Please eat a good breakfast that day. Do not show up at the meet on an empty stomach.

Before the meet starts...

1. Arrive at the pool 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up begins. Warm-up times will be listed on the meet information.

2. Upon arrival, the swimmer should come down on the pool deck with all their belongings. The team will sit together in one spot.

3. Find the check-in area and be sure to check the swimmer in. Circle the swimmer's name for each event they are swimming that day. Normally, the swimmers will do this on their way into the pool area. Forgetting to check in could cause the swimmer to be scratched from that event. Some meets are pre-seeded and do not require check-in. Please check with the coach as soon as you arrive.

4. Once checked in, write each event number on the swimmer's hand. This helps him/her remember what events they are swimming and what event number to listen for. The coaches at the meet will have markers to do this.

5. Around this time, warm-ups will start. It is important for all swimmers to be at warm-up. Entry into the pool during warm-up is feet first only except during sprint lane swimming. Do not hang on the lane lines during warm-up.

6. After warm-up is done, the swimmer will go back to the team area for any last important information from the coaches.

7. Please note, according to USA Swimming rules, parents are not allowed on the deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. All questions concerning meet results, disqualifications, or anything else about the meet should be directed to the FAST coaches. They, in turn, will handle the situation in the proper manner.

During the meet...

1. It is important for the swimmer to know what event they are swimming. They need to listen to the announcer as to which event is being called to the blocks or to the clerk-of-course.

2. Some meets will have a clerk-of-course. This is an area where all the swimmers in that event are assigned to their proper heat and lane assignments. The clerk-of-course people will then lead them out to the starting blocks for their event.

3. Meets that do not have a clerk-of-course will post heat and lane assignments on the pool deck. The swimmer needs to know where these are posted. It is up to the swimmer to go to the starting blocks a couple events prior to their swim.

4. The coaches will let the swimmers know how the meet is run and where everything will be posted at the meeting after warm-ups.

5. Swimmers should stay in the team area during the meet and cheer on their fellow teammates.

After each swim...

1. The swimmer should ask the timer behind their block for their time.

2. Parents - occasionally, the swimmer's time will not register right on the scoreboard from either a missed touch on the touchpad or some other problem. This problem will be handled at the computer table and show up corrected in the results. Please do not come running down on the pool deck right away. If there is a problem on the final results, please let a FAST coach know and they will look into it.

3. After the race, the swimmer should go directly to one of the FAST coaches to discuss the swim. Generally, the coach will have a positive comment or suggestion for improvement.

4. After talking with the coach, the swimmer should go warm-down (if there is an area to do this). Swimmers should stay clothed and warm during the meet.

5. When a swimmer has completed all of his/her events, they should check with the coach before leaving to make sure they are not included in a relay at the end of the meet. If you are unable to stay for relays, please let a coach know prior to the start of the meet or let the team know when you sign up on the entry form.

What to take to the meet...

1. Swim suit, team cap and goggles. It is wise to bring extras of each in case of an emergency.

2. Towels - swimmers should have at least two towels. They are at a meet for a while and one wet towel from the beginning is not the best idea.

3. Sweat suits/warm-ups -- Bring an extra in case the first one gets wet. Some pool decks can be cold for the swimmers.

4. Team T-shirt -- Bring an extra t-shirt in case the first one gets wet.

5. Games/Books - anything to pass the time.

6. Food -- You can bring a cooler with healthy snacks and drinks. Try to stay away from the junk food at the concession stands.

7. Please mark anything you bring with your name. Many swimmers have the same sandals or goggles.

8. Bring a POSITIVE attitude!

9. Once you have attended one or two meets, this will all become very routine. Please do not hesitate to ask any parent or experienced swimmer from FAST for help or information. These meets are a lot of fun for the swimmer. They get to visit with their friends, play games, and meet kids from other teams. They also get to race and see how much they have improved from all the hard work they put in at practice.

Parents...The pool area is usually very warm and muggy. It is wise to dress in layers. Even on the coldest day in winter, the pool area can be over 80 degrees inside.

Any other questions about meets, please ask a FAST coach or parent.

FAST engages in a multi-level competition program with United States Swimming that, like our training program, attempts to provide challenging yet success-oriented competitive situations for swimmers of all ages and abilities.

The following policies outline our philosophy:

1) We emphasize competition with oneself. Winning ribbons, medals, or trophies is not our main goal. Even if the swimmer finishes first, but has swum poorly in comparision to his/her own past performances, he/she is encouraged to do better. The individual’s improvement is our primary objective.

