We Can’t Train for Them

A note from Badger Parent Advocate, Mike Conaton:

Parents, if you were like me, you had to walk to and from school every day, barefoot, in the snow, uphill in both directions. And if you were a swimmer, you worked so hard in practice that you threw up in the gutter every other day and your chafed arm pits bled from all the yardage you did.

I guess I’m only half kidding. I saw some swimming sets growing up that boggled minds and beat up bodies. 100 x 100s on a minute, 20 x 500 meters and 5,000 meters for time come to mind. I know some of you saw the same stuff, and worse.

Many of our workouts growing up were intense as we pushed each other during sets. And there was this 15 year old girl in the next lane over who sometimes would do the entire workout…butterfly. Every single stroke (yes, that Madam Butterfly). We loved the summers especially when we had many college kids come train with us. I think the college kids hated the young whipper snappers challenging them every day, but the coaches loved it, and of course everyone benefitted from the competition. I know I have to be careful here – of course we weren’t perfect, but bear with me…

I was reminded of all this recently when I read that Michael Phelps is said to be training and doing sets that he did in 2007 and 2008. We all know what he did in Beijing in 2008 – Super human. And guess what, every aspect of his training is superhuman…and probably perfect.

It started for Phelps even at the age group level.  ob Bowman at North Baltimore started him early with very challenging sets. And you probably know Phelps made his first Olympic team at age 15. Obviously extremely extraordinary and not expected. But you better believe the age group programs at North Baltimore, Nations Capital, Palo Alto, NOVA, and many others are definitely challenging their age groupers as well as their seniors.  And they’re seeing results.

Where am I going with this?  Parents, we do all we can do for our kids (and again I’ll argue feeding, driving and loving them is enough). But we can’t train for them. Comes a time the kids need to step up to the dedication and the hard work. And it’s ok, in my opinion, to ease into it at each kids’ own pace as I have also argued in the past.  But parents, I will politely and respectfully suggest that we have to ask our kids some tough questions first before we wonder why the kids might be falling a little short of their goals here and there. The kids have to first ask themselves, before they complain to us, if they are doing everything they can in the water and doing everything the coaches tell them to do…everything. The coaches can’t train for our kids either. Are they doing their underwaters? (Yes, the coaches mean every single turn). Are they putting the effort in each day? Ok, at least consistently?  Are they swimming to each wall without standing up during a set?  Are they finishing the entire workout without bathroom breaks or getting out early? Some important stuff, some basic stuff.

And we should all know by now that generally coaches today are not screamers. If you’re like me, and this is not an exaggeration, back in the day we had all kinds of yelling, guys kicked out of workouts daily and even kickboards thrown at us. Thankfully you won’t get this at Badger. But that doesn’t mean the coaches are not coaching.  If the kids aren’t doing what they’re asked to do and taking advantage of the world class program that Badger offers, at every age group level, then there’s not a whole lot more the coaches, or the parents can do about it.

We all know this is a tough sport, and like a lot of things in life, you get out of it what you put in.  It’s great to aspire to improve times, make cuts, and swim in high school or college…or even dream of making US teams…but the kids have to put the work in. A little tough love from parents, and benefit of the doubt for the coaches, I think can go a long way.

Michael Conaton, Badger Swim Club Inc. and Badger Swimming Inc. accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.

What Will You Do Differently This Summer?

A note from Badger Parent Advocate, Mike Conaton:

Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. As our kids start a new long course season, it could be a good time to think about switching things up a bit. What can your kids do differently this season that will help them stay interested in swimming, motivate them and ultimately help them improve? What can parents do to enable them?

I have not attached an article as reference this week because there were so many of them on this subject. It didn’t matter if it was an article on running, triathlons, weight training, and of course swimming, each article professed the benefits of variety. And for really quite simple reasons – to combat against boredom and keep the athlete fresh and challenged. The benefits of cross training different muscle groups is also often cited.

The suggestion for shaking things up in this missive is with respect to a much more global and long term outlook. The Badger coaches work hard on adding variety to swimming sets every day to not only mix things up but to obviously work on different strokes, distances and aerobic/anaerobic requirements. Your swimmers naturally get a good mix of workouts in the pool. But with respect to the long term, I do believe the kids can benefit from a general awareness for variety and gradual change from season to season.

