Swimming World Presents “Special Sets: Season-Long and Championship Prep for 10-and-Unders with Dory Halbe”

Special Sets:
Season-Long and Championship Prep for 10-and-Unders

with Dory Halbe

When an elite swimmer shines, sunlight occasionally falls on the athlete’s coach. In the ensuing excitement, what is often overlooked is the contribution made years earlier by the 10-and-under coach who set the foundation for success and possible stardom by teaching proper mechanics, motivation and a love of the sport.

Before beginning at Nation’s Capital Swim Club in 2011, Dory Halbe was a breaststroke and sprint freestyle standout at American University. Gone and not forgotten, Halbe still holds individual school records in the 50 and 100 free, 100 breast and 200 IM, and owns a share of the 200 free and medley relays. These days, she coaches at NCAP’s Georgetown Prep location.

“10-and-unders, in my humble opinion, is the best age to coach,” she offers. “They take it just seriously enough that you can challenge them in practice, but yet still get them to have fun and engage in silly ways. As a 10-and-under coach, you’re basically teaching swimming—all of it from the stroke to lane etiquette. 10-and-unders need consistency, repetition and fun. The sets that follow are not typical ‘sets,’ but more concepts and challenges that we like to give them in practice in preparation for a meet.”

“We start out with a week in every stroke. We begin with free and back for two weeks, then move into breast and fly the following two weeks. Drills all focus on body position first, then full stroke,” Halbe says.

Sample Set: Drop-Out 50s

“We got this set from Yuri Suguiyama when he was with us. These are 50s free starting on the 1:00 with the interval dropping down :01 every time. I have a laminated sheet that indicates when swimmers leave. When swimmers miss the interval, they sit out and put fins on, then go again.” (See the “Drop-out 50s” chart for intervals starting at 1:15 down to :26, and when to leave.)

Special Sets sample chart - Drop out 50s

To access Dory Halbe’s full list of sets for 10-and-unders,
check out the Special Sets article in the March 2019 issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!

Swimming World subscribers can download this issue in the Swimming World Vault!

[PHOTO CREDIT: PETER H. BICK]

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FEATURES

016 BUCKLE UP!
by Dan D’Addona
It has been four in a row for the Longhorns, but last year was the closest yet—with no less than three teams having a mathematical shot to win the team title heading into the final relay! Expect more of the same at this year’s men’s NCAAs.

020 STILL STANFORD
by Dan D’Addona
Stanford dominated last year’s women’s Division I NCAAs, and even though the Cardinal are favored to win their third straight championship, this year’s meet should be different.

023 ELITE TO REPEAT?
by Andy Ross and Cathleen Pruden
In NCAA Division II and III swimming and diving, the same elite teams seem to battle it out for the national championship each year. Both the Queens women’s and men’s squads have realistic shots at winning five titles in a row at D-IIs, while in D-III, Emory’s women will be looking for their 10th straight title, and Denison’s men are poised to win their third championship in four years.

026 BLUE-COLLAR SWIMMER
by David Rieder
Cal’s Andrew Seliskar has put in the hard work to enable him to swim at a higher level. He loves the sport, and he knows that if he wants to be successful at swimming, he has to be fully invested into it.

COACHING

010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: GUS STAGER
by Michael J. Stott

014 SPECIAL SETS: SEASON-LONG AND CHAMPIONSHIP PREP FOR 10-AND-UNDERS
by Michael J. Stott
When an elite swimmer shines, sunlight occasionally falls on the athlete’s coach. In the ensuing excitement, what is often overlooked is the contribution made years earlier by the 10-and-under coach who set the foundation for success and possible stardom by teaching proper mechanics, motivation and a love of the sport.

030 WHAT COACHES CAN LEARN FROM SWIMMERS (Part 1)
by Michael J. Stott
At first blush, education might appear to be a one-way street. Teachers teach, students learn. Same with sports—coaches give instruction, athletes absorb and, hopefully, execute. But time on the job often reveals a different dynamic. In the first of a two-part series, Swimming World shares epiphanies where swimmer interaction fundamentally altered coaching behavior.

040 Q&A WITH COACH JEAN-PAUL GOWDY
by Michael J. Stott

042 HOW THEY TRAIN: MADDIE KAUAHI
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SERIES—DUMBBELLS
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

045 UP & COMERS: DANIEL BRANON
by Taylor Brien

COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS

008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 BEYOND THE YARDS
019 OFFICIAL WORD
025 DID YOU KNOW? TRACY CAULKINS
032 2019 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY
044 HASTY HIGH POINTERS
046 GUTTER TALK
048 PARTING SHOT

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