2) Sportsmanlike behavior is of equal importance to improved performance. All the coaches teach swimmers how to behave like a champion when the swimmer has both a “good” and a “bad” swim. Respect for officials, congratulations to other competitors, encouragement to teammates, determined effort, and mature attitudes are examples of behaviors praised and rewarded by FAST coaching staff.

3) A swimmer is praised for improving his/her stroke or time. It is the coach’s job to offer constructive criticism of a swimmer’s performance. It is the parent’s responsibility to provide love and encouragement that bolster the swimmer’s confidence along the way.

4) Swimmers are taught to set realistic, yet challenging goals for meets and to relate those goals to practice to direct their training efforts.

5) Swimmers are prepared and encouraged to compete in all swimming events, distances and strokes. This policy promotes versatility and encourages the swimmer to explore her or his potential in the wide range of events offered in competitive swimming. Oftentimes, a swimmers’ “best” stroke changes as they mature and their bodies go through physical changes.

The first question really should be, "Why should I help the Swim Team?" I'm going to work on that one first, because in the five years since I wrote the first edition of "Parent, Coach, and Athlete", I have come to realize that the answer for many people is not clear, as I thought it was at that time. In learning this, I have also come to be much more appreciative of the clubs that I have coached with, because the question never came up at either of them!

The simplest reason is also the most powerful. You should help because your child benefits greatly from the program. The second reason is that most clubs cannot function without substantial volunteer help. The economics are not there for a full professional staff to do all the things that need doing.

Look at the finances of swimming for a moment. Nobody likes to pay bills. Now count up the hours that are available for your child to participate in your swimming program. Divide your monthly fee by those hours, and you will come out with substantially less than you pay your baby sitter. And the baby sitter doesn't provide much in the way of a learning situation, values education, physical exercise and development, or role model. (Or at least, not many baby sitters do!)

Now imagine if you had to pay for all you get from swim team. Teams can't do it without your help. Add to that the fact that less than 15% of the clubs in the USA have full time swimming coaches, and less than 5% have more than one full time coach, and you can begin to recognize the need for parental involvement. Those clubs that do enjoy full time coaches are usually those of sufficient size that just coaching duties alone take up the whole day.

The club needs your help. Now let's get along to how you can provide that help. People have strange attitudes toward working with organizations. In most, a very few people do a tremendous amount of work that benefits everyone. This is especially true in swimming, which perhaps speaks to the quality of person that swimming attracts. There are parents who develop workaholic behavior towards swim teams. This is a bad deal for everyone. That person sooner or later burns out, leaving a big hole to fill. Meanwhile, that individual holds a great deal of power in the club, according to the rule that says, "he that does, decides." (That unwritten rule operates in all volunteer organizations, doesn't it?)

The club needs a little bit of time from everyone, a little more from some, and on occasion, a great deal from a few. Note that when you find your lawn uncut, the dishes three days deep in the sink, your cat starving on the porch, and you have just driven home from swim team leaving half the car pool at the swimming pool, you are over committed. This may also result in your child thinking that your club job is more important than they are.

The simple goal of most swimming organizations is to devise a system where the coach is left free to do what they do best....to coach. This means that parents take responsibility for fund raising, administration, club communication, and similar items. Over the past five years there has been a trend to look at coaches more as a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) model, where they are involved in those things to the extent of making sure they are successful, but essentially the tasks are accomplished by parents. Having Coach involvement in those tasks is great, if they have time. If they don't, the idea is to use the volunteer talent available, in the areas where it can be most effectively deployed.

Most clubs have a Board of Directors that help operate the club. The best Boards are long range planning Boards, that leave the daily work to committees. New swimming parents are often asked to work on one of these committees. If you are not asked, volunteer. Many times people simply forget to ask...they are not slighting you, they are just so busy, they don't notice. This is also where you will begin to make new friends in swimming.

What kinds of jobs are available?

On Fund raising...bring in the dollars to make up the difference between operating budget and club fees. There has never been an organization with enough operating funds, and swimming is no exception. Most of us are experts at spending and less expert at "raising" money, so if you have any ability here, you'll be extremely popular at the club. (Of course, if you have that ability, you are already extremely popular...)

On Publicity...letting people know about the club, its goals, aims, results, and personal stories. A journalism background is helpful, but even more important is a willingness to organize results, type, and run them around town to local papers, TV and radio stations. It takes persistence, and the results are not automatically on display immediately.

