That is the post of a top coach educator, and a lot of which we discussed during the high performing coach programme. I think eJC knows most of my view on different educators Ive come across and there are a few that actively question and try to get you to think critically, others that are “this is fact dont argue” The former, sometimes it can look argumentative but not to decent coaches, they know. Coaches need to learn to give and take feedback, good and bad, although bad is the wrong word as negative feedback is the best sort, you can develop from it
On the HPCP we literally had to stand in a room of 15 other “high performing” coaches, for a year and let our guard down, open up, talk about our failures, and successes openly, and we all struggled with success more than failures. I learned at lot during hot seats (a group of us have continued this practice for the 6 years since the course, and a shame the BTF dont facilitate more along this line with the programme graduates so we can mix with those from other cohorts), we always revert to discussions around" how would you have done this" not I did this Im right.
Im yet to come across a decent coach that doesnt have Imposter Syndrome to some degree.
I dont think Im great, but the kids are always smiling and seem happy to see me so guess I do something right, or Im just a clown
Anyway swimming, or am i going to lock this behind a door also
Sheff tell us more about your lads galas, hows his swimming going lately.
I love looking back at El Niño’s progression, it along with the lack of progression of other “early developers” has highlighted a number of things I have seen with my coaching.
Hard work works, show up consistently in mind and body
Have fun with friends, kids who are not happy, dont improve
Have goals beyond winning.
Pushy parenting never works, see point 2
winning at 9 thru 14 doesnt necessarily mean you’ll be winning at 16, likewise being average at 10 doesnt mean you cant succeed at 15/16
adolescence is a tough time for kids, back to number 2.
The 2 Olympic medallist I know and multiple pro cyclists and swimmers all have 1 thing in common, they loved what they did, none were pushed into it. (Life lesson about anything there).
One of the best Ive heard, my mates daughter is an Elite diver, now NCAA Div1 , and she was very quiet, so 1 event her goal was to hello and thanks every marshall and coach she encountered.
This afternoons swim,100 breast , went out in 35.86, back in 40.67 so pretty well paced for 1:16.53, which is about 0.75 pb and gives him his regional time! gold medal as well. Said he didnt feel great on 2nd 50, and probably 4 sec drop off is normal for kids, 3 for elite!
200 breast less than hour later, 2:45.99 which is big 4 sec. PB, 5th fastest in Kent this year, 4th fastest won Gold though, so just a silver said he felt strong but tired and was quite happy as more to find. Splits 37.08 , 42.34, 44.02, 42.55 so at least easy 2 seconds on 3rd 50 to find and possibly 1sec each 50 overall. Sub 2:40 fresh is not out of the question
National Arena League 1st round next Saturday night. 2.5hr session when he will race 2IM 100Bk, and 2 x 200m relays (50 back in IM/50 free in free obvs)
Hard nights racing there but his aerobic conditioning should help. Main goal is 2IM (first event) as hard as possible and see how rest goes.
League events are fun as you are racing 7 other clubs for points, level 3 so times count on record, racing open age in 2IM so gonna be huge challenge, rest are an age up as U16s.
Saw a triathlete i’ve not seen swim for a few years yesterday and in that time she has transitioned from a smooth, graceful, efficient dps swimmer into a noisy, inefficient, ineffective spm triathlete…she begins her reconversion now…
yes it was nice meeting you yesterday EJC. Must get that haircut…
Edit: tried the 12x100m off 1m45 session mentioned recently. Apparently my oxygen-starved brain can’t count to 12 though, on checking Strava only did 11. Will try again another day.
I think we’re going off the point a bit, I am simply talking about how effectively one could coach, not the health and safety niceties. I have talked to other swimmers / ex swimmers and they mostly say the same thing, teaching ones own kids to swim can be problematic because they don’t take as much notice of you as they would of someone who is not their parent.
Not very effectively…it demonstrates a lack of consideration to the participant and others who may be affected. That is not a health and safety nicety…it’s a must have consideration before you even start…
That’s not a personal comment at all…
It’s incredible really, but quite common from many people on forums, unfortunately.
I am not going to get into a personal argument with you.
That’s shocking, and depressing.
As far as possible success in any sport should not be about how much money the participant spends.
They could do something quit easily, insist the cossies are smaller so there is less of an advantage, e.g. 6"/150mm max top to bottom. They did that with full body suits, it’d just be an extension of that.
Unfortunately its normal and where do we stop, is it unfair i have a flexible job so can take a child to training, dont work weekends and own a car so can take a child to galas. Fees are over £100 a month, galas £10-15 per event and a weekend may have 6 to 8 of them. Petrol to drive 100miles each way, hotels and restaurants for long distance galas. Gym membership, some parents hire S&C coaches, a £200 race suit is a pretty small investment. Tri makes swimming look cheap when you have kids on 8k bikes wearing super shoes and £600 wetsuits.
All sport is now expensive, but what can you do, how much are football boots, running shoes/spikes. Sport is now the preserve of the middle classes due to freedom, flexibility and enough disposable income they can pay and 99% of people running it all are volunteers. Imagine if they were paid. Id love it to be more open but its a COLC and even the middle are being squeezed now.
For someone who always complains about rules, you sure like rules the rule is above the knee, its simple to administer for the volunteer officials.
Sounds a lot like over regulation to me. There’s a fella on here, he hates regulation, even when it comes to safety. Doubt he would like someone interfering in what costume he can buy his child to swim in. Either that or he is a hypocrite.
I think there is a small, but significant, difference with “skill” sports like football etc. as a pair of more expensive boots won’t really make you a better player to any measurable degree, whereas with “speed” sports the only measure of success is time so if super shoes/suits knock a few seconds off your time then you are automatically better than a comparable athlete that doesn’t have them.
Ps. As an aside, my son’s old junior football club had an exchange scheme for boots. When your kid grew out of theirs you could put them in baskets for kids who couldn’t afford new ones to take. The look on some of the kids faces when they found some they absolutely loved (blue, pink, yellow whatever) was absolutely priceless. And they may well put them back in the basket again when they grow out of them.
