Swim By The Sea

Dwyer Swim Team Members Practicing

2011-03-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Videos courtesy of Phase One.

Dwyer Swim Team - Practice Swim Meet

2011-03-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

The results of the practice swim meet are below. The student’s name and grade and time (minute:second.tenths) are listed in order of finish. This was a great exercise and we can now work on specific parts of everyone’s starts, turns and strokes. Thank you very much for your efforts and enthusiasm. It was great to see everyone work as hard as they could.

25-yard freestyle
Nathaniel Goble (6) – 16.8
Hannah Norr - 18.0
Caylee Kemp – 18.5
Paloma Aviles (8) - 18.5
Will Khouri (6) – 19.5
Pilot Horgan – 21.5
Belle McGraw (8) – 21.5
Lucy O’Connell (6) – 21.7
Sarah Ernst (7) – 23.9
Audrey Kemp (8) – 27.5

50-yard freestyle
Matt Rubly (8) – 33.5
Paloma Aviles (8) - 36.6
Will Khouri (6) – 44.3
Jillian Ortega (6) – 52.7
Hannah Pulido (6) – 1:01.5
Sarah Ernst (7) – 1:02.0

25-yard butterfly
Sara Chin (6) – 34.5

25-yard backstroke
Jillian Ortega (8) – 25.3
Belle McGraw (8) – 25.8
Mike Kemp (6) – 27.7
Pilot Horgan (6) – 28.6

50-yard backstroke
Hannah Pulido (6) – 1:19.6

25-yard breaststroke
Sara Chin (6) – 18.6
Nathaniel Goble (6) – 22.5
Lucy O’Connell (6) – 25.8
Ethan Michaelis (7) – 27.8
Mike Kemp (6)– 30.8
Audrey Kemp (8) – 38.8

50-yard breaststroke
Sara Chin (6) – 38.8
Joel Steele (7) – 54.6

100-yard freestyle
Sara Chin (6) – 1:11.0
Matt Rubly (8) – 1:18.4
Jason Dompke (6) – 1:22.6
Joel Steele (7) – 1:36.7
Jake Riedel (6) – 1:58.5
Joey Caico (6) – 2:41.4

100-yard freestyle relay
Girls (Belle, Sara, Caylee, Pilot) – 1:18.8
Boys (Jason, Mike, Joey, Matt) – 1:25.7

Dwyer vs. Sowers Swim Meet

2011-02-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

The coaches of Dwyer and Sowers Swim Team are planning a fun-filled swim meet.

The purpose of the event is to help everyone understand and have experience with a real swim meet - the type that is held in high school (although our events will be shorter).

The swim meet is informal, but the coaches think it will be a great experience - and will be followed by a potluck afterwards. The events we are planning include the following:

25-yard freestyle
50-yard freestyle
25-yard butterfly
50-yard butterfly
25-yard backstroke
50-yard backstroke
25-yard breaststroke
50-yard breaststroke
100-yard freestyle
100-yard individual medley
100-yard freestyle relay (25 yards per swimmer)
100-yard medley relay (25 yards per swimmer in regular medley relay order)

If you have any questions, contact Coach Steve via email at headcoach@openwatersource.com.

Huntington Beach High School Pool Is Down

2011-02-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Our next practice is on Tuesday, March 1st. See you then.

Dwyer Swim Team - Practice Details

2011-02-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Under Coach Lexie, the team did a 200-300 warm-up.

Group 1 then did 4 x 50 kick. Their main set was 100 individual medley followed by 4 x 25.

This set was done four times with the first set of 25s butterfly. The second set was backstroke. The third set was breaststroke. The fourth set was freestyle with a 100 easy afterward.

Lanes 2, 3 and 4 did 4 x 25 dolphin kick. Then 4 x 25 butterly + 1 x 25 butterfly with dive while racing a friend. Then the winners raced 1 x 25 while the others did 1 x 50 butterfly for time. They repeated the same set swimming freestyle.

At the end of practice, the kids did fun relays.

The kids were divided into 3 teams: the Salty Dogs, the Majestic Gazelles and the Everywheres.

The first relay had everyone swim a 50 freestyle. The second relay was individual medley (IM) where kids had to strategically chose who did butterfly, backstroke, or breaststroke.

Great Kicking Video

2011-02-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

All the great champions in swimming and water polo have a great kick and body position - which we are trying to teach at Dwyer Swim Team. Great aquatic athletes use their legs for propulsion, streamlining and stability. World champion and Olympic medalist Gary Hall Sr. explains and shows how to generate propulsion in an easy-to-understand video (click here to watch).

