Happy Birthday Terry Schroeder !!!
TERRY SCHROEDER (USA) 2002 Honor Water Polo Player
FOR THE RECORD: 1979-1992 UNITED STATES NATIONAL WATER POLO TEAM: member; 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES: boycott; 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (1979, 1983, 1987), silver (1991); 1978, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1991 FINA WORLD CUP: gold (1991), silver (1985); WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR:1981, 1985.
Very rarely will you find an Olympic athlete in one of the roughest Olympic sports who has the easy demeanor and control of emotions as does this captain of three Olympic water polo teams. At 6 feet 3 inches, 210 pounds, he became one of the best players in Olympic history to play the two-meter position, the quarterback of the offense. For over 15 years and 4 Olympic Games, Terry Schroeder was the USA team leader and one of the most revered players in international competition during his career.
He never lost his temper in play. There was not time for that. As the “hole man,” he had to wrestle the heavyweights, take blows and keep focused on the game. That was his strength – to take a beating and hold his own. He was fouled up to 75 times in a game. He had a total of 100 stitches in his face. But he never relented, leading his team to great international achievements.
He started swimming at the Santa Barbara YMCA for coach Ian McPherson. As an age grouper, Terry was nationally ranked in the backstroke, but he liked the dynamics of a team. Swimming didn’t have that. Water polo did. He played water polo in high school at San Marcos High, Santa Barbara, California, where he was a high school All-American. He chose water polo over football, and it seemed to combine skills from all the sports he had played (swimming, passing, throwing, catching, eye-hand coordination), and it was a great team sport. His high school coach Mike Irwin was an inspiration in shaping Terry’s athleticism. At Pepperdine University in California he graduated Magna Cum Laude, Sports Medicine in 1981. He played for veteran coach Rick Rowland and became a three-time All-American. During his sophomore year of 1978, he was asked to join the National Team. National Team coaches Ken Lindgren and Hall of Famer Monte Nitzkowski were inspirational to Terry. He became Team USA’s only four-time Olympian. His 1980 team was dismissed due to the Olympic boycott. He refocused and became the captain of the 1984 team and 1988 team where Team USA won silver medals at both Los Angeles and Seoul. He retired in 1988 but made a comeback in 1990 where he was elected team captain for a third time placing fourth in Barcelona, 1992.
During his career, Schroeder led the National Team to five FINA World Cups winning gold and silver medals, and four Pan American Games winning three golds and a silver medal. On the club level, he played for Industry Hills, Malibu, New York Athletic Club and Harvard, competing seven times on National Championship teams. He was voted National MVP six times and was an All-American fourteen times. He was twice named International Player of the Year and carried the U.S. flag at the 1988 Olympic Closing Ceremony. In 1984, he modeled for sculptor, Robert Graham as the bronze male torso sculpted for the Olympic Gateway at the entrance to the Los Angeles Coliseum at the Olympic Games. This headless figure represents all Olympic athletes.
In 1992 he took second place at the Superstars competition in Cancun, Mexico. In 1986, he graduated Cum Laude from Palmer University as a Doctor of Chiropractic, a third generation family tradition. Terry’s grandfather, father, seven cousins, brother, sister, brother-in-law, wife and other relatives totaling 59 family members are all chiropractors. Since 1986, he has been Pepperdine’s head water polo coach, winning the school’s first NCAA National Championship in 1997.
Terry is a guest lecturer and instructor at chiropractic seminars. He has written chapters in The Spine in Sports by Robert Watkins and Awaken the Olympian Within by John Naber. He has been a television color analyst for water polo on TBS Sports, Prime Network, USA Cable and Bud Sports.
Terry Schroeder, an honor student, honor coach and honor athlete.
Renowned Coach Jozsef Nagy: What’s Next in Breaststroke – Reloaded?
by JOHN LOHN – ASSOCIATE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
07 September 2020, 09:04am
Renowned Coach Jozsef Nagy: What’s Next in Breaststroke – Reloaded?
