December 8, 2025 

 

Dear Blue Fins Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the next phase of our season, our coaching team has completed a review of each swimmer’s development. We are excited to share that several athletes will be moving up to the next training level. These swimmers have demonstrated consistent growth in their skills, endurance, focus, and readiness for increased training demands. Their hard work, positive attitude, and commitment to learning have earned them this opportunity—please join us in celebrating their progress.

We also want to reassure families that every swimmer develops at their own pace. Some athletes may not yet be ready for a group change, and that is completely normal. Progress in swimming is not linear; athletes hit different milestones at different times. Our priority is to place each swimmer where they will be most successful, confident, and safe, while continuing to enjoy their time in the pool.

Please trust that our coaches are always looking at the whole athlete—technique, physical readiness, emotional maturity, and long-term development. With consistency, patience, and steady effort, every swimmer will continue to move forward toward their individual goals.

If you have any questions about your swimmer’s current placement, we encourage you to reach out. We’re here to support each athlete’s journey and celebrate their growth at every step.

Thank you for your trust in the process and partnership.

Warm regards,
Halton Hills Blue Fins Coaching Staff

 

 

November 14, 2025 

We are two months in!  In October Junior White applied some of the techniques that we worked on in September.  We had a session with Coach Rob where he helped work through freestyle flip turns.  Everyone's technique and freestyle flip turns are looking better as shown at the Otter's Spooky Splash where lots of medals and PBs were handed out.  Spooky Splash was an exciting meet for JR White as many of the swimmers collected their 1st ever medals!  This month as we prepare for Owen Sound and December meets, we are going to work on touch turns, breast pull outs and more diving so that we can fine turn more of the races.  Arriving on time and focus has improved which is great to see as all of these little things put together turns into the results the swimmers want to see at the meets!  

~ Coach Colin

 

 

Lessons from the World Cup
 
After having the opportunity (and pleasure!) of watching the World Cup of swimming, there were a few things I was reminded of that ALL fast swimmers do well. Sometimes, when we are confined to our small pool and group of swimmers, we forget what is happening at the highest levels of the sport.
 
So, do you want to be fast? Of course you do! Well, if you want to be fast, you need to at least be a good kicker. All of the fastest swimmers have tremendous leg drive. The legs aren’t just for lift and stability; they are for propulsion too! Kick with purpose. Make your legs move your body through the water and fit your arm cycles into your kicking rhythm. The faster and stronger you become at kick the faster you will become in the pool. Your sprint speed will really improve. 
 
Mentioning being good at kicking, are you a good dolphin kicker? It’s called the fifth stroke for a reason. You can complete 60% of your race in freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke underwater. Most swimmers completing 200m or less will travel at least half of that distance underwater. Why? Because it takes less energy than swimming and it’s faster than swimming. Don’t believe me? Watch Jordan Crooks become the first human to break the 20 second barrier in the short course 50m Freestyle and notice he went more than half that race underwater. If he was faster at swimming, he would have surfaced earlier and swam.
 
Let’s move on to technical ability. To be honest, this one can be tough to change. Many of us do not possess the density of neurons and synapses in our motor cortex to move as gracefully through the water as Summer McIntosh or Michael Phelps no matter how hard we try. And that’s okay. Not everybody can be the best swimmer in the world. But do you know what sets those two apart? They hold the water and apply force in a way that maximizes their energy usage to move them forward in the water. They’re economical. No energy is wasted. To achieve that skill, you must focus on your stroke…all the time. Don’t think about what’s for dinner, what’s happening on Instagram, or how much homework you have to complete when you get home. Focus on the here and now and think about swimming with the best technique you can. Imagine you were being recorded and your swimming ability would forever be judged by how you are swimming at that moment.
 
With respect to technical ability, did you notice how fast the turns were at the World Cup? A great international swimmer can complete a touch turn in breaststroke or butterfly in less than 0.8 seconds. Strive to tuck and rotate quickly to get your body moving in the other direction as quickly as you can while still setting up your push off to generate maximum power. Time spent on the wall is dead time. If you can minimize it, you will be faster.
 
Swimming fast is NOT easy. It takes energy and effort. But more than that it takes focus. Spend more time thinking about how you are moving through the water, how you are completing technical elements like starts, turns, and finishes. It always amazes me that swimmers will spend countless hours in the water training but if I were to ask them for a split time, final time, stroke count, etc… they cannot provide an answer. Stay engaged in what you are doing at workouts. Swim (and kick!) with purpose and you will see your times drop significantly at your next meet.
 
~ Coach Rob

 

 

October 10, 2025

 

My focus in Intro Gold is on nurturing happy, healthy swimmers and instilling habits that will support their growth both now and throughout their time in the sport.

 
This month, I’ve been emphasizing two key habits: activation and hydration. I know I may sound like a broken record to the swimmers, but these fundamentals are essential.
 
Swimming is a full-body workout, and it’s crucial to properly warm up the muscles before diving in. That’s why Intro Gold has a designated activation routine,four simple movements to be completed before getting in the pool. These exercises not only prepare the body for training but also lay the foundation for long-term physical health and injury prevention.
 
Hydration is equally important. Despite being surrounded by water, swimmers lose a significant amount of fluid during practice. To combat this, everyone has been asked to bring a water bottle to each session. Building this habit early is vital, as proper hydration helps reduce fatigue, lowers the risk of cramps and injury, and supports overall performance.
 
By reinforcing these habits now, we’re setting swimmers up for success as they move forward in their competitive careers.
 
~ Coach Ally
 
 
Junior Blue has been showing great progress this season, especially with the effort they bring to the water. They work hard during swim practices, focusing on technique and pushing themselves to improve. One area we’ll continue to build on is dryland, where the effort level doesn’t always match what we see in the pool. Overall, their biggest strength is how determined they are when swimming, and as we head into October, we’ll be working toward our first real swim meet in Orangeville, preparing the swimmers to put their hard work into action.
 
~ Coach David
 
 
Junior White is off to a great start!  For September we worked on skill development for each stroke so that we can figure out where each swimmer is strong and what we need to improve on.  Group strengths this month have been working hard in the water and asking a lot of good questions to apply to their swims.  Where we can improve is by giving our best efforts at dryland by staying on task and I would like to see swimmers be on deck 5 minutes prior to the start of dryland or swim practice, so that we can get through instructions once as a group and into the practice quickly - we only have an hour!  Next month we will start to work on dives and turns and building swimmer endurance.  We are also looking forward to our first away meet for the season.  
 
Looking forward to October,
 
~ Coach Colin
 
Our group has had a fantastic start to the season! The swimmers have been showing great dedication in training, consistently putting in strong efforts both in and out of the pool. It’s been great to see everyone supporting one another, creating a positive and focused team environment that pushes everyone to be their best. The energy at practice has been high, and the group continues to make steady progress with their technique, endurance, and racing skills. As we prepare for our upcoming swim meets, I’m confident the hard work will pay off. I’m really looking forward to seeing our swimmers step up, race fast, and continue building on the momentum we’ve started this season.
 
~Coach Evan
 

 

 

 

October 3, 2025 

Welcome Back FINS!

 

Welcome to the 2025 – 2026 swim season! It has been great to see all the smiling faces both in the pool, and in the viewing area, at G.I.P.. Many things have changed since last year, and those changes are having a positive impact on our team.

