GuidetoChoosingaSwimTeam
UpdatedAugust2016
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AtPenguinSwimmingwebelievethatparentsshouldknowhotheycanmakethebesteducateddecisionto
findtherightteamforthem.
TypesofSwimTeams
TherearetwotypesofswimteamsinCanadaandtheUSA:ParentGovernedandCoachOperated.
PARENTGOVERNEDSWIMTEAMS
ThemostcommonswimclubmodelinCanadaistheparentgovernedteam.Parentgovernedteamsare
generallynon-for-profitorganizationsgovernedbyaboardofdirectorsmadeupofparents.Parent
governedteamsinEdmontonincludetheEdmontonKeyanoSwimClub.
Advantages:
Limitedlegalandfinancialliabilityfordirectorsandcoachingstaff.
Disadvantages:
Frequentturnoverofdirectors,board,andcoachingstaff.
Parentdirectorsthatoftenmicromanagetheorganization.
InexperiencedHeadCoachesstrugglewithsuccessfullyfillingtheroleasCEO.
Tendtobeheavilyreliantonfundraisingrevenue.
COACHOPERATEDSWIMTEAMS
ManysuccessfulcompetitiveswimmingprogramsinAustralia,USA,andnowstartinginCanadaarecoach
operated.CoachoperatedswimteamsinEdmontonincludePenguinSwimming.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Continuityofvisionandpurpose.
Organization,program,andleadershipstability.
Abilityoftheteamtoimplementresponsiblelong-termdevelopmentoftheswimmer.
Greaterfinancialriskforthecoach.
SwimmerDevelopment
Swimteamsimplementanumberofstrategiesthatdirectlyeffectthelong-termdevelopmentoftheyoung
swimmer.Tounderstandthis,parentsmustfirstunderstandhowCanadianswimteamswork.
THEHEADCOACH
InCanada,themajorityofHeadCoachesarehiredascontractorsbytheparentrunBoardthatoftenhas
littleexperiencewiththehiringaprofessionalcoach.A3-4yearcontractperiodiscommonforaHead
Coachwithasalaryrangebetween$50-120Kdependingontheteam.
Oftenthereisawritten/unwrittenexpectationthattheHeadCoachproduce“results”(ie.thenumberof
qualifiersand/ortheperformanceoftheteam)atprovincialandnationalswimmeets.
Asaresult,theHeadCoachandBoardoftenhavenointerestindevelopingand/orimplementinga
responsiblelong-termdevelopmentmodelforyoungswimmersontheteam.Thecoachingstaffisoften
moreinterestedinimprovingtheirresumefortheirnextcoachingjob.Thisleadstoovertraining
(swimmingtoomuch,toofast),andburnout(toomuchstress)ofyoungcompetitiveswimmers.New
parentsdonotseethenumberofswimmersthatdropoutofcompetitiveswimmingeachyear.
ASSISTANTCOACHES
Assistantcoachesareusuallythefirstcontactthatswimmersandparentshavewithinateam.
Aftertalkingtooneofthemostsuccessfulswimcoachesintheworld,CoachDaveSalo(USA),hebelieves
thatthemostimportantaspectofcompetitiveswimmingshouldbeontechnique,asswimmerscanbe
trainedanytime.
Assistantcoachesareoftenyounger,havelesscoachingeducationandexperience,andoftendonot
incorporatenearlyenoughstrokedevelopmentandskillworkintopractices.Parentsshouldobservethe
amountofskillanddrillworkthatisbeingdonevs.straightswimmingfor60-90minpractices.
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SwimmerDevelopmentcontinued..
THETEAM
Theteam’spositionviatheparentBoardistoensurethatthereisenoughmoneytocovertheteam’stwo
largestexpenses-coachingfeesandpoolrental.
Asaresult,thereisoftenanongoingpushbyboththeBoardand/orHeadCoachtoprematurelymove
swimmersintohighergroupstoobtainadditionalfees,fundraising,andothercommitmentsfromfamilies.
Thecollateraldamageofthisphilosophyisthatswimmersoftensufferfromburnoutandovertraining
frombeingmovedintoaninappropriategrouppre-maturely.
THEOLYMPICDREAM
ItisverycommonforalotofyoungathletestodreamtoparticipateintheOlympics.InCanada,only
1:15,000swimmers(0.015%)qualifytoparticipateatanOlympicGames.
Onceevery4yearstherewillcertainlybeswimmersthatwillbefastenoughrepresentCanadaatthe
Olympics,andparentsshouldnotdiscouragetheiryoungathletesfromfollowingtheirOlympicdream.
However,itisveryeasyforparentsandswimmerstobecaughtupinthepushforeliteswimmingto
pursuetheOlympicdreamdonebyteamsandcoaches.ThisOlympic“hype”willcertainlyincreasedueto
thesuccessofPennyOleksiakandtherestoftheCanadianSwimTeamatthemostrecentgamesinRio.
ParentsshouldbeverywaryofteamsandcoachesthatarehardsellingtheOlympicdream,asthelongtermrealityismuchdifferent.Inthelast24years,onlyone(1)Edmontoncompetitiveswimmerhas
qualifiedtoswimatanOlympicGames!Nomedals,justqualifiedtoswimatthemeet.
ReceivinganathleticscholarshiptoanNCAAschoolintheUSAismuchmorerealisticoptionforanational
levelCanadianswimmer,andNCAAschoolsareoftenwheremanyCanadianOlympicswimmersswim.
HowtoChooseaSwimTeam
DETERMINEYOURGOALS
Areyoulookingforyourchildtosimplyhavefun?
Doesyourchilddisplayandinterestinswimmingordoyou?
Findoutwhatyouwantbeforeyoubeginyoursearch.
RESEARCHYOUROPTIONS
Checkoutthevariousteams’websites,andresearchtheirphilosophies.
Istheteamdistancebased(ie.hundredsofmetresperpractice)?
Istheteamtechniquesbased(ie.propertechniquefosterimprovements)?
Theclosestteamtoyoumightnotbethebestteamforyou.
INTERVIEWKEYPEOPLE
Interviewkeypeopleinvolvedwiththeorganization.
Don’tjustinterviewthegatekeeper,butthecoachworkingwithyouchild.
Ifyoudon’tlikesomethingrun!Therearealwaysotheroptions.
TRYITOUT
Askforatryoutperiod.Iftheysayno,moveontoyournextchoice.
Usethetryouttorecognizethecoachingstyleandphilosophies.
Ifyourchildleavesthepoolhappy,youmighthavefoundagoodteam.
STAYTHECOURSE
Onceyouhavefoundateam,staythecourseforatleastoneseason.
Aftertheseasonisover,evaluateifthisistherightteamforyou.
REVIEWANDREFLECT
Hopefullythefirstseasonwentwell…nowconsiderwhatisnext.
Didtheseasongowell?Didyourchildhavefun?
Reviewhowtheseasonwent,andwhatyourchild’sgoalsare.
Istheteambestsuitedforyourchild’slong-termdevelopment?
ENJOYTHEEXPERIENCE
Swimminghelpskidslearntimemanagementandthevalueofhardwork.
Enjoywatchingthemgrowastheyswim.
Enjoyitall…itgoesbysoveryfast!
Westronglyrecommendyoudoyourownresearchoneachswimteamandwishyouthebestofluckwith
findingtherightteamforyouandyourchild.
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