Green Mountain Aquatics

GMA Heart

2011-09-08T17:52:00.000-04:00

As the summer transitions to fall with cooler days and diminishing sunlight, the GMA coaches prepare for the start of the short course season. Each week, our pool is filling with more and more enthusiastic GMA swimmers. This week, the Senior, Sectional and National swimmers welcomed the Age Groupers and the Fall Clinic to the Saint Michael's College Pool. Throughout the next month, we will see athletes join the program who are brand new to the team and eager to learn more about our sport. We will see our returning Regional and Age Group swimmers who, as 10 and 12 year olds, have already grown so much through competitive swimming and are ready to reach for new dreams in the water. Of course, our team leaders, the Senior, Sectional and National swimmers, have been training throughout the summer and have spent the last two weeks preparing to take the team in new directions this year, always conscience of our team goal "To win the USA Swimming National Championship." It is a thrilling time to be a GMA teammate, with the hope of a new season and the promise of an Olympic year!

Throughout the 2011 Long Course season, our GMA athletes have added to this hope and promise in our sport. The passion with which our athletes raced this summer inspires our team to keep reaching to achieve our team goals. At the New England Open Championships, our GMA women raced with tremendous pride in the toughest of all relays, the 4 x 200 Meter Free Relay. While none of the athletes in the relay truly loves the 200 Meter Free, each cared enough about one another and about GMA to race their hearts out. All four relay team members raced personal best times on the relay, most dropping significant time even though the relay was the last event at the end of a very long, hot day of trials and finals. The joy on their faces after the relay was over said it all . . . It sure feels good to race your best for the love of your teammates!

Another inspiring GMA race this summer was the Men's 400 Free Final at the New England Open Championships. How awesome was it to watch teammates Evan Grey and Michael Ubert push each other to perform their best? These two athletes train together every day, every week, year-round. In fact, I wonder if they spend more time with one another than they do with their brothers (and their brothers are swimmers!) When it came down to our big championship meet and the finals of the 400 Free, these athletes challenged one another better than any other competitors in the field. I know that they each raced their personal best times because they respect each other as teammates and as competitors. Is there a higher honor one can bestow upon his teammate than to view him as a worthy competitor and to race his very best when they are side by side?

What's really inspiring about our team are the unique hopes and dreams that our team members brings to their GMA experience. With over 100 athletes in the program, we are blessed to know so many outstanding young people, striving to achieve their own goals while supporting the goals of their teammates. This summer, we witnessed two GMA athletes continue on their road to the 2012 USA Swimming Olympic Trials. At the same time, we had numerous GMA athletes achieve new New England, Sectional and Junior National qualifying times and we had several GMA athletes attend new championship meets for the first time ever. Beyond the outstanding racing and the achievement of new goals, we saw GMA excellence in our athletes' attitudes and in their effort. One group that most impressed me this summer was our Knights Swim Team members. What an excellent group of young swimmers! I had the pleasure of coaching some of these athletes this summer and I have never met a more gracious, kind and hard working group of athletes. Every day, without fail, these Knights swimmers would thank me after practice. Every day, without fail, these Knights swimmers worked hard to develop better stroke technique and to get in shape. Our Knights Swimmers showed outstanding heart and team focus in training and in racing. While we were a very small team, our team spirit was enormous. The small ways in which our GMA athletes showed our excellence this summer - from our positive attitudes to our Olympic Trials racing - certainly sets the stage for an outstanding GMA short course season!

In fact, I am certain that we are carrying tremendous momentum, enthusiasm and passion for the sport into this short course season. After our first week of training, I asked each training group to come up with a word to describe the HEART of our GMA Team right now. These are the words that we associate with GMA athletes:
DRIVEN . . . DEDICATED . . . PERSEVERING . . . STUDLY . . . PERSISTENT . . . DETERMINED! These are the qualities that will define our team effort this season and we are so EXCITED to share GMA with YOU!

Make It Yours!

2011-03-03T06:27:00.002-05:00

Championship season always inspires me to be reflective. I think about where we are and where we are going. Now that I have a few championship meets under my belt with GMA, I can compare years and remember what worked and what detracted from the experiences. I have so many memories of champs and I often use them to identify specific years. The year Merritt scratched into the 400IM as an alternate and KILLED it. The year that Lindsay cried as she faced the 1000 free. The year of David Wood. The year my own son got so scared to be in a relay with the big boys that he swam the fastest 100 free he had ever swum by 4 seconds. All of these memories are critical components in our team history and have become bricks in the foundation of our growth.

So now I ask, what will it be this year? I want all of the athletes to take a moment and think about what the new bricks will be made of. I’m talking about more than memories and funny stories. I am talking about experiences, races, moments that will reinforce our long term goals; that will teach the up and coming athletes what a championship meet should be like. I am talking about real contributions to our team’s fabric, things that will endure and remind future championship teams why we do this great sport. So if it is your first year at champs or your last, you all have an opportunity to leave behind something of yourself and the team you are a part of right now. Next year it will be different. You will have a new role to play and a new responsibility so seize this meet, this time, this team. Make it yours! You have the power to be a legend and a hero! The impact of these moments will reverberate through the team during the meet, to your teammates still at home, and down through to the first year swimmer in the State group. So make a plan, and get ready to add to the architecture of this incredible team that is GMA! I am proud of you all!

- Eileen Hall

Here Comes GMA!

2011-02-10T17:36:00.003-05:00

This is the most EXCITING time of the year for our GMA team, as the short course championship season is finally upon us! The New England end-of-season and championship meets are starting to come at us fast and Regionals is this weekend! After that is the New England 12 & Under Age Group Championship Meet and before we know it we'll be at MIT for The New England 13-19 Age Group Championship Meet!

Throughout the season we've had team activities, team travel trips and team breakfasts. This team has become one of the more close knit and fun groups to coach here at GMA. However, it hasn't all been giggles and grins. It's been the fun and supportive atmosphere created by the GMA team members, coaches and parents that has allowed this team to grow. We've all helped each other through several months of hard training (both in and out of the water with a new CrossFit approach to dryland). We've been eating right and sleeping well, juggling homework schedules and practice schedules. We've thought day in and day out about goals. We've discussed what it means to set difficult goals and what needs to be done to achieve our own goals and to help our teammates achieve their goals.

All of this focus and hard work has resulted in many first time qualifiers for both Regionals and Age Groups. We have also seen several swimmers take their swimming to the next level, achieving more championship meet cut times and racing well enough to score points for the team. This has the potential to be one of our most successful seasons! Tomorrow night, GMA will be storming the Upper Valley Aquatic Center with almost 100 athletes, the most we've ever sent to Regionals!

