IOWA CITY EELS

 

Contact: 351-3336 or swimice@aol.com                                           May 15, 2002

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Coming up:

 

5/16-       Long Course Championship Meet Committee meeting at Mercer, P & G room 6:30PM

5/17-       Deadline to sign-up for ANW Meet & Birdland Meet

5/18-       CRAA Pentathlon at Cedar Rapids

5/24-       Deadline to sign-up for CIA Meet June 9th

5/27-                Memorial Day

5/30-       Deadline to sign-up for Muscatine Meet June 15th

6/1-6/2-   ANW Meet at Mercer Pool

6/3-         Board Meeting 6:30 PM, P & G room

6/11-                SUMMER PRACTICE SCHEDULE SET TO BEGIN

6/14-                Swimathon and ice cream sundae social 6:00 PM at Mercer Pool

 

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COACHES CORNER

Seasonal Training Cycles and Swimmers

 

            Senior and HS level swimmers train in cycles throughout a swim season.   While these may be different depending on the program or school involved, most swim teams run similar cycles during USA-S and collegiate seasons.  Since High School seasons are more like a mini-season, most elite level club swimmers train around the High School season and use the entire season as one long cycle or break the season into two min-cycles.  The duration of a training cycle ranges from 4 to 10 weeks and a lot of that depends on the coach and type of athlete involved.  The following are examples of training cycles we use in the ICE program for our Eel and Moray level athletes. 

 

1.      Preseason Cycle – the focus of this period is twofold.  Priority number one is to get the swimmers technically sound after a break period.  This is the time of season to fix any problems with technique and try to reinforce good skills so that the athlete will be efficient and not open to possible injury due to poor form.  The second goal is to get the swimmer ready for an increased workload in the next cycle.  This means building the yardage and intensity of workouts on a gradual basis so that the athlete can build an aerobic base.  This base is important for all other phases because it keeps the athlete fit enough to finish harder workouts and aids the athlete in getting to the wall in any event over 50 meters.  The duration of this cycle runs for 4 to 6 weeks and should include at least one competition for an older swimmer to indicate what problem areas need to be addressed going into the next phase.

 

2.      Season Cycle #1 – During this period (5 to 7 weeks in the summer – 7 to 9 during the short course season) the aerobic base is built and maintained.  Technique needs to be consistently reinforced (like during any point of the season) but special attention should be paid to having the rate or distance per stroke of the athlete decrease as the workout speeds change.  You can run the risk of making their strokes too choppy during this time.  The anaerobic base starts to build and some race pace and VO2 max (max out) work is introduced.   Dryland and weight workouts should increase in frequency and intensity until the middle of season cycle #3.

 

3.      Season Cycle #2 – Racing and recovery are the focal points here.  Racing at top speeds on a consistent basis is important but so is not breaking the athlete down to a point where they are open to injury, sickness, or cutting into energy reserves needed during tapering.  Big meets are followed by days of active recovery and maintenance/ skill work.  Dryland and weight work should decrease by the end of this cycle but should be maintained until the taper phase begins.  Specialty work should be done at least twice a week while aerobic and anaerobic work should be done at a maintenance level until the taper.

 

4.       Taper Phase – When to taper, how to taper, why to taper are questions that every swimmer and coach need to address during the season and plan out before the critical peaking phase begins. The answers are going to be different for the type of athlete and what events they are aiming to swim at Championship level meets.  A distance freestyle specialist is going to taper differently than a sprint flyer or a sprint backstroke swimmer.  Bigger and stronger swimmers need more rest than smaller and lighter swimmers.  Males and females need to taper differently as well, especially as they get older.  