On Membership...allied to publicity, helping the club attract and retain members. This can be really rewarding for new parents, as they learn much more quickly about the good things in swimming while working on this type of group. Learn to swim programs provide the bulk of new swimmers to teams, and you'll be a source of information to prospective swimming families.

On Administration...a general subheading for a vast array of jobs that include things like newsletters, meet entries, operating phone trees (to get news out quickly...usually about swimming, but sometimes gossip...that's a joke!) The amount of work required to operate a swim team is amazing, and most clubs like to have a system where one person performs a task while another learns it as an apprentice...and then takes it over later on. So, many jobs are "doubles".

On Swim meets. There are those who run meets as part of the fund raising efforts, and there are clubs who run meets strictly as opportunities for swimmers to compete, and there are some who do both. Even with electronic timing and computers, it takes 30 - 45 people a day to run a good swim meet. You'll be called on plenty, and your help is vital. This is one time that money will not substitute for your physical presence.

Lastly, remember that a parent organization in its best role, is a watchdog of philosophy...that same philosophy that you joined the team for. Stability is what builds the organization, and your support for that stability is the key thing you can contribute. I like the thought of "bloom where you are planted." As your child progresses in swimming, stay with your club, and help it progress, Involve yourself in helping to set goals and objectives and make it great! And remember, it is all for FUN, and all for your youngster

We need your help at times other than swim meets! This is a list of opportunities for you to really show your support of the team.

This sign up is distributed at registration. Click here to print a Volunteer Opportunities Sign-up sheet.

Apparel/Spirit Clothing - Work with the vendor (Doug Bryson of By Design) to determine items to offer, coordinate design, create order forms, collect order forms and payments, then ready orders for distribution.

Communications - Contribute articles, announcements, etc. for distribution in our family mailbox folders, newsletter mailer, and/or our FAST website.

Phone Tree - FAST phone list is divided between several volunteers who call members with last minute info (ex: no practice due to pool problems)

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

"Best-Time" Ribbons - each swimmer that achieves a "personal best" time receives a ribbon as acknowledgement. Coordinate with coaches which swimmers receive these ribbons after each meet and complete the pertinent information on the ribbon.

FAST Championship Team - each swimmer that competes in a pre-determined number of meets receives a championship team t-shirt to wear to their championship meet! This involves tracking meet attendance on a chart and then, coordinating the t-shirt order with our apparel vendor.

New Member Mentor - volunteer to help orient a new FAST family to our team!

Overnight Trip Coordinator - Occasionally, our swimmers have the potential to compete in meets that involve travel. Coordinate travel, boarding accommodations and trip meals if desired.

SOCIAL PROGRAMS

Halloween Party - Coordinate refreshments, games and prizes with coaches (Usually punch and cookies or pizza).

Winter Holiday Party - same as above!

Swim Team Banquet - Coordinate the annual banquet, usually held after Championships in March. This involves arrangements with a "hall/banquet facility," menu, disc jockey, and coordinating trophy and award orders with the coaches.

Several volunteer positions need to be filled for each session of each swim meet that FAST runs. A sign-up sheet will be available for some time prior to the meet which will give you an opportunity to sign up for your favorite position. Don't be shy -- this is your huge opportunity to help the team!

Meet Director - must be LESI trained/ registered

Volunteer Coordinator - organize/ recruit volunteers and then send reminder postcards (e-mails)

Safety Director - must be LESI trained/ registered

Concessions - purchase/ solicit donations of food, drinks, snacks etc. to sell at our home meets and then organize volunteers to set-up and then sell these items

Hospitality - purchase/ solicit or prepare food, snacks, etc. provided to coaches and officials during meets. This includes making sure volunteers at meets have beverages available to them.

Computer Operator - computer saavy required to run the the computer during meets, as well as input entry data prior to meets

Heat Sheets - copy and collate heat sheets/ psych sheets for sale at meets. Investigate interest in individual sponsoring events, corporate underwriting, advertising to help defray meet expenses

Awards - ordering and sorting ribbons and medals is done prior to the meets. Distribution of individual awards is handled during the meet.

Admissions - collect admissions and sell heat sheets as people enter the meet

Swimmer check-in - oversee swimmer's event sign-in sheets

Deck entry - coordinate entries and collection of fees from swimmers that enter events the day of the meet

Copier/ Runner - copy event line-ups and results, distribute to officials, and post at set locations

DQ runner - picks up disqualification slips from officials

Head Timer - keeps back-up stopwatch and coordinates timers during session

Timers - need two per lane

Clerk of Course - organize swimmers by heat and lane assignments for each event. A minimum of 2 people are needed for each session.

