Our Coaching Philosophy
STAR Swim Team's purpose is to promote physical fitness, develop leadership qualities and sportsmanship, encourage team involvement, foster self discipline, build self confidence and provide a competitive swimming experience in an environment where a swimmer's full potential may be reached.
(taken from the by-laws of STAR Swim Club)
While it is obvious that STAR is involved in helping swimmers to swim fast, that is not the only purpose behind the coaching staffs goals for the STAR athletes. As a coaching staff we are far more interested in using the sport of swimming for teaching life skills. Some of these life skills are:
• Goal Setting - Helping swimmers determine how to set and accomplish goals.
• Prioritizing - Helping swimmers to place the important things in their lives first, even if swimming may not be the most important.
• Self Motivation - Most things in life come from within, not from the outside.
• Work Ethic - The great American work ethic. Hard work always pays off.
• Limits and Boundaries - Each swimmer should strive to be the best that they can be and not worry how others are doing. We encourage swimmers to be in control of the things that they can do something about and to not worry about the things that they cannot control. A swimmer can be in control of their work ethic, they cannot control the natural abilities that they were given.
• Team Work - A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. STAR wants to be a strong chain.
• Healthy Lifestyle - Swimming for life. Not only do we encourage this, we offer it.
• Responsibility - Decisions are made every day that will effect swimming and life. There are consequences in every decision, good and bad.
STAR's emphasis is on self improvement. Very few swimmers become Olympic athletes. The majority strive to do the very best they can. The attention of the coaches will always be on the swimmers working the hardest to achieve their goals. This has not and will not always be the fastest swimmers, but tends to be the dedicated swimmers. The program must be run with the expectation of near perfect attendance. To do anything less would be a disservice to the traditions of STAR and to the most dedicated athletes we have.
