The 2021 National Select Camp featured some of the fastest emerging swimmers that the nation has to offer. Camp attendees spent three days at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center working on their technique, listening to presentations from big names in swimming like Russell Mark and Hali Flickinger and participating in teambuilding exercises.

While the camp gave many takeaways to its athlete attendees, it also had an impact on the coaches who ran the camp. 

“It is always a huge honor to be a part of these camps,” said Abi Liu, a coach at this year’s Girls National Select Camp and a year-round coach at Bellevue Club Swim Team. “The National Select Camp is one of the more prestigious camps. Being named the Head Coach for this specific camp was a perfect opportunity to give back to the sport I love and to learn from others.”

The National Select Camp is a way to bring together some of the nation’s rising young swimmers and provide an early glimpse at what top-level training looks like. Still, even with the high level of in-pool talent, the task of building team comradery among 51 athletes from different areas of the country in just a three-day span can be daunting to a coach. 

“At the start of the camp, I asked the athletes to come in with a completely open mind,” Liu described. “People come from different backgrounds and different training styles. They also came from all over the country, (but) we all had one thing in common: we are all a part of team USA.”

The team quickly went from introductions and warm-up sets to singing songs on bus rides, going at race pace against each other and building unity. 

“I can’t wait to see the swimmers from this camp shine in 2024 and beyond,” Liu said. “So many bright future stars in all events and distances, and their work ethic is second to none… Even with very challenging workouts, they not only crushed every single practice, but they had fun.”

From a coach’s standpoint, Liu said that camps and opportunities like this can go a long way in helping clubs and athletes improve both in and out of the pool.

“Aside from helping improve your technique as a swimmer, the athletes get to form a sense of belonging with others outside of the pool,” Liu said of the benefits of offering camps and experiences like National Select Camp to athletes. “That support will help them succeed throughout their swimming and life journey.

“There are so many different ways to achieve success. All teams face challenges — it doesn’t matter if you’re from a big or small club team, or whether you only train singles, or maybe you have very limited access to long course pools. Be innovative, be persistent and always be honest with your effort. Be sure to form a support system around you. No one expects you to do it alone, so build a circle of trusted supporters around you.