Hi everybody,

For this week’s update, Kate, Catherine, and I wanted to give everyone a summary of our coaching plans for 2024. After all, we are definitely moving up in divisions (we’ll know what division in early March), and we want to up our coaching game. Kate and I have been with the team since 2011, and the best we’ve previously done is to squeak into Division 15, only to lose all of our meets and immediately fall out. We’ve certainly never in that time managed to win the division and rise up. So, this is new territory for everyone on the team and we need to be on our A game. Don’t worry, we are still committed to this being a fun, friendly, kind experience for everyone, but we’re going to try to focus our efforts on instruction even more so that everyone on the team becomes a better swimmer:

1. We're trying to hire at least one assistant head coach to take some of the leadership burden off Catherine and free her up for more direct coaching. We tried to add to our coaching staff at the top last year but unfortunately the competition for coaches is always fierce. We’re doing our best this year.
2. As some of you may have known, Kate, Catherine, and I all had personal issues that ate up our preseason (and a good portion of the season last year). The details are unimportant but it didn’t allow us to work with the coaches leading into the season to the extent we would have liked. This year, we will have preseason and early season training so the coaches have a better idea of what we expect of them.
3. In addition, we are reaching out to resources within the NVSL for coaches’ clinics and training. Specifically, we will have at least 2 clinics for our coaches, including one by Bob York, former head coach at Overlee, who runs a very popular year-round swim program in the area. He’s also going to do a racing clinic for our team one morning at practice; we had one a couple of years ago, it was great, and it really helped the team.
4. In a corollary to #2, Kate and I will, God willing, be more present this summer, which we think will help everything run more smoothly. Behavior will also be a focus: Catherine wrote a new team handbook (find it here) and is working on a code of conduct that we’re going to require all our older swimmers and their parents to sign, which will lay out the consequences for not being a force for good. We want our older swimmers to understand that they’re the leaders of the team and the examples for younger swimmers. All registrants will have to attest to having read the team handbook when registering, so please take a look and discuss it with your kids. We are also aware that there was some confusion about how to register for swim meets, etc. We will try to produce videos that illustrate the process, and always feel free to approach us for help.
5. While we have always encouraged our coaches to be more engaged and add more instruction, this summer we’re instituting concrete expectations. Specifically, beyond just telling the kids in their lanes their workout, our requirement will be that a coach offer each swimmer specific feedback (better than “Great job!”) on swimming every 50 to 100 meters. Additionally, we’ll offer midseason raises for coaches that are the most engaged and best with the kids.
6. Whether or not we succeed at hiring an Assistant Head Coach, Catherine will hold “Catherine’s Coaching Corner” at least once a week for direct instruction with a few swimmers. This might be coaching top swimmers to get them a little faster and maybe into All Stars; or it might be to get nearly legal swimmers legal in various strokes. Of course, she always runs the older kids’ morning practice solo, so this will be in addition to those efforts.
7. Finally, remember our upcoming events: Pizza with the coaches (tentatively scheduled for April 25 at 6:30PM); a leadership/planning session before the season (tentatively May 2nd at 6:30PM); and swimsuit fitting (May 22nd, with Little Lazers/Transition Team/Lazers placement swims if the weather is warm enough). Also, our Saturday practice/pancake breakfast the first week of practice was such a success that we’ll do it again. We’ll try to host the carwash that day, and we need a coordinator to help.
8. Finally, finally, we’re putting the finishing touches on a spring tune up for swimmers who haven’t been in winter swim. We're trying to get space for a 4 week clinic beginning in April and going through just before the season for (6) 10 and unders and (6) 11 and overs. Details to follow (assuming I can get the lane space). If you’re interested, email me and I’ll start a list.

That's it for this week. We're excited! The team is really coming along, and we're committed to taking the next step. More to come next week.