Pacific Coaches Conference

Opening Comments

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Acknowledgments My coaching background Transition from Westmont Swim Club (mid distance program to Fox Valley Swim Team) Title for the talk today.

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Selecting and Working with Staff Members

Club goals and type of team, now and future plan. Decisions made by the direction of Head Coach/BOD.

Traits I look at when adding staff. The same goes for BOD members.

Roles of Assistant Coaches and how they change.

Fox Valley Coaching staff profile

Selecting Assistant Coaches

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Character Personality Creativity Knowledge- What is your specialty Mutual Respect Kindness Trust Dedication Fun, Laughter Longevity with the program Diplomacy Can you teach/coach Energy Tradition Excellence Communication Skills Leadership Passion

Traits I Look For:

Fox Valley Swim Team

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Dave Krotiak- 31 years coaching, Age group- Senior and National Level, IL BOD SR Vice Chair 8 and under: Lauren Gary- School teacher, coaching 8 years, and four years head park district coach Megan Tillston- school teacher, coaching 1 year, and 5 years lesson program Meghan Mason- just started- no one loves swimming more 9 and 10: Jan Jensen- 30 years coaching Cathy Wilkens- 8 years coaching and school teacher Devin Kummer- 5 years coaching and runs a park district pool for 3 years 11 and 12: Jason Niforatos- 10 years coaching and school teacher Jan Jensen- 30 years coaching Ashley Cusack- 2 years coaching and school teacher Jim Paejko- “Man of Many Talents,” 12 years coaching and mechanical engineer 13 and 14: Len Penkala- 20 years coaching and school teacher Ashley Cusack- 2 years coaching and school teacher Senior: Dave Krotiak Chad Allen- 12 years coaching, current H.S. Boys Head Coach, Aquatic director, and school teacher Brandon King- 2 years coaching and current H.S. Girls Head Coach Len Penkala Jason Niforatos 9 and 10 Blue Gr: Gretchen Parejko- 12 years coaching, school teacher, and Head H.S. Track Coach 11 and 12 Blue Gr: Dave Krotiak

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Developing National Level Talent in Multiple Age Groups

Keep it Simple!

Organizational structure to business plan now to future Goal setting athletes, staff, BOD, team and beyond Changing athletes perspective and expectations Competitions and camps Technique, technique, Technique Pyramid training schedule Dryland to strength training Using resources outside your club

Developing Sprinters

• • • • • • • • • Optimum body position per movement Distance per movement x rhythm x speed (stroke rates) x power Graphing out the race design What I look for when training, different coaching positions on the deck Perspective to changing perspective Using the stop watch to get stroke and kick rates Kicking, volume, intensity Breast technique and speed work Freestyle technique and speed work

Test Sets

There are three test sets I like to run in three week patterns beginning in the second month of the season. These sets are modified one month prior to tapering by cutting the volume of the set in half. Depending on the athlete’s development and events the taper period is two to four weeks. These sets are listed below. 5 x 100’s Here’s how I work it. First, we start out by only doing three to establish the athlete’s fastest repeat time doing the same stroke, athlete’s choice. Second time we do all 5x100’s based on the 3 x 100’s. The goal is to make all five as soon as possible! Once an athlete misses the interval they have to rest five seconds and then try to make the interval time even if it’s the last one. Each time they make an additional hundred on the interval it’s considered a success. When making all five the athlete and coach chose a faster interval for the next time based on making only three out of the 5 x 100’s. The last time we do the set in the last month of the season we only do three! Reason for the set: to build mental toughness and build second half speed in 200 meters events. 10 x 50’s Kicking on 1:30, one minute rest and then 2 x 50’s on 2:00, followed by 4 x 25’s on 1:30. The athletes chose their best stroke with a kick board or not. The goal: hold fastest repeat time for all 10 x 50’s, on the following 2 x 50’s the athlete tries to drop two seconds off of the 10 x 50’s best repeat time, last are the 4 x 25’s is power and production so the goal is to take the best average time of the 2 x 50’s split it in half and drop two more seconds on ALL 4 x 25’s. Athletes working without a board have a great opportunity to work on their kicking underwater on these sets! Last month of the season we do 5 x 50’s, then 1 x50’s, and 4 x25’s. Reason for the set: develop explosive kicking underwater and above. Huge motivator for other kick sets! Two Sets of 4 x 100’s on 2:30, two minute rest between sets with a loosen fifty: goal is to repeat the athletes shaved and rested back one hundred of their goal two hundred race. Then move to 4 x 50’s on 1:30 right after the last one hundred sendoff: goal is to repeat the athletes shaved and rested back fifty of their goal one hundred. Last month of the season we do only one set of 4 x 100’s and 3 x 50’s. Reason for set: targeting second half sprint speed of races. Also during this time I’m taking stroke rates and measuring distances off the wall. In addition, daily work on 15 yard blast outs both kicking and swimming. Submitted by: Dave Krotiak

Fox Valley Senior Dryland Program

This is a dryland program I started in 2003 to help develop our athletes due to a lack of pool time to remain competitive during the Spring. The goal at the time was to increase our strength, cardio, agility, and over all athleticism. It became much more! What I started with was two minutes cycles per exercise, and forty-five seconds rest. After a few years it developed into three minutes and thirty seconds per cycle, and thirty seconds of switch time. Now included in the switch time was a set of either ten: push-ups, squats, or abs exercise.

Dryland Program: Stations

STATIONS:

Medicine Ball: with a partner, two hand chests throws, standing Russian twist, woodchopper, overhead throws, etc.

All Out Med Ball Throw Against Wall: athletes throw the ball against the wall as hard as possible twenty seconds on with ten seconds rest.

Abs: crunches, toe touch (L position), bicycles, penguins, 45 degree twist-feet up.

Rope Climb, 25 Feet: athletes try to make as many cycles as possible. However, when an athlete stops on the rope they must come down. Variations: arms only, arms only with L-position, arms only three up - two down repeat going up the rope and down (very hard!)……just for fun do it in an “L” position.

Abs Station Roman Chair: athlete is in a machine with no weights, thirty seconds on and off- knees to chest, knees right side than left side, move form 20 degrees to “L” position. Pull Ups: ten at a time, some athletes will need assistants to reach ten straight. Doing as many cycle’s as possible. Regular, with towels, hands wide, side to side over bar.

Tubing From Pull Up Bar: butterfly pulls, chest press, rotator exercise, triceps extensions. This is low stress!

Med Ball Abs: five – six athletes in sitting position with feet up in a circle playing catch. Two athletes catch both in sit position, than one standing-and one sitting.

Squats: eight–ten squats resting fifteen seconds. Two push-ups/two jump and streamlines repeating ten times, resting twenty seconds.

Jump Ropes: consistent pace for the cycle. More advance athletes changing speed every twenty seconds.

Cardio Room: stationary bike and running machine, stair stepper, and elliptical.

Coaches Challenge: at the end when all cycles are complete there is always one more team challenge! This could be on the ropes, sand bag race, stair run, etc. Usually, fun and rewarding.

Submitted by, Dave Krotiak