We all know that success will not just be handed to us. This is the time of the year to increase our focus and intensity once again. We may be physically prepared to swim fast due to all of our hard work, but are we finely tuned and mentally prepared to hit our peak performances when it matters? We need to ask ourselves this question every day, as now is the time when those little things can get in the way of true success. There is no time left for excuses. Approach every day with a single minded focus of applying your absolute best effort to every little aspect of our training and preparation. This excellent attitude will help us be champions, win or lose.

Regionals is just the tip of the iceberg. It is the team momentum builder and the tone-setter for the entire championship meet season. How exciting that we have more athletes than ever at the meet to establish that tone of excellence! Let's continue to work hard to the end, GMA. Support each other, get PUMPED UP and SWIM FAST!

New England Swimming, are you ready for this? Here comes GMA!!

- Jarett Fitzpatrick

What Thanksgiving Means For This GMA Coach

2010-11-23T16:03:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is a GREAT time to be a GMA swim coach. The short course season is well underway, our training groups and coaching staff are all buzzing along with GMA energy and the bright lights of the championship season are growing brighter every day. It is at this time of year when I am grateful for the Thanksgiving holiday and the time to reflect on all of the reasons I am thankful to be a GMA swim coach.

First, I am thankful that I get to meet so many great families through my coaching work. We have families who live right down the street in my neighborhood and families who live as far as 100 miles away from the Saint Michael's College Pool. All of us are bound together by this awesome sport of swimming and the tremendous impact the sport has in our lives. We have GMA families who contribute to the team in so many ways. We have families who have devoted the last 15 years of their lives to officiating at every session of every meet. We have families who love to provide the best food concessions we can at every meet, even if it means arriving at 5:30 a.m., staying until 9:00 p.m. and visiting Costco on a busy Saturday afternoon just to pick up jars of mustard and plastic forks. We have families who not only spend endless hours driving to and from the pool at all hours of the night and day but also manage to squeeze an hour out of their hectic lives to organize and clean our overflowing storage closets. We have families who take on new volunteer responsibilities with the Booster Club and families who host team parties. Every GMA family finds ways to contribute to the team so that GMA and the great sport of swimming can be instrumental in the development of their children.

I am endlessly thankful for our outstanding and professional coaching staff. I am in awe, daily, of their undying commitment to children. Every GMA coach is passionate about teaching stoke technique, self-discipline, self-awareness and leadership to each of our GMA athletes. Our coaches bring this teaching to each GMA athlete in unique and interesting ways. Our coaches, first and foremost, care about our athletes and work to make each of the daily lessons in swimming relevant and interesting to each athlete. GMA coaches make the GMA experience a meaningful one for our GMA athletes and meaningful for me.

I am thankful for the inspiration and motivation given to me by our current GMA athletes. I am nothing short of elated every day when I get to come to the pool and work with such energetic and interesting young people. I enjoy working with our team leaders who set the standard of excellence for our team; with our committed athletes who lead by example; with our emerging leaders who are building the skills and the confidence to guide the team further; with our athletes who have recently transitioned to the senior level who are eager and anxious to find their place in the program; with our developing age groupers who continue to learn and grow in the sport as they discover their athletic goals; and with our budding developmental swimmers who are enthusiastic, energetic and ready to excel. What incredible character and charisma each GMA athlete offers this team. What a thrill to imagine where we will be at the end of the season when we all work together to achieve our common goals!

I am thankful for our GMA alumni and former team members. Thanksgiving provides our GMA alumni a special time of homecoming and sharing. We love having swimmers return to the team from their college programs. The lessons they share with us about their college experiences teach us how we can be better as team and how we can make the most of the GMA experience in preparation for college swimming. They ignite training environment with a familiar GMA energy and they open our minds to the possibilities for our athletes as they take their swimming, schooling and lives to the next level.

Finally, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to be a GMA coach because the excitement of the December meets beckons. We start with the UVAC Meet, where the majority of our team will be together to race hard and have fun at one of our favorite facilities. This year, we also get to travel to Atlanta with an athlete for the USA Swimming Short Course Junior National Championship. What an honor and a joy it will be to attend a national-level meet and see our GMA swimmer shine! We finish the December meet circuit with the New England Senior Meet. We get to travel as a team to Boston and we get to watch our GMA team leaders show New England Swimming how great swimmers from the Green Mountains are!

Thank you GMA families, coaches, athletes and alumni for providing me with purpose, passion and meaning every day of my life. Happy Thanksgiving GMA!

- Laura Matuszak

Keep It Simple

2010-08-24T11:34:00.010-04:00

Like many other coaches and swimming fans, I have been alarmed by the recent analysis of Michael Phelps' performances at USA Swimming Nationals and the Pan Pacific Championships. The television commentators offered constant theories and predictions about his "conditioning", his "fitness" and his "preparation" leading into these elite competitions. Mr. Phelps, himself, offered tremendous insight into his feelings about his racing. From his facial expressions to his post-race interviews, race viewers were clearly reminded that Mr. Phelps was unhappy with his performances and was clearly out-of-shape.

It is with the utmost of respect for Michael Phelps, the athlete, that I begin this dialogue. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Phelps is the greatest swimmer, if not the greatest athlete, of all time. He will forever be remembered as the eight-time gold-medalist. Not only did he win eight gold medals by racing tremendously in prelims, semi-finals and finals of each of his individual events, but he also chose to race in some of the most physically demanding of the swimming races. He showed pure athletic virtuosity by sprinting the 100 Butterfly and 100 Freestyle; racing the middle-distance events of the 200 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle and 200 Individual Medley; and mastering the grueling distance event of the 400 Individual Medley. In addition, Mr. Phelps represented his country with pride by racing incredibly in each of his relay events. To top it all off, he did almost all of this at world record speed. To me, he will always be the world's greatest swimmer.

I also begin this dialogue out of respect for his coach and for our great sport of swimming. I not only admire Coach Bob Bowman, I idolize him. He has fostered the greatest swimmer of all time, from age eleven into adulthood. He has continued and built upon a tremendous tradition of excellence at North Baltimore Aquatic Club. I wake up every day, inspired by this great coach, club and athlete. I work as hard as I can, every day, to try to meet the outstanding expectations set forth by our great leadership in USA Swimming.

It is from this place of deep respect and admiration that I raise my concerns regarding Mr. Phelps and the analysis of his recent swimming performances. I think that both Mr. Phelps and the USA Swimming coaching greats missed some opportunities to share their coaching knowledge with the world during the post-meet press conferences. I invite other coaches to share their views and perspectives as we prepare our nation's athletes for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Here are some of the statements that concerned me:
When discussing the challenges of coach an adult athlete like Mr. Phelps, Coach Bob Bowman stated: "Nobody knows what they are doing. We are in uncharted territory."