 

First, our Academy program has already shown its positive effect on our swimmers (and coaches). The group is gelling, and I said to them last Monday that something special is happening within that group. More on that later.

Second, our coaches are thriving in their positions. The energy they are bringing to the pool deck is noticeable. Swimmers are very attuned to their coach’s energy, so mentioning that  energy on deck is contagious would be an understatement. As a seasoned coach, I love to see the swimmers feeding off the energy their coach brings to the pool each day or vice versa.

Third, I have seen tremendous growth in our swimmers over just one season. It is evident to me that many of our swimmers possess leadership traits that will aid them as they continue their swimming and academic careers. These traits have been noticed in every group.

I am very much looking forward to what this year will bring for the FINS (our new letters in heat sheets). Let’s build off the energy of the first few weeks and continue to listen, learn, and try our best at the pool each day. If we can do that, we really will be FEARED at the end of the season. Go FINS!

 

 

Being a Leader and Helping to Develop a Culture of Success

Leadership. Culture. Words that are often used but not always understood. What do they mean and how can they be cultivated?

To me, being a leader in the swimming sense means doing what is expected of you and more. Doing things the right way even when no one is looking. Showing the group in which you swim how to do things the right way. Listening to your coach. Trying your best. Helping when help is needed. Offering help even if help isn’t needed. Encouraging your teammates when your encouragement lifts them up. Essentially, acting in a way that brings positivity, effort, and pride to the group.

These actions help do develop your group’s culture and shape the way your group acts. Culture could then be defined as the way the group acts each day. We want to have the best culture of any swim team around. Our coaches set expectations and boundaries, and our swimming leaders are the shining example of how their teammates should act at workouts. Soon, the group is firing on all cylinders. By the end of the year, you will be stunned to see how well your group is performing.

Earlier, I mentioned that something special is happening in our top groups. And it is. I witnessed something similar happened in Orangeville in 2019. That season, at the MAC April Invitational, I stayed on deck well beyond the end of the finals session while 12 swimmers did warm down type exercises – skipping, jumping jacks, leg swings, arm circles, stretching and foam rolling. They didn’t have to stay. They choose to. And I knew the culture I wanted had been cultivated. It took three seasons, but we were there.

At that meet, we had our first Olympic Trials Qualifier (Logan Tucker, 200m Fly) Cameron Maxwell followed. Then Evan Aguiar-Winter and Abby Sostar. This was at a time when there were no junior Trials standards. By the end of the season all 12 swimmers who were part of that group had qualified for the Canadian Jr. Championships in Calgary. A Huronia Tour Team of 19 was sent to the meet. It was primarily comprised of Otters.

If we continue to cultivate a culture where the standard is doing our best each day, encouraging each other, and helping each other when it is needed, we are going be the strongest club around. Keep being a leader. Others are sure to follow.

Coach Rob

 

August 29, 2025 

 
With the recent completion of the 2024-2025 swim season (our open water training
ended last week), I have set my sights on the upcoming year. The past year was a
fantastic first one for the team with me as the Head Competitive Coach, but this coming
year is shaping up to be one even better than the first.
 
The Academy Program, where swimmers train during their first period of class each day
instead of the early mornings, has garnered significant attention from swimmers on
teams in the surrounding community. We have added eight new swimmers and counting
to this Academy Program. As we achieve success there will likely be even more interest
in what we are doing.
 
Although our club is growing, it has been my goal, and the goal of the board of directors,
to maintain the family-like feel to the team. Each new swimmer can change the
dynamic. The new swimmers who will be joining us come with great intangibles – strong
work ethic, leadership, friendliness, and humbleness to name a few. These traits will
help them integrate into our culture seamlessly while helping raise the profile of the
team within the local, provincial, and national swimming communities.
 
In addition to the new program and swimmers, many new coaches have been added to
our roster for the upcoming year. I was very pleased with the work done by the staff in a
year that brought change. It’s never easy to adapt to new leadership. Our coaches had
open minds and raised their level of knowledge tremendously. But it was apparent that
we needed more coaches to alleviate the strain in times when coaches attended
championship meets. So, some have familiar coaches are stepping into roles with more
responsibility. They will have an opportunity to grow and develop the same way our
swimmers do, both individually and as a team. I think what I am most excited about for
the upcoming season is to be able to have a great impact on our coaching staff’s
development, and therefore the performance of our swimmers at all levels.
 
Last year brought success: an Ontario Champion, a Canadian Trials qualifier, OSC
medalists and finalists, huge drops in best times from swimmers across the board, and
plenty of smiling faces throughout the year. But this year has the makings of something
special. I can’t wait to see all of you next week and to get started with the swimmers in
the pool.
 
Coach Rob
 

 

Welcome Back Note from Coach Shannon 

 

Another fantastic summer in the books! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer filled with family and friends, with many adventures. My family spent our summer days starting by traveling south to Florida to enjoy with my family, spending time on the boat and sandy beaches soaking up the heat. Then we set off to North Ontario to enjoy the cottage with my husband's family and friends. Kayak trips, lots of fishing and jet ski fun. Also this year my husband and I celebrated a wonderful milestone renewing our 10 year anniversary vows in our favorite place in Stratford. Many wonderful moments filled with laughter and love as we journey through life. 

 

As much as it has been wonderful to take a break from the deck, I am very excited to get back to work and begin to build the next season of successes with our returning and new swimmers. To recap from last season, our swimmers worked on the fundamental strokes and skills building core retention in each. While incorporating the competitive technical skills preparing them for competitive racing and swim meets. The swimmers took on each different challenge and training with enthusiasm and positive drive building their strengths. Swimmers built resilience through repetition, grit to push themselves through fatigue and create goals of success. We also welcomed Coach Ally on deck last season joining our coaching team with our development groups. Her years of swimming knowledge as an HHBF Alumni swimmer, her dedication to developing passionate swimmers for life long success is a great addition to our coaching team. 

 

This season we continue our focus on introducing and building the technical skills of each of the four main strokes along with the competitive components. In each development level a part of our goal will be building strength and endurance focusing on successful racing. I'm excited and honoured to be back on deck again with our Intro Development groups this season. Building passion and drive through positive training and excited competiting. This season I am very excited to share that Coach Ally will be working with me in the development groups leading our Intro Gold group. The planning has been exciting and the development goals we have for our swimmers outreaches the moon!     

 

Enjoy the last holiday weekend before we hit back to the schedules and we are so very excited to see each and everyone back on deck! 

 

Thank you, 

Coach Shannon  

 

 

June 27, 2025

End of Season Wrap Up 
 
 
COACH ROB

This has been a tremendous year for me both personally and professionally. When reflecting on the season that is nearly done, I realized that there were many firsts over the course of the season. 

 

In August, I stood on the GIP pool deck for the first time since 1989 when I was a young COBRA swimmer. In September, my first daughter was born and I stood on the pool deck for a Blue Fins workout for the very first time. In October, I stepped onto the newly renovated Alder St. Rec Centre pool deck in Orangeville for the first time since before COVID-19. In December, I attended my first team travel trip with the Blue Fins and it was the first time a trip to Windsor took more than the six hours it took during the ice storm in April of 2018. Later that month was my first training camp with the team and the first time I had been in Arizona. In January it was my first New Year's celebration away from my family - thankfully we were able to use FaceTime to celebrate together. In February I was informed that the cyst that was being monitored was not cancerous. It had been the first time I considered my own mortality since childhood. In March, we had our first provincial champion in more than a decade. In April, I began training the swimmers the way I wanted to train them for the first time (they had previously needed a modified version of that training). In May, we had our first Trials qualifier in many years. In June, we had our first representative at Trials and it was my first time in Victoria since the Commonwealth Games Trials of 2005. Upcoming is our first Club Championship and in July our first time sending six swimmers to the Ontario Swimming Championship. 

