Our mission at AST is to provide a unique development and progressive system of swim practice and training that equips the age-group demographic that through various reasons who are on the verge of quitting this great sport of ours through their performance times not progressing and often regressing. Despite attending all the required sessions with all the physical, mental and character-building tools necessary to achieve or extend a life of wellness, health and sporting excellence., via a proven and unique program of in-water and land based practice.
Unfortunately, many promising swimmers at age-group level leave the sport on negative terms and have been soured by their experience. These swimmers usually are not seen as a failure of the system, but rather as validation to coaches that the swimmer dropping out lacked the mental fortitude to continue in the sport.
There is undoubtedly some merit in that conclusion as not everyone is meant for the elite levels. But it would be delusional to think our current swimming philosophy is not at least partially responsible for driving away talent.
As Dr. Brent Rushall (U.S.A) wrote, “If hard work leads to good performances, harder work will lead to better performances.
The number of swimmers, who have been turned-off by swim training that follows that tenet, is likely to be much greater than one might care to admit.” Not every swimmer who is purged from the age-group ranks deserve that fate. Many dropouts cite negative coaching experiences, injury, or overbearing parents for their early retirement.
Since participation in swimming often depends on friends staying together, one or two within a clique leaving a team can send a bigger group rushing for the exit. If there is ever a time to protect the sport's tight standards it is the current era in which society makes discipline optional for kids. But surely there is a balance to be struck between overbearing and permissive. One way to improve retention is to understand WHY these swimmers give up our sport. We all have our own experiences upon which to draw, but what does the formal literature have to say?
Salguero (2003) studied sixty two swimming “dropouts” and surveyed their reasons for quitting. Having other things to do was the most important reason for attrition . Lack of fun, perception of failure or low skill was also associated with dropping out. Females placed greater emphasis than males on excessive pressure, repetitive over-distance training, dislike of competition, not improving, not feeling important enough along with not making cut-offs, making representative teams all featured highly.
Beyond the Darwinian Training Method:
99.95% of all swimming coaches tend to feel they are getting the job done if they grind out long sets of repeats. But, too often that just means reinforcing the same stroke patterns / thought patterns and attitudes with all the associated faults thousands of times. We refer to this as "Darwinian Swimming‟ and, as sad as it is to say it reflects the sate of competitive training today, we believe, on a global basis.
Swimming is unique among all sports in the opportunity it offers the individual to compensate for their own perceptions of physical ordinariness with superior thinking. The Skills to move the human body quickly through water requires many subtle skills on the behalf of the swimmer.
But, if that swimmer is taught that through the combination of the time spent learning correct limb-tract patterns coupled with a clear focus they will add more to their mastery of good swimming skills and reduce whatever age may subtract from their physical capacity.
The age-group range in swimming is in our way of thinking, the most under resourced and promoted group of swimmers in the world. At this point in time we are only now just beginning to understand how unbelievably quick these age-groupers can actually swim and how hard this group of swimmers can push themselves.
Speed Training Age-Group Swimmers & Small Clubs:
A controversial topic that has been often dismissed as hog wash is the subject of allowing young or adolescent swimmers to specialise in speed training until they reach a certain mystical age. The argument against prescribing speed sessions, is based upon the theory that before the ages of approximately 14 years for boys and 13 years for girls a child’s aerobic capacity is at a critical stage and if ignored and not nourished until they are older, then this window of opportunity will close forever. Many claim that speed training cannot provide for the development of the young swimmer's aerobic capacity however, I would argue that a speed programme containing short distance / short time high velocity training in multiple sets actually does provide children with this aerobic exercise.
It is very well documented that speed training involving repeated 30-second "all out" efforts have resulted in significantly improved skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, maximal oxygen uptake, and endurance performance. The positive impact of speed training on cardiorespiratory fitness has far-reaching health implications for all.
The majority of events that younger swimmers and age groupswimmers enter last for under 120 seconds. Races under this time period all point to high velocity work as being the staple diet for age-group swimmers not sets of 10 x 100m or even 5 x 200m. I also firmly believe that speed based programmes provide the opportunity for children to pursue other activities outside swimming if they so wish, due to the reduced hours required, compared with those training on overdistance programs.
The final disagreement is that children do not develop the technical base, which is required for progression in the sport, with A high velocity speed based program. To counter that point just read what is described above; efficient racing technique is central to high velocity swimming! Also important, but rarely mentioned by coaches is the subject of agility.
Agility, as defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, is the ability to change directions and gain speed without losing motor control. It is directly related to speed, balance and coordination skills. Please remember that all children develop speed and agility at an early age, especially when they chase their friends or their family around in the park
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