My team just got a new coach about four months ago. Now personally, I don't have any major problems with this coach. He gives a pretty good workout, he is quite knowledgeable about stroke techniques, and he is trying to build some team unity. Admittedly, we have had some issues with him about showing up for workouts a few minutes late and relying too much on the pool lifeguards to provide us with a workout when he sometimes doesn't show (a much bigger problem for the newer/less experienced swimmers).
The big conflict seems to be from the beginning/intermediate swimmers and the triathletes (I'm also a triathlete, but I have a pretty strong swimming background). Now, this may seem quite trivial, and even a little bit petty to those of us who swam in college and have an intense competitive drive and thrive on the thrill of a good swim, but many of our intermediate/beginners are complaining that they are not getting recognition for their efforts. Thinking back to my early age group days, I can remember when a coach simply saying "good job" to me meant everything. It's what kept me coming back for more painful workouts the next week. Now swimming Masters, I really don't care if a coach singles me out for accomplishing something. I'm happy with an occasional Top Ten or winning a medal at Nationals. But we are now losing a lot of swimmers because they feel they are working for nothing. They don't see why they should swim Masters vs. just lap swim.
What's brought this to a head is that this morning, after workout, my wife sent me a text expressing how disgusted she was with our coach. She didn't go into specifics, but she ended with the statement "I'm done!". I didn't see what brought this on, but I did notice that halfway through workout, she was just swimming laps by herself. Back and forth, no stopping. I glanced at our coach, and he gave me a confused look, saying "so-and-so just wants to swim". While I'm not trying to make excuses for anyone, coach is a pretty young guy, with most of our members being 20-30 years older than him, and I think he might be a bit nervous expressing himself to some of us.
So heck, now I'm stuck in the middle. What do I do? Do I try to talk to the coach? Do I stay out of it? Help!
The original post was about people passive aggressively pouting because of a lack of "recognition" and "working for nothing."
I didn't read the OP that way. I took "lack of recognition" and "working for nothing" to mean the swimmers weren't getting much attention at all. Then the rhetoric on the thread ratcheted up to clapping and patting heads. Couldn't help but get sarcastic after that.
I would hope most coaches try to engage with each swimmer each practice in some sort of positive way. I think we all have different circumstances and are serving very different clientele. Our team is located in the middle of suburbia. We don't attract as many young working people or former college athletes as the teams located at a university or in a busy city. We have some former/a few current competitive swimmers who happen to live here with their families, many triathletes and many suburbanites looking to stay fit. Our club is going to look very different than the one at UT in Austin. I have lots more space for beginners and those not interested in competing in a meet. They can need a lot of extra attention - but that doesn't make them childish or needy.
I didn't read the OP that way. I took "lack of recognition" and "working for nothing" to mean the swimmers weren't getting much attention at all. Then the rhetoric on the thread ratcheted up to clapping and patting heads. Couldn't help but get sarcastic after that.
I would hope most coaches try to engage with each swimmer each practice in some sort of positive way. I think we all have different circumstances and are serving very different clientele. Our team is located in the middle of suburbia. We don't attract as many young working people or former college athletes as the teams located at a university or in a busy city. We have some former/a few current competitive swimmers who happen to live here with their families, many triathletes and many suburbanites looking to stay fit. Our club is going to look very different than the one at UT in Austin. I have lots more space for beginners and those not interested in competing in a meet. They can need a lot of extra attention - but that doesn't make them childish or needy.
Absolutely. Feedback from the coach is essential - and the dialogue should go both ways. Both coach and athlete should respect each other - which, judging from some of the posts on this thread, doesn't appear to be a universal occurrence. Beginner swimmers do need more attention and may also question more out of their desire to acquire more knowledge about swimming. As a coach, you should not be afraid to have to explain your philosophy. Not all swimmers are going to be robots, blindly obeying the coach at all costs. Swimmers should not be called names or gossiped about behind their backs simply because they ask for clarification about a principle of swimming.
Swimmers should not be called names or gossiped about behind their backs ...