 

This is my approach for the Long Course season with ICE in the Iowa LSC.  For an Olympic level athlete or a very elite swimmer, cycles are addressed and designed in different ways.  Inge DeBruijn, the 2000 Olympic champ and world record holder in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Fly, is trained in monthly cycles with three-day transition phases before each change in workload.  During her Olympic preparation she went 7 training phases (with only one of those being a peak “taper” 2 week period) and one final preparation phase of one and half months prior to Sydney.   This was designed by Inge’s coach Paul Bergen (who also worked with Tracy Calkins in the 1980’s) to ensure that her body was totally ready for the Olympics.  Her overall training for Sydney went from Sept. 1999 to July 2000 – she tapered for 3.5 weeks before Sydney which was an 8 day, prelim / semi-final / and final meet.  Dryland was reduced 5 weeks out and totally cut 8 days before the Games.  Stretching was done everyday for 20 or more min.  This meet required a longer taper phase than that of a normal club swimmer due to the number of swims Inge would have to endure per event plus relays.  The Olympics are a radically longer meet than that of Zones or Sectionals so the training of these elite and professional athletes reflects this during all cycles but especially during the taper.  Top-notch distance swimmers may have longer cycles with different objectives but they would be similar to the overall schedule of Inge’s. The job of the coach is to design a program for his whole team that allows for individual input and variations, which will help each athlete.

The main responsibility of the aquatic athlete is to attend workouts and, barring injury or illness, complete each cycle to the best of their ability.  Most sprinters are going to hate Season Cycle #2 and care little for anything besides taper.  Distance aces tend to love the middle cycles and get antsy about doing enough volume (yardage) in the preseason. As a former breaststroker I did not really enjoy Season Cycle #2 but did not mind the rest of the cycles because my stroke felt good during the other three.  I really liked to taper but I knew if there were any gaps or spaces in my preparation prior to that I would not taper well.  If a swimmer runs into the next phase without consistency in training bad things – injury, stroke flaws, and over training – can occur.  Make sure to avoid these problems by being consistent the whole season and be sure to communicate with your coach.  Only when the athlete and coach know and execute the plan together will you see great results.

     

Swimmers of the Month:  Back next month (due to no meets in April).

 

Iowa Masters Short Course State Championships: The Iowa City Masters (made up of swimmers form the Univ. of Iowa Masters team and those on ICE) finished 3rd in the team race at this year’s meet.  Participants included Angela Walker, Blanca Castillo-Lehnertz, Nancy Hugo, Mary Weideman, Laura Stunz, Matt Hamer, Don Spellman, Steve Lentz, Courtney Harris, Dan Cilek, Ted Herman, Edward Shreeves, and David Zeiss.

 

United State Masters Nationals Qualifiers included the following:  Blanca Castillo-Lenhertz (50,100,200 Fly; 50, 100 Breast; 200 IM), Courtney Harris (50, 100 Fly; 1650 Free), Steven Lentz (50,100,200 Back; 50 Fly), Angela Walker (50, 100 Fly; 400 IM; 50 Breast) and Donald Spellman (50, 100, 200 Breast; 100, 200, 400 IM; 100 Fly; 50 Free).  Congrats!

 

Frost and Cube evaluations: Seasonal evaluations for Frost and Cube swimmers are complete and have been placed in each swimmer’s folder.  Please take some time to read over these informative sheets.

 

Training meetings: Attention Morays and Eels!  The sign-up sheet for a meeting with Coach Spellman is now posted on the ICE office door.  Schedule a time soon- Don is planning on finishing this process by June 6th.

 

Swimming merchandise: Ordering of team merchandise has ended and items have begun to arrive.  Please check your folders on a regular basis if you have ordered anything from Vicki McBreen during the last few weeks.  Questions?  Vicki can be reached at cvmcbreen@juno.com or on Monday evenings from 5:45-7:00 PM at Mercer.

 

Spring Meltdown thank-you: The 2002 Meltdown Committee would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all those who volunteered their time, talents and food to help make the Spring Meltdown Meet on May 4th and 5th a great success.

 

Without all of the behind the scenes work you do, the meets we put on could not be run smoothly.

 

Thank you again for being a vital part of this organization.

