Life at University of Pittsburgh Johnstown: Campus Beauty, Close‑Knit Community, and Opportunities for Athletes

Get a behind‑the‑scenes look at Coach Kyle Zeller's first year building a D‑II men's & women's swim program at UPJ— from historic PSAC meet wins to the next‑gen recruiting playbook. Watch how he turns a modest pool into a squad where the person comes first. He is keeping student‑athletes front of mind.

What's Covered:

• Building a competitive PSAC program and historic meet qualification
• Recruiting tactics: internal talent, high‑school stars & value propositions
• Marketing & outreach: podcasts, local media, coach networking
• Campus & facility snapshot: 25‑yard pool, Appalachian views, small‑school perks
• Break‑time training, student‑athlete balance & growth roadmap for 2026 / 2027

Some mentions in this, part one of three, episode, #64 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide:

• The PSAC is fast – our UPJ swimmers just made history with our first PSAC qualifier, Mark DePalma, who smashed the cut by two seconds.

• Recruiting started late April 2025, but we've already secured the valedictorian of Marion Center High, a 4.8‑GPA swimmer, as our inaugural college recruit.

• We're promoting the men's and women's teams across PA, hitting high‑school meets, club events, and even a Fox 8 interview to spread the word.

• Our facility is a basic six‑lane, 25‑yard pool with stunning Appalachian Mountain views, fresh tiling, and a million‑dollar recent renovation.

• Campus life: 729 acres of woods, ski‑chalet dorms, top engineering and nursing programs, and a close‑knit community where the AD knows every student's name.

Elite coaching isn't a myth. It's a choice and science built on relentless work, crystal‑clear goals, and total alignment of mind, heart, and body. In this episode of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, #63, we break down some of the bits of what it takes to train like the world's top athletes.

• What "elite" really means and why it's a whole different universe from ordinary competition
• The brutal training load: 12 sessions/week, 6 hours/day, 24,000 m of swimming daily
• The three‑key framework: mind (goal clarity), heart (inner drive), body (smart recovery)
• The seven pillars of elite coaching—from active listening to adaptive programming
• The deeper motivators beyond money: honor, legacy, and self‑mastery

The Brutal (and Beautiful) Truth About What It Really Takes to Be Elite in Sport

Also see the full seminar called Elite Coaching, level 1, from Dennis Antonio Cordova in the course at WAFSU.org.

• From Vision to Victory: Craft Crystal‑Clear Goals for High‑Performance Success

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Swimming Mechanics: Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide

Drawing on expert analysis, we examine the fundamental characteristics of water flow, classifying water as a semi-solid whose density is over 800 times greater than air. Learn how competitive swimmers battle resistive drag—including form drag (profile drag) and lateral form drag—by maintaining laminar flow and optimal horizontal alignment.

This analysis confronts common misconceptions in stroke mechanics:

• Is Hip Rotation Propulsive? We challenge the popular notion that hip rotation is a source of propulsion in long-axis strokes (like the front crawl), arguing instead that it primarily serves to reduce water resistance and increase the effectiveness of arm and leg propulsion.

• The Best Arm Stroke: Compare the controversial deep-catch, straight-back pull (which some researchers suggest is superior for generating propulsive thrust) with the widely preferred curvilinear stroking and shoulder adduction used by the majority of elite swimmers in all four competitive strokes. We explore why the shoulder-adducting style may be universally used in longer events, while the deep catch may be superior for sprints (50m/yd).

Discover the true sources of speed:

• Vortex Theory: Understand how swimmers create vortices and a pressure differential to propel themselves forward. Propulsive thrust is generated because the pressure on the palm side of the hand is higher relative to the dorsal side, where pressure decreases due to vortex formation.

• The Catch: Learn why elite swimmers intentionally decelerate their hand speed to near zero during the crucial catch phase, positioning the arm backward before applying propulsive force.

• Wave Propulsion: Investigate unique propulsive concepts like wave propulsion (or "body wave") and the importance of undulation in short-axis strokes (butterfly and breaststroke). See how breaststrokers like Mike Barrowman utilize streamlined positioning during the arm recovery to benefit from this wave phase, accelerating continuously for a short time.

The analysis in the ebook uses visualizations, including actual photographs of elite swimmers like Grant Hackett, Martin Lopez-Zubero, Mary T. Meagher, and video simulations/CFD renderings of water flow around limbs.

Get the ebook from the link at SwimISCA.com.

From Locker Room to Loyalty Loop: The Sports Marketing Journey of Purpose.

Coaches must handle the technical side, the physical side and all the Xs and Os. But let's Think again about sports marketing. Dr. Olena Timasheva, sports marketing professor in the university presented to the international audience at WAFSU.org and was able to reveal the coaches roles in digital strategy, sponsorship, and fan engagement.

More than motivators, coaches today are key to driving revenue, fan connection, and team brand identity.