An argument can be made that Jozsef Nagy possesses more knowledge about the breaststroke than any other individual. After an international career as a breaststroker, the Hungarian-born Nagy shifted into a coaching career that brought great success and 2014 induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He introduced the wave-action breaststroke and guided Mike Barrowman to epic success, including the 1992 Olympic title in the 200 breaststroke. The following article was written by Nagy in regard to the stroke he has influenced greatly.
By Jozsef Nagy, Hall of Fame Coach
In 2007, I wrote an article with the title, “What’s next in Breaststroke?” As the title implies, I wrote about the possible progress and my vision of what may change in breaststroke.
I will go into details later, but in short, the point of the concept is that I saw a much larger role for the pull in the future of breaststroke than it had in 2007. I believed that the breaststroke kick was going to change in a way such that it would resemble a dolphin kick, both in size and speed, with the difference that the legs would turn out for a short time, as breaststroke rules still require this action. Optimistically (or naively), I expected that colleagues would have challenged my ideas and it would have been very beneficial to shine a light on any weaknesses of my future breaststroke vision. That would have given me a chance for a more detailed analysis, and the fuel to move this vision forward. Even more naively (or more optimistically), the idea arose in my mind that some might even try and test this concept.
Photo Courtesy:
Years passed and none of my expectations came to fruition. It is like the 2007 article was never published. Well, at the end of the day we all do what we want. However, nobody can seriously believe that breaststroke will be swum the same way in 30, 40, or 50 years from now as it is today.
Long years passed, and finally in 2015 at the Kazan World Championships, the winner Adam Peaty showed my vision become reality in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Then, in 2017 at the Budapest World Championships – while swimming a new world record in the 50m breaststroke with a 25.95 – his breaststroke kick, without doubt, showed the “future” to every breaststroker.
I have no idea what role my 2007 concept/vision had in all this, or if it was simply his coach’s idea, but based on the outstanding result, it does not matter. If we look at the progress of breaststroke in the past couple decades, it is obvious that the pull plays a bigger and bigger role in every breaststroker’s swimming.
If we look at the results of breaststroke kick sets or race analysis swum a long time ago, we see that they are not far behind of today’s bests. The pull results however are a lot better now than they were before in every distance.
Before, the critical detail to become a breaststroker was the kick. Special knee and ankle flexibility, and a special water feel was required. For the future breaststroker, the special leg flexibility will not be a requirement. The swimmer’s feel for the water will also require something completely different than before. In general, more swimmers will have the chance to become a breaststroker than before.
Photo Courtesy:I SHOF
Arms, shoulders, and in general, the upper body, will have to be a lot stronger than it is now for a breaststroker. Also with all these physical characteristics/advantages, they should aim to have a better feel for the water within the various aspects of their pulls. In order to progress, they will have to do a stronger, faster, and more efficient pull. The original, good-old breaststroke kick does not offer much room for progress. Whereas the breaststroke pull still has a huge potential! Especially if the swimmers will now be able increase the frequency of their stroke rate. However, this increased frequency cannot be supported with the present kind of breaststroke kick. As I mentioned before, a smaller, faster kick will be necessary to support the more powerful and increased pull frequency.
The official rules of breaststroke do not allow much room for dreaming. Thus the faster and more powerful pull cannot be paired with a completely different kick. Instead – relative to what breaststrokers have done so far – with a shorter kick where the heels will be pulled up less, with a narrow and quick kick that will roughly do half the distance in the passive phase, and as a result, in the active phase as well.
But that does not mean that the efficiency of the kick will decrease by the same proportion. Even so, this kind of breaststroke kick has disadvantages as well. The most visible of these is that the forward pushing phase is shorter. A lot shorter! Due to the increased frequency of this breaststroke and the shorter push phase of the kick there is a minimal phase left over to maintain speed in the streamline position. As a result, the stroke count will increase. For the same distances (100m and 200m breaststroke) a different type of strength and endurance will be needed. The advantage is that the breaststroker will be able to minimalisz the frontal resistance that comes as a result of pulling up the knees using the old-style kick. The thighs will remain almost in line with the torso, which is already out of alignment (not parallel) with the surface of the water. Using this new method of kicking, the swimmer only pulls up the legs half way compared to the old kick due to all the above, negative resistance decreases, and the swimmer has increased chance to perfectly turn the feet out (90 degrees). An additional efficiency gained is that the backward kick will be less “V” shaped and less downward directed.
