Is your coach a teacher of technique and lays out workouts?
Or is your coach a person who just lays out your workouts?
I was going to add this to Andes Swimming Blog but thought it might no be appropriate.
Former Member
My coach focuses on technique and workouts. I'm very lucky. She comes from a STRONG and LONG swimming background w/ her last position being a coach at a NCAA Div I school.
There's also a lot of depth on our masters team so I have access to some top swimmers that can give me some great pointers.
Is your coach a teacher of technique and lays out workouts?
Or is your coach a person who just lays out your workouts?
I was going to add this to Andes Swimming Blog but thought it might no be appropriate.
Well, right now I'm my only coach. But i've swam with both. Personally if I'm paying money to swim with a group I'd want someone who corrected my technique.
However, I had one coach who did and I flat out disagreed with the technique tips he gave me. I guess there is some danger in having a coach that is less experienced in swimming than you were. But for the most part all the masters coaches i've had are really good about actually coaching, not just telling us what to swim.
Is your coach a teacher of technique and lays out workouts?
Or is your coach a person who just lays out your workouts?
The way you word this might seem to put down the non-technique coaches. But a good workout coach can be pretty valuable too. My coach works on technique (especially with less experienced swimmers) but he is an excellent motivator as well. He has good workouts, always has a watch in hand, and seems to know exactly what each person is capable of doing, regardless of ability level, and pushes them (in a good way) to go faster. I don't know how he can keep it all straight in his head.
He also seems to get most people to want to compete. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think 90% of our workout group went to our last local swim meet. (It helped that it was held in our own pool, of course.) Everyone had a blast, too.
My coach also focuses on both technique and workouts. We have days that are mostly drills, days that are mostly hard workouts, and days that are a mixture. Though I had a swimming background (ages 12 - 18), I could never do fly (would always fall apart once I took a breath). Last year, after being out of the pool for 27 years, he really started working on my butterfly and now he uses me to demonstrate to the rest of the team what butterfly and the breathing during it should look like. I am still working on speed and endurance, but he taught me the technique.
:fish2:
My former coach did some stroke coaching and developed workouts, but they were primarily for the distance oriented individuals on our team. Since I left I have noticed they are doing more of a variety in their workouts, but still a distance oriented workout overall.
Since switching to the kids team in Aug. my new coach does a great job of both creating workouts and helping with stroke correction. He assignes drills that actually help correct the flaws in my strokes. This change was the best move I ever made for my swimming. Even my sprints are now dropping by 2 and 3 seconds, where they had been stagnant for the past 3 years.
Yesterday we had a start and turn clinic, I think everyone came away with something useful to work on. I know I did.
Chris, I am glad you had such a good turnout at your meet. I wish some of my teammates would do meets. Last year we actually got 5 of us to go to a meet in South Carolina. This was one of the few times I have not gone to a meet by myself and it was fun doing relays.
This year I am not having much luck getting anyone to join me at a meet. Atleast I have made alot of friends in the LMSC and I have just learned to travel with them and make lots of friends along the way.
I've had both kinds, including one coach whose primary focus was technique. But I've had another who seemed to think working on technique was beneath him.
Right now, I'm my own coach (and I suppose it shows :(), But if I were to choose, I'd rather have a coach who only worked on technique to one who only laid out workouts (I realize that's rarely the choice); I can set up workouts myself, but I can't monitor my own technique.
Its been a mixed bag for me. I've had coaches who gave a workout, and either sat down, or chatted (if there are 2 coaches on deck). I've had coaches who give a set and are actively keeping the swimmers engaged by yelling out times, giving motivational tips, etc. And I've had those plus those who will give me tips on stroke improvement.
Strangely, I don't get too much of the stroke improvement much anymore, but did get some this morning. The coach was giving tips to another guy in my lane, and I listened (as I figured it could apply to me also). Then he gave me more specifics to work on myself.
Sometimes if I'm doing something different (like fly), I'll ask them to look for 1 thing I could work on. I don't like when they pull the entire thing apart at once. I prefer to get what would give me the greatest benefit first, then additional pieces from there.
As to the swim meets...I've had coaches who got a greater involvement. Much of it was just announcing it after warmup, before workout. Amazing how just making sure everyone knows can help (assuming it is done while registration is still open). We have a low (less than 25%) participation of my team in meets.
I have an e-Coach since I moved here a year+ ago. She adjusts workouts based on the feedback I give and patiently answers my sophomoric questions. I've been home once and swam for her for a week. She gives great technical advice which I supplement here.
She encouraged me to do the St Nick meet last December and was coming up to compete and watch me swim. My progress has been slow, but I've only been swimming 2+ years.
Would I rather have a "live" coach, yes. None exist that I can get to. The only team near me has a waiting list. The other day, I was talking with another swimmer. I lamented about no Coach/team around. She agreed and said she was on the team I'm wait listed for. She was forced to come to my Gym Pool, because it was too crowded, they only swim workouts (no real coaching), and she needed to do drills.
So until I move (6-18 months from now) I'm SOL.:violin:
