Put these at the top of the list for reasons why it's great to be a swimmer (and in this case, NOT a diver)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Featured Drill: Silent Swim
It's been awhile since I have used this drill, but it worked quite well with a group of our UNC Swim Campers yesterday.
I call it "Silent Swim." The idea is to have the group swim a distance (100m works well) without making any noise. To accomplish this, the swimmers can create no splash from either their stroke or kick. There is also one additional requirement - everyone in the group must be slower than a certain time (2:00 in this instance), or the silent swim must be performed again by the entire group.
By doing this drill, swimmers are forced to stop thinking about creating more power or exerting more force on the water, but rather to notice how their bodies interact with the water. An awareness of how one's body moves water out of the way can aid the swimmer's proprioception. The time limit is crucial - pick a time that will cause everyone in the group to really swim slowly.
This set is not hard, at least not in the traditional sense, so it may not seem like doing it again is very strong negative reinforcement. The solution: Use silent swim as a warm-down. If they do it right - they're done. If not? Again!
I call it "Silent Swim." The idea is to have the group swim a distance (100m works well) without making any noise. To accomplish this, the swimmers can create no splash from either their stroke or kick. There is also one additional requirement - everyone in the group must be slower than a certain time (2:00 in this instance), or the silent swim must be performed again by the entire group.
By doing this drill, swimmers are forced to stop thinking about creating more power or exerting more force on the water, but rather to notice how their bodies interact with the water. An awareness of how one's body moves water out of the way can aid the swimmer's proprioception. The time limit is crucial - pick a time that will cause everyone in the group to really swim slowly.
This set is not hard, at least not in the traditional sense, so it may not seem like doing it again is very strong negative reinforcement. The solution: Use silent swim as a warm-down. If they do it right - they're done. If not? Again!
Monday, June 8, 2009
No Kid Is An Absolute
In many areas of our lives, we are taught that things are black and white. There is right and wrong. Correct and incorrect. Winners and losers. But the reality is that ours is a world of countless shades of gray.
This thinking can creep into the coach and athlete's interaction at the pool. We must carefully guard against the human tendency to evaluate our swimmers into clear-cut categories in our minds. As coaches, we are constantly evaluating, assessing, and critiquing the athletes under our care - that is our job. It is our nature to classify Jimmy as a "hard worker" because we perceive him to be working hard on a regular basis. On the flip side, it is easy to classify Jane as a "lazy kid" because we don't perceive that she works as hard as Jimmy or his other teammates. Thus, we divide our swimmers in black and white terms in our minds.
The trouble with this thinking is that no kid is an absolute. Nobody does things correctly all the time, and nobody does them incorrectly all the time either. To see our swimmers in such black-and-white terms does them a disservice. For the swimmer who we perceive positively, it causes us to overlook his flaws and miss an opportunity to help him improve. For the swimmer we perceive negatively, we have not given him a fair chance to succeed.
The master coach understands that none of his swimmers are absolutes, and his evaluations of his athletes are flexible, fair-minded, and ever-changing. Take a look at your pool - do you see black and white or shades of gray?
This thinking can creep into the coach and athlete's interaction at the pool. We must carefully guard against the human tendency to evaluate our swimmers into clear-cut categories in our minds. As coaches, we are constantly evaluating, assessing, and critiquing the athletes under our care - that is our job. It is our nature to classify Jimmy as a "hard worker" because we perceive him to be working hard on a regular basis. On the flip side, it is easy to classify Jane as a "lazy kid" because we don't perceive that she works as hard as Jimmy or his other teammates. Thus, we divide our swimmers in black and white terms in our minds.
The trouble with this thinking is that no kid is an absolute. Nobody does things correctly all the time, and nobody does them incorrectly all the time either. To see our swimmers in such black-and-white terms does them a disservice. For the swimmer who we perceive positively, it causes us to overlook his flaws and miss an opportunity to help him improve. For the swimmer we perceive negatively, we have not given him a fair chance to succeed.
