The USA Swimming Foundations of Coaching courses are essential starting points for individuals involved in all levels of swimming teaching and coaching. They guide swimming coaches progressively from the basic aspects of coaching philosophy; communication; athlete physiology, and practice organization, into more advanced concepts involving training theory and practice at different age levels; psychology; nutrition; biomechanics; long-term training planning; and more in-depth discussions of physiology and development.
Much of the course material (in particular Level 2) complemented my Sports Coaching classes, in particular the introductions to motivation, coaching philosophy, and communication. Other topics, such as specifics on athlete physiology, long-term training and practice regimes, and biomechanics, have proven very useful in my current roles. While I have swum and coached for many years, it is always important to stay on top of 'best practice' and especially with youth development, both physical and psychological. In addition, nutrition and drug testing/doping is something I have had no real exposure or experience; with all the developments and controversy in these areas, covering these areas in Level 2 was a valuable addition to my knowledge base.
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Splash is a Hong Kong-based charity that was formed originally to teach a vastly underserved population - Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs) - to swim. Most of these individuals (adult females) come from either the Philippines or Indonesia, where they live in close proximity to water yet cannot swim. In Hong Kong, they are frequently tasked with taking care of children in aquatic environments.
One of the bases of my teaching philosophy is to 'give back' of my opportunities and experience. With my Learn to Swim (LTS) coaching experience and qualifications, I joined the Splash program in Spring 2016. In Fall 2016, Splash moved to expand its program to serve underprivileged youth in Hong Kong, and I was asked to develop their youth-oriented LTS program, which will be implemented Summer 2017. It draws upon Splash's existing adult LTS outline, but also incorporates principles that are shown to be particularly important in youth sports - fun activities, a group environment, and ample coaching resources - as well as drawing upon established water safety frameworks from the Royal Lifesaving Society (RLSS) global LTS programs. In this role, I was able to incorporate my Master's learning with my prior experience working with children to provide something that will hopefully serve the Hong Kong community at large.
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