of the top performers at the explains, “You need new motivation every four Olympic Games in Sydney, collecting four years. We decided to start the professional medals — two gold and two bronze. With just Philips Swimming Team to optimise a one-on- one year before the next Olympiad, Swimming one coach-swimmer relationship and to be able Technique spoke with Pieter’s coach, Jacco to work more on all of the details of each Verhaeren — as well as Pieter, himself — to swimmer’s training. We wanted to make sure discuss the star swimmer’s preparations for our athletes will perform at 100% again at the Athens. next Olympics, so we sought the help of four training specialists.” In 1993, PSV Eindhoven hired , a young and ambitious coach, to Verhaeren meets with these specialists every take its regional- and national-level athletes and eight weeks to discuss the current physical train them to become more competitive on the condition of the swimmers. They include international level. It turned out to be a golden professor of physiology Jan Olbrecht, choice. nutritionist Joris Hermans, weight training instructor Luc van Agt and fluid dynamics Among the 40 swimmers Verhaeren coached specialist Wieger Mensonides — all considered his first year was 15-year-old Pieter van den to be experts in their fields. Hoogenband. That year, Verhaeren implemented the same training program for the whole team. Hermans also works with professional speed By the next summer, it resulted in the club’s skaters and the soccer players of PSV first international success — Hoogie won three Eindhoven. Verhaeren and Hermans discuss gold medals at the 1994 European Junior the different phases of training, then Hermans Championships in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia. speaks with the athletes individually, recommending the optimal diet for each Verhaeren recalls: “After that meet, we swimmer during his or her specific training started with a more individual approach and phase. narrowed the team down to 15-20 swimmers. This resulted in eight swimmers participating in Exercises for dryland training are provided the 1995 European Championships. Never by van Agt, the fulltime weight training

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instructor of the PSV Eindhoven soccer team. fastest last 25 metres of anyone in the 100 Freestyle.” Verhaeren explains, “I tell him what we’re going to do in the pool and talk with him about Diversified Workouts the types of dryland exercises we could do to support the swim workouts. We try to After Sydney during the year preceding the strengthen the individual weaknesses of the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, van swimmers in our dry land program.” den Hoogenband trained less and tried some new things in training. Verhaeren felt that Pieter Olbrecht has a Ph.D. in physiology and needed to recharge his battery in a post- biomechanics, and he analyses the lactate tests Olympic season. of the swimmers of the Philips Swimming Team once every eight weeks. He provides Verhaeren In 2002, Hoogie returned to his normal with the swimmers’ aerobic and anaerobic training — doing the same kind of work he did thresholds, so Verhaeren can fine-tune their two years before Sydney. “But this year, we workouts based on those tests. raced more and swam in almost all of the World Cup meets,” reports Verhaeren. “I believe it’s For the technical video analyses of his good to gain experience in competition, but swimmers’ technique, Verhaeren works closely looking back, Pieter probably raced too much. with Mensonides, a 1960 Olympic bronze He wasn’t 100% at Barcelona (for this summer’s medallist in the 200m Breaststroke and now an World Championships). Next year, the Olympic expert in fluid dynamics. “We work especially on Games is the only thing that matters. correcting the little flaws in body position and propulsion patterns, and we try to minimise “If you want to keep your swimmers at a high drag,” says Verhaeren. level for a longer period of time and keep them motivated, you have to change your program “Team Verhaeren” also includes team every year,” believes Verhaeren. physician Hans van Kuyk, physiotherapist Wilfred Sip and team manager Patrick Wouters. Pieter, who turned 25 last March 14, agrees with his coach: “The diversity in our workouts Verhaeren is very pleased with the keeps us motivated; the mood on our team is composition of his team: “We contacted some of always good.” these experts before the Sydney Olympics — especially for Pieter — but everything is now on The Philips Swimming Team is a professional a more frequent basis. In our meetings, we team — the swimmers don’t depend on a job or discuss each swimmer’s progression. Sharing a college stipend to make a living, like almost all knowledge with these experts leads to cross- other Dutch swimmers. But that doesn’t mean fertilisation. As a coach, I am able get a good they’re working out the whole day. Verhaeren overview of the strengths and weaknesses of has built in a lot of rest in between workouts — each swimmer. I can use that information to yardage alone is not the goal. optimise the individual training programs.” The coach elaborates, “In a regular week, we Verhaeren adds, “Once in a while, we consult have 8-10 workouts per week, in addition to other experts, such as track start specialist three dryland sessions. Two of them are weights Dean Hutchinson. We work in cycles of four on Monday and Wednesday, and the last one on years. After the Sydney Olympics, we started Friday is more specific — such as circuit using the track start — a big change for a training in and around the pool or using stretch swimmer at this level. We wanted to hear from cords.” an experienced swimmer how it felt to start with a track start. Van den Hoogenband adds, “Obviously, swimming is the most important part of our “We all know that van den Hoogenband’s training. But during these specific dryland start is not his strong point, but since we sessions, I use stretch cords to do exercises that started using the track start, his start has help prevent injuries.” become more consistent. With the grab start, he clocked between 5.8 and 6.2 seconds at 15 “During the year, Pieter trains for the 200 metres. Now he’s regularly under 6.0 seconds. Freestyle,” Verhaeren says. “About five weeks He’s still not the fastest starter, but that’s a fact before a major competition, we change our focus we need to accept. But we do know he has the to the 100, his main event. One of the sets we

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do around this time is a 4x50 at maximum are done with a kickboard. However, the specific speed on two minutes. He needs to be on his sets with fins or sprints are done without a 100 pace, so we should see times in the 23- board in order to work on body alignment.” second-high range. Van den Hoogenband adds, “I regard equipment as training aids. I trust the people advising me about them, but I only use what I think is the most important.”

“Another set we do a few weeks before competition is a 2x (2x100) on 3 minutes, in which he has to average 52-low — his 200m pace. Ten days before the competition, he’s doing a 100 at maximum speed in which he should stay about a second above his world Jacco Verhaeren (right) has been coaching Pieter for 10 record time. years.

“The goal in these meet-specific workouts is Recently, Verhaeren started using the Omega to make that pace. The sets aren’t always the Wave. “We started working with the Omega same — we may need to change the distance or Wave this year to measure the effect of the the amount of rest if he doesn’t have the speed. workouts. We haven’t collected enough In an average week, we’ll swim about 40-45 information from it yet to incorporate it into all kilometres (40,000-45,000 metres) long course.” of our workouts, but with this machine, you can see how fast the swimmer recovers. It’s a Hoogie says his favourite training set “is a promising tool for coaches.” 10x100 Freestyle max on 2 minutes. This set is followed by swimming with fists and catch-up Although van den Hoogenband is a double drills. Afterward, when I do an easy Freestyle Olympic champion, he still keeps working on pulling set, concentrating on technique, it feels improving his stroke. Verhaeren explains, “If we like I’m floating. look at Pieter’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s clear that he is not winning because of his “To keep myself motivated during the hard starts and turns. We practice quite a bit on sets, I think about the goals I’ve set. We have a starts and turns to get them more consistent. saying on our swim team: ‘After suffering comes They need to be decent in every race, not just progress’.” when he’s lucky.”

Room for Improvement Pieter’s strengths are also very evident. Verhaeren believes van den Hoogenband’s In addition to the straight swimming sets, stroke, technically speaking, is among the best Hoogie also uses a variety of training aids, in the world. He also notes that Hoogie has a although not many. high physical endurance.

“During the year, we work on all four “Tests in Hamburg showed that his height strokes,” says Verhaeren, “but the majority for and body composition are ideal for swimming,” Pieter is done Freestyle. Part of the workout says Verhaeren. “He has a very flat body — if (about 400-500 metres) is drills. Pieter doesn’t you look at it from the side. That — in feel comfortable using a lot of equipment, but combination with his feel for the water and his we do use Zoomers for Freestyle and Butterfly body position — makes him as fast as he is kicking, and monofins to work on his today.” underwater dolphin kick. The basic kicking sets

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Verhaeren likes to spend the last two or three simple, but critical element: “Even at this level, months preceding a major international technique is still the most important. competition in training camps: “There you can concentrate solely on swimming while getting “Until the day of the competition, we keep enough rest. During competition, you always working on the little details, such as reducing need to focus on your own race to swim the best drag by improving body position and by working race possible. That should be the goal of every on technique. We also try to learn something swimmer — to improve yourself instead of from every workout. Everything you do needs to wanting to win.” have a purpose. I want to see the effect of every set. From van den Hoogenband’s perspective, he doesn’t feel any stress before a major race: “I’m “As a coach, I can learn the most from my just focusing on my race and pumping myself team of experts, but if you look around, you can up. Swimming is a sport in which you can’t do learn from everyone. You can gain a lot of more than perform at 100%, so why should you experience by talking to other coaches at meets. worry? You shouldn’t complicate things too I can even get ideas by looking at the warm-up much.” set of another swimmer.”

Before the “big race,” Hoogie likes to get How much Verhaeren and his prize pupil, plenty of sleep as well as finding enough time to van den Hoogenband, have learned will become prepare himself mentally. “I’m not stressed by apparent next year when Pieter’s quest for more the fact that others are better starters and Olympic gold continues in Athens. turners — the swimming will take care of itself. Everything adds up to the final time, and the Gene Rusticus is an Editor for the Dutch only thing that matters is the final time.” swimming magazine. Zwemkroniek, and an Age Group Coach for De Dolfijn SPAX in But the way Verhaeren sees it, achieving Amsterdam. your best “final time” still comes down to one

SAMPLE WORKOUTS Sprint and Endurance Workout P.M.: (LC) warm-up + sprint + aerobic capacity (AEC) + cooling down

3x300 alternating Warm-up 1st: 100 free/50 back; 2nd: 50 kick/100 pull/100 kick/50 pull; 3rd: IM/free (1200m) 6x50 alternating 1-3: kick-pull-stroke (1st 25m build); 4-6: stroke/kick/pull (middle 10m at 90% effort) 2 (3x25) specialty from start (96-98-100% effort); swim back to start recovery Sprint After 3 fast 25s, take 200m aerobic recovery (900m) 2 (3x15) free from push (100% effort) @ 1:00; swim back to start After 3 fast 15s, take 100m aerobic recovery 2 (9x100) @ 1:30 AEC 4x free aerobic/5x free: descend from 1:06 to 1:02 (2400m) After each set of 9x100s, take 300 recovery: 100 choice/50 kick/50 pull/100 choice Cool-down 12x50 alternating (600m) 4x specialty technique drills/choice + kick/pull + specialty technique drills/choice (60% effort) Total: 5,100 metres

THERE’S MORE ONLlNE!

For more sample workouts of Pieter van den Hoogenband, please visit our website, Swiminfo.com, at www.swiminfo.com/articles/swimtechnique/. Here’s what you’ll find… Sprint and Intense Endurance Workout; Meet-specific Workout; Recovery Workout; Day at Altitude Camp (Flagstaff, Ariz., 2nd week).

73 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – March-April 2004

Unfortunately, the procedure followed by USATF that led to Young’s exoneration is A GOLDEN far from unique. National federations tend to be very sympathetic to their own OPPORTUNITY athletes, especially the medal-winning variety. It happens frequently. And it By Phillip Whitten, Editor-in-Chief This article appeared in Swimming World & happens in our own sport as much as in Junior Swimmer, November 2003 other sports.

recent revelation about some What’s different here is that the shameful shenanigans in the sport of International Olympic Committee (IOC) has A track and field may have a profound threatened to intervene. This intervention impact on our own sport of swimming. If we by international sport’s highest body is seize the opportunity that has been handed both welcome and long overdue. to us, we can take some giant steps toward righting 30-year-old wrongs. Here’s what In 1994, this magazine became the first happened. publication to obtain and publish files from the notorious East German secret police — At the 2000 Olympic Games, the USA the Stasi — proving that all of Germany’s won track and field’s 4x400 metre Relay. international-calibre swimmers had been One of the members of that relay team was systematically doped as a matter of Jerome Young. It seems that in 1999, national policy. Young tested positive for nandrolone, a performance-enhancing steroid — a Ever since then, we have demanded that violation that should have led to a two-year the IOC and FINA revisit the results of all suspension from competition. major international competitions between 1972 and 1989, awarding medals to those Young appealed, however, and in a swimmers who were cheated out of the secret hearing USA Track and Field officials medals they had earned. concluded that since he had tested negative on other tests, the positive test “must” have Perhaps recalling the parade of East been an error — despite conclusive German coaches and officials accorded scientific evidence to the contrary. sport’s highest honours, the IOC, under Juan Antonio Samaranch, and FINA After the Sydney Games, when adamantly refused to “rewrite history”. journalists reported that a gold medal- winning member of the U.S. squad had However, the new IOC President, Dr. tested positive, USATF officials refused to Jacques Rogge, appears to be made of reveal Young’s name — in violation of the different stuff. A man of honour, he has rules of the IAAF, track and field’s asserted the IOC’s right to withdraw the international governing body. U.S. team’s medals in the 4x400 relay.

What’s more, they refused to provide any Perhaps he will even be willing to face of the details that led to the reversal of his some of the uglier chapters in Olympic doping conviction, also in violation of history and do the right thing for several international rules. generations of swimmers.