Meanwhile, back in Huntington Beach, our kids are continuing to work hard and get up every Tuesday and Thursday early mornings:

Dwyer Swim Team Workout

2011-02-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

The team warmed up with 200-300 meters. Then Group one did 4 sets of 4 x 25s. Sets 1 and 3 were IM (individual medley); sets #2 and #4 were freestyle working on streamlines underwater to halfway.

Sarah and Chris in Lane One did 5 x 100s, descended #1-5 on 2:00. This means that the first 100 was slowest and the last 100 was the fastest with each 100 gradually getting faster and faster. The rest of the lanes did 6 x 50s, descended #1-3.

Then everyone swam one more swim (either a 50 or a 100) and beat their fastest time. Next Lane One did 8 x 50s, but on the first one they did 8 pushups, then 7, then 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Lanes 2-4 did 4 x 50s with 10 pushups after each one.

They also did 3 x 50s breaststroke: 1 easy, 1 medium and 1 hard.

Coach Lexie said, "The kids did a great job knowing when they left and when they came in to get their times. Then, they warmed down and some of them did optional starts off the diving block."

Dwyer Swim Team Continues To Gain Speed

2011-02-04T01:13:00.000-08:00

This week, Coach Lexie and Coach Pam worked the students on flip turns, kicking and holding a streamlined body position. Coach Steve reminded the students to keep their heads straight and to use their legs to really push off the starting blocks.

There are now four distinct groups set where the students swim with others of similar speed and experience.

Keep Your Body Straight

2011-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

The coaches are working on flip turns and keeping your body straight while swimming and while pushing off the wall. Keeping your body streamlined and straight will help you swim a lot faster. The team also continued to practice their backstroke starts.

Coach Pam Joins The Dwyer Swim Team

2011-01-25T20:47:00.001-08:00

Coach Pam, a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona, is now helping out. Welcome Pam. We took several videos of the athletes, diving and warming up, this Tuesday morning.

Dwyer Swim Team - Coach Lexie Helps Out

2011-01-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Dwyer Swim Team welcomed Coach Lexie Kelly to its pool deck today. Coach Lexie is a former NCAA Division I swimmer who used to train 100 x 100-yard swims twice per day for 5 days in a row (100,000 yards or 56 miles) during her heavy training in her native Redding, California home!

She enjoyed working with the kids and looks forward to helping them improve.

Today, we continued to segregate the kids by ability and experience. By the end of next week, we should have 8 different levels decided so everyone can swim with those of similar abilities.

We continued to push the importance of having proper body posture and positioning in the water ("be a perfect arrow"). The kids also did a little bit of practice doing flip turns (see below for a close-up on doing proper flip turns):

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Dwyer Swim Team - Wyatt Swims

2011-01-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

Wyatt, a sixth-grader at Dwyer Middle School in Huntington Beach, was filmed by Michael Strout of Phase One Productions in an early-morning Dwyer Swim Team practice at Huntington Beach High School.

Dwyer Swim Team - Swimsuits And Goggles And Stuff

2011-01-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

If any new members of the Dwyer Swim Team need swimsuits, goggles or other aquatic gear, Competitive Aquatic Supply has a large supply of reasonably priced products and is conveniently located in Huntington Beach at 15661 Container Lane, Huntington Beach 92649; telephone: (800) 421-5192.

The locker rooms are open so the kids can take showers and get ready for school right after practice.

A little something to drink (e.g., juice) and a little something to eat (e.g., muffin, toast) is also good before practice. They will also be a little more hungry because of their early morning exercise, so please keep that in mind.

After the practice is over, please exit the rear of the Huntington Beach High School parking lot. Please do not exit the parking lot near the front of the school due to the established flow of traffic.

Working On Starts And Turns

2011-01-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

The Dwyer Swim Team focused on standard flip turns on freestyle and starts from a standard starting block this early Thursday morning in January with 8 sixth and seventh graders present.

The practice started at 6:30 am as the kids grumbled about getting in the warm water on a cold Southern California morning. Starting next week, we will try to video-tape at least one swimmer each day from pool side so they can begin to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their current swimming technique.

Practices will continue throughout the school year from 6:30 - 7:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Dwyer Swim Team Begins

2011-01-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Dwyer Swim Team began this morning with nine sixth and seventh graders.

The practice started at 6:30 am where the kids focused on their kicking and stroke mechanics. The kids kicked with water polo balls and kickboards and were constantly informed to refrain from bending their knees and to point their toes and keep their body streamlined.

Practices will continue throughout the school year from 6:30 - 7:30 am every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp - Day #6

2010-12-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

In the first half of the practice, the kids worked on dribbling with the ball and then shooting on an empty net. Their overriding tendency is to simply use their shooting arm. They forget to elevate high out of the water using a strong eggbeater and forget to support themselves with their off-hand, both of which will lead to greater force and accuracy in their shooting. So they did a variety of kicking and eggbeater drills.

