SEA DRAGONS MISSION STATEMENT

The Charles River Aquatics Sea Dragons are committed to helping team members develop life skills through swimming. Our objective is to provide an atmosphere conducive to development and growth for individuals of all ages. We foster sportsmanship and fair play, and demand respect for others on the team and in the larger community, while instilling in our members a love for the sport of swimming.

SEA DRAGONS TEAM PHILOSOPHY

The Sea Dragons encourage the growth of the swimmer as a whole person by developing the following: Priorities-family, academics, swimming Self-discipline-hard work, time management, dedication Sportsmanship-teamwork, character and integrity Competition-with oneself and others Self-improvement-goal setting and achievement

COACHES’ STATEMENT

TECHNIQUE AND TRAINING

The most unique aspect of the Charles River Aquatics Sea Dragons program is our focus on technique. It is often very enticing to a swimmer/coach/parent to try to go as fast as possible as soon as possible without laying down the proper foundation, and many swimmers can see early success in the pool without proper technical ability. However, this early success eventually leads to plateaus and sometimes even declines in speed and ability. At CRA we want to foster long term success for all our swimmers. The best way to achieve this goal is by teaching proper technique from the beginning and continuing to focus on technique with extensive drilling and education throughout a swimmer’s career. This is why you will not see "doggy paddle" or "ice cream scoops" taught in the CRA Swim Lessons. Another main goal of the Sea Dragons is to provide high caliber training. Many programs focus on training at the expense of technique. This is where the Sea Dragons stands out. Our coaches design practices and workouts that encourage proper endurance training at the same time as focusing on technique. We do not sacrifice good form to swim that extra length. To paraphrase a favorite coaches’ idiom, practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect. The best swimmers in the world not only have the fastest strokes, but they also have the most efficient strokes. At all levels of Charles River Aquatics we teach the most efficient, modern stroke technique, and work to maintain that technique over longer and longer training periods as swimmers progress. Our program appropriately balances and integrates the need for both technique and training into every level of the Sea Dragons.

REALIZING POTENTIAL

It is in the best interest of the child, parent and coach to understand that not everyone will be a great swimmer. Regardless of motivation or drive, many swimmers may only achieve moderate success in the competition pool. However, if a program is well planned and executed, every team member can gain much from his/her time in the pool and on the team, even if he never wins a race. Swimming is a sport of personal victories. As members of the Sea Dragons, swimmers will experience success in many ways. Finishing a challenging practice, advancing to a different practice team, and swimming a new personal best time are all examples of this success. While a swimmer may never finish first in a race, he/she will always have a means to win. In many ways, competitive swimming is a preparation for life. The hardest worker in the pool does not always win the race anymore than the hardest worker on the job makes the most money. There are many more valuable rewards than medals. In order to help swimmers fully reap these rewards, there are a few points the program must follow: All swimmers must be provided with quality training, and competition, as well as be challenged in and out of the water. Swimmers should be involved at an early age if at all possible. In order to completely develop everyone’s ability, training and education must follow a logical progression of skills and intensity. Each swimmer should be given the opportunity to realize 100% of his or her potential. Everyone must be provided with opportunities for social and emotional connections with teammates and peers. Each team member must learn the qualities of sportsmanship and understand the value of team spirit. Each swimmer must be encouraged to excel in academics and be provided with the tools to be a well rounded student athlete.

TEAM WORK AND UNITY

Swimming can be seen as a very individual sport; swimmers train with their face in the water, compete in individual events in their own lane, and are driven to beat their own personal best times. However, the Sea Dragons Team is viewed as more than the sum of its parts. The role of each individual swimmer and coach is to create something greater than just a group of swimmers in a pool. Whether its small things, like wearing team caps to practice and meets, supportive measures, such as cheering on a teammate during a particularly hard practice, or social events, like going to the movies, every member of the team is expected to unite with and support the other members of the team. Sea Dragons will be expected to take part in team cheers, wear the team uniforms at meets, and cheer for teammates during races. This fosters the sense of unity that the team strives for. Team Work and Unity are two major facets of being a well-rounded athlete and individual. Many of the precepts that are spoken of in the Team Philosophy are learned by interacting with and supporting teammates.

FUN

In the end, swimmers should be having fun. The coaches at CRA all believe that if a swimmer has the desire, and follows the path laid before him, that along the way, he will find he is having the time of his life. From the joy of mastering a difficult skill, or the satisfaction of finally making that championship qualifying time, to the camaraderie of the pool deck at a meet or the euphoric enthusiasm of team cheers, being on a swim team provides a potential lifetime of amazing experiences. Low points will happen—but proper perspective on the larger and long term goals will help maintain a swimmer’s sense of enjoyment. It is the role of the Coach to make sure this perspective is maintained, while helping the swimmer learn from these experiences.