Nutrition Challenge

Swim fast! PASS IT ON...

Many times I want to tell my kids to focus on a specific technique or idea in the middle of a set.  I could put a hold on the set to speak to the group or I could tell each individual as they come into the wall. Either way, we only have a specific amount of time for each practice and as a coach being efficient is important.  So, last season I tried something new.   I decided to use the swimmers to do the work for me and disguise it as a game.  In the middle of a backstroke set I told the first person to focus on rolling the shoulders up to the chin...then I said, PASS IT ON.  The first person told the second person then pushed off at their specific interval.  The second person told the third person and did the same.  There was just enough time for each kid to pass on the information before they needed to leave the wall.  Surprisingly, it worked perfect and each kid was rolling their shoulder up to the chin.  I also got the feeling that the kids enjoyed taking some of the responsibility of helping out a teammate.  It was a simple way to get the kids to think during a set with minimal interruptions and allow me extra time for individual coaching within the workout.  Little kids love this!  Any tips or tricks you use to make the workouts work for you?

10 & Under Parent Meeting

Swim-Golf (Swolf)!

Swim-Golf is a great distance per stroke game you can play with your kids.  Some coaches call it Swolf.  I was first introduced to it years ago by my friend and fellow coach, Paul Mazzarelle.
It seems crazy to me that someone wouldn’t already know about this and perhaps that is why I never thought to post a blog about it.  However, there are plenty of new coaches out there, like myself when I began to use it, and maybe some old ones that have never heard of it.
This week I talked to the kids about counting their stokes and trying to take the least amount of strokes per lap possible.   Then we talked about tempo and how it relates to DPS in terms of overall speed and time.  At that point we jumped into playing the game.  I explained to them that there is a magic equation to fast swimming:
Optimum DPS + Optimum Tempo = FAST SWIMMING!
Swim-Golf is a tool to help them understand this concept...And it is a lot of fun.  Here is how you play:
-Have the kids swim 25 yards (or 50 meters) and count their stokes.
-They also need to get their times when they get to the wall.
-Take the number of stokes and add that to the time it took to swim the lap and you have your score.  Obviously, the lower the score the better (that is where the golf part comes in).  So, if Johnny gets 12 strokes for a 25 yard free and his time is 16 seconds, his score is 28.  After a lap we talk about how we can improve our score and we go again, and again, and again.  We go over every possible way to potentially bring the number down, including streamlining farther, pushing off the walls harder, breathing less, and a whole bunch of technical things that the kids understand as time improving, distance per stroke enhancing ideas.
This week was a little different.  I had the kids in teams.  We took the total score from each swimmer and added them up for an entire team score.  The team that had the lowest score won!  I thought this team-game was a lot more fun for the kids than the individualized version.  Either way, this is a great way to teach the relationship between DPS and tempo and how faster, more effective swimming is really done.
Any one else play SWOLF?

April Fools: Lane Ninja!

There have been a lot of good April Fools jokes around our pool deck over the last couple years.  We have had a kid in a sling saying he broke his arm skateboarding, a parent saying they were taking the family to another team (not funny), and many more.  Last year my kids got together and planned to do the opposite of everything I said until I lost my temper...that lasted 15 minutes before I was ready to blow.
This year I decided to send a “ninja” to another coaches lanes to see how long it would take the coach to notice.
My first two lane ninjas only lasted a couple minutes in the 11-12 Gold group because they got in the only lane that had two swimmers splitting...(not the smartest ninjas in the clan).
My other two lane ninjas successfully infiltrated the 11-12 Blue group, literally sneaking right in front of the coach, until one of the older kids shouted, “We’ve got 10 and unders in here!” and ruined it.
Then I sent a lone ninja to the 11-12 Silver group.  This one was a little harder as there were two coaches in this group.  So, I ran a little interference sparking up a conversation with the coaches while my ninja snuck right into a middle lane.  She lasted at least 15 minutes and would have gone longer if a different coach hadn’t spilled the beans.  My ninja was even going first and doing all the drills and everything.  It was pretty funny.
My final lane ninjas went up to the teaching pool with the novice groups.  This was going to be difficult to implement the infiltration and even harder to maintain covert operations.  There were 4 coaches here!  So, I ran interference again by asking some well thought out questions to confuse and disorient.  My expert assassins slid right behind the coaches and got into the water with no problems.  They didn’t last very long but how can you blame them...they went too fast!
It was a fun joke and all the coaches appreciated it.  My only concern is that I will have a target on my back for next year.  I will be watching my swimmers carefully.
Any good April fools jokes at your pool deck?

