Category Archives for Coaching

Coaching IM

According to my Meta Plan for the year I coach IM in the first week of the month – so a bit of everything.

The set of always written in advance, the metres totted up and times calculated. I like to jot down how this goes on the whiteboard so that I can make later adjustments for future sets.

PC1 IM

This has more changes in it than usual.

Having introduced the Backstroke to Breaststroke turn I then took the opportunity to add Butterfly to Backstroke and Breaststroke to Front Crawl.

I then wanted some sprints, and to push them a bit. So include 2 x 50m with 3 or 4 swimmers against each other.

My second 90 minutes took in two teaching groups. Teaching Breaststroke can often be a challenge but today was the first time in 20 years of doing this that I had all 7 swimmers unable to do a breaststroke whipkick. This will take some unpicking and a whole raft of ideas to fix: kick with one float, then two, running through the kick in the side of the pool, kick in back, old English backstroke and so on. We managed to for in some dicing too.

Advertisement

PC1 Coach

A decade or so ago I took ‘Mini Squad’ as we then called it. The 9-11 year old competitive swimmers. I’m now back in this roll with so called ‘PC1’ – a slightly smaller squad as we progress them into more advance and demanding competitive squads sooner.

It is a delight to be back and feel so confident in my roll. The Level II coaching certificate that I had to retake having gone through to ‘most’ of Level III coaching in 2008/2009 was a useful refresher.

Having this blog is vital. I can dip into it on almost everything: the strokes and drills, land training and psychology, welfare and more.

A simple Macro Plan takes me through the year alternating through the month on IM, FC/BC, BR and FLY with a different focus and skill each week. And then each week broken into different drills, parts of the skill development and a weekly challenge.

I want to do analysis of every swimmer. We have a GoPro and iPad, though I also have my iPhone 11 Pro and a gimbal which I’d prefer to use so long as people can be reassured regarding child welfare.

Coaching Tips from Bill Furniss

Tips from taking T1/T2 Nova with Bill Furniss during Senior Club Coach Level III training

550m Warm Up (Drill ike and aerobic)

Repeats 100ms on 2:00 or 1:30 pb15

x3 of

 

500

700

500

 

100m easy in between

Motivation: they need to want it (Belief)

Coaching:

Improvement of competitive performance

Planned and coordinated programme of preparing and competition (orderly)

Player preparation and performance

 

Plan

Organise

Direct

Observe

Evaluate

Instruct

Communicate

Demonstrate

Share Knowledge

Strategies

Counselling

Motivation

Data Collection

Diagnosis

Adaptation

Overload

Progressions

 

 

Arena 2

Nic Piper – lead coach

Lee Hammond – pre pool warm up [Shiverers, Level I & II)

Jonathan Vernon – skills recorder

Dan – Team Manager

+ Sarah

See Head Coach Notes

Poolside team kit

Not mobile devices – support your team

Warm UP

Set them up to ensure no gaps

Self-directed to complete in 10 mins, then practice divess.

Split 50/50 with a large team (15/12)

Also outside lanes 1 & 8

Had hoped for 2nd or 3rd place but won

Impressed by:

Quality of dive and transition

Quality of stroke/body position

 

 

Taking my Level I & Level II Assistant Swim Coaching Certificates by RPL

I ought to have completed my Level III Coaching Certificate with the Institute of Swimming by 2011 or 2012 … but life got in the way.  I had successfully completed 10/11 of the modules and only had to organise a poolside assessment. However, I took a job at the Open University and was working away from home for a year. I tried to find a club, but that would have meant spending weekends away from home not just through the week. When I came home I struggled to get a coaching slot with my club and by then my son needed taking to football coaching and games instead- so I stepped back from swimming for a further year.

Here we are six years later and I am poolside and making myself available. I have kept up the teaching, and for the last year 1 3/4 hours coaching with our ‘Training Groups’ and 2 hours with Masters.

Having done these 10/11 modules the IoS will let me submit evidence of my coaching experience, practice and understanding. It works thus:

Level II Coaching

Being in contact with our Club Manager and Head Coach I hope to be able to find the time poolside. I have offered to go to early morning sessions, and to work any evening through til 9.00pm. I have a day job and live 30 mins from the pools so don’t want to be staying out later.

