Coaching Excellence Score Card – For Coaches, Swimmers and Parents.

Coaches – ever wanted to know how you rate as a coach?

Swimmers – ever wanted to know how your coach rates as a coach?

Swimming Parents – ever wanted to know how your kid’s coach rates as a coach?

Then look no further than….the Coaching Excellence Score Card.

This score card is a little different. Instead of being awarded points, you lose points for poor coaching standards and mediocre coaching behaviors.

Are you ready for the Coaching Excellence Score Card?

OK – your starting score is 100 CCs – that is 100 coaching credits.

1. Take off 5 CCs if you have been late to training in the past month;
2. Take off 10 CCs if you coach from one end of the pool all the time and another 5 CCs if you ever sit down during workouts;
3. Take off 5 CCs if you have not given each swimmer in your team one on one quality coaching in the past week;
4. Take off 20 CCs if you have used a mobile phone during workouts while on deck in the past year (except in emergencies);
5. Take off 5 CCs if you allow swimmers to breathe inside the flags in free and fly;
6. Take off 5 CCs if you allow swimmers to finish poorly on the wall at the end of fly and breast;
7. Take off 10 CCs if you talk to parents, swim club committee, non swimming swimmers and pool staff during workouts;
8. Take off 20 CCs if you don’t take time to write down the work the swimmers actually completed during the session, i.e. as opposed to what was scheduled to be done;
9. Take off 10 CCs if you made up the workout on deck as the swimmers walked in to the pool;
10. Take off 5 CCs if you didn’t give each swimmer in your team at least five quality instructions and / or pieces of feedback during your most recent session;
11. Take off 100 CCs if you still throw kick-boards, fins or pull buoys at swimmers to get their attention;
12. Take off 20 CCs if you don’t give each swimmer one on one feedback after each race they swim at Meets;
13. Take off 10 CCs if you don’t wear team gear to training and / or competitions;
14. Take off 5 CCs if you don’t attend Club Nights;
15. Take off 15 CCs if you don’t know the first name of each of your swimmers within 2 sessions of them starting training with you;
16. Take off 50 CCs if you don’t have an individualized plan for each swimmer in your team for the next two seasons;
17. Take off 10 CCs if you have never scheduled time to meet with the parents of each of the swimmers in your team (i.e. away from the pool deck and outside of training times);
18. Take off 30 CCs if you have not completed at least 50 hours of professional development, learning and personal improvement in the past year;
19. Take off 5 CCs if you don’t ask swimmers “how did that feel” (and really listen to their views) after they try new skills;
20. Take off 30 CCs if you don’t have an outstanding dry-land program which engages the total commitment of every swimmer in your team;
21. Take off 10 CCs if you don’t include mental skills development activities in every session;
22. Take off 5 CCs if you didn’t smile at least ten times during the team’s last workout;
23. Take off 50 CCs if you smoke and or / drink alcohol in front of the swim team (i.e. junior swimmers);
24. Take off 20 CCs if you don’t regularly practice “performance under pressure” – i.e. making training more challenging and more demanding than any competition could be;
25. Take off 20 CCs if you don’t encourage and embrace recovery during and after every workout.

So, how did you do?

Coaching Excellence Scorecard key:

90-100 CCs: Wow – Amazing. Please stop reading this blog and my articles. Start writing your own – I want to learn from you O Coaching Master. You are the Yoda of coaching excellence.

80-89 CCs: Outstanding work. You really understand coaching excellence. Do they call you SUPER COACH? If not, they should!

70-79 CCs: Great stuff. Some things to work on but generally you coach like a basketball – plenty of bounce and well rounded.

60-69 CCs: Not bad. Keep working on the little things….the funny thing is that when it comes to poor coaching and the little things…there are no little things.

50-59 CCs: Danger – danger – warning – warning. You need to improve and fast.

40-49 CCs: How did you find this site? Were you looking for help to save your job? Or were you looking for Coaches Anonymous?

30-39 CCs: Have you thought about taking up football coaching? It’s still challenging coaching but at least there is no danger of people drowning.

20-29 CCs: Have you thought about another career? Something not too brain taxing where your unique skills will be appreciated – maybe an Economist at Wall Street? A Government Adviser on the Environment?

10-19 CCs: I think I need to type slower so you can read this….S.T.O.P. C.O.A.C.H.I.N.G!!!!

1-9 CCs: The only job for you I can think of for you is something that requires no skill, no brain power and no effort…Congratulations Congressman!

Zero (or less) CCs: Please return your coaching card to your national swimming authority. Do not go anywhere near water…ever. Stop bathing. Stop shaving. Ask for help when drinking a glass of water. The further you keep away from water the better for all of us.

Wayne Goldsmith