Tip #1: Keep Figures in Perspective

Over and over again, I have heard about pre-meet anxiety due to figure competition. How many swimmers get drained for the whole figure competition that lasts for 4, 5, 6, 7 or even 8 hours? Or for the whole weekend competition? Or for the whole week prior to the meet, worrying about the figure competition?

One solution is to keep the figures in perspective.

How many figures do you perform at a meet?

How long is each figure?

Let's say each figure takes about 45 seconds and there are 4 figures. That would mean you have a total of only 3 minutes of figure competition. When you look at it this way, does it seem a little easier to manage?

Keep the figure competition in perspective. Prepare for a few minutes before each figure by visualizing, relaxing or doing whatever works best for you. After performing the figure, review it in your mind. Evaluate how well you performed the figure and determine any small adjustments that might help you on the next figure. If time allows before the next figure, get away from the stress of the competition by reading, listening to music, talking with friends or parents, getting outside away from the pool area, etc. Then leave yourself plenty of time before the next figure to prepare again and perform.

Make figure competition fun!

Tip #2: Improve Your Eggbeater through Your Imagination

When you're doing eggbeater, have you ever tried imagining that your thighs are on top of the surface of the water - out to the sides of your body with your foot and lower leg circling just beneath the surface of the water?

If your thighs were on the surface, wouldn't you be incredibly high out of the water? Wouldn't your legs be in a great eggbeater position with your legs wide and high providing as broad a base of support as possible?

IMAGINE that your thighs are on the surface and wide to the sides and your body will follow the picture you create in your mind. Although your legs may never actually be on the surface, they will begin to move wider and higher - into a better eggbeater position allowing you to increase your height. Every time you eggbeater imagine your legs on the surface of the water.

USE YOUR IMAGINATION TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS!

 

Tip #3: Which comes first? artistry? or athleticism?

We're deep in the heart of the competition season and at all levels there is comparison of routine choreography by judges, athletes, coaches and spectators. Over the past 10 years there has been a shift in emphasis from the creative athleticism that got the sport into the Olympic Games back to the beginnings of the sport with much more thematic routines and even story lines for routines. While this emphasis often makes routines more interesting and sections flow more smoothly together, there seems to be less emphasis on developing skills and strength while coaches and swimmers spend an increasingly larger percentage of practice time on choreography and less and less time on strengthening, skill development, execution of existing skills, flexibility, counting music, etc.

I challenge you to change your approach to choreography and routine skill development. Spend more time on skill development, strengthening, improving execution, etc., and the swimmers will be able to execute more interesting, difficult and creative moves in their routines. The artistry will take care of itself. Swimmers who can execute good, solid verticals will be able to do a lot of interesting variations of leg movements in a vertical position. Swimmers who can spin well will be able to execute a large variety of spins at different speeds and in different leg positions. Swimmers who can do strong, powerful transitions between eggbeater and flutter kick will be able to do graceful, flowing routine transitions with any variety of arm positions. Swimmers with stronger skills will be more apt to try new and interesting moves, and be able to execute them well.

Simply put, swimmers with more and better skills will execute more creative, difficult interesting routines better, and they will have the skills to do the more difficult, creative movements. At all levels, time must be spent on developing and retaining strength, skills and flexibility in order for the swimmers to be able to perform interesting creative routines.

FOCUS ON SKILLS, AND CREATIVITY AND ARTISTRY WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES!

Tip #4: Use Your Eyes to Improve Your Concentration

Has your mind ever been racing with a million thoughts right before you compete or even while you are performing? Have you thought about every correction? what your coach said to do? what the other team did? what scores you might get? what scores the other teams got? what place you would like to get? what you should have been working on at practice? which judges will score you well? how big or small the audience is? With all of these thoughts or even some of them going through your mind, isn't it hard to concentrate? And then you tell yourself, " Concentrate! Focus!", and your mind is still racing.

A quick and easy way to clear your mind is to focus your eyes on a spot for a few seconds or so. Pick a spot on the wall, the floor or even a spot on your hand. Just look at the spot, and then bring your mind back to what you need to do to perform well. Keep it simple by focusing on just one or two key things that work well for you.

Tip #5: Swimming for Synchronized Swimmers

Synchronized swimmers often begin synchro because they enjoy the creativity and artistry of the sport compared with the seemingly endless laps required to train for competitive swimming. The creativity, artistry, learning new skills and developing innovative new moves are the "fun" part of synchronized swimming practices for most coaches and swimmers. Many people often forget that synchronized swimmers are first and foremost swimmers.