Hospitality and Concession workers - help in concession stand or hospitality suite

By Fred Cruciger, Longtime Florida USS Official and Swim Parent

When you as a parent go to a swimming meet you may not be totally familiar with the officials and their duties. In order to gain a better understanding of the functions of the officials, it might be a good idea to discuss the duties of each position and then to explain just how a person becomes an official.

The referee is the key official and is in complete charge of the competition. The referee makes decisions based upon the technical rules of swimming and assigns and supervises the other officials working the meet. The referee is the person who stands at the starting end of the pool and signals the starter when the race is ready to begin. No disqualification is final until the referee has signed the disqualification slip. The referee is the final authority.

The starter is responsible for ensuring a fair start to each race. He or she gives commands that are designed to inform the swimmer of the stroke and distance, to bring the swimmers to the proper starting position, and once all swimmers are motionless, he or she signals the race to begin with either the beeper or gun start.

There will also be stroke and turn judges stationed around the pool. They are charged with the specific responsibility of ensuring that the swimmers conform to the established rules of competition for that specific event. Each stroke has specific rules and it is up to these officials to enforce them.

Officials are well trained. The first level is that of a stroke and turn official. They can then progress to starter and finally to referee. Each level requires a clinic which is conducted by a certified clinic instructor. After the clinic there is a test and also a requirement for an apprenticeship period. During this time the apprentice works with a certified official to learn under actual competitive conditions. Once all of these phases are completed, the official is certified.

Once certified, each official must be re-certified every two years. This is to ensure that each and every official is fully current on the rules. Rules change, and it is absolutely necessary for each official to be up to date.

Rules can vary from very basic to highly complex. The key to the rules is contained in the first paragraph of the United States Swimming Rules and Regulations. It states "...so that no swimmer shall obtain unfair advantage over another." That is the reason for rules. Also, officials are instructed to make sure that every benefit goes to the swimmer. In other words, if an official is unsure about a possible rule infraction, the benefit goes to the swimmer.

Officials signal a disqualification by raising a hand for about 20 seconds, or until the referee sees it. The purpose of the raised hand is not to signal any specific swimmer, but to call attention to the fact that a disqualification has taken place. The official calling the infraction will then write it up on paper, sign it and forward it to the referee for signature. Once signed by the referee the disqualification is official.

The referee is the only official who can be approached by a coach. The referee must know all of the details so that if approached by the coach, all of the necessary information will be at hand.

Officials and coaches must work together. The coach wants his swimmer to be disqualified if there is an infraction. This becomes a teaching aid for the coach. If you, as a parent, have a question about a disqualification, contact your coach. Do not go to the referee. If the coach needs more information to answer your question, the coach will go to the referee.

Officials have a large responsibility. In virtually every case they are volunteers. They are not paid. They do this for the benefit of the sport. The chances are that they will have their own children in that meet.

All of the officials do their best to be as fair and reasonable as possible. However, if they observe a rule violation, they will call a disqualification. That is why they are there.

Every meet must have a full staff of officials and this may be something that you might wish to try. One thing for certain, it sure makes the meet go more quickly! Contact any of the officials at the next meet you attend and ask them the procedure to become a certified official. It is a good way to learn some of the rules of the sport, contribute to the meet, and to show your children that you are supporting them.

“I Have A Nine Year Old Who Has Been Swimming In A Summer League For The Past Three Years. As He Begins Swimming With A Year Round Program, What Things Should Be Emphasized?”

Answered by: Rick Curl, Head Coach of the Curl-Burke Swim Club

I have coached in the summer leagues in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area for 18 years. In addition, I worked with the Solotar Swim Club for six years and founded the Curl Swim Club eight years ago.

Each summer many parents get involved in their child’s primary activity, such as summer league swimming. Summer leagues are very popular in the Washington, DC area. There are more than 300 teams that are divided into several leagues. When the season ends in August, the local United States Swimming teams will conduct tryouts and give presentations for individuals interested in continuing in a swimming program.

The summer league program is such a short season and each swimmer strives to improve from the past summer. Their main goal is to improve their performances and have a successful season each summer. Also, most parents want children to participate in a healthy activity with intangible benefits offered by a team sport and goal setting.

