Hey JD Orange,

I am so proud of how well we did at our first JD meet at WRASA especially since the pool we swam in was actually 30.5 meters instead of 25 meters! I can’t wait for the upcoming meets and I hope to see more of you guys racing. Since the weather was so nice the last few weeks I decided to shift our focus to dives. These coming weeks we are going to work on breaststroke so make sure you guys are coming to as many practices as possible.

Upcoming Events:

1. Schedule Change – the schedule changes June 28th so make sure you go check to see the time changes.
2. Canada Day – Hope to see lots of you guys coming down to show your team spirit and Canadian pride in our float for the parade, details about time and place are in the notifier.
3. Movie Day – We are going to see Incredibles 2 in the theaters this Monday at 1:15pm (July 2)
4. Emmy’s Awesome Super Fun Summer Spectacular! (Buddy Breakaway) – While the parents are at Pub night we invite all the kids to a night of fun with the coaches.

Super excited for July, it’s gonna be a fun one!

Coach Gabe

Hi Kigoos,

It’s hard to believe we are already at this seasons halfway point!

Great job at Super 7 everyone! I’m so happy with the performance from the Intermediate Red’s. The hard work they have been putting in, especially over the last two weeks, is clearly paying off! I was happy to see so much positivity from the swimmers who participated in longer races, as well as positive self talk from the group overall. We have been talking about seeing the connection between hard work and improvement, as well as concentrating on the present moment before racing, not focusing on the past or future. I hope to see these practices continue!

This week we are going to continue our work on breaststroke. Last week we focused on bringing the legs back to create a narrow kick and I saw many improvements in kick size. This week, we will build on this skill by working on the speed of the kick. To maximize the most power in breaststroke, the swimmer must kick their legs down and together quickly while their shoulders lunge forward in the water. In order to achieve the correct timing and maximize this motion, the swimmer must quickly bring their legs behind them to kick before the shoulders enter. This requires a very fast kick with the feet flexed outwards to generate propulsion. Rebecca Soni has mastered the quick narrow breaststroke kick- watch how she does it here.

This week, we will also be working on backstroke starts. To set up for a strong backstroke start, the swimmer must position their feet about hip width apart, with the toes just underneath the water. Next, they pull themselves straight up with their head in a neutral position and the chin up. Once elevated, the swimmer throws their arms and head back, with their back arched in an attempt to avoid contact with the water until the hands enter. From here the swimmer straightens their back, enters a tight streamline and prepares for fast underwater dolphin kick. Here is a video demonstrating a slow motion backstroke start.

Finally, congratulations to Alex Y for being our week eight swimmer of the week! Alex is one of the most consistent workers in the group. She arrives at practice everyday ready to work hard, take feedback very seriously, and be a leader and friend to all other members of the group. Alex had a very successful meet on the weekend, achieving a new PQT and posting an impressive 100 fly time of 1:20 (only 4 seconds off the div. 5 PQT which she is still three years away from.) Way to go Alex!

Hi Kigoos!

I was very impressed with the level of team spirit and sportsmanship displayed by all the Kigoos who attended the Poco meet last weekend! I hope everyone is excited for the Super 7 this weekend. With over 150 Kigoos signed up, it should be a great weekend of racing!

The Intermediate Red’s have spent a lot of time working on butterfly and I am so happy with the improvements the group has made! Our goal was so learn how to stay relaxed when swimming butterfly. We spent one week working on the chest press to elevate the hips, one week working on butterfly breathing (keeping the chin low and breathing quickly) and finally, we practiced pulling with the elbows high. I have seen many improvements in both technique and attitude surrounding butterfly! One of my favourite moments last week was hearing one the the intermediate swimmers say to their lane mates, “butterfly is actually really fun once you learn how to relax.” I hope to see these improvements continue as the season progresses.