In routines swimmers must travel around the pool by swimming and kicking. Many routine strokes are variations of the traditional 5 swimming strokes. The muscles utilized in many synchronized swimming actions are exactly the same as those utilized in swimming. Swimming laps provides aerobic and anaerobic training that more closely mimics synchronized swimming than other types of cross-training. And most importantly, the "grab" on the water in swimming that creates horizontal lift force and propulsion is the same grab that creates vertical lift force in sculling and eggbeater. Swimming is the most important aspect of training for synchronized swimmers of all ages and ability levels.

The "grab" on the water in swimming is felt as pressure on the hands and forearms as the arms move through the strokes. This pressure is created by the sculling type movements of the arms, and is what creates the horizontal lift force that results in forward movement down the pool. The pressure is the same as that felt in the different types of sculling used in synchronized swimming. The only difference is that in synchro, sculling is most often used to create vertical lift force to keep the body or body parts at or above the surface.

This week, focus on getting good "grab" on the water in all of your lap swimming. There are also many different drills that can help you develop good grab on the water. Try these drills this week:

1. Swim freestyle with one hand in a fist. Then switch hands on the next lap. Notice the difference when your hand is flat with the fingers together and when it is in a fist.
2. Swim freestyle with only one finger extended and the rest in a fist. Then swim with two fingers out and then three. Feel the increase in grab as more fingers are extended.
3. Transition sculling drill: start on your stomach with your arms extended over your head. Scull with both hands as you gradually bring your hands down to your shoulders and then down your sides to your thighs. Continue sculling as you gradually move your hands back up to the starting position. The goal is to have continuous forward movement down the pool throughout the movement of the hands.

Remember: Swimming is the most important type of training you can do. Focus on developing good "grab" on the water and make your workouts fun by including a variety of sets and swimming drills. Challenge yourself to improve your swimming!

For more information on pressure, grab and lift force read pages 143-152 in The Eye of the Artist. Swimming: Stroke Mechanics and Fundamentals has information on stroke technique, developing grab, and drills for all of the strokes. Both books are available for order from this site.

Tip #6: When is the Best Time to Visualize?

Many swimmers and coaches have asked me about when they should visualize and how often. Visualization can be effective no matter when it is done and the more often the better. Like all skills, visualization improves with practice. However, one of the most effective times to visualize is before practice, or even specifically before performing a specific skill in practice.

This week, begin visualizing what you will be working on at practice before you get there. If you know what the coach has planned, visualize those specific skills. If you do not know specifically what the coach has planned for a practice, you can still visualize. Most likely you know if you will be doing a workout, land drill, routines and/or figures. Pick some aspect of one of these or some specific skill that you want to work on or improve, and visualize that before practice. And make sure that you visualize doing the skill very well - the very best that you could possibly do it. For example, if you want to improve your freestyle stroke, visualize swimming down the pool with long, relaxed strokes and a good grab on the water with each stroke. Try visualizing yourself land drilling your routine sharply, on count, with great extension and presentation. Visualize a figure exactly as you would like to perform it in competition, or if you can't see yourself doing it, imagine someone else doing it and then step into the picture. Or, visualize a specific part of your routine that you would like to perform better. Visualize it exactly as you would like to perform it. For example, imagine eggbeatering very high with great posture throughout all of the stroking sections.

Visualization is also great during a practice. For example, while working on figures, close your eyes for a minute (or even a few seconds) and visualize yourself performing the figure or part you are working on perfectly. Then swim out and immediately perform it. If you are working on a part of your routine, imagine performing it perfectly while the coach is rewinding the tape or while swimming out to your position.

As you begin visualizing more regularly before and during practice, you will notice that you are retaining skills more effectively from practice to practice, and improving more quickly!

Tip #7: Incorporating Visualization into Your Pre-Meet Ritual

Visualization is a very effective tool to utilize prior to your performance at a competition, in both figures and routines. The key is to determine when to incorporate visualization into your ritual and how to make it most effective for individual and team performances.

Following are some suggestions for you to try at practice to determine which works best for you. You may use any one of these or a combination.