 

Sara Hartman & Kelly Eyanson Co-Meet Directors

 

Summer practice schedule:  It may not yet feel like it but summer is on the way and so is the summer season swim schedule.  Beginning June 11th altered training times and locales go into effect. 

 

FROST: Mercer (M-F) 4-4:50 PM, (S) 9:20-10:20 AM. Coralville (M-F) 9:20-10:15 AM

CUBES: Mercer (M-F) 4-5:10 PM, (S) 8-9:20 AM. Coralville (M-F) 9:20-10:15 AM

MORAYS: City Park (M-F) 5:45-8:15 AM. Mercer (S) 7:40-10:30 AM

EELS: City Park (M-F) 5:45-8:15 AM. Fieldhouse (M,W,F) 3:20-5:30 PM.

                                         And Mercer (S) 7:40-10:30 AM

MASTERS: City Park (M,W,F) 5:45-7:10 AM. Mercer (S) 7:45-9:20 AM

 

The plan is to practice outdoors beginning June 11th if the water temperature is consistently above 77 degrees.  If it is not warm enough then practice will be held at Mercer instead.  In addition, if poor weather is threatening, blue signs directing City Park pool swimmers to Mercer will be posted.

 

Cancellation of Coralville pool practices will mean that Frost and Cubes will have to swim at the regular afternoon practice times at Mercer instead.

Changes in practice schedules will be announced as soon as possible.  Please check the bulletin board, newsletter, folder inserts, and Club website (www.iceels.org) for any recent developments.

 

Officials Corner: another installment by past ICE President and current ISI Co-Chair of the Officials Committee Bryan Lawler.

 

THE MEET REFEREE

Submitted by Bryan Lawler

 

Last month I discussed the general philosophy of swimming officiating.  In this installment I will discuss the responsibilities of the head meet official – the Referee.

 

At any Iowa Swimming, Inc. sanctioned swim meet, you will see several officials on the deck – the Starter, two Stroke Judges, and usually two or three Turn Judges.  In charge of them all is the Meet Referee.  In fact, not only does the Meet Referee have full authority over all the officials, he or she is in overall charge of the conduct of the meet during that particular session.  In other words, the Referee is responsible for ensuring that the meet is conducted in accordance with USA Swimming and Iowa Swimming rules and that safe, fair, and equitable conditions apply to all the competitors.  While it is possible to get by with fewer Stroke and Turn Judges, a meet session may not begin until a qualified Referee is assigned and on deck.

 

Because the Referee has overall responsibility during a meet session, the training and experience requirements are the most stringent of all the officiating positions.  To be certified as a Meet Referee, he or she must pass all the sections of the USA Swimming Officials Test, have been certified as a Stroke & Turn Judge for at least one year, attend a Referee’s clinic, and apprentice on deck for at least six swim meet sessions at three different meets with at least two different Referees. 

 

During the meet, the referee stands next to the Starter and with whistle blasts, signals the swimmers for each heat.  The Referee will blow a series of 4 or 5 short whistles to signal the swimmers in the next heat to get ready.  This is usually done when the last swimmer in the heat in the water passes under the backstroke flags.  When the previous heat is completed, the Referee blows one long whistle to signal the swimmers in the next heat to step up on the blocks or to step in the water in the backstroke events (also in the backstroke events, the Referee will blow another long whistle to have the swimmers return to the starting position and place their feet on the wall).  The Referee then turns the swimmers over to the Starter’s jurisdiction. 

 

Both the Starter and the Referee observe each start, as both must confirm that a swimmer moved before the starting signal in order to issue a disqualification for a false start.  Most meets now use the “No-Recall” procedure that allows a race to continue even when there is a false start.  The reasoning is that recalling a race for a false start penalizes the other swimmers and slows down the meet. 

 

As noted above, the Referee has full authority over all the other officials.  This means that he or she can overrule any other official on a rule interpretation; and can overrule any disqualification by another official that the Referee personally observed.  For example, if a turn judge calls a disqualification on a backstroke turn, but the Referee, who saw the turn, does not agree, then he or she can overrule the decision. 

