Carleton Masters Swimming Newsletter
#37
Sunday, May 12th, 2002
To: Carleton Coaches
Bcc: Early Birds (62 addresses); Whitecaps (71
addresses),
Nightcaps (39 addresses), Varsity registered with Masters (13
addresses), Very
Early Birds (35 addresses)
Spring Session:
The Spring session started on May
6th.
Welcome to all the new and returning swimmers!
We had enough people sign up for the
earlier
Nightcaps, so that group is running for May/June (7:10-8pm
Mon/Tue/Thu
& Sat). This group starts as Whitecaps finishes, with
Nightcaps
starting their warm up as Whitecaps finish their warm down.
(It's fine if the two groups overlap by a
few
minutes.)
If you are not planning to swim over the summer and would like to
be
removed from the e-mail list, just let me know.
Upcoming
Cancellations:
There will be no workouts on Monday,
May
20th (Victoria Day) -- morning or evening. You are
welcome
to attend the public swim at Carleton that day which is from 11:45am -
3:30pm
only (no early morning or evening swim, as the facility is open 8am-8pm
only).
Note also that there will also be
no
workouts
on Saturday, May 25th (morning) due to the Ottawa Early
Bird
Triathlon being held at Carleton. If you're interested in
participating in
the Triathlon, you can get more details at:
http://www.some=
rsaultpromotions.com/2ottawa.html
Feedback Forms Information (Part
2):
Here is more information from the 86 feedback forms received in
April:
Whitecaps Theme Nights:
Feedback on the Coaches:
As many swimmers provided input on more than one coach (as
requested), we
received a total of 169 responses on our coaching staff. To figure
out an
overall score for the coaching staff in each area, I used 1 for strongly
disagree, 2 for disagree, 3 for neutral, 4 for agree, and 5 for strongly
agree
to figure out the average response in each category. Using this
scoring
method gives:
Our coaches...
... are organized and prepared: 4.69
... provide an effective swim program: 4.56
... have good communication skills: 4.49
... are motivational and encouraging: 4.44
... are knowledgeable and informative: 4.57
... provide challenging workouts: 4.51
... address your personal goals: 3.94
Overall score: 4.46 (out of 5)
The one area where we scored significantly lower than the others is
that of
addressing your personal goals. To some extent, this is not too
surprising, given the many different reasons people are training (as
listed in
the last newsletter), and the ratio of swimmers to coaches -- most
groups
average 20-25 swimmers. However, this is one area I hope we can
improve
and I'd like your suggestions (more on this below).
The written comments about the coaches were as follows (number of
swimmers
making the comment follows in parentheses):
- great coaches; good coaching (14 swimmers)
- I really like one (or more) of the coaches (18)
- I really don't like one (or more) of the coaches (4)
- my coach is supportive and motivational (5)
- coaches are approachable and encouraging (4)
- my coach is attentive and keen (2)
- I like the positive reinforcement given (1)
- coaches understand Masters (1)
- my coach needs to work on arithmetic skills :-) (1)
- I don't see one (or more) coach often enough for help with my
goals
(3)
- my coach addresses my personal goals (1)
- I need help setting my goals (1)
General Comments:
Workouts:
On the positive side, 34 comments were along the lines of: good
workouts/program; appropriate workouts; good structure/planning.
Eight
people noted that the workouts were fun and enjoyable, while six
commented that
they were challenging (in a good way!), and two said they liked the laid
back
approach (no pressure to perform). Three said that the level of
workouts
was suitable for all levels. Another three had favourable input on
the
length (time/distance) of the workouts, while 2 commented on the
punctual start
time.
One person requested music during the swim -- just ask the coach if
you'd
like that. One person noted that the workouts are sometimes
disrupted by
late arrivals -- please be considerate of your lane mates if you arrive
late! Occasionally the coach will have to juggle lanes
around after warm up if lanes become unbalanced, but this should
be done with a minimum of disruption. Two people commented on
the
easy to read instructions on the blackboard, while one swimmer reminds
the
coaches to always write large enough for the workouts to be
legible!
