It's kind of cool when a team starts to gel. Right now at T2, our Senior Performance group is starting to make practice (and soon, meets) an experience that goes deeper than times and performance stats: it's starting to become a TEAM.

Over the last week I have felt it. I know many of us have felt it. It's awesome to look forward to seeing each other at the pool, and knowing that we can all simply be who we are and be celebrated for it.

We have many different personalities on the team: people who go to different schools, have different interests (other than swimming fast), and who carry themselves in different ways. Also, we have many different needs in terms of training -- and a very big group. We have some real speedsters who do very well with one type of work in the pool, and some definite distance swimmers who do well with an entirely different type of training -- AND we have an equal amount of athletes who are right in between and have done/will be doing a mix of a few types of training.

As a coach, to put you all in a position where you can train yourselves to success, I have to treat you all like individuals as much as I can. I have to put you guys into two groups, sometimes three groups at practice -- creating a literal division in the team. It's a potentially dangerous situation I'm creating here, but one which I can see we've all started to grasp and thrive in.

Today we had some real breakthroughs in practice. There's no way I can list all the kick time improvements, but here are a few: (Some of these are HUGE drops!)

Aidan: kicked a 33 with a board (previous best was 37)
Jack: kicked a 34 with a board (I don't know your best Jack but that's gotta be up there).
Katie K: kicked a 34 with a board (I've never seen her under 38 or 39).
Brandon: 27.9 on his back fly kick (get ready for 25+)
Ridge: 28.0 on his back (after a 12.9 this morning underwater)

If I'm missing some standouts (I know there's a few), let me know so I can put'em up and give the recognition deserved...there's so many of you and the times are coming down in groups -- not just one person here and there. That's something I've figured out about you guys, you have each other's back. As soon as there's a new person in the group they are immediately accepted and supported as a member of our group. What a great place to be.

Signing off for now!