A quick question for the knowledgeable readers out there. This NYT magazine called Play recently contacted me about writing a piece for a section they call "Master Class" -- they want me to go someplace warm and get some swimming instruction of some sort.
I know that USMS used to have some kind of program where masters swimmers could apply to go out to Colorado Springs for intensive coaching, stroke analysis in the ICAR flume, etc. Is this still going on, do any of you know, and would it be possible to just do a "lite" version of this (a day or two; bypass the application process; not actually need to be an elite swimmer; etc.)
The other possibilities would be one of Terry's TI camps (though, God help me, front quadrant swimming really hurts my shoulders, and I feel this dog is just too old to learn that particular new trick).
Or--and this might be my favorite of all--didn't Gary Hall, Jr. start some sort of Sprint Club training camp down in Key West or the Bahamas or some similar place that would prove the perfect antidote to Pittsburgh this time of the year, especially if I don't have to pay for it?
Please let me know the details of any such possibiities--the editor did specify he'd prefer me to go someplace "warm and outdoors-y." Which makes two of us.
Parents
Former Member
I guess the request from the last round that people who want to post NSR stuff in response to something they see in a SR thread do so in a separate thread has gone out the window?
Here's another approach that has worked on some boards: never post in anger. Or the weaker form: if you absolutely have to post something angry, write it, put it aside until the next day, reread it, see if you can turn it into something constructive, and then, if you absolutely must, post it. I don't think I have ever seen a posting written in anger that actually benefited a board, certainly nothing that was time critical.
new board etiquette thread
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I went to two swim camps over the holidays, one in Montreal and one in Moncton. Both were twice-a-day big workouts rather than clinic-like. I enjoyed both, but I think it would be great to go to an intensive clinic-like swim camp with video taping and individual stroke help. It sometimes seems to me that for us swimmers that are still early on the learning curve it would be nice if half the effort needed to put on a swim meet were invested in swim clinics. It seems it takes an incredible amount of person hours to put on a swim meet so that you can spend a precious couple minutes actually racing. And in sparsely populated places like around here you have to add in 4-6 hours of driving. Sometimes I think I would rather do more timing during workouts and get more stroke help on weekends. I guess part of the problem is that really good instruction/coaching ability is rarer than officiating ability? And of course, people who have already climbed the learning curve aren't as interested in instruction - unless perhaps it comes from a really high level coach.
I guess the request from the last round that people who want to post NSR stuff in response to something they see in a SR thread do so in a separate thread has gone out the window?
Here's another approach that has worked on some boards: never post in anger. Or the weaker form: if you absolutely have to post something angry, write it, put it aside until the next day, reread it, see if you can turn it into something constructive, and then, if you absolutely must, post it. I don't think I have ever seen a posting written in anger that actually benefited a board, certainly nothing that was time critical.
new board etiquette thread
+=+=+=+=+
I went to two swim camps over the holidays, one in Montreal and one in Moncton. Both were twice-a-day big workouts rather than clinic-like. I enjoyed both, but I think it would be great to go to an intensive clinic-like swim camp with video taping and individual stroke help. It sometimes seems to me that for us swimmers that are still early on the learning curve it would be nice if half the effort needed to put on a swim meet were invested in swim clinics. It seems it takes an incredible amount of person hours to put on a swim meet so that you can spend a precious couple minutes actually racing. And in sparsely populated places like around here you have to add in 4-6 hours of driving. Sometimes I think I would rather do more timing during workouts and get more stroke help on weekends. I guess part of the problem is that really good instruction/coaching ability is rarer than officiating ability? And of course, people who have already climbed the learning curve aren't as interested in instruction - unless perhaps it comes from a really high level coach.
