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Tigers are Back in the Pool! by: Aditi Pavuluri

It’s been a strange past few months for swimmers across the country, and one of the few times in history where there have been no competitions or practice taking place. The Olympics were postponed for the first time ever, and competitive swimmers across the globe are wondering when they can start competing again. As of two weeks ago, swimmers have taken to the pool for the first time in months. To pass the time, they’ve been working out over Zoom, and doing as much work as they could while still socially distanced. By working on technique, starts, turns, and speed, the Tigers have been trying to get in as much swimming as they can to make up for lost time. It will be a fresh start for us, and a way to start using muscles that haven’t been awoken in months. And though we’ve been staying in shape, we might not necessarily have been staying in swimming shape. Getting back into the pool is something that every swimmer is having to experience, and know that we’re in this together. So right now is the perfect time to improve on something that you’ve been holding off on during competition season. Our perspective might have to change from “getting back to where we came from” to “how far we can go”. Take advantage of this new and unusual time to better yourself as a swimmer. Go Tigers!

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Staying safe during COVID 19

Stay 6 feet apart

Monthly Motivation Ready for Normal. By: Aditi Pavuluri

With half of the swimmer’s still in quarantine, And the other half trying to swim back to what’s normal, The swimming world has a ways to go before we’re back on schedule. We all have the mindset, “It’s okay that I'm not as fast as I used to be”. And that’s true. Our four months and counting journey in separation for everyone we know hasn’t been easy when it comes to participating in a sport as big as swimming. Until recently, pools have been closed, leaving many people socially distanced from their teams. This isn’t normal. If we train like we’re quarantined, have a quarantine mindset, and are completely distanced from the sport we love, then we can’t make progress. We can’t “go back to the way we used to be”. It will take training like normal (socially distanced of course), eating like normal, sleeping like normal, and working hard like normal to be ready for what’s to come. Because in the future, pools will be open, practices and meets will be back in full swing, and it will be up to you to decide whether you want to go back to being a champion. And that depends on the work you put in when things aren’t normal. Are you ready? Good Luck Swimmers!

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Getting Back to Swimming with Coach Carolina Reported by: Aditi Pavuluri

Coach Carolina (AG3) shares her thoughts on coaching after being in quarantine and gives her advice on getting back into the pool. Reporter: How did it feel to see all the swimmers after such a long time and to coach in-person? Coach Carolina: It felt great. I can definitely start with that. It felt amazing, and it was so nice just being in the same space with them, even with the distance. To just be able to look at each other's eyes, because as they got there, they had masks on was great. It was definitely so refreshing to see everybody. Reporter: Do you have any tips for swimmers who are not able to attend the in-person workouts? Coach Carolina: The best thing you can do is stay active. One good thing about our team is that we are allowing everyone to make their choice whether to attend the practices, stay on Zoom, or do both. This allows people to stay safe, and choose whatever is right for them. So I am totally on board with any of my swimmers who are not attending the swim sessions. So staying active, and doing a mix of things is great. Even I have been doing whatever I can to stay active. Sometimes I will work out with the kids over Zoom, or go out for a bike ride; just doing a variety of things is great and will keep you in overall better shape than just doing one thing. So if you have the chance to go out of your house to do something, with your parents, or people that you have been quarantined with, that is great. If you do not have the opportunity to go out, definitely exercise at home, do our online sessions. You could also look for workouts on YouTube, but I recommend our workouts because the coaches are there to motivate you and make sure you are doing everything right. Reporter: How can swimmers stay motivated and stay positive despite the challenges they may face during this time? Coach Carolina: I think that the in-person sessions are a tremendous help with that. I’ve seen some people online that started off the Zoom classes super motivated and involved, but as time went by, they slowed down a little bit. I am happy with the amount of kids that are still doing the sessions, and a lot of them are pumped, but I think the in-person sessions are keeping them motivated, because they are right there, next to their friends.

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The online environment is a little bit different because they cannot actually talk to each other all of the time, but I think interacting and staying in contact with people is really important. I do not mean through social media like Facebook or Instagram, I mean actually talking to people. If you cannot go outside with a friend, socially distant, or attend in-person sessions, at least try to have a face-to-face with other people online. Just keeping in touch with your friends is important during this time. Reporter: What do you think the future of swimming in 2020-2021 looks like, on a club swimming and on an international level? Coach Carolina: As for PTAC, I can’t promise anything right now. We’ve heard that Princeton University has closed their athletic facilities through January, so we might have to adapt. We are currently looking for places where we’ll be able to swim. Overall, in the competitive swimming world, things will slow down. I know some states are already talking about have swim meets, and holding different practices than what we have here in New Jersey. So those states might be ahead of us, and others might be behind us. I’m excited to see what will happen at the Olympics, and how that will play out as well. But I also know that those swimmers have more access to pools, and some have private coaching, which is very different than us. Fast-forward this coming year, I don’t think that there will be a lot of record breaking and things like that, but I know that we will have to do a lot of catching up to get back to where we were before. I’m hoping that our team will be able to find some pool time soon, but I’ve already heard that a few pools will still be closed, so that’s not a good sign for the future. Reporter: Do you have any other advice for anybody during this time? Coach Carolina: Yes. So one thing that we can focus on right now, something that is very important to everybody is school. Right? So considering that now, we have more time at home, if there is something at school that you might not be the strongest at, maybe now is the time for you to try to get better at it. Like for example, if you’re not great at math, or not great at writing, you could use the extra time to practice and get better. Hopefully this school year will be a little bit easier for you guys, so this way you can focus on other things as well. So try to build on some new skills, because when we get back to our regular schedules, we are ready to move faster. Same thing for swimming, we have many kids that have trouble doing planks, or doing squats, so we work on those skills during our online sessions, and try to learn how to do them correctly. So hopefully as they work through some difficulties, they can build some strength for when we come back to swimming as normal. That’s my advice!

