IOWA CITY EELS
Contact: 351-3336 or swimice@aol.com website: www.iceels.org January 2005
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Thanks to our corporate
sponsors: A.W. Welt Ambrisco, the Coral Fruit Market, Hills Bank, Hodge
Construction, Iowa State Bank & Trust, The New Sycamore Mall, Oral B
Industries, Scheels All Sports and Universal Climate Control- their generous
support helps keep our Club in the water!
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Coming up:
2/6: CIA
Valentine Mixer
2/12-2/13: Valentine’s
Day Classic in Dubuque
2/14: ICE
Board of Director’s Meeting- 6:30 PM Mercer
2/15: ICE
bills due
2/17: Cookie
night?
2/19-20: ISI
Regionals at Bettendorf
2/24: Pasta
night?
2/25-27: ISI 12
& Under State Championships at Coe College, Cedar Rapids
3/4-6: ISI
13/14 & Senior State Championships at the U of I Fieldhouse
3/10-13: USAS
Central Zone Sectionals in Minneapolis, MN
4/3: ICE
Annual Recognition Banquet at the downtown IC Rec Center
4/4: Long
Course season scheduled to begin
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COACH’S
CORNER
Coaching swimming in Iowa (Part 3 of 4)
Iowa has many talented coaches at the High School, College, Rec. Team, and Club level. During a normal swimming career in Iowa a swimmer will end up having 2 to 5 coaches working with them on a consistent basis. Many will have more coaches due to the high turnover of staff at both the club and high school levels. One of the best things a club can do is make sure that athletes are able to adapt to different styles and levels of training. A successful athlete in Iowa will need to adapt at least twice a year to accommodate the switch from club to high school swimming. They will have to adapt yet again if they are going to be a solid college swimmer. Coaches who do not recognize this or try to manipulate this schedule with changes are not going to get consistently good results in Iowa at any level. It takes an innovative mind, a strong work ethic, and good planning skills to succeed at any level in our state as a swim coach.
While we have a lot of people involved with instruction and teaching with our sport in Iowa there are barriers and limits to them. Coaches of the High School programs are restricted in the days they have contact with kids in an instructional capacity to those mandated as the season by the Iowa HS Athletic Associations (there are two separate governing bodies for the sports in Iowa – one controls girls, one for the boys). In their infinite wisdom to cater to the lowest common denominator they have instituted rules that have choked the life out of small town clubs since their application in 1994. The larger metro area based teams, while affected by these rules in small ways, still are able to thrive. The small town or mid-sized school teams either join larger ones or have a coach who can only work with his/her athletes during the high-school season and summer months (hence – you create a group of kids who are only training 3 to 6 months a year as opposed to others who are in the water 9 to 12 months). When your town only has a handful of people that have any rudimentary knowledge in the sport then that area is basically forced to make USA-S or YMCA teams seasonal if they are to compete at the High School level.
We have a small amount of year round full time coaches. Most of these people are usually affiliated with a college, university, USA-S club, or a combination of these. I consider myself lucky to have found a position where I get to concentrate solely on the needs of one program and make a living at it. There are some club coaches who have found a way to work on High School staffs (our Head Age-Group Coach Matt Hamer being one of them) but in most cases this arrangement exists with the High School coach only having limited or seasonal employment with the area club. This is a best-case situation for swimmers in Iowa. A worst case scenario is when you have a club kid interested in high school competition that is skilled yet ends up with a local teacher with limited knowledge or background coaching them through the school season. While many of these “instructors” have a background in a similar sport such as track and field it is hard to carry that knowledge over into the liquid environment. Some of these teachers who coach do grow and learn the sport well enough to take care of club swimmers and even help them improve but in a few cases this does not happen and an athlete’s development is affected. With even the most motivated teacher it is very hard to learn about the sport in a three month season – and the first couple of seasons with that type of coach is going to be rough on the whole program – not just the elite level club swimmers.
One has to remember too that most of the high school coaching in Iowa is done by former college, club, and high school swimmers so this type of situation is somewhat minimized. Also – these people do this for a limited amount of money (especially if you figure up the hours) and for the love of the sport so most high school coaches should be appreciated on that aspect alone. The problem is keeping the ones with the knowledge and experience in the sport for a while. Some retire early from coaching while still teaching, some move out of teaching all together, and some just can not devote 3 to 5 hours a day to coach a swim team for three months while having a 9 to 5 job or teaching to complete (along with a family requirements in most cases).
One thing I think we are seeing is a little help from both ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association), and NISCA (National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association). Since the dawn of the Internet both these groups have been great at getting training and certification information to their members. Both have also taken charge of running clinics near Iowa on a yearly basis as well. With more and more coaches gaining membership to these groups on a yearly basis the overall level of coaching in Iowa should improve. It is my hope as well that AD’s, club coaches, and high school staffs will keep the best interest of each swimmer in mind. Communication and a little compromise is the key. In some cases the best route may be for the elite swimmer to just swim club, but in most the swimmer benefits from working with a new coach and learning how to function in a more “team” environment. They need those skills to compete in college after high school.
