Well, here we go. One more special New Years Eve workout. BD/USM's version of the infamous "100-100's". For those that might be intereted...the history behind this is quite simple...it's my fault. This is something I did when I swam in high school and it was a tremendous ego/confidence boost. To be able to say I swam and completed 10,000 yards in 3 hours was a very big deal for me. I brought this to our team about 10 years ago and it has just stuck. For some of our boys, it seems quite daunting, almost impossible. Others see it as the ultimate challenge capping off a grueling two weeks of workouts before they re-enter the school world. Then, upon completion, the sense of accomplishment sets in. It's kind of a "right of passage" to complete this day's workout. While it's true, not everyone finishes this workout, the measuring stick is in how far did you get? Compared to just 6 weeks ago, I think we've come a long way. Good Luck Gentlemen..."don't stop Believin'!"

Tonight...New Years Eve...Be safe boys. Believe it or not you are not invincible. Maintain your high standards of behavior, appreciate the things and people around you, and keep yourself under control. If you're in an uncomfortable situation...walk away. These are the signs of growing up. But don't forget to have a little fun on the way.

Next week...we hit the competition trail twice with a dual meet against Wauwatosa West on Wed. and the Bulldog Invite on Sat. January is going to be a busy competition month and because of that the time will fly by. Buckle up, pay attention, and keep your eyes on the prize.

Happy 2009 everybody...and I wish you a happy, healthy, and productive 2010!

Let's go WILDFALCONCATS!!!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! We had a great practice yesterday. The 6 x 200 Free time trials really taught us all something didn't they boys? Jack, Matt and Michael did a super job demonstrating that being tired can be "overcome" with the right motivation. During the first 5 TT's Jack's times were identical...so he was told he HAD to go faster or everyone on the team was going to do an extra one. He told me it wasn't fair and he was too tired to go any faster and that he was really trying to go faster with each one he already swam. I told him I understood but he indeed COULD go faster and his teammates depended on him to do just that. I also set up Matt D. and Michael S. in lanes along side him so he had someone to race. The final result couldn't have been better. Jack didn't just improve his 200 Free Time Trial, he destroyed his PR by 10 sec. Along with him came Matt and Michael dropping their times by 5 sec. each. Well done gentlemen. The message is simple...if you really NEED a little more speed, power, motivation...you already have it...just make the decision...I WILL DO THIS. I CAN DO THIS. I AM GOING TO DO THIS. My teammates are depending on me. My coaches are depending on me. I will not let them down. I will not let myself down.
Jack, Matt and Michael, you taught your teammates a valuable lesson yesterday. You learned something about yourselves as well. Let's carry that with us...Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Monday Dec. 22

Yesterday we had a good day at practice. The water was too warm but the boys pushed through. I was impressed with what I saw. This really set the tone for a terrific two weeks. Today is the last day of school for the BD athletes. We will be able to practice with no homework thoughts, or studying to worry about. The future is bright.

...and the wrap-up looks like this. Our boys swam well in Watertown...once we got going. As a team, we scored 176 points, up from 98 points last year, ya gotta love that. We finished with 17 top 10 finishes, and 5 top 6's. We had 3 of the top 10 Backstrokers; in Steve Lillie-5th, Jack Ladd-7th, and Mike Short-10th and 4 of the top 10 Breastrokers; Billy Wong-2nd, Andrew Burandt-7th, Geoff Gilles-9th, and Rob Davis-10th. As we finished the meet with the 6th and 7th place 400 Free Relays we realized how much we have improved as a team from last season. While we continue to be a work in progress, I can't help but be very proud of the efforts and improvements of each one of our athletes. We continue to make strides in a positive direction and will strive for daily excellence. Well done Boys! Lets get rested up for a great two weeks of preparation for the Bulldog!

Here we go....

And for my first installment...HI.

Today the BD/USM swimmers are heading for the Watertown Invite to compete against the reigning D2 State Champion McFarland, North Shore power, Cedarburg, and perennial D1 State qualifier and host Watertown in our annual pre-Christmas competition. This is a good meet for the coaches as kind of a pre-test to evaluate the athletes before the "all important" Christmas break workouts. The coaches have not rested their athletes for this meet, so this should be interesting.
Thanks for visiting and I'll be back after the meet to offer my first hand views.