Author: greenmountainswimteam

Gator Week:

The time has come.  Time to lift the shroud of mystery that surrounds what has infamously become known as “Gator Week”.  
Undoubtedly you have by now come to know the phrase “Gator Week”; either from your fellow swimmers or even directly from one of the coaches.  And I’m also sure by now that you have gathered, to a small degree, what this week will entail.  The coaches have been dropping hints and writing menacing messages on the white board at practice for a couple of weeks. Perhaps by now, you may even be slightly afraid.  You may be thinking to yourself, “Maybe this will be the week I take an unexpected vacation”.  But you shouldn’t….and you won’t. The magnitude of “Gator Week” is truly incomprehensible to all of you….At least it was, until now.
“Gator Week” is coming and it’s time you got the 411 on what it is, when it is, and how to prepare – so here it is.
“Gator Week” begins next Monday and will persist through the whole week of practice.  You may feel nervous about it, and that’s exactly how us coaches want you to feel.  But the reasons why we want you to feel this way are different than what you may expect.  “Gator Week” (I’m considering getting the phrase trade-marked) is more than just a week of hard practice.  It is more than the coaches laying down the hammer for seemingly no reason at all.  “Gator Week” is an obstacle or better yet, a challenge.  One which we hope all of you strive to conquer.  Practices during this week are going to be exceedingly difficult, but not a single one of them will be impossible.  
“Gator Week” isn’t simply a week of physical punishment.  It’s more importantly about a mind-set.  Our hope for you as coaches is that you will come to practice during “Gator Week” and approach each day with the confidence that you can accomplish something great by just putting your mind to it.  This is the week where that voice in your head that whispers “I can’t do it” is put to rest.  We challenge every single one of you to make every practice possible during this week and approach each one of them with the attitude that you are unbeatable.  More importantly,we would like to see all of you walk away from this week with a new sense of confidence that every goal you set is achievable – if you decide to work at it.
The coaches are getting creative with the workouts and each day will have a particular “flavor” to it.  Not every day is going to consist of a soul-crushing amount of yards or an over-abundance of sprint, but every day will be a challenge that we want to see you overcome.
A couple quick notes:
  • Asthma – Swimmers with asthma; please be sure to bring your inhalers this week!  There will be some days that may trigger an asthma attack due to the nature of the practice.  While our goal is not to give anybody an asthma attack we would like you to be prepared.
  • Breakfast – If you wish to get the most out of these practices it would be wise to eat a light breakfast beforehand. Banana’s, granola, yogurt,and whole-grain cereals are good options.
  • Hydration – Try to bring a water bottle or better yet a bottle of Gatorade to every practice.
More tips will follow in the days to come.
Sincerely,
Josh, Jaimie, Porter.  

Weekly Update

Hi Gators! I sent in Ken Caryl entries this morning, and will have them at practice tomorrow. A couple of you who do not have individual qualifying times may be on relays, so make sure to check with me!

Swim clinics this week will be breaststroke on Tuesday, June 17, and starts and turns on Thursday, June 19. The link to sign up is below. Please remember there is a limit of 8 swimmers per clinic, and each swimmer gets 2 clinics for the summer. Clinics are held from 9:45am-10:30am. I think they have really been helping so far!

See you all at the pool 🙂

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BuI4OFLiCIu458r3JTNG5T159jGox4TEo6e8GGD20bE/edit?usp=sharing

Ken Caryl Invite

Great job this morning Gators! 

Next weekend we will be swimming at Ken Caryl Ranch for the Ken Caryl Invite. I am doing the entries tonight for those who have qualified (there will be NO ONLINE entries for this meet). Please TEXT me at (612) 810-7879 by 8am Sunday morning (tomorrow) if you have qualified but DO NOT plan to attend.
On Friday June 20th, the 13-18 400 frees start at 1pm. All other events for upper division start at 4pm on Friday.
On Saturday June 21st, the 9-10 boys and 11-12 boys and girls start at 7am. 
Also on Saturday June 21st, 9-10 girls and all 8&unders start at noon.
I will let everyone know at practice what time warm ups will be.
This is a big meet where lots of League or State cuts can be made, so please try your best to come and swim fast! Last year we won the Team Spirit award at this meet, and I would love to win it again! Come ready to cheer 🙂
Email me or text me with any questions!

Stop by to see me…

I have been doing the computer work for the Gators for many years. I don’t even know how many! My swimmer is getting older and it is time to start training someone to take over.

Stop by the computer table on Saturday during the meet if you are interested in learning about this job. If you like data and running pretty decent software + doing some work on The Swamp (blog web site) this is fun. At meets you get to see who wins (officially) first! It is easy to watch your child swim because you are right there, and can hop up to watch any race. You get to be in the shade and everyone thinks you are important!

See me to learn more. If you aren’t at the meet Saturday, feel free to contact me another time.
Carol