I feel that it is very important to present a well-rounded program for each age group swimmer. They must enjoy themselves certainly, we all learn more effectively in a pleasant environment. Stroke development is of utmost importance to the young swimmer. They should not be allowed to focus on any one stroke. Long distance training is not necessary in the developing years. Poor stroke habits develop and the boredom of long distance training will most likely have a negative effect on them. A young swimmer must learn proper starts, turns and stroke mechanics so that he or she will develop in many other areas as he progresses and gets older. They will also specialize in a certain area and stroke as they mature.

Parents should encourage their children to be involved in a number of activities. When a youngster devotes too many hours to training each week, he or she will be unable to experience other sports and activities such as music, dance etcetera. I believe that we should give each child the opportunity to be well rounded. Often times, a swimmer will drop out of the sport and not have another activity to fall back on.

Swimmers should be taught and trained in a progressive manner. Each step should include continued stroke development. Other important areas of competitive swimming should be introduced as the swim progresses. If a youngster is having fun while he learns, he will show the greatest amount of improvement.

Parents, throughout the competitive swimming experience hold a vital role in the success of the swimmer. They must continually reinforce the swimmer and support the program and coaching philosophies that they have chosen.

Communication between the parent and coaching staff is important so that a child does not experience conflict and become confused.

Concern: My child will be aging up before the end of the season and she needs every opportunity to make AAA times in each event before then. The coach, however, does not want her to attend all the offered meets and does not allow the swimmers to swim all the events offered at each meet. I do not like the way the coach selects my child's meet and event schedule.

Response: Rule number one for any concern regarding decisions made by the coach is to communicate directly with the coach at your earliest opportunity. The coach may mention one or more of the following considerations:

1. Age group swimmers should have an opportunity to experience all the official events for their age group. In fact, many coaches would make a case for having intermediate to advanced age group swimmers also swim 200's of back, breast, and fly, as well as the 400 IM and distance freestyles. (Some countries offer these events in meets and tabulate national rankings!) BUT, there needs to be a balance found between the time and expense of driving to too many meets versus the long range goals of a good age group program - steady, well planned, unrushed, and enjoyable progress. Progressive coaches make opportunities in practices, time trials, and short at-home mini-meets for age group swimmers to experience all events.

2. A major push at end of an age group implies that a let down can occur when the child ages up. This discourages the steady and consistent progress that most coaches encourage in age group swimming.

3. Achievement must be viewed as career long and not dependent on the vagaries of an end of age group meet schedule. Coaches plan careers around seasonal planning, not around age group planning. The primary focus should be on end of season meet.

4. A combined and unified team effort for end of the season meets is more important than allowing individual swimmers to "peak" for mid-season meets in order to achieve time standards or rankings.

5. For all the above reasons, the coach is the person who should select each swimmer's meet and event schedule early in the season and review it with each swimmer and parent.

Many parents wonder what differentiates the great athlete from the average one, and whether their kids have what it takes to be great athletes. We'll let Dr. Jack Daniels, an exercise physiologist at State University of New York at Cortland, and an influential figure in developing the U.S. Swimming Sports Medicine Program, enlighten us.

"There are really only four ingredients for success in athletics. One is genetic ability. Some genetic differences are easy to see (7-foot-plus Kareem Abdul Jabbar's basketball endowments), while others are physiological and internal differences that can't be seen. In America we have a hard time accepting those differences and we think that everyone who trains hard enough can be a champion.

The second thing besides genetic ability is intrinsic motivation. If you have a seven-footer and the coach wants him to play baseball, but he wants to be an artist, you won't get too much basketball out of him.

The third ingredient is opportunity - providing our athletes with good facilities, good weather, and competition against good athletes.

The final ingredient is direction. Direction means a good coach and a good program to follow.

Direction is the area where parents and coaches really have an opportunity to help the athlete. With the fragmented nature of our national swimming community, we have to put aside our personal concerns and desires and focus our efforts on helping our athletes attain their potential. Here is the part age group coaches can play:

* Teaching outstanding biomechanics to build the base for all future swimming successes and fulfillment. Stroke education in both learn-to-swim, novice, and advanced age group programs must be primary.

* Teaching values that reflect the best of our sport. Swimmers must be educated in their own careers, positive image building of themselves as athletes and people, and on their part in the national swimming effort. Values and attitudes again shape the future for our sport.

* Provide the aerobic training base from which science tells us great athletes develop.

* Educate parents, our athletes' primary support system, to the needs of their athletes. Swimming careers are lifelong pursuits, and parents of young athletes need a vision of the rewards attainable by their youngster.

