Now it is time to set some goals!

Goal setting.  It is something we all do whether we realize it or not.  As swimmers, one should be constantly creating and evaluating one's goals.  Most coaches will have swimmers do this at the beginning of the season.  That is a minimum as to when and how often they should be done.  Goal setting is really a continual process.  Age group swimmers will need help through this process as it probably will be the first time they are formally creating and documenting their goals.  In this blog entry, I will go over some of what I consider important for an age group swimmer (and some advice for parents) to do when setting goals.  Also, as a part of goals, I will discuss the support system you want and can provide as one works to reach their goals.

So here are some of my opinions on goal setting for age group swimmers.
1. Create a goal time for all events.  Since I believe that every swimmer should try all events, one should have goals in all events.  It is important to have a purpose (working towards your goal) each time you step on the blocks.
2. Goals are not just times you want to achieve in a race.  Think about what you must do in practice and out of the water to achieve your goals.  Is their a specific set or technique that you can improve on to help you achieve your goal?  Would getting more sleep or eating healthier be of some benefit?
3. Specify a time frame for each goal.  There are short term and long term goals.  Specify by when you want to achieve goals.  Yes, this creates a little pressure and urgency, but used the right way this is a great motivator.  If something is months or years away, it is naturally hard to stay focused on that long term goal (still important to have long term goals).  Therefore, one should create short term goals to achieve along the way towards that long term goal.
4. Swimmers, try as much as possible to work on your goals by yourself.  These are yours, and yours alone.  If you have trouble, I suggest a swimmer go to their coach for help first.  Now, parents, this is probably the hardest part of the process.  You want to help your child, but letting them own their goals will truly help them.  These goals should be their goals and no one else's goals.  Just be there to help them and support them on the journey towards achieving these goals.

Once a swimmer has created their goals, what now?  First, the swimmer should share these goals with their coach.  The coach is the one there to help guide the swimmer to achieving these goals.  The coach may provide some constructive feedback on a swimmer's goals.  Some examples may be that the coach thinks the goal is too easy or too hard, some intermediate short term goals are need related to a long term goal, etc.  A good coach ultimately will let the final decision on the goals be with the swimmer as these are the swimmer's goals.  They are not the coach's goals either.  I suggest a swimmer share their goals with some trusted friends/teammates.  Having a support system in place can be an immense help.  Some people will be the ones that will keep the swimmer honest when they get lazy and are not working their hardest towards their goals (this happens to even the best of us).  That support system also will be there when you hit some setbacks along the way.  Sometimes you will need to re-evaluate your goals due to setbacks.  Your support system, including your coach, will be there to help you.  Just as much as you need a support system, be there for your teammates and friends.  They may not say it, but they need and appreciate you.  You do not need to have the answers, but being there to listen and let them talk can be just what they need.

So, you have created and shared your goals.  Now is the time to get working and achieve those goals.  Remember once your goals are met, it is not the end,  It is time to start the process again and create some new goals.  Good luck!

The first meet of the season

As the new swim season is about a month old for most teams now, competition and swim meets are about to begin.  Swim meets can be very stressful and nerve-wracking for swimmers and parents.  It does not matter how many years someone has been a swimmer or parent of a swimmer there will be some nervous feelings before the first meet of the season.  That is okay as being a little nervous is okay and normal.  How one handles those nerves is what matters.  Personally, I know that I still get nervous before competing at a meet and I have been doing it for over 30 years. 

When it comes to age group swimmers I think there are 3 general types of swimmers getting ready for that first swim meet.  The first type is a brand new swimmer that has never competed at a swim meet before.  The second type is someone that has a season or two experience and is beginning to really expand their swimming knowledge and ability.  The third and final type is someone that is a pretty experienced and well rounded age group swimmer soon to become a senior level swimmer on their team and/or competing for their high school team.  Each of these swimmers has a slightly different perspective and will approach the first meet of the season differently.

The brand new swimmer should first and foremost remember they are with their friends and should enjoy the experience.  As a new swimmer competing for the first time, each swim is a guaranteed best time.  Do not have any expectations going into the meet except to have fun and give your best effort.  Your coach(es) will be there to help you along the way.  Your teammates will be there to cheer you on.

