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10 & UNDER DEVELOPMENT

INVESTING IN THE BEGINNING OF A SWIM CAREER – COACH & SWIMMER

Alexis KetoHead Coach & CEO

New Trier Swim Club

Winnetka, IL

ALEXIS KETO

• Head Coach & CEO of New Trier Swim Club

• 2005-2016: Head Coach Colorado Athletic Club

-Olympic Trial, Nationals, Junior National Qualifiers

• 2004-2005: Head Site Coach, YMCA of the Triangle

Area

-Coached Age Group Sectional and Zone Qualifiers

• 1998-2004 Division 1 College Coach

Northwestern University; NC State University

• Numerous Summer League, high school & developmental

age group coach positions, 1994-2016

• Camp Manager & Clinic Coordinator for Colorado

Swimming & within the USA Swimming structure.

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10 & UNDER DEVELOPMENT

• Defining 10 & Unders

• How 10 & Unders learn & how to put it into

practice

• 10 & Unders within a large program

• Suggested Drills for 10 & Unders

• Selecting & Guiding 10 & Under Coaches

• Assessing 10 & Under Success

• Reminders & Q&A

LEARNING STYLES: USING CLASSROOM THEORY TO INFORM

COACHING 10 & UNDERS

Learning Styles

* Visual, Verbal & Kinesthetic

* Addresses how students interact with information

* Informs instructors on alternative ways to instruct

* Instructors should work to accommodate athletes’ learning styles rather than the other way

Multiple Intelligences

* Similar to Learning Styles – how kids demonstrate skill and mastery

* Visual/Spatial; Verbal/Linguistic; Logical/Mathematical; Bodily/Kinesthetic; Musical/Rhythmic;

Interpersonal; Intrapersonal

Test your learning style – (Visual/Auditory/Tactile only)

http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml

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10 & UNDER EDUCATION THEORY

8 & Unders = Kindergarten thru 3rd Grade

Developing all sides of their learning

Learning styles will emerge gradually

Important to address ALL styles

Have a lot of cross education – art/music/PE on a daily basis

• Kindergarten (ages 4-6)

- Color, movement, short creative lessons

- First experience in a controlled education setting

- Introduction to writing and reading

• 1st Grade (Ages 5-6)

- Use of formal desks and controlled space

- Learning to follow written instruction

- Basic Math skills

• 2nd Grade (Ages 6-7)

- Formal desks, introduction of consequences

- Learning to work in groups on projects in class

- Working to write a paper, reading chapter books

- Multiplication, Division, Time are explored at length

• 3rd Grade (Ages 7-8)

- Following extensive and detailed instructions

- Regular projects and group work

- Very structured day and yearly plan

10 & UNDER EDUCATION THEORY

9 -10 Year Olds = 4th & 5th Grade

Social interaction and gender striation begins to occur

Learning styles will become prominent

Students are more physically divided by academic performance

Have a lot of cross education – art/music/PE on a daily basis

• 4th Grade (Ages 8-9)

- Social work – emphasis on larger projects

- Reading chapter books & writing reports

- Fractions, Conversions

- Social Studies – learning history and how government works

• 5th Grade (Ages 9-10)

- At some schools, they start switching classes, independent learning

- First presentations in front of the class or teacher

- Most schools will have a “school play” where the entire grade will

work to create a large-scale production

- History and Science are now formal classes during the day

- Some students are entering puberty – sex ed is also introduced

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TRANSLATING CLASSROOM THEORY TO THE POOL

Verbal* Gaining cues from spoken lecture or instruction

* Using Words to process and solve problems

* Get cues from intonation and word choice

• These swimmers will listen to coaches and need to hear the workout read to them and explained

clearly.

• Written workouts will be helpful for these athletes as will reciting the workout to them

• Explicitly state your goal for the workout and these athletes will work to achieve that; They will

particularly like motivational quotes and articles

• Team-Building: These athletes will enjoy activities that involve writing, talking and communicating

both with coaches and others

• Post Race: These athletes will need to talk through their swims and have you give them a lot of

feedback, they will also enjoy looking at splits

TRANSLATING CLASSROOM THEORY TO THE POOL

Visual

* Using Pictures and Images to understand problems

* Color creates impressions and triggers memory processes

* Get cues from body language and stature

• These swimmers will love workouts accompanied with pictures or quotes

• Watching the coach write the workout up on the board or use different colors to emphasize

pieces of the workout will add meaning

• Use of underwater mirrors will be particularly useful for these athletes

• Team-Building - These athletes will enjoy activities that involve drawing, color or imagery –

they will be the athletes that enjoy making team posters or vivid bulletin boards or websites

• Post Race – these athletes will need visual interpretation of their races – draw the skill they

miss, draw a graph of their race, things like stickers are impactful rewards

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TRANSLATING CLASSROOM THEORY TO THE POOL

Kinesthetic/Tactile

* Using movement and body to coordinate action to solve problems

* Touching and moving items to be engaged

* Athletes gain cues from coaches movement on deck

• These athletes will need to mimic movement to generate mastery of a skill

• Creating opportunities for these athletes to move while giving the workout – pointing at parts

of the set, having them show you what they’re doing in the water

• Using dryland movements to match skills in the pool will resonate with these athletes

• Team-Building - These athletes will enjoy activities that involve movement – human knots,

team challenges, chain swims

• Post Race – these athletes will need to demonstrate their movement to you and will appreciate

if you have them show you what they felt in the pool, be ready for a lot of movement from them

TRANSLATING CLASSROOM THEORY TO THE POOL

How do you evaluate athletes learning styles/intelligences? TALK TO THEM!!!

* Favorite classes

- Math vs Art – what they like may indicate how they learn

- Ask about their teachers – what they like about them

* Listen to their feedback

- Do they talk a lot? Do they move around? Do they look very intently at you?

* Watch in group settings

- Visual Learners will watch the group first

- Verbal Learners will want to write things down/talk

- Kinthestic Learners will be moving around and encouraging others

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NEW TRIER 10 & UNDER STRUCTURE

Ten Training Groups

• Addresses all the levels of skill set –

from beginning athletes to up level

10 & Unders

• Designed around grade levels FIRST

and then ability in the pool SECOND

• Mimics education track so athletes

can have similar educational

experiences

• Allows for athletes to create social

bonds that can continue through the

program until age 18

• Staffed with 2 Full-Time, Salaried

Coaches and 5-7 Part Time Coaches

dedicated to the 10 & Program

Introductory

bridge group from swim lessons; rudimentary swim skills; new to swim team structure;

intro competitions

Level 1 : K-2

Level 2 : 3-4

Novice

Swim team experience; familiar with all four strokes; learning/refining dives & turns;

beginning competitions

Level 3 : K-3

Level 4 : 4-5

Developmental

1-2 years of swim team experience; Legal in 3-4 strokes; Competitive Athletes evaluated on

competitive & practice performance and swimming acumen; swimmers are placed by

ability

Levels 5-7: Grades 2-4

Age Group

1-2 years of swim team experience; Legal in 3-4 strokes; Competitive Athletes evaluated on

competitive & practice performance; swimmers are placed by ability

Levels 8-10: Grades 5-6

SUGGESTED 10 & UNDER STROKE DRILLS

Things to remember when coaching younger athletes

- Keep your description short and vivid

- Encourage athletes to physically practice the drill before trying it

- Quickly correlate the drill to implementation in the stroke

- Speak, Write, Show – repeat expectations three times in three

different ways

- Get them IN the water and swimming as MUCH as possible.

- Limit how much you talk to under 10-15 minutes.

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FREESTYLE DRILLHEAD LEAD FREESTYLE

• Works length of the stroke

• Simple to communicate to athletes

and practice on land and in the water

before trying it out

• Isolates one arm at a time to help

pull on both sides of the body

• Helps eliminate crossover

https://youtu.be/VjrA5qSy7rw

BACKSTROKE DRILL

BACKSTROKE PROGRESSION

• Works body rotation

• Simple to communicate to athletes and

practice on land and in the water

before trying it out

• Also helps kids work on head position

and keeping good body posture in the

water

• Helps communicate synchronization

between hips & shoulders. https://youtu.be/lrdW3En-KXM

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BREASTSTROKE DRILL

3 UP & 1 DOWN

• Simple to communicate to athletes and

practice on land and in the water

before trying it out

• Focuses on timing between hands and

feet

• Helps swimmers focus on scull motion

to eliminate incorrect elbow position

• Really great drill outside because

swimmers can watch their shadow

https://youtu.be/QmLPDHECl1Q

BUTTERFLY DRILLDIVING BOARD

• Helps kids feel the undulation

movement

• Simple to communicate to athletes

and practice on land

• Translates quickly into the pool

especially with fins

• Encourages full body movement

https://youtu.be/delRTWsChM4

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CREATING A 10 & UNDER WORKOUT