Mike Barrowman – Image Courtesy: SwimSketch
As we can begin to understand, this new breaststroke technique will be only beneficial… and potentially only doable on the shorter distances. If we think about it, many, many years ago actual butterfly was only swum in over a 50m distance during a 200m butterfly event. It was only years later when swimmers were able (strong enough) to swim butterfly all the way for 200m. During these times, only the 200m was an Olympic event for butterfly, and there were no World Championships. Today, even young children can easily swim long distances in butterfly. The same thing happened with the Wave Breaststroke. Historically, swimmers only used the wave technique getting to the wall and during the final strokes in the race. Today almost every breaststroker takes advantage of the efficiencies of the Wave Breaststroke, thrusting upper body forward after the pull and maintaining the back high on the surface of the water.
However, regardless of what technical changes we will see in the future – within the given rules – the goal remains the same: to swim faster while the centre of gravity of the swimmer’s body does not deviate from an imaginary straight line, and that the centre of gravity within the stroke moves forward in the most continuous and even speed.
Even considering the 13 years of hindsight from 2007 until now, my opinion has not changed regarding the future of breaststroke. Everyone can witness the current breaststroke technique innovations today. I can’t wait to see if I am right or not regarding the future!
Brooke Bennett Collaborates with Stingray to Develop the Brooke Bennett Collection
by BRANDI WEST
07 October 2020
Following months of design and testing by both novice and professional swimmers, Stingray produced its first product, the Stinger 2.0 wetsuit for both men and women. The wetsuit, which features a unique Stingray chest panel, also features Yamamoto neoprene, titanium glide skin coating and Air Tech air pocket technology. Next came the inflatable paddle boards with exceptional double layer fusion technology.
Photo Courtesy: Stringray
For many entrepreneurs, a new business idea usually comes from sensing a need and finding a way to meet it. For retired professional triathlete and Olympian Rich Allen, it was something in the water — literally.
“Although I’m not originally from Florida, I have been coming here three or four times a year for 25 years,” Allen said. “Florida means everything to me. St. Anthony’s Triathlon was my first professional race. I met my wife Tonya here, we got married here and many of my closest friends live in St. Pete— we love the outdoor Florida lifestyle. It’s a very unique and diverse place.”
It was that very outdoor Florida lifestyle that inspired Allen to launch his own open-water swimming and inflatable paddle board brand, Stingray. The brand is named after the majestic sea creature that has become synonymous with Allen’s adopted hometown of Tampa Bay.
An avid paddle boarder and open water swimmer, Allen noticed something unique about the hundreds of stingrays that migrate across Tampa Bay that set his mind ablaze. Could this beautiful creature’s effortless balance and glide be translated to the human form through a wetsuit?
While Stingray produces professional grade products for both the open-water swimmer and paddle board enthusiast, the brand prides itself on its affordability. The Stinger 2.0 wetsuit is priced at $399 and their Fusion-Tech iSUPS just $649, a fraction of the price of other high-quality brands.
“Looking at the market as a consumer and distributor, I really wanted to disrupt the market and offer the best products and a more affordable price for the consumer,” Allen said. “The timing was right with my experience as a professional athlete and experience in warehouse distribution and marketing all coming together at once.”
Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine
Allen wasn’t the only athlete involved in testing and developing products for Stingray. The brand has partnered with three-time Olympic gold medalist and Swimming World Magazine 2000 American Swimmer of the Year – Brooke Bennett to launch her own signature brand of goggles and other gear.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Brooke,” Allen said of the Olympian. “She brings exceptional experience to the table and has a passion and positive attitude that encompasses the Stingray mission.”
