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Junior Squad Monthly Report
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March 2008
March was a much quieter month than
February and I’m sure your all very glad of that. We only had a hand full of
galas, stroke development 3 at the beginning of the month, youth championships,
an Easter time trail and a Teletots gala against Bangor.
With a light competition and gala schedule
the month continued like any other with training in its usual slots. I
experimented a little with our normal programme to see if that helped with
performance and it had some positive results which will hopefully be repeated in
the key meets in the coming weeks and months.
Looking forward we have less than 5 weeks
to the Ulster age group swimming championships our key meet of the season with a
lot of the squad qualified in a number of events. This will hopefully bring some
quality times and maybe the odd final. For the rest of the squad stroke
development, age group superstars, Lisburn relay gala and Ards junior meet. So
there’s plenty to look forward to and be training towards over the next few
months of the season.
Training will hopefully increase over the
next few weeks and if swimmers want to reach their full potential in the coming
meets and championships then attendance will be the main contributing factor.
Applying yourself in every set and concentrating on the key drill sets will pay
major dividends and the results will show which swimmers are committed to the
program and the ones that are taking it half hearted.
This month like every other one swimmers has attended more
and applying themselves more than any other and the results and personnel bests
from this swimmers have shown that commitment pays. Swimmer of the month for
March is Clara Montgomery!!!!!
DS, 1st April 2008
February 2008
Well that’s what I call a busy month of competition. I don’t know about the
swimmers but I’m sure the parents are looking forward to two Saturdays with out
any competition I know I am its good to rest. We had six days of competing in
various different galas from Teletots to open meets in even one Championship
meet. All four weekends in the month out of four we had a gala in form or the
other.
Aside from competition which did interrupt to training schedule attendance on
the whole was a little down throughout the squad with the average attendance
only hovering around the 60% mark which by any standard is not nearly good
enough. We still as always have some exception to this and one swimmer even
managed to do 18,000 metres in one week which is easily the biggest of the
season so far.
Distance isn’t everything and the quality of the session has started to
increase. We continued with our pre and post pool exercises and stretches for
those who are turning up 10 minutes before the session starts. We have also
started to concentrate more on our number one events and the sets have started
to reflect this. We have increased to pressure on the sets we do by decreasing
the turn over times and making our drills sets a lot more focused and complex (I
know everyone loves superman kick with a water bottle).
Thank-you to parents who continue to help out in galas and with setting up and
taking down the lane ropes and flags it is really appreciated and allows me to
do post training exercises and stretching which are key in strengthening
specific muscle groups and preventing injuries from occurring of which we have
had none this season so far!!
We have now 10 weeks till the Key meet this season the Ulster Age Group
Championships. Consistency and commitment in training until then will pay huge
dividends in terms of times and performances. Training will continue a pace to
push the swimmers harder and make them think more about their swimming for the
whole session.
This month it has
really hard to choose a swimmer of the month but one has just stuck their head
above the rest ever so slightly. Training hard making a lot of sessions and
performing really well in her competitions achieving times that her training
deserves, swimmer of the month for February is …………………..
Samantha Bell!!!!!
DS 13th March
January 2008
The New Year so far has been very well attended. With many swimmers only missing
1 or 2 sessions throughout the month. If you buy into the program and make as
many sessions as you can then the training will pay off in the long run, at the
key meets at the end of the season.
We had three galas which the club took part in, 1 stroke development meet and 2
PTL’s.
All were well attended and the swimmers gave their all in pool and out of it
with lots of cheering. Especially the last PTL where I thought we really looked
like a super team of swimmers. Silver hats and navy T-shirts pleases for all
galas no exceptions.
We also held a distance time trial and all who attended which was nearly all the
squad swam super times and got some very valuable experience even at a very
young age in some cases. Thank you to all the swimmers and the parents for
helping out and making the evening run so smoothly.
