The Coaching Phrase Manual: 10 Things Coaches Say During Practice

Photo Courtesy: Angela Robuck

The Coaching Phrase Manual: 10 Things Coaches Say During Practice

By Isabelle Robuck

No one else compares to your favorite swim coach. Think about it now; what makes your coach the best? Most swimmers deeply relate to their coaches through shared work ethic and discipline, training style, and – most importantly – their infinite words of wisdom.

A coach’s words are incredibly powerful in guiding the team in the direction of its goals. But some things your coach yells during practice can be universally heard on just about any pool deck, so we’ve compiled 12 things coaches say during practice.

1. “Get in the water!”

Photo Courtesy: Steamboat Swim Team Photography

Yep, right from the get-go. There’s just something extra difficult about getting in the cold water at 5 a.m., knowing what coach has in store for you over the next two hours.

2. “Go! Swim faster!”

Whether it be at a meet or just at practice, this is a lot easier said than done. If you could swim faster, you would, right?

3. “Quit messing around!”

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been yelled at for messing around during practice. Before a hard set, every swimmer has tried to converse with coach about who knows what, hoping to waste a little bit of time. This usually leads to an extended practice, so in all efforts, the wasted time was indeed utilized.

4. “Kick!”

This can have several different meanings. You may be getting yelled at for not underwater kicking long enough, or you may have forgotten to kick during a set. We all have! Whatever it may be, sometimes kicking is just too hard to do, especially if you’re just barely surviving a set. But that doesn’t stop us from getting yelled at, does it?

5. “Streamline!”

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien

Nothing is worse than coach yelling at you to tighten your streamline when your shoulders are about to fall off, right? Even though streamlining can be very useful, it’s hard to carry out when you’re just too tired.

6. “Go on the top!”

Photo Courtesy: Ironman

The easiest way to get our attention in the water is giving us a specific time to begin a set. Some may not use the typical pace clock or digital wall clock, but we all have a way of keeping track of how fast we’re swimming, what our interval is, or what we’re on, which leads to…

7. “What are you on?”

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia Ltd.

Of course, this question had to be on the list. It’s hard to keep track of what we’re doing, especially when the set is slightly tedious. Shoot, was that butterfly or breaststroke? Was I supposed to stop there? Thankfully, our coaches have our backs and make sure to keep us on track and accountable. Thanks, coach!

8. “Don’t Breathe!”

Photo Courtesy: John Valenzuela

Again, this has several different levels of wrath. Don’t breathe into the wall, don’t breathe off of the wall, don’t breathe during underwaters, don’t breathe more than four times during a 50 … The list could go on and on.

9. “Finish to the wall!”

West Virginia University's Ross Glegg WVU reaches for the wall to win Men's 100-Meter Freestyle event Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at the Orange Bowl Swimming Classic in Key Largo, Fla. West Virginia University won the men's division while Michigan placed first in the women's division. The event, staged at the Jacobs Aquatic Center, was the highlight of the winter collegiate swimming training season in the Florida Keys. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Photo Courtesy: Stephen Frink

At this point, you have no energy left to give and you’ve come off of the last wall to finish the hard set. Then you hear your coach: “Finish to the wall!” Yep, thanks coach. I plan on it, if I can make it there …

10. “No, you can’t go to the bathroom now!”

Photo Courtesy: Heidi Torregroza

Again, we’ve all been there. It’s hard not to have to go during a two-hour practice. Not to mention, sometimes it’s nice to hide in the bathroom during a hard set.

Commentary: All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Mary Cunningham

5 years ago

Guilty of all but No 11

Leslie Cichocki

5 years ago

Mary Cunningham Scott Erdman

This article is hilarious and true.

Kiki

6 months ago

Reply to Leslie Cichocki

Yes you are so true

Frank Elenio

5 years ago

Anne Warren Kate Kaduboski 11 and 12 especially!

Ambr Seemann

5 years ago

Truth!

Hollye Blekestad

5 years ago

Marie Holler

Kathleen Theuerkauf-Iszkula

5 years ago

Yep

Nikki Candy

5 years ago

Cyndi Starr… thought your squad could relate!!

Paul Robbins

5 years ago

Yes, I have used all of these!

Andy Laycock

5 years ago

Abbey Laycock?

Juan Borg Sapiano

5 years ago

Edward Caruana Dingli Zak Abela number 4 ??

Jim Liguori

5 years ago

add “this is a fun-for-me set.”

Bug Lipp

5 years ago

Reply to Jim Liguori

Yes! I will say, this is a fun set. My swimmers have learned to ask, fun for you or fun for us?

Vic Stawik

5 years ago

Reply to Jim Liguori

Haha but did you die?

Jim Liguori

5 years ago

Reply to Jim Liguori

As a coach, I died laughing at my swimmer’s looks. 🙂

Jaclyn Kile

5 years ago

Spencer Royer

Vic Stawik

5 years ago

Lol yes.

Caroline Tallon

5 years ago

Linda! Think we must say these several times a night?

Leanne Gubecka

5 years ago

Serg Gubecka

Jenny Bee

2 years ago

Paul Kevin Mason… how many of these do you say every afternoon?? ??

Paul Kevin Mason

2 years ago

Reply to Jenny Bee

Jenny Bee a couple of hundred times

Sally Bryson

2 years ago

Amber Bryson ?

Marilyn Larned Soraghan

2 years ago

So true!!

Ken Cartwright

2 years ago

Reply to Marilyn Larned Soraghan

Marilyn Larned Soraghan…???

Joas Groeneveld

2 years ago

Jeroen Dellebeke Gerald Heethaar Raoul Aardema

Tim Ritchie

2 years ago

Said them all!!

Sara Beaumont

2 years ago

Chloe Molyneux ,Ella Jones David Hoyle I think there’s a few of ours from last missing ?

Ziad Salem Bastami

2 years ago

Omar Afif Daaboul

2 years ago

Reply to Ziad Salem Bastami

Ziad Salem Bastami totally agree ?

Ziad Salem Bastami

2 years ago

Reply to Ziad Salem Bastami

Omar Afif Daaboul i use one more
Focus!

Omar Afif Daaboul

2 years ago

Reply to Ziad Salem Bastami

Ziad Salem Bastami ??

Rebecca Maccaro

2 years ago

Said them all, now get in the water! ?‍♂️

Meredith Swierzbin Moore

2 years ago

Reply to Rebecca Maccaro

Rebecca Maccaro connor says..YES SHE HAS!

Jocelyn McCann

2 years ago

Guilty !!

Chris Dorak

2 years ago

Dave Dorak ?

Jose Vassallo

2 years ago

9 out of 10!

George Hooper

2 years ago

How about..”THATS ALL YOU GOT? DON’T MAKE ME PUT MY SPEEDO ON!!

Kareena Seyfang

2 years ago

Kerry Evans Sheean Seyfang Aaron Seyfang Mel Brooks

Lisa Hanf

1 year ago

I always use Time is Wasting!!!

Steele Robert

6 months ago

Breathing’s a bad habit!!!