Off the Deck

For nearly a year, we've been sharing interviews with CSC alumni on our Carmel Swim Academy channels to celebrate the unique experiences and foundation swimming can provide your life. Now, we're adding these interviews to the Off the Deck podcast stream for more people to get to hear these stories. This week, hear from Derek Stauder.

The "Godfather of Athletic Development" chats with Chris Plumb on this week's Off the Deck podcast. Vern is the founder of GAIN Systems and the GAIN Network. He has coached track, swimming, soccer, baseball and been involved in countless athletic disciplines (cricket, anyone?). Carmel Swim Club was the first swimming program Vern worked with on a comprehensive, 8-18 year-old, long-term athletic development model for dryland. Chris and Vern discuss the successes of the GAIN Swimming athletes at Olympic Trials, the commonalities of great coaches across different sports, how young kids need to learn to move, and the far-reaching impact coaches have on their athletes.

For nearly a year, we've been sharing interviews with CSC alumni on our Carmel Swim Academy channels to celebrate the unique experiences and foundation swimming can provide your life. Now, we're adding these interviews to the Off the Deck podcast stream for more people to get to hear these stories. This week, hear from Colleen (Drew) Bzowski.

The theme of this week's Off the Deck conversation? Transformation. Chris Plumb interviews TJ Day, the Head Coach and CEO of STAR Swimming. They discuss how TJ consistently brings his passion and energy to the pool deck, how he turned around a team in West Lafayette, the role he played in transforming the CSC boys team, and TJ's renewed commitment to his own fitness during this last year... with a few laughs along the way. Enjoy this week's episode!

For nearly a year, we've been sharing interviews with CSC alumni on our Carmel Swim Academy channels to celebrate the unique experiences and foundation swimming can provide your life. Now, we're adding these interviews to the Off the Deck podcast stream for more people to get to hear these stories. This week, hear from Sam Thomas.

Emma Nordin, one of the top seeds going into Wave II of US Olympic Trials in the 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyles, is this week’s guest on Off the Deck. Emma swam with Carmel High School and Carmel Swim Club for four years before moving onto Arizona State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Biology this spring. Emma and Chris talk about how she embraces hard work and a growth mindset, what she likes to do in her time away from the pool, how she manages the stress of the pool and classroom, and her approach to stepping on the blocks next to some of the biggest names in swimming.

Carmel Swim Club alum Amy Bilquist is this week’s guest on Off the Deck! After a decorated high school career as part of Carmel Swim Club and Carmel High School, Amy went on to swim for the University of California, Berkley, and professionally. Amy and Chris discuss the importance of water safety and how Amy fell in love with the pool growing up in Arizona. Amy reflects on her experiences as a two-sport athlete addresses the physical and mental ramifications of injuries, her transition from collegiate to professional swimming, and how she is giving back to the next generation of female athletes.

Kate Lundsten, the Head Coach of Aquajets Swim Team, sits down with Chris Plumb on this week’s episode of “Off the Deck.” Kate has been a USA Swimming Coach for 20 years, and has served as a coach on multiple USA National and Junior National Team staffs. Growing up in Minnesota, Kate started swimming because she was surrounded by lakes and had fiver brothers and sisters. Her journey in the sport has led her to the pinnacle of coaching, having trained an Olympic Gold medalist, but as she discusses with Chris today, she still experiences a bit of impostor syndrome. Chris and Kate dig into her coaching style, battling insecurity, her ultimate goal for each athlete she coaches, and advice for athletes attending Olympic Trials in the coming weeks.

Indiana Swimming’s Executive Director (and past Carmel Swim Club/Carmel High School Head Coach) is this week’s guest on Off the Deck. Chris and Tony dig into what makes Indiana a special swimming state, how the organization has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, what makes a great coach, the unique relationship between high school and club swimming in Indiana, and the LSC’s vision for the next three years.

PS: The Board Meeting Tony talks about at the end of the episode took place on Monday, May 17 - keep your eyes on the news section to stay up to date on the potential meets and opportunities for athletes Tony mentions: https://www.teamunify.com/team/czinlsc/page/home.

On today's episode of Off the Deck, Chris catches up with Charles Vaughan. Charles graduated from Carmel High School in 2017 and is set to graduate from Harvard later this month. As he prepares to enter law school this fall, Charles and Chris reflect on how his experiences with Carmel Swim Club prepared him for the real world, his early memories of being around the water, how he transitioned from being results-driven to process-oriented, and the role his parents played in his swimming career. Interested in learning more about Charles? Check out this fantastic interview from Harvard's "Around the Yard": https://gocrimson.com/news/2021/4/21/around-the-yard-charles-vaughan.aspx