Figures:

1. Visualize the figures the night before the competition just before you go to sleep. You will be in a very relaxed state and it may be easier to focus. (In some instances visualizing immediately before retiring at night keeps the swimmer awake.)
2. Visualize the figures in the morning when you wake up and are still lying comfortably in bed.
3. Visualize the figures when you arive at the pool and are in the competition environment.
4. Visualize the figures after warm-up when your corrections and the physical feeling you are going after are fresh in your mind. Leave the pool area and find a quiet place to relax.
5. Visualize each figure a few minutes before your turn.
6. Visualize the figure as you are sitting on the side of the pool or just after you have entered the pool and are waiting on the side.

Routines:

1. Visualize the routine with your partner or teammates (for duets, trios and teams). Sit or lie comfortably in a group. While you visualize, hold hands or breathe together to increase your feeling of being together, performing as one. Remember, the goal is always oneness - one heartbeat, one person and one team. Experiment with doing all of the things you can possibly do to bring about this oneness. I have found that one of the best ways of doing this is by matching your breathing patterns.
2. Visualize before you land drill. Land drill the routine and then perform.
3. Visualize after you land drill, right before you perform.

Try these during practice before the competition to see what works best for you and the team.

Tip #8: Visualization Strategies for Layouts

While correct body position, technique and proper sculling position and technique are essential to performing any skill, a good visualization strategy can greatly improve a swimmer's execution of a skill. Visualization with a mental image and an associated feeling create the goal for the swimmer to strive for. This week I will share visualization strategies for back layouts. Note that each athlete is different and what works for one athlete may not work exactly the same for another athlete. If you do not know what works best for you, experiment with each different strategy or different combinations of the strategies to find out what works best for you.

Visualization Strategies:

1. See a line extending out from the center of the body through the head to one end of the pool and through the feet to the other end of the pool.
2. See your head touching one end of the pool and your feet touching the other end of the pool.
3. Imagine your back being wide and flat creating a wide base of support.
4. Say to yourself: "long, extend long."
5. Say to yourself: "relaxed and easy."
6. Feel yourself extending from the center out through the head to one end of the pool and through the feet to the other end of the pool. Feel as if you are touching both ends of the pool.
7. Feel yourself reaching long to both ends of the pool as if you are stretching as long as you can.
8. Feel your back become wide and flat and the whole area between your arms providing a base of support.

Have fun as you experiment with visualization this week!

Tip #9: The Body Follows the Mind

While most of us know that positive feedback and reinforcement are more effective than negative feedback, most of us do not realize how important our own self-talk and mental imagery is to our performance. The body will follow the mind, and the mind will create pictures based on your self-talk. If your self-talk is negative or you see pictures of yourself performing poorly, you most likely will perform poorly. If your self-talk is positive and you imagine yourself performing well, you will most likely perform up to your expectations.

Suggestions for changing your self-talk and visualization:

1. The mind does not recognize negative words when it creates visual images. For example, it does not recognize don't, no or not. If you say, "don't travel", the mind will recognize travel and create an image of traveling in the figure. If you say,"don't go fast", the mind will create an image of doing the figure fast. Change your language to the positive and you will be surprised how your performance improves. For example, say "be stationary", "move slowly", "be stable", etc.
2. Have a specific goal in mind when performing a skill in practice or competition. With a specific goal, the mind will create a picture for the body to follow. If your goal is just to perform well or do your best, the mind does not have a picture for the body to follow. Have a specific goal such as: take 10 counts to do each part of the figure, feel pressure on my hands when I scull, stay relaxed, reach up to the ceiling, move sharply on count, etc.
3. If you have trouble visualizing a whole figure or a whole routine as you would like to perform it, break the figure or routine down into small sections and practice visualizing in parts. Gradually over a period of time, add the parts back together until you can visualize the whole routine or whole figure.

Have fun experimenting with your self-talk and visualization this week!

Tip #10: Breathing in Routines

Have you ever felt tired or out of breath while swimming a routine? Have you ever gasped for a breath at the last second before going underwater in a routine? or gone underwater just a count or two late in order to get one last breath? In my experience with synchronized swimmers, holding their breath or getting enough air is one of the most talked about issues among athletes. In fact, the first question I was ever asked by a synchronized swimmer was about getting a big enough breath to stay underwater long enough and not worry about when the next breath was coming.

