MAGAZINE
STARTING BLOCK
ISSUE NO. 4 MARCH 2018
FOCUS! MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS AND IMPROVE YOUR LIFEGUARD SCANNING
ENGAGE YOUR ARMS DOES USING YOUR ARMS ACTUALLY HELP YOUR START OFF THE BLOCKS?
CODY MILLER
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SITS DOWN AND TALKS WITH US ABOUT HIS SWIM HISTORY
CONTEST! WANT TO WIN $25 FROM THE LIFEGUARD STORE, ALL AMERICAN SWIM, OR SWIM SHOPS OF THE SOUTHWEST? READ BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW! SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THIS ISSUE ARE FIVE ST. PATRICK’S DAY LEPRECHAUN CARTOONS.
HOW TO WIN: 1. FIND ALL FIVE OF THE CARTOONS HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THIS ISSUE 2. EMAIL MARKETING@THELIFEGUARDSTORE.COM WITH THE CORRECT PAGE NUMBER OF EACH CARTOON 3. IF YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPOND, YOU WIN AND GET YOUR CHOICE OF WHICH STORE YOUR $25 GIFT CARD COMES FROM! EMPLOYEES AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE THREE COMPANIES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
p. 4 TIPS FOR MAINTAINING FOCUS & IMPROVING SCANNING FOR LIFEGUARDS
AS A LIFEGUARD, YOUR PRIMARY DUTY IS TO KEEP PATRONS SAFE BY PREVENTING THEM FROM PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS.
p. 8 FEATURED ATHLETE: CODY MILLER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND TYR ATHLETE CODY MILLER JOINS US FOR A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION!
P. 10 PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
p. 11 ENGAGE YOUR ARMS ON THE STARTING BLOCKS!
ABBIE FISH OF RITTER SPORTS PERFORMANCE BRINGS US PART ONE IN HER THREE PART SERIES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGING YOUR ARMS ON YOUR STARTS
Starting Block Magazine is used as a marketing and advertising venture, published by The Lifeguard Store, All American Swim, and Swim Shops of the Southwest. Cover Image: Cody Miller - TYR Sport
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The Lifeguard Store Staff Writer
distress situations.
As a lifeguard, your primary duty is to keep patrons safe by preventing them from putting themselves in hazardous situations. Performing water rescues and lifesaving CPR and first aid, if necessary, is equally as important. Being distracted or unfocused can prevent you from fully doing your job and needlessly put people in danger. While watching the water all day can sometimes become tedious and even downright boring, maintaining your focus while lifeguarding is imperative.
Thankfully, there are many lifeguard focus tips that you can use to help you maintain focus and stay vigilant during your shifts. These tips involve activities such as maintaining proper personal care, frequently changing position and eliminating unnecessary distractions. You can also improve your scanning technique by establishing rotating patterns and incorporating physical movement and mental activity. These tips will help you stay aware of the activities in your zone and be prepared to act if necessary.
A lifeguard’s job is to focus on scanning, which means they are continuously observing, recording and assessing the pool or surf and surrounding areas to look for swimmers who may be in distress or drowning while keeping them and other patrons safe. A lifeguard’s eyes, ears and brain must work together to filter out the stimuli that are not important while being aware of the essential things on which to focus.
Lifeguard Scanning Tips Proper scanning can prevent water rescues from even happening. For example, you may notice an unsafe area of surf or a rip tide that is forming and alert beach patrons of hazardous conditions before they even reach the water. While scanning, it’s important to know the difference between distress situations and drowning situations. Even with accurate scanning, it may be difficult from a distance to determine if someone is in distress or drowning. A good rule of thumb is to play it safe and investigate. Know How to Identify Distress and Drowning Situations
It is estimated that certified lifeguards save over 1,000,000 lives per year. While statistics show that the chance of drowning in the presence of a certified lifeguard is about 1 in 18 million, incidences still do occur. Most times this is attributed to the RID Factor, or the inability of the lifeguard to recognize when a patron is in distress or drowning, due to having their attention diverted by intrusions caused by attending to other duties or internal and external distractions that prevent them from noticing or acting upon
Distress victims are those who need assistance to get to safety but are still able to tread water and call for help. They usually possess enough swimming skills to alert someone that they need help while keeping afloat. Contrary to what is often assumed, it’s not always easy to tell if someone is drowning. In fact, many times an individual who is drowning will do so quietly. Lifeguards must be able to recognize the two types of drowning. Potential drowning victims can be classified as either active or passive.
