Success is a Journey not a Destination

Saturday the Bobcats took on the FSU Falcons for their final dual meet of the season.  It was sure to be a great meet since our teams have a rivalry with one another.  Our team swam OUTSTANDING and they are showing that they are getting ready for conference championships in 2.5 weeks.  There were numerous of best times achieved and near best times.  The coaching staff was impressed with what we saw in and out of the water and are confident that we will be ready for conference.  The team came together and supported each other throughout the whole meet.  It was a close meet but in the end we lost to FSU.  The Falcons came to swim fast just like we did, however we simply got out touched.

The meet concluded with a big splash as the team celebrated their final dual meet by tossing the coaches in the water.  Having fun is one of our motto's and we certainly did have fun!

We will continue to prepare for conference championships for the next 2.5 weeks.  Keep following WVWC Swimming for results and continuing success.

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BIG MEET

Tomorrow afternoon the Bobcats will take of the Fairmont State University Falcons.  There is a great deal of history between the teams.  Assistant Coach Rod Hunte swam for Coach Pat Snively and I have known Coach Snively for many years through Coach Ed Denny.  Needless to say it is going to be a good meet!  Both teams are very equal and every point will make a difference in who wins.

I am very confident in our student-athletes to come together and swim smart!  We have been looking smooth and strong in the water lately.  Each and every day we are becoming better athletes and each meet is an opportunity to race and have fun.

We will be recognizing our senior class at the meet since this is the final dual meet of the season.  Parents, relatives and others are welcome to join us in a small celebration following the meet.  Hope to see everyone tomorrow at 1:00pm!

Let's Go Bobcats!!!!!!!!!!

‎"We all have dreams but in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and effort" Jesse Owens former Olympic athlete

22 Days Till Conference!!!!!!

Results

Saturday the 21st the Bobcats took on Cal U and Lake Erie College.  The Bobcats came out with two wins against Lake Erie College and a lose against Cal U.  It was an exciting meet as we took on one of the best women's swimming teams in Division II (Cal U) and a up and coming program (Lake Erie).

With Conference Championships almost 3 weeks away we are beginning to lower our yardage and intensity in training.  Since we are coming down from training trip the athletes are still in recovery phase.  However, there were numerous of incredible races.  The men set two pool records at Hamer Hall Pool in California, PA.  The first record set was the men's 200 medley relay team of Jeff Dye, Max Garner, Thomas Bartleman and Mark Mattis with a time of 1:38.36 and the second record was set by Jeff Dye in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:49.29.  Congratulations!

Next Saturday the 28th we will take on Fairmont State University at WVWC at 1:00pm.  This is going to be a great meet between two incredible teams.  It will also be our final dual meet of the season where we will recognize our senior class for all of their achievements over four years.

Bobcats vs. Cal and LEC

Tomorrow afternoon the Bobcats will take on Cal and LEC! We have had an incredible week of practices and the coaching staff is looking forward to what lies ahead.

Tomorrow will also be a reunion of coaches since the head coaches all have history together. Looking forward to another great opportunity to swim smart and fast!


"Getting from point A to point B is not always easy, even if you know where A and B are located!"

Catch 22 of Swimming

Who is responsible, ultimately, for fast swims -- the swimmer or the coach? Could this be the eternal question in swimming?

The athletes that I've coached know my answer to this one. If the swimmer swims great, then credit is due to the swimmer. If the swimmer swims slow, then I'm at fault as the coach. Catch 22. As a coach, my job and my responsibility is to make that swimmer fast. If I have not done my job, then it's my own fault. If the swimmer does indeed swim fast, I did nothing more than my job, and the swimmer deserves the credit for putting in the work.

I came to this belief through a series of evaluations of my own swimming and coaching career. When I performed well, it was always because I followed the guidance of the coach, and worked incredibly hard. Hence, I deserved the credit for doing what I was told, to the utmost of my ability. The way I saw it, the coach was supposed to challenge me, and it was up to me to rise to that challenge. If I listened to everything the coach said, and swam poorly, did I blame the coach? No. I would examine ALL that I did to perform but, more important, I would reflect upon what I didn't listen to, and how I didn't apply myself. I had great coaches, and if I didn't perform well, it was always my fault.

As a coach of many levels, I've always thought it was my responsibility to find a way to allow for a swimmer to perform well. When coaching newer swimmers in high school, there was a mix of learning and training that had to be struck. If I had a swimmer who wasn't inspired to work, what was I doing wrong that didn't inspire them? Was it the athlete's responsibility to come into practice inspired, or did I have to learn what it took to inspire them, and play on that? That is, after all, the job of the coach. Listening, applying advice, and completing tasks is the job of the athlete.

Depending on the age of the swimmer, this equation will shift, vary, and change. For age-group swimmers, the responsibility for fast swims falls onto the coach. There is so much teaching that has to take place, which means so much room for advancement and improvement. There is also an extra level of responsibility that falls onto an age-group coach -- that of preparing the athlete for FUTURE fast swims. While sometimes it's easy to make someone faster sooner, care has to be taken to pace out improvement over a longer period of time.

