Webcasts/Podcasts/Useful Videos
The HSC Coaching Staff is starting to review a series of Swimming Related Webcasts/Podcasts. We will work to add content for you to review if you are interested. We have to keep our heads in the game to be ready to HIT THE WATER SWIMMING when we can. In the Coaching Staff Notes we have tried to add in reference times when certain things are discussed in the video - so if you read those summaries you can jump right to where it talks about it in the webcast.
May 19, 2020
Russell Mark, USA Swimming's National Team High Performance Manager, basically USA Swimming's Expert Stroke Guru - is giving presentations every Tuesday called Technique Tuesday. He is going in IM Order (IMO as we call it at practice). This week's presentation was Back. If you are going to watch anything over break, Russell is highly recommended. Video is HERE. The Coaching Staff took some notes with Screen Shots that can be found HERE.
May 15, 2020
On Tuesday, May 5 Illinois Swimming had another great ZOOM Call with Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA Champion, and Illinois State record holder Ryan Held. In the video, which can be found HERE, Ryan goes through the chronology of his swimming career from childhood and HS at Springfield YMCA (with current FOX Coach Rob Busby), through NC State, and leading to a 2016 Olympic Gold Medal on the Men's 4 x 100 Free Relay with teammates Michael Phelps, Caeleb Dressel, and Nathan Adrian. Ryan was a multisport athlete growing up and his sole focus was not just swimming. It is a good story of the different paths swimmers can take to greatness. For the Cliff Notes version of the interview, please read this free form, rambling summary.
May 8, 2020
Russell Mark, USA Swimming's National Team High Performance Manager, basically USA Swimming's Expert Stroke Guru - is giving presentations every Tuesday called Technique Tuesday. He is going in IM Order (IMO as we call it at practice). This week's presentation was Fly. YOU MUST WATCH THIS!! The Coaching Staff took some notes and snapshotted some of the key points. You CAN GET BETTER OUT OF THE WATER!!
May 8, 2020
USA Swimming completed a Virtual Town Hall ZOOM Meeting earlier this week. The meeting discussed a lot of the pressing topics about competitive swimming and USA Swimming Membership, Practices, and Meets. HSC has been paying very close attention to anything put out by USA Swimming, as well as Illinois Swimming, so please don't hesistate to ask any questions. You should definitely watch this video, which is about 30 minutes long and includes a good portion of the USA Swimming Board of Directors.
April 30, 2020
On Tuesday night, Illinois Swimming again had an AMAZING guest for a ZOOM video conference. That guest was Olympic Gold Medalist/World Champion/NCAA Champion/former World Record Holder, Matt Grevers. We are very fortunate to hear Matt go through the chronology of his swimming career up until now with his Mom and Sister, who are now Scout Aquatic coaches, on the call. It is a great story of ups and downs, twists and flip turns, so please enjoy it at this link.
Note that there is a period of time in the video where Matt get dropped from the call (although the scramble to get him back on the call is quite funny) - so skip past 10:40-13:30, 15:30-18:45, and 21:45-27:00.
There are a lot of takeaways from Matt Grevers - check them out in this free-form, rambling summary of his main points.
April 24, 2020
Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas (Dr. G), who will be making some Stroke Technique Presentations for HSC (starting TOMORROW, April 25), is also MAKING PRESENTATIONS FOR FINA (the World Swimming Governing Body). This link will take you to 4 presentations (some still upcoming) by Dr. G. With us out of the water, we must find ways to improve without swimming.
April 22, 2020
Last night Illinois Swimming had two great presenters available to all of the members of Illinois Swimming . THESE ARE MUST WATCH!!
Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion, Olivia Smoliga - Olivia grew up swimming for GTAC (now GSC) under the legendary coach Steve Iida. She set the National High School record in the 100 Back for Glenbrook South High School (GBS) and then went on to swim at the University of Georgia where she still trains. This video provides some really good perspective of what it takes to be great and how to handle these times.
UIC Flames Head Coach, and University of Minnesota/Fenwick Alum, Tim Loeffler, gives a great presentation about the NCAA Recruitment Process and what college coaches are looking for. He touches on what his team is doing during COVID-19. One of the biggest takeaways is to not just email College Coaches but to try to get phone calls, either from the athlete or the coach, with them. Person interaction MATTERS!! Here is the link.