While it is tricky to make a living as a coach in our state you can tell by some of the times coming out of Iowa that there are a lot of talented people here working with our athletes. Even with all the rules and regulations we are still finding ways to produce quality athletes to compete for colleges and universities every year. In the long run it is my hope that there is more communication between both coaching organizations as well as open dialogue at the local level among club and high school coaches. It will only benefit all of us.
Don Spellman
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Scheduling changes: Following
Regionals (February 19-20) we will be switching over to an end of the season
practice schedule. The final practice
of the short course season at the Coralville Recreation Center pool will be
Thursday, February 17th.
Beginning the week of February 21st all practices will be
held at Mercer instead.
2/21 to
2/23: 12
& Under Qualifiers 5:45 to 7:00 PM
Non-qualifiers 7:15 to 8:15 PM
13/14 & Senior Level Qualifiers
6:30 to 8:30 PM
2/24:
PASTA
NIGHT? - details to be announced
12 & Under Qualifiers 6:00
to 7:00 PM
13/14 & Senior Qualifiers 6:30 to
8:30PM
2/25:
*1st day of ISI 12& Under Champs (2/25 to 2/27
@ Coe College)
13/14 & Senior Qualifiers 6:00 to 8:00 PM
2/26:
Masters and 13/14
& Senior Qualifiers 8:00 AM start
2/28 & 3/1:
13/14 & Senior Qualifiers 6 to 7:45PM
3/2:
13/14 & Senior Qualifiers 5:00 to 6:30 PM (meet warm up)
Senior Champs Dinner - 7:30 PM details
to be announced
3/3:
13/14 & Senior Qualifiers 5:30 to 7:00 PM (meet warm-up)
*Optional - can do on your own if
you wish
3/4 to
3/6: ISI Senior & 13/14 Championships @
Univ. of Iowa
3/7 to 3/9:
Sectional Qualifiers Only 5:30 to 7PM
3/10 to 3/13:
USA-S Sectionals
@ Univ. of Minn.
Travel with CRAA – details to be
announced
ICE swimmers at ALL-STARS: Congratulations to the following swimmers
who participated in the 2005 All-Stars meet in Lawrence, Kansas in mid-January:
Thomas Burrill, Shelby
Doehrmann, Beth Eyanson, Chelsea Hartman, Cameron Herting, Megan Hingtgen , Sidney McMillin, Stuart McMillin,
Grace Murray, Kanoe
Russell, Brady ST John, Devin ST John, Sarah Striegel, and David Tao. Don Spellman served as
one of the Team Iowa coaches this year too. As usual Colorado walked away
with the meet trophy but Team Iowa managed a 4th place finish.
Cookie night: Prior to Regionals
ICE holds a cookie night at both Coralville and Mercer locations. Tentatively,
this date is set as Thursday, February 17th.
Pasta night: The exact time and date of the annual pasta night for swimmers headed for State has yet to be determined. Will likely be the 23rd or 24th of February.
Coaches’ evaluation: Just a
reminder that the evaluation forms for Matt and Don are due next week. The forms were attached to the swim team
update from 1/20. A copy of the form
can be downloaded from our website as well (www.iceels.org)
just look for the green V on the ICE homepage. Completed forms can be placed in
the Hartman’s folder in the file cabinet at Mercer. All comments are
important and much valued in the evaluation process. Everyone is encouraged to reply and your responses will be
treated with utmost confidentiality.
ICE BOD openings: It takes a
lot of work to keep any parent run organization going. ICE is no different in that respect. How well our club continues to function is
directly related to the level of commitment our parents are willing to make. If
you choose to become a Trustee you will be asked to serve a two-year term. Trustees take an active hand in Board
operations generally overseeing such things as fundraising, communications,
social, and meets. Trustees also
generally serve as the pool from which Board officers are drawn- President,
Vice-President, etc. You need not be a
member of the ICE Board of Directors to contribute to the team’s operation and
in fact the ICE BOD encourages everyone to consider helping out in an area in
which they have special interest or expertise.
Each year ushers in changes to the BOD and the people who take a hand in
running the club. Experience with team
operations is valuable but fresh ideas and new perspectives also serve the
interests of the team. If you have any
questions or wish to be considered for next year’s BOD please contact ICE
president Sara Hartman
(SHartman@cr.k12.ia.us) or Kelly Eyanson (keleyn@inav.net).
Annual Recognition Dinner: The
ICE Annual Spring Recognition Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 3rd.
This year we have secured access to the large social area at the Robert Lee
Recreation Center in downtown Iowa City. We will likely begin the festivities
around 5:00 PM. Exact details are still being worked out but expect more
information very soon. This is often a
highlight of the season for some of our swimmers and provides a chance for
parents to get to know one another in a non-pool setting.