The Head Coach for the USA Swimming National Team, Mark Schubert stated that if a college swimmer failed to show up for training he would say: “You need to turn in your scholarship or come to practice. That’s appropriate for an 18-year-old. But for our older swimmers, we are reinventing the sport."

I am alarmed! We don't know what we are doing? We are in unchartered territory? We are reinventing the sport?

Is coaching post-graduate athletes such a grand mystery? I can't help but wonder. Don't we, as a coaching community, constantly strive to educate ourselves and learn from other coaching greats? Haven't we, as coaching professionals, seen plenty of post-college, semi-professional athletes train with incredible determination, committement and excellence on a regular basis? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that there are many elite runners, cyclists, triathletes, endurance athletes (not to mention football players, basketball players, baseball players and hockey players) who train year-round, at high intensity, for hours each day in order to reach their goals in sport. How is it, then, that post-graduate swimmers and their coaches are in such a quandry as to how to approach adult athletes and their training?

We need our leaders in USA Swimming to continue to lead us. If we are going to fund our "elite" USA Swiming training centers, then we need the coaches and athletes from our Centers of Excellence to stand apart within the sport as leaders in excellence. Perhaps Mr. Phelps' disappointing performances will help us reevaluate the current hierarchy in our sport and will help us all develop as a swimming nation. I think that the lessons learned this summer from Mr. Phelps and his racing are increbibly simple. So simple, in fact, that they are the very lessons that we employ with our athletes, in our program, every day, regardless of age.

Lesson # 1
There are no shortcuts if your goal is to improve. In order to make personal improvements in racing, one must make personal improvements in training. If athletes want to race faster this year than last year, then they must IMPROVE something in their training. That could mean that they choose to train with better technique, greater frequency, more intensity or for longer durations; but there is no substitute for improved training if athletes want to improve performance. This is just as true for a 40 year-old National Football League veteran as it is for an 8 year-old age group swimmer.

Lesson # 2
If an athlete is going to truly COMMIT to personal improvement and the effort that is required, then that athlete must be invested in the process. The season plan for any athlete must be based on meaningful goals for that athlete. Atheltes who genuinely want to improve will be able to commit to challenging training, every day with very little prodding from the coach. Athletes who are not invested in personal improvement and are unsure of their direction within the sport will often struggle with practice attendance, training focus and workout intensity. This is just as true for the highest payed Major League Baseball power hitter as it is for a first-year high school swimmer.

Lesson # 3

Positive reinforcement is the best coaching tool in the world. Coach DeSantis is right on target in identifying the role of human psychology within the athletic training environment. To expand on his thoughts, I reference some basic learning theory concepts. While punishment typically decreases the likelihood that a person will repeat a particular behavior, positive reinforcement has been found to be far more effective in guiding behavior. Positive reinforcement is applied in order to increase the likelihood of a particular behavior. In the case of coaching athletes, positive reinforcement is much more powerful in encouraging athletes toward their goals than punishment is in discouraging athletes away from behaviors that negatively impact their goals. In other words, rather than punishing athletes for failing to meet the training expectations, coaches are far better off rewarding athletes for meeting the training expectations. Don't we as coaches want to spend our time praising, encouraging, celebrating and rewarding our athletes for performing at their best? Don't we want to focus our coaching on the positive rewards, rather than on the punishments? Positive reinforcement is an incredible coaching tool. This is just as true for a National Basketball Association point guard as it is for a world record setting, post-graduate swimmer.

Let Phelps' performances this summer serve as a reminder to all of us in the USA Swimming family. The only way to increase the likelihood of outstanding performances is to train with outstanding effort, every day. The only way for athletes to train with outstanding effort, every day is for athletes to genuinely committed to their goals. The best way for coaches to encourage outstanding effort, every day from their motivated and goal-invested athletes is with positive reinforcement and rewards for acting with excellence. I am confident that this is the simplest way to achieve success as a swimming community, regardless of age, experience, fame or fortune. Thank you Mr. Phelps, Mr. Bowman and Mr. Schubert for inspiring us all to remember these simply lessons.

GO USA!

Maximize Your GMA Experiences

2010-08-05T18:52:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of coaching at the New England 14 and Under Championship Meet at Harvard University. The crew that was there represented the best of our young swimmers! I was interested in the differences between a championship meet like this one and all of the other meets we go to during the year. There was definitely a lot more energy from all of the kids at the meet. Anyone who had qualified was fired up to race fast for their team and for themselves. It created an atmosphere of excellence and focus enhanced by challenging competition.

I think that what makes kids successful at this level is a combination of things. First and foremost is preparation. As those GMA athletes who attended the meet know, there is no substitute for the confidence you get knowing that you are prepared well and capable of doing your best. That part is huge and the GMA workouts are carefully planned to ensure just that. That confidence is key in sustaining the mood and tempo of the meet.

If you set a goal to achieve championship cut times, it is important to assume you will be at the meet and train accordingly. It is not enough just to get there…you have to be ready to race fast when you arrive! We see a lot of athletes who work to achieve the qualifying standard only to be overwhelmed when they actually arrive at the meet and find they are in the first heat. What can take that athlete to further success?

It’s fun to win at regional and Jenny Thompson meets but what gives meaning to a race swum in heat one of champs with maybe only four other kids? That is the power of effective goal setting and daily reflection on the goals. As athletes, it is critical to keep the hard work you do relevant. It is critical to imagine swimming at the championship meet, no matter your seed and using the opportunity to become a better racer. It is critical to have more practice warming up properly, swimming in a long course pool, and navigating the always crowded, sometimes painful open warm-up with 30 kids in your lane. It’s critical to ALWAYS maximize your experiences. With this focus, it is inevitable that you will find a reason to go fast, improve your time, improve your seed and make you a better racer. If you are a better racer, then you will go faster. It is a very simple formula.

During warm-up each day it was incredibly crowded in our lane. Our polite GMA athletes were kindly stopping to let people go by and stopping three yards from the wall when a gang of kids from another team was hanging on in their way. Part of the tone and attitude of the meet is confidence and getting better at the championship experience. I talked to the kids and reminded them that they deserves a good warm-up and while I don’t suggest being rude or mean, they needed to take care of business! If the other kids in the lane aren’t willing to move, flip turn anyway! Act like you belong there, warm up like a champion and prepare your body to race fast. By the end of the meet they were weaving through the lane cloggers during warm-up like the dedicated athletes they are!

I was proud to watch our young, inexperienced kids bond, strengthen and learn this weekend. They went to Harvard as a group of qualifiers and left as a Championship team! Great job GMA!

- Coach Eileen Hall

GMA Racing . . . What Matters!

