Wisdom From The World’s Best Coaches

The following tips come from talks at the annual American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) World Clinic by some of the greatest coaches in swimming.

5 Brilliant Ideas from Coach Bob Bowman:

1. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
2. You must record your practices, if you want to understand what is happening in your own program.
3. Your aerobic System development makes you better:
4. Between Races, Between Race Days, Between Practices, and Between Seasons. And it keeps you healthy with a strong immune system.
5. High Performances comes from imagination (I see myself doing it) and challenge (I work to be able to do it).
6. “Tough Decisions now, help you to have a better life late on.” What is easy now, will hurt you later.

Coach Mike Bottom on Motivating Humans

There are 3 dimensions of Motivation (and motivation is everything!).

1. The first dimension is Having Goals.
2. The second dimension is Belief. In self, in coach, and in system. Positive feedback matters, so does direct evidence.
3. The third dimension is Emotion. Team changes emotion. Storytelling changes emotion. Emotion activates the motivation.

“Excellence is an important part of not just winning, but is an important part of life.” – Mike Bottom

Coach Jon Urbanchek on Michael Phelps’ Underwater Skills

“I just hope that many of you caught the difference between the underwater kick and the surface kick. What Michael does while he is still underwater, is that he takes two strokes while he is still underwater, before his head breaks out. Everybody can kick underwater, but not everyone shoots out of the water like a rocket like Michael does, and it’s because of those two strokes he takes underwater that gives him that speed at the breakout.”
 

Coach Don Heidary on Commanding The Workout

1. Preparation
2. Organization
3. Presence in presentation.
4. Evaluation
5. Respect!

“Doing the basics beautifully at the base leads to the highest peak of pyramid” – George Haines

10 Concepts By Coach Vern Gambetta

1. Specialize in being a generalist.
2. Seek Knowledge, not information.
3. Balance theory and practice (Art and Science)
4. Do not ever forget it is not about you, it is about the athlete.
5. Create and foster independence in the athlete.
6. Be a Leader.
7. Development takes time – the process is cumulative.
8. Have a plan – execute the plan – Evaluate the results.
9. Coach the Complete Athlete, the 24 hour athlete
10. Find Mentors, not Guru’s!

See Also: Three Takeaways For Coaches From This Year’s ASCA World Clinic

 
American Swimming (Vol 2016 Issue 2), the magazine for professional swimming coaches by the American Swim Coaches Council for Sport Development.
 
This year’s ASCA World Clinic will be held September 6-11 in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach.