INAUSTRALIA

JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING COACHES AND TEACHERS ASSOCIATION & SWIM  MARCH 2018                            

 

     

NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR COACHES KIDS OF THE RED CENTRE OPEN WATER SWIMMING MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING COACHES & TEACHERS ASSOCIATION & SWIM AUSTRALIA Volume 40. No 3 - March 2018 CONTENTS FEATURES asctaCONVENTION 2018 7 Snapshot of 2017 8 ASCTA Convention Highlights 12 Coach Recognition Program 8 14 Australian Swim Team named for Gold Coast 18 Sharing Experience to Build a Sport 21 Important changes to Membership 22 Three Swimming Drop Out Zones 42 Leadership - moving beyond involvement 46 Teamwork 48 A fine line between giftedness and autism 55 6 million Australians make swimming No.1 Sport

COACHING 28 - Fastest 100 30 Awareness Response Training - Part Two 34 Developing New Technology for Coaching 38 Coaching Masters Swimmers

14 LEARN TO SWIM 41 ascta/Swim Australia International Conference - Shanghai 44 SwimINFO 45 Should Swim Barbells be used to teach children to swim 51 Your Instructors 52 Funky Way for Kids of the Red Centre

REGULARS 5 Message from Brendon Ward 58 Behind the scenes at ASCTA

58 asctaMEMBERSHIP 58 asctaACCREDITATION

59 asctaSOCIAL MEDIA 52 59 asctaMULTIMEDIA

Swimming in Australia Publisher: 59 asctaSHOP

ASCTA 60 Calendar of Events PO Box 158 Beerwah QLD 4519 Ph: 07 5494 6255 F: 07 5494 6785 All copy is subject to acceptance by the publisher. All advertisers must ensure that their advertisements comply strictly with the requirements of all E: [email protected] federal legislation. The publisher reserves the right to reject copy without giving any reason or explanation. W: www.ascta.com The Swimming in Australia Publisher, ASCTA, strongly advises all concerned that any attempts to reprint articles or excerpts from contents is Designed & Edited by: prohibited without the written permission of the publisher and the Author. Any infringements of copyright will be dealt with accordingly. Julie Emmerson Views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Board of ASCTA. [email protected] Photography Acknowledgements: Print Post #: 100000930 Limited, Ian Hanson - Hanson Media Group, Delly Carr and Sportshoot Photography, Robert Sanders Photography. Stock images from www.freepik.com, www.shutterstock.com. Get your Certificate of Currency online at Aswww.marshadvantage.com.au/AssociationMember/ you prepare for the busy summer period, AssociationsandRetailGroups/ASCTA.aspx don’tFor your forget convenience to arrange you can your PAY insurance ONLINE with ASCTAGo to: [email protected] Insurance Brokers. ASCTA Insurance Brokers has been supporting the swimming industry since 1997 and o ers customised insurance solutions at a ordable prices. Our tailored packages include Public Liability & Professional Indemnity and Business Pack Insurance. For expert advice and assistance, or to arrange an obligation-free quote, contact ASCTA Insurance Brokers today on 1300 305 575.

This is a general advertisement. Please ring and ask for a copy of the insurer’s Product Disclosure Statements and/or Policy Wordings. We recommend that you read the Policy Wordings so that you have an understanding of the policy terms, conditions and exclusions before you decide whether this insurance suits your needs. In arranging this insurance, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 31 081 358 303, AFSL 238369) may act on behalf of the insurer under a binding authority, and not on your behalf. Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd, trading as ascta Insurance Brokers arranges the insurance and is not the insurer. To find out more about Marsh Advantage Insurance , visit www.marshadvantage.com.au. ascta receives a financial benefit from the sale of these insurance products, enabling ascta to continue to develop and provide further services to their members. CON2472 Message from EDITORIAL ASCTA CEO Brendon Ward

How do you cut through the noise! SHOUT? We will continue to push the envelope on the basis Communicate in different ways by using social media that people “want what they know” – they don’t or short videos, sending email newsletters or calling necessarily “know what they want”. It’s our role people, drop-in visit or post a journal. It’s an age old to find out what’s going on in other sectors and/or question for an Association. It equally applies to our internationally which may be of benefit for coaching, coaches, swim teachers and swim school operators to teaching or swim schools in Australia, interpret reach their audience. Guess what, we’re doing all of and distil this down then let you know in the best the above (apart from shouting) and more. possible way.

It is especially relevant for ASCTA and Swim Australia Advocacy at this time of year as we prepare for our membership At a State Government level, our teaching renewals and trust we have done enough … and qualifications are now accepted by the WA and VIC communicated it … to keep you engaged and happy with Education Departments. At the time of going to print our performance. Our recent infographic highlighted we are following up with NSW and NT and getting some of our successes throughout 2017. From my positive responses. During January and February, perspective it’s important to recap on some of the Save our Schoolkids (SOS) campaign things that stand out to ensure you know what we’ve from the Courier Mail led to valuable input from been up to on your behalf. ASCTA at the initial round table meeting with the Minister for Education. Membership Our focus is very much on being member centric. We’ve also been working closely with Swimming Everything we do, and especially anything new, has Australia on payments to coaches on National teams, to pass the membership test. We ask questions like the new Bronze, Silver and Gold qualifications, an “Is this something one or more of our communities independent review of the Paralympic trip to Canada will want or need?” or “How will our members relate in late 2017, development of a coaching strategy, or react to this?”. Part of our commitment to this is implementing the Safe Sport Framework (including the establishment of a member survey which will be following through on a number of complaints), underway by the time this journal arrives in your mail changes to the Optus Junior Dolphins OJD program box. following significant feedback from swim schools, and input into the competition framework. We’ve Another example of this has been our attendance also been promoting a number of SAL initiatives at swimming meets and personal visits to a huge like Australia Swims in late January and volunteer number of swim schools across Australia. While opportunities at the Commonwealth Games Trials these personal interactions with members are time in February and March. consuming, they are invaluable at guiding our work program and priorities. These will continue into the At a Federal level, we’ve been working with the ATO future as we strive to support all members and build on clarifying the GST exemption status for swim on our knowledge of what’s going on out there. schools offering water safety within their program, and have been making submissions to the Fair Work On 1 January 2018 the ASCTA membership changed Commission about changes to the Fitness Industry from 12 to 4 membership categories. Previously there Award proposed by the Australian Workers Union, was a Basic membership which, among other things, which may have a financial impact on employers of was provided to all participants of SAT courses. The learn to swim and water safety teachers. intention was to promote ASCTA membership. The only problem was the Basic membership didn’t actually Courses provide many of the benefits other members received. Our move to online has been a long time coming. By removing this category our aim is to keep more Our new partnership with Dita Solutions is members engaged and updated on developments working out well and the SAT and SAT Babies in the areas of coaching, teaching and swim school and Toddlers courses are now online with others operations. continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 5 to follow very soon. This allows us to simplify the Behind the scenes course and participant administration process. Our In partnership with Swimming Australia, we have course validations are now underway to improve embarked on a re-development of our membership consistency of delivery and meet RTO requirements, database. We are also working with SAL to refresh and we have instigated a presenters workshop at the and consolidate our ASCTA and Swim Australia asctaCONVENTION to improve the overall consistency websites. These are significant changes and we are and delivery of courses. investing a good amount of time and resources to get this right. The accreditation system has been streamlined to make the application process more efficient and ensure We’ve also done a lot work on our reporting to the compliance with RTO requirements including removing Board, and members. This includes the review of a the Recognition of Current Competency and replacing number of policies including finance, delegations it with Recognition of Prior Learning. of authority, risk management and governance. The Board are now getting more detailed financial Events reporting on a monthly basis and a quarterly review The 2018 asctaCONVENTION is almost upon us and of our risk register. the changes are evident. A new location and venue, consolidated timeframe, enhanced exhibition area, In summary unified awards dinner, one welcome function for everyone and a great program to look forward to. A ASCTA is the home for coaches, teachers and swim large group of members were engaged to get feedback schools. I hope you will stick with us on our journey on the topics, presenters and social functions. After all of continuous improvement so we can better support the hard work pulling this together, I’m confident we our amazing community of people who are so will get the numbers to make it great! passionate about swimming and water safety.

We ran an International conference in Singapore in June Please let us know if you want more detail on any the 2017 and are hosting another one in Shanghai in May above items. There are still lots of ideas and areas we 2018. Meanwhile, planning is well and truly underway want to embark on. As I’ve said from the outset, I’m for an International Swim Schools conference in July keen for feedback on how we are doing and where 2018 in conjunction with the United States Swim we should be doing it in the future. We are here for Schools Association. Check out our website for more you! We want and need you to be successful and I details on these events. will SHOUT that from the rooftops until I’m blue in the face. So, keep us on task and keep the feedback Our series of Swim Info sessions held throughout coming… Australia in 2017 was highly successful and we are running these again in 2018 with the intention of Yours in swimming combining these with the State ASCTA conferences where possible.

Partnerships Brendon We have entered into partnerships with a number of organisations to help you be more successful as a coach, teacher or swim school. These include Make it Cheaper for savings on your home and/or business electricity bills, Gold Class Coaching to continue your professional development and Dita Solutions for our on-line course platform. We will look at more partnerships in the future to extend what’s on offer to all members.

6 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA SNAPSHOT of 2017

OUR COMMUNITY

Coaches Swim 6915 Teachers Schools active Contacts members WE DELIVERED 4 TAKING THE LEAD Journals

for Fitness Industry Award 200,000 Coaches, ATO GST Exemption Swimming Matters Teachers & Coach Education & Accreditation Swim Schools ADVOCACY 625 Courses 40 for 181 Current Presenters E-Newsletters Coaches, 12 International Teachers & Swim Schools 21 Assistant Presenters EDUCATION 1000 1 International Conference (Singapore) 1 National Conference Social Media Posts 4 State Conferences for Coaches, 12 SwimINFO Conferences Over 1/2 million Teachers & 8 PBC Expos with 10,000 contacts

EVENTS HELD Swim Schools and 100,000 reach distribution Resources 697 ASCTA CONFERENCE ATTENDEES WE ATTENDED16 STATE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WHAT’S COMING UP AND VISITED 73 SWIM SCHOOLS

Our Partners Practical Qld Dept of Sport & Recreation Member Make It Cheaper Coach Royal Engagement Kids Alive Life SavingVorgee Development Optus Junior Dolphins Autocoach Make It Cheaper Qld Dept of Sport & Recreation

Kids Kids Alive Safety Council Safety

Vorgee Alive Swimming Australia Water Australian Australian Water Safety Council Marsh Insurance SAT New Gold Class Swimming Royal Life Saving Make It Cheaper Courses IT Swimming Australia Optus Junior Dolphins

Marsh Insurance Kids Alive Autocoach Qld Dept of Sport & Recreation Re-developed Platform

Make It Cheaper Vorgee Gold Class Swimming 2018 Australian Water Safety Council Autocoach

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 7 Upcoming asctaCONVENTION 2018 HIGHLIGHTS Wednesday 2nd May Day 3 / Saturday 5th May The Swim School Tour makes a return spending 30 Industry experts Haydn Belshaw, Debby Tattoli, minutes at each of four local Swim Schools. Swim Shannon Townsend and Jade Edmistone present the Australia’s Executive Officer, Gary Toner will host the first ever practical session ‘Lets Get Wet’ during the interactive networking tour. teaching stream. It’s a great chance for delegates to get wet while hearing from these dynamic presenters. Day 1 / Thursday 3rd May The Gold Accreditation Course has recently been reformatted and the only module that requires face to asctaCONVENTION 2018 opens with a bang with face delivery – ‘Race Modelling and Preparation’ will Crows Women’s Head Coach, Bec Goddard be presented for the first time. delivering a plenary session on ‘Building a Successful Team’. The buzz will continue into the break as A great lead into the Awards Gala is plenary session delegates experience for the first time the trade on ‘The Pursuit of Success’ presented by former swim exhibitors who will have a range of products including coach and now motivational speaker Bill Nelson. This goggles, caps, fins, heating, pool covers, software and year the asctaAWARDS and Swim Australia Awards more on show. dinners have been combined into an entertaining Awards Gala presented by and International presenters John Leonard, Matthew . Coaches, Teachers and Swim Schools Lane and Julie-Ann James all make an appearance. will be recognised for their achievements and hard The newly formatted Silver Accreditation Course is work throughout 2017. delivered for the first time as part of asctaCONVENTION 2018. Day one will end on a good vibe with the welcome function and the presentation of asctaRINGS. Day 4 / Sunday 6th May

Day 2 / Friday 4th May 2018 Australian Commonwealth Games Attaché Andrew Baildon opens proceedings with a plenary Day 2 starts nice and early at 5.30am with the session on ‘Commonwealth Games Review and opportunity to watch Olympic Team Coach David Lush Legacy’. delivering a training session with his elite swimmers To ensure that ASCTA / Swim Australia’s brand and including , and Minna reputation is being enhanced through consistent and Atherton. Regular proceedings begin with a plenary professional course presenters, the inaugural Swim session from Paul Greenberg, CEO of National Online Australia Presenter Workshop will be a must for all Retail Association. course presenters. Teaching babies ‘guru’ and his A concept borrowed from our American counterparts daughter Emma Lawrence present and host the is Q&A sessions with Sergio Lopez and John Leonard. annual Swim Australia Teacher of Babies and Toddlers Delegates will have the opportunity to tap into the Course and Babies and Toddlers Workshop. With the wealth of knowledge these two coaches have. relocation of the Convention, delegates will for the first time visit the AquaLogan Laurie Lawrence Swim asctaCONVENTION 2018 finishes on a high note with School in Underwood. the only coach to have a swimmer achieve an individual gold medal at a major competition in 2017, David A world class line up of coaches to present ‘Senior Lush presenting on ‘Competition Planning for Peak Strokes Session’ including Keynote Presenters Sergio Performance. Lopez, Budapest World Championships Australian Team Coach, Scott Talbot and Windsor Short Course World Championships Australian Team Coach, Shaun Crow.

8 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Keynote Presenters

PAUL GREENBERG (SOUTH AFRICA/AUSTRALIA) Paul Greenberg is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and advisor who’s career includes directorships in commercial enterprises and charities, and investment in start-ups. Having co-founded the hugely successful DealsDirect online department store in 2004, Paul is often regarded as a pioneer of online retail in Australia. The challenges and frustrations he faced during this time led to the founding of NORA – a dynamic, forward-facing industry body designed to help businesses overcome their obstacles and succeed.

A positive and motivating speaker, Paul has spent years educating and entertaining audiences locally and abroad with his engaging and insightful presentations. He is passionate about uplifting the spirits of retailers nationwide and always seeks to provide a ‘glass half-full’ perspective.

Paul’s unwavering commitment to supporting the constantly evolving and vastly diverse retail community saw him top Demandware’s Influencer 50 list in 2016. Paul has a degree in Psychology from the University of Stellenbosch.

BILL NELSON (AUSTRALIA) Bill Nelson is an elite international sporting coach who has turned his knowledge of developing peak team and individual performance into a world-class corporate consultancy, Total Performance Concepts Pty Ltd.

Businesses, defence forces, educational institutions, local government, and elite sporting programs throughout the world rely on Bill’s wisdom of the science of performance improvement through leadership, team building and the development of organisational culture.

After providing his insight and experience exclusively to Olympic or elite level athletes for many years, Bill expanded his scope and now coaches and mentors a wide variety of leading business organisations and personnel.

ANDREW BAILDON (AUSTRALIA) Andrew Baildon is a former freestyle and butterfly swimming champion, who represented Australia in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Andrew was a medalist at the in Auckland, New Zealand where he became the first swimmer in the Commonwealth to break the 50 second barrier for the 100m freestyle, when he smashed his own Commonwealth record to win gold (49.80s), and the in Victoria, Canada. He was a medalist in 4 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.[1]

In 1990, Andrew achieved No. 1 World ranking for 100m Butterfly (Short Course). Andrew was the Australian Team Representative for over a decade, the Australian record holder for the 50 and 100 metre freestyle from 1989 - 1996 and the Commonwealth record holder for most of that period. He was ranked in the top twenty swimmers in the world for over a decade.

Andrew was the Australian Team Captain in 1993 and 1994 (when Australia achieved one of its best pool performances at the Commonwealth Games in Canada).

Andrew was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his service to sport. Andrew was instrumental in the successful Commonwealth Games Bid in St Kits & Nevis, bringing the to the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Member of the Sport & Technical Committee for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Chairman of the Athletes Advisory Board for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Member of the Queensland State Government's Legacy Committee for the 2018 Games.

