Something new for the 2012-13 SCY season that I have implemented into my development plan for the 10 and under Gold and Blue groups is the use of
Stroke Count as a
test set. I have always had fun in teaching the swimmers about counting their strokes with games like swim-golf. The problem with this is that they are viewed as just that, games. And without follow-through they lose their significance and impact on the swimmers mind set going into hard workouts where stroke count should be the focus. My plan is to have a test set of 100 yards for each stroke. In pairs, one athlete swims and the other counts strokes. I get their times from the watch and call it out as they come in to the wall. We add up their stroke count and their time (in seconds) to get their total score. The difference between this and swim-golf is that this test set is going to be repeated throughout the season for each stroke so they can measure their improvement. Also, they will have a chance to work on stroke count each day with a stroke count specific
results set which is designed for them to work on distance per stroke and they can judge their efficiency through stroke count by
comparing the test set scores to their current swimming.
So far it has been working great! Every time we do a set that compares their test set scores to what they are currently doing, they immediately show signs of increased focus and a much better awareness of what they are doing. Even some of the most stubborn of swimmers are slowing down to think about the actual distance each stroke can get them. Hips are rotating more, kicks are consistent, arms are stretching out farther, and breathing patterns are holding strong. I also see more commitment to longer under-waters and an increase in the average number of dolphin kicks off of each wall. We have our first meet of the season coming up and this will be a great measuring stick event to see where we stand in terms of
DPS vs. Tempo in our racing skills. Will my swimmers blast through their strokes and forget everything they learned? Will they swim too slow and over think their strokes counts and technique. Or will they race with improved efficiency taking less strokes with an optimal racing tempo? Time will tell.