This month each tip of the week will focus on breathing, with the focus this week on breathing in routines. Many swimmers wait until the last possible second to get a breath in routines, getting only a short quick breath that only partially fills the lungs. Because the lungs are only partially filled, the swimmer quickly runs out of air and/or begins focusing on getting the next breath rather than performing the figure/hybrid correctly. Repeating this continually throughout an entire routine, the swimmer is overly fatigued by the end of the routine.

I suggest planning specific strokes or movements and counts for each breath immediately before going underwater. Leave at least 2 full counts to have enough time to take a full breath and completely fill the lungs. For example, if you have an overarm into a front layout and front pike on count 5, take your breath on counts 3 and 4. Start with the deckwork and plan exactly when to take your breath before you jump or dive into the pool. Then go through the routine on land, planning counts for each breath before you go underwater. Plan exactly what movement you will be doing or what position you will be holding while taking the breath.

On land, practice each breath slowly with counts, then gradually increase the speed to the tempo in the routine. Continue practicing breaths in each section of the routine on land, first with counts and then with the music. Repeat the same thing in the water, first practicing with counts and then with music.

Each time you practice the routine on land, practice taking the breaths on the correct counts and getting full breaths, completely filling the lungs. By doing this, not only will you have more air and more energy throughout the routine, you will build confidence in your ability to swim the routine through with energy. You will begin to be able to focus on the movements in the routine rather than breathing.

Tip #11: Practicing Breathing in Land Drill

Following up on last week's tip to plan specific counts for taking your breaths in routines, this week, I suggest breathing in land drill exactly as you would while swimming the routine in the water. Each time you land drill your routines, take a full, deep breath on the specific counts you set last week, and then continue to hold your breath as you land drill the underwater segment of the routine. Exhale as you would when surfacing in the water, and then continue breathing during the above water stroking sections. Take a full breath and then hold your breath for the next underwater segment, and so on throughout the rest of the routine. If necessary, start with a short segment of the routine such as one lap, and then build up to land drilling the whole routine while holding your breath on the underwater segments. Remember to take your breaths on the specific counts planned last week.

As you land drill this way, you may at first find all of your attention going to your breath as you wait to "come up" and take your next breath. This may in fact be what you do while swimming the routine in the water - focus on your breathing. As you land drill, plan something specific to focus on each time, taking your attention away from your breath. For example, focus on moving on count, moving sharply, lining up properly for patterns, where you should be looking, having the correct arm and leg positions, etc.

Land drilling this way will not only build your endurance, it will build your confidence in your ability to swim completely through the routine, and improve your ability to focus on performing the movements rather than on your breathing. The closer you can make your practice to the performance, the more effective the practice will be.

Tip #12: Visualizing with Your Breath

In synchronized swimming, one of the goals is is to feel light and floaty in the water in order to maximize height and the appearance of effortlessness. One strategy that I have found to work very well, is imagining your breath as a big, light ball that you can move to the muscle or part of the body that you are using. The light ball gives you a great visual of being "floaty" or light in the water. Just as a ball full of air will float in the water, imagine that the ball you create with your breath will float inside of your body. This "floaty" feeling will give you a more effortless appearance in comparison with a heavy, "sinky" look that often comes with tightening the muscles as much as possible and working as hard as possible to stay up.

Once you have created the visual of your breath being a ball, now try to move the ball to the specific muscle you are using in a particular transition. This will take your mind away from tightening the muscle and give you the visual picture and/or feeling of that part of your body being light.

For some of you, this strategy may seem new and unusual. But what I have found to make the most difference in the performance of an athlete is the mental strategies with which they approach the performance of a skill.

Good luck and have fun "playing" with your breath!

Tip #13: Using your Breath to Improve Focus

The ability to focus on the task at hand is a skill crucial to success in any endeavor, including synchronized swimming. The best athletes are often the ones who have learned to focus on what they need to do to perform their best both at practice and in competition. I like to use a breathing exercise with athletes to help them improve their focus and to learn how to relax.

First, practice breathing correctly - using the diaphragm and completely filling the lungs so that the abdomen expands on the inhale and flattens on the exhale. Then close your eyes and continue to breathe deeply and slowly. Focus on the air coming in on the inhale and going out on the exhale. Following are some different ways to focus:

1. Feel the cool air come in through your nostrils on the inhale and the warm air go out on the exhale.
2. Place your hands on your upper stomach and feel your stomach expand on the inhale and flatten on the exhale.
3. Hear your breath come in and go out.
4. Imagine and see your breath as it comes in and fills your lungs and then goes out again.