Active Drowning Victims • Often appear to be splashing or playing • Are usually conscious • Will not call for help • Will tilt head back in attempt to keep breathing • Will slip quietly under the water within 20-60 seconds • May flail arms sideways • Will not be kicking feet • Body will be in a vertical position
Lifeguards should utilize both scanning patterns to help keep them focused and alert and alternate them every 5 minutes or so. Start by looking at the bottom of the pool or under the water then at the surface. Then scan the activity of the patrons around the beach/pool deck. Keep scanning while alternating your scanning pattern. Your scan should cover an area of 180 degrees. In addition to changing your scanning pattern, you should change your body position every 5 minutes as well.
Passive Drowning Victims • Usually slips underwater without struggle or sound • Usually unconscious • May have lost consciousness due to a medical condition or because of a blow to the head, cold water immersion or excessive alcohol. • Difficult to observe
Scanning is much more effective when the lifeguard rotates their head in the direction of the scanned area, rather than just with their eyes. Doing this puts more details into view, such as the faces of potential drowning victims, their thrashing movements or the absence of movement (in the case of a passive drowning victim) that may be missed when scanning only with the eyes.
One way to keep yourself mentally aware while scanning is to identify the patrons in your zone that may be most at-risk, including children and the elderly, and keep them in your focus. Children are more likely to wander into unsafe swimming areas, and seniors are more likely to have health conditions that may cause them to lose consciousness while in the water. Keep these places and patrons in your scanning area and mentally rehearse and prepare a rescue. Being mentally prepared for rescues keeps you sharp and ready to go if you need to act. Establish a Scanning Pattern Although there is no set scanning standard in the United States, many advancements have been made over the years to develop scanning techniques that maximize effective lifeguard vigilance. There are two types of recommended scanning patterns that a lifeguard may use: •
•
Side to Side- This type of scanning involves starting at the top left side of your zone and scanning all the way to the right. Your eyes will then travel in a straight line back to the left through the middle and return to the right. The final sweep is from the bottom left to the bottom right side of your zone. Top to Bottom- This type of scanning also involves starting at the top left side of your zone but includes scanning from top to bottom until you reach the bottom right side of your zone.
Scanning completely and accurately allows the lifeguard to take in all the details of their environment best. However, it should not be done too slowly, as a person can drown within 20-60 seconds. Whatever your scanning style, it’s recommended that complete scanning of your zone take no more than 10 seconds since it usually takes another 10-20 seconds to reach the victim. Position Yourself Accurately Being in a higher position (a minimum of 5 ft.) over the water gives lifeguards a paramount view of the both the water and nearby patrons. It also lessens the chance that they will be approached or distracted by patrons on the ground level. For some lifeguards, they are the only ones on duty, and responsible for both tower and ground functions. If this is the case, make conversations brief and don’t engage in any non-essential activities such as maintenance or training tasks. Recent studies have shown that in pool settings, lifeguards can be more effective and locate victims quicker when they are closer to the water. They can stand and walk around the poolside, although that position may expose them to more conversations and distractions. New technology is coming out to assist lifeguards in scanning, such as underwater cameras and computers, although it most likely will never replace skilled, vigilant human beings who can rush to the rescue and offer CPR and first aid if needed. Lifeguard Focus Tips Staying focused can be difficult even for the most experienced lifeguards, so it’s helpful to utilize these tips for keeping yourself alert and aware. starting block magazine | p. 5
Take proper care of yourself- If you aren’t feeling your best, there’s no doubt you won’t be able to function at your best. It’s important to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself by: • • • •
Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated Getting a good night’s sleep every night before a shift Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before a shift, as they can increase dehydration Be careful with medications (both prescription and non-prescription) that may affect your mental or physical performance.
