European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Nunt yer Olit it Nett boy a Ytting encouragement la other awl Man. Splashing to Success byjoe Mapother stall writer Een agers Knul Asmis and Kirk Slobod plough neck to neck Down Lanas two and three arms and shoulders heaving Oul of the water in Unous breaststroke or 100 meters until they reach swimming coach Kevin Mckenna standing at the tar end of he Pool in West Berlin. A line Spray of water hits Tho tiled overflow Drain Wilh each gasp As Slobod spils out. Whal d i gel. I did t hear his lace screws up in a mixture o exhaustion and disgust As Mckenna repeats the time and Slobody prepares to heave himself out of the Pool for another go. Swimming is serious business Tor the 73 members of the Berlin Bear a Cuda youth activities learn whose members Range in age rom 8 to 19. Undefeated in is meets this season the biggest hurdle lies ahead in Munich March 13, at the european forces swim league championships the department of defense dependents schools system has Only just recognized swimming As a letter sport and the league is still the Peak Lor Young american swimmers in Europe. Composed of 13 teams in . Military and diplomatic communities it has been in existence since 975. Despite their Young Ages there is no fooling around As the Berlin team goes through us two hour practice at the Andrews Barracks Pool built us a practice facility for the 1936 olympics. The team works out Sis Days a week and on weeks when meets take place the seventh Day is Given Over not to rest but to Competition. On this particular Day about 50 swimmers Are at practice. It used to be people came Here for Lun said Asmis who joined the team 11 years ago at age 8. Mow they come Here to improve. It keeps me in shape. Ii keeps my life organized that s the most important on the other end of the age spectrum b year old Aubryn Taylor said she joined the team because the co alg is really Good and i m gelling in but Taylor admits she really is not out o shape and adds "1 knew this girl in school and she was really Good with thai girl Allison Wagner now swims Wilh Taylor on the 10and-under girls learn. Back and Forth Back and Lorah. Ekerma s words Echo across the cavernous indoor facility to the sounds of gurgling water being pushed aside by Young muscle Power. We be got people false Starling Mckenna cautions As the learn lines up live deep behind the lanes to go of f in Yel Anu chef round of heals they re going to do ii Al champs observers close to the team and its members credit Mckenna for the recent successes. He brings a mature of professionalism and the ability to help people individually to the coaching Job they say. Mckenna look Over the Helm late last season in which the team finished third. Mckenna 2b Quali cd or his lust us. Swimming nationals 10 years ago and qualified in the 200-meter breaststroke for the olympic trials in 1980. That was the year the United Stales boycotted the even. Mckenna quit competitive swimming that year and did t pick it up again until 1984, in the army. He bade Farewell to the army this january in Berlin where he was stationed As a specialist 4. Mckenna swims for the Sig Erlanger learn in the lop Wesl German league and has his eights set Lor the . Nationals again ills year. Early each morning Mckenna is in the water with two of his prodigies Slobody and Asmis. In the late afternoon Mckenna works Wilh the Bear a cud As. To prepare for the championships the team has Cut Down 1rom its earlier regimen of swimming 5,000 meters a Day to a Mere 2,000 meters. We Call ii a taper if you want to use the right terminology he explains. A taper la like a Marathon runner cutting Down on his distance Belore a big race. The conditioning is there but the body look a beating to obtain in and needs Lime to replenish. They re not going to gel in any Bailer shape lha coach says with a glance Loward the labor in the Pool. Mckenna Speaks the talc of competitive swimming there Are terms to describe when a hand Musl be turned during a stroke and How. To that end he is assisted by stroke inst Clor Henry Bradshaw o genial englishman and longtime instructor in the base s red Cross program. And. Fasl Wilch fib or the reaction time a muscle needs to Spring into action is a goal of the current program Mckenna says. The kids Don t realize in but that s How specific it s gelling Mckenna says. Slobody plans to shave off his Beard and most of the rest of his body hair to Cut Down drag the Beard is Slobody s version of a runner s ankle weights. He cd Pecos less drag will Cut seconds Oil his time at he wants to win. As far As Mckenna is concerned ii the kids Are doing their Best limes. I the coach will be practice nears conclusion and a Young swimmer asks Mckenna if she can leave Early. Mckenna says As he leans Down toward her. he smiles before adding but swim 6v19b8 the stars and stripes Page 15