Workout Content:
We received lots of comments on workout content (summary next
time), but
for now I'll focus on the most common suggestions. The highest
number of
similar comments were 25 requesting "more technique instruction", and 15
requesting "more one-on-one feedback". I believe that this ties in
closely
with the "address my personal goals" above. For the record, five
swimmers
said they like the amount of stroke improvement they are
receiving!
As mentioned above, it's difficult for a coach to provide much
individual
feedback while coaching a group of 20-25 swimmers in a 1-hour
period.
Someone suggested having two coaches per group once per week -- a great
idea,
but it would mean an increase in the cost (which would be passed on to
the
swimmers!). I'll look into occasionally having two coaches on deck
(perhaps once per month or so, to keep the costs down) for the Fall
term.
Your coach is generally the least busy during the warm up
period. If
you want individual attention (and not everyone does!), that's the best
time to
get it. And the best way to get it is to ask! Either ask
specific
questions about technique, training, etc., or ask the coach to give you
feedback
on a particular stroke. We'll be happy to help!
For those who want even more personal attention, I recommend the
mini swim
camp -- the ratio of swimmers to coaches will be near 5:1, and you have
the
option of being videotaped. One person said the swim camps are
good.
One asked for more frequent camps. One asked for videotaping
(available in
the June camp), and one person said the camps should be less
expensive.
The camp is run by the Masters Club, not by Athletics. We charge
only
enough to cover the pool rental and the coaches, and do not make a
profit.
The only way to make it cheaper would be to have fewer coaches, which
would
defeat the purpose!
Another option to get lots of personal feedback (albeit even more
expensive) is semi-private (2-3:1) or private (1:1) instruction (details
below).
If you have other ideas on how we can help you improve your
technique
and/or meet your goals, please let me know.
Other:
Some of the general suggestions/comments will be covered in the
"Ask the
Coach" section below, and more will be in future newsletters.
Mini Swim Camp:
The mini swim camp will be held: Saturday, June 15th 5-7pm
and
Sunday, June 16th 8:30-10:30am. The cost will be $40 for
both
days and $25 for one day, plus $10 for the (optional)
videotaping. The clinic will also be open to
non-Carleton
Masters at a higher cost: $60 for both days, $40 for one day, and $15
for
videotaping. As last year, we will offer clinics covering each
stroke, as
well as starts and turns, and will keep the ratio of swimmers to coaches
at
around 10:1. Coaches confirmed to date are: John, Tim, Louise and
Lynn.
Those videotaped on Saturday will get their feedback from
7:30-8:30pm, and
those on Sunday will get their feedback from 11am-noon. The
videotaping
will cover two strokes and you will be taped both above and
underwater.
If you have not already done so, please let me know if you are
interested
in attending this clinic, which day(s) you will attend, whether you are
interested in videotaping and on which day. Please
register by
June 1st.
Fun Swim Meet:
We need 12 people to go ahead with the fun swim meet:
Saturday,
June 22nd 5-7pm. You do not have to be a member of MSO
(Masters
Swimming Ontario) to compete in this meet -- it is just for fun.
So far
only three people have expressed interest. There will be a $10
charge to
cover the pool rental fees. I'll set the events based on what
people are
interested in swimming. Let me know if you are interested in
participating
as well as the events you'd like to swim. If we don't have
12
people signed up by June 1st, the fun meet will be
cancelled.
New and Nearly New Swim Equipment For
Sale:
There are still caps, a pair of goggles, and some women's
suits
available for sale. The caps are priced at $1. The goggles
$4, and
the suits $10-$20 at the buyer's discretion. Ask to look at our
"boutique"!
Club News:
Margaret K (Earlybirds) sent a
postcard
to the team during her recent trip to the UK. It is posted on the
bulletin
board. Thanks, Margaret!
Session Notes
We will be taking weekday attendance for Whitecaps
as well as
Earlybirds and Nightcaps this Spring term. The Whitecaps will also
have a
chance to participate in the time trials and fun relays at the end of
June.
Margaret and Penny
(Earlybirds 2) are continuing with their "fly miles" this term. If
anyone
else wants to join in, just give me your fly total after each
workout.
Race Reports and
Swim Meets
(please let me know if I've missed anyone or any
races!)
