PARENTS

LaGuardia Aquatic Club has been established in the fall of 1996 as a year-round program for children. We started with a try-out (which everybody passed !!!) for 29 novice swimmers graduates of learn to swim classes. The team is sponsored by the Recreation Department of LaGuardia Community College and run by three professional yet volunteer swimming coaches. Since then we grew to become a well established year-round program with over 130 swimmers.

The LaGuardia Aquatic Club philosophy is encompassed in one word: RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility is what best define a human being, is what gives us the real freedom, as only when we are able to face the outcome of our acts we are truly free. It allows the individual to find the true strength of their character, to overcome set-backs, and value success. We encourage our swimmers to embrace the challenge and be prepared for the outcome not only in competition but also in any aspect of their life.

Our mission is to develop the character traits, technical skills and intense desire necessary for maximum realization of each individual's potential: We give a challenge, then support, correct, encourage, and then we challenge again.

LaGuardia Aquatic Club is a United States Swimming registered club. In this quality all its members must be affiliated with U.S. Swimming. In order to become a L.G.A.C. member any child 5 to 18 must show certain swimming ability and be willing to participate in the training sessions and the competitions scheduled by the club. The team is structured on four groups: E, A, B, and C, with C being the entry level and E the elite level.

LaGuardia Aquatic Club is proud to announce the creation of a new “ELITE” group starting with the fall / spring Short course 2005 – 2006 season. The Club structure will provide four different levels of training according with the skill level, dedication and willingness/capacity to cope with those requirements. please be advised that all requirements and hours of training will be strictly enforced.

“C” GROUP

THIS GROUP IS INCLUDES NOVICE SWIMMERS WHO WILL LEARN THE BASICS FOR ALL STROKES, DIVES, TURNS, BODY POSITION AND BALANCE IN WATER. This group has four 1 hour and 30 minutes training sessions per week, 1500 to 2000 yards each. THE SWIMMERS IN THIS GROUP WILL START TO COMPETE AT THE COACH RECOMMENDATION AND, AS SOON AS THEY ACHIEVE A “B” RANK THEY MAY MOVE TO THE “B” GROUP.

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
3:00 – 4:30 W	3:00 – 4:30 W	3:00 – 4:30 W	3:00 – 4:30 W	OFF	OFF

“B” GROUP

THIS GROUP IS COMPRISED OF OUR MOST TALENTED AND DEDICATED 10 AND UNDER SWIMMERS. THEY CONTINUE TO PERFECT THE TECHNIQUE AND THEY ARE TRAINING FOR COMPETITION. Swimmers in this group have the ability to swim proficiently all competitive strokes, as well as all starts and turns. The group trains four times per week for 1 hour and 30 minutes swimming between 2500 and 3500 yards per session. THis GROUP RECRUITS FROM THE “C” GROUP OR FROM TRYOUTS. AS THEY TURN 11 YEAR OLD, THE “B” SWIMMERS MAY JOIN EITHER THE “A” OR THE “E” GROUP.

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
6:30 - 8:00 PM	6:30 - 8:00 PM	6:30 - 8:00 PM	OFF	3:00 – – 5:00	OFF

“A” GROUP

THE “A” GROUP CONSISTS OF SWIMMERS 11 AND UP WHO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF COMPETITIVE SWIMMING. THEY TRAIN FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL COMPETITION OR TO ACHIEVE THE “E” GROUP REQUIREMENTS. Swimmers in this group have the ability to swim proficiently all competitive strokes, as well as all starts and turns. The group trains four times per week for 2 hours swimming between 3500 and 5000 yards per session. THis GROUP RECRUITS FROM “C”, “B” AND TRYOUTS.

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
3:00 – 5:00	3:00 – 5:00	OFF	3:00 – 5:00	OFF	7:00 – 9:00

“E” GROUP

“E” STANDS FOR ELITE. THIS GROUP OF ACCOMPLISHED SWIMMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE DEDICATED TO THE SPORT OF COMPETITIVE SWIMMING. THE EFFORT AND DEDICATION REQUIRED IS AIMED TO HIGH ACHIEVEMENT at REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL. This group is provided with 6 to 8 training sessions during the school year and 9 training sessions during vacation. Each session lasts for 2.5 hours and covers between 5000 and 10000 yards.

