10 Things to Consider Post-Competition

So many of you just had a competition. I bet there are so many ideas running through your head. Some are great ideas and others may just be reactions to what your saw your competitors doing. I want to help guide you to making the most out of this next week by giving a list of things to consider.

1. What were your swimmers strengths? Was it the routine? What specific in routine was strong? Perhaps it was figures. You need to identify exactly what was their strength. Once this is identified keep making this even better.
2. Celebrate the WINS! Celebrate all wins. You don’t just win on the results sheet. You should have had other goals besides placing. What were they and celebrate them. The small wins are important steps in reaching your goals on the result sheet.
3. What needs to be better in routine and figures? Don’t pick everything. Pick the most important ones. Pick the ones that will impact your swimmers the most.
4. Make a plan for what you want to improve. Be clear and specific.
5. Follow your plan and modify as needed to keep you on course to achieving your goals.
6. Set a limit on the amount of choreography change you will make. This could be a certain number pf practices. It could be to change only one section per lap. I suggest only making changes to the routine that will make it better and not the sections you don’t like. Try to think objectively about your changes and leave your routine biases out if. (Not an easy thing to do)
7. Take into consideration what the judges are saying and factor that in to your revisions and figure plan. Ultimately, the judges give your swimmers the scores. Actually listen to what they have to say. If you listen you may discover what you need to do to get a higher score.
8. Read the FINA SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING MANUAL FOR JUDGES, COACHES & REFEREES. There is a lot of useful information to be found. On page 89 and 90 you will find diagrams on guiding scales for height.
9. Make sure your plan considers “the rules” of our sport. By “rules” I mean consider what the FINA manual says. For figures, knowing what constitutes design and control. In routine, know what is judged under difficulty.
10. Implementation. When you have your plan for what you want to improve make sure you implement it at every practice. Focus on what you need to improve on at each of those practices. If you lack purposeful daily planning and focus, do not expect improvement. You cannot improve 10 things, but you can improve 3 things.

I encourage you to make a list, prioritize the list, read the FINA Synchronised Swimming Manual for Judges, coaches & Referees, make a plan and then implement. I think one of the hardest things for most of us is to celebrate the small wins. I want to hear about your small and big wins.

Please share you wins in the comment section.

If you are interested in Choreography tips post competitions check out the link.

Choreography Post-Competition

Yours in Synchro,