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Thunder
Black I & II
From:
Coach Scott O'Reilly and Coach Barby Weaver
To:
Black Group Swimmers
Black
Group Meeting: Attendance and New Group Description (June 16,
2009)
As
you should have noticed by now, I make an attempt to post the previous
month’s attendance usually on our practice dry erase board. For each
month/week, the total number of practices offered is listed under the
column listed “offered”, and the number of practices you attended is
listed under “attended”. The totals for the month or season are
listed at the right along with your percentage for the month/year under
“%”. The group average is listed at the bottom, right-hand corner.
You
have heard me speak before about the importance of practice attendance.
While “talent” is an important factor, it should be no secret that
practice is the most important factor in your performance, and this
becomes more true as you get older. As a 10 and under, the most talented
or biggest swimmer usually wins. As a Senior, you cannot compete at the
highest level without putting in a great deal of work.
The
primary reason for this meeting, however, is to inform you that,
beginning with the 2009-’10 short course season, we will create a new
group in our age group program. Essentially, we will split Black Group
into two groups. While the names of these groups have not yet been set,
for today, I will refer to them as Black Group I and Black Group II.
The
purpose of creating these groups is two-fold. First, creating another
group will make group size more manageable and easier for the coaches to
give more individual attention to the swimmer. Second, we can divide the
swimmers who have different levels of commitment to swimming.
For
the first purpose, we realize that swimmers on our team between the ages
of 11 and 14 are not all at the same ability level. By creating another
group, we can provide a practice environment that will best fit
everyone’s needs. For the second purpose, we realize that some of you
have committed your entire extra-curricular lives to swimming while
others of you have many activities in which you participate.
For
Black Group II, swimmers will be expected to attend 70% of the practices
offered each month. However, attendance is not the only criteria.
Effort, both mental and physical, at practice will also be taken into
consideration. If we (the coaches) don’t feel as if you try your
hardest at practice, you will not be invited to Black Group II. Please keep in mind that this is based on training performance, not meet
performance. There may be swimmers in Black Group
who swim faster at meets than swimmers in Black Group II.
Also,
group assignment is not permanent. We hope that every age group swimmer
aspires to be in Black Group II and shows the commitment required to be
there. However, we realize that not all swimmers who join Thunder have
the same goals and/or ability level and, therefore, might not be ready
for Black Group II. Again, we want to provide a group that is an
appropriate fit for every swimmer who joins the team.
The
nature of Black Group II will be similar to the current Black Group
practices, if not, more challenging. We will consider adding drylands to
the regular schedule and a morning practice, before school. The Black
Group I will be less intense, with slightly shorter practices and
greater emphasis on technique rather than yardage.
Ultimately,
you have a say in your group placement. We hope that you want to be in
Black Group II and your desire is fueled by your goal to become as good
of a swimmer as you can be. This
should not be your parents’ goal for you! Your desire to be in
Black Group II should not be based solely on your desire to practice
with your friends. We hope that, at some point this summer, you take the
initiative to express your opinions about your group placement with one
or both of us. At the very least, you have the rest of the summer to
show us which group you want to be in next season.
Coach
Scott and Coach Barby
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