Mountain Rapids, Sugar Creek Swim Club, Ft. Worth Area Swim Team, - PDF document

Mark Hesse Sport Performance Consultant • With USA Swimming since June 2012 The Swim Parents’ Workshop • 27+ year career as a club coach at: Washington Township Swim Club, Rocky Mountain Rapids, Sugar Creek Swim Club, Ft. Worth Area Swim Team, Mission Bay Makos, Burke Barracudas • ASCA Level 5 Certified Coach • Placed swimmers in Olympic Trials Semi- Finals and on National Junior Team Where do we fit in USA Swimming? Part I What is USA Swimming? The USA Swimming Foundation What is USA Swimming? • The USA Swimming Foundation raises funds to • N.G.B.- National Governing Body for support programs that save lives and build champions – in the pool and in life. competitive swimming in the USA • As the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, the USA Swimming Foundation works to strengthen • Core Objectives of USA Swimming the sport from grassroots to gold medals. – Build the Base – Promote the Sport – Achieve Sustained Competitive Success 1

Why Kids s Swim? m? Part II 1. Enjoy/Fun 28% Why kids swim… 2. Fitness 15% And… why they quit . 3. Be with Friends 13% 4. Compete 13% 5. Improve 8% 6. Meet New People 8% Based on a USA Swimming Research Project by Dr. Suzie Tuffey in 1996 Sources es of Fun Why Kids s Quit? t? • Being with friends* • Coach compliments and encourages me 1. Takes Too Much Time 18% • Being known as a good swimmer 2. Coach Was Negative 15% • Winning races 3. Enjoy Other Activities More 15% • Getting in shape 4. Lack Of Fun 8% • Varied workouts • Relays where team comes together* 5. Swimming Was Boring 9% • Feelings of accomplishment 6. Parents’ Emphasis On Winning 6% • Cheering for each other/coming together as a team* • Trying to improve my times; Being on a team* Based on a USA Swimming Research Project by Dr. Suzie Tuffey in 1996 Based on a USA Swimming Research Project by Dr. Suzie Tuffey in 1996 What t is Not Fun Part III • Getting slower times than my goals Growth and Development • Getting lapped in races • *Parents ask about bad races • *When parents brag about their swimmer • When other swimmers skip laps or get in front of me • *When coach yells or threatens me • *Swimmers who think they are good just because they are fast Based on a USA Swimming Research Project by Dr. Suzie Tuffey in 1996 2

Understanding Growth and Development Match the athlete • There is a predictable pattern of to the correct age physical growth but the rate of growth TRICK QUESTION! THEY’RE ALL 14! varies • Kids grow about 2.5” and gain 5 Lbs. 12 years old each year but …. 14 years old • Kids of the same chronological age can vary by as much as 5 biological years! 16 years old A B C Performance is influenced The Living Truth by the rate of maturity Early success is not always a good predictor of later success. Athletes who experience early Early vs. Late Maturation maturation can: Characteristics • Experience early success due to a EARLY MATURER LATE MATURER • Taller biological advantage. • Smaller in stature (but • Heavier may be tall and very lean) • Receive excessive recognition from • More muscle mass, • Less strength coaches, parents, and peers. development • Less muscle mass and • “Get by” on size; they may be • More endurance skeletal maturity • Acquire physical skills neglecting technique and/or hard work. • Lower motor skills more quickly • Experience frustration as the late • Parent was late maturer • Parent was early maturer maturing athletes develop and begin to • Less athletic “success” in • Early success: grade close the gap. school star grade school 3

Athletes who experience late The 10 & Under Wonder? maturation can: Ranked Top 16 (10) as a: • Have a low perceived competence level due to being at a biological 10 & Under Still Ranked as 17-18 11% disadvantage. 11-12 Still Ranked as 17-18 21% • Lack positive attention, recognition, or encouragement from coaches, parents, 13-14 Still Ranked as 17-18 36% and peers. 15-16 Still Ranked as 17-18 48% • Leave the sport due to frustration or Moral of the story: lack of success. A 10 & Under wonder can survive and thrive… But 50% of the top swimmers develop after Sophomore/Junior Year in High School! Strategies to deal with Gender Issues maturational differences • Physical: • Keep winning and losing in perspective. – Males benefit more from physical development • Prepare your child for future • Psychological developmental changes. – Males have higher perceived • Focus on long term development confidence • Goal orientation – Females more task oriented – Males more outcome oriented • Social affiliation – Females have higher need for social interaction Long-term development: Long-Term Training For What can a parent do? Your Child • Emphasize FUN, Periodization of Training ENJOYMENT & INDIVIDUAL IMPROVEMENT over Generalized Specialized winning and losing 6 - 14 years 15 years + • Encourage participation in a variety of sports and activities Initiation Athletic Formation Specialization High Performance – include unstructured play!! 6 - 10 years 11 - 14 years 15 - 18 years 19 years + – Beware of over-scheduling • Discourage early Pre-puberty Puberty Post-puberty and Adolescence Maturity specialization in one sport or one event 4

General Guidelines General Guidelines Age Skills and Training Objective Commitment Age Skills and Training Objective Commitment 11-14 Technique, all strokes, all events, 4-6 x per week 7-9 Stroke technique, aerobic 2-3 x per week dryland (own body weight), 90-120 minutes development, kicking, fun 30-45 minutes aerobic endurance, low intensity Year-round intervals, kicking, competition Other sports, but skills, 200 IM, 200/500 free attendance 9-11 Technique, coordination, 2-4 x per week expectations athleticism, all events 30-60 minutes 13-18 Technique, core body 6-10 per week Aerobic development, kicking, Other sports swim practice skills, self- Low pressure conditioning, med balls & free 90-120 minutes weights, training based, anaerobic Long Course management and independence competition threshold & speed development, Commitment to 400 IM/mid distance free swimming From USA Swimming’s “Foundations of Coaching” Course From USA Swimming’s “Foundations of Coaching” Course Fundamentals Consistent & Persistent • The foundation of fast swimming – • True value begins at mastery • “It’s not learned when they can do it right TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, … it’s learned when they can’t do it wrong” TECHNIQUE • Practice does not make perfect. It makes • Efficiency in the water determines the habit. Perfect practice makes perfect. overall potential of the athlete • “Perfect practice under pain and pressure makes it fast!” – Josh Davis CLUB DEVELOPMENT DIVISION CLUB DEVELOPMENT DIVISION Sport Performance Consultant Sport Performance Consultant London 200 Fly Part IV Michael Phelps, acknowledged that there were days when he glided into the wall at practices in the past four years. “And that Your role as a swim parent came out at the moment I needed it the most,” Phelps said, adding: “I’m not going to sit and make excuses. Those lazy finishes were decisions I made.” It cost him another Gold in the 200 Meter Butterfly. It was his choice. CLUB DEVELOPMENT DIVISION Sport Performance Consultant 5

Your #1 Responsibility as a Your Role As A Swim Parent Swim Parent… Is to provide a stable, loving, and supportive Believe it or not! environment for your child and reinforce the proper values. YOU are your child’s primary role model. What do swimmers want? Values & Lessons • Your presence “I am first and foremost, • Your support a teacher” • Don’t try to coach -Coach John Wooden –Don’t criticize –Don’t critique CLUB DEVELOPMENT DIVISION Sport Performance Consultant Some Other Responsibilities Some Other Responsibilities • Understand the sport. • Trust your child to the coach. • Teach your child team loyalty. • Have fun! • Know your responsibilities to the team. • Help your child understand sports’ goals • Teach your child his/her responsibilities and lessons. to the team. • Let your child struggle and fail occasionally! 6