Here we are, Excel’s first blog! These weekly blogs will be used as an platform for me to share about an aspect of swim performance that is currently on my mind, and I am hoping it will spark some talk among followers. For this first blog, I want to briefly explain who I am, what Excel Swim Performance is all about, and thank the swim community.
To start, my name is Derek Toomey. As a Madison and Verona Area High School native, I have lived and breathed swimming most of my life. I swam for the University of Minnesota, and professionally with Badger Swim Club and Trojan Swim Club. My swim career has brought me all around the nation, and the world (I'm sure I'll be sharing many of these experiences). I have been blessed with some incredible opportunities and my experiences have taught me so much. With most of my racing behind me, I’ve turned my passion as an athlete into passion as a coach. I started Excel because I want to spread the love of this sport and give back to the swim community that helped raise me.
The goal of Excel is to teach athletes how to reach their ultimate potential. In order to do this, I coach them on the four facets of performance: training, mindset, recovery and nutrition. The Excel Performance Model (created by me) is based on a balance between these four facets. Each facet is broken down into four key components which must maintain balance as well:
· Training: Power, technique, coordination and metabolic conditioning
· Mindset: Motivation, emotion, attention and confidence
· Recovery: Mind, body, sleep and nutrition
· Nutrition: Carbohydrates, proteins, fats and hydration
I offer Training Sessions both in the water and in the weight room, and Performance Consultations that address the mindset, recovery and nutrition facets. Instead of simply educating about these facets, we work together to find a plan that works best for the athlete. Each athlete is unique and may benefit from different techniques, but one thing that all athletes have in common is that ignoring these facets will hold them back from achieving their ultimate potential! I am currently finishing detailed documents that explain the Performance Models. Clients of mine can find these documents in the Resources tab on the Excel website once they are published.
Lastly, I want to thank the swim community as a whole! All the athletes putting in the stressful hours of training, the swim parents for driving their kids to morning practices and giving constant support, and the coaches for keeping the sport fun, safe and successful. You are all the reason why I fell in love with this sport so many years ago and I’m looking forward to continuing to foster great relationships with you all!
That’s all for now. Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or comments. I hope to be working with you soon!
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