Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
Recently in Swimming Category
Goodbye Stingrays
I had to wait to write this only because when it initially happened I was bitter. I have always used this blog partially to vent and I could easily do that here. I won't. I still am bitter about how the powers that be handled it, but not nearly as much now as I was. All I will say is that about two weeks ago I was told that Stingrays Swim Club no longer wanted my services after 6 years as coach.No warning, no explanation really beyond lip service and when I was ready to talk the talking was minimal with no specifics mentioned.
It stung and all Im going to say is thank you to those who need thanking for their support and those who don't deserve the thank you's well you know who you are as well.
First I want to thank the coaches I worked with, they are second to none the best group of coaches I have been around in the 10 years or so I have been involved as a coach.
Most importantly, the kids who swam with me, this past year my group I coached grew in numbers to about 18 strong and we had 13-15 per night showing up for practices, easily the biggest group I have had since my first year. Obviousy that meant nothing to the powers that be. But to say the least when the kids are coming to practice its more fun and this past year especially was one of the best years i have had coaching period. So a big thanks to the swimmers who made coming to practice a joy for me.
Lastly, this was in retrospect a good thing. I now have two+ hours a night I didn't have before, Im still interested in coaching somewhere, sometime but not right now. Maybe in the fall, maybe I wait and see if I get a teaching position and take on coaching a high school team. Either way I will find my way back.
In the meantime Ill borrow a phrase from my friend and fellow blogger Fred Patterson of Canadian Thinker, Don't be sad it's over, be glad it happened. And at this point, thats all I can say.
Category: Swimming
The Shamrock Meet
What a great weekend! It was the 14th Annual Gold-Silver-Bronze Stingray's Shamrock Meet and officially the 6th one I have been a part of as a member of the Stingrays coaching staff and it was by far the best of the 6 thus far.
I probably could make that case every year so far but this one was different. We had the most entries in the meet, something that hasn't been the case for Stingrays in quite some time.
The parents and board put on a great meet and our athletes worked tremendously hard to get themselves ready and have some really nice swims this past weekend.
Its a long weekend, a tiring weekend but well worth it when its all said and done.
Category: Swimming
Back To The Silver Meet
The last weekend of February is a weekend I have not had much to do on in almost two to three years now. This year that changed this weekend.
One of my season goals is to have at least three swimmers from my group that I coach at Stingrays Swim Club qualify for the Niagara District Silver Meet hosted annually by The Tonawanda Titans.
This year that changed, this weekend we had what is now called the "BB Qualifier" (Double B Qualifier). Its a meet made for athletes with C (what used to be Bronze) times to go to and make the BB time cuts (used to be Silver. Well, two of my swimmers made it in at least one event each, they get bonus events so that they can swim up to three events that weekend. That meet is no longer called the Silver Meet, its now the "Niagara Championship Qualifier" held the 18th through the 21st of March, for that kids have to go A or better times.I have two other swimmers who are close in a few events as well so more are soon to come. So, for the first time in a few years I have that last week of February booked, feels good. What will feel even better is I can sleep in that weekend as my younger athletes that I coach don't have to swim until the afternoon sessions! Life don't get any better! Congratulations to my swimmers!Category: Swimming
Ithica, NY
I was out of town for the weekend for a coaches clinic by USA Swimming and the American Swim Coaches Association over the weekend. The clinic was great and very useful and can't wait to utilize the information my practices.
What wasn't great was the city of Ithica. Maybe we caught them on a bad weekend but the people there were rather rude. From nastiness in the supermarket to pushing in line at a local restaurant the citizens of Ithica didn't exactly make us feel welcome.
That said, the city itself was really beautiful. The right down led us down the east side of Cayuga Lake which was absolutely picturesque.
I am not posting much tonight but will get back into things tomorrow.
Category: Miscellaneous | Swimming
Titans Meet
I will be coaching at the Tonawanda Aquatic and Fitness Center for the Tonawanda Titans Halloween Meet this weekend. Its really our first well attended short course meet of the season.
