Visit to Mission Viejo Nadadores Masters Swimming Club: 2nd - 18th February 2013
Marianne and Bruce Lawrie
Mission Viejo is a world class Masters swim team, voted U.S. Masters Swimming Club of the Year in 2009. We arrived during their short course season and the 50 metre pool was divided into 20 x 25 yards lanes. The club offers 27 practices, as follows Monday-Friday: 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 7:45 PM. Saturday: 6:00 am, 7:00 am and Sunday: 8:30 AM. Anyone 18 years of age or older can join, and tri-athletes are welcome. One of Mission's unique features is that in every practice all swimmers do the same workout, the distances and intervals might change according to ability but everybody begins each set together.
As for team spirit, this is also world class, and each swimmer enjoyed full support from a team of enthusiastic professional coaches, irrespective of whether you were a novice or a champion.
We received training from Mark Moore, Program Director & Head Coach. Mark strives to develop team excellence in a positive and confidence building environment. He believes each swimmer has an opportunity to use the sport as a lifelong activity to be successful in life, while having fun and swimming fast. Physical, mental, emotional and social traits are all aspects of his philosophy. His goals include developing team growth, unity and individual excellence. Mark delivered some very intense workouts, and he was vocally supportive of all swimmers, a great motivator indeed!!
We were also lucky to be coached by Coach Tina Neill, a legendary marathon swimmer with several world records to her name. She holds the world record for the fastest backstroke crossing of the English Channel done in 2005 in 13 hours 22 minutes (which is faster than the average English Channel front-crawl time of 13 hours 33 minutes). Tina had fantastic energy and enthused all she coached, workouts were intense and fun.
We are very grateful for all at Mission Viejo Nadadores Masters Swimming Club for making us welcome and providing some lasting memories.
Head Coach Mark Moore stated that he would gladly see more Barnes swimmers at Mission Viejo, so an opportunity for training exists.
Well, what did we learn???
That training intensely can be fun, team spirit is vital, swimming outdoors in the sun is great. Last but by no means least – Tony and Barnes S.C. can provide all of the aforementioned, apart from regular sun and outdoor training!!!!