Long course season: The 2005
Long Course (spring/summer) season will begin on Monday, April 4th. Registration materials will be available at
the Recognition Dinner and online at our website. LC season practice schedules
will be posted when they are known.
Swimposium: On Saturday,
April 30th ISI will be hosting a Swimposium at Coe College in Cedar
Rapids. The Swimposium is a USA Swimming program aimed at energizing and
engaging swimmers, coaches, and parents with the goal of strengthening the
sport at every level. For the swimmers
there will be former Olympians on hand to conduct a mini-camp. There will be workshops for coaches and
officials. Parents too are encouraged to attend meetings on a variety of
subjects. The final details have yet to
be announced by ISI but information will be posted when available.
THE STARTER
In the previous two articles I discussed the philosophy of officiating and the responsibilities of the Meet Referee. In this installment I will go over the role of the Starter.
The official at the starting end of the pool with the microphone is the Meet Starter. The Starter’s sole purpose is to ensure a fair start for all the competitors. While this seems simple and obvious enough, actually achieving this purpose takes training, practice, a good eye, good judgment, and patience.
As you know from my previous article, the Meet Referee is in overall charge of the meet operation to include the other deck officials. The Meet Referee is in control of when all is ready to begin the next heat of swim competition. Just prior to the completion a heat, the referee will blow a series of 4 or 5 short whistle blasts to alert the swimmers in the next heat to get ready. Once the pool is cleared and the timers are ready and timing system is reset, the Referee will blow one long whistle blast to have the swimmers in the next heat step up on the blocks or to step into the water for the back stroke/first leg of a medley relay. The Referee will then signal the Starter with an outstretched arm that all is ready for the start. The swimmers are now under the jurisdiction of the Starter.
The Starter is responsible for ensuring that no swimmer gains an unfair advantage during the start. The Starter accomplishes this by first getting the swimmers to their starting positions with the command – TAKE YOUR MARK. When the “TAKE YOUR MARK” command is given, all swimmers must immediately assume their starting position and remain motionless until the starting signal is sounded.
This is where the Starter’s good eye, judgment and patience come in. Each swimmer has his or her own method for getting into their starting position. Some swimmers move to their starting position very quickly, while others do so more slowly and deliberately. Also, some swimmers come down into the typical starting position, but then rock back before becoming stationary. The Starter must use sound judgment to decide if a swimmer is taking too long to get into his or her starting position. Each swimmer should be able to use their own method, but only if it does not hinder the other swimmers. If one swimmer moves too slowly into their starting position, then the other swimmers have to hold their position for a longer time, which expends energy.
In addition, there are many variations of the starting position. The only requirements are that a swimmer must move at least one foot at the front of the starting block when the “TAKE YOUR MARK” command is given and they must be stationary before the starting horn is sounded. Swimmers do not have to grasp the front of the starting block nor do they have to bend down as most swimmers do. The Starter must have a good eye to accommodate these differences while ensuring that every swimmer is, in fact, stationary before starting the race.
Sound judgment and patience are required to ensure a proper balance is achieved between accommodating each swimmer’s starting method and position, and, ensuring that one swimmer does not unduly delay the start for the other swimmers. If the Starter feels a swimmer is penalizing the other swimmers by taking too long to get into the starting position, the he or she can stand the heat up and begin the start procedure again. Remember, the goal is to ensure a fair start for every swimmer.
The Starter has given the “TAKE YOUR MARK” command and the swimmers have taken their starting positions and are stationary. The Starter must now give the starting signal. This will normally consist of a horn for the swimmers and a strobe light flash for the timers. Judgment comes in again as to when to give the starting signal. The swimmers should not be kept in their starting positions too long as they expend a great deal of energy in the process. In addition, the longer the Starter holds the swimmers, the greater the chance a swimmer will jump before the starting signal. On the other hand, an experienced Starter will avoid getting into a predictable pattern so that swimmers are not tempted to anticipate the horn.
A swimmer who moves before the starting signal is given can be charged with a False Start if both the Starter and Meet Referee confirm it. Under the “No Recall Starting Procedure,” when there is a false start, the heat is NOT recalled and the race is swum. After the heat is completed, the swimmer who started early will be disqualified. Again, both the Starter and Referee must confirm that a swimmer started early before a false start disqualification can be issued.
Every swimmer is entitled to a fair start, and the Starter is responsible for ensuring they get it. Now that the swimmers are in the water and racing, the Stroke and Turn Judges take over. The next installment will cover their role.
Please contact me at blawler@universalclimate.com or 354-9005 if you have any questions about officiating or are interested in becoming a swim official.
Final note from communications: We
are about to move into the busiest time of the short course season. Unfortunately weather in the Midwest can be
unpredictable at this time of year as well.
Every effort will be made to keep swimmers and their families up-to-date
with any changes to practices or meets that have to be made for this, or any
other reason.