00:00:03 - Introduction
This is the Your Sports Resource podcast, where each week you'll learn actionable strategies that you can implement. So the operations of your club support your coaching staff and the direction of your organization. We are committed to excellence in youth sports leadership. Let's get started.
00:00:28
Hello and welcome to the Your Sports Resource podcast. I've got a short episode today, but one that I think is really important and something that I've just been contemplating or has come to my mind lately, and that is the professionalism as a swim coach.
00:00:48
Over the last few weeks, I've been talking to various clubs regarding, you know, their preparation for the new season, parent kickoff, and what should take place in that parents meeting. Through these discussions, I've realized that I don't think that we've done our parents any favors by not talking about the level of professionalism that goes into being a full-time swim coach.
00:01:14
I know we know it, but maybe we should talk about it a little bit more with families. Think about it from their perspective. Most parents have no experience to pull from with regards to swimming or what experience they have in sports really is what they've learned through what happens with soccer and football or baseball. So most of those coaches are fathers or mothers that give up their time to coach. They are volunteers. It's a few hours a week, right? And these volunteers may have some experience in the sport or they may not.
00:01:52
I mean, heck, I coached my daughter's volleyball team for a few years, and I didn't know anything about volleyball other than, you know, watching her and what I could learn on YouTube. Okay. So, any rate, yes, we do have some part-time coaches that have other jobs and have come up through the industry, and they just volunteer, but they have some sort of swimming background.
00:02:20
But what I'm really getting to are those full-time coaches, the coaches who do this for a living, they've been chosen or they've chosen coaching as their career. Think about it. In swimming, there are several requirements for certifications and levels of qualifications, especially as you become a head coach.
00:02:43
And these certifications are, like I said, they're required in order to even step on deck. So this industry requires experience plus qualifications. Why don't we share that with our parents? You know, one of the biggest complaints I hear regarding parents over-involvement is that they want to dictate schedules and practices and what their kids should be swimming, their performance expectations.
00:03:12
Heck, in one of the club's membership surveys that I conducted, I had a parent that actually wrote a full on dry land workout for the coaches to use. So maybe it's time that we explain to our parents the level of professionalism that is at each club. So you should explain that to them about what the professionalism is at your club and in the swimming industry overall because all they have to compare it to is the couple hours a week volunteer of a parent.
00:03:45
So we don't need to be obnoxious about it. But I do feel it's important to teach them. There are a lot of coaches that they feel they are the coach and everybody should just agree with them because they are the coach or the head coach. Right?
00:04:03
Think of it as the opportunity to explain the profession and lead that dialogue into what are the coaches responsibilities and what are the parents responsibilities? I feel like this flow of information is really positive and it sets your families up to understand, no, they got this. They know what they're doing. I don't need to tell them or interfere. Right?
00:04:30
So one topic leads perfectly into the other and both are necessary to share with your family. So that what I'm referring to is what's the parents responsibilities and what are the coaches responsibilities. So if you talk about your level of professionalism, it all flows and it makes sense. So when you're planning your parents meeting for the new season, I think it would be valuable to talk about your culture, your vision for the organization, and then address where most of your issues lie.
00:05:05
So talk along the lines about the coaching profession and let that lead into what your job is and what their job is, all in an effort to provide the best outcome for each and every child. All right? Now, I know today's message was short and to the point, but I feel like it's an approach that you need to consider and figure out how you're going to work into your vocabulary with your parents. All right, thank you for listening, and please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so we can reach a bigger audience such as yourself.
00:05:37
And don't forget, forget to visit the website yoursportsresource.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter that goes out twice a month or you can find articles and tools as well as more information about how you can learn to work with us. Okay.
00:05:52
Finally, remember what is common sense isn't always common practice. Put what you learn into action. Don't just be good, be good at it. Thanks, everybody.
