Tips for coaching swimming successfully will help you build a better swim team. Swim teams that have supportive, experienced coaches are much more likely to be successful in competition and swim meets. The following is just a few tips for coaching swimming that can help you bring your swimmers to the top.
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Learn to swim yourself. You’ll be able to coach swimming much more successfully if you learn to be a strong swimmer. This might involve getting back into the water to improve your skills if they’re rusty or it could mean taking some swimming lessons yourself. Your swim team will be more likely to listen to you if you can demonstrate strong swimming skills.
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Watch your swimmer. To coach your swimming team successfully, you need to pay close attention to form and technique. Watch your swimmer during practice and give them feedback about their swimming performance.
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Recognize talent. When you watch your swimmers during each practice, it will be easier to tell where the different swimmers are talented and skilled. For example, you might see one swimmer always performing the backstroke with sheer perfection. If this is the case, encourage the swimmer to develop those skills. Be sure your swimmers are always performing their strongest techniques during competitions to bring the overall team greater success.
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Get your own feedback. Ask your swimmers to let you know how you’re doing. Encourage an open and honest discussion. Also, get feedback from other swim coaches. Part of coaching swimming successfully is about talking with other coaches and learning what works for them, so you can use these tips to help your own swim team enjoy success.
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Remember that winning isn’t everything. If you truly believe this, then it will come through when talking with your swimmers. Part of success is about winning meets and competitions, but it’s also about doing your personal best and always giving it your all. This is the message you should pass onto your swimmers.
