Hosting my first masters practices this week.... variety of skill levels. Hour long practices. Any tips for good first week practices?? (new to coaching masters, but have been swimming/coaching for 35 years)....
any and all advice welcomed!
Mahalo!
Parents
Former Member
A while ago I posted a long reply in the coaching section to a similar question.
Here's just a small part of it...
Make no doubt about it, the diversity of typical masters groups the world over, in age, ability, experience and motivation, guarantees that the coach's resourcefulness will be stretched to the limit. One point you (and the rest of us, as coaches) should always be aware of, is that these swimmers have chosen to join your club. They had a choice. They also have the choice to leave at any time. The head coach must rise to the challenge of meeting their diverse needs. You will be rewarded with a constant show of appreciation. I’ve found that masters swimmers of all abilities are grateful when someone takes an interest in them. Furthermore, they are thrilled when the coach goes the extra mile in terms of finding the time, over and above of what is expected, to make them feel that their contribution to the club is valuable. Coaching masters can be the most rewarding challenge a coach can undertake.
Adults are generally hungry for information, and although they will keep you on your toes with questions about anything that doesn’t make sense, or isn’t applicable to their needs, they generally understand the reasons behind what is being asked of them. I’ve also found that the beauty of masters swimmers is that they don’t expect the coach to know everything!
All adult swimmers in the squad, from novice masters to the experienced, are always very keen to learn how to improve and I have found that they listen intently to advice and instruction.
A while ago I posted a long reply in the coaching section to a similar question.
Here's just a small part of it...
Make no doubt about it, the diversity of typical masters groups the world over, in age, ability, experience and motivation, guarantees that the coach's resourcefulness will be stretched to the limit. One point you (and the rest of us, as coaches) should always be aware of, is that these swimmers have chosen to join your club. They had a choice. They also have the choice to leave at any time. The head coach must rise to the challenge of meeting their diverse needs. You will be rewarded with a constant show of appreciation. I’ve found that masters swimmers of all abilities are grateful when someone takes an interest in them. Furthermore, they are thrilled when the coach goes the extra mile in terms of finding the time, over and above of what is expected, to make them feel that their contribution to the club is valuable. Coaching masters can be the most rewarding challenge a coach can undertake.
Adults are generally hungry for information, and although they will keep you on your toes with questions about anything that doesn’t make sense, or isn’t applicable to their needs, they generally understand the reasons behind what is being asked of them. I’ve also found that the beauty of masters swimmers is that they don’t expect the coach to know everything!
All adult swimmers in the squad, from novice masters to the experienced, are always very keen to learn how to improve and I have found that they listen intently to advice and instruction.