So a chemically-enhanced Young By “rewriting history”, he would be propelled the USA to Olympic gold. As a “righting history”. result, Nigeria was deprived of the gold medal it should have won, Jamaica of the silver and the Bahamas of the bronze.

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THE BUSINESS OF GROWING UP The Resilience of a The world first watched the then 14-year-old Beard burst upon the scene like a Mozart or a Champion— Chopin, winning a relay gold and two individual silver medals at the 1996 Olympic Games. Her radiant smile and fresh youthfulness were Amanda Beard seared into America’s collective consciousness during the biggest of all athletic coming-out parties. She suddenly belonged to all of us — swimmers and non-swimmers alike. Within a few short years of seriously pursuing the sport, she’d somehow managed to scale heights few would dare even dream about. The world was at her feet. “In Atlanta, and in those years, it was really easy for me to go fast,” Beard says. “I guess I just had a natural talent at it. It didn’t take me years of training to get to that point.” Once the darling of the 1996 Olympics But then, maybe to no one’s surprise, we as a precocious 14-year-old, Amanda witnessed Beard’s inevitable slide back toward Beard has travelled a long, arduous road mortality. “You’re not taught how to deal with success that has seen her fall from swimming’s at that age,” says Dave Salo, Beard’s long-time elite only to return seven year later on mentor at Irvine Novaquatics. “There were so top of the world. many expectations placed on her.” By Tito Morales It’s completely understandable that those This article appeared in Swimming World & who excel while still so young will experience Junior Swimmer, November 2003 some type of letdown. It’s bound to happen. All things have a way of wilting beneath a bright Somehow it doesn’t seem fair. glare — especially the accomplishments of Child prodigies aren’t supposed to stick athletes. Not only are there suddenly mounting around this long, They’re supposed to make a demands, but there is a landslide of pressure to grand entrance, turn the world on its ear, then contend with. quietly slip out the back door — either by their “There are going to be things that take you own volition or due to circumstances beyond away from your swimming,” Beard says. “I was their control. just preoccupied with other things in my life.” Comets, after all, have never been renowned Namely, the business of growing up—both for their staying power. literally and figuratively. But there she was — Amanda Beard — the On the one hand, Beard matured into a one-time Wünderkind with the wide-eyed young woman. She suddenly looked in the innocence and teddy bear companion, not only mirror and discovered longer arms, longer legs mounting the highest step of the podium this and a completely different physique than the summer in Barcelona after the finals of the 200 sprite, lithe one that had slipped through the metre Breaststroke, but also stooping down to water with the greatest of ease. receive her accolades, knowing that she’d pulled “When you grow 6-8 inches and gain 30 off something brand new in her illustrious pounds, it’s a very different world.” swimming career — she’d earned her first Much as a newborn colt must learn how to individual gold medal at a World negotiate on spindly legs, Beard had to Championships or Olympics, and tied an rediscover how to feel comfortable with her honest-to-goodness world record. brand-new body. Who could have imagined such an “I was kind of goofy in the water,” she recalls improbable scenario? now with a laugh. “I’m a feeling-based swimmer, A lifetime best by nearly 2½ seconds? A and I lost the feeling.” resounding victory over a world-class field And then, of course, there was that little which included the world record holders in both matter of psychic growth. Breaststroke distances! 2:22.99! Having been exposed to life away from the Rarely has so much noise been made in the pool during such distractions as fulfilling media most silent of strokes. requests, incurring a broken arm, dealing with

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her high school prom and undergoing the It wasn’t necessarily that Beard was putting typical hormonal unrest that accompanies life in less effort than before. as a maturing teenager, she was forced to re- She’d always been a diligent trainer and was evaluate just how seriously she wanted to get never afraid of putting in the work. There was back on top. no catastrophic illness to speak of either. Her “When you’ve had success like that at such a lull, if still being ranked in the top 10 in the young age, you begin to wonder why it is you do U.S. can ever really be considered one, was what you do,” says Beard’s current coach, something which, in hindsight, was probably Frank Busch of the University of Arizona and long overdue. Tucson Ford. “Do you do it for your coach, your No athlete can nail a lifetime best every time parents, your teammates?” out. Everyone’s career, at some point, must “The hardest thing about those couple of include bad patches during which the energy years,” Beard recalls, “was I felt a lot of pressure being expended simply isn’t translating into the from outside sources — people I didn’t know — desired results. the media or fans in the stands. I felt like they Mostly Beard’s years of were wanted me to do all these great things, and I about patience. And what she came to realise wasn’t performing for them. I felt that I was during this difficult period of introspection was letting people down.” that she still very much loved competitive REKINDLING A PASSION swimming — even when she was placing That Beard is still competing — and so very seventh or eighth in her heat. She relished the passionate about the sport — is a testament, in challenges associated with pursuing tangible part, to her inner circle whom she credits with goals. And, above all, she was still as passionate keeping her grounded over the years. about racing as she had been back in the days “My family, friends, teammates, coaches — when she would consistently touch the wall they all keep it exciting and new,” she explains. first. “I don’t feel pressured by them to show them “She needed to understand that her something great in the water. They just help to swimming was hers,” says Salo. “The biggest keep me going.” difference you see in Amanda now is that she’s When the pool water became choppier, those the one who’s in control.” closest to her showed nothing but kindness and Beard kept pushing — for herself now, more support. Salo, in particular, was invaluable in than for anyone else — and she never gave up nurturing her through her metamorphosis. hope. She continued to have faith that one day her swimming would finally turn the corner. “It took a long time for me to get the feeling back,” she says. “It was really all about not giving up — and about keeping going.” JULY 25, 2003 When Beard mounted the blocks at this summer’s World Championships in Barcelona for the finals of the 200 metre Breaststroke, she was surrounded by some of the headiest competition around. Defending Olympic champion Agnes Kovacs of Hungary had failed to advance, but on one side of Beard was China’s , the world record holder. Two lanes away to her left was Australian Leisel Jones, who’d shattered the 100 metre Breaststroke world record in the semi-finals just four days earlier. But Beard, who has long professed a love of racing, was not about to back down from the

“Dave always told me that he knew I wasn’t challenge. done,” says Beard. “He said that time was going Heading into competition, Beard’s PR was to take its course, and in a couple of years I’d 2:25.35 — something she’d accomplished in probably be back on my game.” Sydney. Her goal was to get into the 2:24s and. Salo intentionally shifted her focus off the perhaps, challenge Kristy Kowal’s American Breaststroke to help allay expectations. She record time of 2:24.56. began to experiment with a variety of different Earlier in the meet, Beard had turned in her events, including the 200 IM. personal best in the 100, out-touching Jones for

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silver by 5-hundredths. All indications were that to getting involved in a routine in college and she’d set herself up nicely to do well in the being part of a team that had high goals. “She’s longer race. always been around a lot of good people here in Predictably, Jones, who was still smarting Arizona.” from a third-place finish in the finals of the 100, “I think a change of scenery, a change of took the race out fast. When the Australian hit teammates — a whole new approach to the first turn, she was already nearly one full swimming — really opened up these doors and second in front of her nearest competitor. Jones new possibilities for my Breaststroke,” agrees was trying to break things wide open. Beard. Beard, however, would have none of it. The desert air has been good to Beard in At the 100 split, Jones hit the wall still a full more ways than one. Not only has her time second clear of Beard and the rest of the field — there elevated her swimming, but she met not to mention the world record split. By the South African Olympian in next turn, though, Beard had sliced that Tucson, and the two have been a couple ever advantage almost in half. since. The champion would be determined by “We’re a good balance for each other,” she whoever was stronger over the last 50 metres. says. “He’s very serious about his swimming. I’m not as strict. For him, when he’s around me he can have a little more fun with it. And for me, he makes me just a little more disciplined.” DEFYING THE ODDS — AGAIN If nothing else, Beard is a survivor. When she went through that stretch when her swimming wasn’t coming as easily as before, her walking away from the sport would have been quite acceptable to those on the sidelines. Her achievements in 1996 had already guaranteed her immortality in the annals of Olympic history. Realistically, what more did A FRESH START IN THE DESERT she have left to prove? Surprisingly, Beard wasn’t heavily recruited In her heart, though, Beard knew she was as a high school senior, and the slight surely not finished. gave her added incentive to perform well at the “I’ve never been completely satisfied with my collegiate level. swimming. Even now I still think I have a lot “Any time someone has shown superior more I need to do.” performances at such a young age, most By 1998, Beard’s world rankings had slipped coaches ask, ‘What are they going to be able to to 37th in the 100 Breaststroke and 56th in the do to top that?’ says U of A’s Busch. “Most 200. A year later, she’d picked herself up to 23rd coaches shy away from an athlete like that.” and 25th. But with the Sydney Olympics just But after just one phone call, he recognised around the corner, it seemed inconceivable that that Beard was someone special. she would be making the trip to Australia “I could tell there was still a lot of life in because there were four Americans ranked there,” he says simply. “I felt that if there was ahead of her in the 100 and five in the 200. ever an individual who was capable of It was a feel-good story for Beard to break continuing on up the ladder of success, it would through and make the D.S. team in the 200 be Amanda.” Breaststroke, but there were still lingering On its face, it may have seemed as if doubts about whether her performance at the Arizona’s approach might be too radically Olympic Trials was a fluke. Little was expected different from the one on which Beard was of her once she reached the Sydney weaned. Nova’s emphasis has always been International Aquatic Centre. But she showed quality over quantity — shorter yardage over once and for all that she had regained her form heavy distance. And Busch’s yardage-based by winning the bronze medal. Wildcats regimen is renowned for being one of Half a year later, Beard captured the 200 the most demanding in the country. yard Breaststroke crown at the NCAA Salo’s athletes, though, have always shown Championships at East Meadow, N.Y. themselves to be extremely adaptable, and After years of toiling in relative anonymity, Beard’s move to “cactus country” proved to be Beard was back — and back big time. an ideal match. ONE WITH THE WATER Busch attributes part of Beard’s resurgence It shouldn’t be all that surprising that when

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it comes down to the pain game — when all the Beard says, “being down for a point really marbles are on the table and the body is makes me look at my swimming now and be screaming, begging really, for respite — that very grateful for it” Beard is able to endure. POETIC JUSTICE It is her determination and persistence, after What is, perhaps, most remarkable about all, which have gotten her this far. Beard’s comeback is that she seems to have Beard attributes much of her competitive emerged from the darkness of her lengthy and strength to her father, a former basketball star arduous journey even more sincere, gracious at Washington State who readily acknowledges and captivating than the young girl who’d that he hated to lose. captured the country’s fancy in Atlanta. “If anything, Amanda may be even more In 2001, Beard forsook her final two years of outright competitive than before,” says Salo. eligibility at the University of Arizona to become “She just loves to compete.” a professional. She admits it was one of the We’ve grown accustomed to watching Beard’s most difficult decisions she’s ever had to make. finishing kick over the years. Much as it was “I loved it — and I do miss it,” she says of said that Michael Jordan owned the fourth competing for the Wildcats, “but I was ready to quarter and Tiger Woods owns the fourth take the next step and try (swimming) as a round, Beard has pretty much come to professional.” dominate the fourth lap of a 200 metre race. It’s Arizona’s loss, however, was the global almost as if she’s finally finding her rhythm swimming community’s gain. while the competition is bumping against their Juggling the added responsibilities and thresholds. commitments that accompanied her decision “It’s fun for me, the last 50,” Beard admits. has been a challenge for Beard, but she enjoys “It’s just about who can overcome the pain more helping to grow awareness for her sport through — about who can keep pushing themselves various appearances, modelling engagements beyond it” and product endorsements. “Ever since Sydney, her confidence level has “She’s just a great ambassador for our transformed,” says Busch. “As we got closer and sport,” Busch says. closer to the 200 finals in Barcelona, you could What has given Beard the most pleasure in just tell that she had a race in her that was this latest chapter of her life is her involvement going to be special. You could just tell she was in helping to protect endangered wildlife — one with the water.” particularly dolphins — and sharing her hard- At the World Championships, Beard’s earned wisdom with young age groupers who perseverance and tenacity during the last lap of dream big as she once did. the 200 could be felt from a distance. As difficult as it may be to fathom, some of “On the last 25, I heard a lot of people these children were too young to remember a screaming,” she recalls. “I thought, this is nice little girl’s remarkable brilliance. — they’re all really getting into the race.” Fortunately, though, they’ve been privileged Beard, with her familiar graceful style that to witness a young woman’s scintillating almost makes it seem as if she’s intent on resilience. propelling herself over a log without grazing it, completely overwhelmed Jones and the rest of the swimmers by clocking a stunning 36.19 last 50 to equal the fastest time ever recorded. “Whenever I looked at that world record, it just seemed so fast,” Beard says. “I never thought I could do that. I just thought it would be there forever.” Even when she hit the wall and heard the announcer saying something about tying the world record, she was convinced that he must have been talking about some other race — or maybe even another swimmer. In a sense, he was. Because the Amanda Beard who had triumphed in Spain — older, stronger and wiser — was a far cry from the one Tito Morales, a novelist and freelance writer, who had taken the world by storm some seven is a Masters swimmer who competed collegiately years before. for the University of California at Berkeley. “As much as it was hard to go through,”

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Phelps vs. Spitz: Who is the Greatest?

