Fellow Coaches:

Super Sport Systems is the brainchild of Dr. Sergei Beliaev. I’d been looking at his program for a while, but wasn’t ready to take the plunge until after I spoke with a couple of his fellow users. That convinced me to give it a try for a few low-risk, high-effort guys this season. While I’ve learned quite a bit from Sergei through numerous calls and lengthy, late-night e-mails, some of my most enlightening moments have come from talking with fellow users. In fact, of the coaches I’ve spoken with thus far, the loyalty to Sergei is unreal.

That’s why I’ve created a mailing list for 3S users (or those interested in the program). If you have a question, suggestion or idea, just e-mail it to the list. It might concern training, or how you’ve modified the program somehow, or even how you get your athletic director to pay for the service, (“Coaching? Isn’t that what we’re paying YOU for?” I was asked). It’s a way to get coaches to use the 3S system more effectively. Your e-mail will be delivered to fellow 3S users’ e-mail box. If someone has a suggestion or fellow question, reply to the list and everyone else benefits as well. Ultimately, I look at it as an educational opportunity to learn from some leading-edge, early-adopting coaches, and is especially helpful now that we’re in season and few of us has the time to call 3-4 others to solicit their opinion. 

At the same time, I’m hoping we can help Sergei out. As mentioned, the coaches I’ve spoken with, are in awe of the program and the loyalty is almost cult-like. One thing I’ve seen in looking at the program is that it can be pretty intimidating to the uninitiated or those who fear change. These include big, long sets that we’re not familiar with (I’m supposed to give them 1x4000 free style with one minute rest and a HR of 144-151?), the energy levels use different names and are more nuanced than what USA Swimming has taught us (though, when I shared them with my Bulgarian breaststroker, he said, “This is what I know – this makes much more sense to me), and some otherwise awkward language that might be more academic in nature than what us non-exercise-physiologists are used to, or might be lost in the translation back to English. Whatever the case, the ideas and suggestions generated from such a list can only help Sergei, Dr. Gordon and their team make the 3S product more functional to more coaches. They’ve shown me some of the things they’ve been working on – variable weekly training schedules, adaptations for strokers vs. freestylers, etc., and the only thing limiting them, it seems, is the funding to roll out more features. 

This isn’t a sales pitch, SPAM, or a CollegeSwimming.com endeavor, its an effort that I’m taking on to help educate 3S users and 3S developers in hopes of making this tremendous tool even more valuable to each of us.

If you’re interested in joining the list just send an e-mail to SwimCoaches-on@carthage.edu and you’ll be added to the list. I don’t think you need to worry about filling up your mailbox much more, but I do think that the e-mail you receive will be some of the most educational and informative you get on each day.

If you have any problems subscribing, let me know and I’ll get you added to the list,

Swimcerely,

Greg Earhart

Office: 262-551-6192 / Cell: 262-960-1770