Blending the intensity of the game with the science of segmentation is where coaching meets modern sports marketing.

Get all the slides, discussion questions and the full 70-minute seminar in the free course at https://WAFSU.org -- World Aquatic Federation for Schools and Universities.

In episode #61 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we peek into the playbook for turning a local sports team into a global brand. Learn the proven framework that top clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City use to drive fan loyalty and revenue.

• The three‑pillar framework: market segmentation, research & targeting, and the 80/20 loyalty investment rule.
• How to segment fans by demographics, geography, psychographics and behavior for maximum impact.
• Digital tactics that work: social media two‑way dialogue, user‑generated content, and hyper‑personalized email campaigns.
• Building authentic sponsorships and partnerships that align with your brand's core values.
• The top three challenges facing sports marketers today: tech & data privacy, shifting fan preferences, and economic/social issues.

This episode is just a short invite to explore the full seminar by Dr. Olena Timasheva of the Ukraine.

How do your Coaches, Players, and Data Drive Loyalty‑Focused Marketing in your Sports Organizations?

We want to hear from you.

Keywords:

sports marketing, coach role, market segmentation, age groups, gender targeting, income levels, geographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation, behavioral segmentation, loyalty tiers, branding, brand identity, brand positioning, brand loyalty, marketing mix, product price place promotion, digital marketing, social media, content marketing, email marketing, fan engagement, loyalty programs, sponsorship partnerships, community outreach, case study Liverpool, case study NBA, case study Manchester City, case study NFL, case study Barcelona, case study Manchester United, case study Red Bull, case study Under Armour, Ukraine sports market, low income audience, high income audience, mid income audience, fan demographics, fan psychology, community-driven fans, status seekers, VIP experiences, family packages, merchandise strategy, interactive technology, virtual events, customized sponsorship, ROI metrics, marketing challenges, trends

Swim faster by mastering shoulder medial rotation. Coach Steve Friederang breaks down why this subtle cue makes or breaks your pull in all four strokes.

Join Coach in a lesson with two aspiring swimmers and hear how he thinks and explains this vital move.

• Why medial shoulder rotation is the key to an early vertical forearm and a powerful catch.

• How outward‑rotated shoulders prevent forward pull and waste energy.

• Visual cues to spot improper rotation on the deck and in video.

• Practical drills to train the rotator cuff for inward shoulder positioning.

• How balanced shoulder‑rotator strength affects stroke efficiency and injury prevention.

Join Coaches, Steve Friederang and Mark Rauterkus on a weekly chat at 1:30 pm EASTERN every Wednesday. We're online and your input is welcome as well. Use the link at the correct time!

https://HON.LAP.red

https://Meetn.com/wafsu

Coach Steve Friederang unpacks a technique with private-lesson athletes that's bending by-gone rules without breaking them. Could this be the biggest backstroke breakthrough since dolphin kicks off the wall?

In this episode of Heavy Or Not - The OG Swim Guide, biomechanist and elite swim coach Steve Friederang breaks down a newly misunderstood, and presently underused, backstroke finishing technique in forward thinking swimming: the underwater kicking returns at the finish for speedy backstroke.

With a recent rule change allowing swimmers to submerge in the final 5 meters of a backstroke race, Steve shares how he's helping top-tier athletes legally use dolphin kicks all the way to the touch on the wall, and gain a serious edge.

You'll learn:

• Why this backstroke rule exists (and how it's misunderstood)

• How elite swimmers train underwater finishes without losing speed

• The biomechanics behind maximizing your dolphin kick

• Drills, tools, and safety tips to train like a pro

• Real results from swimmers dropping seconds, not tenths

Whether you're a coach, swimmer, or swim parent, this episode is packed with practical insights and race-changing techniques.

Subscribe to catch our weekly swim strategy sessions and training deep dives.
New episodes are going to be open for live discussions every Wednesday at 1:30 PM ET.
Got questions or ideas? Drop them in the comments. We might feature them next week!

• Opt in at https://HON.LAP.red or else at Steve's Competitive Swimmer magazine.
  
  Transcript in PDF.

In this episode of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we discuss why insurance coverage is a critical need for swimming coaches and how Barry Healey with ISCA and the BC Swimming Coaches Association are working on the discovery for solutions to fortify the profession and passions of coaches.

What you'll learn:

• What if every coach had $1‑2 M in liability insurance and lawyer support.
• Let's consider all the modern risks of going uninsured.
• Real‑world scenarios that have cost coaches financially and mentally.
• How advocates are negotiating insurance options and potential membership fees.
• Plans for a joint venture to embed insurance education and mental‑health training into coach certification.
• How you can get involved – sign up on the Heavy Or Not form to stay informed and help shape the solution.

Turning Insurance Into Retention: Keeping Coaches in Competitive Swimming and Sport