1. Essay (first time applicant): Along with the application the swimmer must provide a written essay/cover letter (2 pages minimum) explaining why he/she should be admitted into the “ELITE” group of LGAC (include what swimming means to you, why do you want to swim at the elite level, what your future goals are, and how you plan to accomplish them, your swimming experience, etc.)

2. Performance: The applicant must have a minimum of 4000 power POINTS TOTAL ANY TIME in the past year AND AN ADDITIONAL 100 POINTS FOR EACH SEASON WITHIN THE GROUP (According with the HY-TEK SINGLE AGE SCORE). THIS REQUIREMENT WILL ENCOURAGE SWIMMERS TO race in A WIDE RANGE OF EVENTS.

3. Specific knowledge: The applicant must know his/her best times, and appropriate championship cuts for the season he/she applies.

4. Goals: The applicant must provide written goals for the season he/she applies.

6. Attendance: The applicant must maintain a weekly attendance of minimum 5 times during fall/spring season, and 6 times during summer season.

7. Competition: The applicant must have attended all Championship meets for which they qualified and at least 5 meets for SCY, or 3 for LCM season in the current season.

8. Awareness and Dedication: The applicant must give all attention to the coach’s observations and always correct his/her executions accordingly; he/she must put all effort in training and conditioning, physical and mental, swim always correct and swim fast when asked.

Sloppy technique, stopping during workout, coming unprepared for the training session or bad behavior will result in the swimmer exclusion from the training session. After 3 such exclusions, the swimmer and parents must reassess their status with the coach, before the swimmer can return to training; any subsequent occurrence will result in the swimmer’s exclusion from the “ELITE” group for the following season.

	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
AM		5:30 - 7:30		5:30 - 7:30		7:00 – 9:00
PM	4:00 – 6:30	4:00 – 6:30	4:00 – 6:30	4:00 – 6:30	4:00 – 6:10

Let's Keep the Tech Suits With The Senior Swimmers
An opinion... by John Leonard
Posted: February 10, 2008

The last two weeks I have been at our LSC Junior Olympic Meet and our LSC “Division II” meet, which is a nice way of saying, “the last B meet where you can qualify for Junior Olympics”, without making any of our supposedly delicate children swoon upon hearing that they are in a “B” meet. (but that’s another story.)

One of the most disturbing trends that I have seen is age group swimmers, particularly 12 and unders and 10 and unders, in the new hi-tech suits made by all the swimsuit companies, in prelims and finals of these local meets.

First of all, congratulations to Speedo, and all the other swimsuit companies. Some have done real and very expensive research and come up with fabulous suits that clearly assist the swimmers in swimming faster...much faster. Others have simply done the “Burger King Thing”. (Burger King does little to no demographic or other studies when it locates its restaurants.....it lets McDonalds spend its money on those expensive studies and then Burger King just opens across the street from every new McDonalds....saves them a lot of money and they get there 3 months later....so what? Good bottom line approach. Trust your best competitor to do the heavy lifting.)

Now, the old man coach in me sighs at the sight of the new suits on anyone, but lets face it, they are here, they are good and they work. When it comes to setting World Records, American Records, Ugandan Records, Finlandian records, and making Senior/International Cuts, you’d better have one of these suits on, because the people swimming the fast times and setting those standards for the meets, are wearing them. If you don’t wear them, you are out of it. Unfair for you if you’re NOT wearing one.

Case in point, over 440 College Women have qualified for the NCAA Division I meet this year with the “A” cut..phenomenally fast. The biggest number in any prior year to make the NCAA Meet with BOTH “A” and “B” cuts has been 259. Every college conference meet in the country was incredibly fast....why???? .....The Suits. Again. Good for the companies, Good for the Senior/International Swimmers.

Now, we get to the Division II Age Group Meet where the goal is to swim fast enough and well enough to qualify for the Junior Olympics.

And low and behold, here are the high tech $150-$450.00 suits on 10 and unders and 11 and 12 year olds.

“B” Level 10 and unders and 11 and 12 year olds.
With some terrible stroke technique.
And going to practice 2-4 times a week, for an hour.
And not working all that well yet, in many cases.
And not paying attention to the coach all that well yet, in many cases.
And coming late to practice in many cases, because Mom and Dad don’t understand yet, the importance of being on time for practice.
And coming late to warmup for the meet, because Mom and Dad don’t understand the importance of warmup yet.

But Mom and Dad want to “support” their child, and they are told that those $150-$450 suits “work” and will make their child faster. And good parents help their child swim faster, right?

