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!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Review: Tempo Trainer - The Smart Swimmer's Tool
One of my favorite pieces of training equipment is the tempo trainer. Made by Finis, it is a small device that beeps at an adjustable rate. Put it behind your ear inside your swim cap, and away you go... beep... beep... beep.
The Tempo Trainer allows a swimmer to ensure he is achieving specificity in training, working his neuromuscular system in a way that is similar to what he aims to achieve in a racing situation. A tempo trainer can also be used to help a distance swimmer hold a particular pace in training, being set to beep when a swimmer is expect to turn at the end of the pool. We use it regularly in our training, and I find it an invaluable tool, particularly for short sprinting sets.
Some pros and cons of the Tempo Trainer:
Pros: Low price tag($30), simple two-button operation, ability to set beep for paces or stroke tempos,a versatile tool that can be used for all strokes, small compact design
Cons: Battery wears out quickly and must be sent to the manufacturer for replacement, goggle strap clip doesn't work well, buttons are small and hard to push, inability to program specific sets into the device
Does your team use the tempo trainer? If so, do you have a favorite Tempo Trainer set or a particular way that you like to use it?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Smiles Are Contagious
Our son is now almost four months old, and I am amazed by how much he changes daily. One of the most amusing developments of the past six weeks or so is that he now smiles - and does so all the time. It is heart-warming to see, and it got me thinking...
Nobody taught him how to smile or explained to him what it means. Sure, he's seen us do it. Clearly, we are hard-wired for this sort of expression. He recognizes my smile, and he smiles right back at me, without ever knowing how or necessarily having a reason. And seeing him smile makes me happy.
Could it be that smiles are contagious? Does seeing someone smile make you happier? If you smile, does it put you in a better mood? I am guessing there is something to this and there is a scientist somewhere who can prove my hypothesis.
I try to greet each of my swimmers at every morning practice with a "Good morning ______" and a smile. They do not always respond, but I am working on that...
Nobody taught him how to smile or explained to him what it means. Sure, he's seen us do it. Clearly, we are hard-wired for this sort of expression. He recognizes my smile, and he smiles right back at me, without ever knowing how or necessarily having a reason. And seeing him smile makes me happy.
Could it be that smiles are contagious? Does seeing someone smile make you happier? If you smile, does it put you in a better mood? I am guessing there is something to this and there is a scientist somewhere who can prove my hypothesis.
I try to greet each of my swimmers at every morning practice with a "Good morning ______" and a smile. They do not always respond, but I am working on that...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Toiling Upward
Last week during a morning practice that was poorly attended, a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow popped into my head. Quick research on the internet showed it was from the poem "The Ladder of St. Augustine," which I had never read in it's entirety. In my opinion it is pretty inspiring, particularly to the individual who faces challenges and adversity but is willing to work harder to achieve what it is that he wants.
The part that I remembered and especially enjoy is the 10th verse. Here is the entire poem:
The Ladder of St. Augustine
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!
All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.
The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;
The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;
All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will; --
All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.
We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.
The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs.
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.
The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern -- unseen before --
A path to higher destinies.
Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.
The part that I remembered and especially enjoy is the 10th verse. Here is the entire poem:
The Ladder of St. Augustine
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!
All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.
The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;
The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;
All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will; --
All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.
We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.
The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs.
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.
The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern -- unseen before --
A path to higher destinies.
Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.
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