Isn't this exactly what the swimmers mentioned in the original post were doing to their coach?
I would venture to say that you know nothing about the coaches posting on or discussed in this thread. I would also say -- based just on your posts of course -- that you dislike anything that does not fit your definition of polite conversation.
Isn't this exactly what the swimmers mentioned in the original post were doing to their coach?
I would venture to say that you know nothing about the coaches posting on or discussed in this thread. I would also say -- based just on your posts of course -- that you dislike anything that does not fit your definition of polite conversation.
I was referring to the post that you chose to conveniently remove shortly before this one, referring to the (in your words) "brainiac Carnegie Mellon grad students" that you seemed to consider so amusing/annoying for daring to question your coaching. Why don't you put that post back on this thread before you pronounce judgment?
I was referring to the post that you chose to conveniently remove shortly before this one, referring to the (in your words) "brainiac Carnegie Mellon grad students" that you seemed to consider so amusing/annoying for daring to question your coaching. Why don't you put that post back on this thread before you pronounce judgment?
I actually deleted it bc I thought it was imprudent to possibly identify any particular swimmers. But thanks for reposting it. And, as seems usual, you utterly misinterpreted my post in the most negative way. Someone was "daring to question my coaching"?! What logistical machinations could possibly have led you to that conclusion? And "braniac" is an insult? I certainly hope that I am one.
I will say it again, you know nothing about me or my coaching. (Perhaps you'd like to interview my swimmers?) But thanks again for being so quick to take offense at everything and policing the forum.
And on the flip-side, how often do the swimmers recognize the efforts of the coach? How often do you thank the coach for a “good workout”, “good Set”, “thanks for noticing my swim”, etc….
As a masters swimmer I always thank the coach after every workout. When working as a masters coach I always made sure my swimmers thanked the timekeeper on their lane at a meet. It’s courtesy.
This is good general advice, not just for swimmers. However this and subsequent posts seem to have strayed off topic.
Thank you, Roberto. Your moderating skills are second to none.
And back on topic...praise is nice, but should not be expected nor required to get through the day. Maybe it's worth mentioning to the coach, but then again he might start handing out fake praise to everyone every day after every set. That's the worst.
Goodness, every coach that I've ever swum with (and granted, there were only a few), got a big thank you from the team. Always a thank's coach that was a great practice. I landed on a team with a coach who was not encouraging, although he purported to be when I first joined. He kicked me off the team after three practices. He made fun of my breaststroke. He didn't give, and I didn't ask for, any extra help. But it was obvious he was geared for competitors. Even when he told me he couldn't help me, I thanked him for the time he'd put in. Once I'm over the hurdle with my shoulder and I find a Masters coach who doesn't mind I swim like an anchor, I'll bake him/her as many birthday cakes, Christmas cookies, and scones as they can handle. To show how much I appreciate them. But I want to be respected and not told I'm not good enough for their elitist group.
I don't quite understand the hostility toward Julia. I've never read her posts as trying to promote a brand. So what is she's a coach for hire? If you're good at something, there's nothing wrong with making a living at it. Good coaches are hard to find. And the Masters group swim isn't the right environment for everyone. She charges what she charges. Nobody's forced to buy her product. Just sayin'.
(Who doesn't like a homebaked treat at birthday time???)Count me in! You can bring my birthday treat to the Pentathlon meet (even though my b-day is the day before the meet):cake::bouncing::carolers::dj_dance::turkey::bouncing::cake:
Count me in! You can bring my birthday treat to the Pentathlon meet (even though my b-day is the day before the meet)
Well, Rob, if the date of the Pentathlon hadn't been changed from September 12 (the original date posted on the Georgia Masters website) to the new date, maybe I would! :bitching: :bouncing: :cry: Unfortunately, thinking I would be free on the rescheduled date, Bruce and I made travel plans. Am I bummed? Yes! :censor: I have competed in the Pentathlon every year since I joined in 2010!
I hope you have a happy birthday. :party2: Rain check (even though you're not my coach :thhbbb:)? :cake:
