Weekly Update: Swim Meet Recap

Aquadawgs!

Awesome job this weekend at the swim meet! I saw a ton of of best times. I enjoyed watching the swimmers have fun, trust the work that we have put in and RACE. The meet results can be found here. 

Big swimming news was announced last week. Bob Bowman the coach of Michael Phelps and many other world class swimmers has committed to be the head coach of ASU starting in the fall. Phelps will follow Bowman to train here in Arizona for the 2016 Olympics and many other swimmers may follow as well. The ASU program has not been impressive the last few years but having Bowman as a coach will really change Arizona swimming. 

Last week swimmer prepared for our meet working on stroke technique, flip-turns/open turns, dives, and speed.

This week will start off with longer easier practices putting in some yardage and we will work some harder practices to prepare for our final meet. 

Our final meet is May 16th. This is the last day of spring season.  

Don't forget to sign up for summer season. 

The summer schedule will be as follows:

Morning Swim Team-- Coach Alisha
(Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs)

• High School 6:00-7:30 am
• Advanced 7:30-9:00 am
• Intermediate 9:00-10:00 am
• Beginner 10:00-11:00 am

Afternoon Swim Team-- Coach Emily

(Tue/Thurs)

• Beginner 4:00-5:00 pm
• Intermediate 5:00-6:00 pm
• Advanced 6:00-7:30 pm

A brief description of each group:

• Beginner: The first exposure to swim team for many swimmers. Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 50 yards and know freestyle. Swimmers will learn all of the strokes and work heavily on technique. This group is about teaching we learn the strokes, how to race, and some technical swimming terms. 
• Intermediate: Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 100 yards and have a basic knowledge of all 4 strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle). Swimmers will learn all the strokes and focus on technique at the beginning of the season. Later, swimmers will also be exposed to learning how to workout in the pool focusing heavily on race paced workouts.
• Advanced: Swimmer are expected to be able to swim 200 yards and have an understanding of all the strokes. Technique will be mixed into harder workouts focusing on building strength and developing race strategy (smart swimming). Swimmers in this group will be challenged and pushed. Typically this group swims 2000-3000 yards each practice. 
• High School: Swimmers must be in high school or going into high school for the 2015-2016 school year. This groups purpose is to prepare swimmers for high school swim team. They will learn technical swimming terms and rules. Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 200 yards and have an understanding of all the strokes. Technique will be mixed into harder workouts focusing on building strength and developing race strategy (smart swimming). Swimmers in this group will be challenged and pushed. Typically this group swims 2000-3500 yards each practice. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

MEET FORMS DUE TODAY!

Aquadawgs!

Don't forget that meet forms are due today! You can print out the meet form here. Please bring it to practice filled out.

We have been working extremely hard and I am expecting this to be a big meet for improvement, especially for the older groups. Please try your hardest to be at the meet. It is a great time to see progress and have fun! Our last meet was only 1 hour long and I promise to keep this one short as well. Come ready to swim FAST!

Coach Alisha
alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: Arena Pro Series Information/ Swim Meet Form

Aquadawgs!

Thanks for another great week.

This weekend the Area Pro Series is going on in Mesa (Skyline Pool). This meet is full of Olympic swimmers. I desperately tried to get some tickets but they sold out fast. The meet is being streamed online here:

*I couldn't get a link to work for some reason...but just search Arena Pro Series Mesa and click on usaswimming.org link.

Prelims are at 9:00 am everyday and finals at 6:00 pm everyday. Tune in at those times to watch some fast swimming! (If you watch prelims there are swimmers as young at 14 years old!) The events are as follows:

Thursday Prelims: Start at 9:00 am (predicted timeline)

• 200 Free (W)---9:00 am
• 200 Free (M)---9:19 am
• 100 Breast (W)---9:45 am
• 100 Breast (M)---9:57 am
• 100 Fly (W)---10:06 am
• 100 Fly (M)---10:16 am 
• 400 IM (W)---10:31 am
• 400 IM (M)---11:03 am

Thursday Finals: Start at 6:00 pm

• 200 Free (W)
• 200 Free (M)
• 100 Breast (W)
• 100 Breast (M)
• 100 Fly (W)
• 100 Fly (M)
• 400 IM (W)
• 400 IM (M)

Friday Prelims: Start at 9:00 am (predicted timeline)

• 200 Fly (W)---9:00 am
• 200 Fly (M)---9:13 am
• 50 Free (W)---9:28 am
• 50 Free (M)---9:36 am
• 100 Back (W)---9:46 am
• 100 Back (M)---9:58 am
• 200 Breast (W)---10:12 am
• 200 Breast (M)---10:34 am
• 400 Free (W)---10:53 am
• 400 Free (M)---11:22 am

Friday Finals: Start at 6:00 pm

• 200 Fly (W)
• 200 Fly (M)
• 50 Free (W)
• 50 Free (M)
• 100 Back (W)
• 100 Back (M)
• 200 Breast (W)
• 200 Breast (M)
• 400 Free (W)
• 400 Free (M)

Saturday Prelims: Start at 9:00 am (predicted timeline)

• 200 IM (W)---9:00 am
• 200 IM (M)---9:24 am
• 200 Back (W)---9:48 am
• 200 Back (M)---10:03 am
• 100 Free (W)---10:20 am
• 100 Free (M)---10:34 am
• 800 Free (W)---11:00 am
• 1500 Free (M)---

Saturday Finals: Start 6:00 pm

• 200 IM (W)
• 200 IM (M)
• 200 Back (W)
• 200 Back (M)
• 100 Free (W)
• 100 Free (M)
• 800 Free (W)
• 1500 Free (M)

I will be watching! I hope some of my swimmers will be too!