Andrew and wife Karen own and manage 3 successful Swim schools and Jetts Health clubs on the Gold Coast and .

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 9          

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10 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Celebrate the achievements of Coaches, Teachers and Swim Schools at our unified inaugural 2018 Awards Gala

for

oin us Saturday 5th May Tickets available when you register at asctaconvention.ascta.com

PRESENTER WORKSHOP Inaugural Course Sunday 6th May 2pm - 5pm Ensure that Swim Australia’s brand and reputation is being enhanced through consistent and professional representation by empowering all Swim Australia Presenters with the knowledge and skills required to deliver our training courses effectively, enthusiastically and with professionalism. Register Today asctaconvention.ascta.com

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 11 Swimming Australia, with the support of ASCTA, is pleased to announce a new and exciting program THE COACH RECOGNITION PROGRAM The purpose of the Program is to acknowledge those coaches who have contributed to the career of an athlete who goes on to represent Australia as a member of the Australian Dolphins Swim Team.

The first stage of this Program is to recognise the age group coaches of the 2017 Australian Dolphin Rookies. Coaches who guided, developed and influenced these athletes through their formative years at the Age Nationals level.

We would like to say thank you to the coaches for their hard work, commitment and dedication in developing young swimmers who go on to wear the green and gold for their country.

Congratulations and thank you for your service

In recognition of coach In recognition of coach In recognition of coach PAUL DOBSON KIMBERLEY NORTON who is currently coaching and CAROLINE HAYES who contributed to the career of guiding the career of (absent on the night) Australian Dolphins Swim Team who contributed to the career of Australian Dolphins Swim Team representative representative Jasmine Greenwood Australian Dolphins Swim Team (Swimmer #788) representative Jack Cartwright (Swimmer #P298) who debuted for the Dolphins at the (Swimmer #782) who debuted for the Dolphins at the 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships Who debuted for the Dolphins at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships Kimberley was unable to attend the presentation but Jasmine accepted the award on her behalf.

12 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA In recognition of coach #C50 In recognition of coach #C121 In recognition of coach IAN POPE JOHN WALLACE MICHAEL BROMLEY Who contributed to the career of who contributed to the career of who contributed to the career of Australian Dolphins Swim Team Australian Dolphins Swim Team Australian Dolphins Swim Team representative Daniel Cave representative Kaylee McKeown representative Louis Townsend (Swimmer #783) (Swimmer #786) (Swimmer #787) who debuted for the Dolphins at the Debutant in Budapest at the who represented the Dolphins for the first time 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships at the 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships

In recognition of coach #C106 In recognition of coach In recognition of coach ROBERT HINDMARSH TONI SMITH IAN MILLS who contributed to the career of who contributed to the career of who contributed to the career of Australian Dolphins Swim Team Australian Dolphins Swim Team Australian Dolphins Swim Team representative representative Zac Incerti representative Holly Barratt (Swimmer #781) (Swimmer #785) (Swimmer #784) who debuted for the Dolphins at the who debuted for the Dolphins at the who debuted for the Dolphins at the 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships

SWIM COACH ADVANTAGE SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT OF $50.00 OFF SWIM COACH Swim Coach Advantage ADVANTAGE MEMBERSHIP WHEN YOU USE YOUR CODE ‘ASCTA’ Gold Class Swimming conducts FREE monthly webinars on a range of topics for Swim Coaches. Join the team live or watch them in your own time. Visit ascta.com/webinars for more details and to sign up for the next webinar. swimcoachadvantage.com

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 13 70 Strong Australian Swim Team named for Gold Coast Games

Commonwealth Games Australia has announced a swimming gold medallist, congratulated the team, 70-strong swimming team for next month’s 2018 Gold saying: "We have witnessed a great few days up here Coast Commonwealth Games. on the Gold Coast at the Australian Swimming Trials. “There has been some amazing performances The team was announced on the Gold Coast following throughout the trials and it has really given us a great the four-day Hancock Prospecting Australian taste of the action we can expect to see from our team Swimming Trials at the Optus Aquatic Centre. in April. It is very exciting.

Made up of 49 able-bodied swimmers and 21 Para- “I know how special it is to be named on an Australian sport athletes, Queensland dominated team selection Commonwealth Games Team and I feel extremely with 40, followed by NSW (10), Victoria (nine), WA (six) humble to welcome these 70 swimmers on to TeamAUS and SA (five). for Gold Coast 2018."

The team continues swimming’s strong family ties at National head coach Jacco Verhaeren said: “I am very the Commonwealth Games with three sets of siblings; pleased with the people that qualified. I think we've Chandler sisters Cate and ; Griffith got, almost without exception I'd say, the best people University’s sister-brother combination Emma and in their best events. David McKeon and USC Spartans sisters Kaylee and Taylor McKeown. “I think that's important because if you want to defend titles and want to make the most out of the medal There is also a father daughter on the team with prospects in five weeks’ time you need your best people Griffith University’s and father, team there. coach Michael Bohl. “We want a full team and we want to compete in every It was a special night for the Bohls and the McKeons event for medals. It's as simple as that. – with Michael Bohl along with Ron McKeon and wife Susie Woodhouse all members of the 1982 “The A times are the reference, top eight in the world Commonwealth Games team in Brisbane. is our goal. You know that's our yardstick for how we track and what we want to achieve. The two youngest members of the team are 13-year- old Jasmine Greenwood (Bay and Basin) and 16-year- “And that will be the yardstick as well for Pan Pacs old Kaylee McKeown while the oldest members of the later on in the year because then we're going back to A group are Holly Barratt (UWA) and (North qualifying times without any exemption. ) 31. “But this is Commonwealth Games and it's always great actually to be able to select a little bit of a broader Commonwealth Games Australia Team Executive team. Andrew Baildon - a five time Commonwealth Games

14 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA “It's great that they can grow experience in a multidisciplinary environment like the Olympics really; and it's one of the very rare events you actually have where you can practice being in that environment and definitely Rio and London 2012 showed that that is really necessary.” Verhaeren was excited with the crop of new faces on the Games team, praising Swimming Australia’s Pathways Program.

“We are working with our pathway performance staff, Jamie Salter and Glen Berringen and they work hard on developing systems, together with the State head coaches to basically pick up any young swimmer that has that potential,” said Verhaeren.

“We're definitely trying to get more systemised and Cate had a stellar trials, also claiming the 100m pick up these guys. freestyle crown and took gold in her new event, the 50m butterfly. “ was one of those guys actually as well. Campbell's mark was the third National record broken at the trials, with her own 50m butterfly National mark, “Three years before the Olympics he was invisible and and 17-year-old ' new mark in the 400m then suddenly he is picked up and goes to a great coach freestyle this week plus a world record for our para and great program and becomes the world's fastest sport swimmer . swimmer. “It is a personal best. They don't come around often at “And sometimes it can work like that and with so the ripe old age of 25 so I will take them when I can," many fantastic facilities and school swimming and Campbell laughed. everything, there's still a lot (of talent) out there that Campbell said she now felt vindicated taking a 2017 we still have to explore.” sabbatical to deal with her Rio Olympic disappointment Other major results from the trials were : despite some early concerns.

Cate Campbell capped a stunning return to the team "To be honest the first couple of weeks [back in with a record breaking 50m freestyle win on the pool] I was a bit worried but after a while your body final night in front of a packed Aquatic Centre; which remembers. included a host of swimming legends, vocal fans, VIPs "It's a big weight off my shoulders knowing I can come and the Patron of our sport, Mrs Gina Rinehart. out and improve under pressure. Campbell clocked 23.79 seconds, 0.05 under her "I feel I am in a much better place to cope with that." National mark set in 2016 with Bronte second and club mate Shayna Jack third – taking the Campbells tally to Besides Campbell, former dual world champion James seven quinellas at the last seven National titles. Magnussen's comeback from a year off also ended in

continued next page SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 15 smiles after snatching his final chance to nab a top champion James Magnussen (Ravenswood) fourth in three finish and earn an individual swim for the Games. 48.79 ensuring he gets a berth in Australia’s 4 x100m freestyle relay. Returning from a break, Magnussen finished third in the 50m freestyle final with injury plagued veteran In the 100m finals it was swimming’s power James Roberts securing his first national title at the couple Emily Seebohm (Brisbane Grammar) and Mitch age of 26. Larkin (SPW) who both secured A qualifying times.

Roberts clocked 21.97 seconds ahead of Cam McEvoy Seebohm who went under the A qualifying standard in with Magnussen claiming bronze. 59.15 to secure a place on her third Commonwealth Games team with Hayley Baker ( Vicentre) Meanwhile, former-world champion backstroker now under coach Tracey Menzies securing second claimed an upset 400m individual medley place in 59.95 ahead of 16-year-old Kaylee McKeown gold then backed up in the next event to earn 50m (USC Spartans) 1:00.09 both under the B time. backstroke bronze behind winner Zac Incerti. The result of 200m backstroke saw Kaylee McKeon Ariarne Titmus who swum her way into swimming’s claim title by smallest winning margin out touching history books – becoming the first swimmer in 14 years Emily Seebohm 2.08.23/2.08.24. and only the sixth Australian ever to take out the 200, 400 and 800 metres freestyle treble. Meanwhile dual world champion and St Peters Western The 17-year-old from St Peters Western added the prodigal son Larkin announced his return to form with 800m crown in 8:20.08 - a personal best time and the a convincing win in the men’s 100m backstroke. second fastest time ever by an Australian – with only The 24-year-old stopped the clock in 53.57 to take dual Olympian and tonight’s silver medallist Jessica the win in a Commonwealth games A-qualifying time Ashwood (Chandler) ever having swum faster in 2016. ahead of a fast finishing Bradley Woodward (54.24, Mingara) and (54.40, Somerset). Olympic champion , swimming from lane one, was forced into unfamiliar territory before For Larkin last year was a learning curve, changing winning his first freestyle Australian title coaches and struggling to get into the groove. Making after scraping into the final by the skin of his teeth. the move back to St Peters Western, this time under the guidance of Dean Boxall, Larkin said the key to his And in an extraordinary set of circumstances Jack success tonight was learning to trust himself. Cartwright (St Peters Western) who dead-heated for seventh with Chalmers in the heats, finished second, The men’s 200m butterfly saw a blanket finish as from lane eight. eight men flew down the final 50 metres, searching desperately for selection. It was TSS Aquatics’ David Chalmers (Marion) turned in second place behind Morgan who broke away from the pack to take first James Roberts and still motored home in Kyle place in 1:56.73, narrowly missing an A-qualifying time fashion to claim the title and his second individual but securing his place at the top of the podium. Commonwealth Games swim in 48.16 with Cartwright touching for silver in 48.60. In the women’s 200m it was defending Commonwealth Games champion Taylor McKeown Defending champion and fastest qualifier Cam McEvoy (USC Spartans) who touched the wall in a B qualifying (Bond) was third in 48.62 to put his hand up for an time of 2:23.87 ahead of fast finishing Tessa Wallace individual Games spot, with former two-time world (Pelican Waters Caloundra) 2:24.41 and Georgia Bohl (Griffith University) 2:25.52.

Emma McKeon (Griffith) added her fourth individual race for the Games – winning the 100m butterfly in an A qualifying time of 57.13 ahead of fellow Olympian (UWSC) 57.42 – both A times with Olympic silver medallist over 200m (Griffith) third in a B time of 58.45.

Leiston Pickett (Southport Olympic) won her sixth national title in the 50m breaststroke in a B qualifying time of 30.60 to give herself a chance of winning a third consecutive Commonwealth Games title, while Rio Olympic silver medallist in the relay (USC Spartans) added the 50m to the 100m breaststroke in 27.33.

16 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA (UWSC) motored home to win the 200IM in 2:12.81 to put herself in the game as did David Morgan (TSS Aquatic) and his B time of 52.32 to win the men’s 100m butterfly.

Para sport winners were Tim Disken (PLC) in the 100m breaststroke (SB8) in 1:12.39; (Chandler) in the 10m breaststroke SB9 in 1:18.67 and Liam Schulter (Kawana Waters) 200mfreestyle for S14s in 1:56.69.

"Swimming up a class ( classification) is a mammoth effort. Going into it, I just had to have the mentality of it doesn't matter who they (the other swimmers) are and what class they are. I just have to do the best I could personally do and I went as hard as I could" said Lakeisha Patterson on setting a WR and swimming up a classification.

Australian swimming team for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (49 able-bodied, 21 Para-Sport athletes): Paige Leonhardt (Qld), Matthew Levy (NSW), Clyde Jessica Ashwood (Qld), Minna Atherton (Qld), Jesse Lewis (Qld), James Magnussen (NSW), Aungles (SA), Meg Bailey (NSW), Hayley Baker (Vic), (SA), Ashleigh McConnell (Vic), Cameron McEvoy (Qld), Holly Barratt (WA), Joshua Beaver (Vic), James McKechnie (SA), David McKeon (Qld), Emma (Vic), Georgia Bohl (Qld), Rohan Bright (NSW), Bronte McKeon (Qld), Kaylee McKeown (Qld), Taylor McKeown Campbell (Qld), (Qld), Jack Cartwright (Qld), Jack McLoughlin (Qld), Kiah Melverton (Qld), (Qld), Kyle Chalmers (SA), (Qld), Ellie David Morgan (Qld), (Qld), Jake Packard Cole (Qld), Timothy Disken (Vic), (Qld), Lakeisha Patterson (Qld), Leiston Pickett (WA), Blair Evans (WA), (Qld), Alexander (Qld), (Qld), James Roberts (Qld), Liam Graham (Qld), Jasmine Greenwood (NSW), Madeline Schluter (Qld), (Vic), Emily Seebohm Groves (Qld), Matthew Haanappel (Vic), Brenden (Qld), (Qld), Zac Stubblety-Cook Hall (Qld), (Vic), George Harley (WA), (Qld), Laura Taylor (Qld), (NSW), (NSW), (Vic), Liam Hunter Brianna Throssell (WA), Ariarne Titmus (Qld), Ben (Qld), Zac Incerti (WA), (Qld), Shayna Jack Treffers (Qld), Tessa Wallace (Qld), Matthew Wilson (Qld), (NSW), Mitchell Larkin (Qld), (NSW), (Qld), Bradley Woodward (NSW).

Head Coach: Jacco Verhaeren Mentor Coaches: Rohan Taylor, Coaches: Peter Bishop (SA), Michael Bohl (QLD), Dean Boxall (QLD), Harley Connolly (QLD), Simon Cusack (QLD), Nathan Doyle (QLD), Craig Jackson (VIC), Adam Kable (NSW), David Lush (QLD), Chris Mooney (QLD), Chris Nesbit (QLD), Vince Raleigh (QLD), Richard Scarce (QLD), Gavin Stewart (NSW), Yuriy Vdovychenko (ACT).

Courtesy Swimming Australia

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 17 Sharing experience to build a sport

Williamstown Open Water Swim Coaching | Jason Bryce

How does a promising young distance Open water swimming in Victoria was going nowhere. freestyler suddenly step up to a whole new While the public participation open water swims (like the famous Lorne Pier to Pub) continued to boom in environment and compete in the sea? How popularity, the Victorian Open Water Championships does a coach who has always walked a pool were in big trouble. It was not an important or deck transition themselves to the ocean? essential part of the calendar for most clubs, coaches That's two big questions and here is a third, and swimmers. Numbers were trending down. They even bigger question: How does a pool- were in freefall in fact. Less than one hundred total participants entered the 2014 VOWC. For me and many based sport prepare competitors for OW other lovers of efficient distance freestyle, this was championship events? something of a tragedy. Something had to change. Swimming Victoria acted and in 2015 the VOWC was brought into Melbourne - to Williamstown Beach on Intervals and laps are the centrepiece of training for Port Phillip Bay. That made the event accessible and our sport and always will be. But for years I witnessed turned it into a salt water ocean race. age group pool swimmers get thrown, quite literally, into the deep end, when the open water championships As our Australian Dolphins Rio Olympic rep Jarrod came around. Good distance freestylers were not Poort says – "Real open water swimming is in the sea." readily transitioning to the open water. And super fit No longer did swimmers need to travel to the country triathletes kept approaching me for advice. Always for a weekend away swimming in a lake in early some variation of this - "I can smash out big sets in October. The VOWC was suddenly the final day of racing the pool but on race day the swim leg gets me every of the state titles in mid-December. Swimmers could time." Young swimmers and adults were trying open come straight from a week of racing at Melbourne water swimming once or twice and not coming back. Sports and Aquatic Centre to the beach for a final hit Promising athletes were not reaching their potential out before Christmas break. So, the 2015 VOWC was a in the open water because something was missing in much bigger event but that was just one part of turning their preparation. the event around.