2010-05-21T19:07:00.012-04:00

Several weeks ago, over 30 GMA swimmers traveled to Harvard University to race in our first local long course meet of the season. It was a joy to have so many GMA swimmers at the meet, excited about racing with their teammates. Now that we have had a chance to look at our performances from the meet and break down the strengths and weaknesses in our racing, I have some thoughts about what really matters at meets.

Since each swim meet provides our athletes and coaches with many opportunities to learn about our racing, the Harvard May Classic taught us much about what is required to perform at one's best:

1. First and formost, athletes must be prepared for the stress of racing. This stress is best managed by many hours of focused training prior to the meet. Each training session at GMA helps athletes focus on various racing skills, racing speed and racing strategy. Every practice matters and every training session prepares our GMA athletes for the stress of racing.

Beyond the preparation gained through GMA training, the athletes receive verbal and written communication regarding the small details they need to remember in order to race their best. Using the GMA meet information packets that are posted online and printed for the athletes, we outline the key things that every GMA swimmer will need to do prior to the meet to be prepared to race their best. With advanced planning and preparation, athletes can arrive at the meet with all of the equipment, food, drinks and comfort items that they will need to race with confidence and security.

2. The stress of racing can be alleviated by focusing on the team during the competition. Socialize with your GMA teammates, focus your energy on supporting GMA swimmers and take some time to get to know your teammates better. Nothing is more distracting than great social interactions with others. Moreover, when we take the time to focus our energy on our teammates and their successes, we feel better about our own racing. Give it a try at our next meet GMA . . . socialize with your teammates, encourage their efforts and watch them race with pride!

3. Maintaining the proper focus throughout the competition is essential to racing one's best. It is so important to focus on one race at a time. Focus on what YOU need to do in order to be successful. Take the focus off of the things that you cannot control. You cannot control the pool conditions, the flow of the meet, the atmosphere on deck, your parents and teammates or the other competitors. However, you have total and utter control over yourself and how you race. Before each race, be certain of your race plan. While you are racing, stay fully engaged in the fun of what you are doing and feel yourself racing your best. Focus on the most important person and the most important thing when you race - you and your race!

4. Of course, one of the many the challenges that athletes face is to race with excellence at every opportunity. Every single race is a chance to have fun pushing your physical limits and pushing your body to new and different levels of performance. Whether we are racing at the beginning of the season or the end of the season; whether we are racing at the best facility in the United States or our home pool we can decide to race with focus, effort and excellence EVERY chance that we get.

Outstanding athletes are athletes who challenge themselves to be better and to race faster at every competition. There is no need to hold back or save your energy at a particular meet or in a particular race. You are a GMA athlete! You have been trained to perform your best for an extended period of time. The progression of our training groups, the progression of our daily workouts and the progression of the commitment levels that are expected on this team ensure that our athletes maintain a great level of fitness. With great fitness, our athletes are primed to race five or six events per day with excellence! Trust your training and trust yourself. Sieze every opportunity to race your best.

5. Recall the racing tools you have used in the past to race with success. Before each race, remember what you LOVE about racing and remind your body and mind of how fun it is to move at high rates of speed and skill through the water. Utilize the skills which you have used before to make you the excellent racer that you are. Use those skills in each race and adopt new and different racing techniques in order to push your physical and mental limits. Build on your racing strengths to be better and faster. Few experiences in life are as rewarding as racing your heart out to achieve your goals. Race your heart out GMA!

Ryan Lochte said it best when he remarked that he "LOVES to RACE". That's the key. Love the competition for the thrill of the moment, for the connections that are made within the unique environment of a swim meet and for the lessons that can only be learned from putting your best effort into challenging and stressful situations. As we embark on the remainder of the long course season, we hope that each GMA swimmer will learn and grow through the love of racing!

GO GMA!

Laura Matuszak

Coach Tim Blogs About Spring Swimming . . . and Volunteering!

2010-04-20T17:24:00.001-04:00

What: GMA Water Station Volunteers Needed!!

When: May 30th 2010

Where: Vermont City Marathon mile 25.5 Water Station

It is exciting to see the long course season come into full swing and it is great to see the new and old faces starting in the clinic, eager to work on their technique in the pool. For those of you who don't know me, I am Tim Bard, a regional coach here at GMA. I started our water station at the Vermont City Marathon two years ago and it has been a lot of fun since!

This will be the third year that GMA has come together to support each other and the Vermont City Marathon, providing a valuable service to the runners handing out vital liquids on the home stretch of the run! As you may know, a marathon is 26.2 miles and we have the honor of being at mile 25.5. It is a point of pride for me that the runners coming by, see our GMA banner and hear the cheers from our team for the last push of their race!

The marathon committee has commented the last two years how they have received such great feedback about our water station and how energetic and supportive our team has been! The runners have given a lot of very positive feedback too about helping them finish strong with the cups of water and gatorade and with the great enthusiasm and support our team has shown. It is awesome to show other sports and organizations that GMA swimmers aren't only supportive of swimming and their team mates but they are also supportive of athletes in other sports!

I want to thank you all who volunteered the last two years and am very excited to see some new and returning GMA faces at the marathon!!

The structure will remain the same. There will be two shifts, so if you can volunteer for one or both shifts that would be great! Last year the two shifts started at 9am and 11:30 a.m. with about 30 minutes overlap during the time when the greatest volume of runners go by. The marathon will probably go until about 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. The sign up is now posted on the GMA website, so you can sign-up electronically today! Here is a link to the main information page on the team website: http://www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=%2FEventsCurrent.jsp&id=77440&team=negma

The fun starts with cheering on the wheelchair division and then the elite runners. The race finishes with the main pack of runners, some of whom are running the whole marathon and some of whom are running as part of a relay. It is great to see all the training that people have put into getting ready for a marathon pay off. It is also entertaining for us to see runners in costume and runners with a variety of goals and ambitions for the race. I am sure that this year, as in years past, we will see plenty of former and current GMA swimmers, coaches and parents running the race as well!

All volunteers, whether that be swimmers, family members or friends will get a Vermont City Marathon T-shirt! So when you sign up I will need your t-shirt size as well as address and email. Vermont City Marathon sends out a thank you each year!

If you have any questions please contact myself or Laura.

Thank you and see you on deck and at the Marathon!
-Tim Bard
Contact me at wyltbam@gmail.com

Mike Gustafson's "The Life of the Competitive Swimmer" on Swimnetwork.com

2010-02-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

Numerous GMA swimmers, coaches, parents and alumni have commented on various social networking sites about this blog by Mike Gustafson on Swimnetwork. You, too, are invited to read along, chuckle and enjoy Mr. Gustafson's fun perspective on the life cycle of a swimmer!

