Swim - Jacks Mannequin

Fun Practice Idea

Do your swimmers need a break from the repetitiveness? Is is someones birthday? Maybe it's post season and you're trying to keep it interesting for them. Try this idea, we always enjoyed it when we were swimming.

You as the coach assign the warm up but after that the swimmers rule the pool! (sorry had to say it that way)
You can start with the birthday swimmer or the swimmer the next birthday, do it alphabetically, whatever floats your boat. Each swimmer get's to pick a set that the entire team will do. They can make them as fun, crazy, or hard as they like, just don't let them make it too easy like doing 25's for the entire practice. It lets the swimmers have control of practice, of course with you there to supervise, guide decisions and veto too simple sets :)
Let them have fun with it, I'm sure they've been working hard and will enjoy being the ones in charge for the day.

Drills

Check out the updated drill page, it includes drill for all strokes!
More to come :)

Sources of Fun in Age Group Swimming

In a trial done by Daniel Gould at the University of North Carolina, several factors were found to influence age group swimmers to continue swimming. There were also several "not fun" factors identified that are associated with swimming.


Fun:
1. being with friends
2. being complimented and encouraged by the coach
3. being known as a good swimmer
4. winning races 
5.getting in shape (tied with varied workouts and when my relay team comes together)


Not Fun:
1. getting slower times than my goals
2. getting lapped in races
3. when other swimmer skip laps or get in front of me in practice
4. when my coach yells or threatens me
5. swimmers who think they are good just because they are faster


As a coach, by keeping an open line of communication between yourself  and your swimmers, these not fun items listed can be turned into learning and encouragement opportunities. Instead of just telling your swimmer "great swim, you'll catch them next time" which they will still inevitably walk away from feeling down and upset about the swim. Talk to them about what you will work on with them to get them better and ready for the next meet, give them some hope and actually work on it with them.


You can read the full article here: http://www.swimmingcoach.org/Journal/jsr_articles/JSRVol15_2001.pdf

Journal of Swimming Research

I can't believe I only just found this Journal, I had a "where have you been all my life" moment :) It is quite useful and grants free access to all previous Journals. If you are interested in research done on swimming performance, the effects of nutrition, strength training, warm-ups/cool downs etc. I highly recommend it. Just take a look, click through the links, you may find something you didn't even know you were looking for. The website provides a excel spreadsheet that allows you to search for the topic you're looking for and directs you the the Journal Vol. # and pages (quite convenient!)

http://www.swimmingcoach.org/Journal/index.html