Hi Sigma Families, This will be the final newsletter of the 2012-2013 season. Whether you are a new or returning family, this newsletter will be helpful for you! Updates will be posted to the website or through short emails: Fall Starting With the exception of Sigma Cleburne, our fall starts with a break after our last swim meet concludes: August 5-18 On August 19, we will resume all practices Schedules are being finalized at this time and should be posted this upcoming week. Please see below for some brief notes for your...

  Basic Principles of a good turn! 1. The activities involved in turning require the use of specific muscle groups at high levels of intensity for short periods of time. The energy for these actions is ATP derived from the alactacid energy system. The energy costs will be repaid during the continuous swimming that occurs after the turn is completed. This means that turns should be executed with an intensity that is higher than that applied to race pace swimming. 2. The vigor of swimming should increase about 5 m...

  How stop or prevent cramp? Many swimmers are plagued with cramping problems. Most commonly the feet or calves cramp, although the quadriceps or hamstrings may occasionally also be involved. The problem can occur whether or not one is in shape, but more commonly occur when people are getting back into shape. That is why we tend to see more people standing on the side of the lane, in agony, grabbing their feet or calves, during the early season in winter or in spring. The most common causes for swimming-related...

Train and get the success.... Depending on the training level that you are at, your coach will let you know how many days you are expected to come to practice. It is important to keep good communication between coaches, swimmers, and parents. All parties should be clear on the importance of getting to all expected practices. Remember not all days of training will you receive the same workout. Your coach has a training plan for you and each workout may focus on different areas. Therefore, if you miss a particular...

Why did we choose this sport? Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength , endurance, posture, and flexibility, all at the same time. Your cardiovascular system in particular benefits because swimming improves your body's use of oxygen without overworking your heart. As you become fitter and are able to swim longer, your resting heart rate and respiratory rate will be reduced, making blood flow to the heart and lungs more efficient.  If you are looking to lose weight, swimming is just the ticket. On average, a swimmer...

Congratulations to all of our UIL high school Regional qualifiers, champions, and State qualifiers! Check our Facebook page for updates on how our Sigma kids are doing.

Warm Up and Cool Down A warm up and cool down are the two cardinal principles of any sport. The same is true of swimming. If you think that swimming is a slow and low impact exercise and doesn't require warm up, then you are dead wrong. When you start swimming, without a warm up, your blood circulation, heart rate and your body as a whole are in a state of rest. If you start swimming suddenly your body has to change from a passive to an active state in...

Fluids: Water, sports drinks, fruit juices bagel and bread Turkey sandwiches - no mayo rice cakes fresh & dried fruits Low/non fat yogart vegetables part-skim string cheese Nutritional bars low-fat ready to eat cereal Nutrition... 1. The week leading up to the event  2. The pre-event Meal  3. After the warm up-recover for the heats  4. Drinking and eating between event  5. Recovery after a hard day's competition  6. Top-Up Snakes between events  7. Longer break One thing that all of us coaches noticed at these meets was that many...

EAT TO WIN Nutrition for Swimmers After heredity and training, nutrition plays the largest role in the quality of a swimmer's performance. Most every person involved in competitive swimming knows that nutrition is important. Following are some keys terms and helpful guidelines that will aide in better performance in the pool.  Energy for specific events is provided by foods eaten several days before competition, not in the minutes just before the race. Drinking adequate water is vital to nutrition and performance. This is especially so in hot, humid environments (indoor...

Welcome to 2013! Please log in to your account and click HERE for a personal letter from Sigma's Staff. Click on the "12/30" link. We look forward to working with you this upcoming year. Whether you are a new or current swimmer, we hope to play our part in helping you achieve your goals. See you at the pool! The Sigma Team