SO........”honey, get the American Express card out and lets get Clarence one of those fancy new suits, so he can beat ________.”

Meanwhile, some of those same parents are objecting when the club wants to raise dues from $50 a month to $70 a month, because the club wants to pay their coach some more, so he can get rid of that 15 year old car, and actually drive to practice in something safe. He does the teaching of the swimmers.

Some of those same parents don’t respond when the coach says “Clarence really would improve a lot faster if he came to practice 3 times a week instead of twice."

Or, “Gee, if you could get Clarence to look up from his cell-phone and text messaging when I am trying to talk to him, I’m pretty sure he’d listen and learn better.”

Or, “Please help me get Clarence to understand that hard work in practice is what will help him swim better and faster in the meets”.

Or, “You said that you’d like Clarence to turn better and can I fix that? Yes, I can, but I need Clarence to pay attention to his turns when he’s practicing if he’s to improve, and not just slop his way through practice without attention to details like turns. I’m here to teach and I need him to be here to learn”.

By buying the Tech Suit for Clarence, his parents are teaching him that you can buy the things you want in life. You don’t have to work for them.

You can simply buy speed. You can fix anything that you lack with enough money. No need to work hard. No need to Pay Attention. No need to Learn.

And, of course, reassuring themselves that they fully support their child in swimming....”you know what we did at the meet this weekend? We bought Clarence a $400 swimsuit? Can you imagine that? When I was a kid, i swam in my underwear and now my kid has a $400 suit! But boy, did it work! In his old suit, he hadn’t beaten “_______” in the 200 free all season, but with this new suit, he dusted that boy!”

So Clarence, who all season has gone 2:25 in the 200 yard freestyle, puts on the suit, goes 2:18 and qualifies for the JO’s where he puts it on again and low and behold, drops ANOTHER 2 seconds and gets to 2:16.

Hooray for Clarence! Mom is happy. Dad is happy. Clarence thinks its pretty cool...for about 10 minutes, until he gets out his $200 cell phone and goes back to texting his friends. Since he’s really more into that than the swim meet, or swim team, or practice.

Lets say Clarence goes to a meet, (a regular, ordinary, one session age group meet) about two weeks later. Mom says, “oh honey, you did so well in your new suit, put that on again and lets see you GO!”.

So Clarence does. and surprisingly, he just goes about the same time...and actually, it maybe took some more work to get there. And his next swim is worse. And the one after that is worse still.... Clarence is disappointed. Mom and Dad are disappointed.

Coach walks over and says “let me see that suit. How many swims have you worn it for? Twelve? Well, these things wear out you know...they’re only good for just so many swims before they no longer do what they did do.”

“I said, these tech suits are not intended to be worn all the time. The material fatigues, wears out and you need a new suit if you wear it very often”

At this point it dawns on Mom and Dad that another $400 suit is going to make this a pretty expensive swimming month. And they haven’t even paid their club dues yet. Or their entry fee escrow account. And they are $800 in the hole.

Mom puts her foot down. “No more tech suit. Back to the jammer. We’ll buy you the tech suit for Championships only.”

So two weeks later, Clarence goes back to his next age group meet, in his old jammer. And his 200 free slips back to 2:23. Long face on Clarence. Long face on Dad. Mom says, “maybe you’re just not cut out for this sport”

“or maybe your coach just didn’t prepare you properly for this meet”. Or, “he’s not really a very good freestyle coach anyway, did you see Clarence’s stroke fall apart in that 2nd 100, honey?”

Clarence says to himself (or maybe even out-loud) “I can’t swim fast without the suit.”

What is lost in all this of course, is that the reason his parents got Clarence into swimming was to make him more “fit” and “healthy” and give him a chance to “compete” and “learn to work for things” and be part of a good group of hard-working, dedicated kids.

What Clarence and his parents should have been doing is working to improve his practice attendence, his love of the sport itself, his ability to focus and learn, and his technical swimming skills...his strokes, his starts, his turns. His improvement should have been coming from “real stuff” and not a $400 swimsuit.

Then when he dropped to 2:23 from 2:25, it would have been a real improvement and everyone could have been happy and he would have been ENCOURAGED to work harder, pay more attention, and focus on the tasks he needed to improve.

Ban the suit for age group competition. Nothing below the knee nor over the shoulder in any competition except Senior/International Swimming events.