 

Certainly, this has been a year of firsts for me. There have been many highlights along the way. Thank you, Blue Fins family, for making my first year as the Head Competitive Coach such a fantastic one. I couldn't have asked for more. Have a wonderful summer and see you in September for round number 2.

 

Coach Rob

 
 
COACH SHANNON

And that’s a wrap! Wow, how the time has flown by this season. I can hardly believe we have finished the season. What a wonderful journey it has been with your swimmers. Seeing them grow their passion for swimming and falling in love with competing has been an honour to be a part of. The hard work they took on in their training, building their stroke skills and navigating the swim meet process. Believing in themselves, supporting teammates and becoming Blue Fins together. I want to say thank you to the swimmers who trusted in our leadership and all the parents who supported in the process. Many weekends on a hot pool deck crammed in the stands to be a part of the cheers of success and tears of challenges. Being a part of their journey in finding their swimming drive and helping them overcome the challenges is what makes this a passion and not a job. The skills they have learned will be ingrained no matter how long or what sport they do. Building confident and passionate athletes is our fuel for each day on deck. Sharing with the swimmers what swimming gave to me is a forever thank you to my parents and amazing coaches that have impacted how I coach today. Over the summer take a well deserved break, show off your skills and I look forward to seeing each of our Blue Fins back for another season's journeys!

 

Coach Shannon

 
 
COACH EVAN

As the season wraps up, it’s been great to look back on the growth and progress made by both the Junior Blue and Senior White groups. Throughout the season, these swimmers showed consistent dedication, focus, and a strong team mindset during practices. Their hard work truly paid off, with many achieving personal bests and taking big steps forward in their development. While not everyone competed at the Division 1 and Division 2 meets, those who did represented the groups incredibly well with some great swims and strong performances. It’s been a season full of learning, improvement, and positive momentum, and I’m really proud of the effort shown across both groups. I’m excited for what the future holds and look forward to continuing this journey with all of you in the seasons ahead.

 

Coach Evan

 
 
COACH COLIN

Hello Junior Whites,

 

It has been a pleasure to work with you all from whatever point in the season you joined us! Whether it be the start of the year, January, or February, all of you have done great things in the time that you have been with Junior White. We had our up days and our down days but all of you continued to persevere throughout the year to get to where you are by developing your skills in the Strokes, Dives and Turns and everyone has grown in their individual swimming this year. We obtained so many PBs, Division 1s and 2s, set records, learned to be great teammates and had fun doing it! All of you have more potential to come, and I hope you all reach new levels next year in developing more of your swimming skills while getting those times we all want. I wish everyone a great summer and at least do a little bit of swimming over the summer to not lose what you have trained for and I hope to see you all in September for the 2025/2026 swim season !

 

Let's Go BLUE FINS!

 

Thank you all for being a great group to coach,

 

Coach Colin

 

 

COACH DAVID

Enjoy the summer and don’t rest too much

 

Coach David

 

 

COACH ALLY

What an awesome season! I’m so proud of each one of you. You’ve worked hard, had fun, cheered one another on and continued to get stronger each time you jumped into the pool! Now it’s time to rest, have some fun, and be proud of everything you did this season. I can’t wait to see you back next season!

 

Thanks so much,

Coach Ally

 

COACH CONNOR

With the end of the 2024-25 swim season signaling the end of my club swimming career, I can’t help but reflect on everything that swimming has brought to my life.  So many things to be grateful for, including:

  • The many friendships made along the way
  • The character building traits of dedication, commitment and time management
  • Travel to multiple cities in Canada, the US and Europe to compete and participate in training camps
  • The opportunity to give back to the sport by coaching at HHBF
  • Making the Brock University Swim Team, allowing me to continue my competitive swimming career at the varsity level
 
Thank you HHBF - it’s been great.  Can’t wait to come back and visit!
Coach Connor
 
 

 

May 30, 2025

Protecting your Performance
 
All season long, swimmers train for numerous hours in and out of the pool. At times,
they train for months just to shave a few tenths of a second off their personal best times.
The culmination of all that hard work is ready to be shown during championship racing
season, but right before the meet, the swimmer hurts themselves doing something for
which they haven’t trained much or even at all. So, what gives? And how do we prevent
this from happening year after year?
 
I’ve seen it numerous times. It can be devastating. I once had a swimmer see a
physiotherapist, acupuncturist, and massage therapist on their only day off during the
Canadian Junior Championships. He had hurt his back participating in the long jump
during his school’s track and field day. He was ready for the podium, but couldn’t
manage to hit a best time in anything. I did something similar in the 11 th grade – running
3 x 400m sprint, 3x200m sprint, and 3x100m sprint in a kinesiology class only 8 days
out of the Canadian Youth National Championships. I slept with heating pads under my
tender hamstrings up to and through the meet.
 
I know how fun it can be to show off your athletic prowess for your friends at school. But
is it worth it? Experience tells me, ‘No, it isn’t’. So why aren’t considering how much time
and effort we put into our training? Or the number sacrifices we have made to swim our
fastest at championship meets before making such choices? Although you may want to
look like a superhero to your friends, before you choose to do something for you are ill-
prepared, please ask yourself if it’s worth it. It probably isn’t.
 
Coach Rob
 
 
 

 

May 2, 2025

The Maturing Swimmer
 
Most of us have seen it. A swimmer improves at an incredible rate, then plateaus, and
then often changes clubs or quits the sport altogether. What is happening? And how do
you manage this period of development?
 
When kids are young, they will inevitably get faster simply through the maturation
process. Their bodies grow and they become stronger and therefore faster. During the
pubescent growth spurt, this is especially the case. Testosterone and growth hormone
levels are very high. Swimmers improve at incredible rates during this time. I called it
‘the period of invincibility’.
 
Nine months to a year later, when their muscles have lengthened to match the growth of
their bones, they are primed for a very high level of swimming. This is what propelled
Penny Oleksiak to the forefront of the Rio Olympics. Two years later she nearly quit the
sport.
 
Biology is unfair, especially to young women. Such was the case for Penny, when she
had developed into her frame her times got slower. Strength to weight ratio declines
post puberty for almost every swimmer. They sit lower in the water and must displace
that extra water in order to move through it. That displacement requires more strength
and a higher level of fitness. This period of time can be dreadful for any swimmer, but it
impacts girls much more noticeably than boys. There is no shortage of 14-15 year old
girls who are on top of the world nor 16-17 year old ones who are ready to pack it in.
The same can be said for boys, but they are usually a few years behind girls in this
regard so their decline would discussed more regularly by university coaches.
 
Understanding that this is natural progression is important for all swimmers and their
parents. Yes, it does take hard work to get over the hump, but I have seen many
athletes become the best they ever were by sticking to their training program and
knowing that their fastest swimming is ahead of them. So, if your swimmer is stuck in
rut, keep encouraging them. Best times might only be around the corner.
 