As you continue to breathe, begin counting each breath - 1 on the inhale, 2 on the exhale, 3 on the inhale, 4 on the exhale - continuing to 20 so you have taken 10 breaths. As you breathe, continue to focus on feeling, hearing or seeing your breath. Each time you feel your attention drifting away from your breath - the task at hand - gently bring your attention back to your breath. If you hear a noise or begin thinking about something else, just bring your attention back to your breath. Repeat the 10 breaths 5 times for a total of 50 breaths.

Practice this as often as you can and watch your focus improve!

Tip #14: Breathing for Figures

Have you ever felt tired just seconds after you have gone underwater for a figure? or maybe just 10 or 15 seconds into a figure when you know that you should not be feeling tired yet? As in routines, many swimmers gasp for a breath at the last possible instant before going underwater or take a small breath only partially filling the lungs. I suggest planning exactly when you will take your breath and practicing taking full complete breaths from the layout for each figure.

For example, from a front layout, practice taking a long, full complete breath before putting your face into the water. The angle of the neck in a front layout sometimes makes it difficult to breathe, so practice is essential to learn how to get a full breath. It is not necessary to do the complete figure when practicing the breaths; just practice taking the breath and the beginning of the figure. In a figure starting in a ballet leg, plan how long you will hold the ballet leg and when you will take your breath. For example, if you are holding the ballet leg for 2-3 counts, plan to exhale just after you reach the ballet leg, and then inhale slowly and completely as you hold the ballet leg. Then begin the rest of the figure. Review each figure and when you will take your breath.

Practice taking full complete breaths for each figure, first doing just the beginning of the figure and then doing the complete figure.

Tip #15: Land Drilling Effectively

Every synchronized swimming team land drills (walks, etc.) during the year. For some it is done primarily to learn routines and for others to focus on counts, positions, patterns, etc. To be most effective, land drill should be as close to the actual swimming of the routine as possible. Last month I talked about planning breaths in land drill and actually holding your breath during underwater sections while land drilling. To make land drill and breath holding even more similar to doing it in the water, I suggest wearing your nose clips while land drilling. At first just wear your nose clips throughout the land drill. Then add taking breaths and holding your breath during underwater sections while land drilling with your nose clips on. Keep your nose clips on from start to finish, including the deckwork as you would in a competition. If it is difficult at first, start with shorter sections of the routine and then gradually increase to land drill the whole routine.

Land drilling with nose clips on will not only force the swimmer to breathe through her mouth as in the water, but in many instances will put the swimmer into the performance state that she is in in the water. Good luck and make the most out of your land drill!

Tip #16: Evaluating the Season

As the season comes to an end, take a few minutes to evaluate how things went during the past year. Ask yourself the following three questions:

1. What went well? Look at what went well in terms of training, learning new skills, individual and team performances, mental focus, and competitions. How did you improve during the year? Which goals did you reach?
2. What do you want to do differently next year? Look at how you train in both the water and on land, your approach to practice, learning and improving skills, music selection, choreography, mental preparation, meet preparation, competitions, etc.
3. What do you want to make happen? Evaluate what you want to accomplish next year in terms of fitness level, strengthening, stretching, skills, individual and team performance, etc. And, begin to develop a plan for how to make these things happen. What will you need to do and how will you need to approach the season to make these things happen?

Enjoy your break before the new season begins!

Tip #17: Energize? or Drain?

It's great to practice when you feel energized both physically and emotionally. Go back and remember a time when you felt totally energized at a practice. What does your body feel like when you are energized? What is your level of concentration? How excited are you to work on improving your skills? But we all know that we don't always have a lot of energy when we get to the pool for practice. What makes the difference in how we feel? What determines if you are energized or drained?

This week, make an inventory of some of the things that energize you for practice. Then make a list of some of the things that drain you at practice. Think about the people you are around - the swimmers, coaches, other people at the pool, etc. - and their actions, what they say, their tone of voice, etc. Look back at what has happened earlier in the day or the day before, what you ate, how you slept, the weather, how long a ride you have to the pool, etc. Write down the specific things that help you get energy or stay energized, and then the things that bring your energy down or drain you.

Tip #18: Taking Control

Last week you looked at what energizes and drains you. Now, look back at your lists and determine what is in your control and what is out of your control. Take 2 or 3 of the things that are in your control that energize you and make a note to do those things all the time. It might be how much sleep you get, what you eat, the teammates you choose to talk with and be with at practice, etc. Put a note on your wall to remind yourself of these things.