The master coach understands that none of his swimmers are absolutes, and his evaluations of his athletes are flexible, fair-minded, and ever-changing. Take a look at your pool - do you see black and white or shades of gray?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Every Competition a Practice
Check out the corollary to this column, Every Practice a Competition
What are your goals for the end of this season? How fast do you want to go? What skills will you need to improve in order to achieve your goals? What steps are you taking today to improve these skills?
These are all crucial questions to ask yourself, particularly around each swim meet you attend. Meets represent a chance to test your skills, measure your progress, and hone your strategy. For senior swimmers, at in-season meets where a best time may not be the goal, it is important to have technical or strategic objectives so that the swimmer and coach may determine whether progress is being made. For age group swimmers who more often tend to improve their times dramatically while they are growing rapidly and learning new skills, it is equally important that the coach and athlete stay focused on the athlete's technical improvements, not just the swimmer's time. This approach will allow for continued development of the swimmer's ability and enjoyment of the sport.
Ideally, you have set goals for the end of your season. Use each competition during the season to take a step toward those goals, particularly in the areas of your technique and strategy. In this way, every competition can form a valuable part of your practice.
What are your goals for the end of this season? How fast do you want to go? What skills will you need to improve in order to achieve your goals? What steps are you taking today to improve these skills?
These are all crucial questions to ask yourself, particularly around each swim meet you attend. Meets represent a chance to test your skills, measure your progress, and hone your strategy. For senior swimmers, at in-season meets where a best time may not be the goal, it is important to have technical or strategic objectives so that the swimmer and coach may determine whether progress is being made. For age group swimmers who more often tend to improve their times dramatically while they are growing rapidly and learning new skills, it is equally important that the coach and athlete stay focused on the athlete's technical improvements, not just the swimmer's time. This approach will allow for continued development of the swimmer's ability and enjoyment of the sport.
Ideally, you have set goals for the end of your season. Use each competition during the season to take a step toward those goals, particularly in the areas of your technique and strategy. In this way, every competition can form a valuable part of your practice.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Are You a Big Shot?
His career stats:
7.0 points per game
4.8 rebounds per game
2.1 assists per game
1,107 games played
He is former NBA basketball player Robert Horry, also known as Big Shot Bob.
Click here to see a list of Big Shot Bob's all-time Biggest Shots.
Though that career stat line is rather ordinary, Horry is considered by many to be a potential Hall-of-Famer because he is one of the most "clutch" players of all time. When the pressure is on, he always seems to come up with the big play, thus the nickname. The ability to come through in the clutch is such a priceless skill for an athlete. For swimmers, this means being able to perform at one's absolute best at the big meet, as the #1 seed, or on the crucial leg of the relay.
What skills enable a swimmer to perform at his best in these situations? I would argue that confidence is the clutch performer's biggest asset. Confidence developed over time, through success and failure, perhaps nurtured by a coach. Coaches - this may be the most vital skill we can impart to our athletes, the self-belief that "I can do it when it counts." For it is the performances in the clutch where the athlete is exposed for what he is, where ordinary actions become the stuff of legends.
7.0 points per game
4.8 rebounds per game
2.1 assists per game
1,107 games played
He is former NBA basketball player Robert Horry, also known as Big Shot Bob.
Click here to see a list of Big Shot Bob's all-time Biggest Shots.
Though that career stat line is rather ordinary, Horry is considered by many to be a potential Hall-of-Famer because he is one of the most "clutch" players of all time. When the pressure is on, he always seems to come up with the big play, thus the nickname. The ability to come through in the clutch is such a priceless skill for an athlete. For swimmers, this means being able to perform at one's absolute best at the big meet, as the #1 seed, or on the crucial leg of the relay.
What skills enable a swimmer to perform at his best in these situations? I would argue that confidence is the clutch performer's biggest asset. Confidence developed over time, through success and failure, perhaps nurtured by a coach. Coaches - this may be the most vital skill we can impart to our athletes, the self-belief that "I can do it when it counts." For it is the performances in the clutch where the athlete is exposed for what he is, where ordinary actions become the stuff of legends.
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