Bennett, a native of Florida, now a world class open water swimmer and mother of two, won the gold during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in the 800-meter freestyle race. Bennett added to her gold tally during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, taking home the top prize in the 400 and 800-meter freestyle races, with the latter coming in Olympic record time.
“With the Brooke Bennett goggles, we wanted to combine a fast pool racing goggle with the comfortable features and UV protection perfect for long open water swims,” Allen explained. “The Brooke Bennett Collection goggles deliver this.”
Stingray isn’t just about enjoying the water, but also about giving back. In addition to staff efforts each year cleaning Tampa Bay beaches and waterways, it also gives back through an initiative called “The Ocean’s Heartbeat,” Stingray donates 10 percent of its profits to help support marine life conservation. To learn more about the initiative please visit https://www.project-stingray.com/pages/the-oceans-heartbeat.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT BIONDI !!!
MATT BIONDI (USA) 1997 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay); 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay), silver (100m butterfly), bronze (200 freestyle); 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay), silver (50m freestyle), 5th (100m freestyle); 1986, 1988 WORLD SWIMMER OF THE YEAR; WORLD RECORDS (12): 6 (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle), 6 (4x100m freestyle and medley relay, 4x200m freestyle relay); 1986 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay), silver (100m butterfly), bronze (50m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle relay); 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m freestyle, 4×100 freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay), silver (50m freestyle); US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (17): 10 short course (50yd, 100yd, 200yd freestyle, 100yd butterfly, relays), 7 long course (50m, 100m 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly); NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (13): freestyle, relays; NCAA WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS (3).
His dad was a former water polo and swim coach and thought his son should learn how to swim. So, this young boy began swimming at age five in a recreational program in his hometown of Moraga, California. His first race was a 25 yard swim. He false started twice and lost his swim suit on the dive.
But he didn’t just swim when he was young. He played basketball, football and soccer. At age ten, he played water polo, but only in the summer. Little did he know at this young age that he would become the greatest swimmer of his time and one of the all-time greats to stand along side of Duke Kahanamoku, Johnny Weissmuller and mark Spitz. Matt Biondi was to mark his place in history.
As a high school sophomore, Matt was playing heads-up water polo. By his junior year, he had become a pretty good sprinter, ranking fourth in the country amongst “prep” sprinters. His high school coach, Stu Kahn, encouraged both sports. The combination over the years kept him mentally sharp for both competitions, and he calls his relatively late start in year-round competitive swimming and his great love for water polo, the combination that kept him from burning out.
Between his sophomore and senior years in high school, Matt grew three inches, put on 35 pounds and became the best high school sprinter in America. He matriculated to the University of California-Berkeley to play water polo with Coach Pete Cutino and swim with Hall of Famer, Coach North Thornton. His first college season, the team won the NCAA National Water Polo Championship, and he placed in the consolation finals at the NCAA Swimming Championships. With this stat, he and Nort mapped out a plan for the summer of ’84 and the US Olympic Trials, a plan that was to lead him to swimming immortality.
Biondi qualified in the last position for the 4x100m freestyle relay going to the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. World record holder and relay team member rowdy Gaines asked, “Matt who?”, when told of the team makeup. To everyone’s delight, the team won the gold medal and set the world record, 3:19.03.
Matt Biondi swam in Olympic competition again in 1988 and 1992 – three Olympic Games. In Seoul, he won seven medals: gold – 50m freestyle and a world record (22.14), gold – 100m freestyle and an Olympic record (48.63), gold – 800, freestyle relay and a world record (7:12.51) with Matt’s swim the fastest leg ever (1:46.44), gold – 400m freestyle relay and a world record (3:16.53), gold – 400m medley relay and a world record (3:36.93), silver – 100m butterfly, bronze – 200m freestyle. In Olympic history, he is only the second person to win seven Olympic medals at one Games and was the most decorated athlete of the Seoul Games.
