Activities
Team Phoenix undertakes a number of coaching, outreach and educational activities to help grow the sport and improve skill levels. These activities help to inspire new younger athletes to participate in the sport and encourage current athletes to improve. Additionally encouraging new coaches to take up teaching artistic swimming. The emphasis is on fun and learning and this page gives a small insight into each one.
Training Coaches
Part of the Team Phoenix efforts to grow the sport in the country is focused on increasing the number of recreational artistic swimmers. These are children (and adults) who want to learn for fun and enjoy the possibilities the sport has to offer, without the pressures of competition. Learning new and different skills and challenging themselves to do so.
To enable this growth we need to develop coaches and we have held two training courses for coaches this year. These courses are specifically aimed at beginner recreational level - as there is nothing available locally which covers this need. We have trained 10 coaches so far this year at the Beginner Bronze level. With Silver and Gold courses soon to be offered, building on the initial skill sets.
With coaches attending from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Free State and Natal, we are excited to be involved in continuing to create opportunities in artistic swimming.
Each course participant attends a theory session and then a practical session run over a full day. The course manual includes a preset 6 week lesson plan to help coaches get started and coaches are encouraged to be creative in the teaching outcomes using the skills being taught - ie basic routines, patterns etc...
Course attendees learning the theory and some pattern land drills
After a quick lunch break it was time for the practical. Learning sculls, floats and patterns before putting it together in a short routine
Inspiring new generations and current athletes
After returning from the Tokyo Olympics Clarissa, Laura and Vicky wanted to return the support that they had received from athletes and parents as well as inspire current and new swimmers. In August 2021 Team Phoenix offered to the synchro community of South Africa to run post Olympic encounters for any interested club at our cost. Team Phoenix arranged clinics with Cygnus, Umlazi Sharks and Kingfisher, clubs who expressed interest, as well as an open Olympic encounter in Johannesburg, where there were no clubs or swimmers. In total we interacted with approximately 100 swimmers of all ages and abilities over our 3 sessions. The events ended with a Question and Answer session with the Olympic team for athletes and parents. Feedback was very positive and as a result new clubs and swimmers have started. (Click on a video to play or an image to expand)
Olympic Encounter - Johannesburg
The Johannesburg event was attended by over 50 swimmers. None of these swimmers had ever tried synchro before, so this was a new experience for them. As a direct result of our Olympic encounter, a dozen new swimmers have started the sport as well as two new clubs. A resounding success and proof that our elite athletes are truly inspirational to the youth. Some of the photography is courtesy of Brescia House and Elsje Van Zyl Ligkuns Photography.
Olympic Encounter - KZN & Pretoria
The KZN and Pretoria events were attended by mostly club swimmers. Swimmers were taken through a typical warm up session and were then taught a part of the Olympic routine. Fun skill sessions were taught including a lift challenge for the older swimmers to see who could replicate Laura's tech lift. Some of the photography is courtesy of Derryn Schmidt Photography.