We had a few kids swim tonight in the 200 Yard Freestyle and 200 IM. Tomorrow we have a busy day including 28 heats of 12 and under mixed 50 freestyles and 18 heats of 13 and over.
I'll post more over the weekend as able. Of course this being the Halloween Meet means its time to find some SCARRRRYYYYYY POSTS.
Category: Swimming
Stingrays Long Course Meet
If you are not doing anything special this weekend you can come check out the Cheektowaga Stingrays long course swim meet. Its the club I coach for.
Long course simply refers to the distance of the pool, Long course is swum in meters, its a true olympic size 50 meter pool. What makes our long course meet special is that it is the only outdoor long course meet in Western New York/Niagara region.
If you have a child interested in swimming its a fun one to come to and check it out. That is where I will be for the bulk of the rest of this weekend at Cheektowaga Town Park.
I still some Martin Streek clips to post that I haven't gotten to when I get a chance, hopefully for tomorrow night, just been way too busy but will make some time for Martin clips soon enough...otherwise have a good weekend BBM
Category: Swimming
Rowdy Gaines Giving Inspriation to All
Rowdy Gaines is a special story in the swimming world. He never started swimming until he was 17 after being cut from basketball, football and other sports. He eventually went on to becoming a world class Olympic swimmer and to this day he is stillactive and swimming at the master level having just broken 3 masters national records including the 200 and 50 freestyle making him the fastest 50 year old ever in both those events.
This video is of Rowdy swimming Lucky's Lake Swim in Florida. Truly an inspiration to all of us regardless of the sport, Rowdy continues to do great things in a great sport.
Reassuring News From a Class Act
I got this video from Rowdy Gaines this morning on my wall on facebook and wanted to share it all of you. Cancer sucks. A few months ago the swimming community was informed that Auburn head coach and six time Olympic swim coach Richard Quick was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Devastating for the tight knit swimming community.
Richard however is handling it the same way he has coached his entire career with dignity and class. There are two ways you can approach something like that, give up or fight it and live your life to the end. We wouldn't expect anything more from him than the latter.
If you are a fan of swimming or not take a peek at this well done video, its not so much about swimming as it is about life:
Category: Swimming
A Minor Setback in the Comeback
Today was my appointment with the orthopedic specialist and it was pretty much as expected. After some X-rays and some tests it was confirmed that I have bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome and acromioclavicular arthritis in both shoulders especially on the left.
As I was going through the tests with the Doc he was hitting the same spots that have been causing me irritation now for the last 10 years or so. I am only getting to it now because I never had the itch like I did back then to restart my swimming career or at least include it as a part of my fitness regime.
My hope was to race in a couple of 50 meter races at the Stingrays long course meet this summer, I may have to push it back to short course season in the fall.
Above is the X-ray of the anterior view of my left shoulder, you can see some involvement at the acromioclavicular joint.
6 weeks of therapy, then back to the Doc, hopefully all goes well, I got a shot of cortisone in each arm which are now aching right now.
Category: Swimming | Working out
Phelps Should Not Be Punished
Add me to the list of those who are supporting Michael Phelps after his inopportune photo-op. Im not going to sit here and say that smoking pot is okay, I, like probably 80% of us out there have tried it back in my college days and so to sit here and persecute the guy over a picture that should have never been taken in the first place and certainly should have never been published is insane and unfair to Michael.
Most of us have been there and done that when it comes to taking a huff on a joint or a bong and thats just a fact that we need to deal with.
I am not however going to stick up for the act of doing it. Michael should have been more discreet and if he didn't know the people in the house or where ever he was doing what he was doing, he should have been more careful, instead it came down to a jerkoff photographer looking to make a buck from a publication willing to ruin the life of a big star.
The photographer and the publisher should have known as well. They should have known the ramifications of taking and publishing that photo. If it was a private party or something that wasn't a high profile event then leave Michael alone.
The media also needs to back off and give it a rest. Its a huff on a bong and its not headline news and not an excuse to drag Phelps through the mud.