NEGU Swim-a-Thon for Rees Family

Parenting Tips (for Swim Parents): "My Teacher (Coach) is Mean"

Here is a great article I found from Loveandlogic.com.  I feel there are plenty of great tips on how to handle situations that may arise in your swimmers career. 

“MY TEACHER IS MEAN!”

What to do when your child dislikes his or her teacher © 2002 By Dr. Charles Fay

As a parent and an educator, there aren’t too many things more distressing than hearing a child say, “I can’t go to school. My teacher is so mean!”

We don’t want to see our children in pain, especially when it’s caused by someone we need to trust for their emotional and mental well-being on a daily basis.

So, what can you say or do when your child comes home from school and complains about his or her teacher?

The most important thing to remember is the vast majority of teachers are caring, dedicated, and well trained. Each has his or her own style, and kids need to learn how to adapt. Just as kids benefit from teachers who are very warm and patient, they also can learn from some who are more business-like and demanding. Kids can even gain valuable life lessons from a caring teacher who is a bit cranky and cantankerous.

If your child is having trouble adjusting to his or her teacher, here are some easy-to-learn Love and Logic tips to effectively deal with the situation:

Tip 1: Listen and empathize if your child complains about a teacher.

When a child says something like, “My teacher is mean. I hate her,” what he or she needs most is a loving ear, not lectures, threats, or someone to “fix” the problem. Wise parents respond by asking, “You really don’t like her? That must be tough. If any kid is smart enough to find a way to get along with her, it would be you. ” Be sure to let the child know how much you love him or her, and be willing to listen to any concerns.

Tip 2: Resist the urge to talk badly about your child’s teacher or school.

Regardless of how much we might disagree with our child’s teacher or school, it is imperative to send our kids the following message: “Teachers are to be respected and listened to. You may not always agree with what they say or do, but it is NEVER acceptable for you to be disrespectful or disobedient toward them.”
Parents who make the mistake of saying negative comments about teachers in front of their children are setting their kids up for academic failure. When parents encourage children to learn how to positively deal with difficult teachers and stressful situations, their kids learn how to overcome challenges and solve their own problems. In other words, we rob our kids of an important learning opportunity if we allow them to blame teachers for their problems.

Tip 3: Help your child understand that having a tough teacher is a good thing.

Smart parents ask their kids, “Why is it good that you have a tough teacher this year?” When their children shrug their shoulders and answer, “I don’t know,” these parents respond by saying, “You’re going to have a chance to learn you can be successful with even the most difficult people. That’s one of the most useful skills in life!”

Tip 4: Remember: By teaching children to get along with a demanding teacher, we also are teaching them how to succeed with a demanding boss.

Research has shown employees get along with even the most demanding bosses when they:

•       Get to work just a bit early every day

•       Show up with a smile and a positive attitude

•       Listen and follow directions

•       Work a bit harder than expected

•       Get along well with other employees and customers

Kids who learn these skills at home and at school succeed with the most difficult teachers, get better grades, and eventually rise to the top of their chosen occupation.

Tip 5: Get involved only as a last resort.

Wise parents intervene on behalf of their children only when it is clear the teacher is so incompetent or negative that even the best behaved and most responsible student would find it impossible to adapt. Fortunately, these types of educators are rare.

When we follow these tips, we give our kids the gift of knowing they can succeed around all different types of people. Unfortunately, some parents steal this wonderful opportunity by trying to make sure their children’s teachers are “perfect.” Sadly, as adults, many of these children spend their lives being unhappy because other people are “mean”or “unfair.”

Don’t fall into this trap! Use these Love and Logic tips, and give your kids the responsibility and self-confidence they deserve.

Dr. Charles Fay is a nationally known speaker, parent, and school psychologist with the Love and Logic Institute in Golden, Colo. His book, Love and Logic Magic: When Kids Leave You Speechless, provides a host of helpful tips for teaching values, as well as handling other perplexing parenting issues. For more information about Love and Logic parenting and teaching techniques, call 1-800-LUV-LOGIC or visit www.loveandlogic.com.