Why Being Gentle Matters in Swim Coaching?

Our primal survival instinct dominates our reactions, compelling us to fight when faced with danger. While this is helpful against bears, it's not ideal in water. Instinct treats putting your face underwater as a threat. This is true for advanced and elite swimmers too when exhaustion sets in.

​Overcoming this instinct isn't possible but we can manage it with confidence. Yet, real confidence isn't fuelled by forceful coaches or pushy parents.

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For beginners:
Start with floating and easy breathing. Building a friendship with water matters first. Feeling its buoyancy boosts confidence and teaches relaxation. Jumping into all swim strokes overwhelms and risks failure.

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For young swimmers:
Celebrate small victories and let kids enjoy swimming. Allow them to learn techniques gradually without pressure. In races, focus on enjoying the experience. Winning comes naturally when they're ready. True confidence makes great swimmers.

For advanced and elite swimmers:
Even experts can struggle if exhausted and stressed underwater. Instincts perceive danger. Tense muscles are less effective than relaxed ones, and controlled breathing beats uncontrolled.

What to do:
Prioritise technique over speed and winning. Your strong technique becomes a safety net, boosting confidence. Balancing hard training and enjoyment needs a skilled coach. Yelling and intense sets aren't effective. Understanding swimmers individually, knowing what builds or breaks confidence, is crucial.

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Ultimately, the last bits of improvement don't come from the coach but from the swimmer's internal motivation, calmness and confidence, nurtured by the coaching environment.

In essence, the most important element of swim coaching is the holistic development of swimmers physically, mentally and emotionally. Coaches play a pivotal role in shaping not only their swimming skills but also their character, self-esteem and overall well-being. GoodSwim aims to provide the following:

Individualised Approach
Recognising that each swimmer has unique abilities, goals, and challenges. Tailoring coaching methods to meet the specific needs of each swimmer ensures optimal growth and progress.

Importance of Technique
Emphasising proper technique over speed, helping swimmers master fundamental skills, strokes, turns, and starts. A strong foundation in technique contributes to long-term success.
Motivation and Confidence
Instilling motivation and self-confidence in swimmers by celebrating their achievements, no matter how small and helping them set and achieve meaningful goals.
Positive Communication
Maintaining effective and positive communication to provide clear instructions, constructive feedback and encouragement that fosters trust and a positive learning environment.

Adaptability
Adjusting coaching methods as swimmers progress, ensuring that training plans remain relevant and challenging as skills improve.

A Lifelong Love for Swimming :)