Carol Nip, Head Masters Coach, Albany Armada Aquatic Masters

My workouts have been immensely pleasurable for everyone - coaches and swimmers. Practice is transformed to a meet experience when swimmers put on their game face, realize there's no way out except to swim as fast as possible when they hear the signal "Take your mark, Go!" It still brings an adrenaline rush to everyone, and I love seeing swimmers compete. Several swimmers are racing in water for the first time.

How do I create a meet atmosphere in a 6-lane pool, 2 swimmers per lane?

Workouts are managed with swimmers entering and exiting at opposite ends. Lane assignments are emailed to everyone the day before the workout, and a copy is available on deck. Seeded in lanes 1-6 on side A are the faster swimmers. Side B swimmers are more relaxed, glad they're not swimming on Side A.

After a 15:00 warm up, directions are given for a short scull and kick set, and a 600 yard set (8 x 75, odds: free, evens: fly-back-breast @ 1:15 & 1:30). Some are asked to drill the fly. Swimmers don't know what coach has planned for the workout, and at this point I announce that we are racing the Pentathlon events. No one grumbles. One swimmer opts out as she is recovering from an injury and continues swimming in the adjoining 4-lane training pool.

The Sprint Pentathlon is five events: 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free, and the 100 IM. We race in two Heats 1 & 2. Side A sprints first. Everyone has the option to race from a push in the water, dive off the deck - or use the diving blocks.

I hold two stop watches: left hand for 3 lanes, right hand for the other 3 lanes. My recorder pencils in race times that I call out for each swimmer. While one heat races, the other heat is swimming easy in the training pool. The hour goes by with high intensity swims, and friends who are cheering for the newbie competitors. One swims 1:11 for a 50 free contrasted to 26.43 for another swimmer.

DQ's are pointed out after each race, "Steve, that was a freestyle finish - you gotta finish back on your back" "Jacob, your fly-to-back flip turn was original!" "Noa, you did a complete 360 on that back-to-breast turn!" We all learn something from each another.

Most people like the GU treat offered to all swimmers. A couple swimmers insist on eating gooey GU just before racing. In the end, no one seems to mind the winter chill at 8am as they exit the pool, cheeks flushed. There's a lot of "thanks, coach!" and "that was fun!"

This was a memorable sprint day.

Please encourage your swimmers to participate in the Postal Sprint Pentathlon throughout the month of February 2021.

Shhhhh! Don't tell my swimmers just yet ... when we have completed two rounds of the Pentathlon, we're going straight into the TAM Miracle Mile postal. How about you?

Throughout month of March, Team MEMO will offer another kind of postal. Please keep a look out and participate in that too.

Do you have a coach that went above and beyond in 2020? Please consider recognizing their efforts by nominating your coach for the Pacific Masters Coach of the Year Award. Submissions should include a nomination letter along with a maximum of four support letters. A description of the award along with the nomination and selection process can be found here. More details can be found here. Nominations for Pacific Masters Coach of the Year are due Friday, February 19, 2021 and should be sent to the Chair of Pacific Masters. 

Our national Coaches Committee is comprised of a team of coaches who represent zones in our nation: Southwest, Northwest, Great Lakes, Colonies, South Central, Southeast, Breadbasket and Oceana. Pacific Masters Swimming is a part of the Oceana Zone. The national coaches committee meet each month to discuss and plan items that impact web workouts, world's coaching, awards, education, LMSC Communications, mentoring program, on-deck coaching, open water and publications. January's minutes are here.

Currently, there are no Stroke Development Clinics scheduled at the national level; however, if this is something you are VERY interested in, our Pacific Master's Chair, Clubs and Coaches, would like to hear from you. What stroke would our coaches like to learn how to teach skillfully? Contact Carol Nip at coaches@pacificmasters.org and let us know what stroke you need mentoring in.

USMS also offers online learning for coaches. Webinars provide tips about helping swimmers and best practices for building and improving lather club. These are scheduled the third Thursday of each month at 8:00 pm EST.