I am so very proud and pleased for the Lander Boys team who won their 21st consecutive state championship in February 2017, for all the best reasons: they focused on doing the best they could every day, were great teammates, and loved the process.

 It is with a heavy heart that I must resign from coaching this wonderful team in this wonderful town. It's been an honor and privilege. I'm moving for family reasons and I will join the ranks of supporters who cheer this team onward.

 I love you. Thank you. Keep doing good work. Stay in touch. Goodbye for now. xo  LT

Reading List 2017 Summer

Hi friends!
A lovely mom asked me today about books that are on my reading list for learning and thinking and coaching/parenting/managing..... I have used ideas from all these to shift perspectives to be a more effective learning, teacher, parent, partner.  So many great resources... books, TED talks, blogs... check them out.

Start with Why (Simon Sinek)  TED talk too
Leaders Eat Last (Simon Sinek)
Made to Stick (Chip and Dan Heath)
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell) and all his other books, TED talk, great stories
The Talent Code (Daniel Coyle)
The Little Book of Talent (Daniel Coyle)
The Culture Code (to be released in January 2018.... Daniel Coyle)
Mindset (Carol Dweck)
Legacy (James Kerr)
The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg)Habit
Presence (Amy Cuddy)  TED talk too
Daring Greatly (Brene Brown) TED talk too
Rising Strong (Brene Brown)
The Gifts of Imperfection (Brene Brown)
Braving the Wilderness (to be released in Sept 2017.... Brene Brown)
Love Warrior (Glennon Doyle Melton)  website and blog momastery.com
The Obstacle is the way (Ryan Holiday)
A Whole New Mind (Daniel Pink)
The Art of Possibility (Benjamin Zander)
QBQ (John Miller)

UW dolphin kick and butterfly, Phelps and Lochte

 Tight abs, small fast kick, control the upper body movement, hips up/chest down, breath/pull/kick FORWARD.

YES!

WE DID IT!  This team continues the streak to a consecutive 20 State Championships!  

People ask us, "How do you always get such a great taper?"

It's not about the taper.  It's about the TRAINING.

"What's your secret?"  No secrets.  Just need a willingness to show up, work hard, do your best.  That includes everyone on our team:  swimmers, divers, coaches, parents, pool staff. 

"You make it look easy."  Any athlete, any coach knows it may look easy, but it is NEVER easy.  A different team every year, different dynamics, different individual psychologies, different circumstances.  We give it our all, our whole heart and soul, every day.

On second thought, maybe there are a few secrets.... 

How do you create a team that feels like a family?  

How much does it take to feed 25 athletes hot breakfast every morning after morning practice and hot dinner every Wednesday evening?  

How do you motivate young men to care about each other?  

Where do you find new ideas to experiment with every year to help make a team better than it's ever been?  

Thank you Gentlemen of the Team, Parents & Families, Fellow Coaches.

Thank you for a remarkable season and the sweetest lap we ever get to swim.

What makes a team be the best it can be?

This is my team of high school boys at last weekend's Conference meet.  I'm so proud of their hard work, in the water, in school, as teammates.  Athletes, their Families/Friends, and Coaches.  Is any one part of this effort more important than another?  We need everyone to do their best for the team to be its best.   We need health, knowledge, willingness, compassion, generosity, strength, growth mindset, grit, determination, courage, heart.  

We are headed to the State Championships next week, on our quest to win #20 consecutive state championships.  This team exists in the proud tradition of all the teams that existed before.  We dedicate this year to our dear friend Bruce Gresly.

 Thank you for the honor and privilege to serve.

(Photo by Mark Crawford)

UW Sophomore Maria Harutjunjan, Breaststroker

 Mountain West Conference record, 100 breaststroke, 1:00.21, set by Maria Harutjunjan of UW.
Slicing clean, head down extreme streamline kicking into the line.  Hardly any splash.

I love watching swim video of beautiful fast swimmers because it shows me the strength and economy of motion that makes up an efficient swim.  I recommend this to all my athletes.  What do you see?

SPRINT FREESTYLE!! Caeleb Dressel, 18.23 50 Yard Freestyle

 Caeleb Dressel is a Sophomore at Florida, in prelims and finals, setting NCAA records at SEC Championships in the 50 yard Freestyle.
What do you see?
Start, underwater dolphin kicks, stroke count (8 strokes off the start, 14 the second length), straight arm shoulder-driven stroke, unrelenting monster kick?
SPRINTING!