In case y'all haven't gotten the memo, our fall TISCA clinic is no more.
The reason we've been given?
Weekends in September are inconvenient for water polo coaches*.
How did this happen?
It's possible (probable?) that polo coaches filled out the Google Form and chose the April option, while non-polo coaches didn't give a hoot.
Why does it matter? What is so important about a fall clinic?
- Coaches are eager for ideas to train swimmers & divers for the upcoming season.
- New coaches may be desperate for help in planning their practices & season.
- TM & MM issues are often discussed, helping us smooth out the tech side of our sport.
- In-person votes for district & region reps are held.
- New NFHS & UIL rules are discussed.
- Coaches with gaps in their schedules are often able to fill in those open dates.
- Quality speakers are offered in swimming, diving, and water polo tracks.
- Vendors demonstrate & take orders for equipment, suits, warm-ups, parkas, etc.
Those are just a few reasons a fall clinic is critical for swim & dive coaches.
There's little doubt in my mind that TISCA founders put our clinic in September for good reason. Moving it to April is going to hurt our organization and our athletes.
In the short-term, I suggest swim coaches take advantage of the ASCA World Clinic in Dallas this September.
Long-term? If our membership doesn't come to its senses and bring back a fall clinic, it might be time to change our acronym to TIPCA...
*There's also a move to force our coaches into a THSCA-run clinic. In recent years, THSCA has begun to form a monopoly** of sorts, bringing "minor" sports into their "fold". We're their next "victim". No fall clinic for you swim/dive coaches? Come to our mega-all-sports clinic in the summer!
**Remember what you learned back in school, kiddos:
MONOPOLY = BAD