 

The Referee is also the final decision authority for protests against the judgment decisions of the Starter, Stroke and Turn Judges, and Relay Take-Off Judges.  For each protest, the Referee will ask the official in question three questions about their call.

 

First, where was the official positioned?  An official needs to be in a position that allows him or her to clearly see a violation.  Recall that an official may only disqualify a swimmer if he or she is 100% certain there was a violation, giving the swimmer the benefit of the doubt.  Positioning is critical to being able to satisfy this requirement.

 

Second, what did the official see?  An official needs to be able to clearly describe what the swimmer did or didn’t do that violated the rules.  Being 100% certain means an official knows what he or she saw and can describe it. 

 

Third, what rule was violated?  An official needs to be able to point to a specific rule violation that matches what he or she saw.

 

The Referee must then decide whether to uphold the disqualification or not.  Again, for protests of judgment calls, the Referee’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. 

 

For other protests not involving judgment calls such as swimmer eligibility or meet operation, the Referee will normally use a Meet Committee made of a coach, the Meet Director, a swimmer, and another official to consider the issue and make a decision.  Unlike judgment call decisions made solely by the Referee, a Meet Committee’s decisions can be appealed.

 

During a swim meet, the Referee is the boss who is responsible for ensuring the meet runs safely, fairly, and in accordance with the rules.  Next month I will cover the role of the Starter.

 

If you have any questions about officiating or are interested in becoming an official, please call me at 354-9005 or email me at blawler@universalclimate.com.  Sufficient numbers of qualified and dedicated officials are a must to ensure we provide the best competitive swimming experience for our young athletes. 

 

Swimathon date set: Information about the annual Swimathon fundraiser- it’s fun, it’s good exercise, and there will be ice cream!

 

 2002 USA SWIMMING SWIM-A-THON FUNDRAISER – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!  ICE will conduct the annual USA Swimming Swim-a-Thon fundraiser on Friday, June 14, 2002 at Mercer Park Aquatic Center.  Swimmers should arrive at the pool at 6:00 pm and swimming will begin no later than 6:30 pm. 

 

SOCIAL -- There will be an ice cream sundae social following the swimming for all swimmers and volunteers. 

 

VOLUNTEERS -- Yes, we also need volunteers to help with lap counting and setup/cleanup for the social.

 

FUNDS -- ICE keeps 95% of all funds raised during this fundraiser with the remaining 5% going to USA Swimming to support competitive swimming.  All swimmers have to do is obtain pledges from family, friends, neighbors, and businesses and then do what they do best – SWIM!!  The goal for each swimmer is to swim 200 lengths or 5000 yards during the Swim-a-Thon.  Pledges can be lump sum or so much per length.  Our goal is to have each ICE family raise at least $25.00.  Again, ICE keeps 95% of all Swim-a-Thon proceeds and these funds will go towards your family fundraising requirement for the summer season.

 

PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES!!  The overall top fundraiser will receive a $50.00 gift certificate from the Coral Ridge Mall.  In addition, the top three fundraisers in each training group will  receive gift certificates – $25.00 for 1st, $15.00 for 2nd, and $10.00 for 3rd.

 

TRAINING GROUP COMPETITION!!  Starting this year there will be a competition among the four training groups to see which group (FROST, CUBES, MORAYS, or EELS) can raise the most money.  The winning group will receive a trophy, which will be appropriately engraved and displayed in the ICE display case at Mercer.  And, of course, the winning training group will have “bragging rights” for a full year!!!  SO GET ORGANIZED AND GO FOR THE GOLD!!

 

Pledge packages will be arriving in the next few days and will be available at both Mercer and Coralville.

