What do you expect of your child's swim team coach?

[msjones]

So, we started swim team.

 

It's a walk-on rec team. The only requirement was the ability to crawl stroke one length of the pool.

 

My boys started Monday. There was no welcome, no introduction of coaches, no nothin'. The kids were just told to get in and start swimming. They were divvying the kids up, so that was fine -- if not a bit abrupt and unwelcoming.

 

They swam for about 45 minutes total with no instruction other than being told how far to swim. Some kids seemed fine (like my older son). Other kids swimming over the tops of each other, colliding in the lanes, crying, confused.

 

Tuesday was very similar. So was today.

 

The boys don't even know their coach's names. There has been no feedback to the kids at all. Not even a "good job," or "lets work harder on _______." Half the time, my younger son's coach isn't even watching the kids. I did see a few very brief demonstrations of a correct stroke (very, very brief, given without first getting the attention of the kids).

 

They've required backstroke laps. But lots of the kids haven't learned backstroke. That wasn't a requirement to join the team. What do they expect those kids to do? Is this normal for swim teams?

 

My assumption was that there would be feedback, some instruction, and at least some friendly enthusiasm.

 

I know these aren't swimming lessons, but this is more like boot camp. Nobody even smiles. :glare:

 

In your opinion, what is reasonable to expect from swim coaches for a walk-on rec team?

[Kim in Appalachia]

my kids are on a team that is a combo rec/USA swim team. That's all we have in our rural area. But because it is a walk on rec team we have a coach whose job it is to make sure the kids learn the correct strokes. Now this is usually done at the beginning of our summer season (in May), but our coach has allowed 2 or 3 swimmers after the "just learning" month. During the drill/workout time not much instruction is given (except the coach calling out the drill). We do have crowded lanes, but kids are not supposed to swim over each other. You will often hear the coach for the little kids yelling, "ducks in a row!" The kids know how to swim the drills and to stay in their order.

 

There is crying, and even confusion at times. But this is mostly because the kids are not listening. This does not happen often, but there are days that the kids seem a little out of control. Overall, it runs smoothly for how many kids we have. Sometimes there can be over 15 kids in a lane. We have 1 official USA coach, and 2 to 3 other coaches to help run the other lanes.

 

I would not be happy if there was a lot of crying and chaos. I would consider it unsafe. You should feel like your child is safe, is learning, and is having fun.

[Tap]

I agree with Kim this is not what I have seen. I have been around pools for 10 years, some years in lessons and the past few on teams. This sounds like a free-for-all and not coaching.

 

Is the team part of a community project, part of the pool, a feeder team for a more formal team or what? What qualifications does the leader have? Is it a parent volunteer or a formal coach? I would start asking around and find out what is up or consider just finding another, more appropriately coached team.

[beezus]

If this is a walk on group it seems like there should be more assessment of individual swimming experience and instruction to the kids on how to share lanes and what is expected of them. Where we are, the kids have to complete pre-swim team first, to make sure they have the strokes down pretty well before joining swim team. My dd had lots of coach involvement at this level. We didn't make it to formal swim team because it was flat out too expensive for us, but I did see some of the regular swim team practices though. It seems fairly common that swimmers have to share a lane. At the swim team level, the coaches often don't seem to have too much involvement while the kids are swimming. I would expect much more help from the coaches though if the team is advertised as you indicated.

 

Have you talked to the coaches about this? You might want to communicate with someone from the rec dept or whoever is running this team in case there is some lack of communication between them and the coaches regarding expectations. They should either offer more prepatory classes or else have more detailed instructions for the kids. I can see where it would be frustrating for kids who aren't clear on what to do.

 

Seems like the coaches should be doing more ... coaching here. At the very least, they should be ascertaining what the experience level of each child is, and making sure they had some instruction on the basic strokes and told what is going to be happening at practice.

