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These articles are not intended to be a substitute for medical care. If you are concerned about a particular medical condition or injury, please see your health care provider for evaluation and care.
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November 12, 2009
Everyone Needs a Little Quality: Swimming Better; Not Swimming Longer
By Mark Gangloff
Swimming lap after lap can make us better; it can get us into physical shape, it can increase aerobic capacity and it can teach us perseverance. However, swimming long distances is not always the recipe for success. Often, after too many yards, our stroke technique breaks down, our bodies wear out and we can get bored with our training. Though swimming long distances can be challenging, I have found that there are just as many challenges in a practice with shorter, faster efforts. Many swimmers and coaches are making a complete transition to shorter, faster, workouts while other are merely marrying the two schools of thought to produce well-rounded athletes. All athletes, no matter what their end goals may be, should include high intensity, quality workouts into their routine once in a while.
November 12, 2009
What to Look For in Open Water Goggles
By the Professionals at blueseventy
Since goggles burst onto the swim scene in the 1970s they have been a key component in every swimmer’s equipment bag. Whether you prefer to stick to your tried and true “swedes” or are out there looking for the latest and greatest in pool eye wear, chances are you’ve got a few pairs in your swim bag, locker or backseat.
Goggle technology has come a long way over the years, and goggles designed for specific types of swimming are now on the market. Open water goggles that can significantly improve your ability to sight in open water conditions are just one example.
If you’re not sure what to look for in a good pair of open water-specific goggles, here are a few key elements to keep in mind.
October 30, 2009
Establishing a Coaching Staff: Taking Your Program from Good to Great
By Frank Marcinkowski and Ashley Gangloff
Curl-Burke is a big Masters program that has seen a lot of growth. With multiple sites and nearly 500 swimmers, Curl-Burke and head coach Frank Marcinkowski know the importance of a good coaching staff. Below Frank provides some insight into growth, coordinating an appropriate coaching staff and finding new coaches to be a part of the team.
October 30, 2009
Designing Workouts to Benefit All Your Swimmers
By Lionel Moreau, Auburn Masters, and Ashley Gangloff
How can we make sure that all our swimmers are getting a good workout— one that is challenging for each swimmer’s respective ability and experience level?
There are two things we must remember as Masters coaches: First, most swimmers are coming to us for direction. They need our attention to improve. After all, they could very well swim along the black line with the public, but have chosen to attend a Masters practice instead. And second, the same workout for all isn’t going to do it.
Here are six tips that will be helpful when you are developing your program and planning the different workouts to offer your swimmers. These tips should make it easier for you to ensure that everyone is challenged, happy and excited about swimming.
October 14, 2009
Buying a Suit: Knowing What Size, Cut and Material is Right for You
By the professionals at All-American Swim Supply
Swimmers come in all different shapes and sizes, and so does swimwear. When purchasing a new swimsuit, there are a few important factors that should be considered. Most importantly, you should consider …
- Size
- Cut
- Material
So how do you decide? Here are a few tips to help you when purchasing swimwear ...
October 14, 2009
Disqualified!
By Donna Springer and Ashley Gangloff
U.S. Masters Swimming invites and embraces athletes of every shape, size, age, ability and experience level. This often means that we see adults in their forties, fifties and beyond at the starting blocks for the first time. Racing can be intimidating for anyone, but not understanding the rules of a race can cause even more angst for the newbie behind the blocks. Donna Springer of St. Louis, Missouri, shares her experience of getting disqualified, the confusion it caused her and her disqualification research that she hopes will help others better understand the race and all of its elements.
September 30, 2009
Yoga for Swimmers: Coaching Your Swimmers to Overall Health
By Barbara Won
We have all heard it a hundred times …Yoga is good for you. Whether you are young or old, a world-class athlete or a couch potato, the physical and mental benefits of yoga can help anyone with just about anything. OK, but let’s get specific. How can it benefit your swimmers? And, how can you seamlessly incorporate into your workout to help your swimmers feel better and prevent injury?
September 28, 2009
Are We Ready to Host a Meet?
By Kris Houchens and Ashley Gangloff
Are we ready to host a meet? How much time really goes into hosting a meet? Can we host a meet even if our program is small? How can we prepare ourselves to host a meet?
Many of us use this time of year to recover from the long-course swimming season, get our calendars ready for the upcoming school year, and re-energize and refocus on the year ahead. So, do your busy life and the busy lives of your club members have room for a meet?
September 15, 2009
Balancing the Three Ring Circus
By Maria Elias-Williams
As the summer winds down and we transition into the school-year routine, so many Masters swimmers miss out on practices and meets in September and October. With our crazy schedule, I have more than enough excuses to miss a workout. At the end of the day, do you ever think, “darn it, I never got my swim in?” and you promise yourself that tomorrow will be different, but realistically, it’s been a week since you had a good workout. Before you know it, the holidays will be here (yet another good excuse to skip your swim). Rather than run from swimming during stressful times, I find it even more important to keep it on my list of “priority activities.”
September 15, 2009
Getting Started with a Healthy Shoulder
By Jim Miller, M.D.
This fall, most swimmers will be coming off a break following the long-course swimming season. Coaches will be going to their annual national and state meetings, where they learn new training techniques and share some of their own experiences of the past year. The time is now to prevent injuries.
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