Competing for a local club, school or university and attending regular coaching sessions.
ATHLETE PROFILE
Young and developing athletes can grow at different rates with chronological age. To add, they can enter and progress through maturation at different chronological time points. The speed and magnitude of physical and cognitive maturation can differ markedly, and such development can affect swimming performance to a greater or lesser extent.
Young and maturing swimmers could potentially reside in the matched FTEM categories, and so understanding the stage and influence of growth and maturation on performance relative to the developmental stage will be important.
- Typically associated with 11+ – 16 years.
- Entry of maturation (11+ girls; 12+ boys – 15-16 years)
- Increasing height, weight, muscle strength/force (body fat gain females); Potential surge (and decrement) in physical/fitness capability improvement relative to others – Potential (dis)advantages for early maturers.
- Potential period of coordination & technical control loss due to growth & instability
- Increasing emotional awareness; impulsiveness
- Capability for planning & self-control (executive functioning)
Participation in deliberate play activities promoting problem-solving, exploration of body movement & creativity.
Training emphasis:
- Technique
- Speed
- Aerobic Development (AEC)
Training Purpose:
- Training Foundations
Pool:
- Continuation of Technique across all strokes
- Development of Aerobic capacity
- Further development of racing skills
- Provide a greater variety of training methods
Land:
- Increase strength to body weight ratio
- Even development of all muscle groups
- Development ‘core’ body alignment
- Maintain flexibility
10 – 14 weeks per season
- Sampling a number of sports (related too or including swimming).
- Exposure to a full range of skills, promoting skill range, adaptability and transfer.
- For top tips for parents, visit: sportaus.gov.au
Sampling a number of sport-related activities and exposure which allows continuous repeated skill practice opportunities.
Basic factors of fitness for sports performance including speed, endurance, strength and power, body size, and flexibility.
Understanding of the key technique points and demonstrates the appropriate co-coordinative profile for butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle; underwater kicking and racing skills (starts, turns, finishes)
Enjoys racing with and competing against other athletes.
Awareness of the importance of musculoskeletal robustness demonstrated through undertaking basic stretching and strengthening exercises relevant to athleticism. As an example; Overhead Squat, Push Ups with correct posture, Lunge & Twist, Side Bridging, Prone Bridge.
- Ability to plan/goal-set as well as sustain or develop motivation toward personal performance targets.
- Developing an understanding of how swimming can facilitate personal fitness, health & well-being.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT
Evidence-based and holistic coaching delivered by club and coaches. Find out more at: Swimming Australia: Coaching
Coaching:
- The Head Coach has consistently demonstrated their ability to coach all levels of swimmers in line with the maturational and stage of developmental requirements
Coaching program:
- Program delivery is holistic based on maturational stage of development via sport-specific knowledge and interpersonal skills
- Proactive coach led functional movement and injury prevention strategies
- Able to overlay (meso) long-term (4 years), (marco) seasonal and (micro) month/week/day planning. Able to adjust or change planning/training based on standards test results.
Coaching support:
- If available, allocation of an assistant coach
- Coach provided from the club with a supportive management environment to monitor and proactively manage workload and personal development.
Employment contract:
- Head Coach with a fixed term contract
- Contract to include engagement with identified Coach professional development programs,
- Employer support to attend any Australian Team or State Association Team competitions and camps
Facilities:
- Training access to a range of wet and dry facilities that are considered best practice for developing programs
- Water Space and partnership requirements
- 1-2 pools at one or numerous venues, with regular access throughout the season,
- Standardised swimming pool equipment
- Facilities self-contained or with shared access
- Athlete Support and Development Facilities
- Access to gym facilities/dryland areas
- Mobile video analysis for technical intervention
- Coach Program Management
- Coach office and meeting room is ideal
- Athlete Wellbeing Elements
- Athletes live in manageable proximity to the training facilities (30-40mins)
- Sports Science and Sports Medicine (SSSM) Support
- Introduction to educational use of Sports Science and Sports Medicine knowledge and personnel
- SSSM Integration Practice
- Service is general across most disciplines and reactive based on need/resources
- Regular support via basic educational resources
- Planned and linked to athlete stage of development
- SSSM Collaboration
- Collaboration with local service providers
- AMS Compliance / Introduction through:
- National Assessment Protocols and Trainability Profile Graphs
- Collated daily training, wellness and load information
- Record injury/illness instances
Management:
- Developmental Pathway that provides support to both athletes and coaches
- Centre Agreement
- Overarching agreement with leisure provider that has, as schedules, the specific areas of service provision and operations under agreement
- Support Coordination
- Support to identify and coordinate Performance Science and Medicine Management
- Oversee regular IAPP and AMS monitoring as required
- Centre Management
- Strong financial and program oversight capability, including regular reporting
- Provision of high-quality underpinning business systems for the operational, financial and strategic delivery of the program
- Provide coaches with a personally supportive management environment to monitor and proactively manage workload, personal development and stress
- An awareness of and ability to facilitate the following Policies & Procedures around: Swimmers agreement, IPC Classification, induction program, Safe Sport Policy, Code of Conduct, Benchmark Event Selection Policies, Anti Doping Policy, Supplement Policy, Social Media, Medical & Medications Policy
- Centre Structure
- Proactive link with a learn to swim operation
- Self-contained pathway exists internally for flow from junior swimmers
- Accredited coaches supporting Head Coach if required
- Head Coach is actively involved in mentoring club coaches and LTS teachers
Education:
- Basic educational resources made available.