[TravelingChris]

I have one in a local walk-on swim team and she walks by herself there since it is five houses away and she is 12. This is our first year. FIrst of all, she knew the coaches' names the first day. SHe said they all do warm up drills like crunches and pushups before swimming. I have been at the meets and the coach talks to kids about what they could do better next time. No one is swimming on anyone else. They have practice times divided by age groups. SHe is in the 9-12 group. SHe has stroke lessons in the winter in preparation for this summer but she has learned more since being on the team. FOr the younger kids, they do more teaching but anyone who doesn't know anything is taught whatever they need. They have lots of people in the water helping the youngest kids because they ask older ones to stay and help. Mine often does.

 

I wouldn't be happy with the situation if there was chaos in the pool. It should be orderly. The children who are experienced at swim meets should know what to do and if so many don't, I would guess that it is an inexperienced team and needs much more training and supervision. In our case, there are only a few kids in the 11-12 group who are first timers like my daughter and they all quickly caught on.

[In The Great White North]

More than that.

 

How many coaches are there? How many swimmers in what size pool? How many new swimmers are there (that can't do freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke)? Did the whole team start Monday or just your boys (ie. did everybody else know each other already)?

 

One of the hardest things to do with new swimmers is to get them to swim on their own side of the lane, just like driving. This is what causes swimming on top of or into each other, which causes most crying. And they always think it's the other kids fault. :glare: This usually takes a few crashes (or a few years) to correct, in spite of the coach's best efforts. There will always be other swimmers in the lane.

 

 

Can you actually hear the coaches or is this the 7 and 9 year old's report? I can't imagine getting our new swimmers to swim for 45 minutes just telling them how far to swim. I have to tell them every length or two exactly what to do. How did they know what to swim? If you can actually hear them, and they are saying nothing other than "Swim a 50," I'd look for another team.

 

If this is dc's report, I'd take it with a grain of salt. (My dc are totally capable of saying they have been there for two hours and have done nothing, even though I watched them do several thousand yards.) Younger swimmers are notorious for hanging out under water, where they can't hear, then claiming they weren't told what to do. Then they just follow the swimmer in front of them, whatever he's doing. They also claim the coach never talks to them, what they really mean is he doesn't talk exclusively to them alone and personal (not surprising, because most beginning swimmers have to work on the same things.) Apparently, talking to the whole lane doesn't count.

 

I'd frankly be more concerned about nobody smiling. Aren't they having fun?

[Chez J]

One of the hardest things to do with new swimmers is to get them to swim on their own side of the lane, just like driving. This is what causes swimming on top of or into each other, which causes most crying. And they always think it's the other kids fault. :glare: This usually takes a few crashes (or a few years) to correct, in spite of the coach's best efforts. There will always be other swimmers in the lane.

 

This is true. Crashes happen. Some kids are faster than others and will eventually swim on top of the slower kids. It's hard to pass a slower swimmer, too. Backstroke and butterfly are especially bad for this. Arms link on bfly and heads hit on bkstroke.

 

It takes new swimmers quite a bit of time to figure out circle swimming. If the kids are really young - 8 and under - and new, then it's really hard.

 

Lesley

[msjones]

More than that.

 

How many coaches are there? How many swimmers in what size pool? How many new swimmers are there (that can't do freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke)? Did the whole team start Monday or just your boys (ie. did everybody else know each other already)?

 

One of the hardest things to do with new swimmers is to get them to swim on their own side of the lane, just like driving. This is what causes swimming on top of or into each other, which causes most crying. And they always think it's the other kids fault. :glare: This usually takes a few crashes (or a few years) to correct, in spite of the coach's best efforts. There will always be other swimmers in the lane.

 

 

Can you actually hear the coaches or is this the 7 and 9 year old's report? I can't imagine getting our new swimmers to swim for 45 minutes just telling them how far to swim. I have to tell them every length or two exactly what to do. How did they know what to swim? If you can actually hear them, and they are saying nothing other than "Swim a 50," I'd look for another team.

