MAKING CLUB SWIMMING A TEAM SPORT

Jeff PearsonSierra Marlins Swim Team

Team Background• Formed in 1983• I started in December 1995

– 40 members• Moved to Folsom in April 2001• Currently:

– 185 year round members– 7 training groups

Recent Team Accomplishments:• Top 3 finishes at Sectionals 04, 06,

07, 08• 1st place – Sierra Nevada Junior

Olympicsspring 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08summer 04, 06, 07

• 8 current and past Marlins at O-trials

The need for serious team building.• 1995 - 2001

– As our team grew, so did the interpersonal problems within our team.• Bigger talents meant bigger egos.• Parents didn’t get it.• “I” came before team with many of our best athletes.• Unhealthy hierarchy.

• 2008– We have an improved team environment.

• Kids encourage and support one another.• Coaches, swimmers and most parents have bought in

to our team goals.• Kids perform more consistently in practice and at

meets.

Can club swimming be a team sport?• I believe the answer is “yes”, but we

have built in challenges.– How do we incorporate a large number

of athletes into our “team concept”?– What percentage of our meets include

our swimmers top to bottom?– Can we build a team concept swimming

against 20 other teams with no relays and no score to judge the team’s success?

– Can we set team goals that include everyone?

Benefits of a team environment:• Accountability

– 30 teammates have the ability to see more than 1 coach.

– Peer pressure can be a good thing.• kids will do more for each other

than they will do for themselves.

• Support– Genuine interest in others.

• Environment where kids learn to think about others.

• Coaches shouldn’t have to make teammates cheer at meets.

• Swimmer retention.– Why do we lose kids to soccer

and baseball? Team sports are more fun.

Suggestions for Team Building:• Set team goals.

– Multiple competition levels, all inclusive.

– Define success in terms of group accomplishments.

– Give older athletes a say for better buy in.

– Teach the relationship between individual goals and the team’s success.

– Make your team goals public knowledge.

• See your meet schedule as a series of opportunities to teach your team concept.– Have a “Championship” with which to

judge your team’s success.• This should include multiple age groups.• This doesn’t have to be a season ending

meet.• Travel together whenever possible.

– Dual/ tri/ quad meets, distance challenge, relay meets, girls vs. boys• Team sports keep score…why don’t we?• Seek out and demand that team scores are

posted.– Recognize relay results with more

importance than individual results

• Hire employees that buy into the team concept.– Coaches have to protect the team environment– Consistency– Communication

• Build a board and/or parent group that supports the team’s direction.– Teach parents that the top drives all levels of

the organization.• Foster productive rivalries.

– All great teams have a rival…are there other teams you can use to motivate your athletes?

• Establish standards of membership.– Make your team/ group prestigious.– Champions won’t be proud of something that

everyone can be a part of.• Establish a team uniform.

– Successful teams look the part.– Uniforms instill pride.– Keep your uniform simple and enforce a

uniform code both at practice and at meets.– Team caps at practice– Coaches wear team gear at practice and meets

• Have team captains.– Serve as a conduit to the coaches.– Provide additional leadership when the coaches

can’t.

• Teach athletes how to be good teammates.– Accountability without conflict.– Commitment Buddies (Thank you Coach Bob

Ladouceur - De La Salle)– Reward good team behavior (Marlin of the

Month).• Deposits vs. withdrawals (Thank you Teri)

– Do not tolerate behavior destructive to the team concept.• Addition through subtraction.

• Establish teams within the team.– Teach in smaller groups

• Relays• National Team, Senior Team, Distance group, etc…• Tour de Folsom• Intersquad dual meets

• Schedule frequent group/team meetings– Small group meetings

• Training groups, gender, stroke, common goals, etc...

• Board• Coaches

– Larger group meetings.• Seize opportunities to

address your whole team.

– Resist the need to control every meeting.• The coach’s role is to

ask good questions.• Allow team leaders to

run meetings.

Other Ideas…• Concepts of the Week• Buddy day/ poster

contest• Wall clinic• Team challenge sets

– Use creative games.• 150 member relay• Put together team

building activities away from the pool.– Dinners, beach day, ski

day, movies, go-karts• Gradual move-ups• Mixed practices

QUESTIONS???