January 2010 Archives

Written by Coach Ray

Emily Meilus won the 10 and under Girls High Point Trophy at the recently concluded 2010 Retriever Classic, and Kate Ziegler captured the Open Girls High Point Trophy.

 Emily Meilus' 1:04.88 for the 100 yard backstroke broke the 10 & under girls Resident Potomac Valley 100 backstroke record.  That is also the fastest time in the country for that event this year.  Wow, Emily!

Dear FISH Parents:

This is the second meet of the season hosted by the FISH.  As many of you have already experienced at the November Open, hosting a meet is a team effort and requires a lot of support from all parents.  The November Open went very smoothly thanks to all of you and we hope to be able to count on you again to make the FISH Qualifier equally successful.  

In order to organize the meet, we are asking you to sign up as a volunteer and to sign up for a food donation.  As hosting team,  we need every swimmer's parent to support us in both efforts.  Please sign up for 2 work assignments and for one food donation.  As indicated on the volunteer sign up sheet (see below and at the bulletin board at Spring Hill RECenter,) the jobs are assigned per session.  Be prepared to stay for the entire session even though your child might finish his or her events before the session ends.  This way we will assure that we have enough officials to run a proper timeline without major interruptions.

You can either sign up at the bulletin board at Spring Hill or simply send Diane Ellor an email and let her know what you would like to do and what you would like to donate. The sign up sheets will be kept current so that you will know what is needed.  

As for filling specific officials positions, please contact our Officials' Chair Al Meilus with any questions you might have.

Your commitment to support the meet will guarantee that your swimmer will be entered in the meet.  We need every parent's support.

I am looking forward to working with you at the meet on both days.

Best regards,

Monika Paris

written by Gunther Niklas

The importance of staying hydrated before, during and after workouts is highlighted in the latest nutrition. This article highlights that there are 2 reasons to drink fluids: 

(1) to stay hydrated, and             

(2) to provide the body with fuel.

• During Workout- swimmers should take a couple of sips of water every 15-20 minutes. This should be done before and after a tough set. During a set only if you won't miss your interval(send off time). The water needs to be sipped not chugged to avoid cramping. Sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade can also provide carbohydrates that will aid in recovery and provide a supplemental fuel source. Some drinks should be avoided if they are too strong or concentrated. These drinks may cause cramping as well.   Drinks that provide 6 - 8% carbohydrates by weight are recommended.

Written by Josh Hyde

This week in the Coach's Corner we are going over Breaststroke with Olympian Dan Kutler. The footage of this video isn't great, however, I think it's good enough and is offset by the excellent explanation that Mr. Kutler provides throughout the video.

Be sure to pay close attention to the underwater pullout between the 00:48 mark and the 01:45 mark. I wish there was some underwater footage of this portion of the stroke, however, I found another short clip that demonstrates exactly what he is talking about here.

One other item that I found to be quite impressive is the fact that 50% of your power in the kick comes from the last 6 inches! This is why it is so important to finish that kick and squeeze those legs together.