Backstroke Drill Progression

These are my two favorite backstroke drills. The Sneak drill is great for working on the pull pattern. I like to see an "Early Horizontal Catch" and a good follow through while working on this drill. The Right arm, Left arm drill is great for a lot of skills but I usually emphasize the rotation and rolling of the body, hips, and shoulders. This is my "primary drill" for the 10 and Under Division.

MVN Pep Rally 2011 Video

We Are Customer Service

The other day my wife and I were upset that our Netflix wasn't working correctly.  We tried everything we knew to get it to function properly and deliver the streaming movies that we were so excited to watch.  Nothing worked and we were not very happy.  So, we decided that we needed to call Netflix and see if they could help.  Sure enough, after a short wait on hold, we talked to a very nice gentleman that seemed to know exactly what our problem was.  Within 5 minutes everything was working perfectly.  What great customer service!
Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy in the swimming world.  As coaches we deal with parents that are just as upset as my wife and I were when things weren't working the way we wanted them to.  Unfortunately, the problems coaches deal with are not always an easy fix.  So, how do we deal with the problems that unsatisfied customers (swim parents) come to us with.  They have invested a great deal of time and money into our product and we need to be sensitive to their frustration and listen to what they have to say, why they are upset, and work toward fixing the problem...even if it's you.  I don't suggest you change WHO you are and what you believe in as a coach, but simply look inward to see if you can improve as a coach to fit the needs of that family and others that may feel the same way.  The "my way or the highway" mentality can be a bit to hard to swallow when dealing with people that are used to Netflix and Apple customer service.  At Starbucks, the customer is always right - even when they aren't.  You can go to a Starbucks and complain that your coffee is to hot and get a new one for free!
Parents care about their kids and we need to understand that we are customer service and we need to do everything we can to educate and help these parents understand what we are trying to accomplish with their kids.  If they are confused, we clarify with pertinent information regarding the needs of their child.  If they are angry, we calm them down with knowledge that can help them understand the program.  If they are disappointed, we give them hope that we will be there for them and we will do everything we can to help their child succeed.
It's not always easy to be a swim coach and deal with swim parents, but if they believe that you are there to help them and their child move forward it can be a very rewarding career.  We have all dealt with bad customer service before.  Bad customer service makes people angry and eventually those angry people will not use that service any longer.  Good customer service makes people feel at ease, confident, like they are in good hands.  People who are confident in their service stay for life.

Simple Back-Breast IM Open Turn for 10 & Unders

When working on back to breast open turns with my kids I keep it simple.  The first exercise we do is a simple drill where they kick in, execute the turn, then swim breaststroke out.
I explain that they must be on the side, have their eyes up, and keep the palm down as they reach for the wall.  As soon as they feel the hand touch the wall, they simultaneously turn the head to face the wall and pull the knees into the chest.  They then drop under with the top arm bent and the hand next to the head.  They exit on the side, rotate onto the belly and execute the pull down.
Once I feel they have the right idea we move on to swimming in and out and continue with the same ideas and techniques we previously worked on in the drill.
Take a look for yourself and use this video as a visual learning aid.

More on Jessie Rees

This little girl, Jessie Rees fuels my passion to be the best I can be.  I share her story to all of you who come to this blog to inspire you to be great.  When things get tough in your life, you can give up and give in or you can move forward and take a stand against the forces that would bring you and others down.  Jessie does this every single day of her life.  So, go out there today and do something great.  That’s what I am going to do...I’ll see you out there.

Stability-Streamline Kicking

This is a drill that I have been doing for a short time - maybe 3 or 4 seasons now.  Basically I needed a drill that addressed head alignment and kicking issues that were happening during the breathing strokes.  I noticed a lot of my best freestylers lifting the head slightly right before the turn for the breath and a noticeable lag in their kicking.  So at the beginning of the next season I used this drill to keep the kick up and help them keep the head on the "energy-line" during the turn for air and into the next stroke. After a couple weeks of good repetition my kids were kicking and breathing better while keeping the body line throughout the stroke cycle.

Come see me and my colleagues speak at the ASCA World Clinic

The Top Three Reasons You Can’t Miss The 53rd Annual ASCA World Clinic

AUG 16

Posted by SwimmingCoach

The ASCA World Clinic is a can’t miss event – each year, the World Clinic showcases coaches from the highest levels of our sport, willing to share with all their knowledge, insights and wisdom.  This year is no exception, with a lineup that includes Bob Bowman, Eddie Reese, Jack Bauerle and more.

But even more intriguing, this year, is what else is on the schedule.

Here are three must-attend talks for any coaching professional:

Councilman Memorial Lecture Series – Mr. Luis Lastra, US Navy Seals

The US Navy SEALS are sending Mr. Luis Lastra to the ASCA World Clinic to be the Doc Counsilman Memorial Lecture Speaker.  Mr. Lastra will discuss the SEALS methodology for teaching the components of composure under extreme pressure, mental and physical toughness and retaining Mission focus.  As swim coaches, we too are committed to building champions for life, and this talk is sure to provide meaningful lessons you can take home to your team.  The Councilman Memorial Lecture Series was formed in tribute to one of the swimming profession’s most revered figures, James “Doc” Councilman.  Each year, the lecture provides World Clinic attendees with a speaker from “outside” the coaching profession.  In this way, we hope to honor Doc’s concept that our best learning comes from outside our own immediate environment.

Age Group Track – Mission Viejo Age Group Staff

The Mission Viejo Age Group Staff, a combined force of young and dedicated coaches serving under the tutelage of Coach Bill Rose, will share the Nadadores philosophy and discuss how the team successfully promotes the development of a strong, well-rounded age group program that continues to produce elite 18 and under athletes.  The Mission Viejo Nadadores, one of the largest and longest continuously operating USA Swimming programs, recognizes the club development system as integral to achieving excellence.  Hear about the team’s unique organizational structure and the challenges and advantages of working within a large staff.  Learn how coaches Ad’m Dusenbury, Sarah Dawson and Bryan Dedeaux utilize coaching technologies and embrace positive teaching methods within dedicated peer-group practices.  From training sets to dryland, meet selection to motivation, these coaches will share intricate details of the very fabric that makes up the Nadadores Tradition of Excellence.

Technical Emphasis – Nort Thornton and the amazing things he’s done with breastrokers

After Coach Nort Thornton “retired” as coach of the Cal Berkeley Men’s team he stayed on as an assistant coach and focused on the breaststrokers.  The result?… His breaststrokers finished 1^st, second, and fourth at last year’s NCAA Division 1 Championships.  Here is short article Nort wrote and a nice preview to his presentation at the ASCA World Clinic:  “My Thoughts of the New Breaststroke”… After coaching for fifty plus years as a head coach at the high school, country club, U.S. Swimming Club, Community College and NCAA division I levels, where I had sole responsibility of coaching the whole team on all of the four competitive strokes, I retired from the University of California at Berkeley where I have been for the last thirty-three years. I decided to volunteer to help out, and our present coach David Durden was kind enough to put me to work.   We decided that I could be the most helpful if I looked after the breaststrokers swimmers, so that is what I have been doing for the last two years.  It isn’t really work when you love what you are doing.

Don’t miss out on – register today!