There are so many different ways of comparing greatness and only time will tell who will be remembered as the greatest swimmer ever: Michael Phelps or Mark Spitz. By John Craig This article appeared in SWIM, November/December 2003

s swim fanatics, the question that seemed than Spitz’s 200 Butterfly, although that event A to be on all of our minds after this year’s came at the end of the meet and one suspects World Championships in Barcelona when that Phelps has a much better swim him (and at Michael Phelps won five medals and set five Athens, the 400 IM will come at the beginning of world records was: “Who will prove to be greater the program). Phelps is, at the moment, 1/10th — Michael Phelps or Mark Spitz?” behind in the 100 Butterfly and 6/10ths ahead The jury is obviously still out, as Phelps’ of the second fastest all-time () career is just beginning. But at this point, we in the 200 Butterfly. can at least discuss a few yardsticks to compare By this first comparison, Spitz leads. their greatness. (For the moment, we will ignore THE RECORDS longevity as a criterion.) Spitz won all of his Olympic events in world The question the press has raised is whether record time. If Phelps fails to win one of his Phelps will be able to equal Spitz’s haul of seven events in record time, would this mean that his gold medals — all in world record time — next feat will be less impressive? Not necessarily. year at the Olympics in Athens. Let’s say Phelps sets a record in the 200 However, the fairer comparison really ought Butterfly at Olympic Trials of 1:52.7, and to be how many individual gold medals each subsequently wins the Olympic gold in “only” wins, since in Spitz’s day, the relays were 1:53.5. Should he then be penalised for not basically just “gimmes” for the United States. setting a record at the Olympics? Of course not And for that matter, relay golds are not the — for purposes of this comparison, the proper measure of individual greatness. measure is to determine how far ahead of the Thus, far, of course, Phelps has not won four rest of the world he was at his peak. individual golds at a World Championships or an Olympics — “merely” three out of four. But OFF EVENTS let’s say, for argument’s sake, Phelps does Another measure of each man’s greatness is happen to win four individual golds next year. to speculate on how many other events each How then to compare? could have medalled in had he had a clone. This is entering the realm of pure conjecture, THE COMPETITION but it’s still fun. (Boxing fans do this all the One measure of greatness is to determine time: who would have won between Ali and how much faster each swimmer is compared to Louis had they fought at their respective his competition. (By competition, I mean the peaks?) second fastest swimmer all-time, not necessarily I’ve always felt that had there been two the silver medallist at the Olympics or World Spitzes, the second one could definitely have Championships.) won both the 200 IM (where the winning time in In Spitz’s best event, the 100 Butterfly, he 1972 was a 2:07.17) and the 400 Freestyle was 1.3 seconds ahead of Bruce Robertson. In (4:00.26) … and possibly even the 400 IM the 200 Butterfly, he was 2.2 seconds ahead of (4:31.98). Gary Hall Sr. In the 200 Freestyle, he was 8- Spitz had set the American record in the 200 tenths ahead of , and in the 100 yard IM by a second-and-a-half as a high school Freestyle, 4-tenths ahead of . junior, but never bothered to pursue the event In Phelps’ best event, the 200 IM, he is 2.2 after that. His 200 Butterfly at Munich, 2:00.70, seconds ahead of Jani Sievinen’s old WR — was 6.4 seconds ahead of the winning time in comparable to Spitz’s margin in the 200 the 200 IM, a spread wider than it had ever Butterfly. In the 400 IM, he is 1.7 seconds been before (or has been since). One would have ahead of Laszlo Cseh — proportionately less

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to assume that he could have won the event in (the first time this milestone has been passed). Munich. And it is hard to imagine the 6-1 Spitz being as One of the stories that emerged from the successful today — an age in which the size of Olympic training camp that summer was that the Olympic finalists in the 100 Freestyle is Spitz had swum an 800 Freestyle in practice in coming closer to the size of the players on a 8:45, taking it out in 4:30 and bringing it home basketball team. Given that swimming is now a in 4:15. If that were the case, one could also more mature sport, one has to give a slight edge assume that he could have easily “hung” with to Phelps on this score. Rick DeMont and Brad Cooper in the 400 Based on these partially hypothetical criteria Freestyle for seven laps, then blown by them in (competition, records, off events and different the last lap, probably becoming the first man to eras), Spitz comes out slightly ahead. break four minutes in the process. (Spitz had, after all, set a world record in the 400 Freestyle FAIRER COMPARISONS? while still in high school, and set an American However, Phelps just turned 18 in June and, record in the 500 yard Freestyle as a freshman perhaps, the fairer comparison for the moment at Indiana.) ought to be with the 18-year-old Spitz. Of The 400 IM would have been a bit more iffy: course, it was at that age when Spitz had his Spitz never swam one in major competition. disastrous performance at the However, if he was the greatest in the 200 IM Olympics. (Even though he was the world and 400 Freestyle, it’s easy to imagine that he recorder holder in both events, Spitz finished could have aced the 400 IM as well. dead last in the 200 Butterfly and second in the Yet another story that emerged from training 100 Butterfly.) Undoubtedly, Phelps has yet to camp in 1972 was that Spitz easily beat all the reach his peak, so any comparison with the other American Backstrokers in the Backstroke fully developed, seasoned 22-year-old Spitz leg of an exhibition medley relay. If that’s the would be premature. case, one would think that Spitz would have Of course, after Phelps eventually retires and been capable of winning silvers (behind Roland “Swimming World” compiles its list of the Matthes, then also at his peak) in both greatest swimmers of the previous 100 years for Backstrokes. its December 2049 issue, it must take criteria Phelps is also proving to be one of the most other than Olympic glory into account… versatile swimmers of all-time, as shown by his • Perhaps the most important measure performance at the recent U.S. summer might simply be how many world records nationals, where he swam to an unprecedented each has set? (The score is currently 25 to five individual gold medals. His capacity to set 11 in favour of Spitz.) records on his second taper — with only a week • Or should it be the number of different in between the two major events — was events in which each has set a world particularly impressive. record? (It’s currently 5 to 4, also in Based on his performances at nationals in favour of Spitz.) Maryland, a Phelps “clone” could have won • Or how many records did each manage to silvers in the 200 Freestyle and 200 Backstroke hold simultaneously? (It’s a tie — 4 to 4 — as well as a bronze in the 400 Freestyle. One even though Phelps’ reign as quadruple would also have to assume he would be world record holder lasted only slightly competitive in the 100 Backstroke and 800 more than 24 hours.) Freestyle, even though he’s never done either in Ultimately, of course, all these factors will major competition. have to be weighed. And there are other scenarios to consider. DIFFERENT ERAS What if Phelps happens to catch a bug right Another factor to take into account is the before Athens and doesn’t win any individual eras in which they swam. It is, of course, gold? What if then, in the 2005 World difficult to compare swimmers from different Championships, Phelps wins five individual eras (how does one compare, for instance, Mark golds and somehow manages to hold six world Spitz to ?). But since times records simultaneously? What if for some are much faster now than they were in 1972, reason he then goes downhill and never wins an one probably should concede that Phelps is Olympic gold? Would he be considered the swimming in a much more difficult era in which greater swimmer despite never having to set records. experienced Olympic glory? (Many would say One obvious example: both Ian Crocker’s and “no”, but purists — such as this writer — might Phelps’ 100 Butterfly times from Barcelona beat well say “yes”.) Mark Spitz’s 100 Freestyle time from Munich

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Finally — and this is not meant entirely WSCA NEWSLETTER facetiously — there is Spitz’s hair and WORLD SWIMMING COACHES ASSOCIATION moustache to consider. It is always a little shocking to look back at the pictures from 1972 and see just how hirsute he was. (Remember, 1972 was the tail end of the ‘60s.) No coach would allow him to get away with that now.

1st Floor, 461 Olive Street, Albury NSW 2640 Phone: (02) 6041 6077 – Fax: (02) 6041 4282 Email: [email protected]

THE LEADER OF THE FUTURE By William C. Taylor Fast Company-Issue 25-June 1999-Page 130 This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter Volume 2003-07

Harvard’s Ronald Heifetz offers a short course on the future of leadership It’s hard to imagine discussing the leader of

How much faster could he have bone with a the future without having a discussion with shaved head, or at least a swim cap? Certainly Ronald Heifetz — one of the world’s leading faster than he went. authorities on leadership. Heifetz, 48, director of the Leadership Education Project at Harvard RIDICULOUS TALENT University’s John F. Kennedy School of No one doubts that Spitz had — and Phelps Government, is a scholar, a teacher, and a has — ridiculous talent. (Phelps’ 200 IM world consultant. His course at Harvard, “Exercising record at Santa Clara this year may have been Leadership,” is legendary for its popularity with the first time a man had set a world record students and for its impact on them. His unshaved and unpeaked since Spitz also did it students (many of them in mid-career) include in the 400 Freestyle early in 1967.) leaders from all walks of life: business Who will prove to be better? It’s too early to executives, generals, priests and rabbis, tell. The only thing this article has proven is politicians. His clients have included senior that such comparisons are never easy — and executives at BellSouth, who brought him on to are always debatable. conduct a two-year program on leadership in a Only one thing is for certain: it is going to be fast-changing world, and the president of interesting to watch Phelps develop over the Ecuador, who is struggling to lead that nation next few years. It is certainly refreshing to through tough economic times. watch a coach and swimmer who are willing to What makes Heifetz’s approach to leadership experiment and go for as many records as they so compelling is that he is so honest about what possibly can. real leadership demands. The book that Too often in the past there have been great rocketed him to prominence was called swimmers who seemed to have world record “Leadership Without Easy Answers” potential in events they never bothered to (Belknap/Harvard University Press, 1994). The pursue. Then, their window of opportunity role of the leader is changing, Heifetz argues. would pass and one could only wonder, “What The new role is to help people face reality and if?” But, apparently, we won’t have to wonder to mobilise them to make change. And about Phelps: it appears he is going to show us. making change is painful: “Many people have a John Craig currently holds the world record ‘smiley face’ view of what it means to lead. They in the Men’s 45-49 Short Course 200 Butterfly get a rude awakening when they find — a record which, he says, Bill Specht is about themselves with a leadership opportunity. to break by an “embarrassing margin!” Exercising leadership generates resistance — and pain. People are afraid that they will lose something that’s worthwhile. They’re afraid that

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they’re going to have to give up something that conflict is understandable. Conflict is they’re comfortable with.” dangerous: It can damage relationships. It can So why bother to lead? “There are lots of threaten friendships. But conflict is the primary things in life that are worth the pain,” he says. engine of creativity and innovation. People don’t “Being a leader is one of them.” In a series of learn by staring into a mirror; people learn by conversations with Fast Company, Heifetz encountering difference. So hand in hand with offered ideas, advice, and techniques for the the courage to face reality comes the courage to leaders of the future. surface and orchestrate conflicts. HOW LEADERS SEE Leaders of the future need to have the There is so much hunger for leadership in stomach for conflict and uncertainty — among business today. their people and within themselves. That’s why Everyone wants better leaders. What do great leaders of the future need to have an leaders do? experimental mind-set. Some decisions will The real heroism of leadership involves work, some won’t. Some projects will payoff, having the courage to face reality — and helping some won’t. But every decision and every the people around you to face reality. It’s no project will teach you and your organisation accident that the word vision refers to our something about how the world is changing — capacity to see. Of course, in business, vision and about how your company compares with its has come to mean something abstract or even competition. inspirational. But the quality of any vision In other words, facing reality means facing depends on its accuracy, not just on its appeal up to mistakes and failures — especially your or on how imaginative it is. own failures. In the mid-1990s, Bill Gates made Mustering the courage to interrogate reality a big decision about the Internet. He decided is a central function of a leader. And that that the Net wasn’t going to be all that requires the courage to face three realities at important. Then he changed his decision, once. First, what values do we stand for — and because the people whom he was listening to are there gaps between those values and how contradicted his earlier decision. In the mid- we actually behave? Second, what are the skills 1980s, Ken Olsen, the cofounder of Digital and talents of our company — and are there Equipment Corp., decided that personal gaps between those resources and what the computers weren’t going to be all that market demands? Third, what opportunities important. He didn’t change his decision very does the future hold — and are there gaps quickly, and Digital suffered as a result. These between those opportunities and our ability to days, leaving any big decision in one person’s capitalise on them? hands is like playing Russian roulette. It’s much Now, don’t get the wrong idea. Leaders don’t safer to run multiple experiments. You never answer those questions themselves. That’s the know which ideas are going to flourish and old definition of leadership: The leader has the which ones are going to die. answers — the vision — and everything else is a If everything is subject to change, how can sales job to persuade people to sign up for it. leaders help people keep their bearings? Leaders certainly provide direction. But that Not everything is subject to change. If the often means posing well structured questions, role of the leader is first to help people face rather than offering definitive answers. Imagine reality and then to mobilise them to make the differences in behaviour between leaders change, then one of the questions that defines who operate with the idea that “leadership both of those tasks is this: What’s precious, and means influencing the organisation to follow the what’s expendable? Which values and leader’s vision” and those who operate with the operations are so central to our core that if we idea that “leadership means influencing the lose them, we lose ourselves? And which organisation to face its problems and to live into assumptions, investments, and businesses are its opportunities.” That second idea — subject to radical change? At the highest level, mobilising people to tackle tough challenges — the work of a leader is to lead conversations is what defines the new job of the leader. about what’s essential and what’s not. Most companies have a remarkable tendency Examples from politics abound. The civil- to underestimate their external threats and rights movement posed several questions: to over-estimate their own power. What’s most precious about America? What Why is it so hard for leaders to convince values do we stand for? Do we stand for people to face reality? freedom and equal opportunity? Or do we stand Companies tend to be allergic to conflict — for how we are living today? By posing those particularly companies that have been in questions in such terms, Martin Luther King Jr. operation for a long time. Being averse to and the movement’s other strategists generated