18 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Building a bigger event means supporting more do 50 x 100m in the pool but you don't have the cool swimmers who are inexperienced in the open water. water temperature, the salt taste, the wind, the chop, Sure you can swim a 1500m in the pool, but that is the currents, the plants and animals. These can all be a sprint compared to 5,000 or 10,000m in choppy 18 hurdles to good performance. A good OW competitor degree sea conditions. So, three months before the needs to love these things, not fear them. And that only 2015 VOWC at Williamstown we started teaching OW comes with many enjoyable sessions spent in the open swimming at the beach. Every Saturday morning, we water. welcomed swimmers from all clubs who wanted to show up. Age group competitors, masters swimmers, I asked one of our regulars and 2018 nationals triathletes and weekend warriors found us and competitor, Joachim Zerelli (Kew SC, coach Darren swamped us with demand for coaching. That was in Tullberg), what he got out of our OW training sessions September 2015 and we have been there teaching and and he said this: "I have been training at Williamstown swimming every week through spring, summer and with the Mussels and Jason for a couple of years now autumn ever since. because I was bored with doing distance training in a pool for hours on end, and I found that my sighting What have we learned about OW coaching? Open water skills were limited." "I have greatly benefited from swimming is often sold to teenagers and their parents swimming at Williamstown every Saturday. I feel as an alternative route to the national level, even a short confident and prepared now when I compete in cut to nationals. Qualifying times seem very achievable open water competitions." Another national level on paper for good freestylers, but of course that is just competitor who includes regular OW training sessions part of the story. "You are looking for the swimmers in his weekly training schedule is Morgan Morffew who take hurdles in their stride and don't complain (Melbourne H20 SC, coach Michael Skrodzki). Morgan about every little thing. You don't want princes and tries to include three OW sessions per week, but he is princesses trying OWS." That's what my instructor told relatively new to sea swimming.We started with a lot of our class when I did my open water coaching certificate joking and laughing and now he's bringing home real and we all love to see those incredibly courageous results and amazing times over 5km. "I saw Morgan performances in the OW from athletes with hearts like gain confidence in the water with you," said his dad Tim Pharlap. At Williamstown I have seen a young swimmer "He learnt new sighting techniques and the experience podium in the 5km with a broken nose courtesy of a was far better than trying to do that in the pool." bump sustained at the first marker. But I have also seen 70 rescues and assisted returns in a single day Working with clubs and other coaches as a coach, I don't of competition. I've helped fit, strong seventeen-year want my swimmers listening too intently to the stroke olds with hypothermia, hyperthermia, body cramps, correction ideas of someone else and, of course, I want jellyfish stings and extreme panic attacks. my swimmers to keep showing up to my squads and sign long term contracts with me. Our OW program was We can't count on finding Pharlap every year, but we originally developed with the lifesaving club to support have a responsibility to teach and look after everyone entrants in the championship and public participation who turns up wanting a go. So, most importantly, we OWS events at Williamstown. We enjoy the support of insist on regular sessions in the open water. Not at volunteers from Williamstown SLSC and their ocean the expense of pool work, but a weekly add-on to the swimming club The Mussels. So our service must be pool timetable is what we recommend. No matter how available to anyone who turns up, no matter what club well a swimmer is training in the pool, they can't be they belong to or who they are coached by. expected to dive into the sea and do well on the back of just one or two acclimatisation swims. Yes, you can continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 19 WSLSC and the swim buddies from The Mussels. In truth, the stars aligned for us at Williamstown, because we could not run multiclass OW swimming without all these organisations co-operating.

Some of the participants have gone on to score medals and podium finishes at championship and public participation open water events, both in their class and even in their general age group. These are strong pool swimmers who had rarely ventured into the open water. The key performance indicator for this activity was the increased confidence and enjoyment we helped create generally among all participants. Being part of something bigger. For that co-operative, inclusive approach to work, I must There were about 300 entrants in the 2017 Victorian agree to leave stroke correction to their pool coach and Open Water Championships and another 900 members focus just on the OW skills only, like sighting, straight of the public swam in the public participation events swimming, drafting, group swimming and dealing with held on the same day. That's 200 per cent growth in a the conditions. I know there are other coaches and very short time. companies working in the OW arena who take different approaches. But results are speaking for themselves. The moral of the story is this - We made the events This is working for all parties. My own swimmers get accessible, we supported the swimmers and the sport their beautiful, efficient freestyle from coming to my benefited. We identified a shortage of experience pool squads. When I'm coaching at the beach, it's OW among coaches (and competitors) and set out to fill skills only. the gap. Our non-exclusive, add-on service is sharing experience and skills and, we like to think, helping in a Can OWS embrace multiclass athletes? To be honest, I small way to build the sport. was reluctant to find out, but the local Special Olympics coach persisted in asking me to host some clinics and we discovered a whole new experience to enjoy - swimming with people who don’t often get to explore Jason Bryce is a swim teacher and coach the deep blue sea. But supporting swimmers with based in Melbourne's west. A competitive special needs is a labour-intensive operation requiring swimmer as a teenager in Sydney, Jason was coached by Forbes and Ursula Carlisle at Ryde competent swim buddies, safety volunteers and and first worked as a swim teacher in 1983. coaches. So not surprisingly, there was no multiclass In 2015, Jason pioneered competitive open categories in open water events in Victoria before 2016 water swim coaching at Williamstown and has and no way for multiclass swimmers to train in the open also developed a new pathway framework for water. Now that is changing, and coaches need to work adult swimmers at the YMCA's Kensington Community Recreation Centre. This new out how to support swimmers who want to try the OW. program caters for graduates of learn to swim We got great support from Special Olympics Victoria, classes and swimmers who are not confident enough to join a Inclusive Sports Training, the volunteer lifesavers at 'squad.'

20 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA An association exists for its members. Our vision is Developing Lifelong Swimmers to Thrive and Succeed and our purpose is to be the home for coaches, teachers and swim schools. We can only achieve this vision through you, our members, by having everything in place to enable, develop and serve you to the best of our ability. This means we need to know who you are, what you do and how we can best assist you to be successful. This inevitably involves advocating on your behalf, providing high quality products and services which are desired by you, and ensuring you are as engaged as you want to be. Following discussion and agreement from the ASCTA Board, changes have been made to the membership categories and a slight increase in membership fees as ConnectionLeadership Opportunity detailed below. In line with this, Lifelong Swimmers to Thrive & SucceedExpertise Innovation

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Every sport – in every nation – talks about the In sporting terms, Sport Drop Zone 1 is often the place phenomenon of the sport “drop out rate”, i.e. where teachers and coaches encourage young athletes to play one sport or another and to start to specialize. the rate at which kids drop out from playing competitive sport during their teenage years. It is typical around this age and stage for swimming coaches to require swimmers to make a commitment Everyone’s got a theory to explain sport drop out. to regular squad training or to increase their swimming training load in the pursuit of competitive goals at “They were pushed too hard too early”. regional, state or national championship level. “Life caught up with them and they wanted to try other things”. Swimming Drop Out Zone 1: Real Life Story “They became focused on their school grades and couldn’t Danielle was 12 years of age and was swimming 6 times a continue training and playing competitive sport”. week in her Club’s “State Squad”. She had been accepted into a great high school which was located over 30 minutes’ But there is a way to decrease the sport drop out rate drive from her home. This meant that she couldn’t stay and it starts with understanding the three Sport Drop in the water to complete her morning workouts, i.e. she Zones. needed to get out of the pool early as she needed to be on the school bus, and that she would be late for afternoon Sport Drop Zone 1: Entry to High School workouts. At Sport Drop Zone 1, kids are changing rapidly: Her mum met with her coach to discuss the situation and developmentally, biologically, physically, emotionally to try and come up with a solution. and even geographically as they make the transition from being “little-kids” to “big-kids”. Her coach said that as she couldn’t make all the required workouts, she couldn’t be part of the “State” squad and In primary school they usually have one teacher, a would therefore need to drop back to the “Junior Strokes” small group of friends and the focus is on learning program. and growing in a safe, fun-filled, family and friendship orientated education environment. High school means Danielle was disappointed at the coach’s lack of flexibility many new teachers, new ideas, new friends and new as she was determined to train hard for the next State ways of doing things. Their minds, their experiences Championships. and their engagement with the world is changing rapidly. Her new school also had a swimming club and she decided to leave her existing club – even though it saddened her There are also significant developmental changes to leave several of her good friends and the Club she’d happening which underpin much of what the athlete grown up with – and join the school swimming program. thinks and does.

22 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Questions to consider: Athletes in this Sport Drop Zone are also experiencing • How could the coach and the Club have handled this several significant and important developmental, social situation differently? and physical changes all of which have the potential to • Have you encountered similar situations? impact on their capacity, desire and ability to train for • How have you resolved them? and play competitive sport. • How can you provide individual swimmers with the Swimming coaches will lament this period as “the” environment and opportunity to fulfil their own unique most challenging in terms of athlete drop out. Many needs – but do this within a team or squad situation? swimmers when faced the complexity of the four Ss i.e.: Sport Drop Zone 2: Entry to “Serious” High School • School Around their mid-teens, usually prompted by their • Sport parents and their school teachers, kids start to • Social Commitments consider their future a little more seriously. • Spending, i.e. finding part time / casual work

The “big” question, i.e. “what do you want to do for the will by necessity prioritize their commitments, with rest of your life” starts to become more important and a swimming often coming in a distant fourth behind lot more serious and kids are routinely told “it’s time” school, spending (i.e. work) and social commitments. to start studying hard, to think about their future and to As one old coaching colleague once put it, “The ‘Fumes’ consider their possible career direction. get them: car fumes and pur-fumes. They want freedom. They want to experience life. They’re growing up”. In many nations, where academic success is prized and valued far more highly than sporting success, kids in Swimming Drop Out Zone 2: Real Life Story their mid-teens simply walk away from all competitive Errol was 15 and a National age qualified swimmer who sport to concentrate on their school studies. swam in a competitive swim squad seven times a week.

He was a good student and decided he wanted to complete an engineering degree at University. This would mean not only working hard during school time, but he would need to attend additional maths and physics tutorials after school two afternoons a week. This would also mean he couldn’t attend all his usual afternoon swimming workouts. In addition, he had a dream to start saving for a car and had found a part-time casual job to earn some money on weekends. As a result, he wouldn’t be able to attend all the swimming carnivals he would like to.

Errol met with his coach and they tried to put together a program where Errol could continue to swim but at the same time manage his study and work commitments. They came up with three things they could do to try and help Errol achieve his goals:

1. Errol would target only four Meets a year – but would attend other Meets when possible for race practice and to support the Club as a member of the Club’s relay teams. 2. He would complete two extra swim sessions on weekends – swimming one additional session with the Junior squad early on Saturday morning – and another with the Masters group early on Sunday mornings which would allow him to get some training done and still make his weekend work commitments. 3. He would start doing two running sessions a week with his school’s cross country running group which would allow him to keep aerobically fit and as running training was conducted during lunchtimes, it wouldn’t

continued next page SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 23 impact on his existing school, work or swimming The University didn’t have a pool or a swimming club. commitments. They approached their long-time coach to discuss the issues and to try and find a solution. The coach asked Questions to Consider: them about their potential availability for squad training. • How do you feel the coach and Errol managed this situation? They responded that their study commitments – (particularly with travelling by public transport to and • How could it have been done better / differently? from the University campus over 80 kilometres away) – • Have you faced similar situations in your own meant that they couldn’t attend any practices during the program? How have you resolved similar situations? week but they could make Saturday morning workouts. • What do believe may have happened if the coach The coach came back to them with a plan – and a flexible, would have reacted differently and refused to offer a innovative way to keep the swimmers connected to the flexible training and racing program to Errol? sport.

Sport Drop Zone 3: Entry to University (or the He suggested: Workforce). 1. Let’s modify your competition goals to specifically In Sport Drop Zone 3, the Entry to University (or the target 50 metre and 100 metre sprint events plus you Workforce), athletes are facing considerable life can swim relays for the Club whenever you can. changes. 2. I’ve got a great connection to a Fitness Trainer in the gym at your University who can meet you three times For those athletes continuing their studies, there are a week for H.I.I.T. training, cardio workouts, core- pressures to gain entry into the “right” University, to training and some weight workouts. be accepted into the “right” courses and the pressures of overcoming more practical challenges like finding 3. I’ll also write you three pool workouts a week which affordable and appropriate accommodation. There’s you need to find time to do together around your the need to earn some sort of income to support study, travel and other commitments. themselves as they study. There’s a desire for 4. We’ll meet for coffee after Saturday training and independence and freedom, including in many cases discuss how things are progressing and determine the need to purchase a motor vehicle. what changes we need to make to your program for the following week. For many athletes at this age and stage, it’s not about University – it’s about finding a job: about gaining and 5. We’ve also got a Learn to Swim program which runs retaining employment and dealing with the pressures 10 am – 2 pm on Saturday. We can train you to teach managing a new life in the adult workforce. swimming so you can earn some money as well while you’re at the pool and you can stay connected to the Unlike the United States, Australia lacks a well- Club and the sport through teaching. resourced, highly competitive inter-varsity or inter- collegiate swimming system and as a result, swimmers in Drop Zone 3 for the most part have to walk away from the sport all together.

Whilst swimmers in Drop Zone 3 may have the flexibility to train around study and work commitments, it is often the case that coaches and clubs cannot offer flexibility in squad training times and therefore the swimmer has to either train alone or find ways to structure their swimming training and racing around their study and / or work commitments.

Swimming Drop Out Zone 3: Real Life Story Two swimmers – good friends who had grown up swimming and going to high school together - had a problem.

They had both been accepted into the same University program. They were going to study full time – but they loved swimming and didn’t want to give up on the sport all together.

24 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Questions to Consider: Why Kids Fall Out of Love with Their Sport: • How do you believe the coach managed this situation? Explaining Sport Drop Out. • If you were in the same situation, how could you have There are many reasons why kids fall out of love with handled it differently? Better? their sport including: • How flexible do you believe coaches need to be • It stopped being fun. This is without doubt the in order to help their swimmers maintain their number one reason athletes drop out at each of the connection with the sport? sport drop zones. • The athlete developed and progressed – but their At each of these three Drop Zones, the developmental, coach didn't. Coaches need to learn, to grow and to social and other needs of athletes change considerably develop at a rate as fast – or even faster than the and as a result, what they are looking for in their sports athletes they are coaching. experience – their sport “relationship” also changes. Their coach didn’t adapt, change and innovate Every sport experiences the “drop-zones”. The • in line with the athlete’s changing needs. It is question is why? unreasonable to expect that an athlete will continue to need or to accept the same coaching methods Why is Knowing and Understanding Sport’s and coaching techniques at 18 years of age as they Drop Zones Important? did when they were 8. We know that the number of kids who are committed to • Something or somewhere else. Coaches, Sporting playing and competing in competitive sport all over the Clubs and sports generally should place far more world is dropping rapidly. emphasis on creating, building and maintaining environments where peer groups can grow and We also know that sporting organizations, sporting flourish as athletes change and mature. clubs and governments across the globe are all rushing Another “relationship” became more appealing. to find effective solutions to address this situation by • Athletes who are not enjoying their sport introducing a wide range of new ideas including: “relationship” or if their sport “relationship” doesn’t • “Modified” versions of sport meet their needs, will seek another relationship – • Shorter and more dynamic “games” based on be that a personal, social, work, study or another different sports sport “relationship”. • E” versions of sport • The sport’s competitive structure didn’t change • More flexible “community-based” and informal, or adapt as the athlete’s needs changed. Far too less structured sporting options. many sports offer the same competitive structure, the same Meets, the same tournaments etc. for Ultimately however, people will do what they love doing. athletes in their late teens as they do for athletes They will make time to do the things that they feel are of in their early teens. value, are rewarding, are meaningful and are providing them with an experience they enjoy. How to STOP the DROP…stopping the Sport The main reason kids drop out of sport is that they Drop Out Phenomenon – Five Tips! stopped loving what they do. Plain and simple. They fell out of love with their sport and they found something 1. School teachers don’t teach advanced else to focus their time, energy and “love” on. calculus to 11 year olds. And they don’t teach simple arithmetic to 17 year olds. Tailor your coaching and If any relationship falls apart – a marriage – a business athlete development activities to be appropriate for the partnership – a friendship – or an athlete-sport age and “stage” of the kids you’re working with relationship – the first question has to be…”why”? 2. Adapt your training and competition It is common practice for swimming coaches to blame structures to the changing needs of the swimmers in the falling numbers in their competitive squads on the your programs. If your training and / or competitive sport’s administration, on the challenges of finding structures do not change as the athletes in your sport and securing stable lane space, on the increasingly grow, change, mature and develop, expect to see a aggressive marketing campaigns of other sports, on significant drop out rate. For example, Swimming financial pressures, on the changing values in society carnivals must become more flexible and better etc. but ultimately, the coach IS the sport. That is, the targeted to meet the changing needs of swimmers as relationship between the sport and the athlete – is the they grow and mature. coach and in many cases, it is the coach – and coaching – that is at the centre of explaining why a swimmer is no longer swimming. continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 25 3. It’s no good coming up with a great solution • Ultimately, people will stay connected with and to the wrong problem. There isn’t a one-size-fits- engaged with experiences and relationships which all solution to the drop out phenomenon. It’s about they enjoy and that meet their needs. Knowing that listening to each and every athlete in your team and – and accepting that athletes change in relatively working with them to develop effective solutions to the predictable ways – coaches, clubs and sporting problems and challenges they are facing. organizations can design and develop better ways of delivering sports experiences to everyone in 4. Be open to new possibilities. There are many their sport. new, innovative, creative and highly effective ways of developing speed, strength, power, flexibility, mobility, core-stability and other physical qualities in athletes. Just because a swimmer can’t commit to the “usual” or “standard” traditional training routines and practice schedules, doesn’t mean they can’t be extraordinary. It is up to the coach to find ways to help the athletes in their program be successful and to fit the program to the athlete – not force the athlete to fit the program.

