We think all our coaches are pretty awesome. Each brings their unique experience to the
team. But that creates challenges
too. Athletes need consistency in what
they are being taught. So there needs to
be some way for each coach to take advantage of the best techniques from the
rest of the staff. Today we talk to Head
Coach Leah Pinette about how she blends the strengths of her staff with her own
direction for the benefit of every athlete and the whole team.
ANA Synchro:
We’re sure that all the girls would love for
you to be their coach every day, but you are only one person. How do you manage it on a big team like this
such that every girl feels impacted by you and your expertise?
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
Well, first, I have to say,
we have a great staff of coaches, and we work together really well. For example, when I teach a particular
technique, like how to do sculls, the other coaches will listen in so they can
teach it the same way. We just want a
very consistent teaching method.
ANA Synchro:
So you’re driving all of it?
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
Oh no, it’s not just
me. We coaches are a real team. In addition to having swum synchro, two of our
coaches, Erica Courtmanche and Meaghan Arsenault did speed swimming in
college. So I’m learning what they do
with swimming technique. Both Yoshiko
Gray and Zsuzsa Belhazy-Kovacs are so in tune with body mechanics from their
yoga practices that we all pick things up from them about stretching safely and
effectively. We just don’t want the
girls to get confused or wonder what they should be focusing on, so we coaches
try to be on the same page with how we teach different things.
 |
| Head Coach Leah Pinette confers with coaches Zsuzsa Belhazy-Kovacs and Erica Courtmanche about the plan for the day. |
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
I write coaching plans every day for each group. I write, usually by the half hour, what each
group should be doing and what I expect.
Maybe the first half hour is workout conditioning, and then we’ll focus
on support sculls. Maybe next week it’s
going to be eggbeater technique. I also
write in which figures we want to work on.
Sometimes, if multiple groups are practicing at the same time, we’ll do
certain things together if it makes sense, but then we’ll go into our separate
groups for routine work.
ANA Synchro:
What about when the girls need to practice to
their music?
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
Yes, that’s part of it.
Every day, I write in where we’re going to slot music time because that
can be the hardest part of having multiple groups in the water at the same
time. Otherwise, it would be so
chaotic.
ANA Synchro:
How do you ensure your coaching plans are
being implemented the way you intended when you wrote them?
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
Well, I am on the pool deck at every practice, so I do see every
girl throughout the week. I will often
walk over to the other groups, see what they’re doing, and talk to their
coaches. I make sure what they’re doing
is what I envisioned and what we’ve discussed as a coaching staff. Not that my way is always the best way, but I
am accountable for everything that happens. I hold my coaching staff and our athletes to
the high standards I would hold for myself.
 |
| Head Coach Leah Pinette watches carefully as an athlete practices a figure. |
Leah Pinette (Head
Coach):
One of the particular things on my to-do list is making sure we’re
all together on techniques for figures.
We finally got all the new figures in the rule book including what the
judges will be looking for. This is
great because we don’t want to be teaching something that might not be
important for competition. So I want all
of us coaches to have this information when we work on figures. Consistency is key.
For more information on Leah Pinette and the coaching staff at ANA Synchro, click
here: http://anasynchro.org/coaches/index.php
ANA Synchro is the competitive synchronized swimming team of the Merrimack Valley YMCA’s Andover/North Andover Branch. To visit the ANA YMCA’s website, click here: http://andover.mvymca.org/ANASynchro
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