More poolside chat

[Glittertwins]

Just realised we’re a bit close to the end!

Well spotted!!

Nice new thread for a new season ☺️

Thanks Glittertwins! Good spot!

Yeah, ultimately the ones back chatting, messing about, and not putting the effort into skill/stroke development are the ones who'll suffer, although I doubt they'll connect the dots back to this point in their development, as they all regularly PB due to their age/constant growth and think more effort and focus isn't therefore necessary as they are making 'progress'.
In the meantime, it's still pretty frustrating for the coaches as well as other swimmers, who just want to get on with it without being mown down on the warm-up/cool down 😏 Add in parents who don't/won't understand it's doing it right not doing it fast that is (usually!) the most important thing, so are constantly questioning why their DC hasn't moved when a 'slower' (in training) DC has. There have been a lot of 1-2-1 and group chats about attitude and explaining the 'whys' of the different aspects of training in a bid to get them refocused and, when it's a lane-wide issue, "we're going to do that again and keep repeating it until everyone is following the instructions"... I usually aim for a firm but breezy tone when needed and it's enough, but I've had the Stern Voice and Hard Stare out more in the last 2 weeks than in the previous 6 months combined!

2/3s of our senior coaching team are on holiday at the moment, having put in all the squad and lane changes just before going... A lot of what we're managing is the fall out from that: a large influx of new-to-club-swimming DCs from the leisure centre's Learn To Swim programme (we'd normally take them on in dribs and drabs, and they pick it up quickly because the rest of the lane know what they're doing and can be copied), swimmers who are unhappy with not moving/moving down lanes after the changes, swimmers who I'm fairly sure have been instructed by parents to make sure they're at the front of the lane no matter what, and the general power struggles that always seem to happen when they get shuffled about and need to work out their new lane order.

It's fascinating to read your write-up @SkankingWombat . Our club sounds nothing like that. Yes, each lane is grouped by speed, but the number 1, number 2 swimmer etc will change each session - in fact, each stroke sometimes - the kids themselves self regulate. As an observer I feel like they don't feel they are in competition with one another during training.

We don’t have lane changes per se, things change according to what the session is but I’ve regularly seen and personally experienced that kind of behaviour from swimmers and parents from when I was much much younger.

We don’t organise lanes either. Often 2/3 squads at same time so may have 4-6 per lane (sometimes a few more).

They self regulate dependent on stroke and session focus and they are really aware of not only their own strengths and weaknesses but others too. I think that’s why they are such a strong team.

Coaches will direct some of the younger swimmers to change around if needed but always leave them to figure it out for themselves first.

In find some of the parents of the swimmers new to squads more obsessed with “leading the lane” than the kids are 😂

Outs are set off 5 or 10 seconds apart though so order shouldn’t matter too much as long as you’re going easy when told and not trying to prove a point - probably the biggest issue with some of the younger teens!

Pre teens (that should say)

It’s amazing how many can’t count to 5 though (and have no sight problems meaning they can actually see the clock!)

Yes when they all get bunched up from leaving only a one second gap - argh!

Our coaches seem off so they only hear to be able to hear and go when told!

They don’t set ds set off all the time but you’d hope at their age they know better! But yea to glasses wearers struggling.

Ds still finds it amusing that at LAC he has to get the VI swimmer he’s usually next to to tell him the time because DS can’t see the board 😂

I admit I used to milk the fact I couldn’t see the clock, every second counts!!!

I’m going to come and join even though DS hasn’t made a decision on his future yet. He’s not given up after the weekend competing so maybe he’ll continue. I can’t add to comments on lane discipline but it sounds like public swimming to me.

Yes, it's interesting reading how other clubs operate. It's always recommended to coaches to go along to training at other clubs to observe, but finding the time is tricky and even when you manage it, it's a very short snapshot that doesn't give the full picture.

At our oldest/upper end they don't compete with each other in training as they no longer feel like they have something to prove, and aren't trying to prove themselves for the few spaces that will become free in next move around. They've finally grasped they each have different strengths and weaknesses, that it's normal, and will happily reorder themselves accordingly to the stroke/skill. At the other extreme, us Masters are usually arguing in the oppsite direction: "Oh no, you should go first - you're a second quicker than me now over a 50 after that last meet. It's there for all to view on Rankings!" 😂 (Nobody wants to be in charge of remembering what number length we're on or do the maths for the intervals). The youngest swimmers are just generally chaos, but in a good way and aren't racing to prove a self-invented point, they are just keen, loving the speed and a bit too young and impulsive to have multiple speed settings yet. It's just - some of - the pre- & early teens in the middle! The town has a second swim club, and their discipline is a good few levels of awful further on from even the temporary blip we're experiencing - I'm just consoling myself that at least I'm not trying to keep a lid on those kids!
On a positive note, one swimmer had been very visibly doing the bare minimum for months and was one of those moved down a lane as a result (not as a punishment, she just couldn't keep up with them any more). It has reignited her drive and focus, and the difference in 3 weeks is astounding ☺️ I only see her once a week, so the improvement has been really noticeable. It's great to see her looking strong and confident again.

And yes, the not leaving 5 seconds... Yesterday I reverted to setting them off myself like they were back in our Academy (although even they can manage this themselves after a few weeks with us), which worked but takes from the observation time.

And I can definitely agree with the masters’ view of “no, after you!” as I always lose count!

It’s tea I have a new username inspired by a particularly bonkers mumsnet food thread 🤣🤣

We’re still limping on. Dd2 swam pretty well in long course sprint gala at the weekend. Dd1 has actually trained tonight which is progress. Starting sixth form has been a shock to the system!

I thought the no longer competing in training was because the sessions higher up are hard and just about survival. That’s what my two say anyway.

I think my ds would agree with that.
they did a 3k test set last night 😂😂😂

I think they were competing for survival!!!

That sounds like something mine would like and routinely lap the others hanging on for dear life!

As you can imagine ds was the one clinging on for dear life 😂

But he did it!!!!

Mine both swim faster in galas than training. Dd2 is fairly extreme on this, she’s always been as fast/ faster than the squad above in a race.

It’s not always possible to see if people are training properly unless you know the set. We often have sets that are heart rate based. If they aren’t at the right rate, then they it aren’t training properly even if they are going “fast”. Slow is often good!
Last night, ours was supposed to be 60 below max. Yet one swimmer tried to keep up with / overtake my DC and consequently did not do the session properly as he was well over heart rate whereas my DC was exactly where supposed to be.

Completely. And swimming flat out all the time is bad for stroke development.

But dd2 definitely tends towards the lazy, even so 🤣

I’m obviously being more charitable towards your DD 😆

I’ve had many a conversation with junior parents who can’t understand why their child who swims faster than everyone else in training isn’t being moved up.

Usually the answer is “it’s likely because they need to learn to train within the limits set not just one fast speed”!!!!

My ds loves an easy set - and he’s a sprinter 😂 Bit he equally loves a threshold set when they come along too and seeing his HR on the monitor 🫣

Just had to charge up the Polar sensor for tomorrow nights set. It hasn’t been used for ages as he usually uses his Apple Watch but the coach links them all to his tablet so he can easily see what they’re up to with no creative answers!

Creative answers 😂😂😂