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May 17, 2010
News For
SWIM
PARENTS
Published by
The American Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21
Ave., Suite 200
Fort Lauderdale
FL 33309
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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"
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 be in a race,
whether it is for 1st or 7th, and to try their best to
"win."
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 with the
coach at an appropriate time when the coach is not watching other
swims.
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