Then look at what is not in your control. Develop a strategy to deal with these things. For example, if a certain teammate talks negatively or keeps you from working on what you should, start hanging around with other teammates at practice. Or, influence that teammate by talking positively about practice and achieving your goals. If you have a lot of schoolwork, develop a plan and schedule to accomplish everything you need to - organize yourself! If necessary, talk with the coach about things that she does that energize you or drain you and work together to create the best possible environment.

Prepare yourself for the upcoming season by being energized physically and emotionally at practice every day!

Tip #19: Improving Your Toe Point

I've often been asked questions about improving toe point and what are the best stretches to do. There are several different stretches that can increase the flexibility of the ankle and foot, and swimmers must also take into account the bone structure of the toes and foot in evaluating their own toe point. However, an area that is often overlooked is strengthening. The strength of the calf muscles as well as the muscles of the arch of the foot and the toes will affect the amount of toe point a swimmer is able to achieve. To improve your toe point, you must both stretch the foot and ankle and strengthen the appropriate muscles.

Remember that you will not see change immediately. Work diligently over time to see improvement. Good luck!

Tip #20: Improving Your Splits

Just as strengthening plays a role in improving toe point, strengthening is an essential part of improving your splits in the water. On land, gravity and the weight of the body, in addition to flexibility, help a swimmer achieve flat splits. In the water the swimmer must use her own strength in combination with flexibility to achieve flat splits. Many swimmers spend large amounts of time working on their flexibility and getting their splits flat on land only to find that their splits have not improved that much in the water. In the water, a swimmer must scull her hips up to the surface and pull her legs down to the surface to achieve flat splits. The quadriceps and hip flexors are used to pull the front leg down and the hamstrings and buttocks are used to pull the back leg down. Work on strengthening these muscles while at the same time stretching the hips and legs, and you will see your splits getting flatter in the water.

Good luck and remember that improvement will come gradually.

Tip #21: Staying Hydrated

We've all seen athletes drinking water, Gatorade or some other sports drink on the sidelines on TV, and probably heard about drinking enough water while training hard. But many synchronized swimmers think that because they are training in the water, they don't have to worry about dehydration like other athletes. In fact, swimmers need to drink just as much water as other athletes. Training in warm indoor pools where the water and air temperature exceed 80 or sometimes 85 will result in athletes losing body fluid through sweat just as if they were working out on land. The same is true in outdoor pools, particularly when the weather gets warm. The only difference is that the swimmers often do not realize they are losing body fluid. I suggest always bringing a water bottle to practice and drinking water regularly throughout your workout. For longer workouts of 4 to 5 hours or more, drink 2 to 3 bottles of water. Drinking enough water will help keep your energy level up, prevent muscle cramping and aid in a quicker recovery from the workout.

I also suggest increasing your fluid intake (juices and water) to double your normal amount for a week to 10 days prior to a competition. This will insure that your muscles are fully hydrated giving you more energy and preventing cramping throughout this more stressful period.

Tip #22: Competition Preparation!

As the new year begins, competition season gets under way, and with it the rush to get ready for competitions. One area often overlooked by coaches and athletes is what to bring to the competition to help the athlete feel completely prepared for both what is expected and the unexpected. Following is a checklist of items to bring to each meet. Some are obvious, but others are things that can help you feel totally prepared no matter what the situation may be.

Checklist for packing:

• bathing suits: warm-up, black figure, routine suits
• cap, goggles and 2 or 3 pairs of nose clips
• routine head pieces (hats)
• hair brush, hair pins, knox gelatin, hair elastics, etc.
• team sweat suit, t-shirt, etc.
• sneakers/tennis shoes and deck shoes
• towels - 2, 3 or even 4 to stay warm and dry throughout the day
• extra clothes to stay warm and dry - sweat shirt, sweat pants, thick socks or slippers, mittens or gloves, parka or heavy coat if the meet is outdoors, hat, etc.
• water bottle and/or juice or other drinks
• food that you normally have for lunch or snack on throughout the day
• walkman and tapes or CDs of favorite music to listen to during breaks
• book, playing cards, etc. to occupy time while waiting for turn to perform
• tape recorder and tapes of routine music to land drill
• Sun lotion, hat and umbrella for outdoor competitions
• Figure Play Book or notebook of corrections

Pack the day before the competition and then use the list above as a checklist to make sure you are prepared.

