April SW Magazine A Voice for the Sport: Perseverance is the Basis for Success

PHOENIX, Arizona, April 5. The April issue of Swimming World Magazine is now available for download to Total Access Subscribers!

On pages 8 & 9 of Swimming World Magazine, A Voice for the Sport. Perseverance is the Basis for Success. By, Brent T. Rutemiller. Without perseverance, success is rarely achieved. By nature, our sport demands perseverance. It is the fundamental lesson that all coaches teach and hope that their athletes practice in life. Coach Jim Wood of the Berkeley Aquatic Club has personified perseverance.

Without perseverance, success is rarely achieved. By nature, our sport demands perseverance. It is the fundamental lesson that all coaches teach and hope that their athletes practice in life.

Jim Wood, head coach of the Berkeley Aquatic Club and former president of USA Swimming, has personified perseverance in his 10-year odyssey to build an aquatic complex in New Jersey.

Coach Wood bought a dream back in 2004 when his team purchased one of the two 50-meter pools that were used for USA Swimming’s Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Calif.

Upon completion of the Olympic Trials, the athletes went to Athens while the warm-up pool went to New Jersey. For 10 years, parts for the 50-meter pool sat in a New Jersey warehouse as Wood went from township to township, shopping for land to build an aquatic complex.

Each prospective site met with obstacles such as environmental and zoning issues. Along the way, Coach Wood met many agenda-driven bureaucrats and New Jersey politicians who were opposed to the land usage. Each step forward was followed by a few steps backward. At one point, thieves even stole parts of the pool out of the warehouse for scrap metal.

Plain and simple, after years of impact studies, citizen votes, referendums, public debates and hundreds of thousands of dollars, the pool did not have a home. Coach Wood’s vision was no further along than the day the pool was purchased back in 2004.

Nobody would have thought less of Coach Wood if he gave up his quest, especially after a brief bout with cancer and a heart scare. He must have made a promise either to himself or to his team that he would never give up.

The most important lesson about perseverance is not to give up because success may be just around the corner. For Coach Wood, that is exactly what happened when word circulated that his hometown of New Providence, N.J. (three miles from his current location) wanted to approach HIM with the necessary land and support. On March 4, 2014, the New Providence City Council unanimously approved a resolution for the Berkeley Aquatic Club to build its facility after a decade of frustration.

Coach Wood had previously looked at property in his hometown, but nothing was for sale at the time. Basically, the town was off his radar. But as fate would have it and because people were following his story, as soon as property became available, he was contacted. Berkeley Aquatic Club will now be converting a 40,000 square-foot building into a brand new aquatic center.

On top of converting the building to house 25-meter pools, a swim school, aqua therapy pool, dryland training area and meeting rooms, they will also be building an adjacent 26,000 square-foot facility to house the 50-meter pool for long course training. All told, there will be nearly $15 million invested in the project, and if you ask me, the facility should be named the Jim Wood Perseverance Aquatic Center!

The journey is over for Jim Wood, but his lesson now lives on for his athletes: “Persevere because success may be just around the corner.”

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Curious about what you’ll find inside the April issue of Swimming World Magazine? Watch this month’s Inside Swimming World video to find out!

April Swimming World Magazine Table of Contents:

On The April Cover by Shoshanna Rutemiller
The Characteristics of a Champion. Despite double knee surgery in October 2012, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo returned to competition and promptly earned double gold medals at last summer’s World Championships. Despite double knee surgery in October 2012, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo returned to competition and promptly earned double gold medals at last summer’s World Championships. Next up: a golden opportunity at Rio in 2016 (Photo by Kaitlin Kelly)

08 How to Execute the Back-to-Breast Rollover Turn Legally by Jeff Commings
The “rollover” transition turn from backstroke to breaststroke in the individual medley is one of the fastest ways to switch strokes. It also may be one of the most difficult, though with proper daily practice and supervision by a coach in the early stages of learning this turn, you’ll be an expert in no time!

10 Dryland for Kids: Waiting on Weights (Part III) by Michael J. Stott
In the final article of Swimming World’s three-part series on dryland training for developing swimmers, Richard Hunter, 13-14 division director for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, provides a general Dryland timeline for age groupers.

14 Swimming Technique Misconceptions: Freestyle Head Position by Rod Havriluk

16 Goldminds: The Performance Partnership by Wayne Goldsmith Swimmers, coaches and parents are the necessary components to be successful in swimming.

18 Cesar Cielo: Keeping His Eyes on the Prize by Shoshanna Rutemiller

21 Cesar Cielo’s Favorite Sets by Jeff Commings

22 2013 Top 12 World Masters Swimmers of the Year by Jeff Commings, Emily Sampl, Hideki Mochizuki, Julia Danilova and Jason Marsteller

31 Top 10 Triumphs & Tragedies by Chuck Warner
Beginning with this issue and continuing monthly through January 2015, Swimming World Magazine will count down the top 10 triumphs and tragedies in the history of swimming. This month: #10 Mark Spitz—An Unlikely Conqueror.

36 Behind the Scenes of the USSSA by Adrienne Koch
The core purpose of the United States Swim School Association is to provide resources to assist members in achieving their goals in the swim school industry. This mission has been successfully achieved for more than 25 years.

38 Dryside Training: No Exercise Equipment? No Problem! by J.R. Rosania Here are six great bodyweight exercises to strengthen your swimming…no gym necessary!

39 Ask Dr. Shannon by Shannon McBride Here are four stretches you can do before a workout when time is limited. They work the many major muscle groups used by swimmers.

40 Nutrition: Portable Snack Recipes “Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-the-Go Food for Athletes”

41 Q&A with Coach Arthur Albiero by Michael J. Stott

42 How They Train Joan De Lucca by Michael J. Stott

DEPARTMENTS
06 A Voice for the Sport
44 Up & Comers
45 Gutter Talk
46 Parting Shot

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