Keep age group athletes focused on improvement coming from hard work, more practice, more attention in practice and quality coaching of good strokes, starts and turns. The real stuff. The right stuff. The only stuff that matters.

And make a rule to do this. Not just “an agreement among coaches”. We know there are always renegades who will do whatever a parent wants to get their kid to swim fast...whether a $400 suit or a hypodermic needle full of HGH.

Its like the arms race....if Johnny has a $200 suit, then Clarence has to have a $400 suit.

The problem is not with the suit manufacturers. They’re in business to make money. And by getting senior swimmers to do marvelous times, they do that.

But lets not allow commercial considerations to DESTROY the purposes of age group swimming.

Again, Applause to Speedo and the others for a job well done. Let the suits do their magic at the Senior/International Level of swimming. At the age group end, the magic is in the process of working and learning.

A parent's attitude toward swimming, the program, the coach, and his child's participation, is key towards the child success. The young swimmer takes cues from his parent. If the parent shows by word, fact or expression that he does not value swimming, that he doesn't appreciate having to drive to practice or sit in the stands during meets, that "it's not going to matter" if a child skips practice, that morning practices are "optional", and that the child would be better off with extra sleep, then the chances are very good that the child will lack commitment, have little success, then lose interest in swimming. Support your child's interest in swimming by being positively interested.

Failure isn't such an evil thing that parents should try to shield their kids from it. Allow them to fail, then teach them to get up and try harder to succeed the next time. If parents are continually sheltering their children, cushioning every fall, making excuses for them, finding someone else to blame, the children never learn anything. Even worse they never learn that they are responsible both for their failures and for their successes. Just allow them to stand on their own.

If you try to temper your children's dreams, and teach them to settle for ordinary, you may save them from many headaches and failures. But you also prevent them to achieve great things. Winning big means failing many times along the way. Each failure hurts, but these temporary setbacks create the strength for the final push. Instead of having children avoid failure, teach them how to think correctly about failing: risk taking and failure are necessary for improvement, development, motivation, and long term success.

It is expected that every parent wants his child to succeed, wants his child to have a good and learning and valuable experience with swimming. Every child can succeed, just make sure you define success correctly: being the best you can be, striving for improvement in every aspect of swimming.

One day, a few years ago, a club board member accused me of "having favorites" on our club team. Several other parent board members nodded their heads in agreement. The implication was that this was a terrible sin. When I was a younger coach, I thought it was terrible also. And he was right. I did have favorites. My favorites were those athletes who most fervently did what I asked of them. Those that did, I gave more attention to. I talked to them more. I spent more time teaching them. I also expected more of them.

The implication that he was making was that my favorites got better than others because they were my favorites, and that was somehow unfair. He mistook cause for effect.

The fact is, that the athletes who came to me ready to learn, ready to listen, ready to act on what they learned and try it my way, even if it was more challenging, more difficult than they imagined, were ready to get more out of our program. And they were my favorites.

As a coach, I have only one thing to offer to an athlete. That is, my attention. Which means that I attended to their needs. The reward for good behavior should be attention ... attending to their needs. The consequence of inattention, lack of effort, unwillingness or unreadyness to learn or just plain offensive or disrupting behavior is my inattention to that athlete.

How could it be other than this? If you have three children, and you spend all of your time and energy working with the one that is badly behaved, what does that tell your other two children? It tells them that to capture your attention, they should behave badly. What we reward is what we get.

As a coach, I want athletes who are eager to learn, eager to experiment, eager to improve, eager to work hard. I want athletes who come to me to help develop their skills both mental and physical, and are willing to accept what I have to offer. Otherwise, why have they come to me? And I am going that athlete with my attention. In so doing, I encourage others to become like the athlete above. If I spent my time with the unwilling, the slothful, the disruptive, I would only be encouraging that behavior.

The link I like to forge is between attention and excellence. Excellence in the sense of achieving all that is possible, and desired. My way of forging that, is to provide my attention to those who "attend" to me. This does of course result in increased performance for those that do so. I am a professional coach, and when I pay attention to a person, that person is going to improve. Over time, this makes it appear that my "favorites" are the better swimmers. Not so at all. The better swimmers are those that pay attention, and thus become my favorites.

What Dad didn't realize is that you must have favorites if anyone is to develop in a positive fashion. The coach's job is to reward those who exhibit positive developmental behaviors. Those are my "favorites" and they should be.

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