With my group, I hype up our Winter Age-Group Championships. We attend the meet in Vegas, which is a destiny location, and it can get kids excited by just being able to say, "You're so close to be able to make it to Vegas."
As a coach that emphasizes a meet, I need to recognize that there some in the group that don't make the meet, or just barely miss it. It is disappointing, but it becomes a point where the swimmer can show their resolve. How do they react to the disappointment during the next season. This defines a swimmer, and the swimmer who can bounce back from disappointment can be the ones who learn perserverence the best (It will be needed later on in their swimming career).
At the same time though, as a coach it is good to demonstrate what they have accomplsihed during the season. Sometimes a swimmer only looks at the missed goal rather than what they accomplished. This recognition of accomplishment can be used to help them get through a disappointment.
An accomplishment can be time improvement from one season to the next. It can be the courage do be able to do a new more challenging event that they had never done before. It can be an improvement of their worst stroke or skills that they knew were part of their practice goals for that season.
I set meets as goals to be able to provide the carrot. It works great, as many times there are those few kids who make the meet or barely miss the meet, which at the beginning of the season, it didn't look like they had a chance.
It is so important though to realize the accomplishments and be prepared to work even harder the next season.
You have described my daughter's situation. She started at 6 swimming. On her team she never made the conference team when she was 7, 8 or 9. She was always close, but never made it. We switched teams at 9. She did make a regional time in the 500 free, but everyone makes that time if you are any good at all. She did squeak out a 100 back regional time when she was 10.
ReplyDeleteAt the last meet she just got the 50 fly regional for 11-12. She is real close on the 50 fr and 50 bk and should get those times before end of Feb. Also once her 100 times catch up with her 50 speed she has a great shot at getting those 100 regional times as well.
This winter season is the end of her 6th year of swimming. She has had to see many of her friends make plenty of regionals and state times, but not go herself. Yet, she has just kept plugging away and catching up. I think not making those times back when she was younger was actually good. It gave her a ton of motivation. See back when our group switched teams 28-29 months ago she was 7.5-9.5 secs slower in the 50 free than her 7 friends that changed teams with us. Currently she is 0.5-2.0 secs slower than that group in the 50 free. And unexpectedly she has improved her 50 fly so much that she is faster(barely) than all but one girl at the moment.
I always told her to keep working hard and she would get what she wanted. Now along the way I hi-lighted to her how she was closing the gap on her friends. Anything positive I would make sure she knew it.
The coolest thing just happened. She swam unattached at a penthalon in Nov'11. A girl beat her by 16 secs in total time at that meet. So we swam the same meet this Nov'12 and the same girl was at the meet. Well, this time around she only beat my daughter by 3 secs in total time. Next year who knows my daughter may beat that girl.
Basically it comes down to this. When you get knocked down(not making a time) it is totally up to you what you do. I say if you get knocked down then get the f--- back up. I say you can knock me down all you want, but I am going to keep coming. And one day I will knock you down then where will you be. Because if you have never been knocked down in your life then you might not know how to get back up. And I will leave you in the dust.
Thank you for your comments. I love it when parents are able to see the positive and help their child SHINE in their own way. And with perservance and "celebrations" along the way, the hard work pays off. I read Coach Kacy's blog and encourage my parents to do the same. Thanks again, Head Age Group Coach RCA/TNT Holidae.
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