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MAKING CLUB SWIMMING A TEAM SPORT

MAKING CLUB SWIMMING A TEAM SPORT. Jeff Pearson Sierra Marlins Swim Team. Team Background . Formed in 1983 I started in December 1995 40 members Moved to Folsom in April 2001 Currently: 185 year round members 7 training groups. Recent Team Accomplishments:.

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MAKING CLUB SWIMMING A TEAM SPORT

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  1. MAKING CLUB SWIMMING A TEAM SPORT Jeff Pearson Sierra Marlins Swim Team

  2. Team Background • Formed in 1983 • I started in December 1995 • 40 members • Moved to Folsom in April 2001 • Currently: • 185 year round members • 7 training groups

  3. Recent Team Accomplishments: • Top 3 finishes at Sectionals 04, 06, 07, 08 • 1stplace – Sierra Nevada Junior Olympics spring 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08 summer 04, 06, 07 • 8current and past Marlins at O-trials

  4. The need for serious team building. • 1995 - 2001 • As our team grew, so did the interpersonal problems within our team. • Bigger talents meant bigger egos. • Parents didn’t get it. • “I” came before team with many of our best athletes. • Unhealthy hierarchy. • 2008 • We have an improved team environment. • Kids encourage and support one another. • Coaches, swimmers and most parents have bought in to our team goals. • Kids perform more consistently in practice and at meets.

  5. Can club swimming be a team sport? • I believe the answer is “yes”, but we have built in challenges. • How do we incorporate a large number of athletes into our “team concept”? • What percentage of our meets include our swimmers top to bottom? • Can we build a team concept swimming against 20 other teams with no relays and no score to judge the team’s success? • Can we set team goals that include everyone?

  6. Benefits of a team environment: • Accountability • 30 teammates have the ability to see more than 1 coach. • Peer pressure can be a good thing. • kids will do more for each other than they will do for themselves. • Support • Genuine interest in others. • Environment where kids learn to think about others. • Coaches shouldn’t have to make teammates cheer at meets. • Swimmer retention. • Why do we lose kids to soccer and baseball? Team sports are more fun.

  7. Suggestions for Team Building: • Set team goals. • Multiple competition levels, all inclusive. • Define success in terms of group accomplishments. • Give older athletes a say for better buy in. • Teach the relationship between individual goals and the team’s success. • Make your team goals public knowledge.

  8. See your meet schedule as a series of opportunities to teach your team concept. • Have a “Championship” with which to judge your team’s success. • This should include multiple age groups. • This doesn’t have to be a season ending meet. • Travel together whenever possible. • Dual/ tri/ quad meets, distance challenge, relay meets, girls vs. boys • Team sports keep score…why don’t we? • Seek out and demand that team scores are posted. • Recognize relay results with more importance than individual results

  9. Hire employees that buy into the team concept. • Coaches have to protect the team environment • Consistency • Communication • Build a board and/or parent group that supports the team’s direction. • Teach parents that the top drives all levels of the organization. • Foster productive rivalries. • All great teams have a rival…are there other teams you can use to motivate your athletes?

  10. Establish standards of membership. • Make your team/ group prestigious. • Champions won’t be proud of something that everyone can be a part of. • Establish a team uniform. • Successful teams look the part. • Uniforms instill pride. • Keep your uniform simple and enforce a uniform code both at practice and at meets. • Team caps at practice • Coaches wear team gear at practice and meets • Have team captains. • Serve as a conduit to the coaches. • Provide additional leadership when the coaches can’t.

  11. Teach athletes how to be good teammates. • Accountability without conflict. • Commitment Buddies (Thank you Coach Bob Ladouceur - De La Salle) • Reward good team behavior (Marlin of the Month). • Deposits vs. withdrawals (Thank you Teri) • Do not tolerate behavior destructive to the team concept. • Addition through subtraction. • Establish teams within the team. • Teach in smaller groups • Relays • National Team, Senior Team, Distance group, etc… • Tour de Folsom • Intersquad dual meets

  12. Schedule frequent group/team meetings • Small group meetings • Training groups, gender, stroke, common goals, etc... • Board • Coaches • Larger group meetings. • Seize opportunities to address your whole team. • Resist the need to control every meeting. • The coach’s role is to ask good questions. • Allow team leaders to run meetings.

  13. Other Ideas… • Concepts of the Week • Buddy day/ poster contest • Wall clinic • Team challenge sets • Use creative games. • 150 member relay • Put together team building activities away from the pool. • Dinners, beach day, ski day, movies, go-karts • Gradual move-ups • Mixed practices

  14. QUESTIONS???

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