The issue will be working alongside my fellow coaches who already take county, regional and national squads, and our Youth I and Youth II Training Groups.

Masters Thursday 18 Jan 2018 MASTERS COMPETITIVE A COACH & POOLSIDE COPY

 

Phase Activity Target TRT/Rest Dist: Dur: Total
W/U 3 x 200m  (all slow and easy) as:

1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m)

1 x 200m BC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m)

1 x 200m BR ‘Extended Glide’ drill.

15” after each 200m 600 14 14
MAIN 4 x 75 @ FC 1:05 1:30 300 /900 6 20
EASY: 1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill 100/1000 2 22
4 x 75m @ BC 1:10 1:45 300 /1300 7 29
EASY: 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill 200/1500 3 32
4 x 75m @ BR 1:15 2:00 300/1800 7 36
EASY: 1 x 100m BR ‘Extended Glide’ Drill 100/1900 3 39
4 x 25m @ FLY 0:25 1:00 100/2000 4 43
Old English Backstroke to the Deep End 2 45
STARTS, TURNS, FINISHES
Block start to 12.5m, Turn from 12.5m to wall and back, Finish.

IM ORDER

200/2200 15 60
S/D 100/200m easy if time available 2400m 200/2400m 60+

 

Having taken over 20 mins to complete a 14 minute warm up the swimmers were behind. Somehow they clawed it back over the next 20 minutes and completed the entire set.

 

Masters Thurs 23 NOV 2017 A (COMPETITIVE)  

These swimmers can take a punishing schedule and are highly competitive. They will swim a set based on the National Squad, with a little more time for turn arounds and sometimes fewer repetitions.

Phase Activity TRT/Rest Dist: Dur: Total
W/U 1 x 200m FC

1 x 200m IM Kick (50 FLY, 50 BC, 50 BR, 50 FC)

Continual swim 400 10 12
MAIN Race Pace Set 1

18 x 50m through IM order @ 200m IM pace

6 x 50m Fly to BC

6 x 50m BC to BR

6 x 50m BR to FC

01:00
1 min rest after 6 x 50 12  x 50m		 900 20 32
Recovery

400m FC as 4 x (50m with pull-buoy as (25m FC kick, 25m FC arms only) + 50m FC)

Slow easy swimming just above 1500m pace, do not rush or race this.

 05:00 400 8 40
Race Pace Set 2

24 x 25m @ 100m pace

Additional 1 mns rest after 8 and 16

 0:30 600 14 54+
S/D 1 x 300m CH Easy 02:30 300 6 60
TOTAL 2600m

 

Only one swimmer to begin with, the second joining during the first Race Pace Set. I was asked about lactate production and didn’t have an answer. Up to Race Pace Set 2 the sets had gone like clockwork, to the upper limit of the margin I had given. They took an additional breather of 2 mins+ before this and took a longer rest at the 8 and 16 mark giving themselves only 2 mins for a swim down. One swimmer did all of the RPS2 as Fly, the other with a mix of strokes. One swimmer completed the swim down in the public lane.

Masters Monday 20  NOV  2017 MASTERS COMPETITIVE C1 & FITNESS C2 COACH COPY

 

Phase Activity TRT/Rest Dist: RunT Dur: Total
W/U 3 x 100m  as:
1 x 100m BC, 1 x 100m FC, 1 x 100m CH 3:00 300 300 9 9
Long strong counts per length.
MAIN 6 x 75 @ 400m FC pace over 75m = 80% Effort (?) 2:30 450 750 18 27
Recovery 200m CH (mix of strokes if preferred) 6:00 200 950 6 23
6 x 100m as:
2 x 100m as FC 3:00 200 1150 6 29
2 x 100m as BC 3:00 200 1350 6 35
2 x 100m as CH 3:00 200 1550 6 41
Recovery 200m FC as:
1 x 25m FC kick on side, 50m breathe every 5th, 25m FC any high elbow drill such as ‘Zip it Up/Fingers Trailing’. 6:00 200 1750 6 47
4 x 25 CH Sprint 1:15 100 1850 5 52
S/D 200m CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming 6:00 200 2050 6 58+

Too ambitious. Needs to be some 250m less. Rest times were right, the volumes not.

