{"id":316070,"date":"2018-07-03T07:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-07-03T14:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=316070"},"modified":"2018-07-03T09:11:34","modified_gmt":"2018-07-03T16:11:34","slug":"what-makes-the-western-slope-league-feel-like-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/what-makes-the-western-slope-league-feel-like-family\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes the Western Slope League Feel Like Family?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commentary by Bailey Duran, Swimming World Intern.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Colorado Western Slope League is a small swim league in Western Colorado that takes its swim community to another level. Gordon Gerson<\/strong>, coach of the Aspen Swim Club<\/a>, says the Western Slope League<\/a> is unique because it “covers a lot of square miles with a lot of small teams. There are year-round teams with national-caliber swimmers in combination with a lot of summer teams as well. Our goal is to promote the sport to the benefit of all from that very diverse set of teams.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Western Slope is different from other leagues because all of the teams work together to help the league as a whole and each other to be successful.<\/p>\n

Products of a Tight-Knit League<\/h2>\n
\"swi

Photo Courtesy: Bailey Duran<\/p><\/div>\n

Although the league is small, its members are diverse. Those who qualified for the Olympic Trials train alongside summer-leaguers, and many swimmers from the Western Slope League have gone on to compete for a variety of colleges, including Harvard, the Air Force and the Coast Guard to name a few.<\/p>\n

Because most of the teams are small, some coaches wanted their athletes to get exposure to practicing with more kids, other coaching styles, and making friends with other swimmers in the league. Thus, Peak Week Training Camp<\/a> was created.<\/p>\n

Peak Week Training Camp<\/h2>\n

The camp was established in the early ’90s by coaches Dale Leonhart<\/strong>, Chuck Cary<\/strong> and Silas Almgren<\/strong>. Almgren – who has been coaching for 29 years and currently coaches the Montrose Marlins<\/a> – is still involved in the camp today.<\/p>\n

Peak Week Camp had humble beginnings in Summit, Colorado but now takes place at Colorado Mesa University<\/a> in Grand Junction, Colorado. The camp has been in Grand Junction for six years and is now offered during the winter in addition to summer to break up the monotony of holiday swimming.<\/p>\n

\"WSL

Photo Courtesy: Bailey Duran<\/p><\/div>\n

Cole Peterson<\/strong>, a 17-year-old swimmer from Aspen Swim Club, has attended a total of nine camp sessions so far in his swimming career and has been forever changed by his experiences:<\/p>\n

These camps are a unique opportunity for me and other swimmers from the entire western half of Colorado to train as a collective group, rather than as separate teams. We push each other to do better as teammates rather than competitors. Some of the best coaches from around the state come together to combine training methods and offer unique advice to every swimmer at the camp. They give a week of their lives to coaching swimmers they may barely know and may not swim for their teams. The sets and practices are often grueling, but when you look across the pool and see everyone else going through the same pain, it makes you train harder and brings the group closer. I\u2019ve personally met some of my best friends at these camps. Ultimately, after five days, we are in much better shape (albeit utterly exhausted), we\u2019ve made new friends, and we\u2019ve become better swimmers. It\u2019s a huge effort on the part of the Western Slope League and its incredible coordinators. The fact that the league is so small but so invested in their athletes is crazy, and I wouldn\u2019t be where I am today without its support and commitment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Suzi King<\/strong>, one of the coordinators, has been helping to organize the camp since 2009. She points out that because of the collaboration of teams and coaches at the camp, these 60-plus swimmers become like a big team at meets, cheering each other on and celebrating each others’ accomplishments.<\/p>\n

Peak Week became possible because the Western Slope League and Colorado Swimming contribute $5,000 to the camp every year so that swimmers can attend camp without having to pay astronomical fees.<\/p>\n

Swimmers stay in the dorms at CMU with access to an amazing coaching staff, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, and nightly activities. Some of these events including the following: movie night, scavenger hunts, a trampoline park, bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, and river rafting.<\/p>\n

Why Coaches and Athletes Alike Love Camp<\/h2>\n
\"swi

Photo Courtesy: Pam Christianson<\/p><\/div>\n

Coach Martinek of\u00a0Durango Swim Club<\/a> says, \u201cI love that it brings all these teams together that compete and allows them to step up in practice to race the kids they compete against at meets. I love that kids hear feedback from different coaches. I think it helps with the process of learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coaches at this camp are volunteers: they do not get paid extra to conduct this camp. However, their investment pays out through learning from the other coaches and helping all the swimmers become the best that they can be. Coach Martinek’s advice for his swimmers is this: \u201cBe patient, work hard, and it’s going to pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fourteen-year old McKenzie Rion<\/strong> from Durango Swim Club has been swimming for seven years and swam at her first camp this year. She said, \u201cI love the swimmers on the Western Slope League. Everyone is so supportive of each other and wants everyone to succeed.\u201d She also pointed out that she was able to learn so much from the other coaches and that their different styles and approaches helped her learn why it is so important to work hard in practice.<\/p>\n

