Dear Parent(s):

My name is Tracy Craemer and I am excited to say I will be the Piranhas head coach this season. I have been involved with the MCSL for over 25 years as a swimmer, coach and parent and was hoping to return to the deck as a coach last summer but a paperwork nightmare prevented that from happening. I am happy to say that the paperwork has all been taken care of and I am ready to roll!

I will be joined on deck by a stellar group of assistant coaches, all of them former Piranhas. Caitlyn McKelvey, Tyler Mumford, Elizabeth Pepper and Chuck Miller are all excellent swimmers and instructors who are excited about working with your children to ensure a terrific summer full of fun and achievement.

We will be competing in Division “F” of MCSL for the A meets. We should be very competitive in this division. On Wednesday nights we will compete in B meets against local pools. There are two types of meets, however, there is not an A team and a B team. Swimmers can swim in one meet one week and the other meet the next week or even both in a given week. The Poolesville Piranhas compete as one strong team!

I wanted to take this opportunity to put in writing my coaching philosophy and my goals for your child and the team this season. Summer swimming can be an exciting and fun opportunity for your child to learn new skills, make new friends, and have fun.  As fun as it can be for your child, different expectations from the coach, parent(s), and player can take away from that positive experience in a number of ways. 

Coaching Philosophy

·         I believe that kids gain confidence and a love for the sport through positive feedback from parents, coaches, and other swimmers.  Skill level develops at different rates for kids, but effort and having fun can always be achieved.  I try to always provide positive feedback for effort. 

·         I think it’s important that a coach takes more than a casual interest in the swimmers.  I strive to talk with all the swimmers 1 on 1 at some point during the practices and meets.  I may not be successful getting to every swimmer each day, but I want them to know that I’m interested in what they have to say and more importantly, I want them to know that their coach likes him/her as a person. I will be asking your child to set goals for her/himself this summer. They can be anything from getting an All Star time to getting in shape for soccer or learning to do a flip turn. I think if they have a goal they are striving for they will be more invested in their experience.

·         I believe in trying to make practices as fun and entertaining for the kids as possible, while providing the practice and instruction that they need to improve.  I’ve found that kids expect and respond to well structured and organized practices.  Attention span is often limited with this age group, so I will strive to keep them moving and active. 

·         Teamwork and developing friendships is an important part of any team sport.  I always try to tell the kids how important it is for them to support each other and to always be positive towards their teammates.

·         Competition is an important element of any sport and as kids grow they naturally become more competitive.  I don't talk to the kids about "needing to win a meet" or "how important it is that we win".  I feel my role and that of the parents is helping the kids develop the ability to deal with competition in a healthy way.  Effort and attitude is my focus.  If we can achieve that, then chances are we'll win the number of meets that we are capable of winning.

I will work on teaching fundamentals and skills during practice, but I believe the meet is their time.  I will give instruction during the meet if I feel it will help with their performance during the meet, but in general I try to let them enjoy the meet.  I don't think any of the kids want to be told what they did wrong during the meet. They already know.  I hope as parents you will do the same.  At this level, one missed turn can ruin the meet for some kids.  If your child misses a turn or loses her goggles, tell her/him how proud you were of the effort they made to deal with the situation.  Strive to make them feel good about their contribution.  My goal is to have every child feel that they swam a great meet that day.

Objectives

I have 5 primary coaching objectives which I believe are equally important.

1.     Help your child develop the skills necessary to be successful at this level

2.     To have fun and have the kids develop a love for the sport.

3.     Learn about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship.

4.     Give positive reinforcement based on effort rather than results.

5.     Provide a safe and healthy environment for all the kids on the team.

Swimmer Expectations

1.     Have fun and always give your best effort.

2.     I expect swimmers to always show respect for the coaches, parents, and other swimmers on the team as well as on the opposing team.

3.     Get involved!!! Come to the pep rallies and extracurricular activities! Join in on the themes. The more involved you become, the more fun you’ll have.

Parent Expectations

1)     Please try to get your child to practice and meets on time.  I know this can be difficult at times and impossible at other times, but it’s really hard to conduct practice or get ready for a meet when swimmers continually show up late.  If you know your child will be late or won’t be able to make it to a practice or meet, please let me know in advance if possible.

2)     Please do not come onto the deck during practice or into the team area at meets. The coaches will be available by phone, email or briefly between practices.

3)     VOLUNTEER!!!!!!  We have a number of jobs that require parent help. No swim team can succeed without parent volunteers. You do not need any experience to do many of the jobs. And no matter where you choose to volunteer you will not miss any of your child’s events.

4)     Please encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all swimmers, coaches, and officials at every game and practice. Please cheer for your child during meets, but try to keep from yelling instructions to them.  Much of the fun is lost if their Mom or Dad is always yelling instructions.

5)     Please let me know if you have a problem with me or something that is happening.  Same holds true if your child isn’t happy about something.  I want to know if there is a problem right away.  Very small things can cause a child to be upset.  These problems can usually be fixed easily if I know about them. 

Sincerely,

Tracy Craemer

301-514-3920

tracycraemer@comcast.net