5. Take time to understand the rationale behind the Sport Drop Out phenomenon and more importantly take time to understand the unique developmental changes each athlete is experiencing at each of the Sport Drop Zones. Wayne Goldsmith is the Managing Director of Moregold Performance Consulting. Over the past 25 years he’s worked with swimmers, coaches, sports scientists, Clubs Summary: and swimming organisations here in Australia and around All sports experience the Sport Drop Out problem. the world from learn to swim right up to international level • high performance competitive swimming. Wayne works with The challenge is – what are you as a swimming swimming clubs, coaches and swimming organisations to help coach going to do about it? them build a sustainably successful client focused culture. Wayne is also the Managing Editor of Swimming Technique • Sports who take time to understand the reasons Magazine and a past winner of the Outstanding Contribution behind their sport’s drop out pattern can develop to Swimming in Australia Award. ways of making sport more engaging, exciting, www.wgcoaching.com relevant and enjoyable for athletes at each of the www.moregold.com.au drop zones and in doing so decrease the likelihood M: 0414 712 074 of the athletes severing their connection with the Email: [email protected] sport. Skype: waynemoregoldsmith

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SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 27 Caeleb Dressel Fastest 100 Yard Breast Race Analysis | John Mullen

February 2018 was the start of the college swimming First 25 Finish (16.4 - 25 yards) conference championships in the USA. As yards swimming continues to progress, we are fortunate to Dressel went 10.48 seconds on the first 25 while taking frequently see the best yards swims of all-time. The only 3 total strokes (read what contributes to fast SEC Championships 2018 started with a boom as breast swimming). This is 0.06 seconds and one total Caeleb Dressel went the fastest 100 yard breast in stroke less than the former record. history. Yes, I know he also went the fastest 200 yard IM in history. Second 25 Yards

For those who haven't followed one of our analyses, Second 15-m (25 -41.4 yards) these analyses are for fun and to spark debate. There Once again Dressel has an amazing turn and pullout. are some inherent flaws in this race analysis: He spends again ~1.5 seconds more than Cordes underwater. He actually is slower than Cordes to the • Videos are taken from YouTube videos (often with 15-m mark on this lap! That was surprising to me and subpar angles) we can assume that was a timing error on my end, • These are analysed with Kinovea but still I think at best it is even to the 15-m mark, • Lets breakdown the fastest 100 yard breast in something we wouldn't think at first glance. During history and compare it to the former record by this distance, Cordes takes 2 strokes compared to only Kevin Cordes of Arizona. 1 stroke by Dressel. Second 25 Finish (41.4 - 50 yards) First 25 Yards Although Dressel was slower to the 15-m mark than The Start and First 15-m (0-16.4 yards) Cordes, he still outsplit Cordes by 0.10 seconds on Without question, Caeleb Dressel has one of the best the second lap. This was due to his superior surface starts of all-time. That includes swimmers of all swimming, closing the lap from the 15-m mark to the events, so it isn't surprising that Mr. Dressel has an wall 0.3 faster than Cordes. explosive start and distance off his start. He breaks the 15-m mark at ~5.17 s compared to Cordes' 5.45 They both took 3 strokes from the 15-m mark into the s. To the 15-m mark Dressel had a velocity of 2.9 m/s wall. compared to 2.7 m/s for Cordes. First 50 Yards Also, Dressel is able to go beyond 15-m on his pullout (read about the breaststroke pullout rules), breaking The first 50 yards of the race went to Mr. Dressel with the surface ~1.5 s later than Cordes. This extra distance a remarkable 23.42 split compared to the 23.58 for the allows Dressel to take one less stroke over the first former record holder Cordes. 25 yards. One stroke seems small, but as you'll see, he continually takes less strokes which can conserve energy.

28 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Over this length, Dressel took 2 less total strokes and Most of this is attributed to Caeleb's: spent ~3 seconds more underwater! Their swimming 1. Amazing start. He was able to beat Cordes by ~0.10 velocity was similar, ~1.7 m/s (slightly higher for to the first 15-m. Dressel). 2. Amazing turns/pullouts. Dressel spent ~6 more seconds underwater than Cordes. This is insane Third 25 Yards for a 50 second race!! (sorry, two explanation Third 15-m (50 - 64.4 yards) marks were needed). Dressel spent 27.62 seconds Another turn, another second longer Dressel spends underwater compared to 21.76 seconds by Cordes. underwater than Cordes, 6.72 s to 5.58 s. Dressel went more than 50% of his race underwater (55% of the race to be specific). Over this length Dressel took 1 stroke and Cordes took 3. Low stroke count. He took 4 less strokes than 2 strokes. Cordes and 18 total strokes. This low stroke count allows him to finisher stronger on the last lap. They both have similar times to the 15-m mark, but 4. Ability to maintain distance off his turn. He different strategies helped them get there. consistently went ~13-m off each turn (according to Kinovea). Third 25 Finish (64.4 - 75 yards) 5. Ability to finish with remarkable velocity (1.75 m/s Into the wall, both swimmers have nearly identical last 8.6 yards). races. They both take 3 strokes and both swim it in ~5.2 seconds. This results in both swimmers splitting 13.25 seconds on their third 25. Theoretical Improvements for Dressel Time for some fun, how can Dressel improve the fastest Fourth 25 Yards 100 yard breast of all-time? Fourth 15-m (75 - 91.4 yards) As noted, on his last pullout he spent 7.19 seconds, Another turn, another opporunity for underwater compared to 6.72 seconds on his third lap. This was pullouts for Mr. Dressel. On this lap, he relies on his ~0.1 m/s slower. I know Dressel is superb at turns (see underwater pullouts for a whopping 7.19 seconds, the notes above), but he can still finish with the same where Cordes only spent 5.36 seconds. Despite this speed and come up a little earlier. If he can maintain conservation of total strokes (once again saving the same finishing velocity and come up earlier, he will another stroke) he was ~0.3 seconds slower. break 50 seconds.

They both took 3 strokes from the 15-m mark into the The obvious drawback of him coming up earlier on wall. Dressel was also ~5% slower to the 15-m mark the last turn, is he will have to take another stroke. over this distance. This may cause more fatigue and offset the above assumption. His stroke count and timing of his turns Fourth 25 Finish (91.4 - 100 yards) and finish were fantastic (as his usually are). If he adds Into the wall, Dressel uses his legendary ability to a 5 stroke on the last lap, this timing will differ. finish into the wall. Dressel splits a spectacular 4.9 s split over this distance, finishing ~0.2 seconds faster Nonetheless, I think his remarkable ability to finish over this distance than Cordes. strong would allow him to finish that last lap around 13.2 seconds and dip to a 49.8-49.9 seconds for On the last 25-yards, Cordes outsplits Dressel by 0.15 another fastest 100 breast of all-time. Unfortunately, seconds. I'm unsure we'll see him do this race at NCAA.

Second 50 Yards What do you think now, are breaststrokers born or made? Perhaps irrelevant in yards swimming where As mentioned, the first 50 yards went to Caeleb turns are king. Dressel, but the tables turned on the second 50 yards. Dressel was outsplit 26.46 to 26.61. Most of this can be Dr. John Mullen attributed to the last 25 yards, particularly the pullout Doctor of Physical Therapy Personal Training with National Strength and on the last 25 yards. Conditioning Assoc. Fastest 100 Yard Breast Analysis Dr. John Mullen, DPT, CSCS is a World renowned expert and speaker in sports training This 100 yard race is truly spectacular! Caeleb Dressel and rehabilitation. He received his Doctorate in goes the fastest 100 yard breast in arguably (I don't Physical Therapy at USC, as well as the Josette Antonelli Division even think you can argue) his 3rd best stroke! Service Scholarship, Order of the Golden Cane, and the Order of Areté. At USC, he also performed research on strength training and rehabilitation. Dr. John has worked with multiple professional and Olympic athletes, helping them earn Olympic medals.

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 29 Trying to learn a new skill without total awareness would be like trying to put wallpaper onto a wall Awareness without using paste, it will just not stick! The normal way of measuring how a swimmer is progressing is achieved through observation of the Response results. In other words, if the swimmer improves their overall time, then everything will seem fine to them. But, if you finish your event and struggled in | Part Two the final five metres then you know that something is Training wrong. Awareness can translate that “something” into Tony MacGuinness specifics. If awareness were merely an intellectual skill then infants could not learn, there is more to The next time you are at the pool, watch the swimmers awareness than just basic conceptual understanding. that are in the water already. Watch them for about Awareness represents a kind of whole-body sensitivity 20 minutes and observe if anything changes. I bet that is arrived at through direct experience. Trying to that nothing has actually changed in the water, the learn a new skill without total awareness would be like swimmers who are in the pool perform exactly the trying to put wallpaper onto a wall without using paste, same looking strokes every length twenty minutes it will just not stick! In life as in swim training, errors after you have arrived on poolside as they did when will always be with you. We can say that learning a you arrived. Now think about yourself. If every stroke brand new skill is a process of refining these errors to you take is the same, how can you make changes that a point, where they no longer hinder your desired goal. will lead you to swimming faster and easier – whether Even the perfect 10:00 score of the Olympic gymnast you define faster or easier as being more efficient, will contain errors but these errors are so small, that swimming stronger or just more connected to the they can be considered irrelevant to the outcome. It is water? The techniques that you have observed through desirable, of course that swimmers are aware of all of watching other swimmers from the side of the pool are their strengths as well as their weaknesses. Awareness not merely physical, they resonate on a psychological of only strong points will bring confidence, inspiration, level as well and the same reasoning applies to you as satisfaction and motivation. Only awareness of weak well. Swimming the same way all the time means that points, however, will allow a swimmer to strengthen you will always feel the same too. their weakness and improve consistently.

Learning is a response to a demand for growth Awareness heals, but it is not always pleasant. On the enabling you to perform some task that you could not contrary, the growth of awareness can sometimes perform or carry out previously. feel like a disillusioning process. During the first few months of training in the Russian martial art of What tends to happen to swimmers when they attempt Systema, I became very disillusioned as the flowing to learn a new swim skill is that they are “sort of” aware art which is Systema required me to remain relaxed about the task they are trying to perform and they “sort throughout all my action and movement even when of” try to correct their stroke and make adjustments to under attack. In the face of demand for relaxation and encompass the new skill that they are trying to learn. maintaining correct breathing I began to notice a great Often, however, they feel momentarily worse when they deal of tension in my body. At first I began to think make the recommended changes based upon confused that Systema was “making me” tense, but I gradually awareness, so they tend to go back to whatever habit realized that I was only becoming aware for the very patterns they have been accustomed to. It is often far first time of the tension that I had always carried within easier to remain in this confused state my body.

Awareness transforms all of life’s lessons into In early 2000 I began working with Duncan McCredie a wisdom; it can translate confusing circumstances and World class Master swimmer with many world records events into useable knowledge. Awareness then can be to his name. It was through this process of improved considered the cornerstone to all learning. Learning insight, awareness and disillusionment that Duncan is a response to a demand for growth enabling you to would often complain to me that he felt frustrated perform some task that you could not perform or carry and begin to let me know how better things used to out previously. The process of learning therefore will be swimming his old way, how slower he was getting naturally involve making errors or mistakes. Errors or and that the new technique felt odd. This concerned mistakes when learning are not a problem but, ignoring me, until I actually saw film of Duncan swimming from or misunderstanding them is. In order to correct an a year previously, and it was very clear that he had error or mistake you must first become fully aware of improved radically. He had simply raised his standards the error or mistake, then that error or mistake can be and he was more aware of errors than he was a year worked on and corrected.

30 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA previous. The one sure sign of your growing awareness defend those things you consider separate from is that you will start to feel as if you are actually getting yourself. You may doubt the fact that you identify worse. Growing awareness in any learning process with and defend more vigorously your mind and will often entail a momentary drop in your self-esteem, emotions than your physical self, but have you ever and a dent to your self-image, this is a result of your observed how others feel less awkward talking in-built defence mechanism, therefore you have a about any physical illness they may have, against tendency to resist awareness. It is important that you how awkward they are when talking about any understand and account for this internal resistance emotional problems? If you have ever told another to your growing awareness so that you may avoid the triathlete that they looked clumsy in the water, discouragement and frustration that has caused many they might have become a little upset, but if you tell triathletes to quit learning how to improve their swim them that they appear stupid or immature when phase performance just at the point when they are they swim they are more likely to become upset or starting to become proficient, because they imagine very defensive. This defensiveness is the primary that they are “getting worse.” mechanism of resisting awareness of errors.