Fatigue and dehydration can cause you to be less alert and become drowsy, irritable and distracted. Your ability to act quickly and think clearly can decrease significantly. Lifeguards who feel stressed during their shifts tend to have a more difficult time maintaining their concentration. Lifeguard stress has been linked to environmental factors such as the size and distance of the area to be scanned and the number of people they are responsible for assessing. For this reason, it’s imperative that each lifeguard knows the exact boundaries of their zone, or the area for which they are responsible. Be prepared- As a lifeguard, you must be prepared for all situations and conditions you may encounter throughout the day. If you know you’re fully prepared for anything that arises, such as weather events if you work outside, it will keep you comfortable, and you won’t be distracted worrying about them. Since the weather can change quickly, it’s always smart to be prepared for all conditions including extreme heat and sun, thunderstorms, wind and rain. Improper protection from the elements can cause eyestrain or irritation due to sun glare, wind or blowing sand. This can, in turn, affect your ability to scan your area properly. Some things you may need: • Sunscreen • Enough water to keep you hydrated throughout the day • Food • Umbrella or sun canopy • Polarized sunglasses that don’t obstruct peripheral vision • Weather appropriate clothing/ Change of clothing
Change Positions Regularly- Sitting in the same position for long periods of time can make you less focused. To combat this, try to shift positions in your chair or stand frequently, about every 5 minutes is recommended. Walk from side to side. Use a sit, stand and stroll rotation if you’re able. You should always switch positions immediately if you aren’t able to fully scan your zone due to obstructions or sun glare. Frequent breaks to combat mental fatigue are a must. The United States Red Cross Lifeguard Service recommends that lifeguards receive a 15-minute break every hour. If you’re able to do so, rotating positions or zones around the pool or beach with other lifeguards, about every 30 minutes can help to keep you more alert. Facilities with more than one lifeguard often require them to signal to each other that their zones are safe (whistle, raising float, thumbs up) about every 5 minutes or so. Eliminate Unnecessary Distractions- It seems that today’s society is loaded with distractions. With lifeguards, distractions can be deadly. It’s important to remove any distractions that will keep your focus from the water and patrons in your zone. This means that you shouldn’t have your phone with you at your stand, even if you’re allowed. While this may result in missed messages, remember that someone can drown in the time that it takes to read and respond to an email or text. Leave books, tablets, music and any other item that may draw your attention away from scanning, at home or in your locker. Studies have shown that the noisier and more active an environment is, the quicker the brain begins to focus on that stimuli, making a lifeguard less aware of the things going on around them. This is further compounded by things like listening to music. While it may seem that listening to music may help to keep a lifeguard more alert, in a noisy or active environment, it can make distraction worse. Learn to Stay Alert- Working in a slow environment with little activity often creates boredom and lack of attention. Conversely, working in highly stimulating environments such as beaches and water parks may prevent boredom but can cause lifeguards to become more distracted. It becomes difficult to pay attention when there are lots of people wearing and doing interesting things, the sun or air is warm, and all sorts of sounds, activities and conversations are going on around you. Patrons may want to chat or ask you questions. No matter your setting, you must learn to be a good communicator while not allowing these things to distract you from your primary duty. Distractions don’t always come from external sources. Watching the same water all day, especially when not much is going on, can become tedious and cause your
mind to wander. This is referred to as “internal noise,” where you become distracted by your own thoughts. It takes a lot of practice to stay alert during your shift and keep your mind from wandering. Not being mentally and physically alert should an emergency arise can result in slow or inadequate reactions.