Coach Rob
 
 
 

 

April 1, 2025

 

 
 
Coach Chris
 

 

March 21, 2025

 

Congratulations to the Blue Fins on a tremendous month of racing in Etobicoke,
Markham, and Scarborough! Prior to the March Break, our swimmers raced against
many of the best athletes in the Central Region, as well as the province. There were
many standout moments across those championship meets, but here, I will highlight
one: we had our first Ontario champion in the pool since 2013. Congratulations to
Emerson Armsden on his performance in the final of the 200m Free and the Ontario
Age Group Championships!
 
At our Friday Night at the Races competition before the break, I witnessed significant
improvement from swimmers in all of the competitive groups. I am certainly pleased with
the growth and development occurring within the club. Thank you to the coaches for
their effort in guiding our swimmers.
 
This phase of the season is my favourite. Spring is upon us, as is the start of long
course season. Swimming fast in an Olympic sized pool is harder than it is in a short
course pool. You are likely to witness a 2–3 % drop-off in speed, especially at the
beginning of long course season. I often tell swimmers to set the goal of equaling their
short course times in a long course pool by the end of the year.
 
To achieve that goal, swimmers will need to be fitter. We will be focusing on continuing
to develop aerobic capacity by increasing the training distances. We will pursue
improving our relative strength by doing more plyometric exercises. And most
importantly, we must do our best to be consistently attending our workouts.
 
I saw the most improvement at our championship meets from the swimmers who were
consistently in the water challenging themselves. Consistency is one of the best
predictors of success. If you consistently challenge your body, it will adapt. You will
become fitter and you will become stronger. There is a high correlation between
improvement in training and improvement in racing. If you are consistent in your
attendance, you will undoubtedly be at your best on race day.
 
Coach Rob
 

December 20, 2024

 

1st Mid-Season Reflection
 
Following championship competitions, it is important to evaluate your
performance at the competition. Even more important, is to evaluate the entire body of
work that went into the preparation for that competition. Both swimmers and coaches
should do this. They should ask themselves: “What went well? What worked for me?
What am I proud of?” They should also ask themselves: “What didn’t go well? What
didn’t work for me? What am not proud of?” Self-reflection is critical to determining the
most important self-reflection question of all: “What could I have done better?”
 
In my short time with the Blue Fins, many things have gone well and there are
lots of things of which I am proud. The most obvious one is the performance in the pool.
The swimmers have achieved tremendous success so far. What has worked? They
have pushed their physical limits in the pool by developing aerobic capacity, VO2 Max,
and anaerobic endurance. Out of the pool, they have focused on core strength and
stability and relative strength. But perhaps the most critical component to the success of
the swimmers in the water has been trying to open their minds to the possibilities for
them if they are willing to train in a different way than they did previously.
 
This growth was on full display in Windsor. The swimmers were expected to
perform at their best, but obviously the weather conditions greatly affected our travel
time and meal planning. Despite not getting to bed until well after 1:00 a.m. on Friday
morning, the swimmers took on the preliminary session later that day with the attitude of
more seasoned, champion swimmers. Although we only had 18 swims in the finals that
night (we had 31 Saturday and 25 Sunday – with 7 scoring 400s from prelims), the
swimmers were at their absolute best. They set meet records, won numerous medals,
and there were a number of Ontario Age Group Championship qualifiers. Even though
they shone in the water, it was their collective ‘can-do’ attitude and their willingness to
do what they needed to do to be successful, regardless of the condition that made me
the proudest.
 
Yes, there have been challenges in getting to this point. Progress takes time and
attempting to change the culture of a team without causing too much disruption
(especially in the immediate sense) is hard. At times, I expected more than the
swimmers were willing to give. And although I have adjusted my expectations for now,
things are not yet perfect. But that is okay. The swimmers know I truly care about them
and their performances. And, I am doing my best to push them in an appropriate fashion
to be better than they are at this point. The coach-athlete relationships are building and I
am certain the swimmers will be even better in February and March than we were in
December, and at their best of the year in June and July.
 
What can be done to achieve this? First, I tapered swimmers the same way from
the same training program. In my experience, better results are achieved when
swimmers are given a program slightly more suited to races they swim and then rested
based on their need. I have lots of information from the first training block and focus
competition of the season and will begin to give swimmers differing sets on some days.
They will complete sets better suited to sprinting (50m & 100m), middle distance racing
(200m & 400m), and distance events (800m and 1500m). Those separations are for me
to determine. Not everyone fits the same mold and sometimes swimmers will train in
different groups.
 
What can the swimmers do to help achieve this? We still struggle at times with
arriving at the pool on time and in some cases, arriving at the pool at all. Swimming at
the highest levels requires an immense commitment of time and energy. It isn’t easy
and there is no way around needing to be in the pool and at dryland sessions in order to
maximize the effect of the training program. As I wrote in my previous Coach’s Corner,
consistency is king. Being at the pool, church, or gym, with this new found open mind is
the key to unlocking your potential and becoming the very best swimmer you can.
Please, let’s ensure success by remaining committed to being the best swimmers and
team possible during the winter months when being consistent is the hardest to achieve
and/or maintain,
 
Aside from all this, I would like to thank everyone for believing in the coaching
staff and the program that is being delivered to the swimmers. I know there have been
changes from previous years. Swimmers (and coaches) are being held accountable in
different ways that to which they are accustomed. But if the early results are any
indication, what is being done is having a positive effect. I am motivated by what is yet
to come. The season is off to a great start. Let’s build on this momentum after
Christmas in the new year.
 
Wishing all of you Blue Fins a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
 
Coach Rob
 

 

November 22 2024

 

Establishing Habits of Champions
 
There are many character traits common of champions across all sports. But what is it
that sets them a step above their competitors? In my experience in the sport of
competitive swimming, there are three traits that set the elite above all others.
1. Mindset
Your state of mind has a massive impact on your day-to-day performance. Champions
have the mindset that they will do whatever it takes to be the best. Are you thinking like
a champion? To set yourself up for success, consider the table below and ask yourself if
you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.
Concepts or Situations Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset
Challenges Avoids challenges Embraces challenges
Criticism Avoids criticism Embraces and learns from criticism
Effort Expects rewards without effort Puts in effort to achieve rewards
Setbacks Gives up easily Never gives up
Failure Fails once and stops trying Learns from failure and persists
Talent Talent is given Talent is developed over time
Improvement Does not seek improvement Seeks improvement at all times
 
2. Effort
‘Nothing worth having comes easy’ – Theodore Roosevelt. Swimming fast is hard. Trust
me, I know! Swimming fast takes an incredible amount of time and effort. Are you
putting forth an honest effort in your workouts? Far too often, swimmers guard their
egos by only putting forth enough effort to avoid the coach questioning if they are doing
their best. That way, if the swimmer does not achieve their goal, their ego remains intact
because they can fall back on the fact that they (swimmer) did not put forth their very
best effort when their very best effort was required. Do not be afraid to fail. Failure leads
to growth and learning.
 
3. Consistency
The training effect is similar to stretching an elastic band. In order for the elastic band to
fly the fastest and furthest, the band must be stretched close to its breaking point. If it is
stretched too far, it breaks (injury). However, if the band is stretched then relaxed
(inconsistent attendance and/or effort), when the band is released, it doesn’t fly fast, nor
does it fly far. The most consistent swimmers are always the ones who attain the
highest levels of performance. This may not be the case at in-season meets, when
consistent swimmers are carrying more fatigue, but it is always the case at meets at the
 
end of training blocks. Be consistent with your approach and you will certainly perform
well when it matters most.
The three traits above are critical to your success both in the pool, and out of it. Become
a master of all three and see just how far you can fly.
 

