DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUMMER LEAGUE SWIMMING AND YEAR ROUND SWIM TRAINING
TAKE HOME POINTS
- Summer league swimming can be an effective feeder system for year round swimming.
- With burnout a major problem in the sport, summer teams can help foster enjoyment at the grassroots level.
- It is important to strike a balance between enjoyment and building fundamentals
Coexistence
Country clubs, rec centers, and full-time swim programs anxiously await the influx of summer swim kids. Summer programs and year-round programs have an interesting coexistence, where sometimes the only thing is common is the fact they involve swimming.
At the extreme, summer teams are sometimes perceived as one step above Marco Polo games, while year-round programs can seem like strict paramilitaries to outsiders. In reality, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and can vary greatly depending on the team. Despite these differences, many of the sport’s elite have begun their careers as purely recreational summer league swimmers before gradually increasing their commitment to the sport.
Most important with summer teams is to encourage fun.
In general, summer teams do this very well -- with the sheer numbers of participants as evidence. This fact is especially important with burnout as one of the biggest challenges in the sport.
Modern literature and anecdote has shown that long-term-results are best when kids are allowed to diversify sports. Summer league swimming allows kids to pursue other athletic endeavors at early ages.
But there is also a flip side to remaining in summer swim, namely the difference in mindset.
Most would agree that having 10-11 year olds swim doubles and 40-50k per week is a bit excessive. While it may teach hard-earned-lessons of commitment and dedication, it can also cause burnout and injury. But we also cannot avoid the positives that come from an environment of dedication, specifically those intangibles that we all see but sometimes struggle to articulate.
Chambliss (1989) conducted a lengthy study of elites and noted, “Olympic champions don’t just do more of the same things that summer league country club swimmers do. They don’t just swim more hours, or move their arms faster, or attend more workouts. What makes them faster cannot be quantitatively compared with lower level swimmers, because while there may be quantitative differences, these are not, I think, the decisive factors at all.
The best swimmers are likely to be strict with their training, coming to workouts on time, carefully doing the strokes legally. Their energy is carefully channeled.
Diver Greg Louganis practiced only three hours each day, divided into two or three sessions. But during each session, he tried to do every dive perfectly. Louganis was never sloppy in practice, and so, he was never sloppy in meets.
Ultimately one of the challenges in transitioning from summer league swimming into a full-time program is a shift in mindset.
While fun is the priority at the youngest ages, we also don’t want bad technical habits to develop. “It’s only summer league,” while maybe not explicitly stated, is often implicitly stated and may hold kids back who may consider a transition to a year round program. It is a delicate act to balance seriousness with enjoyment. Yet also consider that seriousness and enjoyment can also be one in the same.
As Chambliss continues, “The very features of the sport which the C-level swimmer finds unpleasant, the top level swimmer enjoys. What others see as boring, they find peaceful, even meditative, often challenging, or therapeutic. ... No amount of extra work per se will transform a C-level swimmer into a AAAA swimmer without concurrent qualitative change in how that work is done. It is not by doing increasing amounts of work that one becomes excellent, but rather changing the kinds of work.”
CONCLUSION
Too often, people focus on volume, numbers of practices, and the fact that a team practices year round as the main discriminators between summer-leagues versus full-time swimming. Instead, it is a subtle difference in mindset that can distinguish the two cultures. But rather than being simply an academic discussion, recognizing this distinction can help coaches effectively transition kids from summer to year-round if they make that additional commitment.
REFERENCE
Original author
Allan Phillips, a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and owner of Pike Athletics. Allan is also an ASCA Level II coach and USA Triathlon coach. Allan is a co-author of the Troubleshooting System and was selected by Dr. Mullen as an assistant editor of the Swimming Science Research Review. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at US Army-Baylor University.
The post Differences Between Summer League Swimming and Year Round Swim Training appeared first on Swimming Science.
By SwimISCA, posted May 4, 2015 In Allan Philips, Mental, Psychology.
You may also like
Central States Clinic — get the app!
Read MorePhilippines stuff
Read MoreThis is the week to offer your feedback on the ISCA Meet Experience
This form and interaction will go away in a week or so.Hit it now and give it a whirl. Your feedback is welcomed and appreciated.https://conta.cc/3U1WfLG
Read MoreSONR, developing product and website – market research interview on wearable for swimmers for music and coach communications
Enhancing the User Experience for Swimmers and Coaches In a recent interview with Anna, ISCA’s webmaster and swim coach talks with the product manager at Sonar. We gained valuable insights into the needs and challenges faced by the swimming community. Here’s a closer look at the latest chunk of the transcript and how it impacts Sonar’s
Read MoreNew video iOS app from GoSwim – webinar
Modernize Your Swimming Experience with GoSwim: The Video Share Data App for Coaches and Swimmers April 4 12:30 PM EDT Next session in: 0 days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds I consent to receiving emails and/or text message reminders for this event. REGISTER NOW The Evolution of GoSwim’s iOS appA Brief HistoryGoSwim originated as
Read MoreNew Video App from GoSwim and Glenn Mills – webinar insights – coming soon
Read MoreProfessional Pool Operator / a remote course offering
March 21 2:00 PM EDT Next session in: 0 days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds I consent to receiving emails and/or text message reminders for this event. REGISTER NOW Register Now
Read MoreAchieving Balance in a Demanding World
Nurturing Balance: A Guiding Light for Swim CoachesIn the relentless rhythm of coaching, where long hours and underpaid roles are the norm, finding balance might seem like an elusive dream. Yet, amidst the whirlwind of swim meets, training sessions, and team dynamics, it’s crucial to carve out a space where you can thrive not just
Read MoreWondering how many swim coaches find themselves on thin ice due to clueless micromanager bosses?
Length: 6:26 What do you say?If you have a comment, put it into the box at the bottom of this post. If you want to share a story with us, record it and then upload it to https://UCANSwim.WeTransfer.com. Summary of an interview clip with Barry Healey of U CAN Swim.The speaker was hired as a swim coach
Read MoreIn advance of the PIAA State Meet, PA Records and Psych Sheet point projections
All of this is UNOFFICIAL!Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.Corrections can be put into the comments at the bottom of the post. STATE RECORDSPIAA 2A Girls 200 Medley Relay 1:43.96 Gwynedd Mercy Academy2016Szelkely,O’Dare,Szekely,Blaser 200 Free 1:44.73 COURTNEY HARNISH2017West York200 IM1:57.76 LAUREN BARBER2015Wilmington Area 50 Free 22.66 LILY KING2022Mt Pleasant-10 100 Fly 51.9350.29 Leah Shackley2023Leah
Read MoreBoys 100-yard back in WPIAL, PIAA District 7.
Pre Race Setting Joe Roth, Riverview, Senior, defending champion in the 100 back, record holder, is seeded second. He wears the green cap in the video. He is also a varsity basketball player with more than 2,000 career points and his team is still alive in the state basketball playoffs. Joe set the WPIAL record as
Read More