We are getting to a point with our older kids for example, where we are consciously starting to think about additions and changes to different regimens. They’ve been swimming a long time and their bodies have changed. Many of the options out there are natural progressions and fortunately offered by college programs, including more weight training, diet education and specialized swimming workouts. Looking back in time, while we didn’t necessarily consciously try to change things up, that is exactly what happened, mostly as a result of the Badger coaches’ direction.

The biggest area of change is in the increasing frequency of pool training time. Maybe you’ll move from 3 days to 4 days a week this summer. Maybe 4 to 5. And maybe you’ll even start doubles this summer. Maybe to ease into doubles you’ll swim with your summer club in the morning and Badger at night. There is no set schedule for any of this and is mostly suggested by the coaches. There is no question there is a high correlation between practicing more and swimming faster, especially at younger ages.

Sometimes a swimmer will step up and say they are ready for more commitment… They want to do doubles. The swimming parent begins to be tested more and more as the time commitment increases.  We are directly involved in this decision to increase practice time if for no other reason than the practical aspects of logistics. It’s a huge commitment as we all know and our kids are lucky that we are so supportive. We always had to balance this with the schedules of our other kids and the times offered, as I’m sure others have had to do. We do the best we can. (Remember swimming parents are awesome!)

Once the kids hit high school they were in programs that included more and more things that kept them excited. They liked going to travel meets (especially in Florida). They loved dry land training. No surprise here as all these kids are great athletes in general and might have even played (or are still playing) other sports, so cross training that involved running and other coordination was always a favorite.

Even consciously addressing your diet is a great way to change up routine and help the kids. Especially as they get older and train more, calorie intake (and proper calorie intake) becomes more and more important. Maybe make sure they come home from morning workout and actually sit down and eat eggs and oatmeal instead of grabbing a power bar on the way to the life guarding job. And make it a priority. You could be surprised how well these young bodies respond to getting the right fuel. And never forget…drink water, water, water!

Protein and diet supplements came at the end of high school and weight training never really did occur for us. I know some kids dabble in weights but parents PLEASE make sure it is supervised. It will really not be worth it if the kids get hurt. This is one reason why many suggest you wait until the kids get to a college supervised program.

The point is there are many different regimens out there to stage and build upon. Doing so gradually I think is better to mix things up and build upon a general upward trajectory. Keep it simple and just pick one change or addition each season and commit to it religiously (i.e. “this is my first summer of doubles; this is the summer of P2Life; this is the summer of underwaters; this is the summer of 5 mile runs twice a week…sit ups and pushups….”; etc.) There’s a temptation to try to do all this stuff ASAP, but frankly until the body matures, a lot of it might not help anyway and can lead to overdoing it too early…and maybe even injury or burnout. Gradual improvement with quantum leaps along the way, in my opinion, makes for a much longer and happier swimming career. As always, consult your coaches for guidance and the ultimate decision path.

Michael Conaton, Badger Swim Club Inc. and Badger Swimming Inc. accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.

Teammates and Siblings

A note from Badger Parent Advocate, Mike Conaton:

I recently attended a college meet and had the pleasure of spending time with a senior swimmer.   He barely missed qualifying cuts and therefore was not swimming in the meet, but he felt like he just had to go to the event to be with his teammates for one last time.  He was not even entitled to a deck pass and had to travel and attend the meet on his own dime.  But he stayed busy, filming each race on his iPad and taking splits from the stands for the coaches.  He hung out with the parents and gave us all terrific insight into his teammates’ swims for each day’s events.

He made some lasting impressions and provoked these thoughts.

First of all we should all be so lucky to have a son as smart and impressive, friendly and caring as he was.  He shared with me his feelings of disappointment that he couldn’t be helping his teammates by participating in the meet.  I found myself disagreeing vehemently and pointing out to him the obvious contribution he was making by filming each and every race that would then be used as a coaching tool for all his teammates’ improvement.  He was filling a very important role and in fact supporting his teammates in a big way at the meet.

But I also pointed out to him his collective body of work over his entire career.  He couldn’t just focus on one meet.   If you count the three classes ahead of him when he was a freshman, the three classes now behind him, and his own senior class, he’s had interaction with seven different classes.  He has supported, encouraged and influenced 40-50 teammates over his four years. He absolutely pulled his weight over his career and contributed to the experiences of his teammates in a very tangible and positive way.   He therefore should feel very much a part of his team’s success overall, I argued, and certainly a contributor to his teammates accomplishments even at this meet.

