“Be a Student of the Sport” – Success
The first in a series of “Be a Student of the Sport” clinics brought to you by Badger Swim Club was a huge success. The clinics, led by our National Champions, Badger Swimmers and National Team members, Zane Grothe, Cody Miller, and Lindsay Vrooman, were filled with advice from pre-race preparation to post-race recovery. Each session was well attended by the majority of the Junior Team and Competitive 10&Under Program. Over the course of the four day clinic, the team had an opportunity to get coached by and swim with three National Champions who kept the team engaged and paid incredible attention to detail in and out of the pool.
USA National Team member, Cody Miller is one of the fastest breaststrokers in the world. He is also an American record holder in the 50BR. He shared, demonstrated and coached the Senior, Junior and Competitive 10’s in Breaststroke and Backstroke during the clinic. Cody spent time with all the kids
over the weekend and talked about his approach to workouts, workout recovery, and pre-race routine. Cody touched upon his dedication to nutrition and commitment to maintaining a healthy body how together they allow him to perform at his best. The drills and excitement that he brought to each session was felt by all; the kids thoroughly enjoyed Cody’s vibrant approach to swimming.
USA National Team member, Zane Grothe, ranked 9th in the world in the 400 freestyle,
spent time talking to the kids about his experiences as a distance freestyler, highlighting how important technique and communication with his coaches is to his current and continued success. In the water Zane focused on his approach to power in relation to his freestyle with emphasis on his technique and how important it is to be self-aware of your stroke in order to continually improve. Zane shared and demonstrated his turn technique regarding fast walls and how key it is to practice perfect and powerful walls daily. He connected the significance of practicing in terms of preparation for successful meet performance.
Lindsay Vrooman joined us at the Badger pool on Monday and Tuesday and worked 
with the largest groups of the weekend. These swimmers were treated to Lindsay’s explanation to how important proper breathing is to her swimming as well as her focus on technique in her freestyle. The swimmers were also informed on Lindsay’s incredible work ethic and practice routine that aided her in winning gold medals at the CIG, World University Games, USA National Championship, and FINA World Cup. Lindsay discussed the importance self-motivation as well as motivating those around her at workouts and establishing a positive training routine and group.
Although each Champion had different messages, there were some underlying commonalities: Race preparation, proper nutrition, the need for sleep, post-race recovery, and the importance of proper technique. All four days of “Be a Student of The Sport” clinics were a success for the swimmers who were treated to a high level of education on technique, pointers on things they can work on but also a great insight into the careers, training and lives of Badger swimmers Lindsay, Zane and Cody.