In Barcelona, Matt won an additional two medals: gold – 400m freestyle relay, and silver – 50m freestyle. He received a second gold medal for swimming in the preliminary heat of the 400m medley relay which came in first in the finals. All toll in Olympic competition, Matt won eleven Olympic medals, eight gold, two silver and one bronze, the most ever won by one athlete. The make-up of a great champion is revealed at the time when it is necessary to perform. Matt Biondi overcame the pressures of winning and performed to his maximum when his big chance came. And that’s why he is a Hall of Famer.
Matt competed in two World Championship competitions, 1986 Madrid and 1991 Perth. His seven medals, won in Madrid, were the most won in the history of the World Championships: three gold, one silver and three bronze. In Perth, he won three golds and another silver.
Biondi toured Japan for the 1985 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, winning five gold medals and helping set two world records and for the World University Games in Kobe, winning four gold medals. At home in the United States, he won 17 US National Championships, ten short course and 7 long course and 13 NCAA Championships, during a three year period. For 1986 and 1987 at Cal-Berkeley, he won the NCAA 50yd, 100yd and 200yd freestyle National Championships, the first swimmer to win all three events since Al Schwartz of Northwestern University in 1930. He was NCAA Swimmer of the Year for 1985, 1986 and 1987. While at Cal, Matt helped his team win three NCAA National Water Polo Championships.
But this 6 ft. 6-1/4 inch, 210 pound swimmer with a size 14 shoe and a “wing span” equal to more than his height, is a special person who, in his gregarious style, likes helping other. He has worked with Special Olympics as well as the Missing Children’s Foundation. He has been a spokesperson for Hardee Hamburgers in their support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a group that gives terminally ill children a final wish. He has promoted good nutrition through the National Dairy Council and has worked with Sports Illustrated for Kids to combat illiteracy.
Matt has grown attached to dolphins and has gotten involved in swimming underwater research in the Bahamas and Key West. He has compared the underwater movements of the dolphins with his own body and it has heightened his awareness of how the water moves across the skin. His interest in the conservation of natural resources has increased his awareness for the safety of the dolphin. He is a Humane Society spokesperson for the dolphin and marine life.
This fast swimmer with the fast-twitch muscle fiber has set a standard that will be difficult to match. All in all, he set twelve world records. He was the first man under 49 seconds for the 100m freestyle, and in 1988, he had all the top ten performance times for that event. He has been the UPI Sportsman of the Year, USOC Sportsman of the Year and Sullivan Award finalist. Coach Thornton says, “Matt has all the right tools. He has the same feel for the water that a pianist has for the keys or an artist’s brush has for canvas.” The same goes for his life.
Happy Birthday Klaus Dibiasi !!!
Klaus Dibiasi (ITA) 1981 Honor Diver
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964 silver (platform); 1968 gold (platform), silver (springboard); 1972 gold (platform); 1976 gold (platform). First diver to win 5 Olympic medals; First and only diver to win the same Olympic title at 3 successive Olympic Games; WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1973 gold (platform), 1973 silver (springboard); 1975 gold (platform), silver (springboard); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1966 gold (platform); 1970 silver (springboard, platform); 1974 gold (springboard, platform); EUROPEAN DIVING CUPS: 1967 gold (platform); 1968 gold (springboard); 1971 gold (springboard, platform); 1973 gold (springboard); 1975 gold (platform); Platform Diver of the Year 9 times.
No other man or woman has won an Olympic diving title in 3 Olympic Games. Klaus Dibiasi very nearly won 4, missing the first of what would have been 4 consecutive 10-meter platform titles by 1.04 points to Bob Webster at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Tall, soft spoken and handsome this Austro-Italian from Bolzano, Italy was king of the tower from 1964 through retirement in 1976. Coached by his father, a former Italian Olympian and National Champion, Klaus succeeded him as National Coach after his third Olympic Gold medal at Montreal in 1976.
Happy Birthday Tom Jager !!!
