Knowledge Base
Keyword: Coaching
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All ASA Awarding Body qualifications remain valid with no expiry date. However, if you wish to update your current skills we suggest attending Continuing Professional Development Seminars (CPD’s).
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Please visit the qualification specifications on the ASA Awarding Body for this information
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Open water swimming could be a great new way to engage club swimmers. And swimming coaches can upskill in order to deliver it safely.
Your first step is to complete the Open Water Coaching Award through the Institute of Swimming. There are lots of venues and dates to choose from and tutors are experienced and knowledgeable.
The lakes used for courses are all wonderful places to have a classroom! Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s called Level 2 – this is just where it sits on the qualification framework. It’s for all Level 2 coaches and teachers, and above. They give you all the knowledge you need to assess the safety of and organise an open water session professionally.
Remember open water swimming is a discipline that challenges the body and the mind. For a coach it requires you to take your athletes beyond what they are capable of in the pool. The tactical side of the discipline is as important as the physical.
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Dr Melanie Lang (Edge Hill University) has produced a video presentation for sports coach UK on challenging coach anxiety of adult-child touch in sport through a children's rights approach.
The most important aspect of Dr Lang’s presentation is that positive and appropriate touch in sport can actually help children identify inappropriate touch, should that ever occur.
Dispelling myths
Dr Lang discusses the concerns of some coaches regarding touch in a sporting context, particularly against the backdrop of high-profile abuse cases inside and outside of sport.
A common myth is that ‘coaches must never touch children in sport’. This myth is dispelled using the latest research and evidence.
Promoting good practice
Dr Lang explains some of the principles around good practice, ensuring that the child’s welfare is paramount throughout demonstrations of technique.
Due to the spreading of some myths, some of the powerful benefits of touch are forgotten. It can be a helpful communication tool or a way to reassure a distressed or anxious child.
The question that coaches should always ask themselves is: will touch benefit the child?
Download this CPSU briefing for guidance on the appropriate use of physical contact between adults and young people in sports activities.
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Here are a few areas to think about when preparing for an interview for swimming coach roles
- Consider previous successes
- How you have built relationships with swimmers, parents and volunteers
- How you have worked with schools to attract new members and ensured club members continue into their teens
- Different sets you have developed
- Your relationships with other coaches and contacts within coaching
- Professional development and conferences or courses you have attended/would like to attend
- How you have worked with local schools.
- How many national qualifiers the club has had in recent years, the size of the club, results from recent competitions, the club’s website and online offering.
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It is vital for the future of our sport that participants are confident in the quality of activities offered by Swim England affiliated organisations. It is also very important that clubs, administrators, coaches and teachers have the peace of mind that they are covered by appropriate insurance.
Download the statement and guidance covering Swim England’s expectations of clubs in relation to the level of coaching and teaching in all disciplines in the club environment. This is also the standard that is required by our insurers in relation to a club’s liability insurance.
Swim England introduction of a new coaching policy for clubs (Feb 2022) is applicable to all disciplines and contributes to a club’s requirements for SwimMark and Club Affiliation
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UK Coaching now offer three versions of their online renewal, which are all accepted by Swim England for SwimMark accreditation..
- Safeguarding and Protecting Children (75 mins) – includes the core refresher module plus the Safe Communication with Digital Kids module
- Safeguarding and Protecting Children (60 mins) – includes the core refresher module plus the Safeguarding Deaf and Disabled Children module
- Safeguarding and Protecting Children (75 mins) – includes the core refresher module plus the Positive Parents module
Please note that prior to completing any of the above online renewals individuals must have initially attended UK Coaching face-to-face training.
View online courses on UK Coaching website.
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Swimmers preparing for open water events usually combine pool workouts with open water swimming training sessions.
While pool training includes a number of elements not required in open water (i.e. such as turns and rest intervals), it's still necessary as a means to closely monitor speed over set distances. Open water training is necessary as a specific means of race preparation; the primary skills acquired during this phase of training are:- navigational skill,
- ongoing feeding and fluid replenishment,
- acclimatisation to rough water conditions, and
- co-ordination with race support staff (i.e. handlers and escort craft).
The proportion of work done in the pool and open water may vary from one swimmer to another. Available training time and conditions usually dictate the mixture.
Pool training will usually concentrate on aerobic base, aerobic endurance, or critical velocity training outcomes. High lactate-producing training sets are generally not required; however, some maximum speed training is advised. Speed over a short distance is often useful in open water so that the swimmer is able to break away from, or pass, a swimmer. Naturally, training volume must be high to prepare the swimmer for long competitive distances.
Therefore, the recovery skills used by pool swimmers are even more important for open water swimmers. Coaches must carefully co-ordinate the application of long endurance training sets (and critical speed sets) with long aerobic base training sets, to allow sufficient recovery from session to session.
The mechanics of freestyle swimming are basically the same for open water swimming specialists; however, because water conditions may be rough the swimmer may need to modify his / her technique. The swimmer may need to turn the head and breathe under the armpit to shield the mouth, and recover the arms higher over the water. A two beat kick is commonly used to conserve energy. Open water swimmers generally have a higher stroke rate (i.e. strokes per minute) than pool swimmers because of a slightly shorter stroke length (i.e. distance travelled per stroke cycle).
Open water swimming training sessions usually employ total swimming time and stroke rate as the major determinants. Since it's difficult to measure swimming velocity, stroke rate is used to define the level of intensity. The coach should plan training sessions using the tempo that will be used under race conditions. Rather than planning interval swims (as done for pool training) the coach should plan tempo swims. For example: 30 minutes of swimming at 66 strokes per minute, followed by 15 minutes at 76 strokes per minute, etc.
Training sets are then constructed on the basis of stroke rate and time swum. If a group of swimmers are being trained in open water, the lead position should be rotated regularly.
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Mel Marshall. has coached Adam Peaty from his pre-teenage years to the top of the Olympic podium in the 100m breaststroke at the Rio Olympics and to the 100m breaststroke world record which he has broken on five occasions.
In this episode of the Supporting Champions podcast, Mel shares the 4 facets of what makes Adam Peaty great, how he’s always had these and how it’s up to her to channel his voracious athletic and competitor talents.
Mel also explains what the COVID-19 crisis has taught her and how she needs to balance her energy and frustrations and when she’ll switch her focus. She shares her philosophies of coaching and how these evolved over the 12 years she’s been out of the pool and guiding others.
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