Hello-
I am my team's Swimming Chair (we have water polo and tri too). My team has a lot of new people (and some stubborn people) who don't seem to want to follow our coached workouts. They just want to do their own thing or do the workout at their own pace regardless of the rest of the lane.
So far, I have kept pretty quiet on this issue.
- We have some coaches that are more strict than others.
- I don't want to have to create a strict "age group" atmosphere.
- We sometimes have a compressed number of lanes at our facility, where different levels may get squeezed together in one lane. We are a larger team.
However, I'm a slower-medium swimmer, and I have left some practices because they have turned into such "**** shows" with people doing their own workouts. (Yes, I could say something to my lane mates or coaches, but I would be so bitchy in the moment).
After returning form our end-of-summer break, I'd like to kindly explain the logic of why we order lanes from fast to slow, why it is important to follow the workouts as written by the coaches and that there is no shame in moving up or down a lane depending on speed. Does anyone have any guidelines on "practice etiquette"? In my position I could just be blunt, but I'm looking for a kinder approach, especially for people who may not have swam age group and may just not "get it" Thanks!
Otherwise, it is kind of up to the coach to hold the practice together.
Agreed. Every coach is going to handle that situation a bit differently and no one way is necessarily better than another because so much depends on team dynamics.
I don't have that problem because the facility charges just enough (too much if you ask me) for the practices that you really need to want to attend and get the benefits to join. There are always open swim lanes, so they can always do their own thing over there. Only once in the past year has someone shown up for practice and gone directly into an open swim lane but that was because she had a very specific set she wanted to get in for a 40mile race training plan and her schedule was hairy that week. Sometimes, if there's space available in the open swim lanes I'll send someone to lane 3 and 3/4 to alleviate the pressure off of too many speeds in one lane.
Lane 3-3/4 is sometimes called the Lane to Hogwarts because it's a sorta in-between lane. The master's team has 3 regular sized lanes but the open swim have 4 narrow sized lanes resulting in an awkward lane that isn't exactly lane 3 but its not lane 4. But I digress because I think I'm hilarious...
I'd talk to the coach BEFORE a practice to let them know you find it frustrating and weren't sure if there was a way you could help.
Otherwise, it is kind of up to the coach to hold the practice together.
Agreed. Every coach is going to handle that situation a bit differently and no one way is necessarily better than another because so much depends on team dynamics.
I don't have that problem because the facility charges just enough (too much if you ask me) for the practices that you really need to want to attend and get the benefits to join. There are always open swim lanes, so they can always do their own thing over there. Only once in the past year has someone shown up for practice and gone directly into an open swim lane but that was because she had a very specific set she wanted to get in for a 40mile race training plan and her schedule was hairy that week. Sometimes, if there's space available in the open swim lanes I'll send someone to lane 3 and 3/4 to alleviate the pressure off of too many speeds in one lane.
Lane 3-3/4 is sometimes called the Lane to Hogwarts because it's a sorta in-between lane. The master's team has 3 regular sized lanes but the open swim have 4 narrow sized lanes resulting in an awkward lane that isn't exactly lane 3 but its not lane 4. But I digress because I think I'm hilarious...
I'd talk to the coach BEFORE a practice to let them know you find it frustrating and weren't sure if there was a way you could help.
