Weekly Update: Upcoming Swim Meet

Thanks Aquadawgs for another great week!

This week...

...Beginner group worked on kicking, IMs, and did some relays.

...Intermediate group worked on kicking and flip turns.

...Advanced group worked on kicking and tried to beat the results of their previous challenge set.

...High School group worked on kicking, tried to beat the results of their previous challenge set, and worked on freestyle pacing/endurance mixed with IM active recovery. 

Next week... we will be getting ready for our only swim meet of this season. Because it is our only swim meet (the last one was cancelled) I expect that our swimmers will be ready to swim fast and drop times. We will be working on "fine-tuning" next week: technique, turns, and starts, as well as speed. 

The swim meet is next Saturday February 28th. It is at our YMCA (Ahwatukee-Foothills). Gates open at 8 am, warm ups start at 8:15 am, and the meet starts at 8:30 am. The form can be found here. Please print out this form and bring it to practice no later than Thursday February 26th. 

I look forward to seeing all our Aquadawgs swim FAST.

Don't forget to register for next season Starting March 16- May 9. I have had a lot of new interest so I think some of the groups might fill up fast. Don't wait! Spots are limited.

I have been having some trouble lately with using fins with many of my swimmers. Fins are a required piece of equipment for practice. I write many practices where swimmers use fins they are a wonderful training tool. But lately many swimmers are preferring not to use their fins. This is usually because swimmers don't have fins that fit, or they do not have the proper kind of fins for practice and they hurt their feet. As a coach this is a little frustrating. I cannot write two practices one for people who want to use their fins and one for those who don't. I would strongly urge parents to ask your swimmers how their fins feel. If they are too small or the wrong kind please replace them with something they actually will use. Below are some visual examples of good vs. bad fins. 

These scuba type fins don't work well for practice. They are not very flexible and cause some swimmers to develop bad kicking habits. I have never had a single swimmer enjoy wearing this fins. DO NOT BUY. 

These are the best type of fins for swimmers. They are meant for training and are very flexible and light. They are easy to use, comfortable and fit well. I rarely have a problem with swimmers who have this kind of fins. These fins are not typically sold in sporting goods stores and if they are, they are usually overpriced. 

swimoutlet.com has these fins for $16.99. Find the link here. 

Finally here are some Aquadawg pictures from this week.

Aspen from beginner group had the Aquadawg help her watch her little brother.

Kira from intermediate group took the Aquadawg on her worldwide travels. 

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: Happy Valentines Day

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

This week swimmers worked on some more intense workouts.

Beginner group focused on breaststroke technique, dives and played a fun game for valentines day.

Intermediate group worked on IMs, speed, and played a fun game for valentines day.

Advanced group swam a challenge set on Tuesday and played Valentines swimming trivia on Thursday.

High School swam a challenge set on Monday and did a kick circuit Wednesday.

Overall, the weather was beautiful this week and I am starting to feel Summer season getting closer and closer.

Don't forget to register for next season Starting March 16- May 9. I have had a lot of new interest so I think some of the groups might fill up fast. Don't wait! Spots are limited.

Here is a article that many of our swimmers might identify with this week. It describes the mental stages swimmers go through during a hard practice.

The 11 Mental Stages Swimmers Go Through During a Tough Workout

Finally here are some Aquadawg pictures from this week:

Aubrey from Intermediate group put the Aquadawg through a tough training session.

Bailey from Advanced group showed the Aquadawg what a day in her life looks like. They went longboarding, played at the park, ate a donut, and did some reading.  

Coach Alisha
alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: Cancelled Swim Meet, Times From Practice Meet & FACEBOOK

Unfortunately our swim meet on Saturday was cancelled due to lack of enrollment.

I knew some of the swimmers were disappointed, so I decided that for Tuesday's practice we would have a pretend swim meet. This went really well and I think all of our swimmers had fun. Many of my older swimmers were focused on dropping time which I was really proud. Below I have posted the times from our pretend meet yesterday. Our next swim meet will be February 28th, please mark your calendars!

Beginner Group	25 Free	25 Fly	25 Back	25 Breast
Michael	31.11	44.58	41.04	49.16
Cathy	47.25	53.96	52.14	49.16
Lekha	37.83	52.32	43.34	50.54
Kaidon	28.14	30.86	32.80	30.91
Derek	36.39	49.94	46.16	43.16
Nasir	29.27	42.22	56.65	40.52
Aspen	28.11	53.61	34.29	47.56
Eliana	21.57	30.45	31.71	37.76
Lucy	29.03	32.12	33.42	41.09
Emily	18.58	23.17	25.14	32.05
Eva	28.38	30.39	31.34	36.46

Intermediate Group	50 Free	50 Back	50 Fly	50 Breast
Eddie	1:04.16	1:06.74	1:25.35	1:29.08
Jyles	45.56	1:01.24	1:04.58	1:06.06
Kenneth	56.27	1:10.11	1:24.64	1:00.96
Vaughn	1:03.21	1:16.89	1:16.88	1:13.50
Jeff	55.16	1:01.67	1:08.92	1:12.18
Kira	1:13.96	1:19.79	1:21.86	1:19.50
Korey	1:00.24	1:04.99	1:17.11	1:16.80
Charlotte	1:07.65	1:17.92	1:20.05	1:19.59
Aubrey	37.96	46.03	47.45	56.65

Advanced Group	50 Free	100 Free	50 Back	50 Fly	100 IM	50 Breast
Kinsey	37.96		43.89	47.45		56.65
Patrick	38.46		53.74		2:04.13	1:00.22
Bella	44.53		55.91		2:01.08	56.48
Grace	38.43		52.18		1:52.77	1:03.71
Ta’ani	47.34		55.40		2:06.10	1:08.58
Lauren	44.24		57.59	1:04.09		1:01.56
Ingelise	39.16		51.02		1:49.08	54.27
Katie		(40) 1:23.39		48.25	1:39.15	50.61
Bailey		(38) 1:19.05	40.27	42.37		49.87
Heidi	49.65	(54) 1:59.39	57.33			1:06.58
Amelia	38.39		42.81		1:41.81	53.61
Leah	37.38		42.81		1:46.40
Brenna		(46) 1:44.97			2:06.75	1:01.58

(indicates splits at the 50)

Also last week we experienced some rain. Some parents were wondering if practice would be cancelled. Pool closure is the only reason practice will be cancelled and this is up to the discretion of the aquatics director and the lifeguards. But as general information, I would like to inform you of the weather conditions that generally cause the pool to close.

1. Heavy Wind (dust storm) or Rain: When the lifeguards loose visibility of the bottom of the pool due to rain the pool has to close. 
2. Thunder and Lightening: Anytime lightening is seen the pool must close for 30 min and be clear of lightening for 30 min before the pool can reopen. 

Registration for next season is now open. The season runs March 16-May 9. The closer we get to summer the fuller our swim team groups get so don't wait to register. Spots are limited. If you think your child should move up to the next group or want to know if they are in the right place, please ask me. I usually let swimmers know around this time where they should be next season.

Also like our new FACEBOOK PAGE (YMCA Aquadawgs). I will post links to the blog posts, reminders, and photos. 

Here are some Aquadawg pictures from this last week. 

Kinsey from the advanced group took the Aquadawg swimming in her pool.

 Ingelise from the advanced group spotted the Aquadawg sunbathing in her backyard. 

 Korey from the intermediate group took the Aquadawg for a ride on his scooter.

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org