 

October 25, 2024

 

Blue Fins,
 
Here we go! The first meet of the year. The first meet for me as Blue Fins Head Competitive Coach. I’m very excited to watch the team race this weekend! I’m sure all the parents reading this are too.  
 
The swimmers have taken on more training than ever before. As a result, they are likely more tired, sore, and hungry than ever before. But their spirit has impressed me and I’m confident this is going to be a great season for the team. 
 
We started off slowly - how to push off the wall and streamline properly then began building foundations in the four strokes. As I like to say, ‘You can’t build a great stroke without a strong foundation’ or ‘Foundational flaws forecast future failure’. So, the early emphasis has been building strokes beginning with proper body alignment and body position in the water.
 
As we built our strokes, from the ‘ground’ up, we also worked on our turns, I.M. transitions, starts, and relay exchanges. The I.M. transition turns (eg. fly to back) and the start and relay exchange lessons brought new knowledge to the swimmers. From there, we began developing our aerobic endurance, kicking ability, and speed. 
 
In the gym and the church, we have focused on core stability, flexibility, and relative strength. The physical changes in the swimmers are noticeable. They are much more stable, strong, and coordinated than they seemed in the first few weeks of the season.
 
At the Otters Spooky Splash, you may notice some of our swimmers getting into the warm up later than other teams. The reason for this is allow our swimmers the opportunity to do the important parts of their warm up unimpeded. The flow of the warm up and the ability of the swimmers to activate their energy systems at race speeds is of utmost importance.
 
The swimmers have practised this warm up many times already, but we have emailed it out as well so they can refer to it as they work on committing it to memory. It should be noted that swimmers are given a framework with guidelines on how long and what effort to put into the warm up without forcing them to do the same thing in time. 
 
While routine can be beneficial, helping the swimmer ‘listen to their body’ will be far more helpful in the long run. It will allow them to know how to get the best out themselves regardless of how they feel on any given day. This is part of their development from age group swimmer to senior swimmer.
 
Best of luck to all of our swimmers competing on the weekend! We are all looking forward to watching you race. 
 
Coach Rob
 

 

 

October 11, 2024

 

Mini Fins, Intro and Masters Families,
 
Catch up on what has been happening in the Mini Fins, Intro and Masters Groups with Coach Shannon!
 
 
 
 

 

October 11, 2024

 

Blue Fins Family,
 
Thank you for a great first month! It certainly has been a busy one for our club. We have a new group: Provincial Development. Some group’s schedules have changed. Swimmers have been moved into groups that train more often or for longer periods of time. We have added morning dryland at St. George's Anglican Church and dryland/weights have moved to Ronny’s Taekwondo. Next week, dryland on the pool deck begins for the Jr. Blue and Jr. White Groups.
 
Thanks to the coaches and board members for their support of the changes made so far. As well, thanks to the swimmers and their families affected by those changes and for being flexible while adapting to a new schedule.
 
Change can be challenging. Often, as swimmers move groups, they leave some of their friends behind. If you have moved up, congratulations! If you have not, realize that everyone progresses at different speeds. You will get there. Keep working hard. Become the leader of your group. Challenge yourself to grow and mature and I’m sure you’ll find yourself being moved up soon. The coaches are on your side and want you to develop into the very best swimmer you can. You may not always understand the process, but trust that the coaches are constantly evaluating your progress and how to best help you achieve your goals.
 
A very Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all of you. Please remember that workouts are cancelled on Monday.
 
Best regards,
 
Coach Rob

 

 
 

September 20, 2024

Start of Season Update

Blue Fins Family,

 

What an outstanding first week it has been! Seeing the smiling faces and sensing the tremendous energy within the swimmers (and coaches) has me excited and motivated for the season. I cannot wait to see where we will be at its end.

We have started slowly – working on building technical proficiency in all strokes and skills. The beginning of the season is the best time to make technical adjustments. I challenge all of you to find something you can do better in each stroke and work on it until it becomes one of your strengths. Your technical ability will be a major factor in determining your ceiling in the sport. Swim every length you do with the highest degree of skill possible. You will be amazed at how much you can improve just by learning how to swim well.

Be patient with yourself. Change takes time and repetition to become permanent. On average, it will take about two months until a new skill can be performed reliably without a great deal of focus. So, remember to focus when you are working on making a change! The energy you put into making these changes will seem worth it when you see just how much you are improving.

With change in mind, I am excited to announce a major change to our club’s group structure. After a few days on the pool deck observing the team, it became clear to me that we have the need for our swimmers in the pool a bit more. Luckily, we have the space to make this happen. So, I have added a group named, ‘Provincial Development’.

This new group is intended to be an intermediate step between Sr, Blue and National Development. Swimmers will be selected for the group based on several factors: attitude, commitment, technical skill, training habits, speed, and long-term potential will be the primary criteria. As I am still new to the club and assessing the swimmers, Provincial Development will be in place by early to mid-October.

Since there will be a new group created, spaces will be available in many of the other groups for swimmers to ‘move up’. The coaching staff will be discussing subsequent moves based on the factors I listed for selection into the Provincial Development group.

I understand the not everyone who is offered a space will be able to adjust their schedules to accommodate that change. Please consider any offer for your swimmer to move as a positive one. The coaches have seen something in your swimmer that makes them believe that your swimmer is ready for a bigger challenge. ‘Move ups’ will occur periodically throughout the season. After Christmas and following the March Break are typically when swimmer moves will be made.

Finally, I want to thank all who wished my family well before and after the birth of our daughter, Lyla. Alyssa, Bennett, Rowan, and I are grateful to have been afforded some time to get settled in with the newest addition to our family. We look forward to introducing her to you in the coming months.

See you at the pool,

Coach Rob

 

 
 

August 6, 2024

Welcome Coach Rob

Blue Fins Family,

 
Today, I officially began as the Head Coach of the team and I am very excited about our future together. There is a tremendous sense of pride and spirit within our club. I witnessed it at A.G.I., the team barbecue, and the two final meets of the year. And as evidenced by the results at the championship meets this summer, there is also a load of talent on the team. I cannot wait to begin coaching the swimmers in the pool.
 
When asked to describe my coaching philosophy, I typically note that I am technique focused. It is my belief that swimmers need to practise with the highest level of skill possible for them, always. Through focus and attention to detail, swimmers will improve quickly and reach their highest potential. A recent article I read concluded that of the variance in swimming performance between average and excellent swimmers, 35% of that variance was owing to differences in technique. Learn how to swim properly and you will undoubtedly also learn how to swim fast.
 
As a young coach, I used to say that my greatest strength was identifying technical errors and helping swimmers correct them. However, having witnessed the emotional outpouring on the pool deck at the conclusion of the Canadian Swimming Championships as I said, ‘Goodbye’ to ESWIM, I know that the strong connections I form with swimmers is in fact, my greatest strength.
 
Swimming has always been part of my life. I cannot remember not being able to swim. I am at peace in the water and on the pool deck. I truly love the sport and still hold memories of my time as a swimmer close to my heart. I am certain that my passion for swimming and my desire to see the swimmers I work with succeed will be evident when you see me on the pool deck. Swimming fast matters to me. I know how much the swimmers sacrifice to excel in the pool. I want to provide all of them with the same level of commitment as they make to be great. Greatness not just as swimmers, but as young adults aiming to be successful both in and out of the pool. 
 
