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Repeticio Mater Studiorum
(Repetition is the mother of
learning)
By WILLIAM J
PRICE
Saluki Head Coach
One of the
easier aspects of writing this newsletter, which I did not fully appreciate
until last year, is just how much of the content is repetitive. The content
is dictated not only by the seasonality of age group swimming but also by
the constant inflow of new swimmers and parents. But what is repetitive to
older members of the team may very well be the Rosetta stone of youth sport
to a newer family. So, with that brilliant introduction, I am able to launch
myself into a discussion of progress and outcome goals and why you should be
interested.
Whenever we start a new
project here at World Headquarters of the Dynamo Swim Team we have a
definite outcome in mind. Depending on the complexity of the task however,
the outcome may seem depressingly far off. We frequently need an
intermediate dose of motivation to keep us on the right track. In coaching,
this intermediate point is called a progress goal. It measures progress on
the way to the desired outcome. Measuring progress is a standard practice in
any long term endeavor. It not only indicates that improvement is being made
but it also allows one to reevaluate the direction the progress is taking
i.e. "are we still headed in the right direction?" It forces us to focus
on the process of reaching the desired outcome.
In 1969 Neil Armstrong was
asked what it was like when he first set foot on the moon. He said that
after all the planning and training it just seemed like the right place to
be at the time. His answer drives home the difference between process and
outcome. Flying to the moon is a process oriented activity. You can’t simply
blast off and figure it out on the way.
Progress goals are also
referred to as short term goals. Short, intermediate milestones on the way
to an ultimate long term objective keep people motivated and on the right
path. Taking the long view sounds like great advice but for new team parents
it’s not very practical because they don’t yet know what the long view is.
The danger is that not knowing the long view leads one to put inappropriate
emphasis on short term objectives as if that’s all there is.
What confounds swimmers and
parents most is losing sight of the difference between outcome and process.
Focus on what your children are learning and not on how they stack up
against others on the team. For reasons that no one can explain completely
children improve, learn and grow at different rates. Focus on the process of
improvement; coming to practice, listening to the coach, understanding the
details of training and attending meets. These items all reinforce the
process of getting better.
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