Julie Bachman and John Bradley join to discuss a proposal that fell flat at USA Swimming for short, low official count meets for 14 and under swimmers. We discuss why it’s important to innovate in the swim meet space and find a way to bring new swimmers to the sport.
From 2:19 200 IM to the Olympics: Ellen Walshe
Today I’m joined by the coach of Templeogue Swim Club Brian Sweeney. We discuss the qualification of Ellen Walshe to the Olympics at the 11th hour. We go all the way back to her beginning in the club, and further than that to the dream passed down from one coach to another to coach an Olympian.
350 Degree Post Trials Takes
Looking back on US Olympic Swimming Trials to deliver some takes on what happened. I talk about how Caeleb Dressel dealt with the weight of expectations, made some obligatory mentions of Michael Andrew, and got into the coaching staff selection:
Trials Thoughts Through Two Days
My thoughts through two days of trials. What I thought of all the qualifiers so far, and why I so strongly disagree with Michael Andrew contesting the 100 back.
Olympic Trials Mega Preview
Read the title. It is what it says it is.
Olympic Trials Wave: Paul Donovan
I’m joined by Jersey Wahoos Head Coach Paul Donovan to discuss his experience at Wave 1 Olympic Trials. We talk about the way USA Swimming pulled off a great experience, what they held onto despite Covid, and the positives of having a split meet.
Swimming Docs, Dave Geyer and Ari Pekka Liukkonen
This week Erik and Joel join me to discuss two upcoming/current swimming documentaries. We follow that by taking on Dave Geyer’s resignation from LSU and why 32 year old Ari Pekka Liukkonen only does one dolphin kick.
Michael Andrew's Legs and Euro Champs
Erik and Joel join to talk about the way Michael Andrew swims and why it makes people so upset. Then I force the guys to watch European Championship and attempt to say names they can’t pronounce.
Ryan Wochomurka Repost and Solocast
This week I am reposting my conversation with Ryan Wochomurka in the hopes that ITunes will remember to scrape it this time. Since that pod is nearly two weeks old, I follow it with some up to date thoughts from this past weekend of swimming and the state of the sport.
Hannah Burandt: Mental Health and More
My friend Hannah Burand, Head Coach of Cleveland State Swimming and Diving, drops by to talk about the "miracle baby" of a season they had and how she tackles leading a program and mental health together.
Ryan Wochomurka Takes The Reigns at Auburn
This week on the Swim Brief I have the brand new coach of Auburn Swimming and Diving, Ryan Wochomurka. We talk about his own experience swimming at Auburn and how he plans on getting off to a good start down in Alabama.
Sun Yang's Hammer, Transfer Portals and Workouts
Erik and Joel are back to discuss the potential of Sun Yang swimming in Tokyo. Then we talk about the NCAA transfer portal and share some of our workouts:
Joel’s Set
400 Free IM
4 x 100
1) fly
2) 75 fly 25 back
3) 50 fly 50 back
4) 25 fly 75 back
4 x 25 fly kick out fast flat three cycles focus on breakout
200 Recovery
300 IM as str-fr-str by 25
4 x 100 same as fly round as back breast
4 x 25 back kick out smooth transition to surface tempo for 2 cycles
200 recovery
200 IM
4 x 100 same as breast free
4 x 25 breast pullout focus on break out and three cycles high hips
200 recovery
100 IM fast
4 x 100 free set interval to be able to do as all free at last 100 of 400 Im pace
4 x 25 fast free no breath first three hand hits. Focus on breakout
200 recovery
Jeremy Kipp's Kick, Brazilian Shenanigans and Athlete Expression
This week with Joel and Erik we get into the article about Jeremy Kipp purportedly kicking a water bottle into a USC Swimmer. We follow that with the wild Brazilian Olympic 4x100 relay selection, before using this article as a jumping off for touching on the red hot third rail of sports and politics.
Relationship Between Training and Performance
This week, I take some time to reflect after a meet weekend on the relationship between training and performance. What does it mean to create a training effect? How do you make sure your training is holistic? Finally, how can and should you evaluate performance?
Gary Taylor Out at Auburn
This week I address Gary Taylor no longer coaching at Auburn, and the articles and comments left in their wake. At the end I grade SwimSwam’s article about who will take over for Gary.
Poppell and Nesty. Mission Viejo and Practice Excuses. Plus: Brent Rutemiller is a Coward
This week Erik and Joel drop in to discuss the recent coaching moves within the SEC. We then go over some highlights of the Mission Viejo meet. Finally, we talk about the top reasons we’ve heard to get out of swimming at practice.
Listen to the end where I address the pathetic way Swimming World covered the departure of Garrett McCaffrey from Phoenix Swim Club.
The Return of Matt Leach
Hot off a season where he coached the program’s first ever PAC-12 Champion, I talk to Washington State Swimming Head Coach Matt Leach.
We cover the ups and downs of the finished season, how someone goes from 23.5 to 22.1 in the 50 free in college. We also talk about quality of life in coaching and some of the recent movement around the coaching landscape.
Nikki Kett Steps Away, Self Care and WORKOUTS!
In this one, we address the decision by Nikki Kett to leave coaching at the University of Michigan before turning to our own suggestions for taking care of yourself in a coaching career.
Stick around for the end where we go through the following workouts:
Erik’s Workout:
Joel’s set:
Whitewater Pain Train
16 x 100 on 1:05.
Four in a lane. 1st person leaves on 60 second and third five a part
Four stays on side.
On the next 60 1st person dives in, the original leader is now second leaving on the interval (:05) 2nd person goes on :10, third is :15 and last person hops out.
Keeps repeating. Interval can change to whatever - math gets harder on those
So more people in a lane less breaks
My Workout:
Signe Bro
Signe Bro is a swimmer who has made an Olympic qualifying standard for Denmark and hopes to compete in Tokyo 2021.
We talk about the role her parents have played for her over her career as well as some of the ways she has learned to handle with nerves at big meets. We also talk about how she's learned to deal with more people giving her opinions on what she should do as she rises in the ranks, and pro swimming in the ISL:
NCAA One Event, Transferring to D3 and Fike's 200 PB
This week on the Swim Brief I’m joined by Joel and Erik to react to one event of the Women’s NCAA Division 1 Championship.
We then turn to the story of a swimmer transferring from D1 Arkansas to D3 Hendrix College, before giving our thoughts on James Fike crushing personal bests in his late 30s.