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conflict within the hearts and minds of many need to have a special discipline not to fill that people around the country. People faced an vacuum. internal contradiction between the values they What else does it take to be a great listener? espoused and the way they lived. Millions of Great listeners know how to listen musically people had to decide for themselves what was as well as analytically. As President, Jimmy precious about their country and what was Carter relied on rational discourse to weigh the expendable about the supremacist lessons that pros and cons of various initiatives. He would they had learned. have people prepare papers, and then he would Now, that is a very difficult inner sift their views in private. Doing it that way conversation for anyone to have. Imagine how enabled him to listen to their arguments hard it was for Lew Platt, CEO of Hewlett- analytically but not musically. What do I mean Packard, to lead conversations about breaking by that? Jimmy Carter did not enjoy being in up that company — and about leaving the HP meetings with people who were posturing, name with the computer business rather than arguing, haggling. But there’s an enormous with the test-and-measurement business, which amount of information in the haggling, and that is where William Hewlett and David Packard got information tells us quite a lot about the values, their start. I wasn’t privy to those conversations, the history, and the personal stakes that people but my guess is that they were quite emotional. bring to an argument. It’s difficult for someone You can understand the business logic: HP’s who’s lost the last six arguments to say in a technology is so established in the test-and- policy paper, “I’ve lost the last six arguments. If measurement world that the company can I don’t win the next one, what am I going to tell survive a name change in that business without my people?” losing market share. The HP name isn’t what’s But in a conversation, the tone of voice and precious. Even so, if you grew up in that the intensity of the argument give clues to that business immersed in the legend of Hewlett and subtext. Listening musically enables leaders to Packard’s innovation in a garage, it might seem get underneath and behind the surface to ask, awfully precious. “What’s the real argument that we’re having?” HOW LEADERS LISTEN And that’s a critical question to answer — With leaders, the sense of sight-vision — is because, in the absence of an answer to that closely linked to the sense of hearing. question, you get superficial buy-in. People go People who love their boss often say, “She’s along in a pseudo-consensus, or in a deferential a great listener.” What does it mean to be a way, but without commitment. “great listener”? If curiosity is a prerequisite for listening, Most leaders die with their mouths open. what’s the enemy? Leaders must know how to listen — and the art Grandiosity. Leaders need to check their of listening is more subtle than most people sense of self-importance. But you shouldn’t think it is. But first, and just as important, think that grandiosity arises from bad leaders must want to listen. Good listening is intentions. It usually grows out of the normal fuelled by curiosity and empathy: What’s really human need to feel important. I don’t know any happening here? Can I put myself in someone human being who doesn’t want to feel else’s shoes? It’s hard to be a great listener if important, who doesn’t want to matter to other you’re not interested in other people. people. And those of us who have a strong need Think about some of the best-known leaders to be needed — I happen to have that need, so I in the airline business: Jan Carlzon at SAS know a lot about it — spend our lives solving (Scandinavian Airlines System) in the early other people’s problems. It makes us feel 1980s, Colin Marshall at British Airways in the needed: “Surely you have a problem that I can early 1990s, Herb Kelleher at Southwest solve.” But that orientation creates its own kind Airlines today. These executives are always of problem. The more we demonstrate our flying on their own airlines’ planes. They’re capacity to take problems off other people’s always talking with customers. They’re always shoulders, the more authority we gain in their encouraging ticket agents and baggage handlers eyes — until, finally, we become a senior to be creative about helping customers to solve executive or a CEO. And, by then, the tracks problems. They’re in dynamic listening mode, have been laid so deeply inside our brain that it asking questions all the time — and not getting becomes hard to stand back, hard to listen, seduced into trying to provide all of the hard to learn from others. Our normal need to answers. If you’re the boss, the people around feel important — “Let me help you” — has been you will invariably sit back and wait for you to transformed into grandiosity: “I have all the speak. They will create a vacuum of silence, and answers.” you will feel a compelling need to fill it. You

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HOW LEADERS FAIL from working a ripe issue. Why do so many people dislike their bosses? Lyndon Johnson exercised wonderful Why do so many of us not respect our leadership in helping to ripen civil rights as an leaders? issue. Six weeks after Kennedy’s assassination, For decades, I’ve been interested in that he called Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the question — because it sounds like a paradox: NAACP, and said, “When are you going to get “Our leadership isn’t exercising any leadership.” down here and start civil rights?” Then he gave Why do so many people feel that way about Wilkins counsel on how to lobby Everett those who lead their companies or their Dirksen, the senate minority leader. Johnson communities? One reason is that people in was ripening an unripe issue: He couldn’t get positions of authority are frequently asked not out front on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but as to exercise their leadership. Instead of an authority figure, he could provide counsel mobilising their constituents to face tough, and cover for leaders without authority — frustrating challenges, they are asked to protect leaders who could then disseminate a sense of those constituents from having to make urgency. He did the same thing with King. adjustments. It’s very hard for a congressman to Basically, he said, “If you open the door, if you go to his district and say, “Good news: The Cold create the political will, I’ll drive through that War is over. Time for 10,000 of you to lose your opening.” Johnson was asking King to ripen the jobs.” He has been elected to his post to protect issue for him. He was expected to be president people from challenges that will require for all the people. So, unless King and other adjustments to their way of life. civil-rights leaders generated the necessary That’s why leadership is dangerous. Sure, political will, he couldn’t move on that issue. He you have to protect people from change. But was prevented from exercising leadership by you also have to unprotect them. It’s virtue of his authority. dangerous to challenge people in a way that will What about grassroots leaders — people require changes in their priorities, their values, without formal authority? their habits. It’s dangerous to try to persuade Again, it starts with attention. People who people to take more responsibility than they feel lead without authority, who lead from below, comfortable with. And that’s why so many must draw attention to the issues that they leaders get marginalised, diverted, attacked, raise without drawing too much attention to seduced. You want to be able to stir the pot themselves. Grassroots leaders often generate without letting it boil over. You want to regulate sticky attention — attention that sticks to them disequilibrium, to keep people in a productive personally, rather than to their agenda. To use discomfort zone. a different metaphor, it’s never comfortable to How do you keep people in a PRODUCTIVE be a lightning rod. The easiest way for an DISCOMFORT ZONE? organisation to neutralise the disturbance that Attention is the currency of leadership. To a you represent is to neutralise you. leader with formal authority, attention comes There’s a second big difference between naturally. Fidel Castro can give a two-hour people who lead with authority and people who speech, and people will pay attention. So can lead without authority. If you’re leading without Nelson Mandela. The President of the United authority, other people’s attention spans are States can give a State of the Union address going to be short whenever you try to that lasts an hour and 15 minutes. The big communicate with them. Forget two-hour questions for that kind of leader are “How do I speeches — most people aren’t willing to give use that attention? What do I focus it on? When you more than 30 seconds! So you have to use does a broad agenda become too broad? How do their attention wisely. You have to make your I push the organisation without alienating my interventions short, simple, intelligible, and core constituency?” You have to remember: relevant. Drawing attention to tough challenges generates I’ve met many in-the-trenches leaders who discomfort. So you want to pace the rate at blame the people above them when they fail to which you frustrate or attempt to change make progress on their agenda: “I know where expectations. That means distinguishing we have to go, but my boss doesn’t get it. He’s between ripe and unripe issues. A ripe issue is standing in the way.” That’s usually a complete one in which there is a general urgency for misdiagnosis of the situation. Don’t attack your action. An unripe issue is one in which there is boss. Look at the situation from his or her point local urgency — a readiness to change within of view. You should treat his or her attitude as a just one faction. The work that it takes to ripen barometer of stress in the organisation. an unripe issue is enormous — and quite Let’s say there’s a well-meaning person — dangerous. It needs to be done, but it’s different we’ll call him Max — who has an imaginative

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idea, an idea with plenty of merit. Max speaks of their life and the worth of their work. I’m not up in the middle of a meeting, off the agenda, necessarily talking about a physical place or an and offers his inspired intuition. What the boss extended sabbatical. I’m talking about practical notices is how Max’s colleagues fidget, roll their sanctuaries — daily moments that function as eyes, demonstrate their impatience. That’s sanctuaries. One sanctuary that I recently because they’re all saying to themselves, “I’ve developed for myself involves getting an email got an agenda item that I need to get covered, that’s sent out by a rabbinic friend, who’s a because my troops are expecting me to bring mystic and a biblical scholar. Every day, he home the bacon. And there goes Max with his sends out an interpretation of one word from enthusiasms again.” The boss immediately the Bible. It’s just a few screens long, but as I’m picks up on that attitude and takes Max down. going through my email every day, I take a few Now, the boss isn’t the problem. Max is the minutes to read this thing, and it roots me in a problem. Max has to find a smarter way to different reality, a different source of meaning. intervene in behalf of his agenda. He has to I’m not peddling any particular kind of understand the dilemma that he’s creating for sanctuary; we all have to find our own the boss, and he has to figure out how to help structures. Unfortunately, though, people who the boss resolve that dilemma. Remember: Most get swept up in fast-moving companies often bosses are already operating near the limit of treat their partners and their sanctuaries as how much distress they can tolerate — of how expendable luxuries rather than as necessities: much disequilibrium, confusion, and chaos they “I don’t have time to have lunch with my friend”; can stomach. Naturally, they’re inclined to “I don’t have time to go to the gym in the suppress additional disturbances. So Max morning, or to pray or meditate.” I live in needs to understand the pains of change that Boston. No one would live in Boston without he represents and to choose his tactics owning a winter coat. But countless people accordingly. think that they can exercise leadership without HOW LEADERS STAY ALIVE partners or without a sanctuary. To stay alive Leadership is hard — on the people who work as leaders — to tend the wounds that we with leaders as well as on leaders inevitably receive when we raise tough themselves. questions — requires maintaining these How do leaders maintain the stamina, the structures in our lives. energy, and the passion that they need to You make leadership sound so hard, so keep pushing ahead? demanding. I’m working on this question with a Kennedy Do you worry that more people are going to School colleague, Martin Linsky. We’re writing a start opting out? book for leaders that will be called “Staying Recognising the challenges of leadership, Alive”. To sustain yourself over the long term, along with the pains of change, shouldn’t you must learn how to distinguish role from diminish anyone’s eagerness to reap the self. Or, to put it more simply: You can’t take rewards of creating value and meaning in other things personally. Leaders often take personally people’s lives. There’s a thrill that comes with what is not personal and then misdiagnose the the creation of value — and of course there’s resistance that’s’ out there. money and status — and those rewards are Remember: It’s not you they’re after. It may surely worth the pain that comes with the look like a personal attack, it may sound like a territory. There are lots of things in life that are personal attack–but it’s the issues that you worth the pain. Leadership is one of them. represent that they’re after. Distinguishing role William C. Taylor ([email protected]) is from self helps you maintain a diagnostic mind- a founding editor of Fast Company. You can set during trying times. reach Ronald Heifetz by email There’s a second point: Because we get so [email protected]. swept up in our professional roles, it’s hard to distinguish role from self on our own. That’s A STUDENT’S VIEW why we need partners who can help us stay Distance Swimming analytical. And we need two different kinds of By Courtney Beyer – March 25, 2003 partners. We need allies inside the organisation This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter — people who share our agenda. And we need Volume 2003-08 confidants inside or outside the organisation — DEDICATION people who can keep us from getting lost in our My paper is dedicated to the commitment, role. devotion, and passion of swimmers and their Leaders also need a sanctuary, a place where coaches. Including , Dick they can go to get back in touch with the worth Jochums, , and Bill Rose.