April 16, 2020
Breaking Down Butterfly - Fitter and Faster Tour - Presenters – Tyler Clary (Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker, Former University of Michigan Star, FFT Director of Sales/Marketing, Swammer), Giles Smith (Former University of Arizona Swimmer, NCAA Champion in 100 Fly, Pan-Am Games Gold Medal, from Baltimore, MD – like the great MP), Tom Luchsinger (USA Swimming 200 Fly National Champ, 10x All-American as a Former UNC Swimmer, 4X USA Swimming National Team Member, Swammer)
Webcast Link
HSC Coaching Staff Notes
April 14, 2020
Breaking Down Backstroke - Fitter and Faster Tour - Presenters – Tyler Clary (Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker, Former University of Michigan Star, FFT Director of Sales/Marketing, Swammer), Christopher Reid (Former University of Alabama Star, Olympian, South African Record Holder in 100/200 Back, now training at NC State with Wolfpack Elite)
Webcast Link
HSC Coaching Staff Notes
April 10, 2020
Today's content is a short series of videos that can be super useful to kids of all age levels. The content is related to STREAMLINES, IMPROVING UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, and SHOULDER MOBILITY.
Importance of Streamlines - This video is about exactly what it says it is about - STREAMLINES ARE IMPORTANT!!
Improving Underwater Dolphin Kick - 2 Skills - This video describes how Flexibility and Core Strength are paramount to good Underwater Dolphin Kick. A swimmer must be flexible enough to do good streamlines and also to be able to generate propulsion in the Dolphin Kick. Core Strength is ESSENTIAL too!
Flexibility Exercises to Improve Underwater Dolphin Kicking - This video is a follow-up to the previous video, discusses post-workout stretching to help IMPROVE YOUR SWIMMING and ADDITIONALLY YOUR STREAMLINES AND UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING.
Core Exercises to Improve Underwater Dolphin Kicking - This video goes over exercises you can use to strengthen your core for dolphin kick - both abs and lower back. CAN YOU SPELL THE ALPHABET IN A STREAMLINE?
Shoulder Mobility Testing, Rolling, and Stretching - This video is a really great one about shoulder health, something swimmers should most definitely be monitoring and working on. To reach full potential in swimming YOU NEED YOUR SHOULDERS TO BE STRONG, HEALTHY, and FLEXIBLE!!
April 9, 2020
Breaking Down Sprint Freestyle - Fitter and Faster Tour - Presenters – Brett Hawke (Olympian, Former Auburn Coach, has coached Gold Medalists at Olympics/World Championships and NCAA Champions), Tyler Clary (Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker, Former University of Michigan Star), Amy Bilquist (Former Cal Bear, Carmel Swim Club and Scottsdale Aquatic Club Swimmer, 5x NCAA Champ, American Record Setter, has split 20.8 on a relay before!!), Katrina Konopka (Former University of Arizona Swimmer, 2x World Champ Gold Medalist, helped Break World Record on 200 MR), Maddie Banick (Former University of Tennessee Swimmer, 9x SEC Champion, NCAA Champion
Webcast Link
HSC Coaching Staff Notes
April 8, 2020
Breaking Down Breaststroke - Fitter and Faster Tour - Presenters – Tyler Clary (Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker, Former University of Michigan Star), Kierra Smith (2016 Olympic Finalist in Breast, 2015 NCAA Champion for University of Minnesota), Austin Surhoff (2X NCAA Champion for University of Texas, multiple time Olympic Trials Finalist, Current Coach at Johns Hopkins University - JHU)
Webcast Link
HSC Coaching Staff Notes
April 7, 2020
Breaking Down Streamlines and Underwaters - Fitter and Faster Tour - Presenters – Tyler Clary (Olympic Gold Medalist Backstroker), Marina Spadoni (Former ASU Swimmer), and Christopher Reid (Former University of Alabama Star, Olympian, South African Record Holder in 100/200 Back)
Webcast Link
HSC Coaching Staff Notes
