Coaching Philosophy

Clarity of Expectations

  • Ordered and structured
  • Use this structured approach as a strength in the swimming programme
  • Structure leads to self-disciplined athletes

Understand Self

  • Know my strengths
  • Plan to my strengths

Courage

  • Courage to do what I believe in
  • Not swayed by external pressures and ‘trends or fads’

Develop the Whole Swimmer

  • Apply the human ‘touch’ – the recognition that every individual is unique, bringing to the programme personality, emotionality, ambitions and aspirations, personal circumstances, athleticism, anatomy and physiology
  • Understanding that sport exists within a wider context
  • Recognise that an elite or aspiring elite athlete should have a balanced lifestyle enabling athletes to balance the demands of work/study, sport and social events
  • Provide the rationale to understand what we do, how and when we do it and why?

Science Based Approach

  • Utilise sports science and sports medicine
  • Skill the swimmers in knowledge of physiology and correct intensity of efforts, e.g. blood lactate testing and profiling to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme
  • Musculoskeletal screening for injury prevention to identify strengths and weaknesses

High Standards

  • Expect high standards of self
  • Expect high standards from swimmers
  • Expect swimmers to use the knowledge

Passionate about the Sport and my Profession

  • Keep up to date with
    • Training principles
    • Trends in world swimming
    • Performances

Integrity

  • Strive to be true to myself and my coaching philosophy at all times

Practices Underpinning my Coaching Philosophy

  • Creating a learning environment
  • Development of swimming technique – all strokes, starts and turns, at an early age combined with on-going monitoring and refinement
  • Development of an aerobic base with emphasis on maintaining good skills throughout all stages of the training process
  • Awareness of the athlete’s long term development
  • Train the physiology, i.e. train the energy systems appropriate to age, maturation and development, and event specialisation
  • Application of sports science, e.g. blood lactate testing and profiling to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme;
  • Application of sports medicine support, e.g. injury prevention through specific exercises derived from a muscular-skeletal screening to identify individual strengths and weaknesses
  • Educate the athlete in the history of the sport, sports nutrition and hydration, rest and regeneration, mental skills, etc
  • Coach the individual based on individual characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, maturation and development
  • Develop the team and team-spirit – Promote participation in relays, swim camps, tours, etc
  • Clear communication between all parties
  • Mentoring and development of the coaching staff and support group, e.g. parents, volunteers
  • Enjoyment