I am eager to begin the season and to meet all of you. There will be more communications from both me and the board of directors coming later this month. But, for the next few weeks, I intend to spend some time with my own family. My wife, Alyssa, is expecting our third child at the beginning of September. My two sons, Bennett and Rowan, who accompanied me to the Blue Fins barbecue, deserve some of my undivided attention and I intend to give it to them. 
 
Please enjoy the time off that you have this summer as well. Go outside, play, enjoy the great weather, be with your family and friends, cheer on Team Canada at the Olympics. But please be ready for the upcoming swim season. I intend for it to be a memorable one for all Blue Fins.
 
See you in September,
 
Coach Rob

July 29, 2024

Good-Bye Coach Chris

To my Blue Fins Family: Tonight after the final session of the Canadian Swimming Championships, my family and I will be leaving Ontario, my home for the last 40 years, and set out on an exciting adventure to build a home and life in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I will be passing the HHBF coaching torch to Coach Rob and I know he will carry it forward and do great things! I ask that all the Fins welcome Rob and trust the process and be kind to each other. I want to thank everyone for all the years of support and encouragement. In Saskatoon I'm excited to be joining Coach Ryan and the Saskatoon Lasers swim team and helping to build their already solid program to new heights. Thank you again everyone. That's it, that's all!! #OutTrainThem #FearTheFins

 

 

Jun 18, 2024

Club Records!

Blue Fins had a busy weekend with athletes in Markham at Ontario Youth-Junior Champs with myself, athletes in Etobicoke at Ontario Festival Champs with Coach Evan and Coach Shannon took a group to Hamilton to race in a develoment meet. We had great racing at all 3 meets andwe saw a few club records drop!

 

Claudia Chuang broke the 100BR 11-12 girls long course record

Mateo V, Matthew K, Theo S and Ewan H, broke long course relay records (4x100FR, 4x100MR, 4x50FR, 4x50MR)

Celina V, Sashka V, Addison N, Emersyn P, broke long course relay record (4x50FR)

Sashka V, Grace R, Addison N, Emersyn P, broke long course relay record (4x100FR)

 

Well done TEAM and keep up the great work. Go FINS Go!!!

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Jun 6, 2024

Updates!

Blue Fins have been super busy and I feel like I've been living at a swim meet every weekend - but lots of great results so its been exciting. I wanted to update everyone on some of the things we've been up to.

We had great showings at the MAC meet, B-Champs and AGI all in May as well as taking a group of 20 athletes to Olympic Trials to watch some great finals racing. We also had the JR/Intros race Top Tuna, Milton meet as well as our FNR #8 where many did their first 200, 400FR and 100, 200IM congrats to all! We still have lots of racing ahead of us this month with C-Champs, OYJ, Festivals, HAC meet and our final FNR#9!

We also updated our test sets with a final showing over the last month, many best times and I'm very proud to see how many athletes took these sets seriously and improved greatly. Keep working at improving your skills and test sets as this will improve your racing ability.

We also upadted the sub 30 club as we had a few new additions - Congrats to all athletes breaking that barrier - sometimes its more mental than anything so to those that are sitting right on the edge of 30 - keep working on itm control the breathing and nail the start and turn!

Finally Jun 15-23 is one of the biggest swim meets in the world and one I would encourage you all to watch. USA Olympic trials is one of the fastest and exciting meets in the world and will be a show that will not disappoint and definetly motivate and inspire any athlete no matter the age!

"Stay focused, eat healthy, sleep soundly and out train them all!"

Go FINS Go!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Apr 25, 2024

Test Sets Updated!

Blue Fins have a couple test sets that we use to track progress. It has been a busy season and I would have liked to do these more frequently and with more of the groups, however with limted coaching and a busy meet schedule we did our best. Please review and see your swimmers test set info.

Check out Test Set Folder: HERE!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MxKOfAji0hIG9MQ-oGTJ4RYsMOSSuuYX?usp=share_link

We will revisit the test sets again in May.

Go FINS Go!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Apr 18, 2024

Underwater Filming

 

Blue Fins is such a busy place - lots always going on. Our Intro groups finished up a great showing in Guelph at the GMAC development meet last Sunday and this weekend is Masters Provincial Championships, where HHBF is sending 8 masters athletes to represent the FINS! 

HHBF also bought an underwater camera, GoPro, and with the help from our awesome meet manager Jamie Wellings, the competitive stream athletes (JR, SNR, ND) will find a link emailed to them over the next week, containing some underwater footage of their swimming. This past weekend I spent some practice time filming the 60plus athletes at the pool, swimming a 100IM (plus a 25 underwater for ND) allowing them to see themselves underwater. Keep an eye out for that email, follow the instructions to dowload the video and review it. Seeing yourself on video helps with correcting form and understanding what the coaches are trying to have the swimmer do in the water. We will try and do a make up session for athletes that missed practice this weekend as well as more filming in the future if the feedback is positive and productive.   Have a great day!

Go FINS Go!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Apr 10, 2024

Meet Wrap Up: Windsor

Hello TEAM,

  

What a blast we all had in Windsor. TEAM travel is always a super fun time and allows for athletes to bond and connect as a TEAM, allows them to grow as individuals, while for many this was their first solo trip away from parents and it always results in some FAST swimming, a winning situation. I wanted to thank our chaperones; Heather, Cheryl, Angela and Paul for running the show off deck you did an outstanding job and we couldn't have done it without your volunteered time and energy - THANK YOU! 

 

We had 2 club records break at this meet:

A) 100BR by Mackenzie Lake

B) 13-14year old girls Medley Relay

(Zoe A, Mackenzie L, Charlotte G, Emersyn P)

 

We also had soooo many great swims, many best times, regional and provincial qualifying times achieved. Congrats to all the athletes for their hard racing over the long weekend. We also had a few new names added to the "SUB 30 CLUB"! Let's keep up this great energy and train with focus and determination as long course championship season is around the corner.

 

A quick note on knowing your times.

Many athletes, especially this weekend in Windsor, would finish a race look at the clock and be disappointed at the time as it wasn't faster than their entry time that was on the prelims sheet. They would be sad and make their way over to the coaches table only to hear me say "great swim, that was a best time" then they were confused. Entry times often are conversions from short course (Swimming Canada takes your short course time and adds 2%) its not a true swim. You as an athlete (and parent) should know your best short course times, as well as your best long course times. ("Knowing is half the battle"- GI Joe) They are two very different pools and different races. Furthermore if you really want to elevate your training and racing you should be aware of your 'practice best times', your 'morning prelims best times', your 'evening finals best times'. That is the goal at least. 

#KnowYourTimes 

 

Go FINS Go!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

 

Apr 2, 2024

A Message from Coach Chris

 

Hello TEAM,

  

It is with a mix of emotion that I write to you all. As most of you have heard by now this will be my final season with the Halton Hills Blue Fins. First I want you all to know that this was not an easy decision for myself and my family. I have been part of HHBF for many years; as an age group athlete, as an assistant coach, as a head coach, as a masters athlete and of course as a swim parent. My life has revolved around this club for more than a decade and it's been a pleasure to be part of so many peoples athletic journey. However as the saying goes "this too shall pass" and all things run their course, there's a beginning, a middle as well as an end. July will be the end of my journey with HHBF and Aug will mark the start of my journey coaching in Saskatchewan. As with any organization, over the years we have had many ups and downs, many victories, many challenges, but overall I truly believe that we have been part of something special building and providing an environment where athletes have the opportunity to train and build a passion for the sport of swimming - I believe we have produced many HAPPY HEALTHY SWIMMERS along with much FAST SWIMMING! 

