Jessica Guenther swam for the Saskatoon Aqualenes until 2009. Placing first at 2009 Nationals in Figures, 2nd in solo she put herself onto the Junior National Team. After a very successful UANA Junior Pan Am (Jessica placed first in every event she was in), Jessica furthered her synchro career by going to swim with Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
Coaching Tips
TECHNICAL TIPS
Here is the link to Oprah's Smartest Most Talented Kids Clips on YouTube that was discussed at this past weekends (Jan 10-11) High Performance Camp. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=olVI94SSmoo
FROM THE JUDGES PERSPECTIVE
Judging Free Routines
COACHING ASSOCIATION OF SASKATCHEWAN - CONFERENCE PAPERS!
The following papers are presentations that were done at the CAS coaching conference in May of 2008. Many are slideshows with talking points but you will find valuable information if you go through them. Enjoy!
WORKSHEETS FOR BEGINNING MENTAL TRAINING
Goal Setting Documents
This link will take you to USA swimming and a great article on the importance of Mental Preparation:
http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/_Rainbow/mental%20Toolbox%20Documents/4cab8aa8-b1b0-487d-99d3-0692146c1d2c/competition.pdf
HEALTHY BODIES/ NUTRITION
Nutrition Update Spring 2009
Promoting Healthy Body Images
Leslie Sproule recommended these articles that Dr. Margo Mountjoy has passed along on sport nutrition as well as disordered eating:
IOC Statement on Sports Nutrition - www.olympic.org
Nutrition for Athletes, IOC Report - www.olympic.org
PLANNING TIPS
MISCELLANEOUS TIPS
Coaches handout Janelle Unteriner.pdf - an excellent summary of Technical Merit and Artistic Impression Marking Scales
How to measure Peak Height Velocity
Sport Medicine & Science Council of Saskatchewan
If you are looking for resources that have to do with aspects of our sport such as Mental Training, Nutrition, Sports physiology or more please follow the link to the Sport Medicine & Science Council of Saskatchewan website articles page.
http://smscsqlx.sasktelwebhosting.com/articles.html
GENERAL COACHING LINKS
Synchro Canada - http://www.synchro.ca/e/index.php
Coaching Association of Canada - http://www.coach.ca/eng/index.cfm
Coaches Association of Saskatchewan - http://www.saskcoach.ca/
Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport - http://www.caaws.ca/
Canadian Sport for Life Website - http://www.ltad.ca/content/home.asp
Further tips
Set Smart Goals
Goal Setting does not work unless you do the following:
- The goal must be important to you
- You must write goal down
- You must grade yourself every practice! How did I do?
Conditioning Ideas In Limited Pool Space/Use of Aids
Routine/Figures Specific
- Swimming paddles for sculling
- Bottle drills – for core strength- conditioning extension-flexibility-specific figures
- Element training with metronome or music
- Eggbeater/fig height – On the spot training – weight belt-ankle or wrist weights-tights
- Propulsion of sections of a routine – map out 1 meter marks on pool side and train sections of the program in repeats with the metronome. Change directions as needed
- Golf/Ping pong/Balls/bricks/kick boards – tools for sculling and technical drills – Vertical positions – layouts
- Diving board use – Tubing for flex – Spin/twist drills with poles – power touch drills
Pattern
- Kicks are the most important thing in pattern changing. Kicks must be perfectly synchronized and coordinated for great pattern changes to occur!
- Perfect Patterns will be achieved if underwater work is perfectly synchronized and executed!
TIPS
- Key in Synchronized Swimming is “Training to Perform”. Swimmer must bring energy and focus of competition to everyday practice. What you train is what you get! This will lead to HUGE improvement. As a coach you must ask yourself – How can I create this atmosphere?
- Start your routine like a “10” and finish routine like a “10”
- Try to improve 1% per hour. Ask the swimmers every hour if they have improved 1%
- Get your athletes to act professional and treat their swimming like a job! Ie Always have a notebook, be on time, have all your equipment, look put together and tidy etc
- Athlete must feel like a tight rope walker (balancing very carefully, trying not to tip and fall – Never use the water as a pillow!
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