If you resist observing a physical weakness just a Try these Land-Based Awareness Drills: little, you resist having any awareness of mental and emotional weaknesses a lot. Mirror observation: Stand in front of a full length mirror, avoid judging Whole Body Awareness: or evaluating your appearance, just observe your The majority of athletes, no matter what their sport may reflection objectively. Does your head tilt to one side be, have the courage to see and overcome their physical or the other or is it centered? Does your pelvis rock errors, so that one aspect of them is developed. The way forward or is it held backwards? I like to teach my swimmers to develop is to increase their awareness of weaknesses in their emotions, body Is one of your shoulders higher than the other? Is your and mind. To do so, my swimmers have to be willing weight distributed evenly on your feet or do you favour to lose face, to see themselves momentarily in a light one leg for support more than the other? What part that is often less flattering than they would wish. We or parts of your body appear to be overly tense? Are all have mental and emotional as well as physical your pelvis, torso and head in a balanced alignment? traits from childhood that are maladapted, immature If you are brave, you can perform this drill without any and downright silly. In most athletes these traits will clothes on. remain hidden from their own awareness, only to surface momentarily in times of pressure, upset or Make a sketch of your body: crisis. Awareness can be thought of as like sunlight Find a clean piece of paper or use an old note book. over a dark well. Do not try to create a master piece and copy Leonardo daVinci. A simple sketch will do even a matchstick We do not observe the little demons lurking there until figure will suffice. After you have sketched your whole the light of awareness shines directly overhead; then body, colour in red the places where you feel the most we tend to notice all these undeveloped qualities in tension and stress. ourselves and gain both humility and compassion. Much unnecessary tension and stress If you resist observing a physical weakness just a is the result of ignorance and misinformation little, you resist having any awareness of mental and emotional weaknesses a lot. There are two very good Then with a black pencil or pen, delineate the points in reasons for this: your body where your energy seems to be blocked, the parts where you feel least. Finally, take a green pen • Firstly, it is much easier to observe your physical or pencil to indicate the areas of your body where you errors. The results are on a gross level, right in feel most alive and where your energy seems to flow front of you. If you are not breathing correctly, as freely. The majority of triathletes have significant areas an example, it will be pretty obvious that you are in red and black. Much of the unnecessary tension making this error. Your emotional and mental and stress is a result of ignorance and misinformation weaknesses are more subtle and much harder to regarding the natural structure and function of your discern. body, inaccurate “body maps” result in misuse, stress and a dulling of awareness. • Secondly, you identify more with your mind and emotions than you do with your physical body. What you identify with you will tend to defend. You tend to defend your self image, your loved ones, your values much more ferociously than you would continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 31 Explore your Body: Heavy Thoughts: Return to your mirror and with the index finger of How much does your head weigh? Jot down your either hand, point to the flowing places on your body, guess. Next time you go to the gym pick up a fifteen and then mark them on your body drawing. pound barbell, or when you are shopping pick up a 4.5 / 5 kilo bag of potatoes. That is how much the average • The place where your head balances on your neck head weighs. This fifteen pound globe contains your • Your shoulder joints eyes, ears, nose, mouth and balance mechanism. What • Your hip joints happens to your body if this globe is out of balance? How did you get on with this exercise? What happens to your awareness and sensory acuity if your head is not correctly aligned at the top of your Head Balance: spine? Did you know that sixty percent of all of your receptors for kinesthetic awareness are located in Your head is poised at the very top of your spine, at your neck? What happens to your body awareness if the Atlanto-occipital joint. The majority of swimmers your neck muscles are held in contraction to support and triathletes locate the balance point of their head your poorly balanced head? Clearly, for the aspiring far too low because they have an unconscious habit of triathlete, head balance is a top priority. shortening their neck muscles every time they move or are under pressure during an event. “a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, unless acted Shoulder Joints: upon by an external force.” The majority of coaches and swimmers locate their shoulder joint at the point where their upper arm Resistance to Change: attaches to their torso. They miss the connection of Your body, like your mind and emotions, has a tendency their collarbone and sternum, remaining unaware of to resist any change. You settle into a certain pattern of the true mobility of this complex joint. This inaccurate movement and behaviour, and only a conscious effort “body mapping” is associated with the tendency on your behalf can change these patterns. Resistance of swimmers and triathletes to freeze their entire is related to Newton’s law of inertia and momentum, shoulder girdle, causing significant discomfort. which states, “a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, unless acted The pain may be mild in some cases, upon by an external force.” like hunger pangs you feel when you are on a diet; or they could be more severe. To translate that into the kind of resistance I am talking In any case these symptoms are signs of your about, I might say if your body begins in balance it will body re-adjusting and they will pass. tend to stay in balance, and if your body begins out Hip Joints: of balance it will tend to stay out of balance… unless acted on by an outside force. Any change therefore Just as your shoulder joint must be differentiated will require an initial period of discomfort, until your from “your shoulders”, so your hip joints must be body adjusts to the new demand. You experience this differentiated from “your hips”. Watch a young child discomfort as you develop any new skills. You may feel bend to pick up a toy from the floor and you will observe symptoms ranging from fatigue to sore muscles. the natural use of their hip joint. Now watch the average triathlete bending to pick up their equipment The pain may be mild in some cases, like hunger pangs or wetsuit and you will see that they probably bend at you feel when you are on a diet; or they could be more “their waist”. Bending from your waist, rather than severe. In any case these symptoms are signs of your from your hip joints is a significant cause of lower back body readjusting and they will pass. In changing to a pain. new pattern your initiatory period may last from one Know your Spine: week to six weeks or even longer. By the end of that time you will have adapted to this new pattern, but Refine your body map a bit further by exploring your your period of stabilisation where you fully adapt to any assumptions about your spine. How wide do you think change, will take between three to six months. During it is? Draw your estimate of the width of your spine next this period, it is very important to maintain your desire, to your body map or on the reverse side of your paper. motivation and commitment through visualising your Now think about the natural shape of your spine. Again goal and through letting your goal inspire you. Unless in your notebook or on another piece of paper draw the your desire to change remains strong your body and shape of your spine. Be sure to complete both sketches mind will return to your old patterns of performance. before reading any further.

Be patient and persistent because it takes time for old habits to become obsolete. Please also be assured that you can absolutely reshape the way you swim through insight, direction and energy, when your mind and emotions work together in harmony to generate a strong will.

32 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Tony MacGuinness Former Olympic and Elite Coach to the British Modern Pentathlon Squads. Irish National Coach Currently owner/ coach of: 'Form Strokes' a technique company focusing on Fly, Back and Breaststroke only. PROFILE

I have participated in every phase of swimming from pioneering effective small club training programmes and coaching National teams and International level swimmers to working with the British Modern Pentathlon, Elite and Olympic teams.

It was while working with this squad that I became personal coach to Dr. Stephanie Cook MBE, who won Gold at the 2000 in Sydney in the Modern Pentathlon and Kate Allenby who brought home the Bronze in the same event.

In the early 1990's to improve my swimmers performance in the pool, I paid my own way to Australia, and spent time at The South Australian Institute of Sport (S.A.I.S) in Adelaide as well as a flying visit to the Australian Institute of Sport (A.I.S).

I have coached no fewer than 22 International swimmers and Pentathletes including: Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games swimmers, as well as numerous British, Irish and Scottish swimming champions and record holders.

 

  

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SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 33 Developing new technology for coaching Dean Sharples | Autocoach Pty Ltd

The Vision The coach may have less control on environmental With the advent of smart phones, Ultra books and factors (air & water temperature, background noise, tablets we wanted to see how new technology could be lighting) but overall these factors are relatively constant used to assist in coaching athletes. We were searching from set to set. for solutions that would benefit both the athlete and the coach in a substantial way, and be implemented in such a way as to remain state of the art even as new Read Pace Clock, calculate next methods and ideas arise. me to leave

The Holistic Approach As with most new technology, it is important to study closely how things are currently done before deciding Swim required stroke, distance / how to apply technology to improve it. We started by drill intensity analysing the model commonly used in coaching swimmers at all levels as detailed below. The role of technology is to simplify and assist the process, and strives to improve the accuracy of timing feedback Read pace clock whilst given to athletes. recovering, count number of repeons, next set progression

Swimmers Training Set Process Plan Acon

Time and Motion Study By observing coaches of various ability squads perform regular training, we can see a substantial amount of Observe Re-Assess time is spent by the coach starting and timing the Response swimmers, often in two or more lanes of either a 25 or 50M pool. Additional factors such as noise from aqua The Coaching Cycle aerobics, PA music or other distractions means that coaching the centremost lanes of a pool is the most difficult, as both communication and observation of Feedback Principle swimmers is impeded. Often the lowest level squads As shown, the Coach acts within a loop, feeding back are relegated to central lanes, with elite swimmers their observations and time measurements to the near the sides so the senior coaches can better observe athlete, usually after the athlete has completed a set and communicate. swimming distance or number of repetitions.

The feedback can be simply timing results, or Movement on Pool Deck technique or praise or motivation. If the feedback given Because of the timekeeping commitments of the coach, is inaccurate or not given in a timely manner, then the we observed that movement any substantial distance effectiveness of it is reduced. from the starting area was restricted as swimmers were unable to hear commands. In the same way, the Defining the Work coach needed to be nearby the finishing area in order to call out the times to the athlete, also constraining By defining the stroke / drill, repetitions and time- movement on pool deck. cycle, the coach is setting up the training environment in which the athlete is operating in. Typically, athletes train with the assistance of a pace clock and the coaches perform timing with multiple stopwatches.

34 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA descending time cycles for fitness stress tests is

Oponal complex, often requiring a printed table of numbers to be followed, allowing little other time for anything else. When sequentially timing swimmers starting a fixed

ach Area Coach movement Swimmers in lanes Co spacing apart, the coach has to remember to subtract Co ach Area the spacing time from each subsequent swimmer for that lane, except if there was no swimmer starting in the lane for that particular time cycle. Oponal

Coach movement Because swimming in water is very noisy with water Typical Pool Deck Layout lapping about the ears, coaches only get to communicate to swimmers when they have stopped swimming. This Central lanes have a longer distance to the coach, makes all stroke correction historical and the athlete especially when the pool ends are inaccessible (pools is left regretting they have done something wrong using booms). without the change to be reassured when they made the corrections. This lengthens the feedback time, When athletes always had to keep to the left in bi- increases frustration related to swimmers who need directional swimming, many ended up not racing in the correction thereby making athlete development take lane centre, whereas Coaches that alternated swim longer and be less enjoyable. direction (keep to the right every second day / week etc) substantially eliminated this problem. Relay races are a great opportunity for athletes to compete as a team, but coaching swimmers to do Squad Training Logistics efficient relay change-overs is often overlooked, In order to be cost effective, efficient and create a team because the timespans are sub-second and not many environment, athletes rarely train as individuals. As swimmers can get the feedback they need in a short athletes’ swim in a limited number of lanes, sequential amount of time. starting is routinely used. On a 25M pool, typical spacing is 5S apart, whereas moderately sized squads Seasonal training programs and general athlete in a 50M pool may be 10S apart. performance monitoring require long term performance data to be collected and later analysed, Identifying what can be automated this often requires transcribing hand-written times If we could eliminate the coach from some of the and inputting them into a spreadsheet or database, feedback loops, and automate starting commands taking up more of the coaches limited time. and timing for swimmers with the squad, we could improve the accuracy and timeliness of the feedback, Lastly, when giving timing feedback to athletes, coaches and increase the mobility of the coach over pool deck. are limited to verbal and at best, a few scribbled down times on a piece of paper. Many athletes respond better Athletes point of view to visual feedback and are unable to interpret splits for The athlete typically responds to verbal commands a distance race with many splits. from the coach and then start and finish based on their observations of the lap clock or start or finish based Athlete communications on their heart-rate. When training in middle lanes or Other communication problems can arise when in noisy environments, communication difficulties adjacent lanes are finishing, and uncertainty develops can arise and visibility, synchronisation or parallax about who had what time. In order to facilitate rapid errors on some lap clocks means interpretation on feedback in timings, some coaches omit the minutes analogue lap clocks can vary by more than two or three or tens of seconds (e.g. nine ,eight being twenty nine seconds. Another observation is during start practice, point eight), other coaches saying twenty nine high or whereby athletes regularly anticipate the coaches twenty nine low. start commands, thereby missing out on re-enforcing developing start reflex responses. Athlete Feedback Loops Based on the previously mentioned summary of the Coaches point of view way athletes get their information, most if not all The coach needs to observe multiple swimmers at feedback is at the conclusion of the set. Whether it various positions along the pool lanes, and in addition, be a 25M sprint or a 400M swim or a practice relay provide timing results, starting signals, stroke changeover, the swimmer gets the feedback once correction, encouragement etc. This necessarily may they have finished swimming. As the learning process involve compromises and potential inaccuracies. is one based on adaptive feedback, we looked at the In addition, coaches need do quick mathematical possibility of shortening the feedback delay in order to calculations in order to evaluate correct time cycles, speed up the adaptive learning. often different cycles for differing athletes. Calculating continued next page SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 35 Pool Characteristics - length lane width, depth, start block alignment, wave dispersion characteristics, lane Swim on Read set rope tension, water temperature, air temperature and specified me details cycle & stroke humidity etc.

Timing system touchpad sensitivity, deflection characteristics, backup timing system button “feel”, Whilst errors on manual button timing and how they are dealt Take recovering, listen comments into to any with in the timing system, “dead” spots in athletes account coach comments hearing the start signal, ability of athletes to see light flash as starting signal vs auditory stimulus etc. For the Coach using a stopwatch: Analysis of competition races 1. Human reflex on unanticipated race start. In addition to the training activities, there is the role of 2. If the stopwatch operator used the start sound or the coach on race day. Usually the athlete warms up, start light as start signal, and how far away if sound discusses their race with the coach, competes in the alone was used. race with the coach making observations, post-race de- 3. Judgement on anticipating an underwater finishing brief with the coach based on the coach’s observations touch and then swim-down. Although many race-meets have 4. Parallax errors and miss-alignment of lane rope automated timing systems with large displays, these 15M, 25M and 35M markers used in sub lap split systems are not 100% reliable, and there may not be timings touchpads installed or connected at the pool far end, meaning 25M (short course) or 50M (long course) time Although FINA rules define the winner of a race as splits may not be available. the one who touches first, these days we depend on touchpad technology which responds to the swimmer Often coaches will use a stopwatch in order to get whom presses in the touchpad first – a fact that their own time, or may use the cumulative split time emerged in 2008 men’s 100 Fly finals where Cavic displayed on the meed sign and perform their own touched the pad first, but Phelps pushed the pad 2mm arithmetic to determine lap split times and keep the in first. watch time “just in case”. Results are hand written and when the swimmer presents to the coach after a few Backup timing accuracy minutes delay, the coach discusses race performance As the start signal is automatically synchronised to the with the athletes based on their observation of beep, the reflex error in starting a manual stopwatch technique and race timings. time is eliminated, so the principal error is in the anticipation of the touch and the hand-eye coordination Sprint and Middle-Distance race of the timekeeper. For three button manual systems, analysis FINA rules dictate using the middle time button, and In sprint races which may only be a single lap, a simple this time is typically used to validate any touchpad time lap time may not be enough to give a meaningful (usually Pad need be within 0.3 of the SAT time). analysis of race performance. Some coaches perform sub lap split times in order to accurately quantify start, Unfortunately, with the simplified FINA rules post middle and finish performances. Typically sub lap 2016, software button – touchpad corrections are not splits on a 50M pool are done on 15M, 25M and 35M allowed. As typically SAT button times are about 0.2 points, based on head position with reference to the red seconds late compared to pads, buttons that are a little lane markings on these points. Coaches then compare slow may cause the pad time to be disregarded. This these cumulative or split times to reference or goal can be seen on multiple occasions on inspection of MM times and thereby are able to give accurate feedback result files from 2018 State championships. to the athlete on debriefing. Sometimes an assistant coach will perform stroke-rate (tempo) measurements Defining the “Wish List” an automated at one or more points per lap. system could deliver Now that we have outlined some issues that exist in Race Timing accuracy the traditional training and racing environment, we Although often taken for granted, timing a race is can begin to examine ways in which technology can be actually a complicated series of processes and events used to assist and improve things. that has many aspects subject or variance and error. A short summary is listed here:

36 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Timing accuracy performance by “fine tuning” swimming technique or Mechanical pace clocks suffer from parallax error other parameters. These calculations can be easily when viewed at acute angles, and are often not automated using modern technology. accurately synchronised by pool staff. Solution? Digital Pace clocks, that wirelessly synchronise to each other. Data Logging and interpretation Better still we can use colours to convey information Increasingly in modern times, large amounts of data and make things easier for kids to do their maths! are collected and stored for micro or macro analysis. Almost all the above technologies can be utilised to For race meets when the coach is timing swimmers, store performance data that can later be uploaded onto we can add a “reflex compensator” to our stopwatch, a computer database. If velocity or timing data is being that adds about 0.2 seconds to the first lap, to allow recorded in real-time, then graphical representations for the human reflexes of the coach responding to the can be shown to athletes after their race performances race start signal, or we could have a wireless signal allowing better understanding and interpretation. transmitted for every race start that any timekeepers could trigger on. Future Trends Based on elite athlete demands, “personalised” For race meet SAT buttons backing up touchpads, we coaching will be dominating, requiring detailed can use an asymmetric time window for backing up the recording of training exertion, race performances touchpad time (e.g. +.2, -0.4 seconds) . and customised training programs. Athletes will still train as a squad, but with individualised programs Starts and time cycles and assessments. This will require automated data For sets that the whole squad does on a repetitive collection by wearable devices, and automated logging time cycle, we can create automated starting sounds of data into a massive database. If such devices based on a pre-set time cycle. For Block starts, the are mainstream, then talent identification, injury delay between “take your marks” and the start beep prevention and cause and effect identification can can be slightly randomised, so athletes don’t learn be achieved. Importantly, feedback needs to be real- to anticipate. For in-water starts we can use a pre- time and essentially interactive so as to shorten the recorded 8,9 go! Voice to start swimmers off. For feedback loop. Stroke correction will be done whilst individual athletes of variations of this time cycle, we athletes are swimming, allowing praise to be given can modify some sets to make them faster or slower when it matters most. such as making the last lap a drill or kick set. What it means to coaches Lane spacing is traditionally 5 or 10 seconds apart, as Technology is another tool coaches can use to improve this makes the math easy, but in fact 7.5 seconds would performance, enjoyment, development and reduce better suit larger squads in a 50M pool or smaller monotonous tasks. It will require coaches to keep squads in a 25M pool. If the stopwatch could take experimenting and learning and to take risks into this lane spacing into account and skip any no-starts doing something they are not familiar or comfortable for that lane, the coach would not need perform any with. Some things just wont work but others definitely maths and the time for each swimmer can be directly will. Technology can make the coach be in closer calculated and shown. contact with their athletes, and athletes understand themselves even more. Technology will never replace Stress tests using descending time cycles can be easily coaches, but will empower coaches to be better at automated, and spoken lap count and even swimmer what they do. sequence numbers can be automatically announced – e.g “lap 5.3” means 5th lap in the test set, 3rd swimmer to head off in that lane. This frees the coach to observe, encourage and record the performances.

