Category: Handbook

Types of Goals

There are several typed of swimming goals. Long-range goals refer to the level the swimmer wants to attain by the time he leaves high school or college. They are far off in the future.

Season goals are the swimmer’s intentions for the season ending championships.

Short-range goals are benchmarks, steps along the way to the season goals, usually races at the various minor meets. Meeting short – range goals lets the swimmer know that he is on target for his season goals; falling short tells him that he has some adjusting to do.

Finally, there are daily goals in practice. These are simple but immediate: to improve repeat times on certain sets, to pace swim more precisely, to sprint faster going out, to be faster and longer off the walls, to fixed technical trouble spots, and so.

Because swimming is a time-dominated sport, most goals will be time goals. However, skill goals are important as well. Any facet of swimming that can be improved can be a source for goal setting. Swimmers should try to swim not only faster but better-with better technique, few strokes per length, and more beautifully.  The better the technique, the more time goals swimmers reach.

Michael Brooks

Type of Motivation

Motivation may be defined as a state of “being aroused” to action. Individuals are activated by many motives-not only those commonly recognized, such as desires for food and water, but also many derived or learned motives, such as desire for money, praise, social status, security, self-respect.

Two types of motivation:

• Intrinsic motivation
• Extrinsic motivation

 Goals serve two basic functions:

• Goals direct behavior
• Goals provide incentive for action

Goals give swimmers something to shoot for and help them find a way to get there. Goals can serve as major tools for motivating behavior.

The qualities of good goals

• Clearly specified and behavioral ( action-oriented)
• Positive ( stated in terms of something to do)
• Open-ended ( leave the door open for performance that exceed the chosen standard)
• Measurable ( Realistic )
• Quantified ( have numbers attached to them)
• Time-limited ( include some specified time for completion)
• Cover the full range of activity for the relevant duration of time.

Traffic Patterns

Swimming in a lane with several other people requires a different organization. It is essential that certain “TRAFFIC PATTERNS” be established to provide a safe teaching and training environment for each swimmer. Each swimmer must train courteously and obeys the “RULES OF THE ROAD”. Just as with highway driving certain traffic patterns and rules of the road are in common use in swimming pools. If you know these rules, you can fit into any training situation.

The traffic pattern is quite simple when only two people are swimming in a lane. One person can swim back and forth on the right side while the other swims on the left side. Swimming single file in a counter-clockwise circle pattern eliminates the need for passing and allows swimmers freedom to swim different strokes and to use different repeat distances and departure times when training. This method is called a circle pattern.

Swimmer should start their repeats 5 to 10 second apart, with the fastest swimmer in the lane going first, the second fastest second and so forth. Swimmers should keep their eyes open and stay on their side of the lane to avoid collisions. To pass someone, tap the swimmer to be passed on the foot and wait until he or she reaches the wall before the pass is attempted. The swimmer to be passed should stop at the wall and allow the pass. Do not speed up or crowd the center of the lane when someone attempts to pass.

Traffic flows more smoothly when all the people in the lane are doing the same repeat set on the same departure time. Swimmers who kick when others are trying to swim always get in the way of the faster moving group. Likewise, the lane always becomes congested if someone is swimming one of the slower strokes while others are swimming the front crawl stroke.

To provide an environment that is conducive to teaching, learning and training, team members are expected to follow this traffic patterns at practice and swim meets.

Swimmers as Dreamers

If swimmers are going to dream, they should dream big. They will never get anywhere in swimming or in any endeavor if they settle for mediocrity. All great achievements started with dreams of greatness. These dreams were probably considered unrealistic, foolish, hopelessly and nonsensical by the dreamer’s friends, family, and acquaintances-until the dreams were made to come true. At which point everyone jumped on the bandwagon, wanted to be the athlete’s best friend, and claimed “I knew it all alone.” This is one more reason for swimmers to spend time around other people who are striving for greatness and will support them in their dreams.