The high school coach can also contribute by recognizing the needs of both the elite and developing athlete in their programs, and by instilling in their athletes the knowledge that good swimming demands near year-round participation in YMCA, USS, or community programs. The high school coach also needs to cooperate with the club coach to ensure a coherent individual training and competition schedule for each athlete."

Herb Huddleston, Long time coach, Orlando, FL.

One aspect of competitive swimming that many swimmers (and parents) have a difficult time understanding and/or accepting is what coaches call “swimming tired.” This mostly applies to senior level swimmers, but can also affect younger swimmers.

To understand fatigue, and its effect on meet performances, it is important to understand the “training effect.” Improvement in swimming (or any aerobic sport) is largely a result of the body’s adaptation to the stress of regular training. Of course, technique and skills are very important for peak performance, but for our purposes in understanding this element of swimming, we will address only physical training.

The body adapts in many different ways—the muscles become stronger, the heart pumps blood more effectively, and the cardiovascular system becomes more efficient in transporting oxygen to the muscles. These all contribute to faster swimming. Progress at the beginner or novice level comes quickly and is dramatically evident in large decreases in swimming times. As a swimmer becomes more accomplished, decreases in swimming times come in smaller increments, even though the amount of training may increase. When training is increased, fatigue may affect performances at competitions. However, swimmers may still be able to swim best times, in spite of being tired. Improved stroke technique, better starts and turns, more effective race strategies, and increased conditioning and strength can offset the fatigue that they have accumulated.

Coaches always encourage swimmers to swim at 100% effort and use their skills to overcome the tiredness.

So, why not reduce the large training load just before each meet, and allow the swimmers to be a little rested to ensure better meet performances? To optimize the benefits of training, it is best not to “interrupt” the continuous stress of training at certain times of the season for the purpose of swimming faster, for example at an early-season meet compared with the championship meets at the end of the season. These meets early in the season can be considered “practice meets,” where the swimmer gains valuable race experience and tests improvements in strokes and skills. A successful swim performance is not always just a fast time. Not resting for early-season meets will result in better end-of-the-season times.

This strategy can be difficult for the swimmer and parent to accept and can be frustrating. Often, other swimmers who do not train consistently will swim faster at early season meets, because they are not as tired. It is important that under these circumstances, the swimmers keep their ultimate goal in perspective, and that the parents empathize and support their children. The hard training of the early and middle part of the season will pay off at the end of the season at the meets that really count!

Here are some thoughts on competition and Children from Rainer Martens, founder of modern sports psychology. Martens, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, founded the American Coaching Effectiveness Program, and is one of the leading authorities on children in sports.

The Early Years

According to Martens: “Competitive sports evolve out of the process of social evaluation.” Children begin competing with each other from a very young age, but focus mainly on their own efforts. Each can happily claim to have “won”, simply meaning they have done something well and are satisfied. These games are very healthy growth experiences because there are no “losers.” At 5 and 6 years of age they begin to compare their efforts with others: in other words, they learn to keep score. Martens says this process of competing and comparing is part of what helps kids “find out what they can and should be.”

Problems emerge when winner/loser comparisons overshadow the importance of competing with oneself to do things better than they have been done before. At this point, competition stops building character and confidence and begins to tear it down.

Can Competitiveness Be Taught?

All coaches are familiar with the idea that some youngsters thrive on competition, while others shrink from it, but Martens thinks that in the right environment, children can learn competitiveness by being taught to concentrate on mastering specific techniques. This not only improves the mechanical aspects of performance, but is also the best way to reduce competitive stress. “If people focus on mastering specific acts they can control,” And the thing over which a young swimmer has the least control – how fast competitors swim – is the greatest source of anxiety in competition.

Martens advice to coaches and parents of young athletes is to concentrate on how to improve performance rather than on what happens if the child wins or loses. “Focusing on smaller, more solvable technical challenges increases physical efficiency, and reduces anxiety and stress,” Martens says. “This increased the number of potential winners because skill instead of the final score has become the immediate objective.”

Every Child’s A Winner

In this scenario, an age group swimmer’s final instructions before a race would focus on successfully doing something he or she previously had difficulty with – keeping the hips up on the last half of a butterfly race, turning on the weak hand in backstroke, or pressing through to the hips in the freestyle stroke, rather than on “beating that kid in lane 5.” After the race, the child could then be congratulated on his or her technique improvement, no matter where he or she placed. In this way, a race with 30 contestants could potentially yield 30 winners rather than 1 winner and 29 “losers.” This gives life to the credo “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game that counts.”

