News
For
SWIM
PARENTS
Published by The American
Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200
Fort Lauderdale FL 33309
___________________________________________________________________
Working
WITH
the Coach
One of the most time consuming challenges a coach encounters is building a
working relationship between himself, parents, and the Board of Directors.
This is especially true when parents challenge the coaches' authority and
ability to make coaching judgments.
From our vantage point of "hearing it from all sides" we have developed some
thoughts for parents.
n
Be educated. Read all you can about swimming but remember, that there are
usually many different ways to teach a skill, or plan a season, or set a race
strategy, etc.. Your coach may use tactics you have not read about and are
not familiar with but are never-the-less absolutely sound. Some very
gifted coaches may use techniques that aren't well documented but may be a
superior method. Your coach may be a pioneer! We don't think all
coaches should coach using the same methods and are anxious to hear from coaches
having success with new found methods.
Where do you find information? Reputable websites like
www.swimmingcoach.org and
www.usaswimming.org are a good place
to start. There are many places on the web but keep in mind the source –
look for articles by successful and respected coaches. Also, there are
dozens of books and DVD’s out there written by accomplished coaches.
www.GoSwim.tv
and
www.Championshipproductions.com
are two good sources of DVD’s and Human Kinetics publishes a number of excellent
books. ASCA has selected a number of DVD’s and books we feel are important
and have placed them on our online store at
www.swimmingcoach.org.
There is also the option to join ASCA as a non-coach member and receive the
ASCA Magazine,
ASCA Newsletter,
and the
Journal of Swimming Research.
n
Think before you ask. When you are concerned about a decision made by the
coach it's fair to ask for an explanation but keep in mind two things.
First, ask for an explanation at the proper time, preferably after practice or
after the swimming meet. It is better to wait for a quieter time and it is
better to think through your questions before approaching the coach.
Secondly, it is reasonable for a coach to give an explanation by simply saying,
"I had a feeling it would work best this way." It's called intuition, and
it is one of the most important ways a coach makes a judgment call. Let's
not take this away from coaches.
Consider relays – one of the most contentious judgment calls a coach makes.
Who should be on the relay and what should the order be? There are many
factors that go into setting a relay line up and the guiding philosophy of the
coach might simply be that he or she "enters the relay in the best interest of
the team." There should never be a specific relay policy that will prevent
your coach from using his or her judgment.
For example, the "fastest four" may not be the fastest four on THAT day.
The coach may have an intuitive feeling that a given individual may perform
faster than the "fastest four." There are also times the coach might feel
that an individual needs the psychological boost of being on the "A" relay even
though they are not one of the top 4, and if the meet is not of importance, may
elect to move this swimmer to the “A” relay.
The point is, it is a coaches' call. She may make a judgment based on an
intuitive feeling she has or other reasoning that you do not agree with or
understand but it is within her area of authority to make the call and she needs
the freedom to do it without undue critical challenges.
n
View the larger picture. There are three pictures, actually. One is
the larger picture of the swimmer's swimming career. Early success (i.e.
medals, ribbons, high point trophies, and national age group rankings) is not a
requirement to career success. In fact, many times those successful early
in their careers drop out before they have the opportunity to reach their full
potential.
Coaches are usually very patient with a swimmer's progress because they are able
to see the larger picture. Try not to mistake a coaches' calm patience
with non-caring.
Larger picture number two: "There's more to life than swimming."
We're hopeful that all coaches and parents remember that the most important
experiences gained in an individual's swimming career have nothing to do with
flip turns or butterfly technique. Making friends, being part of a team,
learning self-discipline, learning responsibility, setting goals, and working
toward goals are far greater experiences than medals, ribbons, high point
awards, and national rankings. (Just ask a retired swimmer!)
Larger Picture number three: The team! Remember that you and your
child are part of the team and have an opportunity to contribute to team
strength, team growth, and team unity.
n
Educate the coach. Does your club have a "coaching education" item in its
budget? We think you should and it might be used for any or all of the
following:
1) People Skills Seminars. In our office we regularly receive
bulletins announcing various "people skills" or "management skills" seminars in
the area. On your team there are surely people who receive the same kind
of bulletins at work. Ask your Board to send the coach to a seminar.
2) Coaches' clinics. There are many throughout the year and
throughout the country. The ASCA World Coaches Clinic is the largest with
over 1000 coaches in attendance.
3) Senior Nationals. If the team does not have senior national
qualifiers, give the coach the option of attending the senior nationals in place
of a clinic. It's a great place to receive an education.
4) Purchase books, magazines, and memberships for the coach. All of
these things are an investment in your team's greatest asset, the coach.
n
Recognize the coaches' experience and education. Your children are
precious and turning them over to a coach, who oftentimes is a young coach, is
sometimes unsettling. Coaches, however, have hours upon hours of
experience working with young swimmers just like your child and will try to make
their best judgments in the best interest of your child's long term swimming
development. In addition, we're hopeful that your coach has attended
clinics, frequently exchanges information with other coaches, and is involved
with the ASCA certification and home study program.
n
Try not to take it personally. All parents want to see their children be
successful, however some parents get emotionally involved in their children's
successes and setbacks. Sometimes they love to win through their children,
and they hate to lose. Let the child own their successes and failures
while you are there simply to congratulate or console..
n
Be aware of the overzealous, know-it-all, win at all costs, swim parent.
Unfortunately there are some parents who continually challenge the judgment of
the coach. Frequently their opinions are based upon emotion, limited
experience, and limited knowledge. Their motives are rarely in the
interest of the team. They oftentimes try to gather support to change
decisions and can wreck serious havoc in a program. What you can do
is support the coach and Board of Directors, and try to educate the parent.
One of the greatest untapped resources for parent education are the parents of
children who have been through the age group program.
n
Remember all the different people a coach must work with. Be sensitive to
the fact that a coach is under tremendous pressure to please as many people as
possible while making decisions he knows not everyone will be happy about.
A little support from a friendly parent can make a coaches’ job far more
pleasant than if he feels he is always alone.
Or not. Here is the time-saving, near effortless, and low stress
alternative for all of the above: simply look for your child to be happy
and improving. Entrust the coach with the technical details. Accept
the success and setbacks in stride. Provide emotional support for your
child. Volunteer for team meets or other activities. And on your car
pool day if you get stuck at practice, take a good book, and look up once in a
while at your lovely child getting a great workout.