The COVID-19 public health emergency has cancelled sports’ seasons and shut down training programs across the country and around the world. These interruptions have the potential to affect your ability to train, improve, and excel in your sport—but you do have an option. You don’t have to let these circumstances dictate your future—in your sport or in any other way. You can say yes to SPIRE and continue pursuing your sports passion, uninterrupted.
SPIRE is one of the largest multi-sport training and competition facilities in the world. The SPIRE training bubble is open to help you continue your training and stay on course with your goals and dreams. Are you a high school-aged swimmer looking for an intense training environment in which to prepare for the next level of competition? Maybe you’re a high school graduate who is still evaluating your collegiate swimming scholarship options, or an elite swimmer who has completed college eligibility and needs a residential training program?
Find out how SPIRE is training athletes on a Gap Year, Collegiate Time Out, or providing Weekend Programs for High School Athletes. Read about how you can live and train in SPIRE’s training bubble!
SPIRE Post Grad Program: https://www.spireinstitute.org/post-grad-program
SPIRE College Time Out Program: https://www.spireinstitute.org/collegiate-timeout
SPIRE High School Weekend Program: https://www.spireinstitute.org/camps-weekend-program
No matter who you are, SPIRE offers you a wholistic, individualized physical and mental training program within a world class event and wellness complex. With more than 750,000 sq. ft. under roof and acres of recreational space, SPIRE is one of the largest indoor, multi-sport, training and competition facilities in the world.
SPIRE’s Aquatic Center features:
- 2 Myrtha pool designed with input from USA Swimming™
- 10-lane Olympic-sized pool with two moveable bulkheads
- A 50-meter racing course that can be converted to 25-yard or 25-meter courses with pace clocks and scoreboard.
- 4 therapy pools
- Underwater video stroke and swim power analysis equipment.
Ryan Lochte, SPIRE ambassador and 12-time Olympic medalist, had this to say about SPIRE’s swimming program: “I’ve dedicated my life to this sport, and I thought I had seen everything in terms of training programs and facilities, and SPIRE is special. The potential to build something totally unique at SPIRE from a training and development perspective intrigues me. I’m fortunate to be involved and I look forward to helping SPIRE swimming make a major impact on our sport—both in and out of the pool.”
Led by Director and Head Coach Thad Schultz, training within SPIRE’s Aquatics program is customized based on each athlete’s individual needs with an intense focus on technique. Trainers use a wide variety of methods to improve range of motion and flexibility, customizing each session to facilitate each athlete’s individual goals within a scientific progression. Highlights of each swimmer’s weekly training program include 11 analysis and skill-building sessions and 22-30 hours of stroke and distance-specific training.
Resources and support services for SPIRE swimmers include unlimited pool and dryland training space, lactate testing, and agility, power and speed training at SPIRE’s Performance Center. Sports medicine, therapy, rehabilitation and massage are available, and because SPIRE seeks to build the whole athlete—body, mind, and spirit—training programs also include sports nutrition, leadership training, visualization and other methods to build resiliency, discipline and mental toughness.
Residential student athletes live on campus in newly built, “Olympic village” style housing with access to the SPIRE Fuel™ cafeteria.
Three-time Olympian, Olympic team captain, and best-selling author Elizabeth Beisel has also joined SPIRE as an International Swim Ambassador. As a SPIRE Ambassador, Beisel will lead programs for SPIRE student athletes both during her visits and virtually.
“COVID-19 has imposed restrictions on many athletes and interrupted training and competition all over the world,” said Beisel. “But the champion doesn’t accept anything that gets in the way of their passion or tries to derail them in the pursuit of their goals. Finding a way to continue to train and excel even during the worst of times is the hallmark of the elite athlete. My goal while working with SPIRE is to keep the fire burning in our student athletes, so they stay on track to meet their goals and become the future—not just of their sport but of our community as well.”
For more information on SPIRE Academy swimming programs, contact Director of Admissions Brian Oliver, [email protected] or visit the website www.spireinstitute.org/academy to download the Admissions Guide.
Swimming news is courtesy of SPIRE, a SwimSwam partner.