Diana Nyad determined to try Cuba-Florida swim again Courtesy of Tom Brown KEY WEST, Florida (Reuters) - Veteran long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad looks as tough as nails as she talks about setting out on a treacherous swim of more than 100 miles from Cuba to Key West, Florida. She is 61 years old but coils up like a middle-weight prize fighter as she speaks of digging in with her broad shoulders and powerful arms and "boxing the waves" on her anticipated swim across the Florida Straits. "It's supposedly going to...

When The Coach Is Away With A Few Swimmers by: Jim Lutz, ASCA Level 5 Coach “Why does the head coach always go away for a week or two to meets with only a couple of swimmers, while the rest of the team is swimming in a designated “team meet”? When the coach is away with a few swimmers, they are most likely attending an elite, national or international swim meet. Only five percent of all registered swimmers ever reach the national level. Instead of looking at this situation in...

Plantation Swim Team Booster Club Invites all swimmers from Coach Dolores, Coach Terrell and Coach Cindy’s groups to a Halloween Bowling Party Bowling, pizza and lots of fun! Wednesday, October 27, 4-6 pm AMF Davie Lanes 8200 W. State Road 84, Davie Don’t forget to wear a costume and socks! You must pre-register in order to attend. Return the form below no later than Tuesday, October 26 to the Coaches Office. There will be no practice for all 3:45pm groups, as well as no 5pm practice for Coach Dolores, Coach...

UNILATERAL SQUAT AND REACH BY MIKE MEJIA, M.S., C.S.C.S Areas Strengthened: Lower body and core Importance to Swimmers: Besides helping to improve balance and coordination, performing squatting exercises on one limb at a time increases the strength and stability of the muscles of the lower leg and foot, thus improving your kicking efficiency. Performance Tips: * Stand on one leg with a cone (or other stationary object approximately 12 inches high) positioned 1 ½ to 2 feet in front of you. * Begin by bending at the hips and knees...

Fueling for the Distance By Kathleen Woolf, PhD, RD//Special Correspondent Distance swimmers spend more time in the pool during practice and competition than other swimmers. Longer training hours mean a greater need for fuel. Distance swimmers have higher energy and carbohydrate requirements to meet training goals and individual growth needs. Distance swimmers also need to consume adequate fluids. Training indoors in a heated pool or outdoors in the sun can increase sweat loss, even if it’s not obvious when surrounded by water. Many distance swimmers do not consume sufficient food...

Avoiding The Flu This week's Speedo tip of the week comes from National Team physician, Dr. Jim Miller. He offers some advice for fighting the flu in the coming season. The Tip: You have completed the dreaded intensive training of the holiday season and have two to four more months until your championship meet. Everything has been taken into account – your event schedule, your training and the best part – taper. Is there anything that could mess all this up? YOU BET! One to two weeks off with five...

Swimmer-Parent-Coach Roles BY Dr. Alan Goldberg, Phd, Sport Psychologist “I'm so nervous. Oh my god, I can't wait for this event to be over! If I don't get a good time, I'm going to hear about it all the way home! Every time I swim slow, I have to go through the ringer with my dad (mom) and listen to everything I did wrong. According to them I don't work hard enough, my turns suck, and I fool around too much. They always make me feel awful after bad races,...

TIMELINE OF SWIMMING AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES 1896 Swimming debuts as part of the Olympic program with freestyle and breaststroke 1904 Backstroke was added 1908 At the London Olympic Games, the first time a pool was used with organized rules. Prior to, the swimming competition took place in open water. 1940's Butterfly is added as the fourth stroke 2008 The 10K Open Water Marathon swim debuts at the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Packing a lunch that the kids will actually eat can be a challenge. We have some great suggestions for a healthy homemade lunch that your kids will enjoy. While we’re at it, we’ve slipped in some adult versions that will give you the energy you need. Added to the balancing act of getting kids out the door and homework finished, there's also lunch to think about. And, of course, it needs to be a balanced lunch that the kids will actually eat! If that sounds like a tall order, we...

USA SWIMMING CAMPS & CLINICS - SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE USA Swimming provides educational and motivational camps for swimmers at many different levels. At the local level, USA Swimming provides materials and encourages LSCs (Local Swim Committees) to run “Catch the Spirit Camps.” Find out if your LSC runs camps and learn how you can qualify. Every spring, four Zone Select Camps are held in different parts of the country. As swimmers move up the ladder, they can qualify for the National Open Water Select Camp, the Diversity Select Camp or...