Spanish Swim Coaches Convention

It was a very enjoyable three days with the Spanish swim
coaches at their annual convention. I read Spanish fairly well but I am very
rusty on my spoken Spanish so it was very interesting attending the
presentations. As long as I could read the slides I could follow along. I was
able to capture bits and pieces of information that stimulated some ideas for
me. Hopefully my presentations gave the Spanish coaches some food for thought.
I want to thank the organizers and especially my host Pablo Terradillos Suarez
for making it a great experience.

There were several presentations that stood out for me.
Maria Pelaez Navarrette an Olympian several times for Spain and a European
champion presented an overview of her career. It was very interesting to hear
the athlete’s perspective. She was very articulate and analytic in her
presentation. I would really like to see more presentations like this at
coaching clinics; I think it gives the coach important insights and
perspectives. There was a thought provoking presentation on the start some of which
I agreed and some of which I questioned. This is an area in swimming that in my
opinion has much room for improvement. I am trying to learn more about the
swim start and apply what we have learned over the years in track. Jose Antonio Del
Castillo Perez gave a very analytical presentation on the development of his
swimmer. I really liked the way he presented the interaction of all components
of training. Juan Jaime Arroyo Toledo, a Mexican coach, now at the University
of Leipzig presented his research on a contemporary model of periodization
sometimes called “reverse periodization.” I was able to talk extensively with
Juan the night before at the banquet. I think he is right on with his concepts.
I am looking forward to sharing information with him and reading his doctoral
dissertation. We definitely need more investigation in this area. I really
enjoyed the presentation on Dryland Training by Xavi Abalos Cuevas a young
coach who is really working hard to improve his craft.

For me this was another step
in my coaching journey, an opportunity to share and learn. I was honored to be
able to present to such an esteemed group. I sincerely hope there is another
opportunity to return some day. Muchas gracias por la oportunidad.