Velocities and swimming efficiency Dean Sharples is an Electronics designer, Bronze coach, and measurements swimming parent who has been Velocities, stroke rates, distance per stroke and stroke working with many swim clubs, index are all mathematically derived from timing coaches athletes and school sport measurements of athletes swimming. Velocities can departments, trying to make be calculated over dissimilar distances based on the coaching more efficient, affordable common lane rope markings on a FINA compliant and enjoyable. He has spent the pool. This feedback can be used to compare athletes past five years developing products of similar size and build, or to help optimize athlete for Autocoach.

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 37 Coaching Masters Swimmers How difficult can it be? | Dr Bruce Allender

Coaching Masters Swimmers is not difficult at all, – and ultimately they are a source of great satisfaction just keep reminding yourself that you are working and achievement to you as a Masters Coach. with adults, who come from very diverse swimming backgrounds and now have equally diverse swimming The keys to successful and rewarding Masters Coaching expectations. are understanding yourself as well as your squad.

Catering to the needs of Masters swimmers can be as Where do Masters Coaches come from? Leaders simple as supervising a pod of early morning ocean emerge one way or another from within a group of swimmers, through to as difficult as managing the athletes training together, or in a club situation, if complex challenges of coaching serious competitive someone offers or is talked-into the coach role. These swimmers. While many swimmers are self-motivated coaches may have no coaching experience, so use and organised, many more want to swim within a their own history (ie. the way they were coached as structured environment. This may be in a Masters youngsters), or muddle along doing whatever seems Swimming Club (as part of Masters Swimming Australia to work. Often this does work and as they build their (MSA)), a triathlon club, or a community squad run by coaching expertise, they can become very effective and the local swimming pool. These organizations usually well loved coaches. But more than likely there are gaps provide both competitive and recreational pathways for in their coaching skill set. swimmers. There are multiple benefits in having trained and A comprehensive calendar of local, state, national accredited Masters Coaches. For Coaches themselves and international swimming events (organised in age these include the development of skills, competency, groupings up to100 years+), exists to meet the needs programming/session planning and self-confidence. of the most discerning competitive swimmers. The For coached swimmers they include safety, motivation, competitive drive and ability of these swimmers through technique development, and planned programming. all the age groups is incredible, especially when added Occupational and environmental considerations, as to the changing demands of life, careers and families well as legal liability issues, are also of significant over time. A successful Coach incorporates all these importance for coaches. In a public pool, the managing variables into their short and long term swimming authority often requires evidence of Coaching programs. accreditation as well as CPR, first-aid and insurance cover. At privately run facilities, coaches who are not The competitive swimmers however are in a minority. fully accredited are advised to check their individual By far the largest group of Masters Swimmers, is the situations. ‘like-spirits’, swimming for fitness and health in a rewarding club or community environment. The term To enable Masters Swimming to offer greater “recreational swimmers” does not fully recognize the opportunities for adult swimmer development, the importance and diversity of this group for Masters ‘Club Coach’ accreditation course has been developed Coaches. Recreational swimmers are amongst the in partnership with (and thanks to the support and most regular and loyal members of the squad, keen encouragement of) Swimming Australia (SAL) and to learn and improve, happy to try new toys and drills ASCTA. Similar to the ASCTA Bronze Licence program, the MSA’s ‘Club Coach' course is both parallel to and an extension of the Bronze Licence, meaning that existing Bronze (or above) licensees can gain their Club Coach accreditation by completing the additional course. This is offered by MSA at the annual ASCTA conference, or through MSA.

Prospective Masters Coaches without existing coaching qualifications are required to complete an on-line theory course, attend a one-day practical workshop, and provide evidence of their hours on-deck coaching

38 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA adult swimmers. The Bronze Licence (or above) more subtle level, other stresses may mean they are remains the mandatory qualification for coaching not swimming as well, or with the focus the coach junior and open age-group swimmers. The Club Coach expects. This may manifest as an inability to recall or accreditation course is specifically designed for those not paying attention to what is said about time intervals, coaching Adult Swimmers. Just as with all the ASCTA effort levels, or repeat cycles. It may be exacerbated by accreditations, Masters Coaches can re-accredit age-related sight or hearing loss (plus ear plugs), or every four years, provided they demonstrate on-going chitchat at the ends (coaches call on that one). involvement in coaching and continuous professional development (ASCTA and MSA courses, workshops As a coach you need to be able to read the squad (and etc). individuals) at the start and throughout the session in progress and adjust accordingly – speaking clearly, Competitive Masters Age Group swimming starts at repetitively if necessary, using hand gestures, making 18 years, although there are some swimmers who eye contact, using the white board, and whatever else continue to compete in open Swimming Australia works for you. As always, communication with adults events until well beyond their 20’s. Historically there is two-way. Yes, they want you to set the program and was something of a gap for competitive swimmers tell them what to do, but if there is an injury or ailment between finishing with Swimming Australia and (including stress) which limits what can be done, you starting Masters Swimming, meaning that many were need to listen and adjust. If you suggest swims they lost to the sport, at least temporarily. Now there is a dislike, the feedback is likely to be immediate and seamless transition for those that wish to do so, and direct. increasingly there are joint meets at a local level for SAL and MSA branch clubs. Some clubs have both junior/open and Masters swimming memberships. Coaches may well coach both types of swimmers in their squads.

In competitive swimming environments coaches also need to be aware of the technical rules for Masters swimming. Some FINA Masters and MSA rules are different from those applying to junior/open swimming, including starts, race rules and form strokes. Rules are a coaching responsibility - nothing discourages a swimmer more than being disqualified due to ignorance of racing rules.

Going back to being aware of your own coaching background, whether that is from essentially a self- Equally it is amazing how grateful swimmers are when taught or qualified junior/open age-group coaching, they know you have paid attention to their issues, not there are some additional lessons to be learned with necessarily the swimming ones, even for a moment. adults. Now to understanding your squad. They are adults, The basic tools are the same for all coaching – so have them tell you what outcomes they want from • Understanding of swimming mechanics and swimming with your squad. These are not necessarily techniques what you want, so work out a compromise, or suggest • Knowledge of the physiology and psychology of another squad for them. Better to have a cohesive regular session training squad right from the start. Squads for competitive • Awareness of the structure and organization of pool swimming will be the most cohesive, aiming at training programs similar time lines for events. The coaches’ job is to get them ready to race. Above all, it is the ability to communicate both effectively and empathetically with your squad that is However in much of the Masters swimming important. This is likely to be significantly different environment, whether Club or community squads, the with adult squad members. diversity of desired outcomes can be a challenge. With a relatively small hard-core competitive group and a From the adult swimmer’s point of view, they will only larger “recreational” component in many squads, one remain in squad swimming if it meets their needs. approach is to program around the event swimmers, That may involve things such as arriving late/leaving with the rest doing a cut-down version of the same early to baby-sit or get to work and will include missing sessions. The recreationals enjoy being included in sessions due to family or work commitments. At a continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 39 the program for the competitive swimmers, but you severely deteriorated knees. Major stroke adjustments must explain to them the purpose of what you are are difficult to implement within a squad environment doing. It is important to recognize that they too can and require individual attention. have individual goals, eg. to swim an interclub event, or do an open water swim. Invariably they are grateful for The elite competitive swimmers in a squad may also any coaching preparation you give them. benefit from stroke adjustments in the coaches opinion – but amazingly many do not want to hear about it. And Stroke correction and improvement for Masters why not, they are already swimming at a high level and swimmers is another important area of coach it has worked for them all their life. It is an on-going involvement. Regardless of the prior ability of any dilemma with coaching Adult swimmers – how much adult swimmer, the reality is their strokes will change do you leave uncorrected if the swimmer is enjoying with age, injury and technique deterioration. Some their swimming, feeling fit and enjoying your squad. adults are coming into the sport for the first time, or sideways from a high-impact sport. Both are looking So Coaching Masters swimmers is not difficult at all, to maintain aerobic fitness, but may need basic stroke and if you get it right (as judged by your squads), there fundamentals. Some may not be able to do form is no greater pleasure than hearing “Thank you coach, strokes such as breaststroke for example, due to that was a great session today”.

I have a competent rather than outstanding background of club swimming and Royal Life Saving growing up in . I started Masters swimming in the USA and on returning to Melbourne continued to swim competitively with Masters Swimming Australia, and still swim in the pool and in open water series. Along the way I have been Director of Coaching for Masters Swimming Victoria and am an active qualified Masters Meet Referee. My main interest is in coaching Masters Swimming and I work for several Masters Clubs and swimming pool squads. I am currently Chairman of the National Coaching Committee of Masters Swimming Australia.

PROFILE | SALLY McKITRICK Professional Development Manager Our latest recruit, Sally joined ASCTA in October 2017. Sally's key focus is course redevelopment leading professional development opportunities for our members.

My Family Married with two sons and two daughters

Favourite Food Lasagne but the ASCTA office would say Chocolate Digestive biscuits

Favourite Drink Cup of Tea (showing my age)

Random Fact I am an identical twin

Favourite Movie "Annie"

Proudest Moment Completing my Post Graduate Degree in Business Management Career Highlight Giving back to the industry by presenting on the SwimInfo circuit in 2016 and 2017.

Plans for ASCTA Contribute to the growth and development of ASCTA/Swim Australia career pathways to ensure that our Coaches and Teachers are valued members of the swimming and water safety community.

40 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA asctaINTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2018

Shanghai American School Shanghai China Friday 18th - Sunday 20th May

Friday 18th May: Learn to Swim

IFSTA Saturday 19th May: Teaching Babies & Toddlers, Teaching Juniors Sunday 20th May: Coaching Juniors Keynote Presenter: Laurie Lawrence Laurie Lawrence’s love and passion for swimming has had major influence over the swimming industry, with his learn to swim methods being internationally recognised. Laurie has many coaching achievements including 10 Gold, 11 Silver and 12 Bronze medals from swimmers he has directly assisted at Olympic level including , , and Steven Holland. Laurie has also been an integral part of the Australian Olympic team for his ability to unite, inspire, motivate and relax the entire team. Laurie has brought his influence and passion to the areas of baby swimming and drowning prevention, embedding him in the Australian swimming industry as a swimming and water safety guru.

Keynote Presenter: Simon Watkins Simon has worked in the aquatic industry for over 20 years opening his first Swim School in 1999 and growing that business to 26 pools in the UK before migrating to Australia in 2008. Simon is currently the lease holder of four pools in Australia, owner of six pools in the UK and Head Coach/Aquatic Centre Manager of Trinity Aquatic Centre, Lismore. A Commonwealth Games level athlete himself, Simon started his coaching career in Wales when injury prevented him from competing at Manchester in 2002. He quickly made the transition to coaching and coached on international teams for Wales and Great Britain from 2004 to 2008. Simon has placed a swimmer on an international team every year since 2003, including Australian Para Teams from 2013 to 2016. Simon has been a Presenter for since 1999 and ASCTA since 2012, sits on the ASCTA NSW Board and Swim Australia Advisory Group and has various other state and area involvements.

Keynote Presenter: Wendy Ross For the past 7 years Wendy has worked for Swimming Queensland (SQ) as Inclusion Manager. Wendy’s role includes planning and managing the delivery of SQ’s Disability, Cultural and Linguistic Diverse Communities (CALD) and Indigenous participation programs as well as planning and delivery of SQ’s Development framework. Previously, Wendy’s position was with Swimming Australia Ltd as Paralympic Program Development Officer in the High Performance Unit. Wendy has produced several articles and professional papers and is the author of the first Swim AustraliaTM Teacher of Learners with Disability (SAT LWD) Course. Wendy is presently co-writing the Swim AustraliaTM Indigenous Course. Wendy is a Silver Licence Coach, SWD Coach, also a swimming teacher in all areas of teaching. A Professional Industry Presenter both Nationally and Internationally in: Preschool Aquatics, People with a Disability, Adults, School Age Learn To Swim, Competitive Strokes and Stroke Correction and Coaching Levels, Wendy continues to pass on her expertise and knowledge through many conferences, conventions and workshops.

Register today at https://ors.eventsair.com/ascta-international-2018/rego

* be Educated * be Entertained * be Inspired * 41 Leadership

Moving Beyond Involvement | Bill Nelson

As a Leader, what are some of the small but important steps you can take to get those you lead not only involved but actually committed to the year ahead?

Here are a few ideas for you to consider: 4. Consistency 1. Inclusion Nothing pushes people away more than inconsistency of approach. You can set the direction, outcomes and the standard, but where you can, include those you lead (or at the If there are rules for one and not another. If the goal very least a representation of the group) in developing posts keep changing. If standards rise and fall like the strategy or process to achieve those outcomes. the tide. If your emotion is erratic. If your decision- making methods are all over the place and cannot be If you want to see an increased level of commitment, understood. If critical areas of focus change day in, day then give those you lead reason to be committed and out, with no explanation or understanding. the best way to build that commitment, is through ownership. Include them in as many ways as you can If any or all of these are in play, then chances are you and with each level or type of inclusion, make sure that will lose those you lead and lose them quickly. you are building the level of ownership they seek and you need them to have. Those you lead don’t always need predictability, but they will want a level of consistency of approach from 2. Importance you.

Show those you lead the importance of them and the 5. Understanding role they play. Show them, that you ‘get them’. You understand the Not just through a pat-on-the-back every now and world through their experience. You might not always then, but through factual evidence and structured agree with it, but you do understand and your action dialogue. Let them truly realise they are not only part and approach lend themselves to the fact that you do of the team, but an integral part of what is going to get them. bring success to all in the year ahead. Find out what is important to them and remember Constantly highlight the importance and benefit of it. Act upon this information whenever you can or them being themselves, and making sure they are wherever it is needed. Simple gestures that highlight confident and ready to be that person each and every the fact that you know and understand them are worth day. their weight in gold.

3. Development Of course, this level of understanding and empathy is on a professional level, but there is no reason it Take the time and make the effort to create a detailed cannot extend into their personal lives as well. To what overview of how you see their development taking place degree on the personal side will be determined by over the next 11 months. Then sit down, work through the relationship you have with them and by your own it and discuss how they want to see their development philosophy of leadership. realised both professionally and hopefully personally as well. So there you have it. The five points to get you thinking about what you can do to get those you lead, involved My advice around this is, don’t just look at the specificity in the year ahead and committed to it. Take the time to of development, be open-minded and prepared to consider what has been outlined and then add to the look at some of the peripheral things that will deliver list, change it around to suit your circumstance and development, that can and will be transferred back into make it specific to you and those you lead. the specificity of what they do.

42 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 6TH INTERNATIONAL SWIM SCHOOLS CONFERENCE 24 - 26 JULY 2018 REEF VIEW HOTEL HAMILTON ISLAND QUEENSLAND PRESENTER BILL NELSON Enhancing Organisational Performance 3 Days x 3 Ways Leadership Creating performance through purpose Why would anyone follow your lead? The steps to effective influence

Organisational Culture The No 1 goal of an organisation’s culture Without these there’s nothing What must come before accountability?

