wonderboy33 wrote:
I agree that different kids and different body types need different things when it comes to taper. It takes a coach with experience to recognize where kids are at, and to adjust accordingly. Let me be Devil's Advocate for a moment. Do you think there may be an issue with you telling Junior one thing while the coach is telling him another? Put aside your feelings about what's right for him for a moment. Confidence and trust is important during taper. It's important that a kid trusts that they're on the right track, and that they will be ready to race. When you tell him to do no more than 1500 per day and nothing over 85%, are you being supportive of the coach, or are you trying to be the coach? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Perhaps the coach did the wrong thing, I don't know. Maybe you went to the wrong club. However, the end of the season is the wrong time to put doubt in Junior's head. My suggestion, discuss your concerns with the coach and see where he's coming from. If you've had it, do your research and find another club that fits your ideals better. Talk to the new coach and see what his philosophy is. If you're not satisfied, coach him yourself. It'd be a shame to get into this power struggle again. However, I understand he's off to college so maybe it's a moot point.
Junior lost trust in coach awhile back... long story. Junior came to me about how hard they were training and not doing the speed work and resting. His new coach dissed his old coach by calling his sophomore season a failure. trust ended there. that was a season where he went on a 5 week taper and went 139.0 and 49.4 as a sophomore. I hadn't coached him all season, but I saw him swim at regionals and could tell he needed more rest and knew the coach was not resting him for state. At this point it was a matter trying to salvage the season. there was no joint goal setting about priorities (winning HS state...) and this coach does not know how to mentally train the swimmers and actually messes with them more often then not.
The point is moot since he is going to college.