April 13th Technosport Meet:
The official results of the April Technosport meet at U of Ottawa
are still
not available. The official list of club records set will be
published
once I have the results.
Quebec Provincials Update:
All of Lina V (Whitecaps) times from the Quebec
Provincials were club records for her 50-54 age group:
50fs: 33.91; 100fs: 1:16.77; 50br: 45.60; 100br: 1:38.98; 200br:
3:32.27;
50fl: 37.88; 100IM: 1:30.09
Congratulations Lina!
May 11th Technosport Meet:
Five members of Carleton Masters competed in the May 11th
Technosport
meet. Mits (Whitecaps Coach / Very Earlybirds)
was
swimming in his first meet and, as well as showing a unique way of
wearing
goggles, did some great times in 50 and 100m freestyle and
breaststroke.
Charles M (Earlybirds) competing for the first time in
a few
years, and the first time with Carleton, improved on his time trial
times in 50m
backstroke and 50 and 100m freestyle. Bernie
(Earlybirds) unofficially set a few more club records in 50m and
100m
backstroke and 50m fly. Tom A (High Intensity)
also
improved on a few club records in sprint fly and breaststroke.
Lynn (Coach) was not very pleased with her efforts (all
six
races slower than earlier this season). Again, the official
results are
needed before any Club Records can be updated.
Upcoming Meets:
The next and last local meet of the season will be on June 1st at
Ottawa U
(8:30am warm up; meet runs 9-11am). The only events offered are
800 and
1500m freestyle. Deadline for entry is May 22nd. If you are
not yet
registered with MSO, but are interested in competing, let me know
ASAP.
There is a meet in Repentigny (just past Montreal), Quebec on June
15th. The warm up is at 8am. The meet starts at 9am.
The
events offered are:
100bk, 100br, 50fs,
100IM, 200ch,
break, 50fly, 200 medley relay, 50bk, 100fs, 50br, 100fly, 200 mixed
free
relay. You can swim a maximum of 3 individual events and 2
relays. More information at: http://www.fnq.qc.ca/0206bbq=
inv.pdf
Also, don't forget the fun meet (open to all) at Carleton on June
22nd,
which will go ahead if we have at least twelve swimmers.
There are two open water races (open to all) being held b
Technosport in
Meech Lake this summer -- a 3km race on July 13th and a 4km race on
August
17th.
NCM Weekend:
I know that quite a few Carleton Masters participated in the NCM
Weekend
races. I'll include the full results for the Masters next time --
so
e-mail me with your results!! Congratulations to
Kristi
(Coach) on finishing 243/409 in her age group in the 10k!
These questions/suggestions are all from the
feedback
forms:
Dear Coach: Can we move
the Masters
bulletin board to the deep end so that it's more convenient for the
Earlybirds? Out of Sight - Out of Mind
Dear O. o. S. O. o. Mind: If all the Masters
groups were
in the deep end that would be fine. However, one of the Whitecaps
groups
is always in the shallow end. Nightcaps is usually in the shallow
end, and
Saturdays are in the shallow end. The current location (in the
middle of
the pool) is a compromise.
Dear Coach: Can you provide a
booklet of
ten workouts for us to do on our own -- I wouldn't mind paying a
photocopying
fee. Sometimes Swim Alone
Dear S. S. A: I'm guessing that this person does
not have
e-mail, as the workouts are available by e-mail for all who want
them. In
addition, I sent out last July's workouts to all those who wanted some
extra
workouts to do over the break. If you don't have e-mail and want
the
workouts, talk to me!
Dear Coach: After we set our
goals, can
you offer advice as to the type of training needed, and provide suitable
workouts? Want to Meet my Goals
Dear W. t. M. m. Goals: Provided that you are
aiming to
improve on a regular stroke (fly, back, breast, free or IM) and a
distance
between 50m and 5k, the workouts should help. It's important to
attend
regularly to see quick improvement. If you are training at an
elite level
for really short (25-50m) or really long (2k+) events, you may need some
additional specialized training (e.g. weight training, extra swimming),
but
otherwise you should be fine.
Dear Coach: Can we organize a
session for
those interested in competing covering training cycles, mental
preparation,
eating prior to and at a competition, etc.? New
Competitor
Dear N. Competitor: If there is enough interest,
this
could be organized for a small fee. E-mail me if you are
interested!