The Heart Of It

2010-01-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

As we delve into a new decade, I am driven to evaluate my life. What I can say, with ease, is that I LOVE my life. While I have literally hundreds of more goals to achieve in this lifetime and I don't have all of the comforts and security that I desire, I do, nevertheless, LOVE my life. I love coaching, I love working with our GMA families and I love building a stronger GMA team. Moreover, I feel so lucky to live with such passion and I hope to share this passion through my GMA work.

As coaches, we have the opportunity to work with our athletes for many hours each week and many years out of their lives. We hope to promote enthusiasm for life in each of our GMA team members through the sport of swimming. We encourage our developing young people to bring great energy into their lives. We do this in several ways. First, we try to foster a love for the water. We teach our athletes to move with strength and confidence in the water. By celebrating our athletes' successes and improvements, we share the joys of competition. Our athletes discover, through their efforts on GMA, that it's fun to spend time working hard in the water to achieve meaningful goals with caring teammates. In learning to love the sport of swimming, GMA athletes bring great energy into their daily experiences.

Second, we ask our athletes to love GMA and our GMA teammates. We help our athletes learn about themselves and their teammates. As they gain this interpersonal knowledge, GMA athletes are better able to appreciate and care for their teammates. We want our GMA team members to recognize how fortunate they are to spend hours each day around people who care so much about them. GMA teammates and coaches value hard work, goal setting, focus, commitment and excellence. They are also unique, smart, funny, insightful and compassionate people. When our GMA teammates learn to love each other, they develop their love for life.

Third, with greater experience in the sport and more time invested on the team, our GMA athletes incur greater responsibilities. Our oldest athletes and our most seasoned competitors are expected to serve as team leaders. While some young people could consider these team obligations with disdain, our best GMA leaders embrace the challenge of serving their teammates. We teach our older GMA athletes not only to love the water and to love GMA, but also to love dedicating great energy and time to reach tough goals. One approach that we try to teach our athletes is to stay focused on doing their best “in the moment”. This is an excellent technique for maintaining focus and enthusiasm, even during a long, hard set; a long, hard season; or a long, hard swimming career. We help our athletes recognize that what we are doing right now can help us achieve our short and our long term goals. When GMA athletes learn to stay present and focused in the moment, they learn to love the challenges in our sport and to embrace the work ethic that is required for success in any endeavor. It is with this enthusiasm for putting great effort into each and every moment that our GMA athletes can serve as terrific leaders in life.

Finally, we ask that our GMA athletes bring a positive outlook into all areas of their lives. We want to know what is going well in their lives, what their favorite part of the week has been and what they do well in training. We ask that our athletes appreciate the good in their lives. With that appreciation, we ask that our athletes work hard in the areas of their lives that they want to improve. By acknowledging the good and working on areas of improvement in their lives, GMA swimmers approach their lives with passion.

If there is one feeling that I want to bring to all of my work and all of my interactions within our GMA team, it is LOVE. We work to foster love in our swimmers by teaching them to love the sport, love their teammates, love the moment and love life. I hope that 2010 is a year in which GMA swimmers learn how to train and race with enthusiasm. 2012 draws closer and more GMA swimmers have their eyes on the 2012 Olympic Trials. No doubt, it will take tremendous focus, energy and passion to reach our team goal of having four GMA swimmers race their best at the 2012 Olympic Trials. We are working together today with love and energy, so that we are ready to celebrate the joy of Olympic competition in the future. GO GMA!

GMA Year In Review 2009 Video

2010-01-02T15:28:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to our GMA swimmers for a fantastic 2009 and a terrific start to 2010! We are looking forward to a great New Year filled with valuable hard work and excellent team effort toward our goals. We love helping each of our GMA swimmers improve every day. We are certain that with continued improvements, we will have many GMA swimmers primed for the 2012 USA Swimming Olympic Trials! Keep up the good work GMA!

Please note that there are a few sensitive words in the music ("Why I Am" by Dave Matthews Band) on this video. Additionally, the video is primarily of the GMA Senior, Sectional and National Group swimmers.

Maria's GMA Wisdom

2009-12-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

“Mom, tell me again, what is your profession”? This is a question I have heard frequently from my offspring as they fill out one form or another.

I thought about this as I stood on deck this weekend at the Winter Classic meet, surrounded by GMA swimmers checking in and out, warming up and down, racing, crying, eating, laughing, and cheering. I did a quick mental inventory of how I landed here on deck wearing the GMA coach’s shirt.

I was once an age group swimmer. GMA's founding father Jim Donoghue was my coach. I showed up at school with frozen pigtails after early morning practices. I lost hundreds of pairs of goggles. I was the confused child hanging on to the gutter trying to figure out how to breathe to both sides. I begged to use kickboards. I understand.

I also have been a GMA swim parent. I watched my child throw up blue Gatorade. I went the wrong way in the I-89/91 matrix more than once. I pondered the question of how my child’s breaststroke could look SO different every time she swam it. I cried when she finally broke 1:00 in the 100 Free. I understand.

I am a GMA masters swimmer. Laura is my coach. I have SLUDKA’D. I have chest pressed. I have “overkicked”. I have double descended hitting my goal 200 race pace. I understand what its like to train the GMA way.

My life experiences in the pool, driving to the pool, and sitting at the pool have all led me to my current position, on deck coaching your children. I am privileged and honored. I appreciate your willingness to lend them to me for a few hours every day to work with them and help them become better swimmers. I appreciate the commitment you have to getting them fed and watered and where they need to be. I appreciate your trust in believing in the GMA philosophy and letting GMA coaches do their jobs. At GMA, every skill progression, interval set, dry land exercise, and warm up protocol is based on science and experience. For every activity in or around the pool there is a reason.

As many of you remember, before computers and heat sheets, there was the dreaded “Bull Pen”, an extremely chaotic area full of cold, folding chairs in rows, hordes of excitable children, and two or three sacrificial parents trying to get and keep the swimmers in order. Like the rotary phone, the bull pen has become extinct thanks to modern technology. Now our kids have the capability to actually warm up their muscles, get their hearts pumping, and get their mojo flowing, before every race.

Your children are athletes. Athletes perform best when they are warmed up. During a typical GMA age group practice, athletes will swim their best times near the end of a 90-minute workout. Simply, warming up is a good thing; standing behind the block for 15 heats of the 200 freestyle is not.

I had a posse of worried age groupers circling my coaching wagon last weekend. They were staging a protest against pre-race warm up. By utilizing my extraordinary communication skills (yelling and wagging my finger), ultimately I convinced them to warm up. While some embraced the concept more than others, I am proud of all the age groupers for trying something new and preparing for a race the GMA way. Age Groupers were rewarded with several personal best times and championship cut times. (I love it when it works out that way...)

