Coaching teqhnique

"Dwight" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My club has a few people complaining about coaches getting in the water
with kids. I came across a few sites that reccommend this approach, but
can't find them now. Does anyone have links that show that this is a
good technique?

Common sense to me that coaches get in water to help with technique,
but I guess some people don't get it.

Dwight

At the learn-to-swim level, perhaps...

"Dwight" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My club has a few people complaining about coaches getting in the water
with kids. I came across a few sites that reccommend this approach, but
can't find them now. Does anyone have links that show that this is a
good technique?

Common sense to me that coaches get in water to help with technique,
but I guess some people don't get it.

There are more issues that must be addressed.

One is control. Swimmers at the stage where they will benefit most from a
good example are also (usually) at the age when

a) they can be excitable, and
b) they have enough skills and familiarity with pools that uncontrolled (a)
can be dangerous.

I have seen coaches get in the water with swimmers at these levels and ages,
but the coaches

a) had good control to begin with;
b) explained to the swimmers what they were to do and what the coach was
going to do;
c) reminded the swimmers that what they were doing when the coach was in
another lane was _just_ as valuable to them as when he/she was in their
lane;
d) kept an eye on the rest of the group and was able to prevent
out-of-control activity from occurring or continuing.

When a coach can get in the water and show things, and the group control
remains good, it is a very effective tool. The swimmers respect for both
parts of the coach's ability - swimming _and_ control - is enhanced, and
because it is so rare they will feel special.

At the learn to swim level, in the water is MUCH the best method. Class
sizes and ages are usually such that control is not an issue, and the
reassurance, examples, and "spotting" that a teacher and/or coach can do
while in the water are extremely effective. A good teacher can take
half-a-dozen 6-year-old from nonswimming to swimming confidently in
chest-deep water in 8 half-hour lessons IF

a) classes run every day;
b) the water is warm (>85)
c) the teacher is in the water

For swim-team teaching, it can be more valuable to draw examples from the
group. This itself requires technique, because in these groups there is a
often strong competitive element, which reflects in the swimmers often
attending to errors (which are not the subject of interest) rather than the
element that the demonstrating swimmer _does_ show. They'll say, for
example, when you wish them to see an good breaststroke kick, "Look - His
fingers were apart!" They may be right, but it makes the demonstrator feel
inadequate, and they missed the good kick.

The following system almost entirely eliminates this, and as well rewards
the demonstrator.

1. Get the whole group to do whatever it is from which you wish to pick a
skill element. Say Breaststroke, and you watch for a good kick. Watch
enough that you can pick one person who RELIABLY does the skill in the way
you need it shown. If it's a one-time skill, like a dive or turn, a good
rule of thumb is twice-in-a-row means they know it.

2. Stop the group and tell the demonstrator to go to the other end and plug
their ears, so they cannot hear or see what you will tell the group who will
watch them.

3. Tell the watching group that the demonstrator is doing something right,
and you will not tell them what it is (until after). Tell the watching
group what it is that is right, why it is right, how to tell if the
demonstrator does it, and where to be for the best view.

4. Go to the demonstrator, tell them they are doing something right, and you
won't tell them what it is (until after). Tell them you watched them do it
in the group, and you are sure that if they just go the same as they did
before, it will be right.

5. Check the group is watching, and start your demonstrator. They WILL
WATCH. The competitive ones are hoping that the demonstrator will screw
up - so what - at least they are watching what you need them to watch (and
you picked a reliable demonstrator, didn't you?).

6. After the demonstration, check that the group saw and understood. If the
demonstrator screwed up, or it was not easy to see, give them another
chance.

7. Tell the group to go practice while you tell the demonstrator what it was
that was good, and that after their practice you will test them on the same
thing.

This system works _really_ well. Kids love being picked, because they know
it's for a Good Thing. They know that if they screw up, it's not so bad
because they didn't know what it was anyway, and that they probably will get
another chance. You can pick the worst kid in the group, who happens to
have one good thing, and everyone will learn from them. You don't have to
pick the best - sometimes there will be kids who say during the explanation
"But I do that!" - and you say "Yes, but with you it's so fast it's hard to
see - I picked Billy because it's easier to see what is going on.", and
they'll both feel good.