When the swimmer has made it through the age-group ranks and has started to mature physically, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually, the equation shifts again. The older the athlete, the more responsible he or she becomes for their own success. There is more to balance in and outside of the pool. Studies, career, family, training, and social obligations . Each of these begins to tug at the athlete and, in order to guarantee fast swims at the end of the season, something has to give. Studies can't be sacrificed. If you do have a job, then there are a few options (work less; ask your employer for a different shift or responsibilities; ask your employer to sponsor you). Family is generally very understanding about your achieving balance in your life and will, more often then not, support you in your quest for performance. Training can NOT be sacrificed either. If it is, then you've made a decision for which only you can take responsibility. Remember, we're talking FAST swims here, and the relative nature of fast means: Are you happy at the end of the season? The REAL option most overlooked by athletes is the social aspect of their life. While NOT going to parties is generally considered "sacrifice," it should not be viewed by you as a sacrifice. If you feel so strongly that you're missing out on life, or on another experience by limiting your social calendar, then you should look inside yourself to find your true desires. If you're unhappy that you've missed out on something, and feel spite toward your training, then you probably won't get in the work necessary for achieving "fast swims."

Far too often, at the end of the season, swimmers blame coaches, coaches blame swimmers, parents blame coaches and move to another team, and far too many people end up with an unhappy experience.

If you really want to avoid the blame game, there is only one place to look: yourself. If you're a coach with a swimmer who performed poorly, ask yourself what you didn't do to inspire or motivate that swimmer to achieve more. If you're a swimmer who performed poorly, don't blame your coach. Ask yourself what you didn't do during the season -- or during taper -- that could have impacted your performance (especially if teammates performed well). If you're a parent unhappy with the performance of your young swimmer, make sure you watch their face when they get out of the pool. If they're smiling, and laughing with their friends, they've won no matter what the time. If you greet them with a disappointed face, you've set the stage. If they simply didn't know the rules, or weren't applying techniques properly, ask the coach what YOU need to do to make sure your swimmer has the proper understanding. This might mean private lessons with the coach, or it might mean suggesting special technique days when the coach can focus on nothing BUT technique. Pay the coach a bonus for coming in extra for these. They have families, too, remember, and... this IS their job that you've hired them for. (Side note: if you send your swimmer to a summer camp or clinic, consider paying your own coach extra to provide consistent extra sessions with your team. I mean... still go to the summer camps and clinics, but think how much improved your own team would be if that kind of intense focus happened every week!)

The real Catch 22 in all of this is... If you succeed, give yourself credit. If you fail, be brave and take the blame.

Glenn Mills

Bobcats conquer Davis&Elkins

Saturday the Bobcats took on Davis&Elkins. It was a meet filled with cheering, laughing, smiling and fast swimming. The team had the chance to swim new events and race each other! It was a fabulous meet.

Thank you to Coach Lynch for hosting us and see you in four weeks at conference.

The bobcats head into the next week with four weeks till conference championships. We will begin to prepare mentally and physically for an incredible meet!

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Sportsmanship Goes A Long Way

Friday evening the Bobcats fell to the Cardinals. The athletes swam very well considering where we are in our training.

The real story is how the team came together to support WJU during this challenging time. When the Cardinals arrived to Wesleyan they were greeted with open arms. As they walked onto the pool declared they opened their eyes to see a banner saying "we love wheeling". On the banner each student-athlete and coach from the Bobcat swim team left an encouraging/inspirational message. This was a true display of fine sportsmanship. Once the meet concluded the teams shook hands and the senior class gave the Cardinals a sweet treat (cupcakes!)

I have never been so proud of this team. It brought tears to the eyes of parents, fans, athletes and coaches. A speechless moment in time!

Saturday we will travel to Davis&Elkins for competition at 2pm.

Way to go Bobcats! Actions speak louder then words.

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WVWC vs. WJU

Tonight at 6:00pm the Bobcats will take on Wheeling Jesuit University.  This meet will be an exciting meet as these two teams have history with each other.  The Cardinals come to this meet supported by their captains as they search to find an interm coach.  We want the Cardinals to know that the Bobcats support them through this challenging time. 

Please come and support your Bobcats tonight!


“Life is not easy for any of us, but what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves.”

FS3 Approved

Speedo has introduced a new championship suit, Fastskin 3, displaying several new properties which have been marketed to enhance the swimmer’s performance.  The new suit became available to the public on January 1, 2012.

The suit has been tested and approved by FINA and meets the requirements of the NCAA.  The NFHS staff has reviewed the matter to determine if the suit is in compliance with NFHS Swimming Rules 3-3-3 and 4.  The suit’s properties, as tested by FINA, meet or exceed the suit construction requirements under Rules 3-3-3 and 4 and therefore may be worn in competition.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the NFHS.

Thank you for your attention and consideration.

JT/BO:af

C:        Bob Gardner, Executive Director, NFHS

Spring 2012 Begins!

The Spring 2012 Semester kicks off today!  The students are back and classes have begun.  It was a great holiday break, but it is now time to get back to the daily grind.  There is only 5 weeks left till the Blue Grass Mountain Conference Championships!!!!!!

Academically the teams are doing great.  Last semester the women were 6th and the men were 9th out of all 19 sport teams.  The highest gpa went to women's cross country, congratulations!  This semester we are going to take a large focus on our academic standing and raise the bar.  The coaching staff expects all of our student-athletes to put their academics first then his/her athletics.  We have 5 seniors this year and some big shoes to fill going into next season.

Spring 2012 semester is going to be a GREAT start to 2012!

It sure is a wonderful day to be a BOBCAT!

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” — Woody Allen

Pizza Party!

Last night the team had a pizza party that was held by Emma Sorsaia's Grandparents!  Thank you for all of your support and generous donations!

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The Guardian Set

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Don't Give Up

After taking the New Year off to relax and recover we are back at it again.  The day began with Insanity and a FAST pool workout.  This afternoon was filled with breath control, kicking, distance, sprint and stroke. After our last workout the team had another team dinner at the Rapking House with the Howard Family.  Thank you to all of our parents for your generous support!

The snow keeps falling as the coaches design tomorrow's practices!

Keep warm and please be careful driving!