I feel strongly about this concept of sharing support and even sacrifice, and therefore then sharing in the related accomplishments.  And this reminds me of examples closer to home.

I’ve written in the past about the sacrifice we make as parents for our swimmers.  We do it because we love our kids and want the best for them.  It’s what parents do.  But the unsung heroes of the swimming household are the siblings.   I know my kids have sacrificed for one another’s activities.  Parents split time between driving and taking turns attending various events, often missing sibling’s events and activities at the same time.   Sibling’s plans are often changed to accommodate practices and meets.  Dinners are served late.  Households are awoken when swimmers leave for morning workout.  Young siblings who can’t be left alone at home are dragged to events. (You better believe brothers reciprocated and went to recitals to support their sister at our house!) Even family vacations have been shortened and canceled. And so I believe strongly that an entire family can and should therefore celebrate each other’s accomplishments.  Siblings often contribute in a very meaningful way to enable the dedication it takes to achieve success in this sport.

So here’s to the teammates who all have their different and important roles to fill, and here’s to the siblings who sacrifice for each other and greatly contribute to each other’s efforts and success. May they all share and enjoy each other’s accomplishments!

Michael Conaton, Badger Swim Club Inc. and Badger Swimming Inc. accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.

Badger at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

John Collins and 4 Badger swimmers are currently wrapping up the Easter training trip at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs. Ian Bidwell, Josh Hendell, Jack Collins and Spencer Lafata have spent the week training alongside the National team and taking in some of the local attractions between workouts.

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Two big races to watch with Badger pride

Badger pride abounds this weekend as we watch Badgers, young and old, swimmers and coaches, represent themselves in two big races. Good luck to you all- we’ll be watching!

The Men’s NCAA championships, the fastest yard meet in the world, is in full swing at Iowa University and we want to wish all Badgers who are present the best of luck.

Good luck to Badger swimmer, Patrick Conaton, representing Stanford University, swimming the 100 & 200 backstroke.

Good luck to Badger swimmer, Brian Hogan, representing Yale University, swimming the 500 &1600 yard freestyle.

Good luck to Badger Alum, Wyatt Collins, serving his second year as assistant coach to the Texas Longhorns.

Good luck to former Badger coach, Kaitlyn Ferguson, serving as assistant coach to Penn State.

NCAA’s aren’t the only thing to keep an eye on this weekend- The Crippen cup is a 10K open water event in Miramar Lakes, Florida.

Good luck to Badger swimmer, Ryan Feeley, swimming in the Crippen Cup.

Ryan is in good hands in Florida with an original Badger at his side- John’s cousin and very first assistant coach, Eddie Collins. Eddie currently resides in Cape Coral, Florida as Swim Florida’s head coach.

Best of luck to you all!

Check out the links to the events:

NCAA

Crippen Cup

 

 

Second Team All-Mac (Badger) Swimmer Oliver Patrouch to transfer to Indiana

 Photo courtesy of Oliver Patrouch: From L-R, Badger Swim Club teammates Derek Toomey (MN alum), Oliver Patrouch, James Wells (Inidana alum), Cody Miller (Indiana alum)  Archive Photo via Oliver Patrouch

Swim Swam Reports:

Second Team All-MAC Swimmer Oliver Patrouch will transfer from Buffalo to Indiana this fall, and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

In his rookie season at Buffalo, Patrouch swam best times in both the 50 yard and 100 yard freestyles, including huge drops from where he was coming out of high school. Patrouch also proved himself as an outstanding relay swimmer, with relay swims that far exceeded his flat-start times.

READ MORE…

Success Breeds Success

A note from Badger Parent Advocate, Mike Conaton:

I’ve always been fascinated by the mental aspect of sports.  We’ve all heard the sayings that suggest the mental aspect is anywhere between 50-90% in any given sport.  At least at 90% there is the recognition that you need your arms and legs for something.  And I’ve never heard anything less than 50% for some reason suggesting that it takes at least equal part brain to think through any activity??…In any event, suffice to say the mental aspect is a meaningful contributing factor to an athlete’s performance.

