I thought it had been a while but didn't' realize it had been a year without a single blog post. I have to admit last September life handed me a very cool opportunity and I ran with it. I would be remiss without adding that had my husband not decided to consult and be home full time, none of this would have been possible. Let me now tell you the opportunities that led to me not blogging as much and instead diving back into the world of swimming 100%. So...the swimming seems like a good diving off point to catch up and share my past year.
I have been officiating at USA swim meets for the past few years doing both Stoke and Turn and Starting work. Last year I decided to become N2 qualified, which means I am eligible to work bigger national type swim meets. It also allowed me to get to know many of the officials I have been working with the past few years a little better and it turned out to be a great experience. In fact, I am now going to try to become N3 certified, which means I get (need) to work national level meets outside our LSC, the Potomac Valley Swimming. All the officiating work also allowed me to watch and learn from our head coach, Jeff, at meets that I wouldn't normally be at and NCAP rewarded officials for working so many sessions with pretty cool personalized backpacks too. NCAP does a great job of taking care of their people, especially the volunteers like officials.
This is where it really gets fun, and busy, I was offered the opportunity, by assistant head coach and team co-owner, Matt to come on board with J&M Swim/NCAP as an 8&U's coach two days a week. It was the right offer at the right time since I knew I would be also coaching summer league in the NVSL the following summer. I had had my coaching certification done for a while and so it was a fairly easy transition for me from sitting in the peanut gallery upstairs at Lee District Rec to being on the deck with Hadley. Yes, totally won the 'if I could coach with someone who would it be' lottery. I got Hadley and she was a huge source of information, guidance and laughs. Plus instant friend too. I did miss hanging with my mom friends upstairs, but Brad covered that by coming to watch swimming and partaking in the chatting and speculating that goes on up there. Becoming part of the J&M/NCAP coaching family has been a wonderful and rewarding experience. Besides coaching 8&U I have been able to help another group one morning a week, fill in for other coaches with older kids once in a while and help with the summer prep workouts once a week in the spring. Not only did it allow me to work with a variety of swimmers and abilities but also with many different coaches that helped me learn new ideas, remember some old ones and overall expand my coaching knowledge. I look forward to doing all of those again and hopefully more. In this field you never stop learning and you are always teaching.
In addition to coaching with Hadley, we also had Coach Ken in the lanes next to us and if I had questions I had him right there as well. Between Ken and seeing Head Coach Jeff in the mornings, my head was literally swimming with information all year long . You see one of the bonus deals of coaching with NCAP/J&M is that you get to swim with Jeff's senior group in the mornings. Now, I say 'swim with' but really you have to 1. be in the pool at 4:30 am, yes that is AM as in it's still dark when you get done at 6 AM and 2. swim with means you're in an outside lane, sometimes without lane ropes or overhead flags but you get to learn from Jeff. I could spend a whole blog just on the morning workouts but maybe another time.
Here is a picture of Coach Ken with my girlie after a great swim at NCAP Invite last December. He has made a huge difference in our lives, both my coaching and her swimming. He still continues to do so and helps both me and my daughter, even though she has moved up to a different group and has the fabulous Coach Katie now and Coach Emily one morning a week too.
Now, as I've entered my second full year of being an 8&U coach with Hadley we have a fun and ambitious group of swimmers eager to begin their swim careers, starting with us. I've watched more online videos of drills, races and webinars than I thought I would. I read up on drills, workouts and have even pulled out my workout logs from college practices with Earl at the U of Washington. That said, there is no way I can convert any of his sets to work for 8&U's! But, do I see potential in some of our swimmers? Yes, I do. I am now, constantly trying to come up with ways to teach them not only how to do the strokes correctly but also how to fall in love with swimming like I did at age 7 and make it a part of their lives.
So, did I miss blogging for the past year? Yes, but I had a pretty good reason. More to follow both on coaching, swimming, dogs, dogs swimming and even a grandson and trip to Italy.
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| Stroke and turn officiating at U of M, Junior Olympics |
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| Hadley and I at a Mini Meet |
This is where it really gets fun, and busy, I was offered the opportunity, by assistant head coach and team co-owner, Matt to come on board with J&M Swim/NCAP as an 8&U's coach two days a week. It was the right offer at the right time since I knew I would be also coaching summer league in the NVSL the following summer. I had had my coaching certification done for a while and so it was a fairly easy transition for me from sitting in the peanut gallery upstairs at Lee District Rec to being on the deck with Hadley. Yes, totally won the 'if I could coach with someone who would it be' lottery. I got Hadley and she was a huge source of information, guidance and laughs. Plus instant friend too. I did miss hanging with my mom friends upstairs, but Brad covered that by coming to watch swimming and partaking in the chatting and speculating that goes on up there. Becoming part of the J&M/NCAP coaching family has been a wonderful and rewarding experience. Besides coaching 8&U I have been able to help another group one morning a week, fill in for other coaches with older kids once in a while and help with the summer prep workouts once a week in the spring. Not only did it allow me to work with a variety of swimmers and abilities but also with many different coaches that helped me learn new ideas, remember some old ones and overall expand my coaching knowledge. I look forward to doing all of those again and hopefully more. In this field you never stop learning and you are always teaching.
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| Awesome Coach Ken |
Here is a picture of Coach Ken with my girlie after a great swim at NCAP Invite last December. He has made a huge difference in our lives, both my coaching and her swimming. He still continues to do so and helps both me and my daughter, even though she has moved up to a different group and has the fabulous Coach Katie now and Coach Emily one morning a week too.
Now, as I've entered my second full year of being an 8&U coach with Hadley we have a fun and ambitious group of swimmers eager to begin their swim careers, starting with us. I've watched more online videos of drills, races and webinars than I thought I would. I read up on drills, workouts and have even pulled out my workout logs from college practices with Earl at the U of Washington. That said, there is no way I can convert any of his sets to work for 8&U's! But, do I see potential in some of our swimmers? Yes, I do. I am now, constantly trying to come up with ways to teach them not only how to do the strokes correctly but also how to fall in love with swimming like I did at age 7 and make it a part of their lives.
So, did I miss blogging for the past year? Yes, but I had a pretty good reason. More to follow both on coaching, swimming, dogs, dogs swimming and even a grandson and trip to Italy.
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