MIRI: Forty swimmers from as young as six to 21 years old attended a swimming coaching clinic Phase 2 programme for beginners to advanced level held here from March 18 to 22.
The clinic was conducted by head coach for development from the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and Kotas (Kota Samarahan Swimming Association) Hendrik Visser and assisted by Mandu Nyanggan, who is the coach from Miri and Leong Wan Ying.
The course consisted of two phases — one on freestyle (Phase 1) and the second on butterfly stroke, with quality of swimming strokes being the key area of development.
The sessions also included stabilisation strength exercises using athletes bodyweight, which emphasises balance, stability and control that would provide greater efficiency and prevent from getting injuries through the use of deep core muscles.
SSC chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee said the event was organised to provide an educational platform to athletes and coaches of other divisions to increase their level of performance through the introduction of sports science.
“The introducing of sports science practices can spur our elite athletes to perform at a higher level in line with our target to become a powerhouse in swimming,” said Ong.
He said the two clinics have received a huge amount of support from the Miri community which forms part of our programme to have centres in the Southern (Kuching), Central (Sibu) and Northern (Miri) regions.
Hendrik plans to work together with SSC-MSNS and the high-performance programme to develop and provide a one-year training development plan that local coaches can implement into their current training practices and provide a blueprint for developing a coaching pathway.
