Swimming for Life

Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — The title of this article is a spin on a classic phrase that means: “It is the small, individual parts of a task that may cause most problems and difficulties.” In this article, we’re going to look at it from a more positive perspective, one that can have profound effects […]

The Devil Is In The Details

April 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Kick by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — For this month’s article, and given that Masters swim meets are finally returning to Oregon, I want to talk about the hardest opponent you will ever face. This particular person is much tougher and far more critical of you than any coach that you’ve ever had. They’ll drive you crazier […]

Your Toughest Opponent

March 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Human Interest / Motivation by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — On the surface, entering meets is a simple thing. You pick events, pay the fee, and you’re good to go! Not so fast. Over the course of my Masters swimming career, entire training cycles and seasons revolve around what you intend to do at your chosen meet(s). Broken down into […]

Meet Entries 101

February 24, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Rules by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — Wherever you may be in your swimming career and/or season, it’s important that you take time and make the effort to appreciate where you are and what you are doing, regardless of how you think you are doing. A concept that I constantly preach is the importance of viewing your […]

Enjoy the Moment

January 20, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Motivation by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — One of the most common problems that I (and probably every other swim coach on this planet) see when I’m on deck is a tendency to focus on and over-emphasize the pull, and pretty much forget the existence of the swimmer’s legs. Spinning the arms, flailing around, thrashing about like […]

Kick-Based Freestyle for Efficient Strokes and Healthy Shoulders

December 29, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Coaching / Kick by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — I would like to dedicate this article to a topic that has been on my mind for a while now: the importance of mastering techniques before learning to perform them fast. When you begin to learn a new skill or technique – be it in the pool or otherwise – […]

Slow is Smooth…Smooth is Fast

September 20, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Coaching / Freestyle by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — Since my sophomore year of high school (1999-2000), competitive swimming has played a central role in my life. That’s 22 years ago…YIKES!!! While many have been involved in the sport longer than I have, and would doubtless have many more and far deeper insights, I’d like to share some of […]

How the Sport of Swimming Can Improve Everyday Life

August 20, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — In my previous article, I gave some pointers on how to push yourself in training. We explored the concept of “I Can’t!” vs. “I Don’t Want To!” This article will dive into the other side of that coin: “Can I?” vs. “Should I?” While many athletes – especially newer, less […]

“Can I?” vs. “Should I?”

July 17, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Motivation by Kevin Cleary

Kevin Cleary — As a coach, I often hear my athletes say to me, “I can’t do this!” or “I can’t keep going!” or some other version of “I can’t!” in the middle of a tough practice. A couple of years ago, I was knee-deep in a particularly intense training session, and at […]

“I Can’t” vs. “I Don’t Want To”

June 9, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Coach's Chair / Coaching / Fitness / Health / Mental Training / Motivation / Training by Kevin Cleary