Good Starts

Good Starts

From News for Swim Parents

Published by The American Swimming Coaches Association

5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200

Fort Lauderdale FL 33309

It’s clear to anyone observing a swimming meet that some swimmers are much faster off of the blocks. Differences in starting ability from one swimmer to the next are easy for parents to observe. Unfortunately, it is one part of the race that is not always mastered equally well by all swimmers. There are two contributing factors to the success of the start: learned skill and natural ability.

The simple fact is that not all swimmers are built the same. Some will always be better starters because they are born with a higher percentage of "fast twitch" fibers making them more explosive and capable of getting off the starting block faster. It is an hereditary factor and cannot be significantly changed through training.

But start ability is not all heredity as proper mechanics also contribute. Coaches teach these mechanics several times a week and can help the swimmer make significant improvements over time. It is important to remember that swimmers learn at different paces. Despite the best efforts of coaches, some swimmers will take longer to learn a good start than others.

Before judging a swimmer’s ability to get off the block, either as very good or as needing a lot more coaching, look at where and when the swimmer surfaces after the start. After the starting signal, who gets to the 10 meter mark first? It’s not always the first swimmer off of the block. A study done several years ago examined the relative importance of the initial quickness off the block versus the swimmer's ability to enter the water, streamline, kick, and breakout properly. According to the study, how the swimmer hits the water and what they do in the water are of far greater importance than speed off of the block. This ability is a complex skill requiring a lot of practice, mixed with the right body type. Some argue that it is more dependent on body type which is a factor a swimmer cannot control. The fact is, that because of body type and buoyancy, some swimmers streamline better than other swimmers and with proper kicking an breakout mechanics will surface in front of other less able swimmers.

So what can we make of all this? Answer: always look at the larger picture. Is the swimmer improving and is she or he happy? That’s the larger, larger picture. Looking at the “smaller larger picture” one needs to consider all aspects of the race including good approaches to the walls, good turns, proper breakouts, good stroke mechanics, proper race management, and a great finish. It all adds up. If the swimmer has not yet developed a great start, entry, and break out, there are many other areas of the event we can look to for success.

The First Ingredient in Success...Learning to Deal with Failure

The First Ingredient in Success….Learning to Deal with Failure.

From News for Swim Parents

Published by The American Swimming Coaches Association

5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200

Fort Lauderdale FL 33309

In the New York Times Magazine of October 2, is an article by Paul Tough (yep, real name) called “The Character Test.” It’s about Riverdale Country School, one of the elite private schools of NYC. The article deals in depth with the failure of great grades and great test scores to accurately predict success in highly competitive college environments, even for the “very best” of the elite private school graduates.

The Headmaster has concluded that the missing piece is….. character. He said:

“Whether it’s the pioneer in the Conestoga wagon or someone coming here in the 1920’s from southern Italy, there was this idea in America, that if you worked hard and you showed real grit, you would be successful. Strangely, we’ve now forgotten that.”

“People who have an easy time of it, who get 800’s on their SAT’s, I worry that these people get feedback that everything they are doing is great. I worry about that. I think we are actually setting them up for long term failure. When that person has to face up to a difficult moment, then I think they are screwed, to be honest. I don’t think we’ve given them the opportunities to grow the capacity to be able to handle that.”

A review of those who DID succeed in competitive colleges showed a real prevalence of skills in specific areas: optimism, persistence and social intelligence. They were the ones who were able to recover from a bad grade and resolve to study and do better next time. They were the ones who could bounce back from a fight with their parents, recognize the nature of family (and friends) and re-secure those relationships into balance, and those would could resist the urge to go to the movies with friends and stay home and study instead. They were the kids who could persuade teachers to give them help after class.

“Our kids don’t put up with a lot of suffering,” says a Riverdale teacher, “and when they do get uncomfortable, we tend to hear from their parents. The parents miss the point that being uncomfortable is what helps the child grow.”

Since swimming is simply a part of life education, the parallels are obvious. No matter what part of life is involved, the ability to deal effectively with failure and use the lessons provided to move you closer to success is clear. Parents who spend time “protecting” their children, do them a disservice, and actually disrespect the child who is always stronger and more capable than we, as parents, think.

Everything we do for our children that they can do for themselves, makes them weaker, not stronger. Seek adversity for your child. Allow them the honor of struggling. It’s what made you successful. If you remove the struggle, you remove their opportunities to get stronger in life.

Creating New Habits

This is a great article about creating new habits. Can be applied to more than just the skills done in the water! Think of skills outside of the pool that you can be better at (fueling yourself at meets, snacks, hydration, sleep, etc).



http://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/seven-steps-to-developing-a-new-habit/

Swimming Etiquette

Something that we all need to learn and remind ourselves each year....

Swimming Etiquette

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, all swimmers need to be aware of the proper swimming etiquette. The coaching staff will review them with the swimmers and hope that parents will reinforce them at home as well.

The Golden Rule: A variation of "Do unto others". Basically don't inhibit the workout of others sharing the same lane as you. Ask yourself: "Is what I'm doing preventing my lane-mates from doing the coach's practice?"

Be Nice: Be patient with each other. Give your teammates the benefit of the doubt.

Be Considerate: You are at practice to improve fitness, technique and speed. So are the others in the pool. The best way to do this is to be considerate of others that you share a lane with.

Circle Swimming: Unless a lane has only two people in it who would rather split the lane, we circle swim. Always staying on the right side of the lane.

Sendoffs / Intervals: Do as the coach tells you, and don't change the interval without the knowledge and consent of your lane-mates. Everyone leaves 5 seconds apart in AG3 or in the case of Gold and Green, once the swimmer ahead of you makes it to past the flags then you can go.

Leading a Lane: Know the set. If you're leading a lane, move to the left as you finish a set. Each subsequent swimmer comes in just to the right of the swimmers in front of them, always leaving a clear path to the wall on the right side for the swimmer behind them. Lane leaders should move to the left as they approach walls for turns. Each following swimmer must be aware of the swimmer directly in front and behind, executing a turn that allows both of them room for their own turns.

Passing: Should be done quickly and from the middle of the lane. Don't get so close that you touch or kick the other swimmer. If you are the one being passed, don't stop, don't speed up. Slow down and allow your teammate to pass quickly. Passing at the wall is preferable whenever possible.

Stopping: If for some reason you need to stop in the middle of a swim, try to do it at a wall, moving to either side (preferably the right). If you can't get to the wall, get to the lane line and try to stay out of the way of the other swimmers behind you. Just because the person ahead of you stops, does not mean you get to stop. Please count your laps as you swim and keep track of where you are in your practice!