This tendency to rely solely on their shooting arm may also be due to a lack of general aerobic fitness. As a result, the older kids attempted 8 x 100 @ 1:50 intervals followed by 8 x 50 @ :50 intervals.

Only a handful of athletes were able to make these intervals. By the end of the season, the kids - at least the starters on the 14U Blue Boys team - should be able to swim 8 x 100 @ 1:30 intervals in order to compete at the highest levels at national championship JO tournament.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp - Day #5

2010-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

The kids did 40-minutes of constant movement during the first part of the workout, although there was a bit of confusion. The idea was to focus on their ability to eggbeater strongly and quickly (for shooting purposes) and to constantly use their legs. They dribbled with a ball, shot and did eggbeater drills...over and over and over again. The idea was to place constant pressure on their legs equal to the amount of time they would be playing in one full game. In the second part of the practice, they did some longer swims and then 20 minutes of sprints across the width of the pull, each followed by a deck-up (where they have to quickly pull themselves out of the water). This change in body position creates a heart rate spike that helps improve aerobic conditioning.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp - Day #4

2010-12-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

The kids did very well on the fourth day of the camp: their kicks were strong and constant, they got up higher on their eggbeater, they learned to always do flip turns at the wall, how to pull themselves out of the water quickly, how to maintain a strong base as they eggbeater and the importance of swimming streamlined.

Week #2 will continue to teach them basics for the first half of the sessions and then will attempt to push them to swim faster for longer periods of time. Ideally, we would like them to swim 800 yards of fast swimming in each workout. This equates to the approximate distance they will swim during one game at these ages.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp – Day #3

2010-12-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

The first 45 minutes were spent kicking and doing eggbeater. The last 45 minutes were spent swimming at increasingly faster speeds including a set of 3 x 50 all-out sprints + 3 x 25 all-out sprints + 2 x 12.5 all-out sprints when the kids really generated some nice speed and competitiveness.

Below is an underwater video of the 2010 CIF Water Polo Player of the Year, former Huntington Beach Water Polo Club player Bret Bonnani of CIF Champion Mater Dei:

Today's (Thursday) practice is from 4:00 - 5:30 pm.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp - Day #2

2010-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

The pool was warm, but the rain continued as the kids did a wide variety of drills to help them maintain a better body position, better head position and kick.

In the first half of the practice, the kids did several kicking and eggbeater drills.

Vertical kicking drills help the kids learn how to (1) kick quickly, (2) kick with a lower amplitude, (3) point their feet and (4) maintain a straight (good) body position.

The 360° eggbeater spins - both to their strong side and their weak side - were meant to help them build a wider "base" when they eggbeater. Many of them point their toes and kick downwards when doing eggbeater - their feet should be alternating and creating circles with the soles of their feet. Here are two Polometrics videos of two USA Water Polo junior national team players who get up high and quickly in the water:

In the second half of practice, the kids were asked to streamline off the water and kick underwater across the pool. This drill will be repeated throughout the sessions in order for the kids to learn to swim with a straight back and their head aligned properly with their torso.

The kids finished practice with dozens of sprints across the pool, including "deck-up" drills where they were asked to sprint across the pool and then pull themselves quickly out of the pool using only their hands and arms. This is a simple strength-building exercise that leads to elevated heart rates, allowing them to also build an aerobic base. Instead of swimming long-distance sets (e.g., 10 x 200 freestyles), we will do many more of these quick sets where they practice swimming fast.

In order to swim fast and move fast in the game of water polo, one must practice swimming fast and moving fast ... day-in and day-out ... so come game time, they move quickly and efficiently without a second thought.

The kids should bring their fins to practice if possible.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

Christmas Challenge Camp - Day #1

2010-12-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

Day #1 was held under a deluge of rain but the kids all came with the enthusiasm of youth. The workout was broken into two halves:

1. A focus on swimming stroke and eggbeater mechanics
2. Aerobic conditioning

In the first part, we focused on two primary goals: creating a streamlined body position and generating more propulsion via a strong kick.

The kids did a series of vertical kicking sets combined with eggbeater practice. The kids worked hard but they are moving their knees, legs and hips in an inefficient manner. Vertical kicking sets help them focus on an efficient and more powerful movement of their legs.

We also did a series of one-armed laps where the kids were asked to look straight down (nose towards the bottom of the pool) and pull their arms straight back. Many kids are in the habit of crossing over their centerline with their hands and arms that leads to an inefficient stroke. Constant reinforcement of pulling straight back and looking straight down during head-down swimming will continue.

We also practiced flip turns. While flip turns are not required in the sport of water polo, flip turns help the players stay up with the faster kids in practice. Additionally, working on flip turns helps improve their kinetic awareness in the water and further develops their abdominal strength. A strong core allows the players to swim in a flatter, more streamlined position which will also help them swim faster for longer periods of time.