TOM JAGER (USA) 2001 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay preliminary heat, 4x100m medley relay preliminary heat);1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay preliminary heat), silver (50m freestyle);1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay), bronze (50m freestyle); SEVEN WORLD RECORDS (L.C.): 6 (50m freestyle), 1 (4x100m freestyle relay); 1986 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay); 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay); 1995 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle relay), bronze (50m freestyle); 11 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 5 (50y freestyle), 4 (50m freestyle), 1 (100y freestyle), 1 (4x100y freestyle relay); 5 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 (50y freestyle), 2 (100y freestyle), 1 (4x100y freestyle relay).
He was five-time Olympic gold medalist in the sprint freestyle events. He held the 50m freestyle World Record of 21.8 for over a decade. The first swimmer to break the five miles an hour barrier, they were calling Tom Jager the “fastest human in the water.”
Tom’s trademark racing starts, in which he was first off the blocks using clean powerful strokes, catapulted him into the international spotlight. At times sharing the spotlight with Hall of Famer Matt Biondi, Jager dominated the 50m freestyle sprint event in the 1980s and early 1990s, becoming a six-time World Record holder.
With freestyle relay gold medals in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympics, Jager fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming one of the greatest sprint freestyle and relay swimmers of all time. He is one of four swimmers to win gold medals in three Olympic Games.
Jager began swimming competitively at age eight, training at the Gaslight Bath & Tennis Club and the local YMCA in Collinsville, Illinois. It wasn’t long before he was capturing attention and setting records, “He cuts through the water like a sharp razor wrote one hometown reporter, “swift, clean lines are his trademark.”
Tom’s UCLA coach Ron Ballatore knew this kid had talent. As a high schooler, he was undefeated in the 100y backstroke four years in a row, setting records in practically everything he swam at the state meets. He played a starring role in UCLA’s success as a five-time NCAA National Champion and 11-time U.S. National Champion. Even after college graduation, Tom was not about to hang up his suit or throw in the towel. He landed swimwear sponsorships that allowed him to keep training and doing what he loved most: swimming fast. He became the swimmer who keeps on ticking.
Tom’s first World Record came in 1985, swimming a 22.40 for 50 meters. Between 1987 and 1990, he lowered the record another five times to his best of 21.81, lasting an unprecedented ten years before Aleksandr Popov of Russia broke it in 2000 with a 21.64. His time dominance in the event lasted through two Olympic Games and three World Championships. He was the gold medal winner at both the 1986 Madrid and 1991 Perth World Championships.
A member of three Olympic teams (1984,1988,1992), Tom stood on the awards platform with two Olympic 4x100m freestyle relay gold medal teams, one each in 1988 and 1992, setting the relay world record in 1988 with a 3:16.74 with teammates Joe Hudepohl, Jon Olsen and Matt Biondi, a record which lasted for over three years. He was national team captain for ten years. Jager helped to draw crowds and media attention to the sport through exhibition swims with Biondi and Mark Spitz.
Jager served a four-year term on the National Steering Committee, which offered recommendations to the National Team Director prior to the 1992 Games in Barcelona. He was a member of the Olympic International Operations Committee, which votes on the Steering Committee proposals. He served on the athlete Committee, where he informed and explained new rule changes which affected the National Team Members. Through these efforts he has paved the financial way for athletes to pursue their Olympic dream. He has competed at every level. He ranked in the top tow in the world, for 10 consecutive years.
Jager translated his passion for swimming into a professional career. Today, he is a professional motivator and businessman, sharing his knowledge, enthusiasm, and experience with athletes of all ages through the Gold Medal Swim Camps and Swim for Your Life Clinics.
Records may fall, but Tom Jager’s accomplishments and records will never be forgotten. Jager’s induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame immortalizes him as one of our sport’s great heroes. His presence will be felt for a long time to come.
See Michael Phelps Depicted in Arizona Corn Maze With Gold Medals
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
05 October 2020, 10:47am
The Schnepf Farms in Arizona are known for their corn maze. This year, it has a different look: Michael Phelps.
The maze has been designed to look like Phelps with his gold medals around his neck, and above it, from the air, it says “Nothing is Impossible.”
The maze is 10 acres and known for being so large people have a difficult time, finding their way through, according to the Casa Grande Dispatch. Of course, like the maze says, “Nothing is Impossible.”
