Age-Group Forum

Starting an age-group coaches 3S email interactive group has been an idea Sergei and I have discussed for over a year. Now it's an opportunity for those who want to join in.
 

First, do we have agreement about:

1. The goal of age-group coaching is to teach fundamentals of competitive swimming ranging from "wet" (e.g., starts, turns, strokes, SLxSR=V, workout intelligence, and meet participation) to "dry" issues (e.g. team-building, respect, commitment, discipline).

2. Our mission is to prepare swimmers for the time when they can achieve their lifetime best times (as senior and/or national swimmers). Success at the AG level is not incompatible with this goal.

3. We want our swimmers to enjoy the sport and stay with it.

I personally have another seven days to plan for the short-course season (Sept-late March) for approximately 75 11-12s that range from novice to Illinois state age-group champion swimmers.

We start with several "in the park" dryland days including a team-building obstacle course that includes "events" in the woods and ends with teams ferrying objects across a hip-deep river (depending on rain); we hope to be muddy, pooped, and bonded as a result; then we have four days of "learn the drills" for our Drill*Star program that involves levels and patches and a Saturday afternoon of drills, learning lane "manners," goal-setting, and the first level of our challenge set program we call FOXPROGS (Fox Swim Team Progressions).

The following week we begin six days per week of two days of 45 minutes dryland and about 1:45 in the water; on non-dryland days we do stretching after practice for 10 minutes. The longer dryland involves Yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, medicine balls, and other strengthening exercises.

How can 3S help me coach 75 swimmers of diverse abilities and commitment? What has your experience been?

Cheers,
Coach Tom Sweeney
Fox Valley Swim Team (400+ members)
Naperville, Illinois