In Perpetual Pursuit

School was always easy for me. Work never has been. My Brain on 'Hard' The type of work that is hard for my brain isn't breaking down a project into small pieces and assigning them. It's not the 5-hour shift at Jo-Ann Fabrics as a young adult.  It is not the act of teaching swim lessons or coaching a workout. Those are 'Easy Buttons." What's hard for me? It's doing my pieces of that project puzzle before the other people need it to do their pieces.  It's staying on task and not deviating from it. It's trying desperately to not go down a rabbit hole and spending 4 hours on research for something not exactly relevant but kinda is relevant and you know you probably need the information for something later and having all this knowledge is why you're so gifted so why not go down the rabbit hole It's being terrified to stop working because you may never get back to this project because its not finished and if you stop you may not be able to s...

I was recently embarked on a scan and purge marathon and came across a plane ticket to the ASCA World Clinic and happened to turn it over and there was this gem! Who is Bob Bowman for you non-swimmers? Bob Bowman was Michael Phelp's Coach.  In 2008 I had the pleasure of meeting Bob and listening to one of his talks.   Without further ado:  10 Secrets to Success from Bob Bowman  Think Positive: "Worrying is Negative Goal Setting".  Never give up on anybody [you coach] Decide upon your true dreams and goals WIN: W hat's I mportant N ow Never stop learning Be persistent and work hard Success is a marathon. Never give up.  "Inspiration doesn't happen before the perspiration" Get all the facts: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. Focus your time and money . Don't let others distract you from your true dreams and goals. Deal and communicate with people effectively.  " My job is to make the worst person on the team imp...

 IUPUI Natatorium ☆1998☆ stepping into this pool for quads utter wonder. eyes sparkling. the legacy of the Olympic greats whose names were painted on the wall. pressing my hand in their handprints dreaming mine would be there too someday ☆1999☆ standing on a podium at zones feet firmly planted where past Olympians had stood complete wonderment that this was the same tentative begining step many legends who had come before had quietly stepped and more important the realization I had earned the right to step on the same path ☆2016☆ standing on the deck as a coach for 10&u realizing my moment of awe the legacy the wonderment the path was no longer mine but theirs and was my job to pass that along

From USA Swimming Convention 2016

My Story When I was ten, I cried during my first swim practice. And my second. And probably my third. Quite possibly for weeks. But I loved the water, and eventually, that water became the ONLY place I have ever felt truly at home. I almost quit swimming when I was in 7th grade. I got a new coach who pushed me a little more than I preferred and I didn't like it. My parents made me stick it out. And that year, that coach lit a fire under me that has never been put out. (Coach Jen, I can't thank you enough for the push, and coach Drew for two more years of great coaching, but not for cracking a raw egg on my head or entering me with short course yard times at a long course meet).  I will never forget the moment when coach Jen told me "Keep swimming" during a distance set, and I looked at her and said "but I'm done!" and she looked at me with a look I will never forget, and moved me up a lane. That was the day it all "clicked" Growing up, I...

Relative Age and its effect on youth sports Caroline McDermott 12/23/2010 *note: all athletes in this article, are referred to as “him” for simplicity’s sake. ISSUE Does the relative age of a child affect his ability to become an elite athlete, and if so, what should youth coaches do to allow athletes that may develop later a chance at elite greatness?  Should youth leagues be allowed to exist with the purpose of developing elite players for their respective sport leagues, or should these leagues be used in the general development of well-rounded youth? BACKGROUND             Ask any teacher, coach, or adolescent psychologist:  There is a huge difference in physical, emotional, and academic maturity (by this I mean the academic skills a child obtains—early and basic literacy and math skills being the most basic) between a child that is aged 8-years, 11-months an...

Technology vs. Hard Work: Why competitive swimming got it right by going back to grassroots swimsuits.  by Caroline McDermott The sport of competitive swimming has long been coveted for instilling pride in the effort and results of hard work. Our sport, with the exception of the East Germans in the 1980's, has not been tainted with the use of performance-enhancing drugs, especially in the United States. Our sport thrives on the concept of those who work the hardest, achieve. The introduction of the technical suit in 2008 (Speedo LZR, amongst others) threatened to change the very essence of our sport. The swimsuits, which were introduced to the swimming world in 2008, have led to over 102 World Records set in 2008, in the Olympics and other internationally recognized meets.(Cazeneuve, 2009)   “At one point in the Olympics, 42 of the 48 swimming medals awarded had been won by athletes wearing Speedo's LZR.” (Five Reasons, 2009) Overall, 158 World Records were ...