Tip #23: Hair Care!

As synchronized swimmers most of you probably spend of lot of time in the water, and with all that time comes a lot of wear and tear from the chlorinated water on your hair. By sticking to a few habits you can protect your hair and have very little damage or discoloration.

First, always wear a swim cap made of latex or rubber that fits snugly over all of your hair. Put the cap on with your hair dry or wet from a shower (not the pool) and tuck all of the ends in neatly. If you want to protect your hair, avoid the lycra caps because they allow the water to flow through freely onto your hair.

Second, always rinse your hair thoroughly in the shower, and then shampoo and condition your hair after each time you swim. If you are swimming 2 or 3 times a day, you may want to only shampoo and condition once a day, but be sure to rinse your hair thoroughly after each swim.

The ends of your hair are most easily damaged, so regular trims (particularly if you have long hair) will also help keep your hair looking and feeling healthy and vibrant. Finally, if you want healthy hair and swim more than once or twice a week, don't color, highlight or perm your hair. The chlorine will only serve to damage your hair more.

Good Luck!

Tip #24: Skin Care!

Following up on last week's tip on hair care, this week I'll talk about skin care. Chlorinated pool water is not only tough on your hair, it's also tough on your skin. But, as with hair care, there are a few things you can do to limit the amount of damage to your skin. First, rinse your skin well in the shower after each swim. Then, use soap or bath gel to thoroughly wash off all of the chlorine. Finally apply a skin lotion over all of your body to keep your skin moisturized. For your face, use a strong facial moisturizer to help keep this more sensitive skin protected.

If you swim outdoors, not only do you have to worry about chlorinated water, you have the added effects of sun and weather. Follow the same steps as above, but before each outdoor swim, be sure to apply a water proof sun screen, particularly to your face and upper body which will see the largest time of sun exposure. And, because the sun and wind can be even more drying to your skin than the pool water, you may want to use an extra strength moisturizer on your face and body.

Take care of your skin!

Tip #25: Taking care of your bathing suits!

The last few weeks I've talked about hair and skin care. The other thing that takes a beating from the chlorine and/or sun is your bathing suits. Bathing suits are probably the most expensive item of your training gear, so you want to make sure they stay looking good and last as long as possible. As with hair care and skin care, there are several things you can do to protect and prolong the use of your suits.

First, although name-brand suits may cost more, they are usually made of better materials and sewn with better seams that will last longer. Look for good quality suits and experiment with different brands to find those that are the best quality. Second, after each swim, rinse your suit thoroughly in cold water to remove all of the chlorine. You can either run it under the tap or let it soak for a few minutes in cold water. Then, be sure to hang it up and let it drip dry before packing it away in your swim bag for the next practice. Finally, once every week or two weeks depending on how often you swim, hand wash your suit in a mild detergent like Woolite. This will remove any chlorine that the rinsing did not. With good care, your bathing suits can last from months up to a year or more.

Things to avoid:

• Packing your wet suit away in your bag until the next practice.
• Machine washing and drying your suits. This can be rough on the lycra or nylon fabric.
• Hanging your suits to dry in the sun.

 

Tip #26: Meet Preparation!

Competing in the first meet of the season is often very stressful for swimmers and coaches alike. One way to reduce stress is to prepare as completely as possible. I suggest having the swimmers wear their competition routine suits at least one time before the competition so there are no surprises. Swim through each routine with the competition suit on, hair pulled up and hat pinned on just as they would in the competition. This way swimmers will have a chance to adjust to different styles of suits with different straps, different fabrics that may or may not stretch like practice suits, rhinestones or sequins, the weight of the suit, the weight and/or pull of the hat as they move through the water, etc. Swimmers will also be able to adjust to how the suit appears underwater for lining up with a teammate in duets, trios and teams. If a swimmer has difficulty with something, practice the routine again from start to finish.

Preparation is the key to great performances. Good luck!

 

Tip #27: Meet Evaluation!

Following each competition it's a great idea to evaluate your performance. Review your performance either on video tape or in your mind. This week I'll focus on evaluating figure performance.

As you review each figure, look at the following areas:

• body positions
• transitions
• timing
• stationary
• height
• presence or confidence with which each figure was performed.