Staying alert is a physical, mental and psychological process. To be fully alert and prepared to act, lifeguards must have a series of strategies in place to keep both their mind and body vigilant and prepared. Most lifeguard training includes tips to stay mentally aware. Some of these include: • Counting people around the pool/zone if possible • Frequently shifting positions in your lifeguard stand or chair • Identifying potentially at-risk patrons • Mentally rehearsing rescues • Utilizing positive self-talk or cue words every 5 minutes Stock Up On Lifeguard Necessities At The Lifeguard Store At The Lifeguard Store, we have everything you need to be prepared and well-equipped. Browse our extensive selection of lifeguard equipment including swimwear, rescue gear and even personal items. We have thousands of items in stock from umbrellas, canopies, sunscreen and polarized sunglasses to DVDs and textbooks with lifeguard tips and training resources. We’re proud to offer competitive pricing, fast shipping and no-hassle returns.
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CODY MILLER Cody Miller is a competitive swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Miller won a bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke and a gold medal in the men’s 4 × 100-meter medley relay, in which he performed the breaststroke leg of the final. Miller has won a total of five medals in major international competitions: two golds, one silver, and two bronzes, spanning the long and short courses. STARTING BLOCK MAGAZINE: How did you begin swimming? Who got you started? CODY MILLER: My mom got me started in swimming because she didn’t know how to swim & she feared the water.
SBM: What makes swimming a passion of yours? Why does it stand out? CM: Swimming became a passion of mine when I was young. It gave me friends with a team of people who made me feel accepted. I also loved the feeling of having control over myself. Swimming has always given me the feeling of constant progress. I feel as though as a person you’re getting better or getting worse. Improving or not improving. Constantly working at something, making progress, is a lifestyle I enjoy. I think it’s fulfilling. SBM: What are some things you are looking forward to in the near future? CM: In the future I’m looking forward to Nationals this summer and doing lots of international traveling through swimming. I’m also looking forward to growing my YouTube channel, excited to do more videos on all things swimming and
being an athlete. SBM: What are some other things that drive you both personally and professionally? CM: I’m constantly driven by trying to make myself the best I can be. Never putting a limit on myself, that’s how I try and approach things. SBM: What is something you cannot live without, and how does it help push you forward in your career? CM: My wife is something I can’t live without. She provides balance for me outside the pool while also supporting me in every way possible. She’s without doubt the centerpiece of my life. SBM: What is something you get excited to do daily? CM: I get excited about seeing my dogs in the morning at 5:00 am when I wake up, they’re always in a good mood, they’re always happy, always excited to
see me. They bring me joy at early hours of the morning when I sometimes don’t want to get out of bed. SBM: Do you have any nutritional or fitness recommendations for other swimmers? CM: As far as nutrition goes. I recommend avoiding anything incredibly high in sugar. So, cut down on soda, candy, really any junk food. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Try and make good decisions! I made a video a few weeks ago: ‘What Olympic Swimmers Really Eat.’ Where I explain in detail the break down or my diet and show people everything I eat on a typical day of Training. I recommend people check that out on my YouTube channel. SBM: If you had any advice for aspiring athletes, what would it be? CM: My advice to young athletes, make sure you enjoy what you’re doing. If you don’t love doing it, it’s not worth it. Love the process, that’s the most important thing. SBM: Where do you see your future going right now and what are your plans? CM: Not entirely sure about the future, but I plan on doing two things: I’m going to continue training for 2020, and I’m going to keep making videos for my YouTube channel, because those are the two things I’m most passionate about right now. I’m just going to keep doing what I love, I think the future will take care of itself. Cody is highly active on social media. He currently hosts weekly vlogs that drop every Wednesday on his YouTube channel. You can follow Cody via all his social media channels below.
BIOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS (COURTESY OF TEAMUSA.ORG) Name: Cody Miller Sport: Swimming Event(s): 100m breaststroke Height: 5-11 Weight: 175 DOB: 1/9/1992 Birthplace: Billings, Mont. Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. High School: Palo Verde High School (Las Vegas, Nev.) ‘10 College: Indiana University ‘15, Business Management Olympic Experience • Olympian (2016); Two-time Olympic medalist (1 gold, 1bronze) • Rio 2016 Olympic Games, gold (4x100m IM relay), bronze (100m breast) World Championship Experience • Most recent: 2015 – gold (4x100m medley); 9th (100m breast) • Years of participation: Long Course – 2015; Short Course – 2014 • Medals: 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) • Gold – 2015 (4x100m medley) • Silver – 2014 (4x100m medley) • Bronze – 2014 (4x50m medley) starting block magazine | p. 9
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Engage Your Arms On the Starting Blocks! By Abbie Fish Guest Contributor Technique Swim Coach Ritter Sports Perforamance
Throughout swimming history, there has been a large debate on whether using your arms on the blocks while starting actually improved your start. Some coaches thought it was best to just throw your hands forward and get them into a streamline as quick as possible while others believed engaging your arms actually allows a swimmer to create more forward momentum with their body. Which belief is true? The latter is. Why?
Abbie has been in the competitive swimming realm for over 20 years. From qualifying for the Olympic Trials to working at USA Swimming’s headquarters, Abbie has been on all sides of the sport. She is a University of Georgia “Double Dawg”–where she swam and graduated with M.S. and B.S. degrees. Abbie now spends her time in the Florida Keys, where she coaches a local swim club and manages a pool. She continues to further her knowledge about stroke mechanics and analyzing swimming technique with an array of different software programs. She has worked with clients as young as 5 and up to 90 years old. Abbie believes anyone with the heart to train can benefit from technical advice!
The introduction of the back foot plate in 2008.
Now, this may seem like a very interesting answer! As most coaches and swimmers believe the back foot plate allows a swimmer to generate more forward propulsion with their legs, rather than the arms. But in reality, the back foot plate affected a swimmer’s ability to generate more force with the arms—just as much as the legs. Let’s take a look and see. starting block magazine | p. 11
This image was taken from the book, “The Science of Swimming Faster” by Scott Riewald and Scott Rodeo featured on the HumanKinetics website. In this image, you can see they compared the force values generated from a “grab start”, versus, a “track start” using the back foot plate. Keep in mind: All the forces generated are created by Newton’s third law of motion: for every action—there is an equal and opposite reaction. 1. Grab Start: both of a swimmer’s feet are at the front of the block and all 10 toes curled over the edge.
What they found when comparing these two start’s vertical force was a swimmer generates relatively the same amount of vertical force at the beginning, but by the end of the start—a track start’s vertical force greatly depletes. The reason there is a higher vertical force during a grab start is due to the fact that a swimmer lowers their body more towards the blocks during a grab start, than a track start. To achieve a good start, we aren’t solely concerned about vertical force. In reality, we want a swimmer to jump forward and not up—so how much force is generated in the vertical motion is not something we are super concerned about. Let’s look at the more important horizontal force. During a grab start, there is a slow development of horizontal force that results in a maximum peak value. During a track start, there are two smaller peaks and a horizontal higher force is generated more quickly. The reason there are two peaks during a track starts is due to legs and arm motions not happening all at the same time (in a track start).
2. Track Start: A swimmer’s legs are in a splitstance position with their dominant foots’ toes curled over the edge and their rear foot is placed behind them—on the back foot plate.
The first peak in horizontal force is a result from aggressive arm motion, coupled with pushing off of the back foot plate with the rear foot. The second peak is a result from front foot push-off and a swimmer’s center of gravity shifting in front of the foot. Overall, the horizontal force created during a track start never peaks as high, as it does with a grab start. BUT, the average horizontal force produced over time is greater than grab starts! So, what does this mean with using your arms during the dive?
The more a swimmer can appropriately load their back leg AND engage their arm muscles, the quicker and more horizontal force they will be able to produce! This is why we’ve seen an increase in so-called “sling-shot” starts, which are a swimmer loading their back-leg prior to the start and using their arms to increase their forward momentum before their fingers hit the water. It is the sling-shot starts that generate the highest average horizontal force, which produces the highest starting velocity for a swimmer! Be sure to tune in next month where we discuss what arm motions are available for a swimmer to use after they hear the “beep”, and what proper block positioning looks like.
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CON NECT