Well, we’re now into our second week of 2023 and I’m just about well enough to resurface from my pit of sickness that I’ve been stuck in since Christmas Day.
Laying in bed day in, day out wishing for sickness to evaporate allows you a lot of time alone with your thoughts. One of the thoughts I had was recurring, niggling and just wouldn’t go away…
You should put pen to paper and write your OWN swimming pedagogy.
What IS a pedagogy, and why does the world need ANOTHER manual offering how to swim?
A pedagogy is a methodology, a personal account of how I teach and my teaching style. Regarding swimming, it is how I coach my athletes from complete beginner, to seasoned Olympian using my own style of methods, support and feedback.
Does the world need another way in which to learn swimming? I think so, yes.
Why? Because the world of biomechanics, technique advancements and understanding of the human body is ever evolving, as are the reasons that someone wants to develop their swimming.
I have been a swimming teacher, coach, tutor, triathlon coach, open water coach and parent and baby specialist for a little over 20 years (I’m older than I look), as well as a child competitive swimmer in pool, and in this time I have seen swimming methodologies come and go, but none of them seem to speak to the everyday, recreational swimmer as well as the swimmer looking to compete in a triathlon/swimming event/develop speed and focus. Maybe you don’t want to be the fastest swimmer in the lane – maybe you just want to improve for YOU! Maybe you don’t want to plough up and down with all the equipment available on the swimming market, instead perhaps you want to swim for mental health improvement, weight management or purely for enjoyment.
It’s okay to be this swimmer, and it’s okay to want to be someone that develops for speed and strength.
Swimming should be as much about mental health development and enjoyment as it is about physical development.
For years my peers have told me I should put pen to paper and develop my own training manual and pedagogy, so, finally, here I am;
TriSwim Training Manual will include science-backed biomechanical improvements (technique and “how to”), as well as teaching you how to develop your own swimming programs, periodization, develop a kind and highly motivating way to self-analyse, nutritional support, as well as teaching about adaptations your body will make; Developing our endocrine system, bone and muscle developments, cold water habituation and rehab and conditioning for various health considerations.