“My approach to this conference is going to be grounded in the Teamwork concepts of Immersed learning and Shared experience. My role is to Three keys to creating a great team introduce and overview topics and then prompt thought, encourage Teams talk on three different levels - but great teams only interaction and dialogue and to guide the conversations so that the communicate on one learning takes place from the exchange.” Bill Nelson Where is your team at and why? * be Educated * be Entertained * be Inspired *

SwimINFO North 2018 Sat 2 June Novotel Cairns 2-6pm Sun 3 June Mercure Townsville 2-6pm Registration closes 24/5/18

Sasha Hanic, owner of In The Deep Swim School, began her swimming career as a Learn To Swim / Stroke Development teacher 16 years ago. Sasha’s rst swim school operated out of Coogee from 2004 to 2007. In The Deep Swim School opened at The Juniors, Kingsford in 2007 and is proud to be celebrating 10 years! In The Deep services Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, including the beach communities of Bondi and Coogee to Maroubra. The school opened with 70 students enrolled and 2 teachers. The business has grown to more than 1400 students and 50 sta. Coming from a competitive swimming background, Sasha is extremely passionate about teaching great technique across all swimming levels, infant classes (starting from 4 months of age) through to non-competitive junior squads. The unique program at In The Deep is known for its quality and small class sizes - two key factors contributing to the great success of students Keynote Presenter enrolled. Sasha Hanic

SwimINFO Sunshine Coast 2018 Sun 24 June 2-6pm University of the Sunshine Coast Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs. Registration closes 19/6/18

With over 20 years experience in the Aquatic industry Shannon loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. She was the recipient of the 2014 Swim Australia Teacher Course Presenter of Excellence Award. Currently Shannon is the Aquatic Centre Manager at The Glennie Aquatic Centre in Toowoomba and has previously established and operated two swim schools in South East Qld. Shannon has completed degrees in Human Movements, Leisure Management and Business and is also a quali ed Yoga Instructor. She has worked in leading health retreats, resorts and recreation centres. With her solid experience Shannon delivers entertaining and informative presentations, allowing participants to feel at ease, encouraging curiosity and fun. The GAC program progression - an insider’s view (Glennie Aquatic Program Babies to Squads), songs and activities for parent and baby programs (participants are Keynote Presenter Shannon Townsend encouraged to bring a doll/ teddy), team building and relaxation activities for your team, water safety ideas (including SwimVietnam info).

Member* and Non-Member rates includes GST, light refreshments and available papers Re-registration Points Tax Deductible

REGISTER TODAY AT swimaustralia.org.au or enquiries at: swimaustralia.ascta.com

44 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Should Swim Barbells be used to teach children to swim? Ed Pemberton | Owner/Director of Instruction - Adventure Swim

Again Swim Schools are divided about Pros: If a child could use a flotation device to using any kind of flotation device when promote good swimming practices, wouldn't it be worth teaching children to swim. The cheap using swim aids to teach children? Swim barbells will maintain the desired horizontal position that is desired floating noodles are used by some to help by instructors, if they are placed properly in the under support, while others refuse to use any arm. That being said, wouldn't that provide stability in aids at all. Who do you agree with? the water for children 9 months to 4 years old, as they begin to gain independence? Children get a mental picture of themselves Cons: One would think, children might love jumping into the in the water and many flotation devices like life jackets water, swimming to a barbell and maybe even racing are designed to keep children way out of the water. If with them. However, there would still be a couple they develop the instinct to have their head high above challenges to overcome, right? Now if the barbell was the water, four or five inches all the time, they will not scientifically designed for proper body position, keeping be comfortable taking a breath with their face in the the body and chin close to the water and providing water. Therefore, causing children to get comfortable the correct amount of lift, wouldn't swim schools with bad, hard to break habits. want to utilize them? So only one more argument to be addressed, the rough hard bar. Specially designed Barbells, in particular, might be rough on a child's arm. Soft Foam Padded Bar for comfort and easy grip are Even properly placed in the under arm, it may still chap standard equipment and would make the use better. them or discourage them from the water all together.

We had a child in class who swam when he was 3-5 yrs old in the ocean. His family lived near the coast, so he swam everyday in a life jacket, he was vertical. His head was high out of the water. The family moved to an Possessing a Masters Degree from the area where water was not as available for swimming, University of Kentucky specializing in and after a few years of not swimming, he came to Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine. take swimming lessons. As he tried to take a breath, Additionally, Doctoral work was pursued at he had to lift his head. He was even trying to lift his the University of Iowa in Mechanical Analysis of Motion (human motion in water). head before he would even begin to get a breath, about twenty inches above the water. He would pull his head Ed's research for his many "FAST & FUN way up, real high, rather than just keep down real close SWIM SYSTEM" teaching products, he has to the water. It took many, many lessons to get him traveled extensively to destinations including Toulouse, France; comfortable so he could get a breath. Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; St Petersburg, Russia; Hong Kong, China; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, All of us agree, a child needs to learn to take their Malaysia; Singapore; Bali, Indonesia; Chelyabinsk, Russia; breath with their chin in the water, their face close to Monterrey, Mexico and more. During his search for answers to the water. Teaching them to blow bubbles underwater, solve swim teaching challenges, he also shared his techniques with come up and get a breath. If a child fell into the water, others. accustomed to the vertical position of a life jacket, it would be hard for them to get a breath, unless they Adventure Swim holds 3 patents and many more pending as proof of Ed's success and results from his specially designed "FAST & FUN could pull themselves far enough out of the water, SWIM SYSTEM" swim training technique program. which would be impossible. Thinking in survival mode, children must be taught the proper horizontal position for swimming from the beginning.

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 45 SWIMMINGSWIMMING IN IN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA 4545 Why You Should Treat Your Employees Like Your Most Loyal Customers. | Brigette Hyacinth

Many companies invest heavily to improve the Employees spend half of their lives at work. It should customer experience but sideline employees who are at least be a pleasant experience. When employees responsible for delivering that experience. What some are treated unfairly and as "second class citizens", it organizations forget is that their employees are their results in decreased employee morale. Low morale first and most important customers (internal). They results in decreased employee productivity. Moreover, use your tools and systems and they know firsthand dissatisfied employees will share their negative work about your culture. If your employees don’t believe in experiences with family and friends thus turning away your business, the quality of their work will be poor. potential customers and employees. Business success starts with the employee experience. When employees are happy (feel valued, welcome, The employee experience is influenced by three factors: respected, heard), they will create remarkable experiences for your external customers. 1. The physical environment in which an employee works. Your employees are your greatest brand advocates. 2. The support and tools an employer provides. You can’t expect stellar customer service from 3. How an employer takes an interest in the well- employees who feel distrusted and discounted. being and success of employees. Successful businesses focus on creating memorable employee experiences to keep their staff engaged and Here’s an example. happy. A retail store stated their employees were the “heart "Customers will never love a company of the business.” The retail area was clean and well- until the employees love it first." stocked. Aisles were wide and well-marked with bright signage. Even the parking lot sparkled - there was rarely - Simon Sinek any litter seen in customer parking areas. Customers were impressed. In 2015, Airbnb announced that they were appointing a Global Head of Employee Experience. The following Employee space was an entirely different matter. Stock year, the company topped Glassdoor's list of the 50 rooms were cluttered and dark. Staff locker rooms Best Places to Work. Instead of following the traditional were poorly lighted and poorly maintained. The break business model, Airbnb creates change and empowers room was bleak, with old, uncomfortable furniture, and employees at all levels, which has a huge effect on the trash bins overflowed. Even the vending machines were success of the company, both monetarily and culturally. inadequately stocked with only junk food. Always be quick to recognize and reward the efforts The message was clear - the company cares more about and contributions of employees. Nothing says we value customers and less about employees. you like showing how much you appreciate them.

46 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA “I truly believe that if you take care of Furthermore, show employees that you sincerely care your employees, they will take care of about their well-being. Employees want to be treated as human beings. They have feelings, emotions and your business.” - Richard Branson personal lives. When employees are facing personal issues (illness, family crisis, bereavement) - be How can you ensure you’re treating empathetic. Inflexibility and insensitivity will cause employees as your most loyal employees to withdraw and become disengaged. customers: When employees are consistently treated with trust, dignity, and respect, they respond by giving their best. First, Engage them in this conversation. No one They care about the business, their colleagues and knows how to upgrade the employee experience better their customers. Employees demonstrate that care by than your employees themselves. Ask them what they serving customers wholeheartedly, solving problems love about working in the company and what they would quickly, and working cooperatively. If you want to get want you to do differently to reduce frustrations and the best from your employees - Treat them like your improve work conditions. Listening is crucial. most loyal customers! Involve Employees in decisions. Grant them autonomy and flexibility. Show you trust them to do "You can't be the best place to buy, if the job you hired them for. Employees want to know you're not the best place to work" their voices are being heard and their opinions matter. -Fred Reichheld Consistent communication and a culture that welcomes feedback, keeps employees from feeling that they're kept in the dark. Employees who are involved in any aspect of the company feel ownership. Brigette is the Founder of MBA Caribbean Be Authentic. The driving force behind everything Organisation which was established in 2008. you do should be to create an atmosphere where Brigette conducts seminars and workshops in everyone feels like they belong. With a strong purpose, leadership, management and education as well employees can easily see why leaders are doing what as provide motivational speeches. they are doing. Take action. Observe closely. Refine systems, policies, and practices to honor employees. http://mbacaribbean.org When people see you are sincere, you will get employee buy-in and win their trust. Photo: Courtesy Swimming AustraliaPhoto: SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 47 A fine line between the world of giftedness and Autism Maria Rohan | Autism Advocacy | https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/line-between-giftedness-and-autism/

She cannot get her face any closer to the paper. Her non-existent. Perhaps, however, what we categorise as eyes move furtively. Using the rivets on the pads of her autism today may have been thought of as “giftedness” fingers, she navigates through the results of the graph. during Albert Einstein’s lifetime. Comparing her three-year-old little girl to other little girls her age feels more like a critique as she studies There seems to be a very fine line between the world of her daughter’s assessment. As a mother, she should giftedness and autism. They may actually be the same be excited about her daughter’s progress; but her eyes thing. continually dart towards the areas of deficit. Her mind sprints as if it is in a race against the clock. As cliché as it may sound, perception is reality.

What can she do right now to help her daughter build In today’s society, perception of reality has morphed on her socialization skills? What services can she into something much different than it was during afford that would help get her daughter on the same Einstein’s day. level as other little girls her age? Might it be that our perception of autism is skewed She cannot sleep because the guilt weighing on her and teetering much more toward the negative side, chest feels suffocating. She feels as if she can never because our society has such a negative perception of do enough. Autism… a never-ending life of comparing. the world around us? A never-ending life of what seems to be never good enough—for the parent and for the child. No one ever really delved deeply into Einstein’s deficits because of his high intelligence. Society’s perception of As there may be conflicting opinions, physicians have reality was much different during his time. People saw recently conjectured that the great Albert Einstein may him for what he produced. have had autism. Einstein once said, “My passionate sense of social We will never know because diagnosis of autism justice and social responsibility has always contrasted spectrum disorder (ASD) were not prevalent back then. oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact In fact, diagnoses of autism may have been completely with other human beings and human communities. I am

continued next page 48 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA truly a ‘lone traveler’ and have never belonged to my in the terrain, such as a gradually moving object, or country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate something slightly increasing in size, his autists picked family, with my whole heart…” up on it immediately. These details were missed by everyone else’s naked eye. Pardo’s special unit excelled In four sentences, spoken by Einstein, every red flag because he accepted them just the way they were. points Einstein in the direction of autism with his inability to socially connect with anything in human As Einstein elaborated on his inability to socialise, nature that was not math-related. most will say that, despite his intelligence, there should have been an effort to help Einstein with his Einstein made this statement as an old man. There socialisation skills. I agree. was an entire lifetime of inability to socialise. Yet no one obsessed over However, was Einstein really socially his social weaknesses. inept? In his eyes, sure; but in reality, no. So, what if Einstein was a child today with autism? Einstein evolved with age, He’d be placed in a heavily forcing him to socialize structured environment without him noticing it. with intense applied Through the maturing of behaviour analysis (ABA) Einstein’s mathematical therapy, controlled genius, he was forced to activities to build socialise because of his socialization skills, and discoveries; and everyone an ordered exposure to who interacted with him was life situations. He would interested in his obsession: never be good enough and mathematics. would be unceasingly picked apart. Through his obsessions, Einstein was forced to break the bonds Under these circumstances, would of his inability to socialise. Slowly, Einstein have been able to accomplish Einstein, through associations connected all that he did? If we spent days and nights with to his discoveries, was able to relate to others. He little Einstein working on socialization, would the bud was comfortable talking about mathematics, and that of his genius ever grow as it did? made him comfortable being social with people.

Perhaps, instead of thinking of children with autism In Einstein’s path, compared to today’s path of someone as having a disability, perhaps we can think of them with autism, perhaps we are doing it wrong. Perhaps as having a little bit of Einstein in them. Perhaps we we should be embracing obsessions and interests, need to loosen the ties of “structured,” and see what using them as a gateway to open doors that seem “unstructured” bursts from the seams. closed.

Perhaps, just perhaps, we need to be more like Israel. In today’s structured way of life for those with autism, who would Einstein be? In 2016, Tamir Pardo created a unit in the Israeli military to help integrate young adults with autism into the Where would Pardo’s special unit be if he molded them workforce. Pardo focused on each adult’s savant, each into the soldiers he wanted, versus using them for adult’s genius, and created jobs for them. He referred their strengths? to them as autists—not someone with a diagnosis, but someone with a talent, like an artist or a guitarist. It is natural, out of parental love, that parents of children with autism are driven in their desire to create He gave them glory, versus a debilitating diagnosis. a structured environment…to “fix” their children, to make them “normal.” Pardo focused on their obsessions, their abilities to pay close attention to detail, their abilities to have It is parental sadness that drives the increase in control exceptional long-term memories and impressive math over something that seems uncontrollable. skills, their great abilities at repetitive tasks, and their enhanced motion perceptions. Yet there is a human being underneath that cloak of autism. Pardo explained that when there were any changes continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 49 Pardo, as well as people in Einstein’s day, had the Maria Rohan RN, BSN, is a registered nurse at Rainbow perspective of acceptance, and they embraced people Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Outside who were different for what they were. of the nursing field, Maria has dedicated her life to working with children with disabilities, trying to provide the most They nurtured their strengths, as opposed to trying to opportunities possible. Having worked with children with plant new seeds and telling the seeds how to grow. autism for 10 years and having the autism diagnosis in her family, Maria writes interactive workbooks for children The questions for today’s society to ponder are these: with this condition. She molds each workbook to their Is autism truly giftedness, rather than a disability? And musical voice patterns, their attention spans, and their have we, as a society, become “debilitators” through likes. She currently sits on the PTO of STEPS Center for the simple pitfall of silencing obsessions to meet Excellence in Autism and continues to let her love for the standards? children plant seeds of movement.



    Swim Australia and ASCTA is delighted and excited to announce that as a result of our strong partnership with Swimming Australia Limited, we are able to offer 200 Swim Australia Swim Schools the opportunity to sign up to the Optus Junior Dolphins (OJD) program at NO COST! That’s right, Swim Australia will cover the annual license fee of $110 (inc gst).

This enables all Swim Australia Swim Schools to be part of the OJD program, receive an electronic welcome kit and have access to the OJD APP (due for launch in June 2018).

To receive the full Delivery Centre Kit, your swim school will need to order participant kits via the OJD online portal for each participant of the program. At that point you will be able to access high profile ambassadors and a national marketing campaign, a feature on the Swimming Australia website, Program resources, promotional support and training and development for your teachers.

It’s first in first served, so sign up for the OJD program now by email [email protected] or on-line at https://swimshop.swimming.org.au or call 07 5494 6255

Yours sincerely

Gary Toner Brendon Ward Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer Swim Australia Swim Australia

Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association - www.ascta.com Swim Australia - www.swimaustralia.org.au PO Box 158 Beerwah Qld 4519 P +61 7 5494 6255 F +61 7 5494 6785

50 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Your Instructors Running a great learn to swim program is "Simple". It's a matter of having great teachers/ instructors/coaches. Whatever you call ‘em, they are what make or break your program. | John Leonard

Are great teachers made or born? Or Some of Both? You but it provides them with "just enough" time to rest can teach a teacher to be good. I am not certain about and gather themselves for the next effort without "great". Great seems to have some mystical quality them losing focus. If you try THREE groups, one about it that "magnetizes" the attention of the child on group will be bored and lose focus, so TWO GROUPS the teacher. I am uncertain if you can teach that, or not. is perfect. Make sure each group gets 10-15 seconds And worse, I'm not sure I will ever know…it just may be of work attention then 10-15 seconds of rest). one of the mysteries you dwell on for a long time. Use the same verbiage to teach. But I know you can teach an "ordinary" teacher to be very good. Here are some of the ways I think it can be All the instructors in a given business need to use the done: same language for teaching the same set of skills. Teach them the language you want to use and STICK Know what the end product of the TO IT. Young people learn by translating words into word pictures, into pictures in their minds..then they teaching process should look like. run those little internal video players and repeat it. "Beginning with the end in mind" as stated by Steven Different words for the same skills really mess this Covey, is one of the great secrets of teaching. Do your up…it's like starting over each time. USE THE SAME teachers know what GREAT swimming looks like? Or do TEACHING language. they spend 99% of their time looking at poor or ordinary swimming? If so, their teaching will be off base. You Know what you know and know have to SEE AND FEEL great balance in the water, great what you don't know. catch on the water with the forearm, and experience the fluidity of the kick mechanism, to "get" swimming. Stick to what you know. Don't guess. Every time you If your instructors are not in that category, find ways teach something incorrectly the first time, it will for them to see as much "great swimming" as possible, take a LONG TIME to correct one incorrectly done even if it has to be via video. (Live is better, much better). movement. The first motor neuron route an impulse uses, is the easiest one to use the next time. Practice Know what comes next and look for does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes it. perfect. There are no secrets to basic ingredients of learning to 5 easy starting points for swim. Float, kick, balance, body position, propulsion. Whatever stage you are teaching, you must know what improving your teachers! is "next" in the progression, and LOOK AND SEE the student, and if they are ready to do it. Pushing people upwards is SOOOOO much easier, than someone standing "above" and trying to "pull them up" to the next stage in the development. Teach your instructors to SEE those who are "ready" for "next." And move them!

Have a clock in your head and use it. John Leonard Executive Director When working with a group of 4-6 individuals, divide American Swimming Coaches Assoc. them into groups of 1's and 2's and while one group Founder & Executive Director "works" at learning the other observes. Then they World Swimming Coaches Assoc. switch. Ideally, they switch every 10-15 seconds. Break the thing being taught into small enough pieces that each set of children "try" for 10-12 seconds and then let them rest and watch the 2nd group try. This not only encourages "peer pressure" (If Sally can do it, so can I)

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 51 Funky Way for Kids of the Red Centre | John Weir

When the team from Melbourne-based swimwear the kids in and around Alice Springs, she and the company, Way Funky Company, were in Alice Foundation’s Paul Carman immediately set about Springs mid-2017 for a photo shoot, they became pursuing and organizing the team and wherewithal aware of the impact of some funding and program to run an event. pull-backs which left the kids up there with severely reduced opportunities for some organized Many people familiar with swimming programmes swimming activities. The Funky Trunks and Funkita in Central Australia and Northern Territory photoshoot was preparatory to the release of were invited to submit ideas, and after lengthy ‘Barnamboo’ print that had been designed by Bardi consultations Peter Tonkin and Lara Davenport artist Ashley Hunter, and every pair of Funkita and were delighted at the chance to jump on board. Funky Trunks swimwear sold in this print was Both are familiar with, and well respected by the to generate royalties to promote swimming for relevant communities. indigenous children. This occurred via Way Funky Company’s One Funky World Foundation (OFW), It’s well recognized that tomorrow’s community which assists disadvantaged societies and groups strengths are a product of today’s children. And in Australia and throughout the world. anyone who has spoken to Peter, Lara, Margaret or Paul will quickly glean the care and passion they So it was when Margaret McLean, who runs the have for the kids in and around the Red Centre, and Foundation and was on hand for the photoshoot, aiding their growth, happiness and well-being. heard of the prevalent diminished opportunities for Meanwhile, and quite coincidentally to the above project unfolding, Mark Wieland, of Sydney’s Tivoli Swim Club and Swim School, decided he wanted to help someone who did not have access to the best of equipment and facilities. The industry network slipped into action, and via some timely conversations between Mark, the AutoCoach team, and Gary Toner at ASCTA, Mark generously organised some extra luggage for Launceston’s pseudo-retired Peter Tonkin to take to the Alice Springs One Funky Bush Swimming Carnival – an AutoCoach set comprising of 2 stopwatches, a large wireless speaker, and 2 multi-lane wireless LED Displays.

52 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Invitations were issued to over 20 schools – some that this was not just your run-of-the-mill swim more than 500 kilometres from Alice Springs. carnival, with noticeably more excitement, laughter Logistics are always an issue with such distances and smiling. and remote aspects, and many were unable to attend when severe rain just prior blocked many of All the children left with a free Funky Trunks or the roads into Alice Springs. Funkita t-shirt, and lots of very happy memories. Thanks also to the Way Funky Company, over 70 pairs But to the delight of many, and as a result of a lot of watershorts were given to the swimmers, as well of work by those involved, the One Funky Bush as beach balls and Frisbees. Swimming Carnival was held at the wonderful Alice Springs Aquatic & Leisure Centre on 29 & 30 This was the highlight of a week that Peter and Lara November 2017. spent in the area. Prior to the carnival, training had occurred via classroom visits for 50 – 60 children at Day 1 of the carnival saw a Water Safety and Santa Teresa (about 85 kms from Alice Springs). Technique Clinic conducted for around 80 locals. Race start practice sessions were also held to The local media were certainly aware and supportive better prepare them for the Carnival climax the too - the “Advocate” newspaper sent a reporter and next day, and the donated AutoCoach gear was a photographer to the Carnival, and Peter and Lara perfect for such an exercise. The kids loved it, and were interviewed on local ABC radio. perhaps surprisingly, engage very readily with it. Combined with other formal community support To the main day, and around 170 kids provided sessions aimed at capability and capacity-building, the primary ingredients: spirit, enthusiasm, and helping enhance community spirit and positivity camaraderie and a willingness to give it a go. All generally, it was truly a big week. One of great were there in abundance, and a successful event success and achievement for all concerned. was inevitable. This was a great example of our industry support Races were conducted for all strokes, but perhaps coming through – in this case for a community that the highlight was the boat relays which provided has lost significant support lately from more formal many spills and surprises. After the racing, the sources. slide became a popular drawcard with some going on a slide for the very first time. You’ll have noted continued next page

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 53 A massive well done and a huge thank you must go to all that were involved.

The One Funky team are planning to make the 2018 event even bigger and better, but let’s throw a Dreamtime element in there - wouldn’t it be great if a discreet but effective talent identification and nurturing program could be put in place? Discover some talent, unleash a lot of pride! Great for the country, but truly massive for the swimmer’s community and people.

The Carnival’s theme is “be a part, have a go”. A relatively small crew have done a remarkably good job for the 2017 event. If you’d like to assist in some way this year, or perhaps in helping developing a program, ASCTA will happily put you in touch with relevant parties.

“Be a part, have a go!“

                

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54 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Six million Australians make Swimming No.1 Sport Roy Morgan Article No 7498 | www.roymorgan.com

Swimming is Australia’s leading sport with over six Analysis of the broad range of sports being contested million Australians participating in swimming either at this year’s Commonwealth Games shows more than regularly or occasionally in the last three months. 9.3 million Australians (46.4%) played Commonwealth Games’* sports regularly or occasionally last year (see Swimming is one of the rare Australian sporting table below). pursuits where more women (3.45 million) participate than men (2.58 million). Other popular Commonwealth Games’ sports in Australia comprise basketball and table tennis. More Australia’s top participation sport will be in sharp focus than one million participants play basketball and when the Australian Dolphins will compete at the 2018 979,000 play table tennis. Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April. The two most widely played sports excluded at the There are several other popular Australian sports with Commonwealth Games are two of Australia’s traditional high participation levels. Jogging, marathons, athletics summer sports where Australia’s pedigree shines. Golf and track & field participation numbers are well over has more than 1.5 million Australians participating 4.3 million and cycling and mountain biking has nearly while tennis has almost 1.4 million participants. 3.1 million Australian participants.

Most Popular Sports & Activities participated in regularly or occasionally

10000 9333

9000

8000

7000

6025 6000

4752 5000 4581 4384

4000 3445 3187

3000 2580 2292 2092 1922 2000 1565 1265 1266 1394

1000 743 651 299

0 Commonwealth Games Swimming Jogging/Marathons/ Cycling/Mountain Golf Tennis Sports* Athletics/Track & Field Biking TOTAL Men Women

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January – December 2017 (n=15,169). *Commonwealth Games Sports include: Swimming, Marathons, Running, Athletics, Track & Field, Cycling, Mountain Biking, Basketball, Table Tennis, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Boxing, Badminton, Squash, Gymnastics, Clay/ Target Shooting, Field Hockey & Triathlons. The Commonwealth Games sports of Judo, Rugby Sevens, Weightlifting and Wrestling were not measured.

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 55 Metrotechs, Leading Lifestyles This information is used to understand future buying intentions and media consumption patterns. These and Aussie Achievers ...more are easily integrated with third party datasets. likely to be swimmers. “From my perspective sport is of national importance,” Analysing Australia’s 6,025,000 swimmers in more John Bertrand AO, President of Swimming Australia detail reveals an over-representation by three of Roy said. “And swimming is the biggest participation sport in Morgan’s Helix Personas communities. the country.”

More than a third of ‘Metrotechs’ (34.6%), ‘Aussie Swimming Australia is the peak body for swimming Achievers’ (33.5%) and ‘Leading Lifestyles’ (33.4%) with nearly 1,000 clubs and 90,000 registered members participate in swimming. Combined together more nationally. Swimming Australia’s vision is to create a than half of all Australian swimmers come from one of nation of swimmers admired by the world. these three communities. There are more swimmers, 1,639,000, within the Helix Personas is a unique and powerful consumer ‘Leading Lifestyles’ community than any other and segmentation and data integration tool that combines members of this community are 11% more likely to sophisticated psychographic and behavioural data to be a swimmer than the average Australian. The least classify the Australian population into 56 Personas likely community to be participating in swimming are and seven Communities. Helix Personas uses a the ‘Battlers’, which have only 24.3% participate in combination of Roy Morgan Single Source data and swimming. third party data sources.

Australian Swimmers ranked by Helix Personas Communities

Metrotehs

ssie hieers

eaing ifestles

oas amilies

Golen ears

Ge�ng

a�lers

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January – December 2017 (n=15,169).

56 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA All Sports & Activities participated in regularly or occasionally. A full ranking of Australian participation in sports and activities (ie. participated in "regularly or occasionally" reveals men are more likely to participate in most sports. However, there are some notable exceptions. In addition to the aforementioned swimming more women than men participate in netball (as expeted), boxing, horse riding, gymnastics, ice/figure skating, rowing and softball/baseball.

Sports c�i�es par�cipate in regularly or occasionall y TTL Total Commonwealth ames Sports Swimming Jogging marathons rnning athle�cs an trac fiel Ccling an montain iing Golf ennis Soccer asetall ale tennis Cricket Srfing etall stralian ootall awn owls Snow siing aminton oing orse iing olleall Snowoaring rchery g eage Gmnas�cs Ice/figre sa�ng Sash iel oce owing Sailing Cla/arget shoo�ng So�ball/aseall ater siing g nion riathlons Motor racing TTL aling TTL incluing walking Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan, says Australians love of sport is well known with over 9.3 million Australians participating in sports at this year’s Commonwealth Games program and even one million plus Australians participating in Winter Olympic sports: "Over 9.3 million Australians take part in sporting activities being contested at this year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games including more than six million swimmers - Australia's leading sport by participation. Australia has high hopes of returning to the top of the medal tally after surrendering leadership in the Commonwealth in 2014 for the first time since the . The strong participation rates for sports and activities including cycling and mountain biking, jogging, marathons, athletics, track and field, basketball and table tennis - all sports being contested on the Gold Coast - auger well for a high degree of interest in the Games.

“The Roy Morgan product aids the future buying intentions and media consumption patterns of swimmers.

This data can be easily integrated with third party data sets. The rich profiling would be invaluable for Australian consumer brands, advertisers, governing sporting bodies and major sponsors like Optus who have a long term sponsorship arrangement with Swimming Australia.”

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 57 Behind the scenes

MEMBERSHIP

The easiest way to pay for your 2017/18 asctaMEMBERSHIP is by logging into www.ascta.com.au/Membership Alternatively you can complete the Membership/Insurance application and submit to ASCTA or simply return the Tax Invoice.

Please include a current Working with Children check. If paying by credit card, please ensure sufficient funds are available or if paying by EFT, please send in the invoice or membership application so your membership can be processed.

All Coaches must hold Premium or General Membership in order for accreditation to be valid.

Reminder to retrieve your Certificate of Currency. Please visit https://marshadvantage.com.au/AssociationMember/AssociationsandRetailGroups/ ASCTA.aspx or Email [email protected] if you have any membership or insurance queries.

ACCREDITATION

ASCTA conducts nationally recognised and internationally acclaimed Swim Australia Teacher training courses - • Swim Australia Teacher • Swim Australia Teacher of Babies & Toddlers • Swim Australia Teacher of Competitive Swimming • Swim Australia Teacher of Learners with Disability • Swim Australia Teacher of Adolescents and Adults (home study extension course) • Swim Australia Teacher of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (home study extension course) Go to http://www.ascta.com/Courses-Accreditation/Course-Calendars to see a list of upcoming teaching and coaching courses.

ASCTA also offers a home study Pool Plant Operations course. If assessed as competent, students are issued with a Statement of Attainment with six competencies listed. These competencies are those usually required by local government authorities for the monitoring and maintenance of pool water quality and to operate aquatic facility plant equipment. Cost is only $330.

Email [email protected] if you have any queries.

FIND US ON www.ascta.com www.swimaustralia.org.au

58 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA Behind the scenes

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook ascta and Swim Australia Instagram Swim Australia Twitter ascta and Swim Australia

MULTIMEDIA

In the lead-up to asctaConvention 2018, we have been busy preparing all the promotional material, programs, booklets and signage to inform and enhance your experience when attending our annual convention.

Looking forward we now move onto Member information in printed and digital format. This covers everything from Membership to Member services and support.

We also continue to connect with our members through our online presence with fortnightly digital newsletter e-splash and daily social media updates on all the happenings in the aquatic community.

ASCTA SHOP We stock Vorgee products, kickboards, pool toys, goggles, pool accessories, books and DVD's. Visit http://www.ascta.com/shop to place your order or contact [email protected] if you have any queries.

FIND US ON www.ascta.com www.swimaustralia.org.au

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA 59 CALENDAR 2018 CONFERENCES / EVENTS / SWIMMING

CONFERENCES Domestic

ASCTA Convention Brisbane 3-6 May SwimINFO North Cairns/Townsville 2-3 June ARI Conference Terrigal NSW 17-19 June SwimINFO Sunshine Coast University of the Sunshine Coast 23 June International Swim School Conference Hamilton Island 23-26 June Splash Gold Coast 1-2 August SwimINFO Perth Perth 4-5 August SwimINFO ACT Canberra 18-19 August Aquafutures TBA 22-24 August asctaQLD Brisbane 25-26 August SwimINFO Tasmania Hobart/Launceston 8-9 September asctaNSW/SwimINFO Sydney 15-16 September ARV Metro Conference Melbourne 17 September asctaVIC/SwimINFO Melbourne 6-7 October asctaWA Perth 6-7 October asctaSA/SwimINFO Adelaide 17-18 November

CONFERENCES International

ascta International Conference Shanghai, China 18-20 May World ASCA Clinic Anaheim, CA 4-9 September USSSA Conference Las Vegas, NV 23-28 September STA Conference Stratford Upon Avon, England 6 October World Aquatic Health Conference Charleston, SC 10-13 October Nordic Baby Conference Iceland 18-20 October ascta International Conference Singapore TBA ascta International Conference Dubai TBA

60 SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA CALENDAR 2018 CONFERENCES / EVENTS / SWIMMING

SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Commonwealth Games Swimming Gold Coast 5-10 April Australian Age Championships Sydney 21-28 April Pan Pac Trials Adelaide 1-4 July SNSW Country Championships SOPAC 7-8 July SSA South Australian SC Championships SA Aquatic Centre 18-22 July Pan Pac Games Tokyo, Japan 9-13 August ST Tasmania SC Championships Hobart 11 August Qld SC Championships Brisbane 17-19 August SNSW 13 & Overstate SC SOPAC 24-26 August SWA State Age SC Championships Perth 25-26 August SV Victorian Age SC MSAC 1-3 September SWA State Age SC Championships Perth 7-9 September SV Victorian Open SC MSAC 16-17 September SWA State Junior SC Championships Perth 22-23 September McDonalds QLD Open Water Championships Lake Kawana 20 October SV Victorian Sprint Championships MSAC 18-19 November SQ Qld Swim Championships Brisbane 15-21 December SV Victorian Open Water Championships Williamstown 17 December

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