Top Tips for Competitive Swimming (Part 2/2)

Race starts for beginners

• Competitors should leave their tracksuits, t-shirts etc., on until just before a race.

• When approaching the starting blocks take care not to walk in front of the officials who may be checking the finish of a race, observing the turns or starting the preceding heat.

• Put your hat on while in the whipping area (or before) and prepare your goggles just before the steward sends you to the blocks.

• Once you get there, you should take your warm clothing off and put them on the chair or in the box if there’s one provided.

• The referee blows a short series of whistles to signal that the swimmers should stand behind the starting block, and everyone else should be quiet.

• When the referee blows a long blast on the whistle you should either: stand on the block, or drop into the water if it is a backstroke race.

• It does not matter where on the block you stand but when the starter gives the command, "Take your marks", you must quickly take up a position with at least one foot at the front of the block with your toes wrapped over the edge and remain completely still, until the starting signal is given.

• Ensure you know what that signal is – it could be a starting gun bang, a whistle or an electronic beep.

• If a swimmer starts before, or is moving at the time the signal is given, and are deemed to have started before the start signal. A "one start rule" is applied, which means swimmers do not have a second chance - they are immediately disqualified (DQ’d).

• At the end of a race swimmers must remain in the water until asked to leave by an official, usually the referee.

Disqualification

Swimmers can be disqualified for a variety of reasons, including: delaying the start, making a false start, faulty turn, faulty stroke, faulty finish, or leaving the water before being told to do so. If you are disqualified don’t be too upset - It happens to everyone at some point and is almost a rite of passage in the swimming world! Find out why you were DQ’d, discuss it with your coach, and try not to make the same mistake again.

Make sure you practice good habits in training – i.e. – don’t do ‘lazy’ one-handed Breastroke turns in training as you may accidently do one in a race.

After the event

When you’ve finished your swim, collect your warm clothes and go to see your coach for feedback about your swim. Discussion and analysis will help you to improve your technique and race tactics. Learn from the experience and stay positive. Try not to let a tough race in the morning get you down for the rest of the session/day/weekend.

‘On to the next one!’

Depending on facilities and when your next event is, you may be told to swim down, or to dry off and get your warm clothes back on.

Notes for the Younger ones… Learning is the name of the game for younger swimmers. Learning the rules, learning to think about their stroke technique while under pressure, learning the racing procedure and learning racing tactics – parents please encourage your children to enjoy the learning process and to not to focus on ‘results’.

Swim-down

At some events, particularly level 1 and 2 meets, there will be swim down facilities. Swim down protocol will be given to swimmers prior to these meets – JETs and JE please keep in your handbook. Where swim-down facilities are not available, coaches will encourage swimmers to perform a pool-side warm down.

Finals

Some events, particularly 800m and 1500m, may be heat declared (with results based solely on times achieved in the heats) but others have finals, with the fastest swimmers from the heats going forward. Finals are normally held at the end of the session, but do check. Swimmers are spearheaded, with the fastest swimmers in the centre lanes and the slowest in the outside lanes.

Advice for parents new to Long Course & Short Course

Preparation is everything. Most take a cool bag with a large supply of drinks, snacks and healthy high carbohydrate lunch items – racing nutritional advice to follow. Take a pen to record times/splits etc, and something (a book, tablet, newspaper) to occupy you – there can be long waits between events.

Please offer your child reassurance and wish them luck prior to the meet, but please don’t offer any technical or tactical advice; congratulate them after their swim, and console them if they are disappointed with their performance, but without any well-meant analysis. Leave this to the coach, as mixed messages will only confuse the swimmer. Enjoy yourself and help them to appreciate the highs (and occasional lows) of the sport, and that sometimes losing, is the best way to learn how to win. Don’t expect them to achieve a personal best every time they race, as training is cyclical. This means that there will be times of the season were the main focus is base fitness and skills, and at these times, the swimmers' times will be inconsistent, and they may not be at top speed. Each squad has its main focus meets during the season. They will be prepared for these, and will hopefully swim personal bests at that point. The other meets are for practice and build-up competitions, to help teach the swimmers the pacing and skills necessary to perform at their best in the 'big one'!

As always, if you have any questions please come forward and sent me a message.....

Enjoy swimming!

Megan