These clinics, led by 5-time Olympian (two as a swimmer and three as a coach) Brett Hawke will address mental preparation and habits for age group swimmers to perform at their best on race day.

In the pool, swimmers 11 & under will work on technique for faster starts, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts. Swimmers 12 and over can participate in two sessions. One session will focus on starts, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts. The other session will focus on race strategy and your swimmer's mindset during practice and races.

Scroll down for more details on the curriculum and sign up today.

Suggested Participants

SAVE: Sign up before prices increase or the sessions fill up. Sessions will have no more than 36 swimmers.

This swim clinic is for swimmers with at least one year of competitive swimming experience. Swimmers younger than 8 years old are not recommended.

Curriculum

SESSION 1 & 2: STARTS, UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING, BREAKOUTS, AND MINDSET

The start is your opportunity to cover as much ground as possible in a very short period of time, with great efficiency and momentum heading into your underwater kicking and breakout. There are countless intricacies to performing a start and you only get better with practice. Olympian Brett Hawke will share his experience on how he found time to practice and improve his start both in and out of the water and teach your swimmer some of his most effective strategies to execute this explosive and athletic movement.

STARTS: How you set up on the block including proper hand and foot placement can allow your swimmer to launch themselves forward with a lot of explosive power. Brett will work with each swimmer to find their best position on the block as well as how to drive their body forward extending into a tight streamline and enter through a small hole to eliminate as much drag as possible as they enter the water.
UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: The not-so-secret weapon of elite level swimmers is their underwater dolphin kick. If done correctly, swimmers should actually go faster underwater than on the surface! Brett Hawke will work with the participants at this session to establish a strong streamline and then create a whip through their body to generate more power in their underwater dolphin kicking.
BREAKOUTS: Practice techniques to help your swimmer improve how they carry momentum from start, into the underwater dolphin kicks, and then to the breakout by timing the first stroke and staying streamlined. Your swimmer will practice keeping their head down and core engaged and it'll make a big difference in their breakout!
PRE-RACE MINDSET: Very often the most important component to a race is a swimmer's mindset right before they step up on the blocks. No matter how physically prepared a swimmer is, if they don't have the right attitude, they won't swim fast. Brett Hawke has not only competed at the Olympics himself, but he has also coached swimmers to the Olympics. He will help your swimmer set themselves up for success for every race through their mindset.

SESSION 3: RACE STRATEGY AND DISPOSITION

There's more to racing fast than just getting in the water and swimming. Both physically and mentally swimmers must be strategic in how they plan out a race. This session is all about finding the proper pacing through understanding the variables of length and tempo as well as how to find and maintain the proper disposition in both big races and hard practices.

RACE STRATEGY: There is a simple way to think about speed in swimming: your stroke length plus your tempo will equal your speed. The ultimate goal is to maintain the longest strokes possible while also having a fast tempo, but for many swimmers as they stroke faster, their strokes also get shorter which slows them down. At this session, Brett Hawke will work with swimmers to pace their race with the right length and tempo to maximize speed.
RACING DISPOSITION: What does your swimmer think about during a race? This is something that varies from swimmer to swimmer. Going into a race with a plan for where to keep your mind can help a swimmer stay focused and motivated throughout, even through fatigue.
PRACTICE DISPOSITION: Every practice is an opportunity to get better, but is your swimmer treating it that way? Staying present throughout practice and intentionally focusing on technique and splits will accelerate a swimmer's improvement. Brett Hawke will help participants not only get more out of every practice, but they might also learn how to better enjoy going to practice.

ASK QUESTIONS

Swimmers and parents are invited to ask Brett questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into his training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.

WATCH THE CLINICIAN

Practice a progression of drills designed to help your swimmer feel and understand the components of fast racing.

PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST

Swimmers will get to practice what they've learned by taking their stroke to top speed with one of the best swimmers in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.

Take a photo with Brett, get autographs, and a gift from TYR Sport!

Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!

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