CSCAA Launches Mentoring Initiative
Mentoring is one of the most important things that can help a professional stay healthy and whole and develop continuously throughout one’s career. Whether you are a grizzled veteran or in your rookie season, the more support a coach has, the stronger they and their team are.
Coaching is Reading and Reacting
With the start of the season, we are all looking for an edge in coaching our programs and in our coaching. “Read and React” is a phrase used in this essay to describe a possible path to “highly successful” coaching.
Stressed Out? You Are Not Alone
By Dr. Bob Pearson
Surprise, college swimming coaches are stressed! Many of you took the time to respond to a survey request as part of a research study to investigate issues that may contribute to high stress levels among intercollegiate head swimming coaches. The Coaching Issues Survey, a tool to measure specific, potential stressors experienced by intercollegiate athletic coaches was used to collect data.
What AD’s are Asking Us
Hiring season is upon us.
With at least four positions open and three new programs coming online and looking for a coach, hiring season is officially open. In fact, the data shows that in a given year 10% of teams will hire a new head coach and almost a quarter will hire an assistant.
The Real Competitor
When it comes to success in your professional life, you must compete! My observation after almost one full year of consulting, teaching, writing and speaking is that there is a severe lack of courage in leadership today in every walk of life. As a leader, you exist to solve problems and make decisions. If there were never any problems, your school wouldn’t need you! You also exist because someone has to make a decision. How do you find real competitors for your organization?
Lessons from Justin, My First Assistant
By Greg Earhart
I’m asked all the time “How do I get into college coaching?”
Here’s the answer: Be more like Justin Jennings.
Justin passed away last week from complications of colon cancer. I’m pissed and I’m sad.
Lessons from Legends: George Kennedy
By George Kennedy
I retired from Johns Hopkins on June 30, 2017, and while I would love to say “and haven’t looked back”. That just is not true. It would be difficult just to leave after 31 years, go “cold turkey”, and not look back (or continue to stay in the sport). In fact, it would be nearly impossible. So, it has been a thrill to work as a volunteer coach at Johns Hopkins and speak about some of the life skills learned in my decades as head coach.
Assembling Teams – it IS Rocket Science
In assembling your team are you looking beyond times and height? What about the psychological role an athlete can add to your team? That’s how NASA thinks. “…We assume that astronauts are
intelligent, that they’re experts in their technical areas, and that they have at least some
teamwork skills. What’s tricky is how well individuals combine.”
Become an Asset to your Athletic Director
We asked athletic directors and sport supervisors how they evaluated their swimming and diving coaches. Here are the five biggest takeaways from those conversations.
Change is Coming
A changing of the guard is coming. Each year about 10% of programs replace their head coach and all signs are pointing towards 2016 being a banner year. The upcoming vacancies will give many coaches an opportunity to advance their career, but coaching changes, like a slow breaststroker on your medley relay, are a weak link that can make our programs vulnerable.
