Coaching is good but hard to find. I took our masters group the other night, and everyone enjoyed the stroke correction/suggestions.
I poached this quote from Stud off the over thread I started about training...it caught my attention for several reasons.
First and foremost I will say there are some incredible coaches out there doing a LOT of great things...however based on Laura and I having swam with dozens of teams all over the country the reality is that these great coaches are the minority.
Sadly I think that this is most often not because the coach doesn't know how to coach...but rather they tend to be burned out and/or simply don't think most masters care about being coached.
I mentioned my own first hand experiance with this awhile back while swimming with Sun Devil masters a few years back. At that time one of the coaches was Attila Czene who was a two time Olympic medalist and one of the most incredible swimmers have ever scene...sadly however when he "coached" it consisted of showing up late, giving the workout and sitting in a chair catching a tan!
I had earlier in the season decided to swim the 200IM (at Coral Springs) and was not going to let this guy get paid to do nothing so I challenged him to help me out...and guess what, he was awesome. He went on to tell me that 99% of the time he attempted to "coach" masters swimmers they either A) ignored him or B) listened to him and then didn't try so he basically gave up.
I have since that time always asked the coach when visiting a team to watch my stroke and if they had any suggestions to please give them...which I have been happy to find out more than not are willing to do.
So I challenge swimmers and coaches to start talking more. If your paying dues and not geeting coached tell them how you feel about it.
If your a coach....don't take masters for granted...start coaching and if your consistent about you'll find your swimmers will love it.
I paid $300 to swim with a masters club, that was for the first half of the season. I went to 2 workouts and that was it for me. They had a teen coach handling 4 lanes and the head coach handled 4 lanes. Printed workouts from some catalog. No stroke instruction. Needless to say I was not impressed. They did not return my money.
George - I hope you are feeling much better. When you get back from Nationals, why don't you consider coaching?
I paid $300 to swim with a masters club, that was for the first half of the season. I went to 2 workouts and that was it for me. They had a teen coach handling 4 lanes and the head coach handled 4 lanes. Printed workouts from some catalog. No stroke instruction. Needless to say I was not impressed. They did not return my money.
PS; I actually coach as a volunteer
PSS; there is money to be made, but it ain't going to happen without the right person leading the way...
Well Paul, I have returned from our masters coaches meeting and we are planning to hire a substitute coach, $15 an hour, fill in once or twice a month, interested? :o
Well Paul, I have returned from our masters coaches meeting and we are planning to hire a substitute coach, $15 an hour, fill in once or twice a month, interested? :o
Maybe that's the problem.
Just some thoughts and a little :soapbox: from a veteran masters coach.
Tonight I'm attending a mandatory coaches meeting, lead by our twenty something aquatics director. In the past year I've done CPR certification (hey nothing wrong with that), a mandatory safety meeting where I learned a code purple on the internal radio system is to have security escort out a irate member etc. All this in addition to the actual coaching. All by the way I put in 40 hours plus at the day job, and I would like to do a little swimming myself.
On any given night I have former NCAA - D1swimmers to the beginning triatlete and everything in between. And many a night a potential member will come strolling onto the deck to “ask about joining the masters swimming program” Those new swimmers can be really enjoyable but they are a time suck. Many of the basics, the folks on this board would take for granted they don't know; “On the top” - “interval” - “10x100” - “yes the pool is 25 yards long so a 100 is four lengths of the pool”
Most masters sessions are structured towards fitness, mid to long distance training as the that's what that majority of paying members (which usually include a substantial triathlete group) want. Those of you who are frequent competitors in 50's and 100's and attend national events are in the minority when looking at overall due paying team memberships. And those dues are important, they start going down and watch how quickly the aquatics director takes away a lane or two, kills a session or cans a coach.
I have argued within our own program that what we really need to do is set expectations (be transparent) on what a masters workout is and isn't. In reality it is a structured workout program, like spin, step class. Stroke tips and one on one time is at best icing on the cake. Our team schedules regular swim clinics, pre-meet sessions etc., to compensate however those are actually lightly attended.
My experience tells me, and to put it nicely, masters swimmers are training fee sensitive. Know they don't have a problem trying to buy a Blue Seventy or be the first to get there hands on a LZR, but an increase in training fees, to maybe put two coaches on deck, they cry bloody murder.
How many of you are willing to pay for regular private coaching or go to something like Swimlabs?
Many masters coaches are volunteers.
How many masters coaches in the United States can do this as there full time job? That don't have income coming in from another source such as; another job, age group/collegiate coaching, a significant other, pension, trust fund, lotto winner etc. I'm guessing no more then 30 in the entire U.S.
Hey Ken,
I went to SwimLabs a couple of weeks ago and worked with Mike Mann. It was excellent for me. I've resolved to go there and check up on my strokes every month or two.
- I would make an attempt to catch a workout with Tiffany at Boulder Masters anytime she was on deck...highly technical, up on current training/drills.
I like her workouts because she usually includes more IM work than other coaches. I'll have to pick her brain more often on technique.
I'm starting to believe that on-deck stroke technique correction is over-rated. I don't understand how a coach can accurately see what motions are made in the water from the deck given that they are at an offset angle and heading. While an observant coach can see gross motor movements and relative body position, I believe that it is almost impossible for an on deck coach to discern fine motor movements which may be critical for champions.
The reason for my belief is based on the principle of the index of refraction. This physics based principle states light rays change direction when they cross the interface from air to the material, an effect that is used in lenses and glasses. Secondly, light reflects partially from surfaces that have a refractive index different from that of their surroundings. (wikipedia). For an experiment and example of this principle, take a straight object (pencil) and insert it into a clear glass of water. The pencil will appear to bend.
This distortion has to have an impact on what an on-deck coach perceives; if true, it is improbable that the on-deck observer can accurately infer propulsive (or non-propulsive) motions.
Underwater examination may be the only accurate means of analyzing propulsive motions - which is unfortunately lacking (due either the availability of proper equipment or hydrophobic coaches) on a variety of levels (esp. masters swimming).
On the other hand, correction of gross motor motions and body position may be sufficient to improve performance given enough repetition (miles make champions).
I do coach, one of my swimmers is swimming the English Channel in early September he lives in Belgium.
I have not brought up since 10 am.
George - I hope you are feeling much better. When you get back from Nationals, why don't you consider coaching?