Rion also said, \u201cthe coaches at camp have influenced my swimming exponentially. They have all taught me to swim with purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Coach Almgren loves most about this camp is that \u201cwe [the coaches] can bring kids and coaches together and genuinely collaborate. We want the best from the swimmers and are not guarded to share ideas between coaches and their athletes. We share collectively in everyone\u2019s successes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emily Driscoll<\/strong>, an 18-year-old swimmer from Aspen Swim Club, says: \u201cCamp is a rare opportunity for all of the swimmers of the Western Slope to bond. The Western Slope is like one big family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coach Gerson says that this camp is different from most other swim camps, because most other camps are technique-focused, while \u201cthis camp focuses on both technique and a peak training experience. We also believe there should be a lot of fun, so ultimate frisbee, trampoline park, movies and laser tag are regular staples. More recently, rafting, roller skating and climbing walls have made an appearance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swimming to the Next Level Together: One Big Family<\/h2>\n
\"swi

Photo Courtesy: Western Slope League<\/p><\/div>\n

At Peak Week, swimmers also get the opportunity to push themselves beyond what they thought they could do with the encouragement and instruction of the camp\u2019s coaches.<\/p>\n

Peterson said that the biggest thing that he has taken away from camp is that you leave knowing you are capable of more than you think:<\/p>\n

The third day is usually when exhaustion starts to kick in, so the coaches usually write the hardest set for that day. There\u2019s a point where your brain tells your body that it can\u2019t go any harder; that it just isn\u2019t happening today. And then you see someone else right beside you and think, \u2018Okay, if they can do it, I can do it.\u2019 You push yourself harder. Your brain will try to stop you long before your body is ready, and it\u2019s hard to figure that out unless you push past it. The camp gives people the opportunity to do more than they think they can, which I find to be an extremely valuable experience.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not only do they train hard to be able to swim faster, but they also make friends with other swimmers in the league. These friendships don\u2019t just stay at camp, either. It is not uncommon to see a Western Slope swimmer racing at a big meet with swimmers from Durango, Aspen, Montrose, Cortez, and Grand Junction all cheering them on and congratulating them afterwards. The swimmers also know that they can talk to any of the coaches to get pointers.<\/p>\n

Learning Life Lessons from Coaches<\/h2>\n
\"swi

Photo Courtesy: Western Slope League<\/p><\/div>\n

A common thread of swimmers’ experience at camp is respect and admiration for the coaching staff – not just for their swimming knowledge but also for their perspective. Coach Gerson says he reminds his swimmers of this key factor: \u201cBelieve in the process, and you will become the best swimmer and the best person you can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixteen-year-old Cortez Leopard Shark<\/a> swimmer Tyler Cutrone<\/strong> adds: “The coaches who host the camp are amazing. They don\u2019t just teach me how to be better at swimming, but they teach important life skills: self-drive, motivation, hard work and dedication.\u201d Cutrone also says that the camp adds motivation back into his swimming when he is beginning to feel burnt out.<\/p>\n

Cayden Christianson<\/strong>, a 17-year old swimmer from the Montrose Marlins, has been coming to camp ever since he was 13 years old. Christianson says, \u201cI have learned to be a better swimmer and become a more motivated person in the water every day. Every coach has pushed me to my limit to see what real potential I have and how great it is to see hard work pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about the coaches, Peterson said that it is difficult to describe in words how amazing the coaches are:<\/p>\n

They put so much time and effort into our success. They sacrifice their mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, and time with family to help us be better swimmers and better people. They are genuinely dedicated to their athletes. They take an active role beyond what is necessary to help us achieve our goals, not only in swimming but in the rest of life as well. They care about who we are as people, our future aspirations, and help in more than just swimming. They will do whatever they can to help us be successful, and it would not be the same without these coaches.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To all the coaches of Peak Week Training Camp of the Western Slope League – thank you! Your commitment and dedication to your swimmers is something they will never forget. They would not be who they are without you.<\/p>\n

How can your swim leagues collaborate to create a better swimming community?<\/p>\n

\"Western

Photo Courtesy: Western Slope League<\/p><\/div>\n

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Commentary by Bailey Duran, Swimming World Intern.\u00a0 The Colorado Western Slope League is a small swim league in Western Colorado that takes its swim community to another level. Gordon Gerson,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6514,"featured_media":316786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,7],"tags":[68939,67644,68352,68930,68933,68940,68926,30285,68923,68920,68932,68927,68924,68938,68934,68929,68922,68935,68931,68925,68928,68936,68937,68943,68942,68941,68919,68921],"class_list":["post-316070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-usa","tag-air-force-swim-and-dive","tag-alex-martinek","tag-bailey-duran","tag-cayden-christianson","tag-chuck-cary","tag-coast-guard-swim-and-dive","tag-cole-peterson","tag-colorado-mesa-university","tag-colorado-swimming","tag-colorado-western-slope-league","tag-dale-leonhart","tag-emily-driscoll","tag-gordon-gerson","tag-grand-canyon-christian-university-swim-and-dive","tag-harvard-swim-and-dive","tag-mckenzie-rion","tag-peak-week-training-camp","tag-pepperdine-swim-and-dive","tag-sarah-gaumer","tag-silas-almgren","tag-tyler-cutrone","tag-university-of-hawaii-swim-and-dive","tag-university-of-houston-swim-and-dive","tag-university-of-puget-sound-swim-and-dive","tag-university-of-san-diego-swim-and-dive","tag-university-of-south-dakota-swim-and-dive","tag-western-slope-league","tag-western-slope-league-swimming"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nWhat Makes the Western Slope League Feel Like Family?<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Colorado Western Slope League is more than a league - it's a family. 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