Youth

Exam season is one of the trickiest periods in a youth programme — and if you coach or run a club like I do at Bishopsworth, you know how easily attendance, motivation, and even retention can dip. Over the years I’ve helped dozens of teen swimmers balance school pressures with training, and I’ve learned that the clubs that survive — and even grow — during exam time are the ones that plan with empathy, communicate clearly, and offer...

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I still remember my first coaching block of early-morning practices: groggy parents, sleepy teenagers, and a group of masters swimmers who arrived with unwavering determination — and often with questions about what to eat before the session. Over the years I’ve learned that the right pre-morning-fuel makes the difference between a productive session and a slog. Here’s what I tell the youth swimmers and masters at Bishopsworth Swimming Club...

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When a parent brings their child to their first trial at a swim club, there’s a mix of excitement and nervousness in the changing room that I know well. As a coach and long-time swimmer, I’ve seen thousands of first-timers and fielded the questions parents forget to ask when nerves take over. Below I share the practical questions I think every parent should ask — and the things to watch for — so you can leave that trial knowing you’ve...

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