NEW MEANS OF CREATING GUTTER TALK

Sorry it took so long Junior!

But now it's here, and will be added a bit differently!

Just got back from the USAS convention with the rest of the Indiana Swimming delegation. Lot of meetings. Lot of work. But rejuvenating as well!

Priorities: Many coaches have to step back from the sport and how much work they are putting into their coaching and their team, and put more of their energies into their family and other aspects of their lives. I think this is probably true for most professions.

One thing I have always tried to do was maintain a balance away from the sport, and thus my chosen profession.

I spend time fiddeling with computers a lot the past 5 years or more. Re-building them, tinkering with them, and re-selling them. It keeps things in perspective, and also has taught me a lot about patience, design, and yes even swimming!

The form factor of a computer has not really changed much over the past 20 years. I am a MAC guy full time now, with one window$ machine used for Hy-Tek team management program. Although the form factor hasn't changed much, the speeds have changed dramatically.

Ironically I have one of the computers I first used back in the early 80's, which had a scanner, web camera and many of the devices used today, on a much more advanced scale. But the foundation was built 20 years ago, and simply improved over the years.

Since the 80's our sport has seen numerous changes, and yet much remains the same! Swimmers still need to get in the water and swim. Swimmers still need to work hard.

So, what has changed? Suit materials have, but so what, I don't believe the materials make that big a difference. Watching the Olympics, you saw every imaginable suit manufacturer with numerous results.

Swimming styles, and techniques also varied greatly, as did successes for different countries. The USA still dominates, and the foreign athletes that won medals, a LOT of them trained here in the USA with college teams.

It is a new quadrenniam(is that spelled correctly?), and all new goals and sets of swimmers will aim for 2008 as "their" year.

So, what was the final thought behind this entry? I'm not sure. Maybe it's remember your roots, remember what has worked over the years to be successful. I think it is still fairly simple....work hard, work consistently, and you will be successful, in ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Best of luck to everyone, and see you on the pool deck!!