Dear Coach: Can you please
adjust the
workout focus/intensity on a weekly (microcycle) and
monthly/bi-monthly
(macrocycle) based on the known peaking dates? Want to Taper for
Big
Events
Dear W. t. T. f. B. Events: Your suggestion is
a good
one. We currently follow a term long macrocycle, but without a big
taper
at the end. The problem is that everyone has different goals /
events they
are aiming for, so it's not possible to pick a date when everyone wants
to
peak. If there is a particular event you are training for, ask the
coach
for suggestions as to what you should do / not do during your
taper.
Private and Semi-Private
Masters
Lessons
Spring (May-June) remaining available times for
private
and semi-private Masters lessons with Lynn are as follows:
Monday 9:45-10:45am June 3 to June 24th
Monday 3:30-4:30pm May 27 to June 17th
Tuesday 3:30-4:30pm May 21 to June 18th
Wednesday 3:30-4:30pm May 22 to June 19th
Wednesday 7-8pm June 12 & 26th
Thursday 3:30-4:30pm May 30 to June 20th
Friday 9:45-10:45am May 17, June 7, 21 & 28th
Friday 3:30-4:30pm May 24 to June 21st
Saturday noon-1pm May 18, June 8 & 22nd
Summer (July-August) times are:
Wednesday 6-7pm July 17, August 7, 14 & 21st
Friday 6-7pm July 5th to August 23rd, except August
2nd
Prices for private lessons for Carleton Members
are $35 for
1 hour, $65 for 2, $90 for 3, $112 for 4 and $132 for 5 hours, all plus
GST. Private lessons are also available to non-Members at a higher
cost
($50, $85, $115, $142 and $162, all plus GST, for 1-5 hours,
respectively).
For those who want to take semi-private lessons
(2-3
students), the cost per student for Carleton Members is $21 for 1 hour,
$39 for
2, $54 for 3, $67.20 for 4, and $79.20 for 5 hours, all plus GST.
Semi-private lessons for non-Members cost (per student) $30 for 1 hour,
$51 for
2, $69 for 3, $85.20 for 4, and $97.20 for 5 hours, all plus
GST.
Contact Lynn for availability.
Reminders
Newsletter: An e-newsletter (like this one) is
sent out
about every two weeks. If you have new lane-mates, please mention
to them
that they should give their e-mail address to their coach if they'd like
to
receive it.
Please Register for Spring/Summer Session: If you
haven't
yet signed up for Spring/Summer, please register at the Athletics Office
8:30am-4:30pm M-F (2nd floor or 520-4480). Prices are posted on
the web
site (
http://lynnmarshall.tripod.ca)=
.
Suggestions for Workouts or Interested
in Making
up a Workout or a Set?: If you have suggestions for the
workouts
(something you like that we never do, or something you dislike that we
do too
much!), or if you'd like to try making up a workout or a set in a
workout, just
talk to your coach.
Interested in Copies of the
Workouts?: If
you are interested in getting copies of the Earlybird,
Whitecaps and/or
Nightcaps Masters workouts ahead of time? Let me know.
I
usually e-mail out the week’s workouts on Sunday.
Social Events: All swimmers are
invited
to join us for:
Thursday Dinner (after Whitecaps workout): Meet
by the
Tuck Shop around 7:45pm
Thursday Drink (after Nightcaps workout): Meet
by the Tuck
Shop around 8:30pm
Saturday Brunch (after 9-10am workout): Meet by
the Tuck
Shop around 10:30am
Triathletes: Check
out Rudy
Hollywood’s (Earlybirds/Whitecaps) website: http://www.trirudy.com and
subscribe to
the daily tri-news e-mail.
Weight Training for Swimmers:
A six-hour program on strength
training for
swimmers was offered 11am-1pm Saturdays January 12th, 19th and February
2nd. This course was poorly attended (4 people) and the Athletics
department is reluctant to offer it again, unless attendance is
up. If you
would be interested in this course either now, in the Spring/Summer or
next
Fall, please let me know . Also, let me know what time/day works
best for
you.