Masters Monday 20  NOV  2017 MASTERS FITNESS B COACH COPY

 

Phase Activity TRT/Rest Dist: RunT Dur: Total
W/U 3 x 100m  as:
1 x 100m BC, 1 x 100m FC, 1 x 100m IM 2:30 300 300 8 8
Long strong counts per length. Think long push and glide in tight streamline on every turn.
MAIN 6 x 75 @ 400m FC pace over 75m = 80% Effort (?)

Check targets and monitor pace through set.

2:00 450 750 12 20
Recovery 200m Reverse IM Emphasis on Distance achieved Per Stroke taken (DPS) 5:00 200 950 5 25
6 x 100m IM (working on U/W skills) as:
2 x 100m as 50m Fly followed by 50m BC 2:45 200 1150 5:30 31
2 x 100m as 50m BC followed by 50m BR 2:45 200 1350 5:30 37
2 x 100m as 50m BR followed by 50m FC 2:45 200 1550 5:30 42
Recovery 200m FC as:
x2 (1 x 25m FC kick on side, 50m breathe every 5th, 25m FC any high elbow drill such as ‘Zip it Up/Fingers Trailing’). 5:00 200 1750 5 47
8 x 25 CH Sprint 1:00 200 1950 8 55
S/D 200m CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming 5:00 200 2150 5 60+

As a fitness group they prefer a choice CH of strokes, less FLY and IM and potentially longer rest. They worked their way through this but were short by some 200m so only 4 x 25 sprints and the Swim Down was compromised to 100m. Next time aim to keep the total distance below 2000m.

Masters Monday 20  NOV  2017 COMPETITIVE A1 COACH COPY

 

Phase Activity TRT/Rest Dist: RunT Dur: Total
W/U 3 x 200m  as: 600 600 12/15 12
1 x 200m BC, 1 x 200m FC, 1 x 200m IM
Long strong counts per length. Think long push and glide in tight streamline on every turn.
MAIN 12 x 75 @ 400m FC pace over 75m = 80% Effort (?)

Check targets and monitor pace through set.

1:30 900 1500 18 30
Recovery 200m Reverse IM Emphasis on Distance achieved Per Stroke taken (DPS) 4:00 200 1700 4 34
6 x 100m IM (working on U/W skills) as:
2 x 100m as 50m Fly followed by 50m BC 2:00 200 1900 4 38
2 x 100m as 50m BC followed by 50m BR 2:15 200 2100 4:30 43
2 x 100m as 50m BR followed by 50m FC 2:00 200 2300 4 47
Recovery 200m FC as:
1 x 25m FC kick on side, 50m breathe every 5th, 25m FC any high elbow drill such as ‘Zip it Up/Fingers Trailing’. 4:00 200 2500 4 51
4 x 25 CH Sprint 0:30 100 2600 2 53
S/D 200m CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming 4:00 200 2800 4 57+

 

The Monday Evening Masters session at the Dolphin has 6 lanes and 5 standard/levels of swimmer: A1, A2 competitive, who swim in adjacent lanes each covering respectively 2800m and 2200m approx: in an hour; B Fitness who have two lanes and cover around 1900m, and C1 Competitive and C2 Fitness who cover around 1800m. Historically I have produced three sessions, all a variation on the sessions first devised for A1. This A1 session is often adapted from a 90 minute session put together for the Junior National Squad. In this instance they would have done 24 x 75m FC at 400m Pace on a shorter turn-around time (TRT) and 12 x 100m IM. Recovery was over 300m rather than 400m. There was also a skills set over 8m on underwater Dolphin Kick and Fly Kick On Back with fins. This I drop for Masters as a) only one or perhaps two swimmers have fins and b) they hate UDLK enough to skip it anyway.

 

This is the Coach Copy. Poolside is in a larger font, of 18pt, sometimes 24pt and leaves out the last three columns that show the cumulative distance covered, duration and running total time covered. As the swimmers do the set I keep an eye on the time it has taken them and the splits. For A1 this above set delivered to the minute. The variations on this for A2, B and C1 and C2 turned out to be too adequate for A2, stretching it for B, not enough for C1 (though they simply dropped parts of it anyway) and about right, though a more demanding set than they are used to for C2. The distinction between Competitive and Fitness is in their heads, as it is the ‘Competitive’ session that delivers the fitness, whereas too many ‘fitness’ sessions simply get the swimmers wet – like going for a walk, rather than a run.