• Simple Recipe for Success
• Have a dream.
• Set a goal.
• Get to work
• Michael Brooks

Swimmer expectation

Swimmers are expected to make a commitment to all phase of the City of Atlanta Dolphins Competitive Swim Program:

1. Attend practice on time
2. Complete the practice session
3. Commit for self improvement
4. Follow coach’s direction and instruction when first given
5. Show respect for coaches, teammates, parents, officials and other
6. Conduct themselves in a quiet and orderly manner at all time

Swim Meet Entry and Fee

The meet information from the host team will be posted at Adamsville pool and email to parents. The swim meet sign-up form will be posted at the pool and email to parents.

Parents may enter their child/children into a swim meet by signing the meet entry form. You are responsible for knowing dates and time for warm-up once you receive your events. The meet information will have warm-up time and the order of events. Continue reading →

Reaching Your Goals

Successful people are motivated by “goals” A goals is a desired achievement toward which you work. As you set your goals, you may need to set short-term goals and long-term goals. A short term-goal is something you plan to achieve in the near future. A long-term goal is something you plan to achieve over a period of time.

I would like for each of you to establish goals for the 2011-2012 short course swim season. This is important because it will help make practice more meaningful.

Having goals will help motivate you to do something. There are three main steps to getting to where you want to go:

1. The dreams.
2. The goals.
3. The objectives.

Sit down and write out your dreams. Goals need to be specific. Give number and time. Be realistic in setting your goals. The objectives are where the action takes place. Objectives are the things you do to get your wants. Objectives are very specific. Objectives are written: I Will ……. .

Sit down with your parents and ask them to help you established your goals for the 2011-2012 short course swim season. Once you complete this process share it with your coach. Remember your goals are not written in blood which simply means that you can change or modify them.

Purposes of Goals

Goals give swimmers a reason to do the program. They represent something meaningful to a swimmer that he/she wants to accomplish.

• Goals give focus- Most kids’ minds are unfocused and highly scattered. Goals get their attention and keep it focused on a target, giving them something to think about and a purpose for training.
• Goals make decision easier- Goals supply higher principles upon which to base thousands of decisions swimmers make everyday about what to eat, how to use their limited time, how to attack certain sets in practices and so on. Thus goals make life simpler. Swimmers don’t have to stress about little things because those decisions are already made by the direction they are heading in.
• Goals generate self-respect and respect for others-We become worthy by striving after worthy goals. We value and respect ourselves much more when we know we are attempting something great, working hard and conscientiously, rather than merely skating by and doing the bare minimum. We value our teammates more when we know they are attempting something great, working hard and conscientiously. The atmosphere created when everyone in the pool is aiming high is one of support, respect, and achievement. High goals are contagious.
• Goals provide a way to evaluate what swimmers have done-If swimmers never knew their times or could never compare their results with competitors; they would never know they fell short and needed to work harder or that they did well and should be pleased with their performance. They would never be able to see the baby steps of accomplishment that make for long-term success. They would be shooting their arrows into darkness, never knowing whether or not the arrows hit the target.
• Goals help swimmers maintain a good attitude-Too many swimmers see training as a chore, and they see meets, especially championships meets, as pressure-filled, frightening experiences. Goals can help swimmers overcome this problem by rearranging their thinking about training. Goals make swimming a game. They make fast swimming and high achievement challenging and energizing, not frightening and anxiety ridden. Continual goal setting and goal; reaching builds confidence as swimmers see themselves getting better in a hundreds ways every day. Occasionally falling short and trying again builds resilience and determination and it lets kids see that failure is temporary, more irritating that overwhelming.
• Goals liberate- Most swimmers have no idea how fast they really are because they only scratch the surface of their potential. When goals are continually being set and accomplished, the bar of self-expectation keeps getting raised-kids starts to see just how fast they can become. Suddenly the seemingly overwhelming accomplishments such as making nationals or making the Olympic team get put into perspective and seem possible.

Michael Brooks

Motivation

1. Successful people are motivated by “goals”.
2. Goal setting is important to motivation and success.
3. Motivation that comes from within makes a difference (Intrinsic motivation).
4. Interest and a desire to learn is an important motivator.
5. When you link interest and desire together, you create success.
6. When it comes to motivation, knowing is not as important as doing.