Martens thinks the competitive climate for youth athletics is steadily improving as more youth coaches learn to teach mastery of sports skills, and understand why it is advantageous to do so. “At the recreational level there is more and better, more useful and pleasant competition going on than ever before.”

Pumping…Rubber?

There’s little disagreement that stronger swimmers are faster swimmers. But strength experts never seem to agree on which method of strength training will translate into better swimming performance, other than to say that something is always better than nothing. Fortunately, there’s more agreement on the subject of appropriate strength training methods for age-group swimmers. The most important point of agreement is that weight lifting prior to puberty is neither necessary nor advisable. Dr. Robert Willix, director of the Willix Health Institute, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says: “Using heavy weight training before the growth plates (the area of bones where new growth occurs) have developed, could stunt the growth process and actually be harmful.

ASCA polled a number of age group coaches on their strength training methods and found broad agreement on what’s appropriate for swimmers ages 12 years and young. If your child is interested in getting stronger, but strength training is not a part of his/her club’s program, here are some suggestions for at-home activity:

1. Use proper stretching techniques to maintain and enhance natural youthful flexibility. Stretches should be slow and steady “static” movements, not bouncy “kinetic” ones.

2. Use surgical tubing for stroke-specific strength building and to strengthen the rotator cuff to alleviate should problems, which are common during late adolescent growth spurts.

3. Do calisthenics such as push-ups, chin-ups (or flexed-arm hang), bull-ups, and dips for increasing upper body strength.

4. Perform various abdominal exercises (Note: Keep legs elevated so abdominal muscles and not the hip flexors do the work, and to protect the lower back from injury).

5. Play backyard or playground soccer, volleyball, basketball, or ride a bike to strengthen the whole body. Strength experts stress the importance of proper supervision to ensure safety and proper technique.

Concern: I've noticed that when some of our team's swimmers are disqualified the coach does not approach the official to question the call while at other times he confronts the official immediately. There appears to be favoritism.

Response: If this is a case of favoritism we certainly do not condone this type of coach behavior. We recommend a direct, but polite discussion with the coach at a time when everyone has had some time and distance from the situation.

If not favoritism, then the following may explain your coaches behavior:

The coach observed the infraction, was not surprised by the infraction, noted it, and talked with the swimmer about it. Coaches work with their swimmers every day and know each individual's difficulties with technique and tendency for mistakes.

Coaches continually work with their athletes helping them to improve technique and correct mistakes but the results are rarely instantaneous. Swimmers take time to improve technique and eliminate mistakes. Coaches will enter a swimmer in an event even though the swimmer is only marginally capable of performing legal strokes and turns so that the swimmer gains experience. If the swimmer is disqualified, the coach uses it as a learning situation for the athlete.

In some sports it is expected that there be a confrontation between coach and official with every call but that has not been our way in swimming.

When there is a confrontation it is generally over a judgment call made by the official for an infraction that the athlete does not have a history of making, and, in the eyes of the coach, was not a good call. In this case the coach will usually ask the official for a clarification of the call and the specific rule broken. The coach will also ask the official if he was in a proper position to make such a call.

By Ira Klein, ASCA Level 5; Sarasota Y, Florida

Recently I read an article from Sports Psychology magazine, written by Dr. David A. Feigley. He works with the Rutgers University Youth Sport Research Council. The article was entitled "Why Kids Quit" and contained interesting and useful information which I wish to share with all of you.

First, why do kids play sports?

There are three basic types of participants. Ability oriented children enjoy competition and "want to be the best". Task oriented children enjoy the activity itself and often focus on self-improvement. Social approval oriented children work to please others such as coaches, parents, and teammates. To my surprise, the author says that the evidence suggests that those who work for social approval persist the longest.

Children aged six years and younger cannot distinguish between ability and effort. They believe that when they try hard they are automatically good at what they are doing. Praise tends to be accepted positively by very young children regardless of whether the task was successfully completed or not.

Children aged seven through eleven develop the ability to differentiate between having talent and trying hard. They compare themselves with others, and if they feel they cannot succeed, they would rather not try. They find it easier to attribute failure to a deliberate lack of effort, than to admit that they lack ability.

Children from age twelve become skilled at making social comparisons and realize that expending effort is no longer a guarantee that they will succeed.

What can we do to help reduce the pressures that children feel?

