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

Another Wonderful GMA Season Is Underway

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

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

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!

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