First focusing on the subliminal – Many athletes can be caught up in the moment or a trend without actually being aware of it.  Take the magic four-minute mile in running.  Historically a seemingly impossible hurdle for the human body to break until the Brit, Roger Bannister did it on May 6, 1954.  The prior world record up to that point was held by Gunder Hägg from Sweden.   His record of 4:01.4 stood for a very long nine years, and wasn’t even that close to 4:00 in racing terms.  After Bannister ran his 3:59.4 world record, the 4:00 milestone was broken again just 46 days later!  John Landy of Australia crushed Bannister’s time in setting a new world record of 3:58.0.   The previously “untouchable” 4:00 mark would be broken again four times in the next 11 months!  The simple analysis: A barrier was broken and proven achievable.  Many attribute the subsequent performances to the overcoming of mental barriers that subliminally or otherwise got in the way of physical performance.  Once an athlete’s brain realizes it’s achievable, the body somehow seems to respond.  I’m sure there’s also the inherent competitive nature of the athlete at play, trying even harder to keep up with the lead dog.

Maybe this historical phenomenon and others like it can also start to explain how our kids seem to be able to swim faster and faster every year.  Physical maturity aside, once mental confidence is built, and an athlete can see it can be done, the body seemingly takes over and performs.  This also starts to support the other old saying – “success breeds success”.  Once the kids see their teammates perform, they seemingly feed off each other’s enthusiasm and ultimately performances.  It’s no accident, for example that there were so many inspired swims for Badgers of all ages at all the various championship meets this year.  This is why it’s also so beneficial to have a positive attitude at the pool….and at home.

Taken to another level, as the kids pour over meet results on Meet Mobile and Swimswam, the bar can’t help but be lifted by endless observations of kids getting it done, in real time, over and over.  I do believe this raised awareness of performance generally causes a rising tide…and faster swims over time with greater frequency.  Social media puts it in the kids’ face every day, whereas when we parents grew up, we would all generally see our peers once or twice a year at big meets.  Times improved for sure but more in a stair function over a longer period of time.  Just an unscientific observation for what it’s worth!

Actively managing and controlling the mental aspect of sports and swimming is another huge topic perhaps for later.  However I will leave with a great quote I heard recently while watching Yankee Legends (yes I was yearning for baseball on a snowy day).  The interview was with the accomplished pitcher Jim Abbott, a Sullivan Award winner, Olympic gold medalist and Yankee pitcher…despite being born with one hand.  Jim was asked to reflect on his thoughts after the eighth inning of his historic no-hitter with the Yankees in 1993 –

“There’s an outcome that you want so badly.  But you can’t look at the outcome.  There’s a process that’s gotten you to this point.  There’s a little bit of turning yourself over to that.  Trust it.  Let the process that got you there take over”.

Perhaps one way for the kids to think about their races and maybe even deal with their nerves.  I’m still trying to figure out a remedy for parents (besides not letting the kids know we’re nervous too)!

 

Michael Conaton, Badger Swim Club Inc. and Badger Swimming Inc. accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.

Former Badger Swimmer Making Headlines in Track & Field

The New York Times reports on Mary Cain, a former Badger, turned Pro in Track.

“Mary Cain stood near the starting line with 31 other high-school girls at a track in Greensboro, N.C., in June 2011, waiting to run in the national championships of the 4 x 800 meter relay. With their long ponytails and soft bodies, racing numbers pinned to their hips, none of the girls looked like much — but Cain, a freshman, looked like less. She wore hot pink shorts and a black sports bra, and her shoulders slumped with the impatient awkwardness of being 15. The first two runners from Bronxville, N.Y., Cain’s hometown, ran their 800-meter splits (a little less than half a mile) in 2 minutes 13 seconds and 2 minutes 14 seconds. The two runners each from the Bishop Guertin track club in New Hampshire and the Achilles track club in North Carolina logged times within a second of that, because 2:13 is about how long it takes a good female high-school athlete to complete two laps of the track. The third Bronxville runner faded slightly and ran her 800 meters in 2:18. That left Cain, the anchor, shaking out her legs and waiting on the matte black oval.

The 800 is a crushing race. Runners go out hard, then try to hang on to the pace in a showcase of will.” READ MORE

Badger backstroker Patrick Conaton is making waves

Photo courtosey of Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com

Swimming World Magazine reports:  4 Backstrokers to Watch at Men’s NCAA Division Championships

“Conaton qualified for the NCAA championship in the 200 back with a 1:40.48 in a time trial at the Pac 12 championships. The fact that he got under 1:41 again in the 200 back prelims at that meet shows his time trial wasn’t a fluke. But the Stanford freshman will need to be a bit faster to get into the top eight, and will likely do it.”

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