By Carol Nip, V.P. Clubs & Coaches, Pacific Masters Swimming
A two-day USMS Stroke Development Clinic, also known as USMS Clinic Course for Coaches, was held recently at City College of San Francisco. If you missed it, don’t worry! Happily, the USMS Clinics and Courses will return in September 2023. Mark your calendars!
These Clinics are important tools in helping pool communities thrive. Through the comprehensive curricula, local committees can ensure that their coaches are well prepared to work with swimmers of all age groups and experience levels, allowing more people to enjoy the sport.
Here are six reasons why the USMS Clinic Course for Coaches are so valuable.
1. Coaches received guidance from two of the most knowledgeable and experienced mentors in the field, Bill Brennerand Mel Goldstein!
Bill Brenner is the Senior Director of Club and Coach Development at U.S. Masters Swimming. Bill 's dedication to developing coaches has been instrumental in the success U.S. Masters Swimming. His engagement and expertise have yielded over 5,000 Masters Coaching Certifications.
Mel Goldstein, Past President of USMS, collaborated with Bill Mel in conducting the clinic. Mel is an esteemed figure in the Masters swimming. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions, receiving the Ransom Arthur Award in 1997. Throughout his time as USMS President, Mel continuously dedicated himself to achieving the organization’s objectives.
2. Coaches get to interact to enhance knowledge through active coaching.
Coaches must stay relevant and up-to-date on the latest developments in their field. The USMS Clinic Course for Coaches provides coaches with the opportunity to review core knowledge, skill sets and learn new strategies and techniques to assure their continual improvement.
Clinics provide motivation and instill passion for coaches. Our field is ever evolving. It is important for coaches to take advantage of every opportunity to renew and refresh their skills. Investing in a USMS Clinic Course for Coaches can pay off in higher job satisfaction and improved performance.
Educational hands-on clinics, allow coaches to benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of their peers, learn from each other and gain valuable insight into the current best practices. A USMS Clinic Course for Coaches is an ideal environment for networking and making invaluable connections.
3. Coaches connect with peers who understand their unique position.
The Masters Swimming coaching community celebrates being part of a larger family. Each member has unique strengths and weaknesses. Pacific Masters Swimming coaches recognize that we must support one another, celebrate our successes and learn from our failures.
Coming together at a USMS Clinic Course for Coaches or any of the many other forums for coaching education and support, we promote excellence and create an environment where everyone thrives. Through community, we energize one another to reach our highest potential.
Pacific's recent clinic drew coaches from as far away as the Colorado and Delaware Valley LMSCs. Community spirit, camaraderie and learning together was evident throughout the program.
4. Every Masters Swim Committee (LMSC) needs a thriving coaching community.
USMS’s Clinic for Coaches provides a platform to bridge the community and further develop coaching skills. Certification classes and instructional clinics with the most knowledgeable swim coaching professionals enhances coaches’ capacity to become the best mentors possible by providing the resources needed to develop community and promote success.
5. Pools need swimmers, swimmers need coaches, and coaches need inspiration.
Masters swim coaches need on-going inspiration to guide their swimmers, no matter their age, skill level or speed. The USMS Clinic Course for Coaches is the place to find that inspiration while accessing techniques, progressions, current practices and ideas that translate directly to their swimmers.
Coaches come away with a better understanding of how capture their team’s vision, energized for teaching and highly motivated to help every swimmer achieve their goals.
6. Every swimmer wants solid feedback from their coach.
Masters swimmers deserve experienced and knowledgeable guidance from their coach to reinforce proper technique, provide insight into areas of improvement and motivate them to wards reaching their goals and potential.
Providing words of insight, encouragement and stroke technique at the right times, coaches help adult masters swimmers make the most of every swim. A coach’s ongoing support makes it possible for swimmers to keep improving and succeeding in the pool. Whether they are an outspoken or quiet swimmer, everyone in the pool wants and needs to hear from their coach and be recognized. This feedback can make all the difference in a swimmer's performance, helping them reach the peak of their abilities. That is why coaches who give feedback are essential to adult Masters swimmers.
Put a Coaching Clinic on your must do list.
Ultimately, the USMS Clinic Course for Coaches is a special way for coaches to hone their skills and gain inspiration. For local committees, it’s an invaluable resource that will help foster a thriving swimming community. Coaches have the opportunity to stay ahead of the game as a successful leader in their field. Attending the clinic, coaches access new strategies and gain the confidence to take their coaching career to the next level.
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