You are working on Staging1

SSPC: Ray Looze Breaks Down his New Training Focus at Indiana – Proprioception

In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

Indiana University Head Coach Ray Looze unpacks the 2021 BIG TEN schedule, his plans for NCAAs, and proprioception (the perception of the position and movement of the body). I just call it Mind-Body Connection. Ray calls it the future of the sport and details his proprioception work at IU since 2015. Ray’s team (coaches and elite swimmers) are like an Aquatic Research & Development department innovating in eye-popping ways…

Anyone who knows Ray should not be surprised… As a USC student-athlete, he was a standout in and out of the pool. He became the first non-football playing Trojan in school history to earn GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. In 1989, he was recognized as the school’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was also a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner and received recognition as a finalist for the 1989 Rhodes Scholarship and the 1990 NCAA Walter Byers Award. Ray graduated USC magna cum laude in finance and earned a master’s degree from the School of Education at the University of Texas Austin.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

RECENT EPISODES

Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.

38
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

38 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Whoa
3 years ago

Proprioception = focus on the pro group and ignore the undergrads???

Guerra
Reply to  Whoa
3 years ago

That’s just sour grapes and plain not true. Every athlete, regardless of status and talent level, is getting a lot of care and attention.

Guerra is the next Jesus
3 years ago

Ray Looze is one of the most under rated coaches in modern swimming his impact on the sport is unmeasurable

Erik
Reply to  Guerra is the next Jesus
3 years ago

…can’t tell if down votes are for the ridiculous statement or immeasurable*

The Importer AND Exporter
3 years ago

“PROPRIOCEPTION”

You know if the effects last longer than four hours you’re supposed to go to the emergency room…

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  The Importer AND Exporter
3 years ago

ok….that was a little bit funny….

Martinception KIng Jr
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
3 years ago

I had a dream, within a dream, within a dream…

Guerra
3 years ago

In honor of this occasion, I thought I would share this poem that I wrote for “GOAT Coach” Ray Looze…

THE GOAT SIMPLY WALKED THE WALK
 
I met a man the other day,
Who thought he knew you well.
“What was the greatest thing the GOAT Coach, Ray Looze gave?”
He wanted me to tell.
 
“Was it the things of which he spoke?
I know that man can talk.”
“Not even close,” was my reply
“He simply walked the walk.”
 
“What’s most important,” he then asked,
“The way to swim your stroke?”
“No, not at all.” I answered back.,
“He simply walked… Read more »

MX4x50relay
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

A work of art

Monteswim
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

Bruh how much time do you have on your hands

The Importer AND Exporter
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

Tears…so many tears…

Catfish
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

This is getting weird. Are you a stalker?

PVSFree
Reply to  Catfish
3 years ago

He is a gift to us. Bask in his ever-so grateful presence. Hail Guerra and his awe-inspiring writing abilities. Praise be

Jackman
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

For those that don’t know , the above poem is adapted from a Coach Wooden poem

guerra vacuum
3 years ago

I expect that the haters are going to hate regardless of whatever gets said, but what works inside this podcast is the fact that Ray is trying to help his athletes grow and discover and regardless as to the content of the IU sessions or how long they are, if the athlete is engaged, then swimmers will get better. His job as their coach is to find ways to do that. In this case a lot of it deals with a combination of resistance and video, and if you truly understand this sport, you’ll know that that is the ideal environment for engagement, teaching, learning and adaptation. So kudos to Ray for choosing a topic called proprioception and helping coaches… Read more »

Guerra
Reply to  guerra vacuum
3 years ago

Thank you! Beautifully said and a perfect description of the IU training program. The GOAT, Ray Looze, was already great when he arrived in Bloomington, but the way he’s evolved over the years is amazing.

Guerra
3 years ago

This was beautiful and I’m gushing with pride! Another great day thanks to SwimSwam. Thank you Mel!
#lovegoatcoachraylooze
#honorgoatcoachraylooze, #cherishgoatcoachraylooze

Catfish
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

Guerra, who are you?

MX4x50relay
3 years ago

Here before guerra

HueD
3 years ago

Hardly innovative. Ray and his team do the most generic/mundane workouts around. No need for science or creativity at IU. More yardage and the Darwinian approach is the key for his program.

Olympian
Reply to  HueD
3 years ago

That’s actually 90% of American swimming, you guys can afford to lose or brake athletes since you have so many. Darwinian is the perfect definition. “Work works” and “no pain no gain” are the most retrograde approach to training I’ve ever heard, though it died with the Soviet Union.

Last edited 3 years ago by Olympian
Erik
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Forgot the unspoken “grind ’em ’til you find ’em” of the old guard.. it will continue to flourish as long as successful coaches still obtain success from it.. Apply enough pressure to enough rocks, you eventually create one diamond and be rewarded (forever) by those willing to ignore the 100s (1000s?) of stones you crushed to dust.

everyones talking
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

or East Germany

PVSFree
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Totally agree, I’m loving the emergence of new-school high quality training spearheaded by people like Todd DeSorbo. I think that style of training that makes the sport exciting and fun is gonna lead to a lot more people swimming in the long-run

Guerra
Reply to  Olympian
3 years ago

Wrong again. Maybe back in 1970s, 1980s & 1990s, but a lot of things changed after 2000. The current crop of USA coaches in the sport are some of the best and most creative and innovative I’ve ever seen. There are many young coaches that are very impressive at challenging their athletes by working hard in a smart way and not in a Darwinian approach as you say. Ray came into coaching in the 1990s and, he and others have really evolved in the past ten years. He’s a winner in every sense of the word and winners adapt, adjust and overcome!

Guerra
Reply to  HueD
3 years ago

Ridiculous take… pfft!

everyones talking
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

well well well, look who showed up 4 hours late to the party.

Guerra
Reply to  everyones talking
3 years ago

I know. Sorry but I was up in the wild blue yonder earlier today. The important thing is I’m here now!

Olympian
Reply to  Guerra
3 years ago

Oh wow, had no idea swim coaches also had groupies

Gold Medal Mel Stewart
Reply to  HueD
3 years ago

ahhhhhh…..I completely disagree…but appreciate you sharing an opinion.

Guerra
Reply to  HueD
3 years ago

You’re wrong. Ray and his staff are some of the most innovative and “outside the box” coaches in the sport. What didn’t get touched on in the interview was the mental training and spiritual enlightenment the Indiana program offers. If you come to Indiana University and always keep GOAT Coach Ray Looze and his staff front and center in your inner circle and don’t follow or listen to “false prophets”, you will get faster, gain confidence and achieve greatness inside and outside of the pool. You will also experience peace, tranquility and have clarity that most young people don’t have the opportunity to experience in today’s times. The training, both mental and physical, are cutting edge!

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

Read More »