I am lucky to have my unique perspective of GMA swimming and coaching. Though I have not seen it all, I sure have seen and experienced a lot of it. It is from this place of experience that I can say, I believe in our GMA parents, athletes, and coaches. We are a mighty team. Lets keep on working together to achieve excellence.

Gotta go, time to drive to the pool......

Maria Cimonetti

Vision for Team GMA!

2009-11-25T18:48:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

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!"

2009-11-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

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

Another Wonderful GMA Season Is Underway

2009-10-28T21:25:00.000-04:00

Another wonderful GMA season is underway.

We just finished our distance meet this last weekend. I was impressed by how many athletes pushed themselves in the longer events. There were many regional swimmers who completed a 500, there was one who even did a 1,000! The age groupers' hard work during their practices also showed because their 100 split times were very even throughout their distance races.

Regional 1 and 2 had twenty swimmers last night in training and our group is the largest it has been in a while. We recently had new swimmers join our team and this is one of my favorite times of the year. The swimmers who are new to the team are used to our routines and are now able to focus on learning the specifics of each drill set. The swimmers who are returning get to revisit the drills and their techniques, serving as great group leaders.

Last night we got to focus on BREASTSTROKE! Since the IMX meet is coming up soon, we’ve been focused on improving all parts our Individual Medley. In Breaststroke, we started by focusing on our body line in streamline kick, then we focused on flexing the feet out during the kick. Our pullouts have been amazing! Every swimmer has been doing pull-outs past the flags and many are starting to get to the white lane marker.

It’s been a super start to this season. I’m excited to watch the athletes become faster and stronger throughout our season and I anticipate seeing our team members grow closer as teammates and friends.

Sincerely,
Nick Mack

HELLO from the FLA senior challenge

2009-07-18T20:13:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day for us here at the FLA Senior Challenge. Despite extreme heat we performed well, posting best times across the board. Taylor complained continuously throughout prelims, naptime, and finals. He dropped 9 seconds in his 400 free g0ing a 4 14. Ubert swam well in his 400 free as well dropping 3 seconds at 4 17 and a sectional cut. Dylan dropped 2 seconds in his 100 back and got his first zone cut. I dropped 2 seconds in my 400 free posting a 4 11. We are repping GMA here in FL, swimmming fast and getting our tans on.
The weather here has been pretty typical for Florida. Hot in the morning and afternoon and the occasional fatal lightning storm in the evening. We have had a light show these past two nights and missed out on the end of finals due to the storms......too bad ;). I dont know about the other three guys, but sharing a room with them has been a great time! We have also created a unique smell that some would call a haunting aroma.
Tomorrow is our last day and we are looking to finally swim a relay together as a team. Hope all is well in VT....GMA pwns

2009-06-01T12:28:00.000-04:00

Happy spring everyone! School is almost over and summer looms tantalizingly close. It is natural to think if this time of the year as the beginning of a season. As the GMA swimmers will tell you however, that is not the case at all as far as our long course season goes! Our long course championship meets are getting closer all the time and actually, this is more like the middle of our training season. This is why I was so excited to see how many athletes remained focused this weekend as we experienced a disruption in our pool schedule.

St. Michael’s college needed to shut the pool down for maintenance and we had to do 4 days of training with no water! Laura put together some amazing dryland workouts that really kept the athletes working hard. I am proud of those of you who made the effort to come and participate. It would have been easy to say “Oh, well, it’s not worth it to go for only dryland” and stay home. Instead, you realized that strength and load bearing workouts are as critical for your success as pool time and you attacked the non-traditional training with enthusiasm and GREAT attitudes. I have no doubt that it was hard, but those of you who were here know that it was worth it!

Saturday was our Dryland Olympics. The kids competed in a variety of events like running (some did a 5K), lifting, pushups, pull-ups, and the 100 yard dash, just to name a few. Taylor G. and Caroline W. were the big winners of the Senior/Sectional/National group. As Olympic partners, they pushed one other to perform well and each proudly took home a $10.00 gift certificate to Moe’s. Dylan H. and Ubert (the elder) tied for second. Other winners were Brenna C., Emma H., Lauren K., David L. and Lindsay M.

After the Dryland Olympics were over, we enjoyed a celebratory team brunch, thanks to the effort of Senior/Sectional/ National parents. Good job everyone! I am constantly amazed at how hard you work and as always, proud to call myself a GMA coach! See you in the pool! (Finally!)

Sincerely,

Coach Eileen Hall

Ring in the Spring!

2009-05-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

The second GMA Spring Clinic has started and it is great to see not only returning swimmers from the first clinic, but also returning swimmers from the winter season and even more new faces! I can see the excitement building for the long course and summer rec seasons. On top of that, the weather is starting to look much more like summer!

Hopefully the weather will hold for the 25th Annual Vermont City Marathon on May 24th. This will be the 2nd year GMA has run one of the many water stations providing valuable support to the marathon runners. The GMA water station is on mile 25.5, right at the end of the 26 mile course. Last year, it was so much fun watching the competitors. We saw the wheelchair athletes as well as the winner of the last three years, Matt Pellitier, pass by our station. The marathon involves such a variety of athletes who have competitive goals, or race to achieve personal goals. Some bring a fun flair to the race by running in creative costumes.. I am looking forward to seeing another exciting marathon and to helping GMA show our commitment to our community!

Lets have some fun again this year! Please sign up on the Vermont City Marathon Poster or e-mail Laura to sign-up. We need 20-25 volunteers to cover two shifts. You can choose to attend for one or both shifts. Everyone is welcome! So if you are swimmer, family member or friend, come sign up!

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Sincerely,
Coach Tim Bard

GMA Swimmers "Clean Up" In the Pool

2009-05-07T09:11:00.000-04:00

On Friday, May 1st, 2009 twenty of the GMA Senior, Sectional and National swimmers worked diligently to clean the Saint Michael's College Pool. To show their appreciation for the use of the wonderful Saint Michael's College Pool, the GMA swimmers devoted about 45 minutes of their training time to scrubbing the pool gutters, cleaning the pool deck, organizing the pool closet and generally beautifying the pool area. The coaches were impressed with the athletes and their effort. Each athlete promptly got to work cleaning. Every GMA athlete did so with smiles on their faces and determination to finish the task at hand. You will notice that the water line on the gutters has been painstakingly scrubbed away and the pool area is neat and clean. THANK YOU GMA SWIMMERS FOR DOING YOUR PART!!

Seizing Opportunities

2009-04-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

Two weekends ago we had the opportunity to race at the historic Yale 50 meter "practice pool." The facilities were adequate, the warm-up space and time was exceptional, the meet hosts were generous and friendly and the schedule of events was ideal. We were given an exceptional opportunity to race long course indoors early in the long course season. This was a chance for our athletes to challenge themselves competitively and begin trying their racing strategies for the season. While we were not blessed with exceptional competition from the other teams participating in the meet, we were certainly blessed with many competitive advantages at this meet.

