Coaches are always stealing ideas - talking to one another, trying to see what the other is doing and what they can apply in their setting. Coaches also call or e-mail to follow-up to see how their guys are doing here. Invariably, one of the differences they find is the quantity of dryland work. We do a lot but when they ask if we have a set plan or few circuits we do, I don't have an answer. Truth is, we work with college-aged males. Circuits are good, but after a couple of weeks they get bored. So we mix in a lot of things- stretch cordz, jumping, medicine balls, pilates, stability balls, abs, yoga. We've even found ways to mix no-parking signs in and of course every Carthage swimmer knows about med-ball basketball with snorkels.
Sometimes though, you've gotta cut loose. Sometimes, towards the end of the week when we're trying to get blood from that stone, we go out of our comfort zone . . . last week that meant DODGEBALL. As much as we like the rennovations to the weight room it took away our matted, enclosed auxillary gym, but we've made do with the raquetball courts this year.
Putting swimmers on land, having them throw things and crashing into walls invariably draws a crowd asking, "what the hell is going on?" At the end though, they walk with a good cardio workout, having worked their core, done some jumping and most importantly, smiling.