Good afternoon Manta Rays Parents’

In the parent meeting at the beginning of season; Bryant and I mentioned adding dryland component to practice. We are starting Dryland with the Manta Rays in both the Gold 6pm and Platinum 7pm sessions, Monday, Oct 28. This will be a trial period; as with anything new we will need to work out the flow, have the swimmers adjust to the new asks, etc. Please encourage your swimmer to ‘go with the flow’ for a bit. 😊 After you review the items below, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

What is dryland?

Dryland training for swimmers is a series of strength and conditioning exercises performed outside of the pool to improve a swimmer’s power, flexibility and mobility. The goal here is to help swimmers become more explosive in the water, increase their speed and stroke rate, and improve their distance per stroke. We are going to start slow, with Pilates and Yoga stretching and strength exercises; they will primarily be using their own body weight for air squats and the like. And as they advance low resistance bands could be added.

What is the plan?

We are going to have a daily ‘Lottery’ for dryland; each Manta Ray in the 6 pm and 7pm sessions will spend one weekly session in Dryland. They will not know if they are doing Dryland or normal pool practice until they arrive. We will post their first names on a whiteboard if they have won 'dryland lottery', for that day.  The dryland will be in small groups of 10-16. Coach Olivia or myself (Coach Loree) will meet the Drylanders in Racquetball Court #2 (across from the Basketball Gym); at your swimmers practice time; where the majority of the session will be held. We will be moving around, as a group, throughout the Y to access the facility, as needed, soccer field, tennis courts, indoor track; stairs, etc.

We ask that each swimmer, please add gym clothes and laced shoes (NO slides, crocs, flip flops, booties, please) to their bags.  Please have your swimmer(s) arrive 15 mins prior to their scheduled practice time; to be ready for the pool or Dryland depending on the day’s ‘lottery.’  Again we will post their first names on a whiteboard if they have won 'dryland lottery' for that day.

Why the ‘lottery’?

With both Olivia and my past swim team experiences, if Dryland is on one designated day, more swimmers tend to skip. If we try to separate and half start in pool and half go dryland for the training session; during the switch; both groups will be in the locker rooms; changing and they all trickle out of the locker rooms at different times, too inconsistent for pool time and dryland time.  

Please note, dryland is a vital part of progressing in the sport of swimming and will help your swimmer(s) in and out of the water. If you choose, you can of course, opt out; please let us know ahead of time that you do not want your swimmer attending dryland and we will not include them in the lottery.  My email address ([email protected]).

For our 5:15pm, Silver (A) and (B) groups we will be introducing this group, to stretching/mobility on the pool deck prior to their scheduled practice times; the majority of this group is too young for a true Dryland.

Please note, on Halloween 10/31(Thursday); we will be holding normal practice. We understand of course if you have other plans.

Have a great weekend!

Coach Loree

Go Manta Rays!