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INTRODUCTION new training ideas to the sport, and new ways I took a deep breath of air and watched the to develop the mind, as in visualisation, were red, white, and blue flag slowly rise to the being executed. The combination of these ceiling’s steel beams. The familiar tune of our factors elevated the competition between country’s anthem rang against the natatorium’s swimmers. Coaches were challenging their walls and glazed across the luminescent Sydney swimmers to levels that no one had ever pool, and brought celebration once again to the reached before, and swimmers were eagerly people of our nation. I stood the tallest on the taking on the challenge. This strong work ethic podium adorned with my patriotic warm-ups drove the swimmers beyond their believed and decorated with a medal of gold. As I softly potential. The result was the strongest male sang along, my heart swelled with pride, my Olympic swim team America or any other gold coloured fingernails tingled, and my vision country had ever produced. The men earned blurred as salty tears collected at the bottom of “...12 out of 13 gold medals, set 11 world my eyelids. The flag was for me, the anthem was records, captured 25 individual medals out of for me, the gold medal was for me, and ... the the possible 33, and completed nine one two alarm was for me. finishes (three 1-2-3) in the 11 individual races. My eyes opened and I was lying in my bed, When the Olympics were over, America would hundreds of miles away from the gorgeous pool find that 35% of all the gold medals won by and animated crowd. My Olympic dream was American athletes in Montreal were won by the inspired by ’s performance the men’s swim team” (Warner 156). The 1976 night before. She won the race and beat out the Olympic performance was the cumulative result heavily-favoured Australian who had not lost of when a group of talented athletes all strive to the race in over six years prior to the Olympics. achieve the same Olympic dream. I watched her perfect race, I saw her mouth Why did this happen? What were the factors drop open in surprise and amazement as she that led to America’s incredible dominance in stared at the scoreboard and I smiled when she swimming? I embarked on my quest to obtain hugged her teammate with unimaginable joy. the answers to these questions. I read, “Four She sparked a dream for me and many other champions: One Gold Medal” by Chuck Warner, young swimmers watching the Olympics that a few years before and had become interested in night; it is a dream that will cause desire and the history of distance swimming. This book pursuit, and a dream that will one day make the tells the story of four distance swimmers: Tim next Olympic champion. Shaw, Brian Goodell, , and I am not the first individual to be so moved , during the mid 1970s. When I by an Olympic performance. Peggy Fleming began my I-search project, I decided to read this captured the hearts of many young girls in the book again. This book is the source of much of 1960s and started a new era of figure skating. my knowledge about 1970s distance swimming. Roger Bannister made the impossible when he “Swimming World”, a major swimming broke the four-minute mile. For swimmers, magazine, provided me with history in the probably the most awe-inspiring performance making when I was able to order four back was by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Games. issues from the years 1975 and 1976. However, He boasted seven Olympic gold medals — all in for me swimming is too personal to just read world record time. It was Spitz’s racing that bios about these individuals’ accomplishments. caused a 12-year-old boy named Brian Goodell I needed to talk with the swimmers and coaches to impatiently bike home after school to listen to who achieved these feats. I interviewed two of that day’s Olympic results on the radio. Mark’s the prominent coaches of the time, Coach Dick performance captured the mind of Brian Goodell Jochums, and Coach Bill Rose, who each sent and many others causing them to chase the swimmers to the 1976 Olympics. I also Olympic dream. interviewed two 1976 Olympians, John Naber, The distance swimming races would become and Brian Goodell. From talking with these the favoured events in the United States. extremely knowledgeable individuals, I was able Between the 1972 and the 1976 Olympics, the to gain insight and perspective on the true world record in the 400-metre Freestyle would causes of how distance swimming was drop by nine seconds, while the world record in revolutionised. the 1500-metre would drop an unbelievable 50 After interviewing Goodell, Jochums, Naber, seconds, a feat unheard of today. Record times and Rose, I also realised that their era still has were dropping, because the sport itself was a great influence on distance swimmers today. changing dramatically in how swimmers The leading coaches of the 1970s, Mark trained, coaches coached, and races were raced. Schubert and Bill Rose, now coach Eric Vendt a An era emerged brought enthusiasm as well as 2000 Olympic silver medallist and Larsen

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Jensen an American record holder in the 800 watch the 1974 NCAA Men’s Division 1 metre Freestyle, distance swimmers currently Swimming Championships. He watched John training for the 2004 Olympics. These young Kinsella and Jack Tingley battle out the 1650 ambitious men are constantly reading old yard Freestyle, and was very impressed by the logbooks and attempting to do the same effort gave the race (Warner 70). amazing workouts of Brian Goodell, and Mike The effort given by John Kinsella had an effect Bruner that were swum nearly 30 years ago. on Tim for he based his success in swimming by The swimmers and coaches that created the the amount of effort given. California was the United States’ incredible distance swimming in foundation on which the key elements that the past are still inspiring the next generation of caused the increase of distance swimming were Olympians. built upon. The close vicinity of the different BACKGROUND: 1972 & BEFORE programs resulted in a strong community of Prior to the 1968 Mexico City games, communicating coaches, a competitive Americans had not played a factor in distance atmosphere for swimmers, a strong work ethic, swimming. The 400 and 1500 metre Freestyle and mental toughness was developed. events, which are considered the Olympic SWIMMING COMMUNITY distance events, were won by Americans only The community of coaches corresponded five times in the first 52 years the events were with each other to enhance the level of work swum at the Olympics (1908-1968). At the 1968 that the swimmers were undertaking and and 1972 Olympics, America began to turn their completing. They communicated frequently, reputation around. won the 1500 trading sets and discussing their swimmers at the 1968, as well as at the 1972 Olympics. success. When a swimmer would achieve an Mark Spitz also contributed to America’s amazing feat in practice, his coach would assault on the distance events, when he broke inform fellow coaches. Those coaches would the world record in the 400 Freestyle three take the workout and make it even more times between 1967-1968 (Warner XII-XVI). demanding and their swimmers would gladly Mike Burton, and Mark Spitz retired after the accept the challenge. 1972 games, while Rick DeMont continued to Besides increasing the amount of work lead American distance swimming. Yet, would swimmers completed in practice a rivalry was he last to 1976? And who would continue his raised between swimmers. Coach Bill Rose was reign after he retired? The swimming coaching at De Anza located in Cupertino, community was unsure as to how the answers California. His prominent swimmer, Mike to these questions would be found. Time went Bruner was very motivated by accomplishing on, and young inspired swimmers began to the same sets that his rival had done train with only four years left till the next (Rose Interview). “I would call Dick [Jochums] Olympics. and find out what sets Tim and he were most CALIFORNIA: FOUNDATION FOR proud of. Then we’d try to do the set either SUCCESS faster, or with a shorter rest interval,” said Rose Rick De Mont, Mike Burton, and Mark Spitz “Mike loved these sorts of challenges” (Warner). all trained in California in the late 60s and early John Naber vividly remembers that his whole 70s. The swimming community of California team at Ladera Oaks was incredibly impressed was establishing its role in US Swimming. when the news spread that had California’s mild weather, abundance of pools, completed a 10,000-yard straight swim in under and wide acceptance of the sport laid the an hour and 40 minutes (or 100 minutes which foundation for the success of swimmers training is 10 minutes a 1,000) (Naber Interview). Bobby in California. The success of California Hackett’s coach, Joe Bernal, decided to take programs was evident during the 1972 Amateur Bruner’s set and derive his own challenging set. Athlete Union (AAU) National Championships The set was 100 x 100’s each on one minute. when swimmers training in California achieved Hackett commented, “That was my favourite half of the national titles (Warner). The high workout ... I absolutely loved working out, I concentration of elite swimmers attracted non- loved the pain; and I thought, ‘This is great’ Californian swimmers to come and compete at (Training to be a Champion, Hackett np). meets held in California’s fine facilities. The Swimmers faced new challenges every day competitive meets interested many aspiring and every day they would swim farther and swimmers and fans as they gathered and viewed faster than before. This constant achievement of the world’s best swimmers race each other. This amazing workouts created confidence for Brian definitely had an influential impact on the Goodell. “Brian simply believed that no one in sport’s future leaders. Tim Shaw swam at Long the world had done the work that he had done” Beach in southern California, and came to (Warner). In some ways he was right.

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The Mission Viejo Nadadores were notorious every day and we had a great time ... we just for having challenging sets, especially on fought ... there was always someone out there Christmas Eve. “The main set was 10x1500s for me to chase.” (Goodell Training to be a (that is about 8.5 miles). That set instilled our Champion np). Mark Schubert helped develop beliefs that nobody was as tough as we were, this extraordinary competitive environment and that we were going beyond what anyone where swimmers were constantly racing, else had done” (Goodell Interview). That was the pushing and challenging each other to new reason Mark had them perform the set. He levels. While Schubert’s practice was very wanted them to know that: “When you stand up competitive, I learned that Dick Jochums on the blocks at the end of the season, I want motivated his swimmers through his swimming you to know that you have done things that philosophy. none of your competitors have done ... and this I was timid walking into Dick Jochums’ is one of those things!” (Warner). This workout office. His reputation is nothing but intimidating is one of the gruelling challenges swimmers — and many fear and dislike this headstrong, would take on to ensure that they were working opinionated coach. Despite the scary rumours harder than any of their competitors. By about him, I had to interview this coach exchanging workouts coaches were creating a because he was one of the causes of the rise in work ethic where every swimmer was willing to distance swimming. He created Tim Shaw, do whatever it took to be his best. , and many other prominent COACHES swimmers of the 1970s. I shakily set down my Coaches played a vital role in their bag, and took out my tape recorder along with swimmers’ success. Two of the biggest teams in my questions. I sat in a chair directly in front of the U.S. were located in southern California: this man that has produced some of the Mission Viejo Nadadores, coached by Mark greatest athletes in the past quarter of a Schubert, and Long Beach, coached by Dick century. My first question: “What do you believe Jochums. These two teams held a strong rivalry caused distance swimming to rise in the that contributed to the progress of swimming 1970s?” and then the coach that earned his during the 1970s (Jochums). Each coach had PhD at California-Berkeley in education, different opinions about training and motivating answered my question while I stared into his their swimmers. Despite their differences, each eyes. coach was devoted to producing the best I was immediately swept away to the Belmont swimmers possible. Plaza pool deck hundreds of miles south of Mark Schubert’s program was quantity Santa Clara and 30 years before. He described based. He coached 12-13 practices per week the origin of his philosophy of coaching, “... Bob which totalled an average of 100,000 yards or Morford ... he made me read some things I had 56.8 miles. These practices were full of never read before: Plato, Aristotle, the Greek challenging, long, descending sets. To motivate concepts, and warrior concepts, and I fell in love his hardest workers, Mark Schubert placed all with that ... I preach that: a warrior mentality.” of the distance swimmers in one lane called the (Jochums Interview). He presented his new animal lane. The “animal lane” participants radical ideas to his few swimmers. “The smarter were the leaders of the Mission Viejo work ethic the kid the more they buy my stuff.” (Jochums and ultimately the leaders of work ethic in the Interview). One of them was a scrawny teenaged nation (Warner). Brian Goodell, the 1976 boy named Tim Shaw. Shaw took Jochum’s Olympic Champion in the 400 and 1500 philosophy and carried it with him through his commented, “It was a real badge of honour to be swimming career: “If you measure your success in the ‘animal lane’. It was a badge of honour to by your physical and mental effort, you will be a distance swimmer.” (Training to Be a never waiver from the truth of your Champion, Goodell np). Mark Schubert created performance. If you can do this, you’ll develop a very competitive atmosphere in the animal the qualities in yourself of a champion, and lane. He had at least four of the nation’s top those qualities will be everlasting” (Warner 52). distance swimmers all racing each other every Tim was extremely influenced by Jochums, and day. “When you think of the guys we had at the put a lot of emphasis on the process and not the pool ... Stephen Holland, , Jesse outcome, which inevitably became Tim’s focus. Vassallo, Brian Goodell, and others ... you were “The process is everything; the victory is a tested by fire every day you went to practice,” fleeting millisecond in your life” (Jochums (Schubert). If you were able to beat these guys interview). While other swimmers based their in practice there were only a few other guys in race success on the amount of time dropped or the world that would be able to beat you. This records broken, Tim gauged it on the amount of was an exciting environment; “We went in there effort given. This way of measuring success kept

