All swimmers need to be brining water bottles to practice.  Hydration is very key in athletic performance and even the smallest amount of de-hydration will affect performance.  While athletes are swimming, they don't feel like they are sweating or losing fluids due to being in the pool.  If you can encourage your swimmers to continually drink water during practice and always have a water bottle.  

Water is the preferred mode of hydration during practice.  It has the fastest absorption rate and is most beneficial way to replace that lost water.  Sports drinks are great for after and before practices to restore the used glycogen. 

Here are some tips from Jackie Berning, PhD, RD, CSSD Associate Professor/Chair of University of Colorado.

Sport Dietitian:  Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians 

How much water should athletes be drinking?         

 Before –        Drink 12 to 20 oz -- 2-3 hours before         

During–        Drink 6 to 12 oz  every 15-20 minutes        

After–        Drink 150% of sweat losses–        Drink 3 cups (24 oz) for every 1 lb weight lost through sweat–        Two gulps are about 3 ounces–        Replace 70% of what you have lost before next practice         

Thirst is not an adequate indicator of fluid needs       

Wait to drink until you thirsty it’s too late      

As little as a 2% weight loss as sweat will affect performance    

 If you drink to satisfy your thirst it’s not enough

Welcome all swimmers and families!

It’s great to see so many new and old faces on the pool deck. I look forward to putting some of the area’s best swimmers all together to make some great relays and some fast swims.  As we move through the first couple of weeks of practice, here are a few ideas and tips that will not only make your swimmer’s experience enjoyable but will help you get the most out of DCAC.   Please make sure the swimmers are arriving on time.  Swimmer with long hair need to be wearing swim caps, this not only helps keep their caps on when diving but it keeps the pool clean.  DCAC caps are for sale through apparel.  

Soon we will also be competing in our first USA meet.  We will have an opportunity to sign up for USA Swimming USA swimming is another opportunity for the kids to work on best times!  More information is available on the DCAC website (dcacswimming.org) and you can come to the Wylie pool on Wednesday September 16th @ 6:00 to turn in your information.   The coaching staff has selected USA meets that DCAC will be sending a coach.  I strongly encourage swimmers to participate in these USA meets only.  It is important that swimmers have a coach to supervise and encourage the kids at the meet.  USA swimming is available for all experience levels of swimmers and is a good way to compete against swimmers around Michigan.  This is also our big fundraiser in November.  The Red, White and Blue USA meet on November 13^th – 15^th is the ONLY fundraiser we ask our membership to participate in.  Look our soon for opportunities to sponsor, volunteer and make this a successful meet! 

While watching every practice is not recommended, I do invite you to visit practice once a week to see what we are up to!  Come introduce yourself at the end of practices and meet the entire coaching staff.  We have a very experienced group of coaches that possess a wide variety of swimming experiences.  You will see the Piranha Bites, A and B groups working through the 4 competitive strokes as they correspond to the dual meets and the C and D groups working through challenging advanced workouts.  Coming on deck also ensures you are getting all the announcements, signing up for volunteer positions and getting the swimmers signed up for dual meets.  

I will be using this link on the website as a team blog to get out information about what our team is doing.  Along with those updates, race technique, nutrition and other important swimming information will be put up here to help you and your swimmers achieve their goals!

So on behalf of the entire coaching staff thanks for joining up with this huge swim family and I look forward to meeting you all!  Get ready for some fast swims throughout the year!

Dave Gendernalik

Head Coach