Art's blog

[magic3]

Art,

I think I speak for everyone when I say what a tremendous job you have done with your blogs from Houston. Although I disagreed on a few instances with you in the last blog, I think you have a great mentality and love for the sport and that's what makes you ( I am guessing here from what you say since I don't know you and your accomplishments) a great coach.

Good job and thank you again!

[swimnomore]

Who is Art err Mike Shelby?
What school does he coach for?

[allgunsblazing]

Who is Art err Mike Shelby?
What school does he coach for?

Ashland

[ProgThink]

Art,

Fantastic job with the blog and congratulations to all of the successes Ashland (Swimmers, Paul and other coaches) had this season.

Keep up the great work.

[ArtVanDeLegh10]

Magic3,

I appreciate the compliment about my blogging. I really enjoyed writing about the meet, especially since there was a lot of really fast swimming. Maybe Greg (he runs this website) will let me write about something else sometime. I realize when you blog, you can't always please everyone, but thanks again for the kinds words.

ProgThink,

Thanks for your words as well.

[Carl Winslow]

Art,

I have been reading up on your updates in reguards to the 2009 NCAA division 2 championchips and I was wondering, based on what you saw through out the meet, which team(s) do you predict will have a breakout year and suprise division 2 swimming, and maybe even the world next season?

Carl Winslow

[Carl Winslow]

Art,

I just finished reading your Blog on overtraining. I think your best brought up point was in regards to getting rest. Many coaches, and the general public, do not take rest into consideration, wheather it pertains to lifting, running, swimming etc. I have known many swimmers who have experienced overtraining and it is a terrible and difficult event to overcome. As well as communication, i believe that trust is just as important. I would hope that all swimmers and coaches develope a trusting relationship. The swimmer should trust the coaches knowledge and experience enough not to let them aproach and fall off "the cliff." The coach should trust his/her swimmers to be honest and comfortable enough with them to let the coach know how they are feeling. I do also believe that this trust can and should come from constant communication back and forth between coaches and athletes about updates on how the athletes are feeling in and out of practice. And if the coaches are vigilant in practice and pick up on slipping performance or additude they are able to undestand that rest is just as important, if not more important than getting the work done. Without rest there can be no imporvement.

Carl Winslow

[magic3]

[quote="Carl Winslow"]Art,

I just finished reading your Blog on overtraining. I think your best brought up point was in regards to getting rest. Many coaches, and the general public, do not take rest into consideration, wheather it pertains to lifting, running, swimming etc. I have known many swimmers who have experienced overtraining and it is a terrible and difficult event to overcome. As well as communication, i believe that trust is just as important. I would hope that all swimmers and coaches develope a trusting relationship. The swimmer should trust the coaches knowledge and experience enough not to let them aproach and fall off "the cliff." The coach should trust his/her swimmers to be honest and comfortable enough with them to let the coach know how they are feeling. I do also believe that this trust can and should come from constant communication back and forth between coaches and athletes about updates on how the athletes are feeling in and out of practice. And if the coaches are vigilant in practice and pick up on slipping performance or additude they are able to undestand that rest is just as important, if not more important than getting the work done. Without rest there can be no imporvement.

[color=#00FF00]Carl Winslow[/color][/quote]

Agree. Here are a couple of quotes I've heard that relate to this topic.
"You improve when you have a good meal and sleep after the practice and not during the hard practice"

"It's better to be undertrained than overtrained"

[magic3]

I read injury blog and want to highlight what i thought was a key part of it.

"He also stated that when you’re getting back in the water, you need to stop when you are pushing it too hard. This was a major problem for him. As athletes, we all want to get better, and after an injury, we want to recover as fast as possible. But it takes time to recover. Early on, he would often push himself too hard, and cause further damage to his foot and/or shoulder, which would only set him further back. He realized that he was the only one that can determine when he had gone “over the line”—when he did too much too soon. Sometimes he pushed it “too hard” because he didn’t want to look bad in front of his teammates and coach. Looking back, he knows this was a huge mistake. Eventually, with patience, by building up both the yardage and intensity, you will recover, and get back to where you want to be."

I think it is closely related to your blog on overtraining. Swimmer knows the best when you are pushing yourself "too hard" and going "over the line". Because in essence, your body hurting after the practice is like an injury. It needs time to recover. Of course that is not going to take as long to recover from a hard practice as broken foot but it's a like a minor thing that can accumulate to be important.

I thought your questions were smart and exactly what needed to be addressed. I have seen many swimmers give up after an injury (even the very small ones) before they even jumped in the pool. Needless to say, they would end up swimming bad at the meet and in my opinion much worse than they could have had they stayed positive.

[Carl Winslow]

Art,

Just finished reading your injury message. well done.

After the onset of a sickness or an injury it is important to take a step back and assess the sitution. Thinking of a rehabilitation plan for an injury or a rest strategy for a sickness is the key to a a rapid, healthy return. The most important aspect, in my opinion, which you highlighted well, is trying to keep a positive additude. If they are getting down because they feel as though their season is ruined and there is no comming back from whatever the problem is, they have only extended the recovery process significantly. Constant updates between a coach, athlete and if possible a trainer/doctor can only help accelerate recovery time.

People get injured or sick all season long. The teams that manage these problems the best are the teams least affected by set backs at the end of the season. In the end, it all comes down to the athlete and his/her willingness to "stay the course" and be patient with themselves, as well as their injury or ailment.

Carl Winslow