Winsford Swimming Club

The recent issues surrounding Wednesday evening pool capacity have brought into sharp focus a problem with the behaviour of a small group of parents. This behaviour, usually very visibly displaying disapproval from the balcony, has now culminated in one parent making a very personal verbal assault on a couple of members of our coaching team. Not only is this behaviour unacceptable, it is also one of the reasons why a number of clubs in our area have had to virtually restart, having lost their coaching team. We all need to remember that we, as Club Members, have a clear Duty of Care to our Coaches and Volunteers as well as our swimmers.

Having said the above, it seems the right time make a couple of other points as we move forward:

First on coaching: how swimmers are coached and who coaches them, as well as Squad and Team selection is the role of our Coaching Team not individual parents.

Where session changes affect training times and days, other than temporarily due to Galas or holidays, this is a Committee role, and if a fee change is involved, a decision for the membership as a whole.

Second, on communications: one of the main complaints made to me about our former Head Coach was that he wasn’t prepared to meet parents, indeed we had to introduce Squad Parent Representatives to try to improve things. Our current Coaching Team is happy to meet parents and to involve them far more in how swimmers are progressing. While being a good thing this may have gone too far in the opposite direction, with coaches being approached on poolside or while attempting to arrive or leave the Centre, to the extent that it is putting too much pressure on a young team. We just ask to be a bit more structured on how our team meets individual parents, perhaps by arranging this ahead either directly or via a Committee member.

Finally, Winsford is known as being a friendly, open and inclusive Club, it is up to all of us to keep it that way.