Dry Land:
Before you start any dry land training, the coaches want to discuss your plans and how that training might affect what we do here in the pool. Remember, we don't want soreness from dry land to interfere with practice performance in the pool! These references and links are only suggestions and examples of what a swimmer might undertake to acquire additional strength, please take into account your swimmers age and any health issues or injuries prior to starting any additional exercise program.
Stretching:
There has been a huge change of approach to pre/post stretching relating to athletic performance. Much of what we used to do was intuitive based, it seemed only natural to try to gain flexibility or activate muscle groups that would be used in a race. Science trumps intuition, and traditional approaches to stretching have been demonstrated to either be ineffective, or worse harmful both for joint health and for race performance. The first Link below is a fairly detailed scientific paper that outlines this conclusion. You are welcome to read the body of the paper if you wish, but the stretches that are outlined at the end of the paper are what our kids should be doing at home. The USA Swimming link has an excellent 15 minute video that outlines the structure and function of the shoulder joint, as well as a number of great preventative/rehab exercises. I strongly encourage our 11 and older swimmers and their families to take the time to watch this video.
