12&Under Sculls
Like I promised here are the 12&under sculls. Sorry it took so long.
When I coach sculling, I usually incorporate the easier sculls into the synchro portion of a warm-up. Once the skills are becoming proficient, I swap some sculls out and put new ones. Sometimes I have different scull warm-ups depending on the day of the week. I place the harder sculls in the figure portion of practice.
Based on your training days per week I would make a scull rotation to ensure all sculls are getting practiced each week. Sculls that are in many figures or that are really hard should be trained more often or even at every practice for the first half of the year.
Some of the sculls required of a 12&under are really hard. I suggest training some of the harder sculls as soon as you can. Support scull and thrusts are two sculls that need considerable time to master. Even the spilt sculls can be a challenge.
| Scull | How many figures have this scull |
| front layout scull | 4 |
| back layout scull | 4 |
| Reverese propeller | 4 |
| Split scull into an arch from layout | 1 |
| Split scull into an arch from walkout | 2 |
| Alligator | 3 |
| foot first scull | 1 |
| barrel scull | 3 |
| dog paddle | 2 or 3 |
| Support scull | 6 |
| Thrust arm action | 1 |
| One arm support scull one arm overhead | 2 or 3 |
| Flipped hand support scull | 1 |
| Double overhead | 4 |
| Propeller | 2 |
This list is missing one scull that I think this group should be training.
| Spin scull |
Do not spend much time on the spin scull, but when you need to put something different and fun into practice teach the team how to spin. The team will love it. All new swimmers love to thrust and spin.
Remember that the judges do not judge what the hands are doing. So that may mean at a competition you need to get a swimmer to do whatever works. I am okay with that as long as you are encouraging the athletes to do proper sculling at practice with the expectation that before they move up to 13-15 they can DO ALL the sculls.
I have seen too often where a swimmer at 11 years of age is super floating so they can get away with the most random of sculls. That same swimmer at the age of 13 or whenever they hit puberty is now not so floaty. Now they need to learn how to scull properly. This will be a step back in their development because instead of the swimmer training the strength and fine technique of a scull they are learning.
” Train proper technique and expect proper technique. This is a battle worth having.”
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Yours in Synchro,
[…] out this post where I talk about 12&under sculls. I would train positions and sculls separate for a few […]
i love to read every comment you bring to the coach, i would like to know more about the proper technique of the Sword Fish straight leg, and the Oceanita, those are the most dificulte to teach
I love swordfish. If you it’s okay with you/swimmers send me an under water and above water view of the parts you would like help with. I can blog about it and share it on the site. send it to vanessa@theonlinesynchrocoach.com