 

Please contact Bryan Lawler at 354-9005 or via email at blawler@universalclimate.com if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

  

ANW Meet: On June 1st and 2nd our friends from ANW will be holding a Meet at Mercer pool.  We will be assisting them in this enterprise by providing help with set-up and clean-up, timing equipment, equipment operators, and a share of Officials and lane timers.  In return we will receive a share of the Meet’s profits.  This Meet has the potential to be a big one and it is to our benefit to see ANW operate a successful event.  If you are willing to lend a hand setting up, running the Colorado, being a lane timer or Officiating just let me know and I’ll pass along the word to the folks at ANW.  Call me at 339-7579 or e-mail at keleyn@inav.net.  

 

Long Course Championship Committee: On May 16th the Committee will hold it’s first meeting regarding the Long Course Championship Meet in the P & G room at Mercer at 6:30 PM.  This Meet is the culmination of the long course season for many in our LSC and is the largest fundraiser of the year for our Club.  It is a big job but with the talents present on our Club, it is one we can handle.  Anyone interested in assisting with the Meet in any capacity is encouraged to attend.  New ideas and faces are always welcome! Questions can be directed to iowacityeels@aol.com.

 

Volunteer committee assignments: The committee assignments for the summer season are being finalized.  Families will be assigned to the same committee they were on during the winter season unless they indicate another preference.  If you haven't submitted your choice yet, please do so in the next few days or you will be assigned to a committee.  Committees will be posted in the notebooks before the end of the month.

Comments or questions about the committees can be sent to iowacityeels@aol.com or call Jan at 354-9005.

 

4th of July Parade:  The Iowa City Eels will again be participating in the Coralville July 4th parade.  The swimmers had a good time last year and everyone is welcome to attend! Does anyone have access to a trailer the Club could borrow as a base for a team display or float?  More information on this fun event will follow.

 

End-of-the-season Picnic:  Mark your calendars for the annual ICE Picnic to be held at the Mercer Park shelter on Tuesday July 30th.  More details about this event will be forthcoming in the weeks to come.

 

How they are doing (Part 2): Amber Gedlinske – The former IC West High swimmer and current Grinnell College sophomore continued to be a leader in college and helped her team win the Midwest Conference title for the fourth year in a row.  “Ambo” placed second in the 1650 Free, third in the 500 Free, third in the 200 Free, and was the second leg on Grinnell’s first place 800 Free Relay.   Amber also helped Grinnell top the Iowa Small College Championships field earlier in the season by contributing to two relay wins and scoring points in the 500 and 1650 Frees.

 

Head Age Group Coach of the Year:  Recently ICE Head Coach Donald Spellman was selected as the 2002 Iowa Swim Coaches Association Age Group Coach of the Year. Don was somewhat surprised by the honor and would now like to publicly thank the following people who all had a place in his achievement:

 

The ICE Board of Directors – who have helped create positive changes in the club as we have grown.

Jan Lawler – who acts as my unpaid secretary and makes me appear organized.

My former coaches and mentors – especially Rosemarie Navarro (Perry HS and Perry Summer Swim Team) Bill Saxton (DMSF & UNLV), Jim “Butch’ Lawson (DMSF), Jim Reitz (UNLV), Mark Crouch (WDM Dowling), Dave Joensen (WDM Dowling), and Marc Long (ICE & ICE Masters). 

Dan and Sally Spellman (Mom and Dad) – who bankrolled my start in swimming and encouraged me every step along the way.

My wife, Emily, who supports my coaching habit and has stuck by me through everything.

My kids, Anna & Grace– who make me a better person. 

The ICE Coaching Staff – the best in the State of Iowa!

The ICE Age-Group swimmers – the best group to work with in the ISI LSC!

And all the coaches who voted for me. 

 

Donald P. Spellman

 

A reminder to swimmers: Please stay inside the building when waiting for someone to pick you up.  It is much easier to keep track of everyone if you don’t go wandering about outside.

 

A final note from Communications: A great deal of activity is packed into the Long Course season so it is important for all Club members to check the bulletin boards, folders, e-mails, and the website for the most up-to-date changes in schedules and activities.  Every effort is made to get information out in a timely matter but if you are having difficulty “getting the word” call me at 339-7579 or (better still) e-mail me at keleyn@inav.net.