October with the Pios!

The month of November will be a big one for Lewis & Clark swimmers.  Our dual meet season kicks off next week and competitions abound.

For now, Halloween is almost upon us and I think it’s time to take a look back at the past weeks of awesomeness that is Pioneer Swimming!

We are seven weeks into our collegiate season.  Swimmers are training hard in the pool and weight room.  The soreness going around is the product of vigorous exercise and Coach Ange’s strength and conditioning routines downstairs.  We are also seeing some real speed cropping up in our workouts.  Our coaches are pretty stoked for how our athletes look in the water and even more so for how the team is functioning as a family and community in the early season.

Last Friday we dove into competition with the annual Orange & Black Meet, our intra-squad extravaganza.  Race distances are non-standard and there is even a 100 Kick event.  Orange and Black teams were relatively evenly matched, with event wins bouncing back and forth throughout the meet.  In the end, Black edged ahead for a final score of 99-82.

The Orange & Black meet is a fun way to kick into racing mode and get our team cheering ramped up heading into our competition season. 

That same Friday night, several Pios ventured out to a haunted corn maze on Sauvie Island just outside of Portland.  They were in for some scares, some laughs, a few chainsaws, and a lot of mud.  The corn maze has become something of a tradition and one of the many things our team likes to do together.  This, I think, is something that makes for a great team environment.  There are enough activities and outings that there is something for everyone and they can have a lot of fun together when they choose to hang out, without feeling like it’s all required.

Saturday night it seemed like half the city came to campus to see Bill Nye “The Science Guy” live in our gymnasium.  Most of our team was there, along with Coach Sarit and I, plus several swimming alums.   

To our campus community, Bill Nye is pretty much a rock star.  Two of our swimmers, Libby and Momo, got invites to the VIP meet-n-greet with Bill beforehand.  Pretty great night at L&C!

That’s a glimpse into October.  Now we kick into another gear as the team starts hosting and traveling to swim meets.

Tomorrow is Halloween—huge deal on campus—and Saturday is our annual Alumni Swim Meet for Homecoming weekend.  Stay tuned for more swimming action and more fun!

Roll Pios!

New Strength and New Thoughts

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “With a new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

Beginnings are fantastic and motivating.  They burst wide-open with possibility and can even feel a little intimidating. 

It’s the time of year when things can go in the most directions.  We lay a foundation year upon year, but a fresh season means the chance to focus our pursuits and create new opportunities for our team. 

Incidentally, the first morning workout of the season is also the one I worry most about my own alarm going off as planned.  As a coach, it’s hard to preach that being on time means being early if I’m still tucked comfortably in my bed when the swimmers are spilling sleepily out onto our pool deck for workout.

Luckily, I’ve hit the point in my career where, often as not, I wake up just before my alarm.

Monday was the big first day.  Morning workout to which our swimmers arrived early.  We had a quick talk about key points.  Then everyone in the water smoothly with no stragglers.

And the fun begins!

Coach Sarit and I got to watch all our freshmen in the water with their new teammates for the first time.  The build-up is over and the season is going.  It goes quickly.

AM swim and PM introduction to the strength program with Coach Ange in Pioneer Strength and Conditioning.   Some soreness was surely brewing for the next few days because the team got a good dynamic warm-up out on the patio and then jumped into real work in the weight room.

Now, four days into our season, we still see smiling faces and good energy as we build into our training.

We have great weeks ahead!  Possibility is high, attitudes are good, and opportunity abounds. 

As Tom Petty said, “The future was wide open.”

Stunning Campus Seeks Students...

The Lewis & Clark College campus is in peak form as we await the arrival of our students en masse next week. 

Let's be honest, our campus has a hard time looking bad, but  the tail end of summer has made for some stunning scenery.  It takes but a stroll outside to stumble into paradise.

This time next week our freshmen will be moving into their dorms, unpacking, and forging friendships that will last them through college and across decades beyond. 

Our incoming swimmers have great attitudes and high hopes for their new team and their whole L&C experience.  Those of us who have spent many years here are prepared to do everything we can to make that a reality. 

College and collegiate sports are about providing opportunity.  I know our students will make the most of the opportunities they pursue. 

The adventure is everything that happens along the way!