COACHING PHILOSOPHIES

The most basic team philosophy must be that each athlete and family gets out of the program at least what they put into it. I realize that swimming is not everything to everybody, but age-group competitive swimming can be extremely valuable in a young person’s life. It can be learned and enjoyed by those with little ability and by those with national-caliber ability. Its values go far beyond learning efficient movement through the water. Highbridge Aquatics is a program the accommodates athletes who choose to play soccer, musical instruments, etc. …as well as those who choose to practice twice a day, participate in the weight program, and travel to most of the out-of-town swim meets. With sportsmanship and stroke technique as primary goals, I hope to establish a healthy, learning atmosphere, one in which your children take attitudes and ideas with them in life regardless of how many seasons they participate.

Priorities: As a coach, I stress communication. Your children and I constantly talk about listing our priorities properly. No matter how much time a swimmer is willing to commit to swimming, our first priority must be the family. I emphasize to the swimmers that parents are not just chauffeurs and checking accounts. Parents, on the other hand, may want to swim in one or two of our practices before they coach or criticize their children. Each family is different and each commitment made by every swimmer and family is different.

Notice the differences in the way that parents cheer for their children. Some parents stay to watch every practice, while I may not recognize the others who never come. All of the differences are fine as long as we accept them. Although it is my goal for Highbridge swimmers to aim for perfection, it is very rare that we progress without making mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes and differences. Whether or not someone makes it into the Olympics is not anywhere near as important as it is to have a group of swimmers and families that work well together. This is what makes it fun for all of us, and this is what I strive for.

Our second priority is schoolwork. Although it is easy and common in today’s world for an athlete to put his sport first, I’ll encourage Highbridge swimmers to treat swimming like a luxury item. It is something that can be taken away by parents if grades and schoolwork are not kept at a high level. Swimming, in my opinion, is a sport that can help a person do well in school. It is a sport that requires a tremendous amount of discipline. Hopefully this discipline will create good study habits, goals, etc. .…

School performance is emphasized much more to the senior swimmers. Each of these athletes will go onto college and one cannot go back and change a grade later. Make the grades now! If a swimmer can set a goal to do a certain time in the 200 I.M., than they can also set a goal for their geometry class.

For high school swimmers, Highbridge will be a college prep program, both athletically and academically. As they approach their senior year in high school, college trips are designed to expose a student to as many schools as possible, both large and small. There are many college swim scholarships presently being offered. For the swimmers, scholarships are another reason for emphasis on schoolwork. With or without a scholarship, swimming in college is possible for everyone and something that I highly recommend. While in high school or college, being a student-athlete makes your education much more valuable than just being a student.

Now for those who want it to be, swimming may be your third priority. It must be understood that not every child can become a world-class swimmer. No matter how hard they try or how deeply motivated, they still may achieve only mediocre success. But if the program is organized and well directed, every swimmer can gain from their experience whether or not they ever win a race. Age-group competitive swimming is a preparation for life. The hardest worker in practice does not always win the race, just like the most studious person does not always receive the highest grade in school. The Highbridge program will teach every athlete that in order to reach their full potential, they must apply themselves intelligently and consistently. Understanding this lesson will be important not only for their swimming careers, but for the rest of their lives.

Conclusion: Highbridge is designed to help people enjoy swimming. It is not a high-pressure program and it is only as intense as each person makes it. One athlete may want to practice ten times a week, while another may enjoy just once or twice a week just to stay in shape. Either way, the differences will fit together to form a great team. The success of an age-group competitive swimming program is not an accident. It is a well-planned, well-organized series of developments toward a clear set of objectives and coached with a consistent philosophy.