Coach's Corner
RCST Coaching Staff
Mike Kernodle: Head Coach; Intermediate; Junior; Senior Coach
Jeanne Burgin: Assistant Coach; Developmental Age Group Coach:
Her name is Jeanne (pronounced like the French name Jean (as in Jean-Claude Van Damme) Burgin. She is in graduate school at UNC-Asheville and travels to the UNC-A campus once a week for now. This changes when the semesters change. She teaches at Polk Middle School and lives in Rutherfordton. She is from Louisiana. She got married and moved here just one week before Katrina hit Louisiana. Her family still lives in the New Orleans area. She is a runner. She had hoped to run a marathon but found running on concrete to be hard on her body and now she is trail running and hoping to run a half marathon trail run. She runs about 8 miles most days. She has been swimming in Henderson County and found that program to be very large in comparison to our group. Please, take the time to meet Jeanne while at the pool. She is going to work with the beginning swimmers teaching fundamentals of competitive swimming and stroke basics. It is obvious from the response of the young swimmers that they really like her. Come say "Hello"!!!
Home of the "Raiders"
Why Swim???? (Click and Read)
"Champions take risks; Pressure is a privilege"!
- Billy Jean King
So why do I consider this an important idea for swimmers? Who is Billy Jean King? Well, let me identify Billy Jean King, first.
She:
-Had The National Tennis Center at the US Open named after her.
-The US Open was the first Grand Slam
tournament to award equal prize money to men and women, thanks in large
part to her efforts.
-She has a total of 39 Grand Slam
titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
-She and Martina Navratilova share
the all time record for Wimbledon titles (20)
-She is the founder of World Team
Tennis
-She is a co-founder of the Women's
Sports foundation
-She is one of the original members
of the Virginia Slims women's tennis tour (Now the Sony-Ericsson WTA Tour)
Each of you, as young athletes, put your selves in a position at every meet to test what you have learned, how well you have practiced, how strong your bodies are, in relation to other athletes. You have been given the privilege to make that demonstration. The circumstance is the pressure and the opportunity is the privilege. Why not see it for what is is; a chance to be great; to weather the storm and let you true colors come shining through; to stand head and shoulders above the drab humdrum of daily life and fulfill your potential?
I will continue to pressure you to be your best , and to do your best is actually a privilege or an opportunity.
“To be a great champion you
must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.”
––Muhammad Ali
Goal Setting:
I - Set Long Term Goals
II - Set Short Term Goals
III - Set Objectives
IV - Prioritize the Objectives
V - Define and Detail
VI - Do It
VII - Evaluate
Things to consider:
1. Write in your journals!
What are your personal goals? How do you plan to achieve those goals? Reflect on practices, swims, meets, attitude, and goals. Let your journal be your map to success. Look back at failures, struggles, successes, and assess your progress in light of your goals. What do you need to work on? How can the coach help you to be more successful?
Remember Goals may be as simple as mastering a turn, swimming a particular stroke successfully for a given distance, or just mastering a simple drill. Short term goals are the stepping stones towards larger, long term goals.
2. Find a balance!
School is in session. Exercise is refreshing. Let swim practice be a chance to flush the tension and stress of school and your studies. Aerobic exercise produces endorphins, the original "feel good" chemical. Exercise, become aerobic, produce "endorphins", relax, then finish your school work. It really does help with concentration and focus.
3. Reflect on the Olympic Experience!
Michael Phelps, Ryan Lockte, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol, Peter Vanderkaay, and the other 17 men; Amanda Beard, Natalie Coughlin, Katie Hoff, Dara Torres and the other 18 women were all children when they began. Some were as young as 5 while others were older. Their success is a cooperative effort of parent and child; to be where they need to be, when they need to be there, and doing everything necessary to insure success. Many sacrifices were made by both parent and swimmer. Just look at Michael Phelps' mother if you need an example. But upon reflection, everything was worth the effort.
You may never be an Olympian, but you will develop an extremely close relationship with your parents, and your success will be reflected in your work ethic, your attention to detail, your focus, your willingness to work hard, and finishing what you start!!!
Coach "K"