Knowledge is always a real value, while diplomas are sometimes just pieces of paper on the wall

Just as in my first writings, when I placed the job of a fitness trainer under critical scrutiny, now, after completing significant work and dedicating myself to swimming with great focus, I cannot help but share my observations.

In my environment, there are seven coaches, all completely different in everything except for the decades-old programs they follow, written in their notebooks. The program is classical and not entirely bad, though it is monotonous and dry. The certifications and diplomas they hold, and how they came to their positions, is a story of its own. Each has their own tale about it, and I am entirely outside of those stories. Even though I have shown great interest and dedication, they have completely isolated me, even from the seminars they occasionally organize, which they are always a part of. I wasn’t even surprised, as I simply do not belong to the politics they are part of.

Some of the coaches I work with hold top positions in national swimming associations and one of them is the head coach of the national swimming team.

I have closely observed the work of each one of them, as well as the swimming of their athletes, who are mostly grouped by age.

As I mentioned earlier, this will be a critical reflection and my perspective on swimming coaches and their greatest shortcomings, although I must say that I have an exceptionally good working relationship with half of the coaches here and agree with many aspects of their approach and work. Most of the truly useful advice I have received has come from them. I emphasize that this is not a critique of any individual but rather general observations that I could not ignore, as they significantly impact a coach’s success in their work.

Let us begin…

1. There is no worse sight for a swimming coach than seeing a swimmer thrashing uncontrollably, flailing their arms like tentacles, trying with their last ounce of energy to reach the pool’s edge. Many even have their chins trembling from exhaustion and are on the verge of hypothermia, so I regularly send them to wrap themselves in a towel. Something is not right about that, and I immediately know what it is. Energy is being wasted in entirely the wrong way, resulting in such a scene.

   The technique must be trained in a rested state. Rest periods are crucial, as is the intensity of the training. Never train a sprinter for a marathon. Many times, I have to point this out because I see that no one even attempts to correct the mistake. There is nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so…

2. If you train a swimmer’s muscles with 400m sets, they will be prepared to swim a maximum of 200m. If you assign them 250m sets, they will be ready for 100m. If they swim 600m, they will be prepared for 400m at their peak but won’t have maximum speed at 100m because they’ve been training for 400m. Sprinters must be trained for sprints, not marathons. When doing sprints, rest periods must be longer because the intensity and speed of swimming are always higher than in long-distance races.

   Speed and endurance don’t go together. Speed cannot be physiologically achieved. You can even find that on the internet. Many times, I have to point this out because I see that no one even attempts to correct the mistake. There is nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so…

3. For example, I can see that a swimmer is breathing incorrectly, or I notice a technical flaw in their swimming, and I point it out to the coach while the swimmer is in the pool.

   And what happens when the swimmer reaches us?The coach tells them they are breathing incorrectly and swimming wrong, but they don’t explain how to fix the mistake.

   It’s not enough to tell a swimmer that their legs are too low relative to their body. You need to explain what they need to correct in their swimming technique to achieve the ideal leg position.

   Knowledge is the only real value, while diplomas are sometimes just pieces of paper on the wall.

4. Very often, and almost regularly, it disheartens me to see incorrect mechanics when working on machines or an uncontrolled, uncoordinated, and entirely improper technique during dryland training.

   The biggest mistake, which is even dangerous for maintaining a steady heart rate and rhythm of breathing, is incorrect breathing during exercises on machines. Unfortunately, in most key exercises for swimming, reverse breathing is present. If done incorrectly, it leads to a natural dysfunction in the breathing rhythm. When this is done continuously over time, it’s not only harmful but also dangerous to the health of the athlete, particularly affecting the heart rate.

   For example, the breathing and mechanics during an exercise like tricep pushdowns on a lat machine must be entirely different for swimmers specializing in breaststroke than the standard execution on this equipment!

   I often feel compelled to point out mistakes simply because I can't ignore them. There’s nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

5. Exercises for freestyle and backstroke must be asymmetrical and focus on diagonal muscle chains from the legs to the head. On the other hand, exercises for breaststroke and butterfly must be symmetrical, bilateral, and focused on parallel muscle bundles and their synchronization.

   If you mix symmetrical and asymmetrical techniques and exercises, you confuse the conceptual system of neurological muscle activation and waste valuable muscle synergy by using it incorrectly.

   I often feel compelled to point out mistakes simply because I can't ignore them. There’s nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so.

   
   

6. It’s much clearer when I demonstrate how a swimming movement should look, but explaining it in words is a distinct and true skill in transferring knowledge to athletes.

   I often hear coaches shouting and making unrecognizable noises while demonstrating a movement, but no words come out of their mouths. I can clearly see the coach knows what mistake the swimmer is making and tries to demonstrate the correct movement. However, if they can’t explain it properly in words, many children don’t understand what the coach is saying or trying to convey.

   If you want to be a coach, then just like anything else, you must possess all the necessary qualities for this job.

   I often feel compelled to point out mistakes simply because I can't ignore them.There’s nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so.

   
   

7. The starting dive is one of the most crucial elements in swimming, and it’s believed that over 30% of success in a competition depends on executing a successful starting dive.

   It’s entirely clear to me that during a starting dive, you must first have a timely reaction to the starting signal, then push off powerfully with your legs, and aim to jump as far as possible. During the dive, you should lift your center of mass in the shoulders as horizontally as possible while flying, as the dive into the water is headfirst.

   I devised an exercise encompassing all the elements, from neurological reaction to biomechanics and elastic explosiveness. Unsurprisingly, I saw significant improvement in children after applying this exercise.

   However, aside from practicing the starting dive exclusively the day before a competition—which, unfortunately, is the norm—none of my colleagues working with other groups even attempted to implement this highly practical exercise. They continued with their usual exercises, which are not compatible with the most effective starting dive technique and can even be harmful.

   They are counterproductive because they train movements that lower the center of mass during the starting dive when it should be raised.

   I often feel compelled to point out mistakes simply because I can't ignore them. There’s nothing worse than feeling someone resents me for doing so.

   
   

8. Patience is a blessing many coaches lack. For this reason, I often feel a knot in my stomach when I see coaches yelling and screaming at children who are, after all, just children.

   I always ask them whether they believe they were better at that age. On the other hand, there’s only one surefire way to maintain their attention: make it engaging and varied. Repetitive and monotonous training sessions inevitably lead to mediocrity and boring repetition of the same elements.

   
   
   
   

   I’m confident that if you, as a coach, address even one of the points I’ve mentioned here, you’ll become more successful in your coaching work.

   I hope that texts like this contribute to a higher-quality approach to coaching and the skill development of many young athletes.