FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS OF
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIM COACH TOMM EVANS
Here are some quick answers to questions you may
have. I am more than happy to discuss
them in more detail.
Q: How
many yards do you do in practice?
A: We average
between 5500 and 6500 during the majority of the season. We watch the yardage but are not obsessed
with it. I don’t believe swimming 45 x
200 makes someone a better 200 swimmer.
I want to improve your technique and race strategy to make you better
prepared to swim that race.
Q: How
many people are on the team?
A: The
men’s team has the potential to be one of our largest ever. We are looking at a squad of 15-17 swimmers
for next season. We try to limit the
women’s team to 25 swimmers. Each year
is different; some years we are forced to cut 3-4 swimmers as we did this past
season but we did not cut anyone the previous year. Only 18 can swim in the conference final at
the end of the season and those 18 are decided by the coaching staff based mostly
on the ability to score in that meet.
Q: Are my
times good enough to make the team?
A: The
last page contains the qualifying times for the three full day conference
meet. We have never had to cut men nor
have we cut women who could easily make these times.
Q: Is the
team close?
A: Yes!
The first thing we try and do here is to dispel the idea that swimming is an
individual sport. We look at everything
from a team perspective. We are one
team, not a men’s team and a women’s team.
We work consistently on keeping everyone together and working toward the
same goals.
Q: Do the
men and women practice together?
A: Yes,
the team trains and travels together except for two meets that
are for the women’s team only.
Q: When
are practices?
A: We
schedule eight practices a week, of which you are required to make five. This allows you to keep your class schedule
intact and still fulfill the requirements to swim. Our main practice is Monday through Friday
from
Q: Do you
do any dry land training?
A: We
begin with a weight program each September.
Each new swimmer must meet with the trainer to get an introduction to
the weight training program and to be sure they are working safely and
effectively. After that, it is up to the
individual to keep up with weight training on her or his own. There aren’t enough hours in your day here
for me to require you to train, attend class, study, do homework, eat and then
meet again for weight training. We put
too much emphasis on your grades to take that much time. This way, each swimmer can lift according to
his or her schedule. Usually, 3-4 will
get together and all lift at the same time.
Q: How
important are grades?
A: They
are THE most important thing. You are
here to earn a degree. Swimming will be
an immeasurable complement to your education but classes always come
first. If we have a meet and your
professor will penalize you for missing class, you stay home. It doesn’t matter how close the meet will be
or even if we are sure that your absence will cost us the meet. You go to class. That MAY happen once a year. 90% of the faculty here are great supporters
of athletics and will work with teams for mutual benefit.
The women’s team has earned Academic All American honors
for the last 21 consecutive semesters (every semester for the last 10 years). The men’s team is 17 out of 21. They returned to that honor this past fall
and we expect them to stay there.
Q: How
does the season run?
A: We’ll
have an introductory meeting the first week of school. At that meeting you’ll meet the captains,
coaches and entire team and we will create a contact list for preseason
training. During the next few weeks, the
captains will conduct preseason workouts of varying kinds. They usually swim twice a week, run once or twice, play ultimate Frisbee or some other conditioning
activity. These workouts are completely
optional and the main goal of them is so that everyone gets to know each
other. The only rule of preseason is
that I am the only one on deck for the first day of practice who cannot name
the entire team.
We begin practice at the end of September and our meets
begin towards the end of October. We try
and keep most meets on Saturdays but we will swim against some local colleges
during the week. Every time the
University goes on break, so do you.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are spent at home.
We generally leave the day after Christmas for Winter Training
[see below]. We return for Intersession,
a month-long semester offered here in January.
This is the most important part of the season. We have several meets and
will peak in our yardage for the season.
We also will begin the taper during the third week of January. Two weeks into February we go to the conference
championship meet. That is a full three day event with a trials and finals
format. After the conclusion of that
meet, barring any national qualifiers, our season ends. The only things we’ll do together from that
point are social. We generally have a
few dinners, I have the team to my house, we play some Intramural sports and
say goodbye to the seniors and hello to summer.
Q: What
is the Winter Training trip?
A:
We go someplace warm for a week right after Christmas. We usually return shortly after New Year’s
Day depending on the calendar. We have
been to
Q: What
is the next step?
A: You
should apply to The University of Scranton as soon as possible. From that point, please keep in contact and
we’ll try and schedule a campus visit where you can meet with the team. Then, you’ll receive notice of your financial
aid package. I have no influence on the
financial aid packages here. I’ll never
know who gets what unless the swimmer tells me, and I have no impact on the award. Division III schools CAN NOT offer any money
based on your athletic talent. Those
that do are breaking an important NCAA rule and will get caught. If they are caught during your time at that
school, not only will your aid stop, but you may be required to repay some or
all of the money received.
Let me know if I can be of any further assistance,
Tomm Evans
Head Swimming Coach
2006 Middle Atlantic
Conference
Swim Championship
Qualifying Times
Event Men Women
100 Free 53.99 1:00.99
200 Free 1:59.57 2:12.00
500 Free 5:29.00 5:55.00
200 Backstroke 2:27.99 2:34.00
100 Breaststroke 1:12.99 1:20.00
200 Breaststroke 2:37.00 2:53.00
200 Individual
Medley 2:18.75 2:32.86
400 Individual
Medley 5:20.00 5:35.00