Sea Dragons Swim Club Hackettstown NJ 07840

SeaDragons Roles and Responsibilities


COACHES RESPONSIBILITIES

The coaches' job is to supervise the entire competitive swim program. The SeaDragons’ coaching staff is dedicated to providing a program for youngsters that will enable them to learn the value of striving to improve oneself "to be the best you can be." Therefore, the coaches must be in total control in matters affecting training and competition.

1. The coaches are responsible for placing youngsters in practice groups. This is based on the age and ability level of each individual. When it is in the best interest of a swimmer, he/ she will be placed in a more challenging training group by the coach.
   
2. Sole responsibility for stroke instruction and the training regimen rests with the SeaDragons’ coaching staff. Each group's practices are based on sound scientific principles and are geared to the specific goals of that group.
   
3. The coaching staff will make the final decision concerning which meets SeaDragons’ swimmers may attend. The coaching staff also makes the final decision concerning which events a swimmer is entered into.
   
4. At meets, the coaching staff will conduct and supervise warm-up procedures for the team. After each race, the coaches will offer constructive criticism regarding the swimmers performance. (It is the parent's job to offer love and understanding regardless of their youngster's performance)
   
5. The building of a relay team is the sole responsibility of the coaching staff. The coaching staff is constantly updating and improving the SeaDragons’ program. It is the swimmers’ and parents' responsibility to make the most out of the excellent opportunity this program provides for success in swimming.
   

SWIMMERS TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

As a swimmer's level of swimming ability increases so does his/her responsibility. The program is designed to encourage all swimmers to go for the gold. As swimmers improve there is a deep commitment that requires great effort on all parts. A swimmer has responsibilities to the team, the coach, his/her parents, and most importantly to themselves. Swimmers need to prepare themselves for a 100% effort each time they come to practice.

Swimmers will be required to bring specified training accessories (i.e., Goggles, caps, etc.) to workouts. It is the swimmer's responsibility to make sure these items are properly adjusted and that spares are readily available. Equipment adjustment and repair will not be accepted as excuse to miss part of a training session.

PARENTS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Please make every effort to have your swimmers at practice on time. Realize that your child is working hard and give all the support you can. Encourage good diet and sleeping habits. They will serve your children well.
You have done a great deal to raise your child. You create the environment in which they are growing up. Your child is a product of your values, the structure you have provided, and the model you have been. Human nature however, is such that a parent loses some of his/her ability to remain detached and objective in matters concerning his/hers children's athletics. The following guidelines will help you keep your child's development in the proper perspective and help your child reach his/her full potential as an athlete.

The coach is the Coach! We want your swimmer to relate to his or her coach as soon as possible concerning swimming matters. This relationship between coach and swimmer produces best results. When parents interfere with opinions as to how the swimmer should swim or train, it causes  considerable and oftentimes insurmountable, confusion as to whom the swimmer should listen to. If you have a problem, concern, or complaint, please contact the coach.

Best kind of parent: The coach's job is to motivate and constructively criticize the swimmer's performance. It is the parent's job to supply the love, recognition, and encouragement necessary to make the child work harder in practice, which in turn gives him/her the confidence to perform well in competition. Even the very best swimmer will have meets where they do not do their best times. These "plateaus" are a normal part of swimming. Over the course of a season times should improve. Please be supportive of these "poor" meets. The older swimmers may have only two or three meets a year for which they will be rested and tapered.