Plea to coaches: consistent terminology

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 don't think these are the reasons, or at least not major ones. I think most coaches don't see the value in going to all the trouble of the process you describe. Whether or not these are THE reasons, or even supporting reasons, is not particularly important. What is important is the service to the swimmers, new or otherwise. I do not expect new swimmers to know all of the terminology in any program, that is another job for the coach to take the time to explain and make the newbie comfortable. Speed is irrelevant if you do not know what is expected. Some coaches expect the swimmers in the lanes to explain the set (or the special terms), and that is patently unfair to all of the swimmers. The new ones because there is now an arm's length relationship with the coach, and the returning swimmers because they now have to take precious time out of their workout to explain to the newbie (or thick head). We give very high status to coaches on occasion, and I wonder if that is an unhealthy byproduct of the culture of swimming. If the coaches were to agree on something as basic as the language of the sport, they would take a step toward ethical and moral reforms that sometimes also dog the profession. I am not saying that having uniform terms for workout sets will cure perversion, but the relative isolation (and corresponding feeling of safety relative to actions) that many coaches work in does not have to exist. The value is not only in the product, but in the process itself.
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