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PTAC in person training

Coach Miles in the middle of one of PTAC’s first swimming sessions! Swimmers at the middle of the set

Pool view during practice Swimmers during dryland

The Tigers jump back into the pool for another practice!

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Coach Katyln’s Videos of the Week

How to do a Fast Flip Turn with Chloe Sutton Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eg_PX0TVQE Over the course of a “normal” practice, you could easily complete over 100 flip turns! This video demonstrates the key components of a fast flip turn: the approach, the flip, the push off, and the breakout. Two-time Olympian, Chloe Sutton, describes some important things to think about during the turn (e.g., accelerating towards the wall and rotating towards your front AFTER you have pushed off the wall in streamline). Practice makes permanent! If we focus on perfecting our flip turns, the repetitions will help the skill stick. Conversely, if we neglect our flip turns, the repetitions will allow the poor technique to stick and we will struggle to do fast flip turns when it matters most.

Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, and the greatest relay in Olympic history Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQNY5htc9_k In 2008, Michael Phelps set out to win an unprecedented 8 gold medals in one Olympics. To keep the dream alive, the American relay of Michael Phelps, Garret Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak would need to beat the top seeded relay team from France. Watch as the Americans compete in one of the most exciting races in history and hear a little about the race from the French team’s perspective. What went well? What could have gone better? You can also read about what the American anchor, Jason Lezak, saw and felt during the race ( https://www.olympic.org/news/-miracle-man-lezak-reveals-how-he-made-phelps-record-haul-a-reality)

Off the Blocks – New Opportunity with Nathan Adrian, Cody Miller, Ryan Murphy & Ryan Lochte

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0Mhu1YiUc&list=PLJUznzZd1j8VcMbzCRse7SXcC5gIOT7c1&index=2

“Off the Blocks” is a USA swimming video series that gives viewers access to the country’s top swimmers. In this episode, Nathan Adrian, Ryan Murphy, Ryan Lochte and Cody Miller, address the the COVID-19 pandemic, the swimmers’ first experience at Trials, their free time before Coronavirus to offset the pressures of training, and how they are shifting their focus to Trials next year.

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Coach Evelyn’s Nutrition Tips

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Swimming Podcasts! By: Aditi Pavuluri

To follow up on the last issue’s plethora of movies to watch, I’ve decided to recommend some equally as amazing podcasts that relate to the world of swimming! Enjoy!

Cody Miller Podcast: Cody Miller’s Podcast is an extension to his ever-so-popular YouTube channel, with viewers from all over the world. He invites some of his friends to the podcast, including Lilly King and Blake Pieroni to discuss popular events and meets in the swimming world. He discusses up-and-coming swimmers, as well as his experiences training with Indiana. Super informative and funny, as well as an overall great listen!

USA Swimming Kick Set: The Kick Set Podcast, run by USA Swimming, invites different coaches, athletes, and staff members onto the show to discuss recent swimming events, and their training and work. They also share their perspectives on various topics related to swimming, and provide insight into the world of competitive swimming on a national and international level. Kick set features amazing athletes such as Elizabeth Beisel, Missy Franklin, and Kelsi Dahlia.

The Ben and Caeleb Show: The Ben and Caeleb Show is a podcast by two best friends, Caeleb Dressel and Ben Kennedy who share their thoughts on the world around them. They invite interesting guest speakers, who have overcome challenges, and learn about their stories, while also just discussing their everyday lives. Both Caeleb and Ben swam for the University of Florida, and Caeleb went on to become a World Record Holder. This podcast is lighthearted, funny, and a good listen!

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SwimSwam Podcast: SwimSwam discusses all-things swimming, welcoming guests on every episode to get different perspectives on training and the swimming world. It is a great resource to use, especially during this time; it interviews coaches and swimmers about what everyone is doing to stay in shape for the upcoming start of swimming. Renowned coaches such as Bob Bowman and Ray Looze are on, as well as swimmers like Rebecca Soni, Regan Smith, and Caeleb Dressel. Very interesting!

Champion’s Mojo: Champion’s Mojo is a podcast hosted by Kelly Palace, a former D1 head coach, and Maria Parker, a world-record cyclist, about inspiring athletes to become champions. They interview different athletes, mostly swimmers and coaches about their paths to success and what everyone can learn from them. They’ve interviewed some of the greats, including Ryan Murphy, Lilly King, and Jason Lezak. They regularly discuss the impact of motivation, health, and wellness on swimming as a sport. Would recommend it!

F o l l o w u s o n

I N S T A G R A M t o d a y !

@ptacswimming

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