Coach Boyle Blog

and he did

Bernard said that technique was king in his programme. When he closed his eyes and recalled the first sub-47 swim, he had \”the impression that I\’d lost time during the first 15-20 metres\” but that had allowed him to gather momentum and unleash it. It allowed him to \”really accelerate and have fun with it. I really applied that here.\”

Courtesy of Sandler

Today it was 60 and Sunny, on but Easter Sunday we had a nice snowball fight at the Garden of the Gods.

For those of you who dont know…I worked at the Center as the Physiology Coordinator for our National Team and its been great reconnecting with some very bright/creative swimming minds that hopefully allow me to bring back more passion and knowledge to the TIDE coaching staff and athletes back home while allowing our athletes here to experience a unique training environment and culture of success associated with the Olympic rings.

Rodney was first to pick out a local celeb here at the Training Center when he saw Apolo Anton Ohno (sp?) in the cafeteria.  Full time sort track speed skating gold medalist…part time dancing with the stars champion. 

Dialogue went something this:  First…”Is that him?”.  Second…”Hes kinda short.”  Third…”Can I ask for his autograph?”

I explained to Rodney that while hes eating its probably better not to ask for an autograph.  And that now that he was here at the OTC eating the same meal…that both were on equal footing.  Simply introduce yourself and offer congratulations/admiration/respect from one athlete to another.

Rodney in a decade?

Below is an email update to the national team alumni from Mel Stewart (Olympic Gold Medalist/world record holder/and Tennessee All-American).  The interesting thing that struck me and that is the great part about simple participation (yet tremenous commitment) in this incredible sport is not the monetary gift.  

Rather it is the personal pride in friendships/people that I/my family have met through the sport.  A place we were a part of (MAC and Charlotte) hosting such a meet to tremendous fanfare.  A young man (Bryan Jones) whom I swam with growing up in College Station, TX (two kids on a 75 member club making it to international competition, NCAAs, and the Olympic Trials) is still involved in giving back to the sport.  And although Ive never met him…Chris Labianco… i know through others just so happens to be an Auburn grad.

As a new parent I can only hope that my son recieves half of the opportunities this sport has afforded my wife and I through common bonds to phenomenal individuals and partnerships.  

Surround yourself with opportunities and success is inevitable.

April Alumni News: A Huge Donation and iPhone Application!

It’s that time again.  The NCAAs are over and the pros are ramping up to race at the Charlotte Ultraswim. 

Michael Phelps is returning to competition after a long post Olympic rest.  The demand for Ultraswim tickets is reportedly through the roof. A little bird told me choice seats are going for as much as $500 a pop. In this new age of swimming that might not be a surprise, but I have to pinch myself when I hear that every major media outlet will be on deck to document a mid-season meet, 70 days out from World Championships.

Chris LaBianco and I will be in Charlotte, cheering on National Team members and connecting with alumni.  If you plan to attend, please email us ahead of time. We’d love to visit and hear your feedback regarding the Foundation.  A lot has happened in the last 30 days, and a whole lot more is planned.

Carolyn Dirks, a long-time a friend of the Foundation, has made an enormously generous gift. She has committed $5,000,000 to our “learn to swim” initiatives, the largest single contribution since the Foundation inception. April 25^th we will honor her at USA Swimming headquarters, rededicating the building in her name. 

Gifts we’ve received as small as ten dollars and enormous as Ms. Dirks’ have propelled Make A Splash across 25 states. In the last two years, over 20,000 kids have learned to swim through local partners, and nearly 6,800 have been Make A Splash scholarship recipients!

If you haven’t kept up with Foundation news or made a contribution, we’re about to make it incredibly easy for you. Thanks to Bryan Jones, a member of the Foundation Board of Directors and an illustrious alumnus, we’re close to launching a USA Swimming Foundation iPhone application.

We’re ahead of the technology curve compared to other National Governing Bodies and sports foundations. This application will contain swimming news, a “find a swim team/Make A Splash partner” GPS locator, a “donate now” feature, and some fancy water effects over the Foundation logo. We’d like to launch the application in early May, but that’s tentative.  Keep your iPhones ready and we’ll keep you posted…

It’s tax season! If you’re expecting a refund check, you may want to consider making a donation.  Despite being in economically difficult times, the swimming community has remained successful. We are family, and families flourish no matter what the circumstances.

Expect continued success from us this year. We have redoubled our efforts.  Like you, we love the sport, which is why the Foundation never rests.

All the best,

Mel

As if you needed more reasons to be swimming…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/10beha.html?ref=research

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