OTC Recap
In preparation for Championship season, SMAC traveled to Colorado Springs to visit the Olympic Training Center February 23rd-26th. A jammed pack 4-day training trip which included 6 - 2hour LCM pool sessions, 4 classroom meetings, and, 2 strength & conditioning sessions. When swimmers weren’t training, they spent time eating together in the cafeteria or playing cards in the dorm halls.
In the pool, swimmers continued preparation for their championship meets by splitting into stroke groups in the morning sessions and focusing on speed & power in the evening sessions. In between practices, swimmers enjoyed the cafeteria which was in walking distance from the pool & dorms.
The 4 classroom meetings were led by USA Swimming staff. The four topics that were covered: Safe Sport, USADA, Above The Line, and, Nutrition. Safe Sport presentation covered a wide array of topics like bullying, reporting, and, finding trustworthy people. USADA presentation covered drug testing for elite athletes, what supplements are permitted, and how to be smart about what athlete’s are ingesting. Above The Line presentation went over characteristics that are “above the line”, such as the work ethic, attitude, and, determination, of an elite athlete. Athlete’s learned how they can make their teammates better and push others to be “elite”. The final presentation covered Nutrition. What to eat, when to eat it, how much water to drink, and how to fuel like an elite athlete. Swimmers walked away from the presentations inspired to apply the knowledge they gained and share it with other teammates.
At the gym, swimmers pushed through a couple of dryland circuits that consisted of lower body, upper body, and core exercises. The OTC gym has a ton of different equipment that the swimmers were excited to experiment with.
The camp finished with a final dual meet competition. On the final day, before heading to the airport, swimmers were divided into to teams for one last competition. The teams had to come up with a team name, dual meet lineup, and team cheer. Coaches kept track of times, placing, and team scores. Swimmers got into it and cheered hard for every swimmer. After a grueling 4-day camp, swimmers still managed to achieve 9 best times!
Overall, the Olympic Training Center was an unbelievable experience for both athletes & coaches! We are very fortunate to be able to experience the training center where all the greats have trained!
GO SMAC!
