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Hamptons Challenge Race Report

Posted by Freda Rosso at Aug 1, 2005 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
On Friday, July 29th I flew up to Long Island to participate in the 2nd Annual Hamptons Challenge ECORA point series OC-1/OC-2 race. Although the logistics of getting to the Hamptons were challenging, overall the weekend was well worth the trip. Danny Ching and Johnny Puakea attended the weekend festivities and provided a clinic after Saturdays race. Danny Ching is an amazing paddler. I watched him finish the men's race well ahead of the rest of the paddlers and when he was paddling on the right side his ama rarely touched the water. The clinic was very helpful. Johnny Puakea reinforced what Walter Guilde said last year about the need for a slow relaxed return in both OC-1 and OC-6. Caroline Brosuis demonstrated that on Sunday when she concentrated on relaxing and slowing down her return which helped lengthen her stroke and she finished 5 minutes faster on the same race course as Saturday. Most folks were slower on Sunday but not Caroline. All in all it was a pretty amazing weekend watching Danny paddle and having the opportunity to be critiqued on video by Johnny and be able to ask his advice. Tori and Pat worked very hard to pull off an ambitious schedule of races and clinics and the ECORA community should give them a big round of applause. Freda
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Good Teamwork

Posted by Freda Rosso at Jul 25, 2005 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
Introduction
The following is excerpts from an article written by Rick Newkirk. Rick is the founder and Head Coach of the St. Louis Comets AAU Girl's Basketball Club. Although it discusses basketball it is applicable to all team sports.
Mental Attitude
What makes a good player great? Sound basics? Size? Strength? Shooting ability? Speed? I believe its Attitude. The ability to except situations and make them work in their favor. Losers never seem to know why they lose. They blame the referees for bad calls, the gym conditions, the court surface, their teammates, etc. Winners on the other hand play above the problems. A wise man once said, " It's not what life hands us, but what we do about it". I was once asked, what is the most important measurement on a basketball court? With out a doubt, it is the six inches between your ears. Winning and losing comes down to who can stay focused. Great players never let their opponent or outside conditions control their game. They are mentally tough, mentally conditioned. Its easy to get frustrated when pressure and mistakes happen. The more you dwell on it, the more mistakes you'll make. I cant count the times I've seen a player get the ball stolen and then commit a personal foul because they were out of control, or becoming outraged because someone was talking about their ancestors. If an opponent can pull you out of your game, who wins?. Once you're mad, you're though! Referee calls, turnovers, Fouls, missed lay ups, are like the Civil War. Once they happen, they become HISTORY!
Conditioning
Stay in shape! A hero is no braver than the ordinary person, but they are braver five minutes longer. Spend as much time caring for your body as you put into your game. Eat well, get the correct amount of rest, run three times a week, most of all stay away from drugs and alcohol. working out on your own isn't easy, but as Coach Lombardi said, fatigue makes cowards of us all. To lose a contest because you run out of gas in the fourth quarter is unforgivable. If you lose a contest, make sure it was because they were better players, not in better shape.
Teammates
Strong players criticize themselves, not their teammates. Everyone has room for improvement no matter what the level of play, and talking about someone else's short comings never helps improve your game. Take an interest in your squad and friendships will grow along with the success of the team. Remember, there is no "I" in team. It takes five players working together to become successful.
Leadership
Never be afraid to take charge. When a teammate gets down pick them up with some encouragement and get it back on track. At practice be the first one on the court and the last one to leave. Talk on the court, direct traffic, let people know when someone is open or when there is a flaw in the defense. What you see plain as day may be hard for someone else to see. Never take any opponent for granted, respect every ones ability. Be a player who says "can" not "can't". Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Be a total player!
Final Thoughts
Play hard! But never take yourself so serious that you forget to smell the roses. Enjoy the game, many lessons about life are taught from your adventures on the hardwood. Take what it has to give you and apply it to what life throws your way. Remember, we cannot always control what goes on outside, but we can control what goes on inside. Be mentally tough, Never let what happens during a contest take you out of your game. Concentrate on what is important, experience, learn. Be the best you can, and the best will come back to you. Champions are made, never born. Ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
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Training Cycle Information

Posted by Freda Rosso at Jul 25, 2005 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

The training year is divided into 6 phases as follows:

  • Phase 1 - 16 weeks - Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan
  • Phase 2 - 8 weeks - Feb, Mar
  • Phase 3 - 8 weeks - Apr, May
  • Phase 4 - 8 weeks - Jun, Jul
  • Phase 5 - 8 weeks - Jul, Aug
  • Phase 6 - 4 weeks - Sep

This assumes that the competition climax will be in August


The objectives of each phase are as follows :

  • Phase 1 - General development of strength, mobility, endurance and basic technique
  • Phase 2 - Development of specific fitness and advanced technical skills
  • Phase 3 - Competition experience - achievement of indoor objectives
  • Phase 4 - Adjustment of technical model, preparation for the main competition
  • Phase 5 - Competition experience and achievement of outdoor objectives
  • Phase 6 - Active recovery - planning preparation for next season

Congrats to Rusty for finishing 3rd Masters OC-1, Kyle for finishing 1st Open Surfski and 2nd overall and Freda for finishing 2nd Masters OC-1 at the East Coast Outrigger Championships in Milford, CT. The eight mile out and back course had the unique feature of having a head wind for six miles of the race. Caroline Brosius from WCC finished first overall Womens OC-1 and Andrey Drachenko also from WCC finished first overall Mens OC-1. Rusty's brother Rod also raced surfski and finished 2nd Masters surfski. Special thanks to the MAPA cheering section Leza and Amy. It's a long drive to Milford, CT but the chicken in Greenwood, Delware is well worth the trip.
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Liberty Challenge Race Results

Posted by Freda Rosso at Jun 28, 2005 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )
There is a link on the NYO site for results from this years Liberty Challenge.