TSA COACHES CLINIC
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
7:00pm
Brier Creek Country Club
Clinic Overview
KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY:
 Know your TSA Representative
 Know how you want to organize your program
 Know how to communicate
 Know how to strengthen relationships
 Know what others look for in you
 Know the TSA Rules
 Know the strengths and weakness of your staff
Know Your TSA Representative
TSA Representatives:
 Attend monthly meetings with other reps
 Act as meet referees during competition
 Should have information you need
 Determine weather-related meet status
 Handle disputes
 Conducts officials meeting (home rep)
What Makes A Good TSA Rep?
 Honesty and Integrity
 A good arbitrator
 Ability to stay calm under pressure
 A good leader to other swim parents
 Organized and willing to share
information
 High level of interest and enthusiasm
Organize Your Program
 Determine roles for the parent volunteers
(Fund raising, social activities, snack sales,
swim meet officials, team banquet)
 Determine roles for assistant coaches
(Age group specific, stroke specific, lane
specific, administrative tasks, etc.)
 Determine athlete’s level of need
(“Intense fun” to “fun intensity”)
What To Include in An Initial
Meeting for Parents
 Practice Schedule
 Swim Meet Schedule
 Coaching Staff contacts
(email/phone/pager)
 Parent Volunteer needs
(list needs in detail)
 Calendar of social
events
 Your plans for their
swimmers
Importance of Communication
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With parents
With athletes
With volunteers
With club boards
With pool management
With TSA Rep
With meet officials
With coaching staff
With competitors
Make Swimming Fun!!
Source: The Swim Coaches Bible
 Fun is necessary in all
worthwhile activity
 Swimmers will stay in the
sport if having fun
 Athletes perform their
best when having fun
 Maintain a positive
attitude
 Enthusiasm is important
on a daily basis
 Welcome everyone in your
program
Creative Ideas That Add Fun
 Add one new thing to your
pool each year
 Celebrate birthdays and
holidays
 Prizes for team spirit
 Apparel adds unity
 Welcome picnics and
awards banquets
 Activities outside the pool
 Wall of fame/team records
 Breakfasts/social events
Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem
Self-confidence and self-esteem are the two most
important gifts we can nurture in others and
within ourselves! – Jean Freeman
Build confidence through fun. Younger swimmers
need emphasis on skills so they can gain
confidence. Small rewards help inspire
teamwork along the way. As swimmers get
older, turn their conditioning into a game.
Self-Esteem Builders
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Positive body language
Smile
Compliment
Enthusiasm
Encourage teamwork
Praise
Respectful tone of voice
Play Team Promotion
Game
 Learn from mistakes
 Celebrate risk-taking
Random Acts Of Kindness
“We cannot do great things on this earth. We
can only do little things with great love.”
- Mother Teresa
Focus on that which you can do right now and
try to keep a “hundred year view” (will this
moment be remembered 100 years from now?).
The Ideal Swim Coach
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Knowledge of Training for speed
Mentor/role model to swimmers
Teacher to swimmers
Emphasizes teamwork
Builds team unity
Demonstrates a strong work ethic
Interested in swimmer’s lives
Exhibits organizational skills
Gracious in victory; dignified in
defeat
-- Shane Gould, 3x Olympic Gold
Medalist
Maximize Swimmer Talent
Involvement,
Commitment,
participation
competition
BETTER
HIGH
Racehorse
SPEED
BEST
Champion
Thoroughbred
POOR
BETTER
Wooden Horse
Work Horse
LOW
LOW
FITNESS
HIGH
Source:
Swim
Coaches
Bible
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 1 – SET TEAM GOALS
 Goals are bold statements of where you want to be at some
point in time.
 Set goals in different categories—ie. For competition, for
practice, and for the team.
 Have your team come up with goals. They will likely be
similar to yours and then they will own the goals.
 Get examples of goals from the audience.
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 2 – SET THE CALENDAR
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Set weekly objectives—what do we want to accomplish?
Have special days where workouts are more interesting
Suggestions for weekly focus:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Skills
Time Awareness (pace clock)
Stroke Improvement
Time Improvement
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 3 – DEFINE THE COMPONENTS
Sets, exercises or teachable moments to grow the team:
1. Skill Development Sets
2. Drill/Swim Sets
3. Challenge Sets
4. Fun & Motivation
5. Dryland
6. Life Skills / Sports Psychology
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 4 – SET WEEKLY PRIORITIES
 Base priorities around available time
 Components of the weekly workouts include:
 Stroke Work/Drills
 Kicking
 Relays/Games
 Sprints
 Challenge sets
 Starts/turns
Sample of Weekly 15min Time Blocks
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
FLY
1
2
2
3
3
BACK
3
3
1
3
2
BREAST
3
3
2
2
2
FREE
3
3
3
3
3
KICK
3
2
4
4
4
SW
6
6
6
3
3
RELAYS
1
1
2
2
2
GAMES
1
1
1
1
1
SPRINTS
3
3
3
3
4
TOTAL
24
24
24
24
24
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 5 – CREATE WORKOUT MODEL
9-9:15
9:15-9:30
9:30-9:45
9:45-10
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
K
SWFR
DL
SWFR
K
SWFR SWBr
Bk
S/T
DL
FLY
SWBr
Bk
S/T
FLY
SP
LS
SP
S/T
G
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 6 – WRITE THE WORKOUT
 If you have multiple coaches divide group when
practical
 Take each 15min block and write sets for various
groups
 Examples of sets:
 6 x 50yd Fly (RA/LA/BA) ON 1:30
 2 x [200 on 4:00; 100 on 2:00; 50 on 1:00]
 2 x [150 on 3:30; 4 x 50 on 1:00]
Have A Coaching Plan
 STEP 7 – RUN THE WORKOUT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Be early to practice
Leave moodiness at the door
Be aware of your behavior and style
Use bulletin boards and dry erase boards
Pace clocks can help
Challenge your swimmers
Catch your swimmers doing things right
Make time for games and relays
End practices with something exciting
TSA RULES
TSA Rules can be found on the TSA
website at this URL address:
www.tsanc.org
Technical Rule Changes
• 101.1 Breaststroke
• .3 Kick – After the start and each turn, a single downward
butterfly kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted
after beginning the arm pull. Following which all
movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and in the
same horizontal plane without alternating movement. The
feet must be turned outward during the propulsive part of
the kick. A scissors, flutter or downward butterfly kick is
not permitted except as provided herein. Breaking the
surface of the water with the feet is allowed unless
followed by a downward butterfly kick.
