Given how insecure my role is, I should have put it in the Blackpool Lounge 
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I’ve spent years arguing over coaching in a public session. I did do a lot of 1to1 stuff, usually for “free” or as part of my 121 “online” coaching. I was told to hire a lane at most centres I tried, usual thing is ‘elf n’ safety in public session. Then some wouldn’t let me even hire a lane without a DBS/proof of qual’s. I said you can see proof of qual’s but they as are just an online stificate I got the “could be done on photoshop” I then refused to supply the DBS as I was coaching adults, and if they still want a DBS they have to do it themselves as its against the rules (law even) to share a DBS with another “employer”. I then told them they could use the BTF one but that they are not allowed to see the certificate (even the club don’t see it) and here is the email addy of the contact at BTF that will confirm my clearance (legally that’s all they are allowed to do!) . They then just said "Its against health and safety to allow you to coach poolside unless you book the whole pool. I gave up. The Lido allowed it though, they let me pay my entry and just walk up and down whilst observing a swimmer, hell they allow sunbathing in summer so what harm is it. They were really good. Well this year after 100’s of sessions I get summoned by the new centre manager to explain why i was coaching poolside as it was “A conflict of interests” and “a breach of the terms and conditions of my membership” , so i said I’ve always done it, but apparently not anymore as “other coaches have complained” and “we run a Swim Doctor surgery” . I guess I embarrassed their crap “swim doctor” who actually watched me coach once and copied my session and drills step by step! They wouldn’t have it when i said this was private, no conflict of interests. Apparently its ok if Im in the water though 
so I cancelled my £50 a month membership . They kindly let me hire a lane if I require though so that’s something, 70 fucking quid an hour per lane. I couldnt make that work with a squad let alone 1to1. Its not just me, even my clubs are having trouble with pools, guaranteed income but the pools sit largely empty instead.
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TBH I have been coaching my lad for years there and there has never been a problem, but…
Your experience sounds an absolute minefield and a total PITA.
It’d be difficult for them to to that with me because when I coach my lad I am in my cossie, and often get in the pool to show him stuff, or even train a bit myself when he gets bored for a while.
The bit about “you can coach in the water but not out of it” (which is total bollox anyway) would be impossible to enforce, for me (in a cossie) anyway. You could end up with the ludicrous situation were I walk along the poolside looking at his stroke, then get in the water to tell him what I need to, then get out again and repeat ! “You are not allowed to talk to anyone who is in the pool whilst you are not” (apparently) MADNESS
So, the only way they could get me would be to say nobody is allowed to walk on the poolside ( ! ), but then, theoretically, that would mean anyone who wanted to get out (to dive in or even just to go to the loo) would have to ask a life guard ! ! ! DOUBLE MADNESS
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Yes it gets to the point you know they just don’t want you there for whatever reason and give up, I had another pool. My swimming club gave up a slot so i said I’ll take it to leisure centre as I know i could have got 3 or 4 adults weekly to swim. Sorry we dont have that available. erm yes you do the club had it and gave it back yesterday. sorry its for public sessions and is always really busy. Its not obviously 
If I’d know I’d have just taken it and paid the club!
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Sounds like they were being deliberately awkward to me.
I have had my best triathlon swimming when I was doing sessions with long paddle sets in there. But I get these thing are individual.
If you want to build up power would you not be better doing weights ? Esp with a pull down apparatus ?
Weights is where you go when you have no more gains to make in the pool. Im a big fan of sprinting for that reason. Really builds power and sport specific strength whilst teaching the body how to grip the water well. Real sprint sets not 50s off a minute as many trafletes think.
It wasn’t really power I was building but using them for long sets. Something like 3x 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m as swim, pull, pull and paddles, with 50m hard, 50m easy between each set of 3. Another being 4x 1km as swim, pull and paddles, swim, paddles no pull.
Just had a mail that I’ve been offered a membership at the private school pool. I’m pretty sure I don’t even have any togs at the moment
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The problem with that is how do you know when you have no more gains to make in the pool ? ! ?
I found weights did seem to make me stronger in the water, I think, it’s sometimes difficult to tell, but I stopped doing them because they made me stiff and sore for swimming, esp the day after the day after. I try to swim 3X a week so it is not usually possible for me to do weights and have a 3 day gap before swimming, so I packed them in as it was more important for me to feel lose and comfortable in the water. If my swimming schedule had enabled me to have that gap and/or I was training for competition I would have kept on with them though.
Just out of interest, how old should a child be before they do any weights ? Should they ever ?
As soon as they are old enough to be safe and follow instructions. British Weightlifting suggest even as young as 7 is OK. Swimwise I coach Bodyweight to 10 maybe 11 year olds (silver squad which is the 4th competitive squad or second up from joining club) . Most I wouldnt trust in the weights room though as they are too easily distracted.
My daughter is 14 and doesn’t need supervision in the gym. She already knows everything!
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At the school Gym, Otter has all these year 7 boys walking round saying helpful things like “Man, gonna spot you”, who then can’t even single lift the weight Otter was doing in their pre-pubescent no testosterone weakness.
School gym seems reasonably popular though.
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There’s actually a thought that early training raises testosterone levels so helps the body develop stronger (sounds obvious writing it) , better bone density and helps resilience into adult life and kids doing it are healthier. Unfortunately a lot of people still talk 1970s science when it was frowned upon. The HC at the swim club commented on our swimmer now at Mount Kelly who does 3hrs of weights a week (big shit compound lifts stuff) on top of his 20hrs in the pool “youths shouldnt do weights, its dangerous” he acted rather childishly and stormed off when i said "well actually "
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I have received my answer from the pool :
If you are wanting to use your Sonr to assist Daniel.
I can reserve a lane at 11.30 on Saturday for your use which is £15 per hour.
Otherwise you are welcome to use the lane on a Saturday without your equipment and not coaching from the side, but this lane may be shared with others.
The lane timing would be fine as that’s when we swim anyway. I have replied stating
I am not averse to the idea of hiring that lane, but surely we should get a discount off that as, effectively, we have both already paid to use that lane with our membership ! ? !
I cannot quite understand why they are banging on about “coaching from the side” as he is my son, it is not for payment, I have been doing that for years, and I am in my cossie anyway ! As I mentioned before I can’t see how they could stop me, other than force me to get into the water at each end to tell him what to do then get out again !
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Actually, I wouldn’t even have to do that. I could just sit on the side with my toe in the water… There, I’m now in the water !
The whole thing is ludicrous.
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Everything about Pool Management is ludicrous. I was chair of the tri club for years and had no end of problems. As a swim coach I’m close to the people running that now (i refused the offer to join the committee ) and they have no end of problems also. Then add trying to set up any sort of 1to1 coaching without a club . My current tri club are down to one swim a week as CPNSC is still closed from covid and our usual pool had a floor issue and been closed for 3.5months now! They cant find an alternative, even for an hour a week for a couple of lanes.
Why on earth are they still closed from Covid ? ! ?
They have replied stating “£15 is a discounted rate as it is peak time”
I agree Sat morning should be peak time, but the two lanes in the pool probably average 2 or 3 swimmers, total for them both !
I shall have words with Daniel. Normally he wants to go off and play for a bit after 30 mins or so, which I don’t mind normally as I just swim myself then. But not if I’m paying an extra £15, he’d have to be concentrating for the full hour !
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