SRST: News That Can't Wait

Coach Ben here....

I have something on my mind and it can't wait until next week's newsletter. 

This year has been a special moment in time for SRST with the expansion to beautiful Snohomish.  My goal in this transition was/is to help families with their schedules by offering flexibility in where individuals practice.  Currently the policy is that you can show up to either pool as you wish and swim at your groups designated time.

This has given the coaches the unique and fun opportunity to "cross-coach" kids, which has been largely positive.  There are some concerns however we need to address.

• Some swimmers are developing "favorite" coaches
• Some parents are developing "favorite" coaches

This is not wrong (normal actually).  The problem comes when people begin to verbalize to one another the perceived negative components of a coach or pool environment.  These blanket statements can cause all kinds of negative fallout that can potentially hurt a team and be divisive.

My vision for our team is something unique and special, which I've never witnessed on any team I've ever seen (probably because of ego and competition for advancement/job security).  I envision a united coaching staff that is dedicated to one another and the entire team regardless of whether they personally coach a particular swimmer or not.  I envision that each coach interacts with all the swimmers and can even provide advice and guidance to someone who they might not directly coach.  Ego has no place in the environment we are building.

Think of the inherent value with this approach:

• The air is stress-free, positive and supportive
• The swimmers have a wide and diverse set of inputs to draw from
• Swimmers never lose touch with a coach even when they move groups
• Swimmers don't have to wait until they are a Senior or Junior in order to get some access to the head coach or any upper level coach

To help my coaches deal with the potential awkward interaction with a swimmer or parent who is voicing negativity I have assigned the following script:

"Coach ________________ has been in the sport either as a coach or athlete or both for a long time and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to bring to the table.  Coach ___________ is a valuable part of the team any we should all learn as much as possible from them and all the other coaches.  It's OK to have a favorite, but please stay positive about all the coaches because they are here for you and care about you a lot."

Let us remember that we are ONE TEAM in two locations with 6 coaches (and probably growing).  We are a unique and special team, but we will have our challenges.  As coaches we are committed to working on our environment and with your help (parents and swimmers) we will develop a team and and environment that we are all really proud to be a part of.

Thanks for helping us build a GREAT TEAM!

Ben and Staff