1. Encourage enjoyment of the activity and self-improvement.

2. Encourage children to interpret comparisons with others solely as a tool for improving. Comparisons should be constructive and never as simple as "they are better" or "you are not as good".

3. Praise must be an earned reward. As children mature, they begin to value praise for successful outcomes much more than praise for trying hard. Look for specific successes.

4. Continually remind your children that ability often changes dramatically as they mature.

“One of our pools is 25 yards wide by 50 meters long. Why isn't the pool 25 meters by 50 meters or 25 yards by 50 yards?”

For years the "American Standard Short Course" pool has been a 25 yard pool. Almost all high school pools and most college pools are 25 yards and all high school and college meets are run as short course meets. Club teams generally swim short course meets from September through March.

The international standard is meters. The Olympics, Pan-American Games, and World Championships are held in 50 meter pools. In this country, most 50 meter pools are outdoors due to the cost of building an indoor 50 meter pool. For that reason our long course season is generally from March through August. As more and more indoor 50 meter pools are being built and as the United States focuses more on international swimming the distinction between the "short course season" and the "long course season" becomes less distinct and more an more meets are going to the long course standard throughout the year -- with the exception of high school and college swimming which will remain short course yards.

At this time we are swimming short course. Eventually we will swim meets that are long course. This will cause some confusion about times. The times will be slower because a 50 meter swim is approximately 5 yards longer than a 50 yard swim. Another factor are turns. There are less turns in long course swimming. Generally, turns are faster than swimming -- we can push off the wall faster than we can swim. (Although for some of our swimmers who have not yet mastered a turn, the turning process is slower than swimming!)

Some people attempt to "convert" a short course time to a long course time or visa versa. The conversions factors are not precise due to differences in turns, strokes, and individual's ability to swim the extra distance at speed. Conversions can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointments, or to a false sense of achievement. For those reasons we do not convert times. We simply say that each swimmer has two sets of best times, one for long course and one for short course.

”When A Championship Meet Approaches, My Child’s Workouts Get Easier And Shorter. Shouldn’t He Be Working Harder Right Before A Meet? What Is Taper?”

Answered by: Marc Williams, Head Coach of the City of Richardson Swim Team, Richardson, Texas.

It shouldn’t be surprising to see a team reducing the amount of work leading up to an important competition. Swimming is extremely demanding physically, and in order to produce top performances, the body needs rest.

Before an important meet, a swimmer will go through a training phase known as a taper. This means a reduction of work and an increase in the amount of rest. The length of a taper will vary. A short taper will consist of one to three days of reduced work and a full taper can last up to six weeks. In general, a young body can recuperate rapidly and does not require as much rest as a senior swimmer. In fact, sometimes the younger swimmer does not respond well to more than a few days rest. The age group swimmer is less developed physically and has undergone less intense training than the senior swimmers. Usually, the age group swimmer will need to reduce the workout lad a few days before the meet or maybe take a day or two off.

During the course of the taper, all types of stress should be gradually reduced. As the taper progresses, the amount of high stress work is decreased and the quality of performance is gradually improved.

For optimum performance, it is suggested that the swimmers curtail their outside activities as much as possible. Most swim coaches realize it is not always possible to skip a little league baseball, softball or soccer game during a taper. However, the neighborhood football game and overnight slumber parties should be saved for another time. Ideally, you would like the swimmers to store up as much energy as possible for the swimming meet.

When the workload is reduced. There is a noticeable increase in the swimmer’s energy level. Resting is an important part of the taper, and expending the energy will only defeat the purpose of the taper.

There are many factors a coach must consider when planning a taper: age, gender, body type, and the swimmer’s primary event.

Age: Older swimmers require more rest than younger swimmers.

Sex: Men usually require more rest than women.

Body Type: Muscular swimmers need more rest.

Primary event: Peak performance in longer events requires more rest than peak performances in shorter events.

During the season, a coach will be very selective in deciding which meets to taper for. Normally, a coach will not rest or taper a swimmer more than two or three times during the short course season. Often times, a swimmer will only taper for the season-ending championship meet.

An effective taper varies greatly from swimmer to swimmer. Consequently, it is essential that there is close communication between the swimmer and coach.

Questions & Information (Click links to scroll down to the article on this page)

It shouldn’t be surprising to see a team reducing the amount of work leading up to an important competition. Swimming is extremely demanding physically, and in order to produce top performances, the body needs rest.

Questions & Information
(Click links to scroll down to the article on this page)