Articles and Videos
Longtime Walnut Creek Masters Coach Kerry O'Brien Announces Retirement
Kerry O’Brien didn’t think he would be the Walnut Creek Masters head coach this long. During his February 1981 interview, he said he could see himself holding the job—which he had already filled for five months on an interim basis&m...
Swimming Warm-Ups for Sprinters
We’re all still part of one big happy swimming family, but acknowledging our differences makes it easier to get along in the warm-up pool. A good sprint warm-up comes down to three things: picking your spot, calling your shot, and having perfec...
How to Get Proper Head Position on All Four Swimming Strokes
Having this massive clunky knob above your shoulders wouldn’t be a big deal if it remained stationary. After all, when we put our head down and place our hands together with our arms behind our ears, we can get pretty darned streamlined. Unfort...
The Mighty Mermaids Keep Ruling the Water
About 15 years ago, as she was approaching her 50th birthday, Christie Ciraulo, of UCLA Bruin Masters, had an idea to build an extraordinary team of swimmers to tackle some of the toughest and most iconic open water swims in the world. But this would...
How to Fix Common Breathing Mistakes in Swimming
Here are some breathing drills and techniques to help you work on your alignment.
Easy Exercises You Can Do to Help Your Body
It’s easy to get accustomed to your daily routine and miss some simple ways that you can help your swimming without being in the pool. You put a start and end time to your training, whether it’s a swim practice or a dryland training sessi...
Swim Workouts for Special Occasions
Here are some simple ideas for transforming a routine workout into something swimmers will want to share on social media.
How You Can Coach Your Swimmers to Go Faster
We didn’t become Masters coaches so we could buy jet airplanes, football teams, and diamond-encrusted snorkels. Oh sure, there are great benefits that come with the job, such as getting to take free showers at the gym and being allowed to work ...
Reboot of Classic Drills That Will Help Your Freestyle and Backstroke
For years, coaches have trotted out the same drills that they were taught as swimmers. Everyone was doing them, and the results seemed to fit the thinking about the most effective ways to swim. As swimming evolved, it became apparent that some of th...
How to Remain Calm in Open Water Swimming Chaos
Knowing what to do when you’re triggered into survival mode can keep you from going over the fight-or-flight edge and into a panic situation. Let’s take a look at some things to practice and prepare for for when you’re in unexpected...
