Even a casual viewing of any of the new International Swimming League races shows us an incredibly exciting and competitive atmosphere. In fact, other than the ridiculously prestigious Olympics, there’s only one other type of meet that consistently has this much excitement, this much atmosphere, and this much pure fun. And that’s almost any… Continue reading ISL, NCAA, and Their Fans Love Short Course Swimming. Why doesn’t Swimming Canada?
Author: Rick Madge
Here's my life in a nutshell.
Husband to a beautiful wife
Father of 3 amazing, grown-up children.
Electrical Engineer (hey, it pays the bills and keeps my mind busy)
Swim coach (this is where my passion lies)
Attributes: Ridiculously curious. Introverted. Pretensions of creative abilities. Reader (books not minds. at least, not that you know). Athlete (reduced primarily to swimming and cycling now). Collector (of weird, old and interesting items). Writer (primarily of boring technical reports and overly long About You blurbs)
Breathing Strategy for IMs
As any of my swimmers will tell you, our pre-race strategy talk for IM always includes discussing their energy strategy (where to swim harder), and their breathing strategy. And of the two, I think the breathing strategy is more important. The breathing strategy for single stroke events is pretty straightforward. Get into some kind of… Continue reading Breathing Strategy for IMs
7 Rules (and a Vision) For Becoming a Better Swim Parent – (2019 Version)
This is my (almost) annual post regarding the role of swim parents. The beginning of every swim season is an exciting time for both swimmers and parents. And every year, I try to make sure that parents know how they can best help their swimmers achieve their goals. And the short answer is fairly easy.… Continue reading 7 Rules (and a Vision) For Becoming a Better Swim Parent – (2019 Version)
Analysis of 2019 World Swimming Championships: Less International Parity and Less USA
In watching the 2019 World Swimming Championships, I was struck by the apparent wide range of countries that were making finals and even medaling. And, of course, I was extremely surprised at the complete absence of US swimmers in either of the 200 FR finals. Some of this was no doubt due to the… Continue reading Analysis of 2019 World Swimming Championships: Less International Parity and Less USA
What Should We Do When We Observe Verbal Abuse By Other Coaches?
If you've spent any time on deck at a swim meet, you've heard it. A coach going well over the line when talking to a swimmer. Well past any reasonable form of criticism, and usually to the point where the (young) swimmer is crying. I realize this is a highly subjective issue. What's over the… Continue reading What Should We Do When We Observe Verbal Abuse By Other Coaches?
The Surprising Role of Luck in a Swim Meet
A while ago I wrote about how the general public could be forgiven for thinking that swimming is a non-contact sport (here). After all, they only see swimmers compete in their own lane, unaware of the flailing sea of humanity that represents a typical practice pool. Well, after our last meet I found another thing… Continue reading The Surprising Role of Luck in a Swim Meet
The Incredible Power of an Always-On Video System
Two years ago we purchased our first real video system - an always-on system with a Hi-Def under/over water camera on a 10 metre cable, connected to a controller and a 55-inch Hi-Def TV on a movable cart. Without a doubt, that turned out to be the best investment our team has ever made. Our… Continue reading The Incredible Power of an Always-On Video System
Perfectionism and the Athlete
Recently, Alison Bowen wrote an excellent article for the Chicago Tribune entitled, " The overachieving generation: As millennials strive for perfection, anxiety and depression increase". It's a great read - you can find it here. While it starts off talking about a therapist, who as a boy quit the swim team due to his own… Continue reading Perfectionism and the Athlete
It’s All About the Training Progression Path
If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I have a real concern about training young swimmers too hard. I absolutely understand the temptation to get a really fast young swimmer in your squad. And in many cases, that fast young swimmer may be a coach's job assurance. But the danger to… Continue reading It’s All About the Training Progression Path
Nightmare Championships: Circulating Pool Currents and Outside Lanes
Every once in a while we hear about circulating pool currents, and how that they created unfair racing conditions. The latest problem that I've heard of is the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre in Windsor, Ontario - host to the 2018 Eastern Canadian Swimming Championships in April, 2018. Because I like stats, I decided… Continue reading Nightmare Championships: Circulating Pool Currents and Outside Lanes
Coach Rick - Mighty Tritons Swimming 