Responsibility in Teaching

Teaching, whether in person or through the internet, carries with it the responsibility of making sure the message is understood and accomplishable.In a recent round of online evaluations, we were presented with some age-group athletes. In every evaluation, we look for the positives, and also the things that should be concentrated on to at minimum, get the swimmer to the basic level of proficiency prior to thinking about the details.The biggest we face in sending evaluations out, is are we giving information that isn't ready to be received yet?In all teaching, there are progressions of mastery that have to be achieved prior to moving on to the more complex moves that we all want to get to. In watching swimmers, we have to make sure the foundations are set PRIOR to focusing on the details.This calls in to question the fine line between telling the truth and encouraging someone. We know the pressures swimmers are under, the pressure coaches are under, for performance NOW! The desire to make someone faster immediately. Without a doubt, the easiest way to make someone faster is to get them in better shape. If a movement is set and a pattern is built, the ability to do that movement more quickly takes repeating that movement with force over and over again under duress. The muscles will learn to make the move happen more quickly and then, the swimmer goes faster.The question isn't about making those movements happen more quickly, the question is about CHANGING those movements, or setting up a better foundation so those movements are more effective. Changing movements, or patterns, or body position and alignment means having to relearn a new pattern of movements. It's like dominos, change one thing, and something else will be impacted. Changing isn't easy, it takes repetition, and it takes a lot of time with the demand the movement be done then "new" way over and over again, without falling back into the previously learned pattern.This method of change isn't easy. It takes the constant monitoring of the movement by the coach, it takes an engaged athlete that is able to tell when the movement isn't the right way, it takes constant feedback, and the willingness to slow down when the movement starts to deteriorate, or revert. Changing the technique on an older competitive athlete is incredibly difficult. Patterns are set, and the demands of performance are typically too frequent to allow for time to adapt.It leaves coaches in a very tricky position and those coaches who are ultimately teachers, in a trickier position. Coaches typically make their living off making people faster. They are judged from season to season by lifetime best times. We'll see stats about the % of LTBs at the end of the season. The younger the group, the more LTBs you're going to have. If you're a coach that teaches, then you may or may not be showing that extremely high level of LTBs. Maybe the swimmers aren't learning fast enough for the timeline of the meets. Maybe they're not maturing physically fast enough within the short season. Whatever the reason, learning skills takes longer and requires more patience than training someone.The question to ask when you watch an age-group swimmer: Is this the technique I want to see when they're 20?Are you on the path of development of that will allow you to experiment with variations in technique based on how the athlete grows? Does the athlete understand core stability and balance? Have they learned that it's more important to extend than it is to pull? Is their "line" true as they leave the wall? And, when do you talk about the "catch", or the connection? We have to understand, eventually, the athlete's focus will shift from the focus of balance to the lure of power. IF balance isn't set, if core stability isn't mastered, if the timing of the stroke isn't implicitly understood... does the amount of power place on the stroke really matter?Of course, it will matter, but we're talking about developing that athlete to their potential, whatever that is. Someone's potential is just that, THEIR potential, and it shouldn't be based on anyone else.Making sure that the basics are mastered means, NOT talking about things you know people want to talk about. It's about using your maturity and knowledge as a coach and keeping the athlete honed in on what skill they need to be learning based on their athletic and mental capacity. Pacing out the improvement over a longer period of time, which also keeps the interest peaked and the progression through the sport filled with more joy as LTBs come in bits, not in chunks.