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Tim focused on improving even after he had these athletes were not formally trained, they broken the world record in the event. still used their minds to push their bodies With his strong philosophies about life and farther than before. coaching in mind, Dick created workouts taken Jeff Goforth was one of the pioneer sports from other coaches and programs but twisted psychologists in visualisation techniques and around to fit his ideals. (Jochums Interview) The other mind training methods. Jeff travelled workouts were all structured to focus around around to different teams giving seminars titled one main set (Mullen). His sets are simple and “Self Image Psychology.” (Warner 117). Jeff similar and would be repeated about every two spoke at Mission Viejo, De Anza and many other weeks (Warner).In this way a swimmer is able to clubs and his speech had a very lasting effect track their improvement from week to week, on many of the swimmers, especially Brian month to month and year to year. Shaw thrived Goodell. Jeff explained how the mind works and on challenging himself to continue improving. how we often settle for less than we are truly When he took on these challenges he challenged capable of achieving. “The good things in life are the rest of the swimming community to compete the mortal enemies of the best things in life” with him in practice and at meets. The rest of (Warner 118). When I read about these ideas in the swimming world stepped up and attempted the book they had lasting effect on me, and “The to compete with Dick Jochums’ prodigy. Forty- good things in life are the mortal enemies of the five minutes later, five questions answered, and best things in life” has become my motto. This about 40 years worth of swimming and life way of thinking keeps me persevering until I discussed, Coach Dick Jochums reached over reach my ultimate goals in swimming and in his desk and shook my tingling hand and I was life. Jeff presented the idea that our attitudes back in 2003. Coach Dick Jochums erased all are a result of our experiences in life. A way to the rumours that I had about him and all that produce more good experiences than bad ones was left was a great respect for a man who is to visualise. Brian listened intensely and shaped arguably one of the best distance absorbed the knowledge that would help him swimmers ever. extend his abilities to train at practice and THE POWER OF VISUALISATION perform at meets. One Sunday morning he Swimmers continued to race their teammates discovered the amazing power of visualisation. in practice and rivals at meets in exhausting “I was driving to practice and turned on the challenges. Swimmers developed or were taught radio, and “Radar Love” was playing and I was methods of mental training which helped them like: Wow, cool, and it [Radar Love] stayed in my overcome pain and fatigue. Visualisation or head” (Goodell Interview). Later at practice the envisioning the perfect race was also a skill main set was announced: 3,000 metres for time. used to enhance performance. Mind training is Brian was not in the mood for practice and a way for the mind to believe so the body can reluctantly began the set. Almost half way conceive and achieve one’s goals. Many through the 60 laps Brian realised many of his swimmers naturally use their minds to help teammates were passing him. Discouraged, he them, but the formal teaching of training the decided to pretend that the final 1,500 of the mind is only a few decades old. 3,000 was the 1,500 at the Olympics. Slowly Many swimmers had personalised techniques “Radar Love” beat into his head, his tempo that helped them work hard during practice and increased and body position rose in the water. at meets. Tim Shaw’s main rival was Stephen The grass surrounding the pool became the Holland. Stephen lived in Australia and the two enthusiastic crowd, the Mission Viejo sign were never able to race each other at a meet. melted away into a scoreboard, and his This did not stop Tim from racing Stephen in teammates became his competitors. The race his head every day at practice. Tim would began. picture Stephen swimming next to him and the The song roared in his ears as he charged two would race every practice. When the pain down the pool. He began to pass his got strong and unbearable during workouts, competitors. He could hear Jim McKay, the Bobby Hackett would go into “auto-pilot” and famed Olympic announcer, calling out the focus on counting his strokes per lap. This people he was over taking and the fans allowed him to continue swimming at a high screaming wildly on their feet. When he had a intensity and concentrate on something other 150 left he began to use his 6-beat kick and he than the excruciating pain (Warner). John could hear in his head “Last car to pass here I Naber lay down on his bed every night and go...” With one last stroke he touched the wall envisioned the crowd screaming, water and raised his hands in victory. Brian Goodell splashing as he raced his 100 Backstroke at the had believed he had won the 1500 at the 1976 Olympic games (Naber Interview). Although Olympic Games; he had also discovered his own

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ability to visualise and “Radar Love” became his After I had done my loving laps, I came home theme song as he battled through later today and began to write my conclusion. The practices (Warner). last part of my journey is almost done and When Brian was in the middle of his 1,500 at although I will feel a great deal of stress lifted the Olympic Games in Montreal, he was in a from me (as well as weight) once I hand in my fierce battle with Bobby Hackett, and Stephen paper, I will not cease to continue learning Holland, and “Radar Love” was roaring his about my topic and the ways it impacts today’s head, encouraging him to live up to his swimmers. The summer before the 2004 visualisation that he had had many months Olympics is approaching. Distance swimmers as before, one Sunday morning in a pool well as all elite swimmers are gearing up for thousands of miles away. their most rigorous year of training. Although I The clubs of California had a deep reservoir may not be in the contingent to represent the of outstanding coaches that were constantly United States Olympic Team, I will be working exchanging workouts to raise their swimmers hard so that one day I can be. As my devoted endurance and their ability to compete with coach stands on the pool deck and announces other swimmers. The few swimmers who were that we will be doing a set that he got from a able to use their minds to push themselves coach in the east bay, and that we are going to farther than they believed they were physically do it a little bit faster than they did, I just smile able to, were the ones that performed to their and visualise myself atop the podium true potential at the Olympic Games. thousands of miles away, years from now. Then CONCLUSION I begin the set. Even before I began my I-search project I was Work Cited fascinated by the history of distance swimming. • Goodell, Brian — Personal Interview, 26th After assignment was given I was anxious to February 2003 begin researching about this phenomenal era. I • Jochums, Dick — Personal Interview, 18th quickly realised that only one book had been February 2003 written about my topic. Yet primary sources • Mullen P.H. — Gold in the Water, New were abundant and I was able to gain much York: Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s knowledge from the four people I interviewed. Press 2001 After interviewing Brian Goodell, Coach • Naber, John — Personal Interview, 18th Jochums, John Naber, and Coach Rose, I was February 2003 all ready to interview Mike Burton, Rick • Rose, Bill — Personal Interview, 13th DeMont, and Mike Bruner. My mom saved me February 2003 from myself and suggested that I begin to write • Schubert, Mark — Interview, Swim Sport my paper. She knew that I had enough Web Magazine, information and all I really wanted to do was www.swimsport.com/D02/D2_0799b talk to these retired swim heroes and interviews • “Training to be a Champion” Lecture were a great excuse to do so. Recap, 2nd September 1998, Over these past eight weeks I have found www.hanoveraquatics.home.mindspring.c that interviews were the hardest yet most om/trainingtobeachamp rewarding way of researching information. I was • Warner, Chuck — Four Champions: One so scared to do my first interview with Bill Rose Gold Medal, El Segundo, California: that I paced in front of the phone for 30 minutes Sports Publications, Inc., 1999 before I called. As the interviews continued I was still nervous before, but once they began to answer my first question I was completely RECRUITING & RETAINING absorbed in their stories, their ideas and MINORITY ATHLETES understanding of who this person really was. I By Lee Willing, ASCA Fellow spend hours reading about how many metres September 6, 2003 ASCA Clinic Brian Goodell swam every day, and when I was San Diego, California Fellows Program talking to him I could hear the passion in his This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter voice and the excitement that he had just Volume 2003-09 talking about all the breakthrough practices he completes. The interviews made all the pictures Editors Note: The following is a presentation by I saw, stories I read, and ideas I had become Coach Lee Willing, an ASCA Fellow. The real. I was able to place a picture with a soul, presentation and research constituted his and not just see the individual do continuous Fellows Year Project and reveals some rather laps all day. I was able to feel the love they had surprising and useful facts on minority for those laps. participation in swimming. Implications are

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strong on how to proceed to improve this can give you the breakdown by division later if representation in the future. Congratulations to you’re interested) 10.9% of men and 9.1% of Coach Willing on the completion of this project. women swimmers are identified as minority JL athletes. Good Morning, By connecting the dots we can conclude then My original idea for my project was to that retaining the minority athletes in our sport develop a realistic approach to recruiting and is not necessarily a large issue. Retaining all retaining minority athletes in the sport of athletes period is a monster issue USA swimming. I have served on USA Swimming’s swimming will have to face soon but minorities Outreach Committee since 1999 and truly seem to actually be hanging on. believe that this type of project is not only Minority athletes in collegiate swimming are needed but is also long overdue. However, my involved at almost twice the percentage rate project sort of veered away from it’s original overall in college than at the club level. With direction, as they sometimes do, and I believe it fewer spots available and the fact that these is probably more important to present this athletes must actually compete and earn their information with what I guess would be my spots it is very positive sign. The picture drawn experience/research-driven suggestions on how by the dots here is that the minority athletes someone else could and should take it forward. that join our sport are not only staying involved BACKGROUND but the males seems to be staying at the points To begin with there are not near enough that it gets most competitive. This is not the numbers out there to build any truly scientific overall trend for males in our sport. conclusions on. However, there are enough to EXAMPLE get started and I guess we’ll just have to deal These facts were demonstrated first hand with what we have at this time. this past long course season at the Texas Age Most of the numbers I will use today are Group Swimming Championships (TAGS for either from the NCAA or USA swimming. The short). TAGS are a 4½ day prelim/final meet for biggest problem with the number available is athletes 14 & under from the five different LSC’s that they are either self-reported by coaches in the state of Texas. Most qualifying times for and athletic directors as in the NCAA, or even TAGS are at the AA time standard or better. worse, self-reported by athletes and parents as This summer there were over 900 athletes at in the USA swimming number. Each also gets the meet. funnelled through several middlemen and of An informal study of the 624 individual course, never can be found in corresponding swims in finals, 17% were by minority athletes. time periods (latest number at the time of this 10% of all final individual swims were minority study were NCAA data from 2000-01 and USA athlete champions with Top 16 cuts. Again that Swimming data from 2002), so when they come is well above the USA swimming numbers and out they can be as trusted as well ... the 36% minority finalists in the 11-12 boys age information from any large self-serving group is phenomenal. bureaucratic institution. That being said, it MY CONCLUSIONS should be understood that the conclusions and Based on this data and anecdotal data hypotheses listed here are just that, educated gathered through interviews with minority guesses. But it is a very good place to start, and swimmers and parents of minority swimmers, I to dispute anything presented here a much found that we should focus on the recruiting of more precise combination of data will have to be minority athletes into our sport. We have to be collected and tallied. A challenge I happily throw more diligent in seeking out the minority athlete out. Now, let’s take a look. and finding ways to get swimming into the lower THE DATA socio-economic communities. This task will be USA Swimming statistics show that only more daunting than ever given that the price to 4.2% of the boys and 5.4% of the girls who are join USA Swimming will be rising steadily over registered USA Swimming athletes are the next few years. We have to remember that in minorities. That’s not very many athletes. In most minority communities there is usually no fact, if you were to pull out 3 or 4 of the LSC’s connection drawn between swimming lessons which are in areas of the country with very high and joining a swimming team. We have to begin concentrations of minorities; the percentages showcasing the success that minority athletes would be below 1% each. That’s just plain sad. have had on the local level and build Looking at swimming in the NCAA though, one relationships with community leaders ... in the could actually take some hope by connecting minority communities. In most cases the dots. For instance; the NCAA statistics show community leaders have nothing to do with city that (and this is all three divisions combined; I hall and more to do with a church or

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community association. Round Athlete Membership information given to the LSC We have to lobby hard to the leaders of our General Chairmen at their annual meeting. sport both locally and nationally to do more NCAA data taken from NCAA research information NCAA Sport-By-Sport Student-Athlete Ethnicity Percentages than token actions to recruit minorities. For 2000-01. example, the outreach committee for USA Swimming was basically reduced from 12 members to 2 this past year. Only after FACTORS AFFECTING tenacious lobbying from the chairman-elect was PERFORMANCE the committee reborn to 6. They have yet to get TIPS ON TECHNIQUE a mandate from USA Swimming demanding any By Greg Cronauer accountable action and/or a budget to be able Sponsored by FINIS to initiate any real programs. But does NISCA This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter have any programs? Does the YMCA Swimming Volume 2003-09 Coaches Association? Does the College Swimming Coaches Has this ever happened to you as a coach? Association? We cannot continue to follow the During a meet a swimmer comes up to you in current plan of waiting until the socio-economic frustration after a poor swim and says “I just demographics catch up to swimming’s cost don’t understand it! Tried my hardest and it structure. wasn’t even close to my best time! Suzy and When this great windfall of cash comes in Jimmy got their best times and I work 10 times from the dues increase and we establish “the harder than them in practice. Plus they don’t swimming channel” (said tongue in check) we come as often as I do. It just isn’t fair!” should do more than highlight minority athletes This is an age-old problem and one that is as if they were abnormalities. We should be tough to answer to the swimmer’s satisfaction. highlighting them regularly as if they were any Here is how our team handles it. other athletes. Minorities know when they are Once a year, during the second month of the being patronized and they know when they are season, we hand out this Factors Affecting being respected and desired. With the data Performance sheet and discuss it as a group. presented here we should be developing a plan We use the analogy of an archer (the swimmer) to aggressively recruit minority males to our trying to hit a 3-foot target (getting their best sport. We cannot afford to wait until we need time) with a bow and arrow from a starting them because by then they probably won’t be distance of 50 yards away. It is pretty tough to able to afford us. do. If you move closer to the target it still won’t **Notes: For the purpose of consistency the term guarantee that you will hit it with every arrow ... minorities consists of American Indian, African but it hits a lot more frequently. Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Each time you work on one of the factors Pacific Islanders and others as listed on both below is like taking one big step closer to the the NCAA and USA Swimming target. It makes it easier to hit (a best time) and registration/athlete data. maybe get a bull’s-eye (your dream swim). THE NUMBERS Working on all of them means stepping 40 2002 USA Swimming Year-Round Registrations yards closer and shooting your arrows from 10 Total Registrations: 228,216 % Males identified as minorities: 4.2 yards away instead of 50. % Females identified as minorities: 5.4 This discussion teaches the frustrated, hard- 2000-01 NCAA Swimmers – All Divisions working swimmer to not get discouraged if the Total Athletes: 17,373 lazy swimmer gets a best time here and there. % Males identified as minorities: 10.9 You can hit the target at 40 yards just the same % Females identified as minorities: 9.1 as you can miss it at 10 yards, but I will take 2000-01 NCAA Swimming Athletes the “10 yard” odds any day of the week! Maybe % identified as minority by division theirs was a lucky swim ... or maybe they work NCAA Div. Males Females I 11.5 10.1 quietly to improve factors such as stroke II 5.6 4.9 technique or good diet. Maybe they get 10 hours III 15.8 12.3 of sleep a night where the frustrated swimmer Comparison of the largest and smallest LSCs in USA only gets six. Either way, don’t focus on them or Swimming by year-round registrations during 2002: their factors, Focus on yours. It does no good Total % % % % for a swimmer to complain they are 5 feet tall LSC Regis- Minority Caucasian Decline Unknown trations while their buddy, who is the same age, is 6 feet Illinois 14,181 .54 22.3 .68 62.4 or is born with bigger hands, bigger feet, or a Border 630 38.8 19.8 .12 40.0 better feel for the water. They may have been USA Swimming numbers taken from USA Swimming Year- “born closer to the target” but we all have seen

