ORGANISED COACHING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 21

ORGANISED COACHING

SWIMMING CLUBS' DUTIES PROMISING MATERIAL LOST The main lesson of the current swimming season in Auckland has been the need for an organised sj-stem of coaching, with concentration upon juniors and intermediates.. Several years' supremacy over other centres lulled administrators into a sense of security, causing them to give practically no thought to helping young swimmers to improve themselves. Now, when premiership has passed elsewhere, there are hardly any juniors or intermediates who can be expected, with any degree of confidence, to restore the lost laurels. Not that tho winning of championships is tho chief purpose of the sport. Curiously enough, however, it is the extreme attention devoted to competitive swimming that has brought about the present weakness. Clubs have been too intent on organising competitions to heed their primary function of providing opportunities for instruction. Tho educational officer of the Auckland Centre, for instance, has often complained of the scant attention given his reports to the centre. A scheme propounded by him for tho conduct of a learn-to-swim week in February was shelved, in spite of an early display of interest.

Neglect of non-racing members lias undoubtedly cost clubs much good material. Enthusiasts of undeveloped ability are constantly joining clubs in the hope of receiving some form of tuition, but just as quickly they are withdrawing their membership on realising that for them little place has been made in the clubs' activities. Speaking in a competitive sense, every club in Auckland has a considerable proportion of non-active members. Theso are tho very ones in need of encouragement.

The centre should set the example by evolving a scheme of teaching the most effective methods of swimming, and demanding the co-operation of all clubs. It is of higher importance that a club should be able to show it has taught someone swimming than that it has held a carnival during tbe season. The approach of winter need be no deterrent, because with tho facilities of the Tepid Baths, much useful work could be dono during the olf season.