The slightly seasoned swimmer has some idea of what they can expect as they have been to some meets before.  However, they may be trying some new events now as they have more experience.  In events they have competed previously, they will want to beat their previous best time.  At this early stage in their swimming career that is still possible, but it will get harder to do a best time every single time they get on the blocks to race as the continue to compete.  Stay confident in your ability to improve and try new events or distances.  Your coach believes you are capable and that is why you are competing in those specific races.  Lastly, remember that your times are not the only thing to consider for improvement.  Your technique is just as important to always improve.

The very experienced age group swimmer in possibly his/her last season as an age group swimmer has been doing this for a while now.  This swimmer most likely understands what the previous type is just starting to learn about how to judge improvement not just by doing a best time.  This swimmer is starting to look at comparing times to the same point in the prior season.  They are realizing it is not reasonable to compare their best time from a season ending championship meet to an early season meet.  This swimmer hopefully has competed in most, if not all, the available events for an age grouper.  If not, they need to start trying to longer senior events (no more 50s of strokes and instead 200s). 

Whichever swimmer you are, always talk to your coach.  Your coach is there to help you along the way so you feel confident.  A confident swimmer will always perform better and ultimately be happier.  Each of the swimmers can help the other types and should always cheer on all their teammates.  Many may think swimming is a very individual sport and does not have any team aspect.  That is not entirely true.  Yes, it may be you versus the clock while racing, but if you know you have your teammates with you cheering you on you will usually swim better.

Good luck to all swimmers as they begin competing at swim meets!

Observations from the 2016 US Olympic swim team

As swim teams around the country are starting or about to start the new fall/winter season and begin another quadrennial (USA Swimming and it member clubs often create long term plans that follow the 4 year period leading up to and including the Olympics),  there are so many things that can be taken away from the most recent Olympics in Rio.  Coaches, swimmers, and parents can learn so much from the preparations leading up to the Olympics and the actual Olympics.  I am going to focus on a few items from US Olympic team during the 2016 Rio Games that provide important lessons to coaches, swimmers and/or parents.  These are listed in no specific order, but here it goes.

1. Katie Ledecky continued to force us to expand our thoughts on how fast and versatile a swimmer can be.  In today's swimming environment, it is pretty much unheard of to have the range from sprinting to distance swimming that Katie Ledecky showed us at these Olympics.  She was among the elite in the sprints (anchoring the silver medal winning 4 x 100 free relay and winning gold in the 200 free) and in a class of her own as she destroyed the competition while winning gold in the 400 and 800 free (for the 800 free no one else was in the wide TV view when she finished).  I don't think we are finished seeing the broad range of ability by her.  How fast she has taken women's distance swimming is amazing.  To be put in perspective Janet Evans who for so many years held the 400 and 800 world free records with some amazing times of 4:03 and 8:16, respectively; those records are now 3:56 and 8:04 set by Katie Ledecky.  When talking about improving world records, usually it is in terms of tenths of a second or maybe 1-2 seconds for the longer races, but not 7 or 12 seconds like Katie Ledecky has done.  So, swimmers keep setting aggressive goals.

2. Michael Phelps showed us how important it is to love what you are doing and have fun during it all.  Though swimming requires a lot of hard work, it is just as important to truly love it and have fun.  You could see how much more fun he was having at these Olympics compared to 4 years ago in London.  And his results showed the fun he was having.  There were some classic Phelps moments.  The one that stands out for me was Phelps' relay leg on the 4 x 100 free relay.  Coming off his turn, Phelps showed probably his best ever underwater dolphin kick and breakout.  He took what was a close race and turned it into a good lead for the US team that they never relinquished.  Swimmers, if that example did not show you how important a good streamline dolphin kick underwater can be off turns, I don't know what else would convince you.