The pathways total three miles, and now, unlike a typical maze that is mostly right angles, the Michael Phelps theme adds even more twists and turns.
“When my kids were younger, I’d often send them in to rescue people who were lost inside,” Carrie Schnepf, who along with her husband Mark runs the 80-year-old farm, told the Dispatch.
The family decides the theme early in the spring before the field is planted. This year, they decided on Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, who has trained in Arizona with coach Bob Bowman.
Phelps has claimed 23 Olympic gold medals, 28 medals overall and inspired many out of the pool through his outspoken battles with mental health.
According to the report, Schnepf Farms corn mazes in the past have depicted various celebrities ranging from Ellen DeGeneres as part of an anti-bullying message, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Muhammad Ali, former Phoenix Suns MVP Steve Nash and Larry King.
This year’s smaller maze will be the American flag.
The farm’s annual Pumpkin and Chili Festival is a big attraction in October and November, but because of COVID-19 protocols will be a little different.
Let’s hear it for longtime ISHOF supporter Dr. Jane Katz !!!
by ANDY ROSS
05 October 2020, 07:48am
Dr. Jane Katz, the 1999 Paragon Award winner in recreational swimming, has joined the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One in a Thousand” campaign, which is aimed at supporting the hall of fame during the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I was in fourth grade, me and my three siblings would get into a car and we would drive to Fort Lauderdale during Christmas, and this went on for decades. It was great because it was the only place we were able to do that as a family and have warm weather. It was lots of fun and you would see the same people and we had lots of swim meets there too. It was so great to swim outdoors and it was so special,” Jane Katz said.
“It was so great to see all the stores and see the pictures of people playing beach volleyball or swimming in the water. It’s great to be some place else from where you grew up and meet people through swimming, and swimming is fantastic. We would look forward to coming to Fort Lauderdale every year and we would have a good time. I miss being there now. I used to go to the swimming hall of fame all the time because it was so fantastic!”
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Dr. Jane Katz has been on the aquatic stage for most of her life. She has taught thousands of students about the benefits of water fitness at the City University of New York since 1964. She is a professor at John Jay College in the Department of Physical Education and Athletics, teaching fitness and swimming to New York City’s police and firefighters.
Jane Katz and her dad, Leon
Dr. Katz has been recognized for her work as an educator, aquatics innovator and author. Among the many prestigious honors for her work is the Townsend Harris Academic Medal from her Alma Mater, CCNY, an award bestowed to fellow alumnus, former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Katz earned her Bachelor’s degree in physical education at the City College of New York, a Master’s in Education Administration from New York University and both a Master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation for Aging and her Doctor of Education degree in Gerontology from Columbia University.
Dr. Jane Katz was awarded the FINA Certificate of Merit for her “dedication and contribution to the development” of the sport of swimming, awarded in Sydney, Australia, during the Olympic Games in 2000.
In 2007, Katz helped create the KARE (Kids Aquatic Re-Entry), in cooperation with the Department of Juvenile Justice to help troubled youth learn life’s lessons poolside. Jane has been helping kids from troubled backgrounds since the mid 1980’s learn how to swim, and in the process, learn to trust someone new and have a little fun as well. Katz volunteers her time and usually pays the lifeguards out of her own pocket. The kids usually come from a group home or a correctional facility and time in the pool is a real freedom for them. They may be reluctant at first, but by the time Jane gets done with them, they have experienced a little piece of heaven.
Jane’s life was shaped by swimming in the city’s public pool’s, she has said and she wound up dedicating her life to teaching swimming, for which she has been honored many, many times.
In 2014, she was awarded from the Presidents’ Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in aquatics.
In 2015, Dr. Jane Katz launched W.E.T. 4 VETS, a service for rehabilitating the mind, body and spirit of military veterans re-entering civilian life using holistic exercise techniques.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you are one in a thousand? We think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!
