The Week Ahead 2.11 to 2.16

P.A.C.E.

It's nearing that time of year when the days and weeks of tremendously hard work comes to its fruition. As we get close to that finale, it's natural to look back at what the season has required

Persistence: As we faced days without practice and days where we felt trashed by a hard practice or by the other elements of life that want to drag us down, it take Persistence to continue to work toward a larger goal.

Attitude: I've been amazed by the positive attitude of this group as a whole. When the doldrums of Mid January hit, and the tedium of another practice seems too much to bear, this group consistently puts on a great attitude. It is that positive attitude that continues to drive us as a team and me as a coach.

Centered: Though we have a a large group of tremendous athletes, there is an inherent understnding that their identity is not in the water or what they do on the board. This group is centered on the right things.

Expectations: As a team, we have set high expectations on what to expect on the deck and in the pool and high expectations for the results that come from that. We have some things to still accomplish, but those expectations have been a guide for everything we have done so far.

THE UPCOMING WEEK
AWAY MEET @ Hamilton with Holland

This is the make up meet. We have a 5:30 start time on this meet.

• I'm still working on this - I would like to get a practice of some sort in prior to leaving for the meet, but need to get space from the Aquatic Center. Otherwise we have space available at Hamilton beginning at 4:00. Stay tuned for details on what we will do with this.

We are required to bus athletes to Hamilton unless we receive specific instructions/permission from parents for students to drive there.

PRACTICES:

Swimmers
- Mon, Wed, Thu: 3:30-6:00
- Friday: 3:30-5:30 (Students have off but I have Professional Development so we practice at a normal time.)

- Saturday: 7:00-9:00
- Monday: To Be Announced

Divers
- Mon: 3:30-5:30ish (Dryland with Swimmers to start)
- Wed, Fri: 3:30-5:30ish
- Thursday: 3:30-4:45
- Saturday: 7:00-9:00
- Monday: To Be Announced

A LOOK AHEAD - CONFERENCE MEET
AT Byron Center High School February 22 and 23.

Below is a schedule for that meet.

PRELIMS - Friday, February 22
 - Pool opens for Diving warm-ups 12:00 p.m.
 - Stands Open 1:30 p.m.
 - Diving Preliminaries and Semi-Finals 2:00 p.m.
 - Pool opens for swimming warm-ups 3:00 p.m.
 - Stands Open 3:30 p.m.
 - Swimming Preliminaries begin 5:00 p.m.

FINALS - Saturday, February 23
 - Pool opens for swimming warm-ups 10:00 a.m.
 - Stands Open 10:30 a.m.
 - Finals Begin (Swimming & Diving) 12:00 p.m.

Ready for Taper?
Taper is that time of the year when workouts change. Yardage decreases while intensity and speed increase with the intent of preparing and "resting" the body for the championship portion of the season. If you want a little more detail about taper, here is a nice little article that explains it well.

Swimmers who choose to should have tights to wear at practice beginning this Wednesday the 13th. I suggest tights that are nylon and footless (hemmed at the ankle), not heavy "winter" tights.
Tights are used to enhance drag during taper but heavy winter tights provide too much drag. The footless tights don't unravel during the two weeks or so of swimming with them on.


LOOKING AHEAD
Second Chance Meet Hosted by Holland - Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30
This meet will be hosted at the Holland Aquatic Center by Holland High School.

• Final Meet for those not making State cuts.
• This is a great opportunity for athletes to swim events that they didn't get a chance to swim at the Conference meet.
• I need to know what events you want to swim by Sunday evening (Feb 24th).

SAVE THE DATE End of the season banquet will be on Monday, March 11 at 6:00. Details have been emailed to you.