Vision for Team GMA!

11/25/09
This morning during our first workout of the day, I had a vision of our GMA team-of-the-future. We had over twenty high school-aged athletes, training away with focus and intensity. As they finished their first fifty of over-kick swimming, I saw a pool filled with National-caliber athletes. It was so exciting. Each and every athlete in the pool was demonstrating the technique, commitment, effort and attitude necessary for excellence. Every swimmer was caught up in the thrill of training with enthusiasm. I was so thankful that I could share that vision with the athletes in the water and let them know that I believe in their dreams, their goals and their potential.



One of the main reasons that I decided to become a swim coach was to share my eternal hope in the power of goal setting and dream making. I was especially excited to support young people in achieving their goals and dreams in life. I think that is the value in seeing our team as a National-caliber team. It inspires ALL of our athletes to challenge themselves and to reach for their peak potential. It inspires all of our coaches to work with our athletes to help them realize their goals. Most importantly, it bonds us all together as a group of people determined to be the very best teammates and human beings that we can be. Is there any better way to direct one's life?



Thank you for being a part of my GMA vision. Thank you for inspiring our team to greatness!



Laura Matuszak

Training Magic, The GMA Way

So, I was chatting with Coach Brian on the phone the other day, (actually I was bragging to Brian) about a training session that seemed like magic from the previous night’s practice. I was telling him about how each and every one of our swimmers were working to their potential and how there was some racing going on in our set of 20 x 100. Everyone, I mean every person in the pool, kicked butt on the last max effort 5 x 100. One swimmer swam her fastest 100 in practice so far this year at the end of 19 other 100’s! Coach Brian encouraged me to make it known that I was pleased with the results from that practice. So, thinking about it, I looked back in my training journal where I had taken the time to highlight three other sessions that I thought were magic from this season. And I got to thinking about WHY those sessions were different from other sessions. Originally, I wondered if design of the set encouraged some of the magic, but after considering existing variables from each session I came to realize that teamwork is the common denominator and why those sessions were different. At each of the sessions our swimmers came together and sometimes silently, sometimes with a knowing look, and sometimes with a few words of encouragement, worked together to achieve something that most certainly would have been tough to do on their own. And, as a coach, I know things are going well when the swimmers are taking things under their own control and kicking butt as a team!

Coach Laurie Albert

Head Coach - GMA Upper Valley

Coach Eileen says, "Get tough GMA!"

The theme for the Senior, Sectional, National group this past week has been “toughness”. We are not talking about the kind of toughness where you hold your hand over an open flame or anything like that, but a toughness of spirit and a willingness to get the job done no matter what. We have been talking about toughness being defined as “consistently performing at the upper range of your talent and capabilities no matter the competitive circumstances”. This concept is being explored by experts outside of GMA as well as our resident expert Laura Matuszak! Since we have so many athletes whose stated goals are very ambitious, we wanted to have the athletes explore what they are willing to do to achieve them and to give them tools to access their inner reserves of strength when necessary. This process isn’t always easy. As all adults know, success doesn’t come without some suffering and even pain. Our decision to experience that pain and discomfort may well be the key to unlocking the best performances we are capable of.

When I was a young athlete, we called this “guts”. “No guts no glory” was a popular phrase of the time. When I think about this idea of toughness however, I do believe that guts are a pretty accurate term for what is going on. From the butterflies before the race, to the sometimes roiling insides an athlete gets after a tough race, to the hunger that always follows a good training session, the guts are where it happens! Training that place inside us is critical for excellence. I was a very successful swimmer as a kid. I pretty much raced on guts alone. I loved to compete and there was no amount of pain too great that it could keep me from my cravings for a best time, a win, a fast swim. I didn’t however, love to practice! My father, who was usually a peripheral figure in my swimming, looked at me one day as I was waffling about practice. “Eileen,” he said. “You have guts. Someday though, you are going to have to race someone who has guts AND is good. She is going to beat you.” Here at GMA, we pride ourselves on our practice ethic. Most of are kids are GOOD. Now it’s time for the guts….lets get tough!!

Coach Eileen Hall