It was wonderful to see many of our athletes at the meet making the most of the meet. The majority of our athletes took the opportunity to warm-up for the entire sixty minute warm-up session and gain a feel for the long course pool. The majority of our athletes raced incredibly well with focus and determination to achieve best times and learn from their experiences. The majority of our athletes raced in 8-10 events within 20 hours. The majority of our athletes left the meet either with personal best times or with new observations about their approaches to racing which. While the conditions were not ideal, our GMA athletes seized their competitive opportunities.

GMA athletes have also seized their training opportunities over the last week during school vacation. Our athletes who were in town over the school vacation showed incredible dedication to their training. Almost all of our athletes who stayed in the area for vacation INCREASED their practice attendance last week. By all accounts, our athletes who travelled on vacation over the school break found ways to exercise and maintain their fitness levels. I have received reports that our athletes took their workouts to local pools while on vacation to train their normal GMA workouts. We have heard that our athletes spent and hour to two hours each day on vacation running, swimming, lifting and exercising. GMA athletes love to train and keep themselves in shape. They take the opportunity to remain fit, whether at home or away over vacation periods.

As we all return to the pool as a team, I know that we will seize the opportunity to take our training to the next level. We have only one month until our major long course competitions begin. In less than 15 weeks, the long course season will be completely over. Now is the time to get training, get working and get going FAST! Our GMA swimmers have shown that they have the focus and attitude that is required to make the most of their competitive, training and team opportunities!

Carpe diem, GMA!

Laura Matuszak

At Last Vacation Time Is Here!

2009-04-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

At last vacation time is here! I am leaving on Friday for a week in St. Lucia with my family (and Merritt) and I will say, without apology, that I am glad to be getting away. I absolutely, without a doubt, 100 percent love coaching and working with the athletes everyday, but I am smart enough to appreciate and enjoy a vacation when it comes my way. I will surely miss everyone, especially the hard workers in Lane Finity or Lane David or whatever they are going to be!

I know that a lot of other folks will be traveling over break and this brings me to my point. While it is great for your attitude and state of mind to get a break from the pressures of your training routine, your conditioning will suffer unless you pay a little attention to it while you are away. I know it seems like a drag to have to think about working out when you are supposed to be relaxing, but consider this…exercise is relaxing! Imaging what your life would be like if you weren’t exercising your minds and bodies each night? How would you deal with social and academic stress? How would you deal with family issues? The work you do in the pool is not only essential for helping you meet your swimming goals, it is a tool that helps you survive the day-to-day in middle or high school. But the big thing to remember is that each day you don’t train, your goals are harder to achieve. Although it may feel good right now to say “I deserve a break” or “One week off won’t hurt me”, the truth is that this is a very important time in long course training and a week off could very well be the difference between getting that cut time, or missing it by a second.

So what am I suggesting? Well, it is not as bad as you may think! By all means, relax on your vacation! Put swim practice out of your mind if it helps you refresh. Don’t, however, neglect your body or your goals. You wouldn’t go a whole week without water or food, would you? Exercise is just as important for what you all have stated that you want to achieve this summer. So, what should you do? Well, swim ideally! If you are near a pool, swim for an hour or more a few times over the week. Laura can give workouts to anyone who wants them if you feel like doing more. No pool? How about running? A 45 minute run combined with push ups and crunches is an excellent workout. Get your heart rate up as often as possible. When you think about it, how much time are we really talking about? 4 hours over the course of the week? Are you willing to commit 4 hours to meet your goals? Are you willing to commit more? I am confident that all of you could answer yes to both of those questions!

As for me? Well, fear not! I will be maintaining my coaching skills while I am on vacation. (I want to meet my goals as well). Merritt and Dylan will enjoy all of the benefits of being on vacation with their swim coach! So pack those goggles GMA and have great break. I will see you all when I get back!

Coach Eileen Hall

Let the Long Course Season BEGIN!

2009-04-01T13:40:00.001-04:00

Just when you thought we would have a break from the intensity of the swimming season, we are back to racing again!! The long course season is off to a great start. Our Senior, Sectional and National athletes have had several weeks of great training and are fully engaged in the goal-setting process. Additionally, some of our National athletes competed in a long-course Montreal
last weekend and are on their way to achieving some of their competitive goals. We are so excited to see our Age Group athletes and Clinic swimmers back in the pool next week. It will be great to have the GMA team back together and working hard together to be the BEST we can be!

Enjoy the video clips of our GMA swimmers in their first long course races of the season and I will see you in the pool soon!

Sincerely,

Laura Matuszak

Coach Tim Reflects on the Season

2009-03-22T06:07:00.000-04:00

With the all-team practice held on Friday, March 20th, 2009, we wrapped a great season. Our GMA swimmers have worked hard this year and it was fun to see them all have so much fun together. At the practice our swimmers continued working on their goals, worked with each other and just had fun in the water. I was quite impressed with the dedication of the older swimmers at the all-team practice. They taught our younger athletes about their experiences and they shared their knowledge of the sport with the team. In the water, our older athletes provided a safe and fun environment for the team to celebrate the end of a successful short course season. I think their efforts in the pool reflect several GMA core values - to be the best program, not just for technique and training but also for committment and for personal development. GMA swimmers show incredible teamwork. They work together to make each swimmer achieve their personal best with the strong support of their teammates.

Even though the short course season is over, it was very apparent the swimmers are excited to celebrate their accomplishments at the Banquet on Sunday March 22nd. The athletes in my Regional improved tremendously in their stroke technique. They can now roll their hips efficiently in freestyle and backstroke, they can breathe every 3 strokes in freestyle and they can press forward from the chest and core body for their short axis strokes.

During the team meetings this last week, many of the Age Group, Regional and State swimmers were excited about continuing their swimming either through long course with GMA, summer swim team with the Knights or with one of the many other summer swim teams. We talked about the importance of staying active and healthy and of keeping their goals in mind throughout the summer.

I am very proud of the individual and team accomplishments of my group and the team as a whole. The hard work put into the season is very apparent and each swimmer should be proud of their achievements, big and small. It is sad to see the short course season come to an end and it is very exciting to see the long course season, spring clinics and summer swimming on the horizon!

- Tim Bard

Championship Excitement . . . Way to go TEAM GMA!

2009-03-10T14:39:00.001-04:00

Wow! What exciting New England Championship meets we have had as a team. We have seen our athletes make incredible time drops, improve their racing skills and display the results of all of their hard work this season. More importantly, we have seen our teammates cheer each other on and become closer in their relationships with one another. What a pleasure to share in these experiences with our athletes!

