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WHAT SOME COACHES ARE SAYING*7 read allthat stuff... (Extensive un-derivater training) is not worth my time ... I don'twantsomething likethat to everhappen.JIM BRUMM“I don 7 thinkit has anypositive benefits, plus it’s dangerous. ... You hear about kids passing out all the t ime. ”BILL BARNETTNewport Harbor“Afore than anything, it’s mental toughness.JASON LYNCHCapistrano Valley“It’s scary. Ifanyone is doing it... it’s time to look and ask, ‘Why am I doing this?”’RANDY BURGESSCoronado of San Diego“It hasn’t scared me. ’’DON STOLL€1 ToroWATER POLOFROM 1ter Polo associated underwater training with a condition called “shallow water blackouts, which the federation believes killed a Mexican national team player in January. The same training nearly claimed the life of U.S. national team star Wolf Wigo last Christmas.It is a practice that has long existed in Orange County. Ser-vite coach Jim Sprague said he had a swimmer at Sunny Hills black out in the mid-1970s while doing three underwater laps as part of a $100 bet.He’s out cold and he keeps going,” Sprague said of the swimmer, who survived.One theory is that underwater laps can increase lung capacity and improve breathingand conditioning.But Irvine Novaquatics swim coach Dave Salo, who has a doctorate in exercise physiology, isn’t so sure. He believes the lungs are not engaged enough during underwater swimming to improve capacity or conditioning.“I think there's a lot of assumption, he said. “Exercise will increase lung capacity.” Salo thinks the benefits are more mental, a theory shared by water polo coaches.“More than anything, it’smental toughness,” said Capistrano Valley coach Jason Lynch, who also coaches the U.S. national youth water polo team.To prevent more incidents with the training, Wigo’s father, Bruce, executive director of USA Water Polo, posted an article on the federation’s Web site (www.usawaterpolo.com) in February explaining the danger of underwater swimming and shallow water blackouts.The hazard is that during underwater swimming or any prolonged holding of breath, players can black out from lack of oxygen to the brain.This can happen because hyperventilation — rapid and deep breathing — washes out carbon dioxide from the lungs, Wigo wrote. Carbon dioxide triggers the brain to take a breath. Wigo wrote that swimmers can black out underwater from hypoxia, or lack of oxygen to the brain.TWO-SIDED ISSUEOrange County coaches need no reminder about Graper’s death May 12, two days before the start of CIF Southern Section swimming finals..Some coaches have stoppeddoing underwater training. Others continue the practice, but in a limited amount and under strict supervision.Foothill, which has reached at least the Division I water polo semifinals the past five years, does underwater training. Coach Jim Brumm said his squad will swim one underwater lap before every match.“A couple kids like it,” said Brumm, whose squad won the Division I title in 1995. “It gets their heartbeat up.”Brumm also said his team will swim a lap or two underwater “once every blue moon” during training periods. “Nothing too extreme,”Brumm said. “I read all thatstuff. ... (Extensive underwater training) is not worth my time. ... I don’t want want something like that to ever happen.“I bet everyone did it more five years ago.”Stoll, whose teams have won five Southern Section titles, said his squad wilL swim a lap underwater after practice during preseason training periods only. The lap takes players about 15 seconds to complete, he said.“They can’t get out (of the pool) until they do one,” Stoll said.Stoll said he does the same thing coaching girls and novice-level players. He doesn’t do more because of the reports from Trabuco Hills and USA Water Polo.Robin McMunn, who has three children in Stoll’s water polo program, isn’t alarmed by the training.“Twenty-five yards isn’t that much,” said McMunn, who taught scuba diving for years. “I’m glad (Stoll) doesn’t do it all the time, and when he does do it, it’s an observation thing.”McMunn added, “I would trust him with any of my kids.”Los Alamitos water polo coach Dave Carlson, who ledMarina to a CIF Division II runner-up finish last year, said his squad might do underwater laps now that training focuses on anaerobics. But maybe not.“I don’t know if I’m doing it this year,” Carlson said. “People are freaking out.”A FORBIDDEN PRACTICENewport Harbor, which has won 10 Southern Section titles, is among the water polo teams that do not do underwater training. Servite, San Clemente and Villa Park also fall intoIfiI4% \*ft“I don’t take any risks with m y kids. I’m overly cautious. *-Photo by MATT A. BROWN/The Orange County RegisterMONTE McCORDSaddleback(pictured at left)this group.“We’ve never done underwater,” said Newport Harborcoach Bill Barnett, former coach of the U.S. men’s national and Olympic teams. “I don’t think it has any positive benefits, plus it’s dangerous.... You hear about kids passing out all the time.U.S. national team member Tony Azevedo, a senior at LongBeach Wilson, said the national team doesn’t do underwater training, either.“It really doesn’t help that much,” Azevedo said.Saddleback water polo coach Monte McCord holds the same belief as Barnett.“I don’t take any risks with my kids,” he said. “I’m overly cautious.”McCord is even more careful since the death of Jeff Campos during a water polo practice in 1996 at Saddleback. The team wasn’t doing underwater laps.Campos had a problem breathing, McCord said. Campos’ cause of death is listed as “undetermined” by the Orange County Coroner.McCord said he used to have students do underwater laps during swim season, but not anymore.“I quit doing any underwater stuff,” McCord said. “I don’twant another tragedy on myhands.”HAVE WATCHFUL EYESCoronado water polo coach Randy Burgess, whose squad won a San Diego Section title last year, believes the stories about underwater trainingprove the practice should stop.“It’s scary,” he said. “If anyone is still doing it... it’s time to look and ask, ‘Why am I doing this?’”Azevedo agreed.“Is it worth the consequence?” he said.Bruce Wigo said he wrote his letter on “shallow water blackout” not to discourage the practice of underwater laps but to educate.“I do underwater training i myself,” Wigo said. *So what’s his message? *“If you do underwater training, (it) really needs to be monitored,” he said.Wigo was fortunate his son * wasn’t swimming alone. He was able to jump into the pool -and resuscitate Wolf before permanent damage was done.Brian Graper was by him- * self. ■*“Everyone says it can’t happen,” Keri Graper said. “It can happen. ... I would prefer in any kind of sport — swim- * ming or water polo — that they always designated a buddy and, that the buddy would neverleave them.” -
Newspaper Details
Santa Ana Orange County Register
Santa Ana, California, US
Tue, Nov 09, 1999
Page 47
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 22 Feb 2019
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