Talent, skill, and a passion to compete: These are the characteristics that define elite-level swimmers. But as the sport’s best coaches know, even the most gifted of athletes won’t develop these traits without a plan—one that recognizes talent, develops skills, and nurtures success. Developing Swimmers is the only book to offer a comprehensive, long-term plan beginning at an age-group level. Renowned coach Michael Brooks shares the insights, secrets, and strategies that have transformed his athletes and swim teams from novice competitors to distinguished champions. Developing Swimmers will show you how to -evaluate and identify talent in even the youngest swimmers; -establish realistic yet challenging short- and long-term goals for your athletes; -assess and refine strokes for greater power and efficiency; -improve starts, turns, and finishes for faster times; -structure positive and productive practices for swimmers and swim teams; and -foster your swimmers’ passion, bolster commitment, and instill winning attitudes. From motivation to meet management to race-day tactics, Developing Swimmers covers it all. It is the guide every coach should have on the shelf. With Developing Swimmers, you will improve the performance of your swimmers—and your entire team.

High Performance Youth Swimming provides an in-depth view of the physiological, biomechanical, and multifaceted underpinning of swimming success, with a focus on youth. Considerations of both growth and maturation processes and the intricacies of the swimming training environment are core throughout the book. Divided into sections on physiology of swimming, motor control, biomechanics, and long-term well-being, the book also includes chapters from international contributors on: Strength and conditioning Skill acquisition Overtraining Burnout Respiratory health This volume is for those interested in enhancing their art of coaching through a deeper understanding of the science of swimming, including swimming coaches, those who wish – and question how – to best support youth swimming performance, or anyone interested in swimming science more generally.

An illustrated guide to competitive swimming containing detailed overviews of the four primary strokes; racing strategies; and the most effective training methods and the science behind why they work.