HEY COACHES! How about a little consistency?

OK, I'm a Dinosaur. I actually like sets like 10x100 on the same interval all the way through. Why do all of the sets have to have some kind of break in stride or change in interval or undefined purpose today? I have been swimming in Masters long enough to know that our bread is buttered by the fitness swimmers and their singular lack of desire to compete. But do the coaches believe that we are all ADD enough not to be able to complete one set on one interval ? Or do we as swimmers really pose such a dilemma that the coaches do the very worst thing possible - try to make every one happy. The ultimate result of that is to make virtually no one happy. If you are giving a set to your swimmers, can you tell them what it (the set) should accomplish for them? What they should get out of it? If you simply gave the same set oveer and over again every day, it would become boring, of course. But it would also become a benchmark to which each swimmer could chart his or her progress. A desireable outcome by any standard, I would venture. I fully realise that the Masters coach is handed a bewildering array of talent and motivation with his swimmers, but you, as a coach, do not have to confuse, bewilder or befuddle your swimmers with meaningless or useless sets. Keep them simple and straghtforward, with one defining mission per set. There is nothing surer to get me to go home as a (competitive) swimmer than a set with multiple intervals and distances, changing intensity and changing strokes. And don't deny that you give such sets. Many coaches thrive on designing sets that are like circuit training in the water. I would go on and on, but I have to get up early to find out what new torture my coach has in store. Take it away, folks.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Mike--- I totally agree that many coaches do a poor job educating their minions regarding sets' purposes. A point I always attempt to stress is the 'why' of a set----connecting the dots for kids and adults alike (combining the lecture and lab if you will). Random constructs often aren't anything but that. Creative shouldn't be confused with nonsensical. Some swimmers do prefer predictable routine, no matter how persuasive your lobbying. Give 'em the same stuff all the time, and as long as physical exhaustion sets in, the endorphins offset any other focus they may require. Unfortunately, this mindset reduces the ultimate benefit they'll derive. The horses have been led to water, but.....you know the line. Personal agendas are something we really can't do anything about. Those swimmers end up providing more fiscal benefit and are 'easy customers' more than anything----don't mind being politically incorrect about it. Thanks for clarifying as well as noting an on-deck weakness many coaches have.....do they have a suggestion box at your program to register such comments? Cheers.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Mike--- I totally agree that many coaches do a poor job educating their minions regarding sets' purposes. A point I always attempt to stress is the 'why' of a set----connecting the dots for kids and adults alike (combining the lecture and lab if you will). Random constructs often aren't anything but that. Creative shouldn't be confused with nonsensical. Some swimmers do prefer predictable routine, no matter how persuasive your lobbying. Give 'em the same stuff all the time, and as long as physical exhaustion sets in, the endorphins offset any other focus they may require. Unfortunately, this mindset reduces the ultimate benefit they'll derive. The horses have been led to water, but.....you know the line. Personal agendas are something we really can't do anything about. Those swimmers end up providing more fiscal benefit and are 'easy customers' more than anything----don't mind being politically incorrect about it. Thanks for clarifying as well as noting an on-deck weakness many coaches have.....do they have a suggestion box at your program to register such comments? Cheers.
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