Technical Rule Changes
• 101.3 Backstroke
• .1 Start – The swimmers shall line up in the water
facing the starting end, with both hands placed on
the gutter or on the starting grips. Standing in or
on the gutter, placing the toes above the lip of the
gutter, or bending the toes over the lip of the
gutter, before or after the start, is prohibited. A
backstroke starting block may not be used.
Technical Rule Changes
• ARTICLE 102: Conduct & Officiating of
All Swimming Competition
• 102.1.4 Each club may swim three persons
in each individual main event, except in
pools with fewer than six lanes, where only
four lanes will be used. Where four lanes
are used, only two persons per individual
main event may swim for each club.
Technical Rule Changes
• ARTICLE 103: Facility Standards
• 103.13 False Start Recall Rope – The home
club may supply a false start rope with
personnel necessary for its operation. The
false start rope, if used, should be strung
across the pool appoximately 15 yards from
the starting line.
ARTICLE 204 - COACHES
204.1 Responsibilities
.1 Coaches are responsible for the
conduct of their swimmers and must
maintain control over them at all times.
.2 Coaches are responsible for insuring
that swimmers remain in their
designated areas during meets.
ARTICLE 204 - COACHES
204.1 Responsibilities
.3 Coaches shall inform swimmers of
the reason for their disqualification.
.4 Coaches shall instruct swimmers to
exit the pool after completing their
race but to remain in their lane until
released by an official.
ARTICLE 204 - COACHES
Meet Conduct
204.2.1 – Once swimmers have
been placed in the control of the
clerk of course, coaching by a
team coach may only be done
from the side of the pool.
Coaching of relay starts from the
starting line may be done only by
a member of that relay team and
not by a coach.
ARTICLE 204 - COACHES
204.2.2 – Coaches are expected to exhibit
proper sportsmanship at all times.
Display of unsportsmanlike conduct or
comments will not be tolerated. The
coach’s TSA representative will speak to
the coach one time per meet. A second
display of unsportsmanlike conduct or
comment will result in the coach’s
removal from the property. Two
removals in a season would require the
coach to become before the executive
board of TSA with their TSA
Representative.
ARTICLE 304 - ELIGIBILITY
304.1 Club Affiliation
.1 To be a swim team member, a
person must be eligible for full
club privileges. Such eligibility
shall be based on the payment
of club dues by the person or
his/her family. It shall further
be based on an individual
swimming under a club plan
offered and publicized to the
universe of a club’s prospective
members.
.2 A person may swim for only
one club during a season. If the
swimmer has individual and
family memberships in different
clubs, the swimmer must swim
for the club in which the family
holds a membership. If the
swimmer belongs to more than
one club through family
memberships, the swimmer is
free to choose the club for
which he/she will swim. The
first event in which the
swimmer participates will
determine club membership for
the entire season.
ARTICLE 304 - ELIGIBILITY
304.2 Payment of Club Dues
.1 A club may not pay or forgive any part of the dues for a
person or his/her family with the intent of enlisting that
person as a swimmer or as a combined swimmer/coach or
as a swimmer/staff member. Coaches in this context shall
include assistants as well as head coaches.
304.3 Coaches
.1 A coach may not swim for the club he/she is coaching
unless he/she meets all the criteria for team membership.
Coach, in this context, shall include assistants as well as
head coaches.
WORKING WITH OTHER
COACHES
Each coach on a team
contributes in unique ways.
Some may be great at
conditioning swimmers, others
may be better at teaching
technique. Duties of staff should
be directed to the strengths of
each coach. All coaches must
share some basic responsibilities
while others are the duty of the
head coach to direct.
SOURCES/REFERENCES
“Foundations of Coaching” – (800) 356-2722
“The Swim Coaching Bible” – (800) 747-4457
“How To Write Workouts” – (800) 356-2722
“TSA Rules & Regulations” – website
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” – Richard Carlson
“The Swim To Win Playbook” – (512) 327-1280
“Swimming Fastest” – (800) 747-4457
2006 TSA Coaches Clinic
Thank you very much for attending this event.
Please be sure you sign the Coaches Code of
Conduct and give your phone number and
email address.
Coach Jonathan Watson
silversurfer@nc.rr.com