Behind the Blocks: Inside Raleigh Swimming Association's High-Output Speed Session
I've been fortunate to visit a lot of incredible swimming programs across the country, but my trip out to North Carolina to visit the Raleigh Swimming Association (RSA) for Episode #11 of Behind the Blocks was one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
The Research Triangle region in North Carolina is arguably one of the most competitive swimming hubs in the United States right now. The sheer concentration of talent, top-tier coaching, and club depth in this area makes every deck visit unique. I wanted to see firsthand how RSA’s Head Coach Ethan Cooke structures high-level speed training and builds culture in his first 12 months taking the reins of the program.
Check out the full vlog below to step right onto the deck with us at RSA headquarters:
Maximizing Every Square Foot: The 20-Yard Power Tank
One of the first things that caught my attention when I arrived at RSA’s main headquarters was their facility setup. They have multiple pools on site, including a smaller 20-yard pool that they utilize for feel, sculling, and power activation before transitioning over to the main pool.
Instead of looking at a 20-yard pool as a limitation, RSA uses it as a weapon. During our visit, the Senior Gold group—consisting of around 25 high school athletes with Futures, Senior Champs, and Next-Level cuts—used this space for partner-resisted cord work.
From a coaching perspective, using a shorter tank for cord work and short-burst speed is brilliant. It allows athletes to hyper-focus on immediate velocity, catch placement, and wall transitions without worrying about mid-pool drag decay.
2. Keeping It Simple: $24 x 50s at Full Tilt
Once the group moved into the primary pool, it was time for the main event: a full-tilt quality speed session.
Sometimes as coaches, we overcomplicate our sets trying to be overly creative on the whiteboard. RSA’s Head Coach took the exact opposite approach, running a set that was straightforward, intentionally structured, and brutally effective:
The Set: $24 \times 50\text{s}$ on a 1:30 interval.
The Variation: Split by event specialty (e.g., 400+ swimmers running 2 fast / 1 easy; 200 swimmers running 1 fast / 1 easy).
The Goal: Maximum high-end neuromuscular output with enough rest to preserve race mechanics.
"It’s pretty dummy-proof. One fast, one easy, with more than enough rest so we can focus on maximum output and hold stroke mechanics under fatigue." — RSA Head Coach Ethan Cooke
Something I’ve always believed is that speed is a skill that must be trained fresh. If you burn athletes out with endless aerobic garbage yards before asking them to sprint, you aren't training speed—you're just training slow survival. RSA gave these kids the runway to drop heat on every single effort.
3. The "Heat Check" & Deck Culture
You can tell a lot about a program by how athletes react when the workout gets tough. At RSA, the deck energy was electric from start to finish. There was a ton of communication, trash talk between lanes, and genuine support among the swimmers.
To cap off the workout, we called a spontaneous "Heat Check." We threw a few of the top sprinters up on the blocks at the end of the session to dive off and drop a max-effort 50 on camera while fully fatigued.
Watching how these kids stepped up on the blocks, embraced the spotlight, and held their technique when their legs were completely heavy showed the exact type of race-day toughness RSA is cultivating.
Biggest Coaching / Personal Takeaways:
Short space = high value: A smaller or unconventional pool (like a 20-yard setup) is an asset for contrast, power development, cord work, and fast turns.
Simplicity in set design: "Dummy-proof" set structures with ample rest yield higher neuromuscular output and better stroke mechanics under speed than overly complicated, chaotic sets.
Culture over yardage: High-level training doesn't have to be stoic or depressing; keeping energy high and letting swimmers execute "heat checks" builds competitive resilience.
Ready to See the Action?
Whether you're a coach looking for ideas on how to structure your quality days, or a swimmer looking to see how top high school athletes train in one of the country's best swim states, this episode is packed with value.
Click here to watch the full RSA Vlog on YouTube and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more behind-the-scenes visits with the best programs in the world.
If you’re ready to elevate your own speed, refine your technique, or take your training to the next level:
Explore my Online Swim Coaching & Programs for customized workout plans.
Check out upcoming Swim Clinics to work on stroke mechanics and power in person.
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