  

As I look fondly back on this wild ride I have a few thank you’s to dish out.

 

First, to one of my closest friends and a rock of stability with the HHBF TEAM. Coach Shannon, you have been so important to this club and to me and my family over the last 10 years. Your commitment to this club and support for our vision and goals have been unmatched and I thank you for the hundreds of amazing memories. I've said it before - but know that I'm always in your corner and just a phone call away and will always pick up for you ;)

  

To the many board and executive members throughout the years, thank you all for trusting me with running this program for so long and supporting my vision, even to the ones that disagreed with me and challenged me, it just made me elevate my game and grow as a coach and person. Special thank you to Michael Zuraw as he has been with the club even longer than myself, hired me on as head coach at the time when he was president and has been a pillar of this club, always providing a voice of logic and reason. I hope I've earned the Michael Zuraw gold star (I believe Angie West was the last recipient!).

  

To the parents, thank you for getting involved with your athletes' sport and volunteering and stepping up to help run this club. Thank you for trusting me with your athletes goals and progress through the HHBF development pathway. 

  

Finally to the most important people - the athletes.Thank you for giving up so much; your late nights, sleep ins, your weekends with friends, your march breaks etc. so you could spend time with me at the pool grinding towards our goals. I've said it before, you are all more than just great swimmers, you are developing the skills to grow into successful, valuable members of our community. I often get emails or messages from alumni Blue Fins, and it warms my heart with pride and happiness to hear about all the success they have gone on to achieve in and out of the pool. Please know that even though I'm leaving Ontario I will still be checking meet results, swimrankings and following up on each and everyone of you and your progress, we are all TEAM Canada and I truly want the best for all of you.

  

We've all been part of something special here and we've built a strong and thriving TEAM, I now leave it to you to protect what we have built, and carry it onwards and upwards. Be kind to each other - "That's it, that's all!"

  

--

Chris Henderson
Head Competitive Coach
HaltonHillsBlueFins.com
 
 

Feb 23, 2024

Sub30 Club (UPDATE)

Breaking the 30sec barrier in swimming of the 50m Free has always been a big milestone. This season we continue to build the number of athletes dropping below that mark. Congrats everyone and lets get even more names on this list!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Feb 14, 2024

"Earn Your Colours"

 

First off, Happy Valentines Day. Remember to treat everyone, including yourself with kindness.

Now the FUN.

All HHBF swimmers have their standard Blue cap, which we expect them to wear at ALL competitions to represent our TEAM and to look unified (#BlueArmy). Going forward however you may see a few different colours at meets or practice. We now have qualifying cap colours. This is a practice that many TEAMs use to celebrate the victories of athletes making their qual times. With the help of our HHBF executive we have put together our own "Earn Your Colours" progression pathway and we are super excited to show you and to see these caps in the pool.

How it works: you earn your cap by swimming a qualifying time associated with that cap colour and will be presented it by a coach either at the meet or at practice. The club will gift you the first one for free and then you are able to buy more of that colour if you need another (as we know they do break). 

 

Red = Ontraio Youth/Junior Championships & Ontario Swimming Championships

 

Silver = Canadian Eastern/Western Championships

 

Gold = Canadian Junior Championships & Canadian Swimming Champs

 

Keep an eye out for these caps over the next month and lets get to work earning our colours! 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

 

 

Feb 13, 2024

Fun Updates!!

 

Things are in full swing with HHBF these days (meets and camps every weekend until late April...), and its hard to keep up with all the great success that is happening. I want to THANK our Media director, Cheryl who has done a great job posting updates and pics to Insta/facebook etc. Big thanks to her and all her hard work. But aside from the great swimming (and busy weekends), I wanted to share that HHBF was awarded a fun new plaque that can befound in our trophy case: The Santa Clause Parade "BEST THEME" Entry!!!! Congrats to everyone that participated and a BIG thanks to the Neves family and their TEAM, who do an outstanding job every year with our float and parade organizing! 

We also have a really cool new HHBF Croc charms available. I see LOTS of them on crocs at the pool these days, but if for some reason you haven't got yours yet, connect with Andrea our eqquipment manager and she can set you up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Jan 3, 2024

Happy New Year TEAM!!

New Year means new opportunities to grow and level up. Remember it's not so important what the challenges you face are, but rather your outlook and perspective towards them - keep a positive and productive mindset no matter how hard the work may be. Furthermore it's not so important the situation that presents itself but how you react to it - acknowledge the things that are in your control, and the things out of your control - again keep a positive and productive mindset. Now let's get to work! 

On a different note, HHBF coaches and executive have updated and transferred our old club record board into on online google sheet for athletes to chase, and parents to browse. Check out the Club Record Board HERE!

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Dec 24, 2023

Happy Holidays TEAM

Happy Holidays to everyone in our Blue Fins family, from our MiniFins to our Masters and everyone inbetween. Please stay safe and enjoy the time with friends and family. Get some well desereved rest and enjoy the break, but remember we have have big goals and lots of work to do on your return in January. For those athletes participating in our Winter break camp we will see you at the pool. We are lucky to have Coach Sue and her son James, who is training and racing at University of Ottawa coming down to help run some workouts, and technique work, should be a very positive and productive experience for all that attend with an open mind. This is Coach Chris signing off until the new year, remember do your best to; eat healthy, sleep soundly and when possible, always Out Train Them!

#EatHealthy #SleepSoundly #OutTrainThem #2024Goals #Road2QuebecEasterns #BeBetter #DoEpic

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Dec 12, 2023

Group Moves

Over the last couple years HHBF has done a round of group moves in Dec, another round some time in Mar/Apr and then a final move at the end of the season before we stop swimming, in set up for the next season. Group moves are done for a few reasons; to make sure the athletes are being challenged appropriately as well as in a safe, positive/productive training environment, to make sure the club is using the lane space appropriately and to progress the progam, moving athletes along the HHBF pathway allowing for new athletes to join at the lower ranks in our swim school (minifins) and our development program (intro).

Moving groups creates change for everyone as the athlete is either entering a new group with different coaches, different expectations, different training teammates or the athlete is in a group and has newer athletes moving into the group changing the group dynamics. I see both situations as a great opportunity. If you are moving into a new group this is a chance to raise to the new level of expectation and train with faster, stronger, more skilled athletes - lots to learn from coaches and peers. If you are in a group and having newer, less experienced athletes moving into your group, this give you an opportunity to lead the group, lead the lane and be the driving force of group. Being at the top of a group can do wonders for an athletes training confidence and help with skills and stroke improvement.

Things we as coaches are looking for when we decide on move ups vary based on the group, however we are always looking at attendance, work ethic, attitude, how one trains in a group, how one works with coaches, how one treats their teammates how one treats the facility and staff, how one represents HHBF - overall looking at character. Furthermore depending on which group they are in, coaches have specific skills, stroke requirments and even time standards in somecases to move to the next group. These requirements are there to make sure the athlete can keep up and train with the new group, not be lost in sets and for the higher groups, certain meets are a priority, meaning they may train through a less improtant meet and not rest as they are gearing up to regionals, provicials or easterns etc. 

