If the major car companies, electronics companies and other industries can get together ad agree on certain industry standards, why not swimming? Do you think that all computer firms just suddenly come up with the USB? No, they all agreed to the design, capabilities and limitations, so all could compete and flourish on par.
Same goes for swimming, but it hasn't happened yet. Lap or Length have been argued to death here, with no consensus. This morning I was reminded of another set of easily confused terms; build and descend. I was taught that build meant increase speed (or at least effort) during the individual swim you are about to perform, descend was to make each swim in a set a little faster, so the last 100 (or whatever the distance) was faster than the first one .
Anyone else have terms of inconsistency or ambiguity? Can we get the coaches to issue forth a letter of understanding on certain terms, so we have an interchangeable vernacular across the country?
I coach a Masters swim team in Colorado Springs. I think that the idea of coaches using consistent terms is great - however I am not really sure how it can be done.
I doubt it will be easy, if it ever is tried. First, the coaches must agree that something should be done for the good of the swimmers. Then there will be categories of terms to agree upon. Then there will be discussion and voting on the terms. The hardest thing will be to issue unified terminology and actually get the coaches to use it in their programs.
All of the above is predicated on the assumption that coaches want general improvement for the swimmers. Unfortunately, I think some coaches like having special terms that are their own, using exclusively for their program. Maybe they see that as the edge over competition.
Having unified terms will also play to the insecurity of the coach, knowing that the swimmers could transfer to another program without missing anything, since everyone speaks the same terminology.
I coach a Masters swim team in Colorado Springs. I think that the idea of coaches using consistent terms is great - however I am not really sure how it can be done.
I doubt it will be easy, if it ever is tried. First, the coaches must agree that something should be done for the good of the swimmers. Then there will be categories of terms to agree upon. Then there will be discussion and voting on the terms. The hardest thing will be to issue unified terminology and actually get the coaches to use it in their programs.
All of the above is predicated on the assumption that coaches want general improvement for the swimmers. Unfortunately, I think some coaches like having special terms that are their own, using exclusively for their program. Maybe they see that as the edge over competition.
Having unified terms will also play to the insecurity of the coach, knowing that the swimmers could transfer to another program without missing anything, since everyone speaks the same terminology.
