Things swim coaches should not do....
#1 If you can not do a stroke correctly - Do not demonstrate.
#2 Do not make too many changes in a stroke at one time.
Coaches should
#1 Make sure the swimmers can handle the workload.
#2 Design Individualized programs.
Please add your thoughts, I have many more but would like to see what others think.
i agree that 10 and unders are a bit young to subject to this treatment; but masters on the other hand..................................
:laugh2:
However, there's a small problem here: shouldn't coaches model healthy behavior, thereby excluding cigar smoking from their repertoire?
My first coach was also, I think, my best one. He was everywhere (or seemed to be), noticing everything. I would think that I could slide a little and there he'd be. And he'd be so encouraging and so persuasive and so enthusiastic that you couldn't help but pick up and keep going even when tired. He also gave great feedback on stroke, breathing, all kinds of stuff. Young guy with tons of energy!
He didn't just notice the faster swimmers but all of us, correcting this, praising that, noticing improvements....
Unfortunately for us (and fortunately for future clients), he had to give up the masters' group b/c of his class and work schedule. He's going for a master's degree in PT. I think anyone who gets him for their therapist will be very, very lucky!
I LOVE PTs that know swimming ... so hard to find!!
Coaches should also know their swimmers limits, when to push, when to back off and have some semblence of an idea about injuries (shoulders at least) and listen to their swimmers when they say so I can't swim fly right now or free ... and think of other ways to get things accomplished ...
Things swim coaches should not do....
#1 If you can not do a stroke correctly - Do not demonstrate.
#2 Do not make too many changes in a stroke at one time.
Please add your thoughts, I have many more but would like to see what others think.
I have a problem trying to do that as an athlete.
Coaches should not stub out their cigar on a swimmer's arm. and didn't realize that little 7 year old future master of purple prose had wedged himself in there. Yeow!
i agree that 10 and unders are a bit young to subject to this treatment; but masters on the other hand..................................
* Fall asleep on the bench during practice
* Not know which set the swimmers are on when only 2 show up for practice
* Give sets where the sendoff interval is a minute faster than your best race time for that swim (ie 5 x 500 leaving on 6 minutes when your best time is 7:00) and where the coach has had that swimmer for over a year.
That's what I said, lanes for preferences. Hard to design an individualized program for each swimmer, however.
I agree that it would be difficult to design an individual program for each swimmer but, assuming this is done; given limited lane space it is imposable to divide the lanes according to preference and not have speed/abilities conflict.
It would be almost impossible to design individualized programs.
It's possible. I did it when I coached Masters. You just need to plan very well, and most coaches either don't want the hassle or don't have the time (usually the former).
It's not hard to split the pool into distance, middle distance, stroke and sprint and design workouts accordingly. When new people come to try it out, put them in a lane of their choosing.
Boy! Makes me glad I'm not a coach! It's too difficult.
Being a swimmer is tough enough for me.
My coach *should* do :thhbbb: when giving me long fly sets and :dedhorse: when I'm lazy or whine or not giving 100% - although she always gives 100% at practice.
