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Hi,
Good article. Good information. Right to the point.
Have fun.
Coach Mavi
News For
SWIM
PARENTS
Published by The
American Swimming Coaches Association
5101
NW 21 Ave., Suite 200
Fort
Lauderdale FL 33309
___________________________________________________________________
What the Coach
Looks For In a Swim Performance
There are many
things a coach is looking for in a swim performance. In
general, a coach is looking for these four
things: proper attitude, a best
time, proper technique, and winning. Few swimmers achieve all
four aspects in a single race. When they do, that is a job
well done -- but it is not a "great job" or and "unbelievable job"
or a "fantastic job." To use those terms can make a
performance greater than it really was and therefore make it more
difficult to repeat. We use "mild praise" because we know,
and we want everyone else to think and to feel, that there is
always room for more improvement. Doing three of the aspects,
or two, or even one is cause for some level of
praise.
Proper
attitude: Coaches look for the "I want to be coached"
and a "racing" attitude. Coaches look for swimmers ready to
express themselves about their swim in analytical fashion and then
be eager to listen to advice. Coaches look for athletes to
say "I'll try to do better next time." Sometimes a
performance is less than what the athlete was hoping for and the
emotional response can be a factor that inhibits looking at the
swim objectively and analytically. I such cases the coach may
ask the swimmer to warm down for an extended time or to simply take
some quiet time before looking at the race. When this happens
we look for the athlete resolve to make appropriate changes that
will lead to a better performance next time.
A
Best Time: A best time usually represents an improvement in
endurance, strength, and technique. It measures the swimmer
first against themselves and second against the rest of the
world. Intermediate through more advanced swimmers above the
age of 11 should strive to know their best times.
Proper
Technique: How was the start, the strokes, the turns, the
pace, the race strategy?
Winning:
Winning means racing with someone and finishing
ahead. In some cases that means winning the
event. However, in every heat there are several races --
there is a race for 1st, there may be a race for 3rd, there may be
a race for 5th or even for
seventh. Coaches look for swimmers
to race, whether it is for 1st or 7th, and to try their best
to "win" that race.
The
coach expects to speak with each swimmer before and after each
swim. Parents, please be sure to direct your child to the
coach before the event. When you see your child after the
event ask them if they have spoken with the coach about their race
and if not, direct them to the coach as soon as possible. The
coach should be the last person to talk to the swimmer before the
event and the first to talk to the swimmer after the
event.
Before the swim
the coach will talk to swimmers about technique, pacing, race
strategy, and best times. Younger aged swimmers and less
experienced swimmers will need direct reminders from the coach but
as they age and grow in experience the coach will expect more
information coming from the swimmer. Ideally, the coach would
like to have the swimmer tell the coach what they plan on doing in
their event as a quiz to see how well prepared the swimmer
is. After the event the coach will ask them how they viewed
their swim, listen to their responses, and then review the swim as
the coach saw it.
In
this process it is important that parents play the role of
emotional support -- give warm towels, and hugs, a "good luck,
darling" to your swimmer and ask them to check in with the coach
before and after their swim. When the swimmer returns from
their post race discussion with the coach it’s appropriate to
ask them how they thought their swim was as well as to ask what the
coach thought of the swim. Please leave the race strategies,
breathing patterns, stroke, start and turn reminders, time analysis
and race analysis to the coach. Any questions or comments
parents have for the coach should be addressed directly to the
coach at an appropriate time when the coach is not watching other
swims.
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