Learning to swim, again.
12:19 pm on the 8th of September, 2007On the invitation of Guinea Pig Mum I went along to see about helping our at Tranent ASC on Thursday and Friday night. I had been meaning to get in touch with my old coach for a while to see about getting involved in swimming at some level but I was waiting for school to settle down then see just how much time I would have to commit.
Going back to the Loch Centre for the first time in about 6 years really made me think back, on two levels. First, the building has barely changed in all the time I’ve been away so I found myself slipping back into what is basically an old habit or routine – taking the stairs in the same way by swinging round the banister at the bend, using the same changing cubicle, standing/sitting in the same old places – it was as though nothing had changed. I even found the swimmers using a kickboard that was covered in doodles and names of people I used to train with.
On another level it made me think about how you teach people. I can only remember how I swam aged 16 not aged 8, likewise I can’t remember what my coaches did to progress my swimming when I was 8, those memories have all been replaced by those of what happened later.
I know I have all this knowledge about how to swim well, but I don’t know how to get it out. I could take a session of swimmers who are at a similar level to me when I stopped, but younger than that I don’t know where to begin.
Yet, this is what I do at school. I switch from teaching 1st years to sketch to teaching 4th years how to draw complicated measured perspective drawings. I go from showing a senior to cut a mortice and tenon joint to showing a 1st year how to hold a saw.
I suppose it is all about breaking everything down into its component parts in my head, going back to first principles then building it up from there. How do I do that in swimming though? It feels like I need to try to forget everything I know and teach myself from scratch.
Tags: coaching, learning, metacognition, swimming, teaching, tranent
September 10th, 2007 at 1:52 pm on the 10th of September, 2007
I think you are probably right re the component parts. I took up volleyball as a student, and so learnt the basic techniquies as an adult. As a result, I was able to rememeber those early training sessions. By the time I was teaching beginners, I was re-gurgitating what I had heard, with add-ons etc.
the other point that swam (pun) thorugh my head reading this was – I was encouraged to go on courses at volleyball, both for refereeing and coaching. I never did the coaching, as I was never that interested in it. I did it to help out, and never felt like I had an aptitude for it either. By the time I was beginnnig to change my mind, my appetite for the sport was draining anyway. What went through my head was – the simming association is probably bigger than the Scottish Volleyball Association (SVA) is. Therefore I’d have thought it would have a fairly built up (by SVA) standards coaching set-up. From what I remember, the SVA was pretty relaxed about who coached at adult level, as anyone good was rapidly sucked upwards to where the qualiied coaches where. But at youth level, they were (perhaps rightly) very aggressive. Were I to get involved with the local High School, just helping their PE teacher as I’ve played the game and he has only played rugby, the SVA would ensure I was muscled out of the way by an SVA coach. they were pretty aggressive about this in Edinburgh, and not always for teh good of youth development. But that is another tale. My point, which I will now finally arrive at, is that even though you are a teacher, and maybe even swam at a higher level than your average swim coach, is that if the the SVA mind-set applied, you would be deemed unsuitable until you have been on one of their courses.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:47 pm on the 11th of September, 2007
It’s a good point, I don’t know how aggressively Scottish Swimming take charge of who coaches, or what power they wield over individual clubs, but from what I’ve heard there is space for anyone who thinks they have something to offer.
I don’t currently have any qualifications but I intend to get some, when I can find the time. The teaching/coaching certificates are only one (minor?) side of it though. There is also the safety issue of being in charge of people in a potentially dangerous environment, and there is the issue of appropriate people being left in a position of trust/care of children. Both of those do require people to have some form of certification obviously. What shouldn’t happen is those parts preventing someone who still has something to offer in the coaching side. Which I think is what you are getting at.
September 12th, 2007 at 5:09 pm on the 12th of September, 2007
Pretty much. I think that appropriate people being left in charge over rides what people have to offer, though. I suspect you do too. I also suspect that no matter how aggressively they do it, if you start the qualifications they wouldn’t prevent you. After all, you have the ideal background.
September 13th, 2007 at 12:03 pm on the 13th of September, 2007
Your post and the comment have triggered a number of thoughts. I came to swimming coaching have taught sub aqua diving for many years, both to divers and instructors. The BSAC (British Sub Aqua CLub) has a very well honed training system for its instructors, with breaking down skills and teaching in small steps at its heart. The principles of progressive instruction were rammed into us and we in turn taught these to the newer instructors. When I came to swimming I found that, although the initial coaching course did teach these same principles, they were buried inside all sorts of other stuff. The triahtlon coaching course I subsequently did was even worse from that point of view. I think I was able to take what I’d been doing for years and simply apply it to a different skill.
So I find I’m very happy taking the little ones and teaching them the real basics; it’s very rewarding. Where I struggle is when faced with coaching a bunch of teenagers and trying to develop their basic swimming skills with endurance and racing nous. You’ll probably find that your teacher training and experience of motivating children in the classroom will enable you to work with the older ones much more effectively than I can.
A second thought string is that, with swimming, we have to be pretty pragmatic. There simply aren’t enough qualified coaches to go around and it is much easier to train and qualify as a coach if you already have poolside experience. All our sessions these days are overseen by qualified coaches but we use a range of people to help the sessions run smoothly. This includes the older swimmers who are keen to help with the younger ones. They aren’t qualified and aren’t experienced teachers but with guidance can make a very valuable contribution. And it is good voluntary/community experience for them. We encourage everyone who helps poolside, including the teenagers, to do the bronze medallion. We also encourage (any pay for) anyone who wants to be more involved in coaching to do the SASA teaching courses. So as well as teaching the swimmers from barely able to swim through to high level competition, we also try to encourage the helpers/coaches to develop, be they teenagers or adults.
Sounds very grand but it’s really just what happens, or should happen.
And welcome to the club! Baptism by fire last night but I’m sure you’re going to prove invaulable.
September 13th, 2007 at 12:45 pm on the 13th of September, 2007
Hi Stuart, just wanted to say thank you so much for coming and helping with Tranent ASC, especially as i’m now on maternity leave (5 days til birth day!).
I have been coaching/teaching for over 10 years now (scary stuff) and Scottish Swimming and British Swimming is going through some of its biggest education changes in its history. Qualificiations are coming in line for all sports across the UK and qualifications now have some meaning to others outside the sport – if you know what i mean?
Unfortunately even with lots of experience with teaching you still have to start at Level 1 (formally Assistant Teacher level) and work your way up and its not quick. Having said that the hardest part is getting the poolside experience needed to pass the courses and you have that on your doorstep with Tranent ASC if you wanted it. After all my years teaching/coaching i’m currently doing Level 3 which takes up to 2 years to do!!
Please keep in touch while i’m away from the club – will be around electronically! if you need any help with anything or just want to chat. I’ve got lots of contacts in the sport and can help you get onto the courses – best way is to do the fast track courses, usually in school holidays. Edinburgh Leisure run them mostly at Royal Commonwealth Pool or you can do them at the National Swimming Academy in Stirling.
thanks again, Mhairi
September 16th, 2007 at 3:48 pm on the 16th of September, 2007
Mhairi, it’s been fun so far, I’ll keep in touch. Best wishes for Tuesday!
GPM, like I said to you on Friday night, I’ve been really impressed with how involved the swimmers are in the club beyond just training. It’s really encouraging to see them on poolside when it’s not their session and taking the time to do the timekeepers course.
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