This week we have been focusing on breaststroke kick. We are practicing lifting the heels and pulling the legs back behind the body to create a narrow and efficient kick. While the kick is important in all four strokes, whip kick accounts for nearly 80% of the propulsion in breaststroke, making a strong kick essential for fast breaststroke. A strong breaststroke kicker is one who can pull their legs back and keep their knees at or inside their hips. This is important to reduce drag, but also to allow the kick to be initiated with the forward lunge of the upper body. When a swimmer lacks hip flexibility, they kick with their knees too wide which limits their ability to initiate the kick fast enough to maximize propulsion. In order for breaststroke to be most efficient, the kick should be initiated prior to the shoulders entering the water, with the knees in and the feet flexed. I encourage the swimmers to always work on their flexibility and practice pulling their legs quickly behind them in breaststroke kick for faster swimming.

Finally, congratulations to last week’s swimmers of the week, Madeleine F! Maddy has shown improvements in her training, and has impressed me with her attitude and effort during longer sets. She is always encouraging to everyone around her, demonstrating great sportsmanship. Maddy showed perseverance at the Poco meet and posted a significant best time in her 50 free to win the event. Great job Maddy!

Looking forward to a great weekend!

See you at the pool,

Emmy

Hi JD blue swimmers and parents,

For the past few weeks we have been working lots on breaststroke. Remembering to kick with flexed feet, and not share our ice cream. During the next few weeks we will continue practicing breaststroke, as well as work on under waters, and dives.  It has been great seeing so many of you at meets, and I encourage everyone to come to as many meets as they can. They are a great place to practice swimming, and gain confidence in the pool. Everyone has been showing so much enthusiasm at practice, and putting in 100% effort, which I love to see.

Keep up the great work!

Coach Erika

Hey JD Reds!

Awesome work these past two weeks! Last week we started working on fly as well as focusing on breakouts off of a dive and this week we began practicing IM turns and longer distances in preparation for racing 100 IM at meets. I am very happy with the level of effort everyone has been putting in at practice as well as the great attendance we’ve been having.

Next week we will be focusing on improving our dives, turns and underwaters which will help us get best times! I also want to mention that morning practices are really good opportunities to get more one on one time with a coach as there is usually a smaller turnout. I love seeing the energy and positive attitudes the JD Reds have been bringing the practice!

Keep up the great work!

Coach Lucy

Hey JD Oranges,

This week we have been working on backstroke and some more freestyle, hopefully over the next two week we can get dolphin kick and a little breaststroke kick down. I’m really happy with the attendance at practices, but I really hope to see more of you guys at the weekend meets. Our first JD only meet is June 20^th so I hope everyone is getting super excited!

“There are always going to be obstacles that come in your way, stay positive”

– Michael Phelps

Coach Gabe

Beep Beep Hello Sr. Reds!

 We have completed the first two meets of the year and we are on to a good start! Everyone showed great racing passion, grit, and determination. WAY TO GO EVERYONE! Naturally, though, there is still more work to be done.

 Just a reminder as we are all passionate athletes and evidently want to improve in every event, which is a great attitude to have, we must not forget to trust the process. It is important that we reflect and learn crucial lessons from our mistakes to improve. Like having better underwaters, breakouts, and working on technical aspects each swimmer knows they need to work on. It is more than ok to have these little mistakes now, so we don’t make these little mistakes when it will really count the most – at Regionals and Provincials.

 Moreover, I want to give a couple of academic and athletic shout outs to the following swimmers. I want to congratulate Elizabeth L. and Ashely M. for making Team B.C for the Canada Summer Games! Academically, I want to congratulate Dakota and the JD coaches: Hailey, Sophia, Lucy, and Erika for graduating this year. Furthermore, I want to congratulate Lucas Y. and Nic K. on their academic awards this year at school. This shows how the Kigoos kick butt in and out of the pool!

I wish everyone senior the best of luck with their upcoming exams. Let’s keep up the great work!

Best,

MJS