 

If this is dc's report, I'd take it with a grain of salt. (My dc are totally capable of saying they have been there for two hours and have done nothing, even though I watched them do several thousand yards.) Younger swimmers are notorious for hanging out under water, where they can't hear, then claiming they weren't told what to do. Then they just follow the swimmer in front of them, whatever he's doing. They also claim the coach never talks to them, what they really mean is he doesn't talk exclusively to them alone and personal (not surprising, because most beginning swimmers have to work on the same things.) Apparently, talking to the whole lane doesn't count.

 

I'd frankly be more concerned about nobody smiling. Aren't they having fun?

 

63 kids, pool is 25 yards long with 6 lanes. Pretty typical of a community pool, I'd say.

 

None of the coaches are smiling. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. And I'm sitting on the bleachers about 15 feet away from my son's lane, so I can hear enough to know that there is no feedback -- only the new 'assignment.' (i.e. "Do a 50 backstroke." I'm sure the kids didn't even know what a "50" was on the first day.)

 

So they didn't swim nonstop for 45 minutes, but for an hour with probably 15 minutes of pausing in the shallow end to wait to do the next 'assignment.'

 

But the coach might as well be a white board with a list of tasks. She gives about that much feedback and has about that much appeal. And about 2/3 of the 63 kids there are brand new to swim team this week. The others are back for another year of grumpy, learn-by-osmosis swim team boot camp.

 

I've decided to make them stick it out for at least one more week in the hopes that they are just off to a rough start. We'll see. (I'll need to keep bribing my boys with treats to keep up morale.)

[Lolly]

63 kids, pool is 25 yards long with 6 lanes. Pretty typical of a community pool, I'd say.

 

None of the coaches are smiling. I know that's hard to believe, but it's true. And I'm sitting on the bleachers about 15 feet away from my son's lane, so I can hear enough to know that there is no feedback -- only the new 'assignment.' (i.e. "Do a 50 backstroke." I'm sure the kids didn't even know what a "50" was on the first day.)

 

So they didn't swim nonstop for 45 minutes, but for an hour with probably 15 minutes of pausing in the shallow end to wait to do the next 'assignment.'

 

But the coach might as well be a white board with a list of tasks. She gives about that much feedback and has about that much appeal. And about 2/3 of the 63 kids there are brand new to swim team this week. The others are back for another year of grumpy, learn-by-osmosis swim team boot camp.

 

I've decided to make them stick it out for at least one more week in the hopes that they are just off to a rough start. We'll see. (I'll need to keep bribing my boys with treats to keep up morale.)

 

I think this is the problem. Too many kids who can't really swim. No wonder the coaches aren't smiling! They have been handed an impossible task. I would suggest finding someone to work on their technique in a private or small group setting.

[In The Great White North]

I think this is the problem. Too many kids who can't really swim. No wonder the coaches aren't smiling! They have been handed an impossible task.

 

:iagree: That's too many kids in the pool, even if they could all swim well!

 

Maybe after a week or so half of them will quit :001_smile: Or they'll cough up more pool time and divide it into two sessions. (Our pool did this, after the 2004 Olympics when 90 kids showed up the first day! But it did take a couple of weeks of parents and coaches complaining to convince them.)

 

Can you talk to the coaches and the moms of the returnees? They should be able to let you know what happens later in the season (ie. whether you should stick it out or jump ship now.)

[Danestress]

that is simply too many kids!

 

I think the coaches have an impossible task, and I would find some other place for my children to swim.

[TravelingChris]

That is very hard especially if they can't swim. I talked with my daughter and our coaches explain the strokes to everyone, no matter if they have been swimming one year or ten. They have a sytematic way of getting people in the pool like once every five or ten seconds. No one is swimming on top of anyone even when we do have a lot of kids like in the warm up before a meet. They have orderly lines and everything is kept orderly. My daughter remarked the your team sounds horrible when she asked why I was asking. SHe had started the season having never done a complete butterfly storke and not doing the breast all that well and the coaches explained and helped them learn everything, even to the children who had done it before. They also divide our team into three practices by age groups.