Articles by SwimSwam Contributors

A Standardized Tool to Assess Swimming Performance

Swimmers mature from young children to adults in the pool and we need a tool to support their growth, performance, and reduce their injuries.

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The Summer Olympics of 1976: The Flag and the Broom

Everyone knew that the first event, the men’s 200 butterfly final, would set the tone for the entire Olympic swimming competition.

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Ask Swim Mom: Should I Force My Child to Go to Practice?

Do you have any ideas on how to get her to want to go to practice like she used to? Is it better to let her miss practice or make her go?

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The 1976 Summer Olympic Games of Montreal: Olympic Swimming Training Camp

In 1976 the Branin Natatorium was brand new and Canton was a good place for a bunch of young Olympic swimmers to stay focused on the tasks ahead of us.

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Swim Mom Musings: Extraordinary Coaches

If your athlete spends 16-18 years in a sport like swimming, the coaches they experience along the way have a powerful influence over the adults they become.

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Shouts from the Stands: Relive The Legendary 800 Free Relay from Athens

Upsets have always been a blast to watch no matter what sport they occur in. Watching leads erased and world records broken always makes for an exciting time, but if they’re done by a performer that no one expects, those races become legendary.

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Shouts from the Stands: Character-Based Coaching

A swim coach’s influence is felt well beyond practices and meets and can shape their student-athletes lives. That’s why it’s vital that coaches understand their impact and use it to foster a positive learning experience both in and out of the pool.

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Zelin: Structure, Positives & Negatives of Athlete Protection Training Course

College professor and SwimSwam contributor Alex Zelin took the new SafeSport Athlete Protection Training (APT) course, and recounts what is included, what the course does well and what the course could do better.

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Swim Mom: Should Parents Use the Carrot or Stick as Motivation?

Here are five thoughts about using punishment and bribes to motivate our children to do well.

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Shouts from the Stands: Defining Success for 10/Unders

Coaches coach because we know the impact we can have on lives. Let’s be a part of redefining success as fun, hard work, and learning and let’s shift the focus away from comparisons. Isn’t that the best path to success?

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Ask Swim Mom: I Think My Child Should Move Up

I think she’d fit in better with the senior level swimmers who are faster. What can I do to help her get moved up?

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Challenging Waters: The Diary of a Lake District Swimmer

In 2014, I decided to celebrate my 60th birthday by attempting to swim the length of all seventeen lakes contained within the English Lake District, little realizing the time, effort or the planning that would be involved.

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In Pursuit of Coaching Excellence

Good coaches seek constant improvement in their search for personal excellence. They have an open mind and an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

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Shouts From the Stands: The Training Epiphany – A Motivational Story

You are capable of so much more and all it takes is that mentality to complete your equation for success.

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This Drill Turns Non-Swimmers Into Swimmers

This week we feature my favorite drill, the six kick, one stroke drill using fins and a low-octane or bent-arm recovery. I love the drill because it is one of the few drills that teaches swimmers three important fundamentals, rather than just one.

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