3. Missy Franklin showed us all great maturity and class in how one should handle a disappointing swim/meet.  There were some great expectations for Missy Franklin, but it just did not happen for her.  Missy Franklin struggled during these Olympics, but she was very humble and by all accounts kept trying and stayed upbeat in support of her teammates.  I think I can say we all hope Missy Franklin can and will come back stronger than ever and continue to have more success in the pool.

4. Though this was not one of the positive parts of the Olympics,  Ryan Lochte showed us how important and critical it is to be completely honest and truthful.  Without going into all the detail of the incident he was involved in at the gas station, Ryan Lochte clearly showed bad judgment in not being 100% honest and truthful regarding what happened.  By not doing that, you saw how out of control the incident became and was an embarrassment for the US Olympic team.

5. The many successes of the Olympic rookies.  When it comes to Olympic experience, this was one of the youngest US Olympic teams in recent history.  However, in the end it quite possibly was one of the best ever teams in terms of medals won.  The rookies on the team time after time medaled.  It all comes down to confidence and great team support.  Always believe in yourself.  Just as important, the team support showed how much more one can do when one knows their teammates are supporting them.  I think I heard some statement supporting that during every interview of the relay teams.

6. Cody Miller and Dana Vollmer showed us though winning gold may be awesome, it is not everything.  One can be rightfully ecstatic about winning a silver or bronze medal.  Though neither won their events (they lost to some phenomenal world record breaking swims), the pure happiness they showed in performing their best even when it did not mean first place was so special.  Only one swimmer (if there are no ties) can come in first, but that does not mean all the other finishers were not successful and won in some way.  This is important for coaches, swimmers and parents to remember.  Too often we can get caught up in judging how successful someone is based on wins/losses determined by place.  It is important to look at the larger picture to determine success.  Was it a best time?  Did the swimmer improve a technique aspect that they have been working on lately?  Was the goal to pace the race a certain way and was that accomplished?  Or simply, did you try your best?

7. It is okay to show pride and emotion in how you have represented your team and just achieved one of your ultimate goals.  During the medal ceremony for the men's 4 x 100 free relay where the USA team won gold, you saw how overcome with positive emotion Olympic rookie, Ryan Held, was.  He was so overcome with emotion at winning gold while representing his country/Team USA and achieving the ultimate goal for almost any swimmer to win Olympic Gold.  I know it made this coach/swimmer get choked up at the pure emotion Ryan Held showed.

8. Never give up!  Anthony Ervin persevered and came back to win Olympic gold in the 50 free 16 years after the first time he did it.  Not many thought he could even medal at these Olympics, but the old guy believed in himself and put it all together in the final and won the 50 free by 0.01!

9. In meets, with a prelims/finals format, often you will see surprises who moves onto the next round.  At these Olympics, you saw some great swimmers that were expected to advance miss semifinals or finals.  But, one must remember as long as you advance you still have a chance.  A good belief to have is as long as you have a lane to swim in, you still have a chance.  That was so true in the men's 100 free.  In prelims, for whatever reason, Nathan Adrian (the defending Olympic champion) had a slow swim and was in jeopardy of not advancing to the semifinals.  Luckily for him he squeaked into semifinals in the 16th and final spot.  He showed another type of perseverance by coming back in the semifinals with the fastest semifinal time.  He got another chance to swim after nearly missing the opportunity to advance and made the most of it (he ended up winning the bronze in the final).

10.  And last is a very important historical occurrence during these Olympics.  Slowly, swimming in the United States is becoming more racially diverse.  We are finally starting to see more African American swimmers at all levels of the sport.  During these Olympics, we all witnessed the first ever female African American win gold in an individual event.  This happened when Simone Manuel tied for the win in the 100 free (while also breaking the American record).  It is so great to see diversity starting to take hold in swimming.

Know your swimmers!

When an athlete knows their coach truly believes in them, they usually will achieve so much more.  I believe this has always been true.  Coach-athlete relationships have evolved from an authority figure (coach) dictating what the athlete must do and the athlete following those instructions without questioning it.  Today, the coach and athlete relationship is much more of a partnership (possible topic for a later blog about the coach-athlete relationship).  Today's athlete demands that the coach be supportive more than ever.

