I am wondering what methods clubs have used to show their appreciation to and motivate their coaches. Our club is run by the facility we swim in and they pay our coach. Unfortunately this arrangement has led to a certain level of apathy on the part of the club members. I think there is a developing danger of the coach losing motivation if we, the swimmers don't find ways of showing our appreciation and providing motivation. I believe our coach is motivated by his passion for swimming, the amount he is paid to coach us is certainly not sufficient to motivate him. This year he has started coaching the age group club so I think he now has another outlet for his passion for swimming and coaching and I think we need to work harder to make sure he finds coaching us a fullfilling experience. I am sure many other clubs have been in similar situations where a coach who has put in incredible efforts to build the club up from almost nothing starts to suffer from burn out and lack of positive feedback. What has worked for you? I am sure I once read an article on the role that swimmers can play in providing a motivating environment for their coach but I can't remember where it was...
I have found that one of the biggest motivating factors for improved coaching enthusiasm is a responsive and appreciative club.
Every time I have a good workout I make sure to personally thank the coach for the great workout! If I notice someone swimming a set really hard or having good times, I tell them nice set!
If I catch myself beginning to grumble about a set the coach just announced, I try to put on a smile and tell her I’m ready to give it a try.
Part 2, attitudes are important – one person with a consistent positive attitude can raise a whole team if you let them. Conversely one person with a bad attitude can also bring you down, but only if you let them. Be positive about your own swimming – if you swim a good set; share that with the coach, let her know that the set was a good one and say thanks!
Also, understanding goals is important. Most swimmers have set some kind of swimming goals for themselves. But, what are your coach’s goals? You as a leader of you team should help the coach develop their goals for what they want to achieve with the program and in coaching. Setting these goals and helping the coach achieve them should provide motivation and new life.
I think this is an excellent thread that can lead to some great ideas on how we can help retain and recruit great coaches for our masters program. I have a few thought, but not much time right now. Will revisit this thread over the weekend.
Originally posted by LindsayNB
I am wondering what methods clubs have used to show their appreciation to and motivate their coaches. Our club is run by the facility we swim in and they pay our coach. Unfortunately this arrangement has led to a certain level of apathy on the part of the club members. I think there is a developing danger of the coach losing motivation if we, the swimmers don't find ways of showing our appreciation and providing motivation. I believe our coach is motivated by his passion for swimming, the amount he is paid to coach us is certainly not sufficient to motivate him. This year he has started coaching the age group club so I think he now has another outlet for his passion for swimming and coaching and I think we need to work harder to make sure he finds coaching us a fullfilling experience. I am sure many other clubs have been in similar situations where a coach who has put in incredible efforts to build the club up from almost nothing starts to suffer from burn out and lack of positive feedback. What has worked for you? I am sure I once read an article on the role that swimmers can play in providing a motivating environment for their coach but I can't remember where it was...
Is there anything keeping your swimmers from paying an additional fee each month into a team account that then pays the coach additional salary?
Originally posted by emmett
Is there anything keeping your swimmers from paying an additional fee each month into a team account that then pays the coach additional salary?
I am hesitant about discussing the clubs problems in public but the conclusion that people seem to have reached is that a scheme like this would adversely affect the relationship between facility management and the coach. Personally I firmly believe that the coach should receive extra pay as the membership grows as I believe the coach is primarily responsible for the growth of the club. I think that pay for time on deck actually provides negative incentive for growing the club.
That said, the strong impression that I get from the coach is that no amount of pay that is a realistic prospect is going to really motivate him without a positive work environment, which is why I am concentrating on that aspect as a starting point.
Originally posted by LindsayNB
I am wondering what methods clubs have used to show their appreciation to and motivate their coaches......
Very good point! That's something that is lacking on our team as well, in my opinion.
I'm a coach and I can tell you it is definitely rewarding to have people come up after workout and say, "Nice workout." They don't do it everytime and I don't expect that. But, it's good to know that every once in a while you are capable of producing magic for them.
I coach at a Y and the pay is laughable considering how the program has grown. But I don't rely on this income because my real job - income job - is as a realtor. So, I consider it a reward if someone on the team buys or sells a home through me. The down-side is I can be somewhat offended if someone doesn't.
I've never thought about not coaching because the passion drives me. We have a good social atmosphere and people who have been there for quite some time. We have pretty good communication and I'm always willing to listen to criticism or new ideas. I do think that is one of the key attributes of a coach and a team.
Money may motivate, but it's not necessarily the main motivator. People tend to stay where the environment is positive; a previous post mentioned the importance of thanking the coach, being positive, and asking the coach what his/her goals are. These points are key. A bit of public recognition (thank you letter in the local paper, coach's picture in the pool foyer, etc.) is often appreciated. But ultimately,a person has to want to be a team member, whether coach or player.
I have two situations that relate to this. One is soccer - I have played in a recreational women's soccer league for about eight years. I played on one team where the coach quit after the season and I'm pretty sure it was because he was fed up with the whining. There were a few women on the team who always had something unproductive to say about the practice or drill: "This is boring. Let's do something else." "We should be practicing set plays (or corner kicks, or give and gos, or whatever...)." "I'm not doing sit ups on the wet ground." In hindsight, we wish that we (the other players) had dealt with the negativity and encouraged these women to let the coach guide the team with his vision.
The other situation involved swimming. We had a coach, and for the first while it was great. But as the months went by, antagonisms grew. Some team members felt ignored, others felt they were being pushed too hard, the coach seemed angry a lot. We had team meetings to problem solve. Both the coach and members brought up conflicts. We thought we had worked through it - more money for the coach, recognition and practice accomodation for the non-competing swimmers, and a renewed commitment from all swimmers. However, despite an initial improvement, the atmoshpere deteriorated again. The coach threatened to quit. More meetings and goal sharing - but to no avail. Basically it became the coach's way or nothing - the coach was unable to hear the needs/wants of many swimmers. One night he quit in a huff .
So they are opposite sides of the same coin: in soccer, the coach didn't feel valued or appreciated. In swimming, the swimmers didn't feel valued or worthy. Both wound up with the coach quitting.
Bottom line? Honest open communication is needed, as well as flexibility. And if someone (coach or team member) is really miserable, and can't/won't resolve the issue, then maybe it's better that they weren't part of the team.
After our swimming coach quit, the members decided that no one person was larger than the team. So we coached ourselves for a while; two or three of the more experienced swimmers posted workouts and took turns on deck. Membership waned but a core group remained. After a year or so we "found" another coach, and things are really going well. But at the beginning of the season we established some ground rules - coaches' pay, policy regarding drop-ins/leaving practice early or coming late, and a "no negative talk or festering" policy - a commitment from both coach and members to discuss problems positively before they get out of hand or turn nasty.
It all kind of relates to what my mom used to tell me: treat others as you would like to be treated.
This evenning, I swam with a masters team in a city I'm visiting. It was in a Y. The coach showed up late. He wrote out some workouts & then seemed to disappear. His work out was very bad. I happened to have one from the forum & used it. I really question the motivation of many coaches. Some take such an activbe role int he life of the team. Some do nothing.
I usually swim alone, so when I get to a place that has a team, I try to swim with it. I've come across a great mix of coaches. Does anyone know if USMS has any standards or requirements? Can anyone call him/herself a coach to coach a USMS team?
Thanks for the good discussion and ideas! I particularly like Rob's suggestion to create written goals and help pursue them, and I'll be pursuing that, along with trying to up the visability of my own enthusiasm.