Set Technique Goals

50 Minute Developmental Workout

• Warmup arms/legs/engage them

• Drill of the Day (pick one)

-Relate to Specific Race

• Aerobic focus

-Specific Race

• Game of the Day

-Importance of FUN

• Regroup & Announcements

-Awards/Meet Sign-ups

Develop Plan

Workout for a 100 Backstroke

• 100 Swim/50 Social Kick

• 4 x 25 Body line Drill with TYR burners

-have assistants at both sides of the pool giving feedback

to every kid and sending off regularly

• 3x

100 Free @ 3:00

50 Back @ 1:30 – remind flipturns

2 x 25 Back @ 1 – good underwaters, focus

on fast finishes & hard kick

• Matchbox cars on the bottom of the pool to

work on underwaters

STAFFING A 10 & UNDER WORKOUT

Importance of finding the right employee

- Fun, energetic

- Committed to the team a whole

- Desire to teach technique FIRST

10 & Under Coordinator [Full-Time]

- works with upper level age group staff to establish

expectations & programming

- Communicates expectations with parents

regarding meets & practices

Part-time Staff

- Pre-K teachers or coaches/instructors are great

-Understand their most recent swimming experience

MAY be senior/masters swimming, so be patient and

break down the expectations of strokes/workouts

What the workout looks like:

Lead Coach:

* Read, Write, Show workout components

* Sends first group off

* Move from lane to lane with feedback

Assistants:

* Reiterate concepts with swimmers

* Handle send-offs

* Address concerns or injuries

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ASSESSING 10 & UNDER SUCCESS

• Retention

How many swimmers continue with the program OR return to the program

Consistent Practice attendance

• Technique

Number of DQs at meets

Learning Terminology and baseline expectations for team participation

• Meet Participation

Percentage of participation in meets

Variety of events participating

• Parent Feedback

Positive – 10 & Under parents will THANK YOU

Negative – an uptick of negative feedback may have some worth investigation

• Program Commitment

Do they attend team events?

Do they wear team t-shirts at school?

WHY 10 & UNDERS MATTER FOR THE HEALTH AND LONGEVITY OF A PROGRAM

10 & Unders will try many other sports

throughout the course of their athletic career –

if they love swimming early on – they’ll return

to the sport fully later in maturity

The social bonds formed in the 10 & Under age

group will continue through their career and

help stay in the sport

The 10 & Unders are the base of your pyramid

& become a microcosm of the team as a whole

– they are the fans of your bigger kids!

And financially, they will be the bulk of your

program – invest in their investment.

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REMINDERS & EXTRA THOUGHTS

• Talk briefly – use the rule of three – Speak, Write, Act

• Be cognizant of parallels from school to swimming

• Encourage relationships between older & younger

swimmers

• Drills should build on the aerobic set of the day

• Talk to kids on their level – squat, sit, speak quietly

• Hire coaches who LOVE working with little kids and the

sport of swimming

• Educate and pay the coaches that work with your youngest

swimmers – encourage their involvement with the whole team

• Evaluate 10 & Unders on more than just performance in the

pool – it’s a lifelong sport, make sure you’re instilling lifelong

skills!

RESOURCES FOR 10 & UNDER COACHES

• Head CoachMost Senior head coaches have spent a few years in the

10 & Under arena

• Pro-Swim Workouts

• New Trier YouTube Drill of the Week Director of Sports Performance Matt Zachan

• Elementary Education Theory

• Watch a Class from another sportDance, Gymnastics, Soccer

• Attend ANY local clinic and learn more about stroke

technique in general

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Q&A AND

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alexis Keto

Head Coach/CEO

New Trier Swim Club

www.swimntsc.org

303.619.8587

aketo@swimntsc.org

Instagram: CoachKeto

Twitter: @CoachAlexisKeto