We also practiced kicking freestyle underwater using only their legs. They were asked to kick underwater, both on their stomach and on their backs. This was a little difficult for many of them, but it is a drill to help them understand how they should keep their backs straight and maintain a small amplitude with their feet. Many of them have poor flexibility in their ankles and little propulsive power in their kick.

If they can improve their ankle flexibility and propulsive power in their kick, they will have many more opportunities to be in a better position to score and defend their opponents better.

Lastly, we spent time swimming head-up with a ball, kicking with a kick board and sprinting the width of the pool. I am impressed with the kids' enthusiasm and willingness to work.

Christmas Training Sessions

2010-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Special swimming and eggbeating training sessions will be held throughout the Christmas holidays Monday - Friday from 5:00 - 6:30 pm practice at Huntington Beach High School.

The athletes will focus on kicking hard, minimizing head movement and pulling efficiently underwater. They will also work on refining their eggbeater skills so they can elevate out of the water higher and more quickly.

50% of the 90-minute practices will be devoted to technique and swimming stroke or eggbeater drills. The remaining 50% will be devoted to building endurance and speed.

The athletes should remember the following:

1. Put water bottles at edge of pool before practice starts.
2. Head-up swimming means kicking hard. Dragging of their legs as useless appendages is not helpful in the game of water polo.
3. Bring swim fins if possible.
4. If you have travel plans in place, please enjoy the holidays. If you want to come to a few or all practices, everyone is cordially welcomed.

Also, parents are encouraged to listen to the instruction at the pool side and ask questions before or after practice.

5:00 - 6:30 pm at Huntington Beach High School.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

December 14th Practice

2010-12-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

9 athletes stayed for the delayed 6:30 - 7:30 am practice at Huntington Beach High School. They focused on development of their kick and minimizing their head movement with the following exercises:

400 warm-up with stroke instruction focusing on straight hand pathway underwater.
20 x 50 head-up catch-up sprints.
10 x 12-yard sprints from wall + 10 x 12-yard sprints from the middle of the pool.
Navy SEALs eggbeater drill.

Keep this in mind: 5:00 - 6:30 pm during the entire holiday break when special swimming and eggbeatering practices will be held at Huntington Beach High School.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

December 9th Practice

2010-12-08T16:20:00.001-08:00

The 6:30 - 7:30 am practice at Huntington Beach High School will be divided into two groups by speed. This week, we will continue to focus on the development of their kick and improvement of their head and body positions:

400 warm-up with stroke instruction. Every turn must be a standard flip turn.

2 x Michael Phelps blast-offs + 4 x blast-offs + 6 x blast-offs + 8 x blast-offs + 10 x blast-offs - Make sure to point your toes and keep your backs straight and body perfectly streamlined

10 x 50 head-down freestyle swimming - The fastest group is on a 50-second interval. 12U group is on a 60-second interval. If you cannot make the interval, rest one 50 and begin again with your group. Make sure to keep your left hand on the left side of your body and your right hand on the right side of your body.

4 x 50 head-up sprint freestyle - The fastest group is on a 50-second interval . 12U group is on a 1:15 second interval. Everyone should try to make this set.

50 easy

4 x 25 head-up sprint freestyle - 100% effort with a strong kick. Lots of kicking.

The athletes must focus on the following:

1. point their feet while kicking
2. kicking hard when they sprint
3. maintaining balance in their arm stroke - keep your left arm on the left side and your right arm on the right side
4. maintain a firm head position (this means, "DO NOT MOVE YOUR HEAD FROM SIDE TO SIDE)

Keep these times in mind: 1-3 pm during the entire holiday break when special swimming and eggbeatering practices will be held at Huntington Beach High School. More information later.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source

December 7th Practice

2010-12-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

22 boys and girls, ranging in age from 8 - 14, did a 6:30 - 7:30 am practice at Huntington Beach High School with enthusiasm and focus. The group was broken into two groups by speed and completed the following sets in order to focus on development of their kick and improvement of their head and body positions:
400 warm-up with stroke instruction
2 x Michael Phelps blast-offs + 4 x blast-offs + 6 x blast-offs + 8 x blast-offs + 10 x blast-offs
20 x 25 alternating head-down stroke technique and head-up sprints
8 x 25 pulling a buddy or 8 x 25 kicks
Navy Seals eggbeater competition

With the ultimate long-term goal of swimming quicker and more efficiently, the athletes focused on the following:

1. pointing their feet while kicking
2. kicking hard when they sprint
3. maintaining balance in their arm stroke
4. maintaining a firm head position and reducing their lateral movement

Keep these times in mind: 1-3 pm during the entire holiday break when special swimming and eggbeatering practices will be held at Huntington Beach High School. More information later.

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source