Coaching Clinics For Swimmers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31716, 27 June 1968, Page 16

Coaching Clinics For Swimmers

The establishment of three age-group coaching clinics in August was approved by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Council last evening.

Agreement in principle was also given to recommendations for week-end forums for teachers, the importation of overseas coaches and regional competitive training schools. The clinics, one of a series of recommendations received from the association’s coaching committee, will be held in Auckland (Mount Eden pool), Wellington (Boys’ Institute pool) and Christchurch (Wharanui pool) between August 17-26.

The maximum number of swimmers will be 63; 23 in Auckland and 20 at the other two centres. Although centres may nominate swimmers to attend the clinics, the final selection will be based on the results of teleprinter contests held during the 1967-68 season.

The chairman (Mr A. J. Donaldson) said that this was “a pilot scheme from which to develop and extend our future schools.” In future years, it was envisaged that the clinics would cover several age groups, rather than confine it to one class, as it will be in August. The recommendation said that the purpose of the clinics was for training, stroke correction and to stimulate the greatest possible interest by the swimmers invited without disturbing coach-swimmer relationships. Messrs M. Doiidge, L. Hurring, C. Williams (Auckland), J. Hamilton, A. Keenan, G. Miller (Wellington), J. Breward, and V. Parkhouse (Christchurch) will be asked to submit an approximate cost -for their services as professional coaches at the clinics. The association set the maximum cost at $750 and will seek sponsorship.

Training Schools.—The national rankings would be used as the basis for selection of swimmers to attend the more intensified regional competitive coaching schools. Swimmers would be grouped regionally, each school directed by a chosen professional coach assisted by the local centre. The association decided to pass the recommendation back to the coaching committee to formulate a positive scheme.

Overseas Coach.—The association will Inquire into the possibility of importing an inter-nationally-ranked coach from overseas, with the South African, Mr C. Colvin, suggested as a possible candidate. The coach would attend a forum for professional coaches in August, 1969, and, with the assistance of six selected professional coaches, would conduct a special school for swimmers nominated by the selectors. Sponsorship.—An instruction booklet was one of 12 projects for which the association will seek sponsorship. The top priority feature of the programme will remain the tours by overseas teams every second year. The other projects, in approx-

Imate order of priority, were age-group clinics, age-group championships, national coaching clinics (and overseas coaches), proficiency awards, regional competitive training schools, synchronised swimming, water polo, diving, films (and video-tapes), and research (and administration).

Games Team To Meet Earlier

The swimming section of the New Zealand Olympic Games team will assemble in Auckland on the evening of September 6, four days before the full teams is expected to meet. Adopting a recommendation from its coaching committee, the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association decided last evening that the early assembly would serve as a “finishing school,” and would give the selected swimmers* coaches the opportunity to discuss training in Mexico City with the swimming section manager. The chairman (Mr A. J. Donaldson) said that such an assembly had been “most invaluable” before the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1966.