Halloween Practice

The traditional Halloween practice was a success … how could it not be? New practice caps (this year … new meet caps too) and a small ton of candy. (I dropped $50 bucks on some high quality sugar and 14 wonderful apples).

Before going too much further I need to give credit where credit is due … the halloween practice comes from my year as the Graduate Assistant coach at Slippery Rock University where the coach, Bob Ogoreuc, had been doing this practice for years. After I took over the Head Coaching position at SRU I invited Bob back as the guest coach and he gladly participated. After 2 years at SRU as the head coach I took the job at LHU and brought the tradition with me.

This is how it works … There is a water jug full of candy (aka the pumpkin) and before the practice begins each of the women receive a new orange or black practice cap (aka the pillow case). The coaches have a slip of paper for each one of the women on the team…saying one of three things. (1) CANDY (2) a mini set (TRICK) (3) or a game (TREAT) … when a slip of paper is drawn from the bag the women either get Candy, play a game or do the mini set.

Examples of what the slips of paper say (in addition to CANDY)
4 x 75 @ 1:00, 300 im, 10 x 25 @ :20
3 minute drag jump

a few of my favorites are…(inspired by watching Survivor)
“pick 2 people to swim a 100 fly with and the rest eat candy”
&
“pick 3 people to eat candy with you and the rest do a 100 fly”

Some of the games we do are sharks & minnows, duck duck goose, and the famous bob for apples (this year’s epic battle for the last apples came down to Nicole & Rachel). The picture a the top of the post shows Sam Durham with her apple.

(Sorry Mr E … I realize this is too much sugar for the team, but I assure you that with how hard they have been working they earned it)