Please remember coaches try their best to move athletes based on the athletes needs, the groups needs as well as the clubs needs. When athletes are moved up too soon they can get overwhelmed/frustrated and quit, I've seen it many times. If you are eager to move to a new group and feel you are ready to take your trainng to the next level, I encourage you to speak with your coach as there is always a reason/plan for everything and they can help give you a list of what needs to be achieved or improved upon for that move to occur. Remember there is never an intention to hold an athlete back but rather coaches want to make sure the athletes have the skills to succeed at the next level - we are always trying to prepare and set kids up for success. Thank you.

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

Dec 8, 2023

Meet Wrap Up: Windsor

Dec 1st-3rd, HHBF raced in Windsor. This is generally a FAST meet and this year it definetly brought out some of the fastest in Ontario making it a great meet to measure ourselves and race some of the best. Over the last few seasons, including this one, we've used Windsor as a priority meet, where we have rested into it and prepared for a strong showing. Most HHBF athletes rised to the occasion and had strong performances which made for a weekend of exciting fast racing. It was also our first meet with finals which gave the older athletes (13 over) a chance to swim prelims, try and qualify for finals, then race agin in the evening if they made the top 10. Finals is always a good time and kids almost always swim faster there then prelims - as we make a few changes to race strategy, they get some rest and nutrition between sessions, and some athletes just swim faster at night. Our athltes in prelims and finals did not disappoint and they all put on a GREAT show, winning a bunch of medals/ribbons, posting many best times, making a bunch of qualifying cuts (regionals, OYJ, OSC) and one HHBF athlete broke a meet record, big SHOUT OUT to Mackenzie from ND who posted the fastest 100BR in meet history for a 13 year old female (1:14.9)!

After this FAST weekend HHBF has 4 athletes in the top 25 in Canada for their age group!!!

Mackenzie 5th 100BR,

Oliver 18th 100BR,

Sashka 19th 50FR,

Emerson 25th 100BK

Keep up the hard work, stay focused on your goals and work as a TEAM towards the next meet. Lots of great racing opportunities ahead in January and February, including regional and provincial championships!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

Oct 25, 2023

Test Sets

Test sets are a big part of tracking progress, especially in athletes at the train to compete and train to win level. We have used many different sets over the years at HHBF, depending on the level/type of swimmer and this season we have at least 4 that we will be working with. Not all test sets will be used for all athletes as some athletes in the learn to train and train to train levels benefit more from time spent on other activities, stroke and skill development. Check it out.

Link to the Test Set Folder HERE!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

Oct 19, 2023

Sub30 Club

Breaking the 30sec barrier in swimming of the 50m Free has always been a big milestone. So far this season we've had 12 athletes drop below the mark. Congrats everyone and lets get more names on this list!!!

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Oct 3, 2023

Dare To Care

Last night HHBF hosted Lisa Dixon-Wells, founder and Executive Director of the nationally recognized ‘Dare to Care’ program. We had an hour session with the intro and JR athletes, ages 8-11, and a full two hour session with the  JR, SNR and ND athletes, ages 12 and older. I attended both sessions, one with my daughters, not knowing fully what to expect, as I’ve been a part of many anti-bullying and TEAM building events, and while not all hit the mark, I was VERY impressed with Lisa’s program. 

Each session was tailored to the athletes age range and delivered a thorough presentation including defining different types of bullying, positive vs negative energies, teaching kids about their digital footprint, situations to be on the lookout for and skills on how to deal with conflict but more importantly bullying. The shorter session finished with a great visual representation of a power imbalance, where one JR Blue was on the end of a tug-a-war rope and Lisa was overpowering her. We got more TEAM members together to support the swimmer and in the end when the ‘silent majority’ stood up and we backed up each other, bullying gets defeated.The longer session dove into some personal reflection which was done through an exercise similar to ‘have you ever’ that had even me reflecting back to my involvement in sport as a youth and some of the challenges I faced. Bothe sessions were a huge success in my opinion and I truly believe that our TEAM gained a lot of insight into how to better conduct ourselves and how to support each other. At HHBF we have a “CARING MAJORITY!”

 

I was very happy with the work that Lisa did, and I hope to see her back again annually working with HHBF. Check out her program at: DareToCare.ca

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Sept 27, 2023

Intro Newsletter

 

 

Sept 12, 2023

Coaching Change

 

Unfortunately Coach Brett has resigned his position with HHBF. We were very excited to have him leading the SNR groups this season but we must move forward and our TEAM has already begun the difficult task of figuring out how to replace such a strong, outgoing, passionate coach - he will be missed. We don't have much information yet from Brett about where he is going or what he will be doing, but he is Blue Fin alumni and we wish him the best of luck where ever he ends up. Looking ahead I will take lead of the SNR groups until we figure out a plan. Thank you all for your understanding and trust. In challenging times we can see struggles, but remember "struggle is a prelude to success", we will get through this as a TEAM and have an outstanding FAST swim season.

See you on deck. 
 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com

 

Sept 9, 2023

Welcome All Swimmers & Parents

 

 

    I wanted to reach out to everyone and welcome all members, new and returning, to the 2023-2024 swim season! Our club was established in 1974 by the late Gord Bassett, meaning we are approaching the 50th anniversary of HHBF!!! If that wasn’t enough reason to celebrate, this season is starting off with a bang having our biggest registration ever, and our coaches and executive have been hard at work building a great season for you and your athlete! Lots of exciting things planned for this super special season.

    

    A quick glance at the season ahead has Coach Shannon continuing to work with our development base programs, heading up the Intro Development (Intro White, Intro Blue and new this year Intro Gold) as well as leading our ever popular MiniFins and Masters programs - both programs at full capacity! Shannon has done an outstanding job over the last 10years with HHBF and I’m very happy to have her back again this season to teach and develop our younger athletes preparing them for the competitive stream. This upcoming season we also have Coach Brett, who will be stepping up and taking on a larger role by running the SNR White and SNR Blue groups, with a focus on building racing skills and performance and looking to qualify and race at the regional/provincial levels. Brett was an amazing addition to our program last season and we are thrilled to have him back and on staff full time this year! Rounding out the coaching staff is myself, Coach Chris. I’m entering my 16th season with HHBF and it truly is one of the best jobs in the world. I will continue to oversee the entire program but my main groups will be the JR White and JR Blue squads, teaching them to train and race through skill and stroke development. I will also be running our top group, the National Development squad, working with HHBF’s top athletes who will focus on provincial/national meets as well as our graduating athletes who are looking to make a varsity university swim TEAM next year. I’m very excited to get on deck and back to training and working with these athletes and all the great goals we have this season.

 

    Over the next few weeks HHBF will have lots of important info regarding the season, the club, group expectations etc so please stay connected and informed to get the most out of your season. We are all very excited to build off of last years huge success at the regional, provincial and national levels but we can’t do that alone, please sign up and help out where you can - our club runs off many volunteers and that means we need you. For more information about our club, the facilities, the training program or general questions or concerns, check the website or please contact myself, Coach Shannon, Coach Brett or Tracy our club administrator ([email protected]).  Let’s DIVE in!

 

 

Chis Henderson

Head Competitive Coach

Email: [email protected]

www.HaltonHillsBlueFins.com