HIDDEN TRAINING 

“Remember 4 – 20.  You will be in a coach-led training program about four hours each day.  What you do between workouts will determine your future.  Each morning wake up with a smile, do 10 minutes of bent knee sit-ups, do 3 sets of 20 pushups, do some stretching, eat a proper breakfast, wear a hat  to school, do not indulge in anything that will not have a positive influence on your body and mind, be on time to practice, work practice hard, do a little extra, and by bedtime say your prayers and be proud of your effort today.”
David H. Robertson

HEALTH AND WELLNESS-  Swimming and Diving are exhausting sports that require an athlete to take some simple precautions in order to maintain their health.  Colds and other illness do not "just happen" they can and should be prevented.  Remember, YOU and ONLY YOU are RESPONSIBLE for YOUR health.  Due to the relatively short season, any time lost to illness could be critical to an athlete's successful completion of his season.   Be PROACTIVE, actively work to avoid illness.  Listed below are several things that can be done by everyone to help prevent illness.

DRESS PROPERLY-  Swimming and Diving is a winter sport. (big surprise!)  It is imperative that athletes dress according to the weather.  Hats, while not always fashionable, are a must.  A zipped up (buttoned up, snapped up, what ever) jacket or coat is also very important.  Even a little thing like taking time to dry off completely, including your hair, and ears before going outside can make a difference.

"REST is a weapon"
Coach O 

REST-  An athlete must be careful to get proper amounts of rest on a regular basis.  The actual amount of rest needed by each individual athlete will differ.  Even an individual's needs will differ based on many factors.  It is in your best interest to develop a pattern of going to bed and waking up, at basically the same time each night and day.  Of course this is not always possible, but setting a pattern will definitely help you obtain a deeper more restful sleep.  Heavy, physical work and a lack of sleep are a dangerous combination.  A combination that can easily open the door to illness. 

 EARS- Ear infections are easily preventable.  Outer ear infections are usually caused by water in the ear canal.  The water that remains  after swimming, diving or showering can allow infection to grow in the ear.  By the time it hurts, it is too late.  BEING PROACTIVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID EAR INFECTION!  Dry your ears after every practice, bath or shower.  Use a commercial product such as Swim Ear, to help remove the water.  Swim Ear and other products like it are NOT medicine, they are designed to remove water from the ear.  Ear plugs are another way to help prevent ear infection.  Ear plugs don't work for everyone.   They can help with swimmers who are very susceptible to ear problems.  They should be used in conjunction with Swim Ear or other water removal products.  No ear plug keeps ALL of the water out of the ear.  It only takes one drop of water left in the ear, one time to cause a problem.  TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS.