WHAT ARE WE?
There has been much talk since I arrived in York about the future or direction of the York YMCA competitive swimming program. What kind of program are we to be? Everybody understood from my first day on deck that my program would be very different from the previous one. This made some people very happy and some people very upset. Many people fervently wished for a change from the previous regime, then just as fervently resented and resisted any changes I brought about. Many people agreed in general with the philosophy of excellence that I aimed to implement, but then found that they disliked many of the particulars that such a philosophy implied. Many people were initially pleased that I intended to make a lot of the decisions that previously they had had to make, but then discovered that they didn’t like the decisions I made. There has been much “diversity of opinion” about every issue imaginable. All in all, it has made for an interesting year so far, for everyone involved.
To clear the confusion, the York YMCA competitive swimming program will be one program with two tracks:
1. A year-round program whose swimmers participate in USA Swimming and YMCA meets, but who do not participate in the local dual meet leagues. This program is geared to the more committed swimmer, and the training program is designed accordingly.
2. A seasonal program whose swimmers participate in the local dual meet leagues and some of the YMCA duals and invitationals, and who do not participate in USA Swimming meets. This program is geared to the less committed, multi-activity swimmer, and the training program is designed accordingly.
Swimmers choose which track to participate in. After each season a swimmer can re-evaluate and choose to switch tracks.
For this summer, year-round swimmers will compete in:
Various invitationals and championships as outlined in the meet calendar
Dual meet v. State College Y
Hot Heats (for 10 & Unders)
For this summer, summer league swimmers will compete in:
CASL dual meets and rounds of championships
Dual meet v. State College Y
Hot Heats (for 10 & Unders)
Contrary to popular rumor, the point of these dual tracks is not to have one “elite” or excellent program for the “fast kids,” and one bad or mediocre one for the “slow kids.” Instead, it is to have two quality programs with different goals for two different kinds of swimmers.
Realistically, kids separate themselves into groups, not by talent but by inclination. Some kids really get into swimming, they want to swim all the time and focus on getting better at swimming. Their commitment levels to swimming are high, as are their goals. They may participate in other activities, but it is nonetheless obvious that swimming is their priority; they are “swimmers.” A second group of kids likes swimming and wants to get better, but they are also into a number of other activities, and they may be a lot better at and more interested in these other activities than they are at swimming. For many in this group, swimming is a nice complement to their main activity, whether athletic or artistic. Also, for many, swimming is more social and less competitive. The commitment level to swimming here is lower; swimming is just not as important to them.
Both groups of kids swim, both like swimming, and both want to improve their swimming, but the two groups are different. They have different interest levels, different commitment levels, different goals, and consequently different needs and different training programs to meet their needs.
Having one high-powered “elite” year-round program that demands a high level of commitment from all its members serves the first group but not the second. Having one locally-oriented sprint dual-meet program with few demands serves the second group but not the first. Having one program with dual tracks, where swimmers and their families decide which track to participate in, serves both populations.
Regarding the summer league program: the goal here is NOT to win all the dual meets, NOT to dominate the league, and NOT to impress the neighbors. Rather, it is to provide a quality recreationally-oriented seasonal program that is lower pressure and fun, and that teaches both swimming and life skills.
Have I fooled myself into thinking that everyone is going to love either the idea or the execution of it? Of course not. I know that it is impossible to please everyone, and I am not going to try. My aim is to provide an excellent competitive swimming program both for those athletes who are very committed to their swimming and who are aiming very high, and for those athletes who are not as interested but who still realize the value to their bodies and to their lives that swimming can provide. Having a program with these dual tracks realizes this aim.
Coach Michael Brooks
27 May 2007