When I say supportive, I am talking about the coach working to understand each athlete and recognize each one is unique.  The more the coach takes the time to understand each athlete, the more the athlete trusts the coach.  As the trust grows, the athlete is more willing to do whatever the coach asks of them.  Notice I did not say demand as demanding things from our youth today does not work very well until a very strong bond of trust is built between the coach and athlete.  Even after that trust is built, there will still be respectful questioning from the athlete.

A coach can build that trust by learning from day to day, week to week, etc. what the athlete is capable of.  The coach must work hard to learn what motivates the athlete.  The coach must also recognize the motivation can differ from day to day.  Some days you can easily push the athlete to do more, but other days you just have to back off and let the athlete work through things knowing you care.  The coach can never stop trying to read their athletes and their mood and temperament.  As a coach you will make mistakes.  Own up to those mistakes to the athlete and they will respect you.  The most basic advice I can give to getting to know your swimmers is to be the first to arrive at practice so you can greet them as they arrive.  As they prepare to start practice you can engage the swimmers in some casual talk.  By doing that you can figure out how they are feeling that day, but more importantly you start to learn about them as a person (and they learn some about you too).  Also talking with the parents before and after practice is a good way to learn about the athletes.  The parents can give you insights about their children and will appreciate you showing you care about their child beyond their performance in the pool.  This process can take multiple seasons, but it is well worth it.  Even when you think you know the swimmer, do not stop interacting with the athlete and parent to better understand your athlete.

Welcome! And who am I?

Hello, all!  Thanks for finding this new blog of mine.  Swimming has been a part of almost my entire life.  I started competitive swimming at the age of 5 back in 1981.  Since then I have been a swimmer, except for a couple small breaks as an adult.  I swam in Connecticut with a few different teams growing up (Watertown Rec, Newtown FAST and Woodbridge Aquatic Club plus my high school, Watertown HS, and college, Union College, teams).  I was extremely fortunate to have some great coaches along the way who helped me develop into a person and swimmer I am proud of.

After the traditional end of my college swimming career while beginning my professional career at IBM, I was fortunate to be able to swim one more season as I had some unfinished business in the pool.  After that season, I still loved the sport, but I knew I could not continue the same level of training with a full time job.  However, I wanted to stay involved in the sport I loved and that gave me so much.  In the spring of 2000, I offered to help out with the team (Newburgh (NY) Sharks) and they let me coach their Junior Group (ages 9-12).  I was so quickly hooked on coaching.  As much as I loved the sport as a swimmer, I loved it even more as a coach and I was so lucky that I immediately found the age group I wanted to coach.  I have coached at a couple other teams along the way until where I am today.  I currently coach with the Cornwall branch of New York Sharks Aquatics in New York's Hudson Valley.  I still coach the same basic age group.  During this time I have been still been doing masters swimming (and occasionally doing an event or two at some USA Swimming meets with my swimmers) with various levels of commitment based on how busy work and coaching keeps me.

So, it is obvious how chlorinated I am so many years in and around pools.  I have learned so much from my own coaches, my peer coaches, my teammates, and my swimmers.  I decided that I want to share some of that knowledge.  Through this blog, I will try to share some insight and my thoughts on swimming and swim coaching.  Most of it will be from the perspective of age group swimming (ages 9-12) since that is where most of my experience is.  Please feel free to contact me at swimcoachmatt99@gmail.com with questions or comments.  Along with this blog, I will maintain a Facebook Page(Coaching with Intregrity and Compassion -- @IMaSwimCoach), Twitter (@IMaSwimCoach) and Instagram (IMaSwimCoach) accounts.  Besides linking these blog posts, I plan to share other articles that I think might interest coaches, parents and swimmers.  Feel free to start a discussion through any of these social media accounts.  I hope I can spread some of my knowledge while learning from my audience, too.

New blog focus

If anyone is still out there that reads this, I will revive this blog with a new focus.  The new focus will be on writing opinion articles about my beliefs and thoughts on age group swim coaching.  Stay tuned for details over the next month or so.  I would like to get this going around the usual start of the fall/winter swim season in early September.