While I have been totally energized by the enthusiasm and emotions of our championship meets, I was equally enthused by our athletes' efforts in training these past few weeks. Yesterday, we had excellent team attendance. The pool deck was alive with our athletes working hard to improve their swimming and our coaches engaged in teaching the best swimming skills. This commitment to improvement is one of the many things that makes GMA a great team! Thank you coaches, parents and swimmers.

We are looking forward to our final championship meet, the Speedo Championship Meet, this weekend. We are also looking forward to celebrating the season on Friday, March 20th with a special all-team practice and on Sunday, March 22nd with team photos, the Olympic Meet and the team banquet. We have much to celebrate GMA swimmers!

Thank you,
Laura Matuszak

Champs Are Here!

2009-03-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

The splash symphony at the pool has had a different melody this week. Monday marked the beginning of the last week of training before the New England 13-19 championship meet at MIT. Team meeting Monday was pretty powerful. Everyone got to say out loud what their meet goals were and after that, they all talked about what they were going to for the team this weekend. We heard many great voices all with really team oriented focus. Some of the best plans came from the crowd in the corner-Jessie, Lauren, Galen, Hadley, Emma and maybe a few others. They spoke up with pride about their plans to come to practice this weekend and stay in touch with teammates who were swimming. It was a great opportunity to highlight the long term team goals that require everyone to remain committed regardless of what point in the season we are in. We did some visualization as well to help to isolate the race in their minds and be able to really feel and see what they are doing!

There has been a TON of energy from the kids. Each day during dryland I have felt an increased impatience. No one really wants to intentionally goof off, but they are all itching to swim! It is pretty awesome. We have worked them hard on race pace and technique, reminding them over and over that they need to have every detail of their race down pat. It takes an enormous amount of focus and the athletes have attacked the challenge! We have also put the relays together to let them practice their starts. Thanks to Laura’s brilliant idea-“Relay Challenge 2009”, there is new motivation to race fast in the relays. There is a pizza party on the line for the first relay team to swim the Junior National qualifying time and there is an added buzz of competitiveness all around.

Tonight was the last night of practice before we set out tomorrow. We used the bands to “slingshot” the athletes for 25 yards, really giving them a feel for crazy speed! First, they had to swim to the end with the resistance band on. (Ok, so the coaches need amusement too!)

I am really looking forward to being on deck with these outstanding kids. They are ready to swim fast and represent GMA. They have set challenging goals and I know many will be achieved. See you at MIT!

- Eileen Hall

February 26, 2009 - Regional 2

2009-02-26T19:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight’s practice went really well. We had a really high turnout of kids for a Thursday during vacation week. It's nice to see so many folks committed to coming to practice after many of the kids have had their end of the season meet.

As we were walking down the stairs it was really nice to hear the kids talking about their goals. It was one of our focuses this year was to have kids use their goals more effectively. I think talking with their peers and hearing their goals said out loud from someone else allows them to not only hear more repetitions but reflect and think about what their peer is saying.

We focused a lot on flip turns tonight and the quality of sludk. One of the items we discussed from the regional meet was trying to get kids to do the same amount of sludk but use it more effectively. We had kids sludk consistently past the flags for two of our main focus sets. We do similar things for stroke count so we are now trying to incorporate it into our sludk.

Dry-land went really smoothly as well. We started doing some station work this week and the kids seem to really enjoy having the fast pace between the activities. The kids have enough knowledge about the basic dry-land exercises where we are now able mix up different varieties of activities!!!

Overall it was a great night! - Nick

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-02-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

This is such an exciting time of year to be swimming! Starting last weekend and ending in March, there are championship meets being held around the regional and around the country. Swimmers from all kinds of programs and in all parts of the United States are gearing up to swim their best at the end of the short course season!! What is GMA doing to get ready to race?

First, we are celebrating the successes that we have already experienced this season. We had an excellent New England Regional Meet with almost all of our swimmers achieving at least one personal best time at the meet. The excitement from winning personal best prizes and from racing well as a team is fueling the efforts of our Age Group and Speedo Championship swimmers. This weekend, our qualified 12 and younger swimmers will compete at the NEW Upper Valley Aquatic Center at the New England 12 and Under Championship Meet. They will spend the week in training, preparing physically and mentally to race their best! Let's go GMA!

Next, as we begin the championship meet season, we are renewing our focus on the fundamentals 0f swimming - stroke technique, streamline, efficiency. After a great visit last Monday (1/9/09) from USA Swimming Sports Performance Consultant, Rick Bishop, our Senior, Sectional and National swimmers have some valuable teachings about the importance of streamline, dolphin kicking and attitude in their racing. We are hopeful that our athletes will take these teachings to heart; implement the teachings in their training; and prepare to race their best at championships.

Finally, since some of our athletes have completed the short course competition season, we think that it is important for our teammates to stay in the water until the end of March. This is an important time to share in the joys of the team during championships and to focus in the water on stroke improvements that will help ALL of our atheltes qualify for championships in the future. Remembering that the the team goal is to win the National Championships in swimming, we know that we will need EVERY athlete to swim their best in order to achieve this massive goal. The preparation for this goal happens EVERY day at practice.

We'll see you at the pool soon!

Sincerely,
Laura Matuszak

GMA Wednesday 2/4/09

2009-02-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

The team is getting ready for the New England Regional Meet. We are excited for our Developmental athletes who will get a taste of a big New England Meet. In addition, many of our Senior and Sectional swimmers have set specific goals for their Regional performances. The daily training this week has been focused on meet preparation and racing skills for our athletes attending the Regional Meet. Spirits have been high and we are looking forward to a great weekend of racing.

Our Age Group and National Group swimmers are also getting focused on their end-of-season meets later in the season. Their training is in the final stages before taper and they are anxiously awaiting the meet preparation period.

The coaches are beginning their athlete evaluations for the season, are considering team awards for the end of season banquet and are planning ahead for the summer long course season. We hope that our successes during the New England, Sectional and Junior National Meets this winter will encourage all of our teammates to stay in the pool with GMA in the spring and summer. The program flier will be posted within the next few weeks so keep your eyes open for it on our homepage!!

LET'S GO GMA!! SWIM FAST and HAVE FUN!

Welcome to our new GMA blog

2009-02-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

Dear GMA parents, swimmers, coaches and fans,

Welcome to our new team blog! The coaches, captains and athletes will use our blog to share the latest training and racing news and information. This will serve as our way of keeping everyone in the loop about the day-to-day happenings with the team. Of course, our website will still function as our primary source of team information, dates, results, and swimmer data.

I hope that you enjoy our blog and that it helps you gain a better feeling about our GMA champions!

Sincerely,
Laura Matuszak