In With The New!

A new season is beginning!  What are your first steps toward ensuring another successful season with your age group swimmers?  

Sometimes I ask myself the hard question...What did I do wrong last season?  Where were my shortcomings and how can I improve on them this season?  But more often I ask myself another question...What did I do right?  Where were my strengths and what seemed to work?  

After figuring out what went right and wrong, I start to brainstorm and begin to come up with my new season plan.  Thinking about the needs of my new swimmers, I lay out the season starting with the swim meets to create the frame work.  Then from there I can plan out my phases and add in test sets, skill work, video sessions, clinics, yardage, dryland and anything else that fits the needs of the group.  Tip:  You can use iCalendar or Google Calendar to lay out all your seasonal planning ideas.  

It is important to recognize that this season will not go exactly the same as the last and you will likely need to make adjustments early and sometimes often.  This is a NEW group and new swimmers always create new challenges to overcome.   In my experience it is these challenges that give you the tools to overcome many of the obstacles you will face in your coaching career.

No matter what the obstacles are, if you have a passion for teaching the strokes and enriching young children’s lives, you will find a successful season right in front of you.  Just stick to the plan and have fun....Bring on the new!

KEY IDEAS IN AGE GROUP SEASON PLANNING:

1. Determine what your goals are based on the needs of the new swimmers in your group.
2. Set up the framework for the season - swim meets.
3. Plan your phases in 3-8 weeks cycles around the meets your kids will compete in.  Set the season up so that the kids are in peak performance condition at the Championship meets.
4. Add in the missing piece:  Test sets, goal setting, video analysis, psychological skills training, etc...