The Gators dominated the competition this past weekend at the All-Florida Invitational, but they weren’t just competing against the opposition.
They were also deadlocked in a battle against their coaches.
UF coach Gregg Troy said Monday that he used the first meet as an opportunity to “handicap” his players and put them in various scenarios that would affect them adversely.
“A lot of them swam some unusual events or something they aren’t quite as skilled at," Troy said.
Troy added that he created tough mental conditions for his players throughout the tournament.
“We made the days a little bit extra long with some activities we did before and after,” Troy said. “We’re looking for how they would respond in pressure situations and tough situations.”
Troy said he mainly uses the first six weeks of the season to ensure the team is physically fit, because within the coming months, Florida's schedule becomes more difficult.
Its October schedule begins with a top-50 opponent in in-state rival No. 39 Florida State and then becomes even more brutal as the Gators will take on both No. 1 Texas and No. 9 Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana, on Oct. 21.
After that, the Gators will shift their focus to an arduous conference slate in hopes of positioning themselves for another year of Southeastern Conference and NCAA Championship runs.
Contact Drew Kozlin at dkozlin@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @DrewKoz2.
UF coach Gregg Troy encourages his swimmers during Florida’s meet against Auburn on Jan. 23, 2016, in the O’Connell Center.