During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board
“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF
Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
The ISHOF Board of Directors is calling on all members of the aquatics community to make a small monthly commitment to show their dedication to aquatics and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
Honorees and Olympians Launch The “One In a Thousand” Challenge
by ANDY ROSS
01 October 2020
Honorees and Olympians launch the “One In a Thousand” Challenge for the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF). Many ISHOF Honorees such as Mark Spitz, Janet Evans, Dara Torres, Vladimir Salnikov, Jason Lezak and Rowdy Gaines, water polo player Brenda Villa, diver Greg Louganis, synchro swimmer Elvira Khasyanova and potential future hall of fame swimmer Anthony Ervin are supporting ISHOF’s “One In A Thousand” campaign. We urge you to do the same. Listen to these all-time great athletes in the video below. You too can be “One In A Thousand” by making a donation to the International Swimming Hall of Fame for as little as $10.
How Can You Take the One In a Thousand Challenge?
Support ISHOF with a monthly commitment or one-time donation.
Post a video of you stating, “I’m One In a Thousand” on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Tag or mention the International Swimming Hall of Fame in your post and #ISHOFOneInAThousand and we will share it to thousands!
Our goal is to get one thousand supporters. Be “One In A Thousand”!!
Join these legends in aquatic sports and many other supporters in the One In a Thousand Club. Your support helps ISHOF fulfill its vision for the future of building a new museum and expanding its reach by offering its collection of aquatics artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
For larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us at customerservice@ishof.org.
Happy Birthday Kristen Babb Sprague
KRISTEN BABB-SPRAGUE (USA) 1999 Honor Synchronized Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (solo); 1986 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (team): 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (team), silver (solo): 1991 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (solo, team); 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (team); II FINA WORLD CUP: silver (team); III FINA WORLD CUP: gold (team); V FINA WORLD CUP: gold (team), silver (solo); U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 (solo), 1 (duet), 8 (team); 1982 Japan International Age Group: gold (solo, 13-14 category).
Kristen Babb-Sprague is the original “Comeback Kid”. Following a career threatening back injury in 1989, she returned from a year-long layoff from the sport to win three consecutive national solo titles and two national team titles. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics she came from behind to win the gold medal in the solo event after having placed second to Canada’s Sylvie Frechette at almost every meet since her 1989 injury. She was the first athlete ever to earn perfect scores in artistic impression at the Olympics for her modern innovative routines. Kristen was featured in print advertising campaigns by Speedo and Max Factor in such magazines as Rolling Stone, New Women and McCalls.
It all started at age three when her older sister Lisa and mom were part of the Walnut Creek Aquanuts (CA) Team. She performed in water shows and by age six joined the team. She became a product of U.S. synchro’s development program rising through the ranks of age group and Junior Olympic programs first under club founder Sue Ahlet and then Gail Emery, who guided her to the Olympic gold.
On the way to the Olympics, Kristen became the only athlete in USSS history to have competed for eight team national championship squads. She was four time solo national champion, eight time team champion and 1 time duet champion. She won two golds and two silvers in FINA World Cup competition and was the first USSS athlete to qualify for four World Cup squads. She competed in 14 World Regional Championships or Invitationals winning 16 gold and seven silver medals.
At the 1992 Olympic Games, Kristen Babb, which the year before had married 1988 Olympic baseball player and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ed Sprague, had deviated from the traditional, operatic approach to the sport. She introduced a more up-beat style of performance, popularizing the sport worldwide. The “western” performance at the Olympics included the music of Leonard Bernstein’s “Rodeo”, John Williams’ “Cowboy” and a moving interlude from “Amazing Grace”. The overwhelming response to her new routine style earned Babb-Sprague perfect 10’s in artistic impression and three 10’s for technical merit. She performed 33 – 360 degree vertical spins including her patented drag spin. When the scores were added together, Kristen had a combined figures and routine score of 191.848 to Sylvie Frechettes’ 191.717.
Kristen has been a national spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. She is a 1992 AAU Sullivan Award finalist and USSS Athlete of the Year, a 1997 USSS Hall of Fame Inductee and three-time “Womens Sports and Fitness” Magazine Up-and-Coming Athlete of the Year.