This week swimmers worked hard!

• Beginner group worked on learning swimming rules on Tuesday with a group trivia game. They also worked on flip-turns Thursday.
• Intimidate group worked on swimming fast (all strokes), dives, and flip turns.
• Advanced group worked on some fast paced interval training on Tuesday (swimming 3300 yards or 2 miles!) and flip turns on Thursday. 

Our next swim meet is SATURDAY APRIL 25th at the Ahwatukee/Foothills YMCA. Gates open at 8:00 am meet starts at 8:30 am. 

The meet form is due THURSDAY APRIL 23rd to Coach Alisha. Find and print the meet form here. 

Thanks!

Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: Summer Sign Ups

Aquadawgs!

Summer swim team sign ups are going on NOW!

Summer spots fill up super fast, so don't delay. Every summer we are usually at max capacity for most of our groups. Please contact the front desk to sign up. Also for any sign up questions please contact Deb Rothstein: djrothstein@vosymca.org.

The summer schedule will be as follows:

Morning Swim Team-- Coach Alisha
(Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs)

• High School 6:00-7:30 am
• Advanced 7:30-9:00 am
• Intermediate 9:00-10:00 am
• Beginner 10:00-11:00 am

Afternoon Swim Team-- Coach Emily

(Tue/Thurs)

• Beginner 4:00-5:00 pm
• Intermediate 5:00-6:00 pm
• Advanced 6:00-7:30 pm

A brief description of each group:

• Beginner: The first exposure to swim team for many swimmers. Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 50 yards and know freestyle. Swimmers will learn all of the strokes and work heavily on technique. This group is about teaching we learn the strokes, how to race, and some technical swimming terms. 
• Intermediate: Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 100 yards and have a basic knowledge of all 4 strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle). Swimmers will learn all the strokes and focus on technique at the beginning of the season. Later, swimmers will also be exposed to learning how to workout in the pool focusing heavily on race paced workouts.
• Advanced: Swimmer are expected to be able to swim 200 yards and have an understanding of all the strokes. Technique will be mixed into harder workouts focusing on building strength and developing race strategy (smart swimming). Swimmers in this group will be challenged and pushed. Typically this group swims 2000-3000 yards each practice. 
• High School: Swimmers must be in high school or going into high school for the 2015-2016 school year. This groups purpose is to prepare swimmers for high school swim team. They will learn technical swimming terms and rules. Swimmers are expected to be able to swim 200 yards and have an understanding of all the strokes. Technique will be mixed into harder workouts focusing on building strength and developing race strategy (smart swimming). Swimmers in this group will be challenged and pushed. Typically this group swims 2000-3500 yards each practice. 

As sign ups are going on now, please talk to me if you are unsure about which group your child should be in. (Email: alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org)

SWIM MEET DATES: mark your calendars! 

• April 25th
• May 16th 

This last week swimmers have been working hard!

• Beginner group worked on controlling speed up to race pace and butterfly. 
• Intermediate group worked on flip turns, race paced freestyle, and IMs.
• Advanced group hit 3000 yards Thursday and has been working very hard will fast paced workouts. 
• High School group has been working very hard with fast paced workouts. 

Here is a cool article on SwimSwam about how to swim faster!

http://swimswam.com/how-to-swim-faster/

Also here is an article about 5 important things in a good coach/athlete relationship.

http://swimswam.com/5-important-things-in-a-good-coach-to-athlete-relationship/

Looking forward to our next swim meet, summer season, and fast swimming!

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org

Weekly Update: Swim Meet Review/ Upcoming Dates

Aquadwags!

I wrote a post right after the swim meet and I just realized it never got posted to the blog! Sorry about that! So I will do a quick recap...

Thank you to everyone who helped with our last swim meet. We got it done really quick (that was our goal) and I saw lots of improvements with our swimmers. Going forward at our next meet I would like our swimmers to work on fixing small technical issues (flip turns, dives, streamlines) as well as implementing some race strategy. I also want my swimmers to remember that swim meets are FUN. It is fun to race our teammates and try to improve our times.

You can find the meet results here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lately, all of the groups have experienced some increased yardage to their practices.

The beginner group has been working on technique for all the strokes, speed work, and dives.

The intermediate group has been working on IM's, flip turns, and dives.

The advanced and high school groups have been working on race speed and stroke work.

In the next week we will continue to work on some of the same things but as the meet gets closer we will focus more on race strategy and technical issues.

Mark your calendars for the next two swim meets...

SWIM MEET DATES:

• APRIL 25th
• MAY 16th

These two meets will be at our Ahwatukee/Foothills YMCA.

Please stay in touch with the Aquadawgs this season!

1. Follow this blog! At the bottom of this webpage there is a entry bar where you can put your email. If you enter your email, every time I post something new it will notify you. 
2. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ymcaaquadawgs. 
3. Follow us on Instagram @ymcaaquadawgs
4. Feel free to email Coach Alisha: alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org. 

Some of my advanced swimmers have had some questions about backstroke starts. Here is a video that goes through how to do a proper backstroke start.

http://swimswam.com/how-to-do-a-perfect-backstroke-start-video/

Coach Alisha

alisha.maxwell@vosymca.org