Training again has moved up a gear as it will through the rest of the season
every week in January if you made all the sessions we broke 15 kilometres. Main
sets are starting to get harder and more specific to the swimmer. In February
there will be more and harder sets to contend with and the squad will have to be
really on their toes. Turn over times and drill sets are going to get much
harder and complex.
Next month will see a lot more galas and some more chances to get those all
important qualifying times. Keep making training and working hard and we will
achieve our goals.
Swimmer of the month for the first month of the New Year is someone who has only
missed one session all year so far. More than that she has applied herself in
every session, listens carefully to technical corrections to her strokes and
then applies them in training. I believe this swimmer is well on course to
making her goals for the season and we’ll see those performances very soon.
Swimmer of the month for January is….. Rachel Lynn!!!
DS 3rd
February
December 2007
Last month was really quite compared to the rest of the season so far.
Attendance was slightly down as a whole and only two galas took place.
The stroke
development meet 2 on the 1st December was well attended and everyone
swimming got personnel bests or new times in nearly every event. Qualification
times were achieved for age group superstars and everyone had a good morning
racing.
The club mini Christmas meet was a huge success. I have never witnessed a gala
run so smoothly (hopefully setting the trend for the rest of the season,
teletots especially!!!). From the youngest (7 years old) to the oldest (13 years
old) everyone swam very well with over 100 personnel bests or new times being
set. Huge thanks from me to all the coaches, club officials and especially to
the parents for helping the meet run like clockwork.
Training continued throughout the Christmas and New Year period. And although we
have missed some sessions through pools closing over Christmas over 15 swimmers
turn out for training on the middle weekend between the holidays.
A few new faces will be joining the club squad in the new year so even more
competition in training with current numbers running at 19 in the junior squad
and 10 in the junior club squad if only everyone would turn up for all the
sessions they should be at (just to completely melt my head!!). The work really
starts to begin NOW with galas coming nearly every weekend. Training will
increase on every level so be prepared for some real killer sets.
Everyone now needs to commit fully to the programme, 3/5 sessions a week to
reach your maximum potential come the Ulster Age Groups in early May. Where it
will be last chance to obtain those qualifying times for Irish Age Groups
Division 2.
As always we have a
swimmer of the month and for the first time it comes from the Junior Club Squad.
This swimmer only just joined the club in September and was very raw to say the
least. But over the last 4 months has transformed herself into a fine sprinter
and one of the best kickers in the training group, purely through attending
every session and giving 100% in every single set she does.
December swimmer of
the month is Levi Glover!!!..........
DS 7th
January 2008
November 2007
November has seen a
very busy month with lots happening for the squad both in the water and out of
it. November saw three galas that some if not all the squad competed in, those
being the Celebrate Belfast Gala, the War Memorial and the Age Group Superstars
2 Gala. All three meets were attended very well and we definitely made our
presence felt.
Training again has increased this month with steady progress being made on
distance and technique which is really showing especially in 200 metre events.
We are hitting 3,000 metres a session and two weeks running I have written 15
kilometres.
However it is all very well writing these sessions but if swimmers don’t turn up
and buy into the program that is laid out for the season their potential will
not be realized. Hopefully now that the school distractions are finish
attendance will increase.
The squad really has
progressed beyond all recognition from the start of the season way back in
August. In terms of stamina and technical ability and it has been an absolute
delight to see the improvement. Everybody has made huge personnel bests this
season and every gala we are getting closer to those Irish Age Group qualifying
times. As a squad of 17 swimmers 4 have already achieved those times for Limerick, which is good remembering that those that haven’t still
have to Ulster Youth and Age Groups Championships to get them.
Training over Christmas will changed a little but there will not be many
sessions cancelled so be prepared to train hard over the festive period.
Keep turning up and
training hard, your potential will be reached.
Swimmer of the month
for November is someone who continues session after session to work hard and
apply themselves in every single set we do, they are a real example to the
younger members of the squad, if you want to know how to train hard and apply
yourself look to this swimmer …….. Jane
Sofley swimmer of the month!!!
DS, 6th November 2007
October 2007
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