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race winners who weren’t the tallest or don’t mean a thing if the engine seizes due to strongest ones on the blocks at the start. This overheating (lack of water). Are you keeping exercise reminds your swimmers to work on your body...? improving all the other areas they have control • Fuelled up with high octane… over. Carbohydrates? Total overall performance is a combination of • Tuned up... Proteins and Fats? many different things. Knowing and • Well oiled... water, vitamins and understanding each of the factors is the first minerals? step toward success. Each one is a step closer Is your daily intake 70% carbos, 20% to a “bull’s-eye.” No one is going to hand you protein, and 10% fat? When you completed your fast swims on a silver platter ... you have to 3-day food log last month did you have the work on each of the following areas in Order to right mix of the foods in the pyramid? An be successful. No single factor is the key, but a unbalanced diet can be like taking the fastest combination of them can assure continued and and most powerful engine and putting water in steady improvement. They are listed in no its gas tank. particular order. ATTENDANCE STROKE TECHNIQUE Do you swim more days during the week Backstroke — Breaststroke — Butterfly than you rest? 3 out of 7 (42%) — or 4 out of 7 Freestyle — IM (57%) — or 6 out of 7 (85%)? Before puberty, 3- Why are your best strokes your best? Do you 4 days/week is enough to improve nicely. After try to improve at least one or two technique puberty, 4-6 days/week is necessary for top areas each day? What about the other stroke performance. Remember that illness, meets, and technique areas? holidays, and special circumstances all reduce • Starts... quick reaction, smooth entry, etc. that average. Because of this, most swimmers • Turns... quick, smooth, no “dead” spots, on a 4-day/week (57%) plan usually end up etc. coming less than 50% when totalled at the end • Push-offs... Streamline, kick, no breath of the season. Training adaptations do not occur on first stroke, etc. as quickly when the body averages a practice Stroke technique is the biggest and richest every other day! Half the days the body is improvement area for most swimmers. building strength and the other half it is losing GOAL SETTING ABILITY that strength. (This is a very crude analogy, but Try to set goals that are challenging yet true, for athletes aged 12-older.) reachable. Coach can help you. WEIGHT You need short term as well as long term Each pound you gain in muscle can help mill goals. Swimmers with specific goals carry with you through the water. Each pound you gain in them a sort of subconscious motivation that fat is just added weight you have to drag helps boost them through minor obstacles or through the water. Fortunately, this isn’t as big challenges. This can make it easier to perform a factor in the water, where there is buoyancy, proper push-offs every practice or bear down on as it is on land. But there is a limit. Lose a the last couple 200’s of a tough set where other little weight by working harder and eating swimmers are just praying for it to end. better, NOT by dieting. DESIRE HEIGHT Why do you achieve some goals and not Some swimmers have no control over this others? What factors are responsible? What factor due to hereditary. It is a fact that — all factors contributed to your great 100 Freestyle other factors being equal — bigger swimmers time at the ABC Meet? Why was your 100 have an advantage over smaller swimmers. But Butterfly time at the same meet so poor? Why there have been many smaller swimmers make was your Breaststroke so great all season but the Olympic Games or win National your Freestyle so “flat?” Analyse all these championships. You just have to make the factors. Maybe you “wanted it” more? WHY!? other factors that much better. Which factors were better in practice when you STRENGTH/POWER were “wanting it” more? (Goals again!) When Built through a well-designed dryland leaving the pool after a great practice, ask, exercise program and by power work in the “Why did I work so hard? Why did I work so water (such as surgical tubing, doing sprints at smart?” 100%, etc.) DIET/NUTRITION PARENTAL SUPPORT Your body is like a race car. It needs fuel, Do they encourage you to do your best? Do water, oil, good tyres, etc., to run fast on the they show that they care about you and not just track. But the best fuel, best tires and best oil about your “swims?” Do they go to the meets to

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watch or help? Do they support you too much? resistance) by going outside without a hat or Push you too much? Not enough? warm clothing? Do you pick up germs from NATURAL ATTRIBUTES (PHYSICAL) friends, relatives or girl/boyfriends? Do you Muscle fibre (fast twitch, slow twitch)? Big wash your hands enough during the cold and feet or hands? Double jointed? Flexible? Thin- flu season? What about illness like boned and skinny? Heavy-boned and muscular? mononucleosis? Do you have prolonged periods Hereditary? of fatigue? Have you had a complete physical EFFORTS IN PRACTICE lately? Are you physically depleting your energy PERSONALITY reserves in practice to maximise training Hyper versus laid back? Cocky versus timid? benefits? Are the practices hard enough? If so, Self-confident or insecure? Do I take chances or are you working them to your potential? Are you play it safe? If I have a question or concern do I working to make every send-off? Are you actively seek answers? There are no good or bad making the goal times the coach gives you in personalities; in fact all good teams have a practice? This factor also includes building mixture but ask yourself, “How does my basic mental strength and strategy such as negative personality affect my ability to improve all the splitting, pacing, knowing where to make your factors listed in this handout?” move, etc. (In some cases the swimmer may REST even be working too hard if they aren’t getting Both physical and mental. The most enough sleep, have a poor diet, or practices important is a good night’s sleep every night don’t allow for proper recovery.) during the season, not just before big meets. ENDURANCE You should recover enough from each workout The solid foundation for all swimmers in to gain the most benefit. Many swimmers get heavy training (Junior 2 and up). Swimmers less than eight hours of sleep, especially in high need a good distance base to help all their school where they may study till midnight. Try events. Almost any swimming builds endurance being at your best for a 7000-yard practice after but the most effective are the long two late nights like that. Even if you finish every distance/short rest swims at a moderate pace. yard your body doesn’t recover enough to get Do you bag these practices? Do you swim full benefit. What about the rest before a meet? slower than you should? Do you stop to adjust How much you get the second and third night your goggles too much? If so, you are not before the meet is more important than the forming a good foundation from which you can night right before. And if you get more than build for speed in your 50’s or 100’s. your normal average the night before it may PACING/SPLITS make you feel sluggish and make it difficult to You can be very strong, very fast, have great “get going” during the meet. stroke technique, and be perfectly tapered, yet FLEXIBILITY/STRETCHING still fall on your face if you don’t race with good Am I flexible enough to perform the proper splits. Can you tell how fast you are going? Do stroke technique? Do I know some good you remember your coach’s split instructions flexibility exercises? Do I come early to practice during a race? Do you remember your splits to do them before I swim? Easy stretching will from your last meet to learn from them? Did you help maximise your effort in practice because go out in the speed the coach wanted? Do you you won’t have to stop or swim slower because work on your finish in practice so you know of cramps or stiffness. I need flexibility in feet how it will feel in the big race? and legs for fast kicking just as much as in TAPER arms and shoulders for proper technique. Taper is a sensitive time. Are you confident? CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TEAM Do you follow the coach’s specific instructions Are you confident that your team program during a practice or do you goof off because the can give you an edge with each of these factors? work is easier? Do you get enough sleep and SUCCESS rest while your body adjusts to the changes the Have I achieved success or recognition in taper brings? Are other sports tiring you out some form to make me hungry for more? during taper? Are you eating the right foods in Success breeds more success! It fuels the fire the right amounts? and fans the flame! ILLNESS TRAINING ENVIRONMENT Sickness reduces the number of those Positive, goal-oriented, swimmers precious practices. How many days did a cold or encouraging each other, hard working, etc. flu knock you out of practice? How much Good facilities, visible record board, proper strength did you lose? How long will it take you equipment, etc. to recover? Do you invite illness (reducing your

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AGE double or triple. Older swimmers are generally faster because MENTAL ATTITUDE of size and experience, but this is a variable What would your response to the following factor for each individual. When are/were your comments be? And Why? growth spurts? Are you maturing slowly or Teammate says... quickly? Have you reached puberty? Are you “Hey, did you hear that Suzie Smith (a rival) ahead or behind your classmates? Remember, swam a 1:05 (one second better than your time is the great equaliser! (Don’t worry if you best) at the district meet?” are an 11-12 boy and are being beaten by Coach says... someone with a lot more hair on his legs than “You are swimming the 400 IM next meet.” you have.) Coach says... COMPETITION “The next set is 10x500 Freestyle.” Do you go to meets where the competition is Did you immediately look at it as a negative always too stiff? Too easy? Good mixture of or as an opportunity? You don’t have to like both? Balanced competition allows you to everything but you can learn to mentally “roll achieve the success that boosts you as well as up your sleeves” at challenges or setbacks. the competition that pulls out your best COACHING performance. A good coach teaches and helps you FACTORS AT MEETS understand all these factors and encourages Do you warm-up and warm-down you to be the best you can be by strengthening before/after events? Or does coach have to yell your good ones and helping you improve the at you to “loosen down?” Do you stay warm weak ones. between events? (wear warm-ups) Staying FUN relaxed and not expending nervous or physical The X-factor — the glue that helps bind all (running around) energy. Mental imagery — the factors together. Fun can come in many black hat versus white hat. Visualising your forms besides “sharks and minnows.” Tell your race ... focus on specifics ... what you want to coach what types of practices you like. Which do, not what you want to avoid ... no ones are fun? Which ones are motivating? Is distractions. Team support ... both giving and there enough variety? Coaches need this type receiving. Getting rest and staying calm between of input from their swimmers (although they a.m. trials and p.m. finals. may not always agree with it.) PRACTICING BETWEEN SEASONS Each athlete took this handout home to read. Some need to swim during those 2-3 weeks, We also told them to share it with the parents. some don’t. Do you? Some need to recharge (The parents play a big role in most of the their mental batteries, some want to get a jump “factors,” especially for Age Groupers.) Over the on the next season. next two weeks, each swimmer told their ABILITY TO CORRECT A STROKE FAULT group’s coach what were their strengths and Takes lots of willpower to mentally force which ones they needed to work on. This was yourself to change a habit. Mental work for added to the bottom of each swimmer’s goal swimmers is more difficult than hard physical sheet. We found it to be very successful in work. If you can do it correctly under ideal raising their awareness. This can eliminate the conditions then the coach has done his job to frustration exhibited by the child at the teach you. Now it is up to you to take that skill beginning of this article as well as adding and remember to use it constantly to form a understanding and focus to their goal setting. new and good habit. The end result is faster swimmers. DISTRACTIONS Boy or girl friends — family or personal HOW TO BECOME EMPLOYED problems — these can all make you lose focus and desire. Talk to the coach if you have a STAY EMPLOYED … NOT GET FIRED problem. Share with your teammates and they By John Leonard may offer more support than you think. If these This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter are not options then try to leave your problems Volume 2003-10 in your locker when you come to swim. This is tough but it can be done. Recently, a number of coaches have been TEAM SUPPORT fired for some reasons that just don’t sound real At meets—but especially at practices. If you logical or realistic. are feeling good ... SHARE IT! If you have extra If you are about to look for a new position, or ... GIVE SOME AWAY! Encourage! Support! negotiate with your club team (parent-owned), Whatever you give out will come back to you follow the cookbook…

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1. Discuss with your employer what you will 14. Better yet, exceed everyone’s expectations do. under the contract. 2. Discuss with your employer who you will 15. Keep scrupulously to the dates for report to. evaluations, etc. If it isn’t done by the 3. Discuss with your employer how your job club, call your lawyer and get it done. performance will be measured — and how 16. Now, if they try to fire you for no cause, go often — and by whom. back to your lawyer’s office and either 4. Discuss with your employer the length of collect the rest of your contract fees, your employment. and/or a penalty for them breaking the 5. Discuss under what conditions you can be contract, or see how fast they come dismissed. around when your lawyer has a chat with 6. Tell your potential employer that you will them. have YOUR LAWYER draft an agreement, Yes, this is unpleasant. So is trying to pay based on Points 1-5 above. rent and pay for food without a job. If the employer balks at this, go find another 17. Toward the end of your contract, if they position. Have courage — there are more jobs don’t like you, or you don’t like them, out there. leave with good grace — like a gentleman Try to imagine putting your heart and soul or lady. Protect and preserve your into a job for 1-2-3 years and then having the professionalism. rug yanked out from under you when the club DON’T SKIP ANY STEPS vice president doesn’t like the order of your 11- THERE IS NO SHORTCUT 12 girls 400 Freestyle Relay, and so you’re THERE IS NO SHORTCUT looking for a job. Think I’m exaggerating? THERE IS NO SHORTCUT You have NO idea of the stories we get here. 7. Discuss Points 1-5 with your lawyer. Tell DON’T NEGLECT THE IMMUNE him what YOU want — that you think is a fair agreement. SYSTEM 8. Have your lawyer draw up a draft By Matt Fitzgerald agreement. This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter 9. Pick up the draft agreement; mail it to Volume 2003-10 Guy Edson or John Leonard at 2101 N. Andrews Ave., Suite 107, Fort Lauderdale, Do your athletes get sick during periods of FL. 33311. Ask them to review it for peak training? Studies have shown that while content and call you back to offer advice athletes who train moderately get fewer viral on what’s missing, what’s done poorly and infections (colds and flu) than non-athletes, a complete review. It’s free. Use it. athletes in heavy training get sick as often as 10. Take what John and Guy give you back to the sedentary. This is because prolonged the lawyer. Have him write up a final workouts suppress certain immune system contract copy. functions for a period lasting between a few 11. Take your contract to your potential hours and three full days, creating a window of employer. If you have enough money to do opportunity for viruses to invade the body. so, get your lawyer to do this for you and While not as directly related to performance negotiate it for you. as the cardiovascular, metabolic and muscular DO NOT TELL US THAT YOU CAN’T systems, the immune system is vitally AFFORD A LAWYER. If you really can’t, then important for every swimmer. When it is sell insurance or tend bar until you have weakened, swimmers tend to catch colds and enough money to afford one. Take a job you flu, and when they are sick; they cannot train or don’t have to put your heart and soul into until race optimally, if at all. Fortunately, however, you can afford to protect yourself and your there are several measures your swimmers can family in a coaching job where you will work take to drastically reduce the amount of illness enormous hours, spend untold emotional downtime they must endure. energy and can be dismissed even with one of those do-it-yourself contracts that you decided 1. Eat right to write up (or sign theirs) to SAVE MONEY. If The immune system is deeply dependent on you can’t afford a lawyer, you’re not serious dietary nutrients, including antioxidant about wanting a stable coaching job. vitamins such as C and E, and minerals such 12. Get it signed. as zinc, which you should obtain from natural 13. Fulfil your obligations under the contract. foods, as these contain phytochemicals that also support immunity and are not to be found

