Wow, Jeff Barrett from my hometown made the semi-finals in the 50! This is quite a story. Go, Jeff! I cannot wait to watch him swim tonight on NBC! He is truly living a dream he'd given up on.
www.venturacountystar.com/.../
Stroke of Serendipity
By Bob Buttitta
Ventura County Star
Three months ago, after noticing he was getting a little flabby, Jeff Barrett decided to get back in the pool to get himself back into shape.
Barrett, a former All-American at Arizona State and Ventura College, retired from competitive swimming in 2005, and since that time hadn't been in the water much.
He joined the Ojai Masters Swim team, and after a few weeks, Ojai coach Rick Goedan convinced Barrett to enter a competition, just for fun.
Barrett proceeded to swim faster than he had during any time in his career, despite having done virtually no serious training.
Shocked by his result, Barrett contacted Ventura College swim coach Larry Baratte. The two decided Barrett should continue his training and see where it could lead.
This morning, Barrett, 24, climbs into a pool in Omaha, Neb., to take part in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
The former Nordhoff High standout will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event today and he is entered in Friday's 50-meter freestyle competition.
"It's really, really bizarre," Barrett said following his final workout last week at Ventura College. "It's serendipitous, how everything came together: Started swimming, then Rick said do this meet and then Larry said to do this. It kind of snowballed.
"Now, I have achieved something that has always been my dream. I guess the message is that it's never too late to go after something."
Ranked 23rd in the 50 freestyle and 33rd in the 100 freestyle, Barrett knows he's an extreme longshot to make the team or even swim in the finals of his two events.
His goal is to swim fast enough in the prelims to earn a spot in the semifinals, which would allow him to swim at night before a packed house of 17,000 fans.
Barrett believes the lack of expectations is to his advantage, and he's hoping it will allow him to be more relaxed and let his natural talent come out.
Four years ago, fresh off an All-America season at Arizona State, Barrett failed in his attempt to make the trials.
Barrett seemed liked such a lock to make the trials that his parents, Jim and Judy Barrett, purchased tickets well in advance of the event.
After that failure, Barrett said he stopped getting better, finally reaching a point where he figured he was through.
"I was physically and emotionally done," Barrett said. "I always felt like, Wow, I can't believe I didn't make trials.'
"But I never thought I would go back and try again, so knowing that I am going is a bit surreal."
Baratte calls Barrett's story a "head scratcher."
He said it's impossible to figure out exactly how someone can take as much time off as Barrett did and come back better than ever.
"Had Jeff come to me last September and told me he wanted to make a run at the trials, I would have never told him go take the next six months off, but that's what he essentially did, and look how it worked out," Baratte said. "And when he did come back, he did it basically on his own, primarily at the YMCA pool that is set up for fitness swimming and swimming lessons.
"I've seen swimmers take time off, relax and do a little less, but not to this extreme. It makes you scratch your head about traditional training methods."
During his high school and collegiate career, Barrett swam the 50 and 100 freestyle events, but the 200 was his best distance.
But when Barrett came to Baratte looking for help, Baratte suggested his former swimmer focus on the 50 because his fitness level and age were working against him in longer events.
With the 50, all Barrett has to do his go out fast and swim hard, an easy task for a guy who has spent much of his life training twice a day.
Barrett set his qualifying marks at the Janet Evans Invitational in June. In the prelims, he posted a time in the 50-meter event of 22.89 seconds. His previous best was 24.10. In the 100, his trials-clinching time was 50.4; his previous best was 51.9.
He set his time in the 50-meter freestyle despite a horrible start that left him in eighth place at 15 meters. But thanks to his ability to close fast, he was able to pass much of the field.
In the weeks leading up to the trials, Baratte and Barrett worked on starts, using film to break them down to pick up even the tiniest of imperfections.
Both feel the work has paid off and it could be an area where Barrett could find the time he needs to make a serious run at an Olympic berth.
"If he is with the pack at the 15-meter mark, he will have a good chance because the last half of the race he can swim with anyone," Baratte said.
Barrett's father was a swimmer, but when his parents suggested he give the sport a try, he fought it.
Barrett said his parents dragged him to the pool, but he discovered not only did he like it, but that he had a talent for the sport.
He started swimming with the Ojai Swim Club, then joined the Buenaventura Swim Club.
At Nordhoff, he continued to improve, winning CIF titles in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle as a senior in 2001.
At Ventura College, he was a national champion in the 200 freestyle in both years.
He earned a scholarship to ASU, turning in a spectacular junior season — qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships and earning All-America honors. But after his failure to make the 2004 Olympic Trials, the magic seemed to leave Barrett.
His senior season was unspectacular as was a postgraduate season. He decided to leave the sport for good.
"After I retired, when I would talk to people about swimming they would ask if I made the trials," Barrett said. "Even though I think the NCAA Division I meet is tougher to get in to, not making the trials was something I was going to think about the rest of my life.
"That's what is great about what happened. I get a chance to take care of that unfinished business. And no matter how it turns out, I am going to go out and enjoy it."