Break the figure down into segments and evaluate each segment on the above areas. First look at what went well. What figures or parts did you perform your very best? Then look at the areas that need improvement and what specifically needs improvement. Is it positions, transitions, timing, height, etc.?

Finally, develop a plan of action for improving those areas. What specifically do you need to work on at each practice? What drills can you do? What will your mental focus be as you go through the drills? What could you do outside of the pool to improve certain skills?

Good Luck!

Tip #28: Deckwork!

Deckwork is usually the last element of a routine to be completed. With competition season coming soon, I suggest choreographing the deckwork as soon as possible, leaving enough time to practice the deckwork for at least a week before the competition. Practice the deckwork not just from the starting position, but from walking out from the side of the pool as you would in competition. Practice the deckwork and entry into the water several times, as well as swimming through the entire routine from the walkout through the swim out.

As you choreograph the deckwork, remember that even though it is not technically judged, it does give the judges a first impression of what is to come. Your presence or command, posture, eye contact and confidence with which the movements are performed will influence the judges either positively or negatively. Prepare and practice your deckwork at least a week before the competition so you can perform it your best.

Good luck!

Tip #29: Staying in Shape in Competition Season

During competition season the focus of practice often becomes almost exclusively routine and figure practice with little or no time for conditioning or drills. As a result, many swimmers quickly lose the fitness they have gained during the fall and winter. Staying in shape is essential to allow the swimmers to perform at their best in competition. First, plan some time out of the pool for cross-training such as fast walking, jogging, bicycling, etc. 2 or 3 times per week for 20 to 40 minutes should help the swimmers maintain their fitness level. Second, incorporate aerobic sets of 15-20 minutes into the warm-up period at each practice. This will not only help the swimmers stay in shape, but it will also be a great warm-up for the rest of practice.

Tip #30: What should I eat at a competition?

Most competitions last all day and swimmers usually head for the snack table or concession stand several times throughout the day. For many athletes the typical choices are candy, chips and soda. But are these really the best choices to keep your energy up and perform your best? Instead of candy and chips, try fruits such as bananas or apples - fruits with simple carbohydrates to provide energy. Other snacks might be crackers, dry cereal or dried fruits. For meals, avoid high fat foods such as fried foods and choose instead high carbohydrate and low fat foods such as pastas, potatoes, sandwiches. Most importantly, instead of soda, choose water or sports drinks like Gatorade. Drinking water is the best defense against dehydration that can occur with spending a long day in a hot, muggy pool or under the hot sun. And, getting even a little dehydrated can drain your energy and your ability to swim your best.

Keep your energy up by drinking plenty of water and choosing the right foods!

Tip #31: 1-2-3 Applied to Routines

As we apply the 1-2-3 Method we often focus on basic body positions and moving slowly as in figures, but the 1-2-3 method can be applied just as effectively to routine movements, positions and transitions. As in the primarily slow movements of figures, extension in routine movements is the key to looking long, light and effortless in routine stroking and figure movements. While doing eggbeater, the primary focus of extension should be from the center up through the top of the head. Secondary extension will be out through the arms or hands in any position they may be placed in. As you extend, keep the weight centered in the hips to remain balanced and able to move quickly from one position to the next.

This week, focus on extending up through the top of your head while you do eggbeater in any direction or with any arm position.

Good Luck!

Tip #32: Counting Music

I have worked with many swimmers and coaches on becoming more synchronized in duets, trios and team routines. And while poor synchronization is often due to swimmers preparing and moving differently or at different times, one of the common reasons that I have found for poor synchronization is an inability to count the music correctly. Sometimes a swimmer simply has difficulty hearing the beat of the music and must be taught what part of the music to count and how to stay on count. Sometimes the music is at a very quick tempo and the swimmer is unable to continue counting that rapidly and ends up gradually slowing down her count and being off the beat. Other times, a very difficult piece of music is chosen which has changing tempos or unusual phrases in the music, and the swimmer (and sometimes the coach) is unable to count the music properly, so random counts are placed to the music and the swimmer is unable to count it consistently.

As we get into the heart of the competitive season, be sure that every swimmer is able to count her music consistently. Have each team member count the routine from start to finish. Be sure that each team member knows all of the counts for the routine, and is not just watching other swimmers or listening for certain beats in the music. Watching or just listening to the music leaves a lot of room for error, particularly when swimmers are nervous at a competition.

Good luck!

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