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in dietary supplements. A balanced diet that’s greater insulin release, resulting in faster high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will delivery of carbohydrate to the muscles, which provide all of the immune system-supporting in turn allows them to conserve more stored nutrition you need. glycogen and delay cortisol release. Note that there’s no conclusive evidence that A second advantage of greater glycogen popular herbs such as Echinacea and green tea conservation is, of course, better endurance make a difference in the prevention or performance. In a University of Texas study, a overcoming of infection. 4:1 carbohydrate-protein sports drink (Accelerade) was found to increase endurance 2. Go to bed by 24% more than a conventional, Sleep is also important for immune system carbohydrate-only sports drink. Other studies support. Even mild sleep deprivation reduces have shown that the higher insulin levels that the activity of interleukins, a group of molecules follow use of a carbohydrate-protein also involved in signalling between cells of the accelerate muscle recovery by allowing the immune system. The average person needs muscles to replenish glycogen stores and eight hours of sleep per night and athletes in rebuild muscle proteins faster. hard training need a little extra. 6. Supplement with glutamine 3. Practice germ hygiene Glutamine is the abundant amino acid in Most people think airborne germs are the muscle cells and is an important fuel for certain leading cause of infection. Actually it’s self- types of immune cells. Glutamine levels have inoculation, as when you grab a germ-infested been shown to decrease in response to heavy doorknob and then rub your eye with the same exercise and overtraining. hand. The good news is that self-inoculation is In one study, to determine if glutamine largely avoidable: just keep your hands away supplementation could help provide immune from your nose and eyes, and wash them system support, 200 runners and rowers frequently. consumed either a glutamine-containing drink or a placebo drink. The percentage of athletes 4. Get a flu shot who reported no infections was 81 % in the Here’s an immunity boost you can quantify: glutamine group and 49% in the placebo group. Flu vaccinations are 85% effective, and even This study indicates that athletes who are at when they’re not they tend to result in milder risk for overtraining syndrome would benefit infections. Once recommended only for the from supplementation with a protein such as weak and elderly, they’re now advised for all. whey, which contains a high percentage of October is the month to do it. glutamine. The carbohydrate-protein sports drink Accelerade uses whey protein. 5. Use a sports drink When prevention fails. How can a sports drink prevent colds and flu When your athletes do get sick, they have in swimmers? Like this … hard training two interrelated objectives: recovering quickly depletes the body’s stores of glycogen fuel. and minimising lost training time. Research has When this happens, the stress hormone cortisol shown that exercising with cold symptoms is is released in order to breakdown muscle not a problem. Head colds generally do not proteins so that their constituent amino acids hamper exercise performance significantly and can be used for energy. Cortisol suppresses the exercise does not increase the duration or immune system. severity of colds. When symptoms move into the Fortunately, research performed at chest and lungs, athletes need to be cautious. Appalachian State University and elsewhere has Advise them to take a precautionary day off and shown that athletes can greatly reduce exercise- follow up with a test workout the next day. If related immune system suppression by they feel bad, they must pull the proverbial consuming a carbohydrate sports drink during ripcord. and after workouts, thereby slowing glycogen When flu symptoms such as fever and body depletion and minimising the release of cortisol aches are present, athletes should not exercise and other stress hormones. at all, and should not resume exercise until a A sports drink that contains both day or two after the symptoms have vanished. carbohydrate and protein in the right balance (ideally a 4:1 ratio) may protect the immune Matt Fitzgerald is the managing editor of system even better. This is because sports PoweringMuscles.com, a nutrition information drinks containing carbohydrate and protein in resource for athletes. this ration have been proven to stimulate

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1—2—3 EAR ON THE PILLOW COME RHYTHMIC BREATHE WITH ME! Next, still standing in the shallow end, bend A simple pattern for learning Freestyle or Crawl forward at the waist, and place one ear on the surface of the water as if laying your head on a By Evelyn Streett pillow, (I usually recommend the left ear This article appeared in ASCA Newsletter because most people are right-handed). This is Volume 2003-10 the same breathing technique used when

Editor’s Note: Years of observation tell me bobbing, except this time the swimmer’s head that nothing is more important to the long-term and body are horizontal instead of vertical. With success of the swimming athlete than a the left ear in the water, breathe air in saying, profound comfort level with the ability to get air “Ah”, then turn face down into the water and and breath. Yet this most basic skill is often the blow air out saying, “Pooh”. It is important to most difficult to teach. remember that the swimmer’s head has only How many swimmers turn into sprinters two positions — ear on the pillow (breathing air because they are not comfortable enough in) and face down in the water (blowing air breathing to do the aerobic swimming necessary out). The swimmer should NOT lift his or her to become mid-distance or distance athletes? head straight up or twist it around, but rather We’ll never know, but this experienced observer envision a vice allowing ONLY two positions: of programs from Learn-to-Swim to the Olympic “Ah” (breathe air in) and “Pooh” (blow air out). Games suspects it is a large number. Once rhythmic breathing on one side has been Therefore, any time we get a good article mastered, a swimmer may introduce alternate about basic skill teaching we’ll bring it to you. breathing on both right and left sides, but Here’s one on teaching good breathing. Our thanks to Evelyn Streett! JL alternate breathing for the beginner may be too confusing. Practice the ear on the pillow

technique 10 or more times until “Ah-Pooh” Swimming is great fun and wonderful becomes natural. exercise. There is nothing quite like plunging into a cool pool on a hot summer day or “DIG-A-CIRCLE-GRAB” enjoying some refreshing laps indoors any time of year. Many people forgo swimming, however, It is assumed that the individual already has as a regular form of exercise because the only proficiency in Freestyle stroking and just needs way they have learned to swim is the neck- to add rhythmic breathing. However, if this is straining, breath-holding, head-held-high-out- not the case, start in the shallow end either of-the-water method. There is an answer to this standing (for adults and taller children) or dilemma and it’s as easy as 1-2-3…Come grasping the wall with one hand and placing Rhythmic Breathe With Me! Ready? Let’s two feet on the wall (for smaller children). If jump in! standing, place your foot and fanny on the

wall. If holding onto the wall with one hand and BOBBING two feet, place your feet and fanny on the wall,

ready to push off. If standing, bend forward at Rhythmic breathing is all about breath the waist, and hold the kickboard at .the bottom control. To learn breath control, the beginning with both hands, keeping arms straight. If swimmer needs to remember two simple grasping the wall with one hand, the other syllables: “Ah” and “Pooh.” “Ah” means breathe arm will be extended, holding the kickboard at air in (something done only above the surface of the bottom. Next, take a breath in, “Ah”, and the water), and “Pooh” means blow air out then push off from the wall face down, blowing (something done only below the water’s surface). air out, “Pooh”, yielding a motorboat sound as To begin bobbing, stand in .the shallow end and bubbles are created. (Children usually relate grasp the edge of the pool with one hand for well to the front glide being called the balance. Take a breath in, “Ah”, (like you’re “Superman” glide). Now “Dig” down into the getting ready to blow out candles), and then water with your right arm, performing a submerge and blow air out, “Pooh”, creating complete “Circle.” When the circle is complete, lots of bubbles. Repeat this skill until you can once again “Grab” the kickboard with that same do it at least 10 times in a row. Next, release hand. (Children sometimes get confused your grip from the wall and continue bobbing between “Digging” down or up so I ask them, using your hands as instruments of balance “Do dogs dig down or up?” To reinforce the and control — palms will alternate up and down correct answer I say, “We ‘Dig’ down, just like in the water — until you are very comfortable dogs do”). Now repeat, “Dig-A-Circle-Grab”, this bobbing using the “Ah”-“Pooh” method.

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time using your left arm. You will find it much immediately performs a “Dig-A-Circle” easier to perform this skill if you will put your completing the arm stroke or “Circle.” One face in the water. (Children seem to better grasp entire stroke rotation or “Ah-Pooh, Dig-A-Circle” the full circle concept when I say, “touch your has now been completed. Repeat this procedure pocket.” Whether the hip pocket is real or at least 10 times with the kickboard or until it imaginary, his or her hand will more likely becomes very natural. As your Freestyle arm brush past the thigh, helping them perform a stroke continues improving, the will complete, and not just a partial, circle with their help keep your body at surface level and arm). It is necessary to master Dig-A-Circle- moving. Grab before moving on to the next step so practice this skill at least 10 times. To help SOME KEYS THAT MAY HELP propel you and keep the lower half of your body • Place your left ear on the pillow before buoyant and moving, add a flutter kick, which pushing off from the wall with the is a straight-legged, toe-pointed, up-and-down, kickboard. This way you are already in mini-kick that originates from the hips and not position to simultaneously breathe air in, the knees. It is helpful when first learning to “Ah”, and take your first “Circle” stroke flutter kick to sit on the side of a pool (better yet with the right arm. on pool steps, if available) and perform the skill, • Practice placing your ear in the water as watching your legs move quickly up and down deeply as you can, lifting your mouth out in short fluttering motions, creating wave-like for maximum air intake. Since your ocean foam. You can also practice kicking by mouth is the only location where air will holding onto a pool wall with your hands and be drawn in, lowering your head into the kicking with your legs behind you or by using a water will give your mouth more kickboard. breathing room. • If you repeatedly find yourself accidentally “AH-POOH, DIG-A-CIRCLE” inhaling water instead of, or in addition to air, practice bobbing again, doing “Ah”- Stand in the shallow water and bend forward “Pooh” vertically, so that you clearly grasp at the waist, holding onto the wall with both the concept of when to breathe in (above hands. For those too short to stand comfortably the water’s surface) and when to blow out in the shallow end, a swimming noodle (or, with (below the water’s surface). permission, the instructor’s arm) may be placed • If you find yourself repeatedly inhaling under the abdomen for support. Your left ear water in your nose, practice blowing air should be placed in the water on the pillow. out of your nostrils, creating bubbles and “Dig” your right hand down into the water while the motorboat sound. A nose clip is simultaneously taking a breath in saying, “Ah”. another option, but avoid this device if When your arm is halfway through completing you can as some have become dependent the “Circle” (your right arm will be at high noon on it and can’t or won’t swim without it. in the air), turn face down into the water and blow the air out, saying “Pooh”. Repeat “Ah- When you have mastered “Ah-Pooh, Dig-A- Pooh” — using only the right arm — at least 10 Circle” with the kickboard, your next step is to times until this skill has been mastered. Again, try swimming without the kickboard. Be younger swimmers relate well to making the patient with yourself. Go slowly and master the sound of a motorboat when blowing air out basics before moving on. Soon you’ll be saying, because they hear and see their bubbles, aiding “1-2-3...Come Rhythmic Breathe With Me!” memory retention. Now do this same one-arm, face down, “Ah-Pooh” with your right arm only, Evelyn Streett learned to swim at an early alternately Circling and Grabbing, this time age and began her competitive career at age 7. holding the kickboard (instead of the wall) with She swam for 14 years and co-captained her your left hand as you swim across the pool. A high school and college swim teams. Since swim noodle aids buoyancy. 1999, she has taught almost 100 individuals, both children and adults, how to “Ah-Pooh, Dig- Now you’re ready to complete the stroke. The A-Circle.” She is currently a writer, a licensed next command, “Dig-A-Circle” is a directive for minister and a private swim instructor at only your left hand. After your right arm Eastside YMCA in Greenville, SC. completes one “Ah-Pooh” and “Circle”, your Contact information: Evelyn Streett, right hand should re-grasp the kickboard. [email protected] Remaining facedown in the water, blow out your air bubbles, while your left hand

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