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Goals - The training plan will be goal driven. Some goals will come from school administrators, such as grade requirements. Other goals might come from the athletic director, such as a certain placing at a conference championship or a win-loss record goal. Other goals will come from the coaches and the athletes. Each must be evaluated and, if merited, steps to help achieve the goal must be included in the season training plan.
Initially, only non-athlete-derived goals will be used to build the training plan, since the athletes may not be available to determine goals during the plan building process. Once the athletes establish their sets of goals as the season begins, additional modifications can be made to the plan, if needed, to facilitate achieving those athlete goals.
The first goal of a training plan is to increase fitness and skills to promote a successful performance; beyond that, goals that are more specific can be established that will require the inclusion of certain elements in the training plan. If a goal is to have swimmers finish races stronger as demonstrated by specific limitations of drop-off times in race splits, then workouts designed to help accomplish this must be part of the plan.
Goals that should be determined by the coach include: end of plan goals, general to specific athlete goals, general to specific team goals, and general to specific competitive season goals. Athlete determined goals should include general and specific individual athlete goals, general to specific team goals, and general to specific competitive season goals.
While attainment of some goals will be affected by competition or the team member's incoming ability and skill levels, some goals that should be included in the plan that are not dependant on other team's or specific skill levels are physical, such as building greater fitness and developing or improving technique. Others are psychological, like developing athlete's peak performance skills, helping the athlete strengthen their sense of self-worth, and developing the value of sportsmanship.
- Other - There are also social concerns that should be addressed in the plan. Swimmers should become part of a cohesive team and develop a positive interaction pattern with other athletes. The swimmer's scholastic responsibilities must be appropriately emphasized and supported. Finally, the plan should be devised with the goal of providing a challenging, rewarding activity that the swimmer could continue for a lifetime.
Constructing a Season Plan for High School Swimmers - Build the Plan