Wow, Jeff Barrett from my hometown made the semi-finals in the 50! This is quite a story. Go, Jeff! I cannot wait to watch him swim tonight on NBC! He is truly living a dream he'd given up on.
www.venturacountystar.com/.../
Stroke of Serendipity
By Bob Buttitta
Ventura County Star
Three months ago, after noticing he was getting a little flabby, Jeff Barrett decided to get back in the pool to get himself back into shape.
Barrett, a former All-American at Arizona State and Ventura College, retired from competitive swimming in 2005, and since that time hadn't been in the water much.
He joined the Ojai Masters Swim team, and after a few weeks, Ojai coach Rick Goedan convinced Barrett to enter a competition, just for fun.
Barrett proceeded to swim faster than he had during any time in his career, despite having done virtually no serious training.
Shocked by his result, Barrett contacted Ventura College swim coach Larry Baratte. The two decided Barrett should continue his training and see where it could lead.
This morning, Barrett, 24, climbs into a pool in Omaha, Neb., to take part in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
The former Nordhoff High standout will compete in the 100-meter freestyle event today and he is entered in Friday's 50-meter freestyle competition.
"It's really, really bizarre," Barrett said following his final workout last week at Ventura College. "It's serendipitous, how everything came together: Started swimming, then Rick said do this meet and then Larry said to do this. It kind of snowballed.
"Now, I have achieved something that has always been my dream. I guess the message is that it's never too late to go after something."
Ranked 23rd in the 50 freestyle and 33rd in the 100 freestyle, Barrett knows he's an extreme longshot to make the team or even swim in the finals of his two events.
His goal is to swim fast enough in the prelims to earn a spot in the semifinals, which would allow him to swim at night before a packed house of 17,000 fans.
Barrett believes the lack of expectations is to his advantage, and he's hoping it will allow him to be more relaxed and let his natural talent come out.
Four years ago, fresh off an All-America season at Arizona State, Barrett failed in his attempt to make the trials.
Barrett seemed liked such a lock to make the trials that his parents, Jim and Judy Barrett, purchased tickets well in advance of the event.
After that failure, Barrett said he stopped getting better, finally reaching a point where he figured he was through.
"I was physically and emotionally done," Barrett said. "I always felt like, Wow, I can't believe I didn't make trials.'
"But I never thought I would go back and try again, so knowing that I am going is a bit surreal."
Baratte calls Barrett's story a "head scratcher."
He said it's impossible to figure out exactly how someone can take as much time off as Barrett did and come back better than ever.
"Had Jeff come to me last September and told me he wanted to make a run at the trials, I would have never told him go take the next six months off, but that's what he essentially did, and look how it worked out," Baratte said. "And when he did come back, he did it basically on his own, primarily at the YMCA pool that is set up for fitness swimming and swimming lessons.
"I've seen swimmers take time off, relax and do a little less, but not to this extreme. It makes you scratch your head about traditional training methods."
During his high school and collegiate career, Barrett swam the 50 and 100 freestyle events, but the 200 was his best distance.
But when Barrett came to Baratte looking for help, Baratte suggested his former swimmer focus on the 50 because his fitness level and age were working against him in longer events.
With the 50, all Barrett has to do his go out fast and swim hard, an easy task for a guy who has spent much of his life training twice a day.
Barrett set his qualifying marks at the Janet Evans Invitational in June. In the prelims, he posted a time in the 50-meter event of 22.89 seconds. His previous best was 24.10. In the 100, his trials-clinching time was 50.4; his previous best was 51.9.
He set his time in the 50-meter freestyle despite a horrible start that left him in eighth place at 15 meters. But thanks to his ability to close fast, he was able to pass much of the field.
In the weeks leading up to the trials, Baratte and Barrett worked on starts, using film to break them down to pick up even the tiniest of imperfections.
Both feel the work has paid off and it could be an area where Barrett could find the time he needs to make a serious run at an Olympic berth.
"If he is with the pack at the 15-meter mark, he will have a good chance because the last half of the race he can swim with anyone," Baratte said.
Barrett's father was a swimmer, but when his parents suggested he give the sport a try, he fought it.
Barrett said his parents dragged him to the pool, but he discovered not only did he like it, but that he had a talent for the sport.
He started swimming with the Ojai Swim Club, then joined the Buenaventura Swim Club.
At Nordhoff, he continued to improve, winning CIF titles in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle as a senior in 2001.
At Ventura College, he was a national champion in the 200 freestyle in both years.
He earned a scholarship to ASU, turning in a spectacular junior season — qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships and earning All-America honors. But after his failure to make the 2004 Olympic Trials, the magic seemed to leave Barrett.
His senior season was unspectacular as was a postgraduate season. He decided to leave the sport for good.
"After I retired, when I would talk to people about swimming they would ask if I made the trials," Barrett said. "Even though I think the NCAA Division I meet is tougher to get in to, not making the trials was something I was going to think about the rest of my life.
"That's what is great about what happened. I get a chance to take care of that unfinished business. And no matter how it turns out, I am going to go out and enjoy it."
