Articles and Videos
How Coaches Can Listen Better to Their Swimmers
Masters coaching—leading athletes toward their goals—requires discovering and understanding both spoken and unspoken needs. Bringing mindful listening skills onto the pool deck enables a coach to provide much more than simply listing work...
How to Build a Community in Your Masters Club
People join Masters clubs for different reasons. Some want to compete. Some want to get and stay fit. Some want personalized coaching and a structured practice. Others are in it for the meditative time away from their daily lives.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Facility
There will always be someone, somewhere who has more than you do. But no one has the perfect situation. Spend five minutes with the coach or director of what you deem to be the perfect facility, and you’ll soon find out they have their own set ...
How to Coach Middle-Lane Swimmers
It’s fun to coach fast-lane swimmers because they’re experienced, independent, and knowledgeable. Some coaches find it even more exciting to instruct newbies who need a lot of attention and display rapid development.
Become a Better Coach With This Three-Step Process
Medical doctors use a systematic and well-defined approach to treating patients, regardless of their medical specialty or the patient’s symptoms: examination, diagnosis, and treatment. Swim coaches who incorporate this system will be rewarded w...
Writing Masters Workouts for All Your Swimmers
When I first started coaching Masters, I was an assistant responsible for coaching workouts written by the head coach. It was nice to show up with workout in hand, put it on the board, and run practice. I didn’t really put any thought into the ...
How to Develop a Training Plan for an Injured Swimmer
The first step for working with an injured swimmer is to know where the swimmer is physically. A coach should never assume the role of athletic trainer or doctor. Swimmers who share that they have a physical or mental ailment that’s preventing ...
The Best Way to Guide New Swimmers Into Your Program
Masters programs need swimmers, especially with so many programs struggling to regain the members they lost during the coronavirus pandemic. If someone reaches out to your program, it’s your responsibility as a coach to engage with that swimmer...
How to Reach New Swimmers Through Try Masters Swimming
Breaking into a new sport as an adult can be intimidating. Adults might be hesitant to try Masters Swimming if they have no previous swimming experience.
How to Coach Multiple Ability Levels in One Practice
Coaching a group with a range of abilities might seem challenging but it’s quite doable.