Personnel:
- Delivered by Psychologist on the National Network list via SA Discipline Lead.
Education:
- Basic group education introducing the Resilient MIND through understanding the psychology of sport and adolescent development and delivered through SSO activities.
Support:
- Group education focused on athletes, coaches and parents.
Personnel:
- Parents, Club and age group coaches.
Education:
- Group education on nutrition for active individuals with a focus on whole food and lifelong healthy eating. Introduction to eating for requirement (basic sport nutrition)
Support:
- Group education focused on parent and coach upskilling.
Personnel:
- Qualified Sport physicians and practitioners who comply with anti-doping, supplementation, medication and injection policies.
Education:
- Basic education on health and hygiene, injury prevention, management and anti-doping provided through online resources such as fact sheets.
Personnel:
- Qualified Physiotherapists.
Education:
- Basic education on injury prevention and management, such as warm-up, stretching and self-massage.
Support:
- SA Dryland Exercises for Swimmers poster.
Personnel:
- Qualified soft tissue/massage therapists.
Education:
- Basic education on massage principles and self-massage techniques through online resources such as fact sheets.
Personnel:
- Club and age group coaches.
Education:
- Basic education on movement and strength training principles through online resources such as fact sheets.
Personnel:
- National Club Development Manager| Club coaches | State Club Development Officer’s
Education:
- Beyond the Black Line
Personnel:
- Club and age group coaches.
Education:
- Basic education on biomechanical principles and use of qualitative video analysis (training and competition).
Personnel:
- Club and age group coaches.
Education:
- Basic coach education on value of deliberate play and diversification (eg; no early stroke specialisation/value of gymnastics /movement competence).
- Introduction to giving athletes instruction and feedback and how to organise practice to promote learning.
Personnel:
- Club and age group coaches.
Education:
- Basic education on fitness and methods of training.
6 x Competitions per year:
Domestic:
- National, State & Regional Championships including State Team SC
- Grade & School Competitions.
Purpose:
- To participate in the National Championships (Long or Short Course)
Emphasis:
- Learning to develop competitive skills
Outcome:
- Review of competition performances for improvement
- Under-age & School Competitions
- JX Clinics.
- To find out more, visit: Swimming Australia: Junior Excellence Program
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP
National:
- General Manager Participation and Sport Development
State:
- Club Development Managers/Officers
Regional:
- Regional Development Managers/Officers
Olympic pathway programs:
- Club Programs
- JX
- State Swimming Association Programs
Paralympic pathway programs:
- Club Programs
- JX
- State Swimming Association Programs
National bodies:
- Australian Sports Commission
- State Sporting Associations
- Australian Swimming Coaches & Teachers Association
- Clubs
- Schools
- Universities
- National Sporting Organisations
- National Sporting Organisations for People with Disabilities
The Safe Sport Framework (SSF) confirms the shared responsibility we all have for keeping each other safe in swimming – children and adults alike. For more information on the SSF, visit: Swimming Australia: Keeping our Sport Safe.
Personnel and accountability:
- State Coach/Club Development Officers, School, University, Club coaches
Programs:
- SA Coaching Accreditation – Coaching Course
Focus:
- Evidence-based curriculum and delivery which is delivered by accredited club-based coaches and is cognisant of:
- Fundamental movement skills
- Skill acquisition and refinement with an emphasis on on-water technique and tactical development (e.g., pacing, stroke rates)
- Understanding the impact of biological maturation on development
Coaching personnel:
- School, club, university and development coaches
Coach education:
- Swimming Australia Coach Accreditation:
- Swimming Australia Performance Coach Accreditation
- Swimming Australia Advanced Coach Accreditation
- Swimming Australia Development Coach Accreditation
- To find out more, visit: Swimming Australia: Coaching
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Examination of transition rates and catalysts into HP pathway
Potential collaborative partners:
- Australian Sports Commission
- University Network
- National School Network
- National Club network
Potential themes emanating:
- Participation strategies:
- FMS and Age-modified formats
- Club member retention
- Transition of athletes into HP pathway
- Relative Age Effects in swimming – corrective adjustment procedures as a strategy to remove the influence of maturation in competition
