Merlions Handbook 2021/22
Contents 3
A Message from the Director
4
Values, Mission and Culture
5
Coaching Team
6
Your Child’s Journey
8 Merlions 15
Communication, CHQ and the Portal
Welcome Dear Merlion Swimmers and Parents, Welcome to the Tanglin Merlion swimming community. The Merlions have been the competitive swimming team for Tanglin Trust School for more than a decade and grew out of the swimming programme already conducted at the school. The Merlions strives to develop each swimmer to fulfil their full potential; this means guiding swimmers to be the best they can be and to extend their learning through swimming. We believe full potential goes beyond performance to embody student athlete behaviour, attitude, commitment and respect. The Merlions are a community and the development of this community will ultimately result in a successful culture around swimming. Our coaching and support staff are all experienced and knowledgeable professionals who invest a lot of passion and drive into the programme to ensure student athlete progression. We aim to offer a fun and enjoyable environment to help promote success. This handbook provides important information to support that already found on the Portal. We also have Facebook and Instagram accounts – Tanglin Merlions Swim Team and @Merlionswim respectively. Once again, a warm welcome to the Merlions. Yours sincerely, Andy Hailey Aquatics Director
Values, Mission and Vision The Merlions team is driven to extend student learning within school and through student participation in the sport of swimming. A key aim is to help students learn traits that can extend into other areas of their lives and we believe swimming is a perfect sport for this. Our VMV: 1. Develop a safe, fun and creative learning environment. We take a holistic view of each swimmer as we endeavour to offer opportunities for them to participate, increase their interest, strive for success and look beyond their own potential, not only as swimmers but as young people. 2. We believe a holistic view of each swimmer is built through an athlete-centred coaching style that develops our swimmers to be passionate, committed and hard-working members of our community. Good people make good athletes. 3. Swimming is a tool that can teach students important life lessons. Improving self-awareness, responsibility, adaptability and self-organisation leads to the creation of good decision makers. 4. Swimming is a sport that requires commitment and hard work, and can also present many challenges and frustrations. In facilitating an environment that safely teaches students to overcome problems, the Merlions helps student athletes mature, and learn how to evaluate and improve; this in turn builds independence and resilience. We describe this as a period of learning to adapt. 5. Each performer has a different level of potential that cannot be directly compared to another’s, either by a fellow swimmer, peer or parent. An individual’s full potential may look very different to someone else’s, but that doesn’t make it worth any more or any less. 6. To support holistic development we use a bio-psycho-social framework (see left), meaning that studentathletes aren’t simply trained in the sport’s physical aspects; all aspects of development are taken into careful consideration.
BIO PSYCHO
SOCIAL
Coaching Team Andy Hailey - Aquatics Director Alexander Mordvincev - Head Coach Au Yeong Ki Moon - Senior Coach Coach Koh - Assistant Coach Coach Jimmy - Assistant Coach Kat Choulo - Team Physiotherapist Arun Kumar - Athletic Development
Your Child’s Journey Sport Mornings &PE
SNR Aquatic Sport
Merlions Gold & Platinum
JNR Merlions
Infant Merlions
Infant Merlions offers support to the Infant PE curriculum to support swimmers and nurture interest. Students can then continue into the Junior Merlions, offering a range of Aquatic activities as well as competitive swimming. Senior swimming offers routes into competitive swimming, water polo, triathlon and other Aquatic activites. Competition is important, but performance pressure is held off until the student is ready for the performance squad.
What’s On Offer Infant Merlions learn to swim through Aquatic activity and play. Junior Merlions is an Inclusive squad that requires a baseline of abilit; membes must be able to swim at least 50 metres. Those that have not yet achieved this will be able to develop their abilities through their PE lessons until they feel ready. While Junior Merlions exposes students to a range of Aquatic activities, its main focus is on competitive swimming. Within the Junior Merlions will be sub groups based on ability. Senior swimming allows students to continue with the theme of Aquatics and gives students opportunities to train for a range of sports. This includes water polo and triathlon, with the opportunity to represent the school in these sports. Merlions is our competitive swimming option for those that commit to training and begin the shift to specific sporting focus through ages 13-18.
Merlions Gold and Platinum squads are our competitive and performance squads. The squads’ primary focus is on meets such as the Singapore National Age Groups, ACSIS and SEASAC, and overseas meets including British and Australian Nationals. Our Performance squads are intended to be small so as to offer specific and personalised support to the students. The Senior Performance Squad benefits from 11 sessions available per week, including 2-3 indoor 50-metre-long course sessions per week, 2 Strength and Conditioning sessions, and 1 Land session led by our team physio. With world-class coaching and facilities, we aim to support students and extend their potential. Please note: the number of recommended sessions per week depends on each student’s development stage. At any point, students can transition across to a less competitive pathway and have the opportunity to change their minds should they wish to re-join further along in their journey through school.
Performance Requirements Gold Squad - Lead Coach Andy Hailey Platinum Senior Performance Squad - Lead Coach Andy Hailey • • • •
Aged 13+ (girls) or 14+ (boys) Holds a Singapore National age group qualifying time Holds a Singapore National Open qualifying time Has scored more than 500 Fina Points
In both squads, the Lead Coach has the final decision on promotions.
Team Selection Our selection process is supported by three values: attitude, attendance and performance. The values are listed in that order for a reason: without a positive attitude and regular attendance, a student cannot demonstrate the commitment needed for a good performance.
1. Attitude: we believe that to be a good athlete you must have respect for both everyone
around you and the sport itself. Demonstrate positive behaviour and be humble: we believe that charisma is a balance of confidence and humility, which ultimately gains you respect from your peers, coaches and opponents. Good people make good athletes.
2. Attendance: be on time and commit fully to training. You will not progress long term
if you don’t show up to training. That said, physically turning up doesn’t necessarily mean you are attending. During each session, strive to be mentally present and motivated to give your best. Through good attendance, you also set an example to others around you – this in turn will make you feel more connected to, and a part of, the team as a whole.
3. Performance: this means reaping the rewards of your hard work - or sometimes
maybe not. Performance is a process of plan. Do; review; and learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. As coaches, we strive to differentiate our approach to meet the needs of our student athletes. This is the most effective means to helping our swimmers achieve their full potential.
Competitions (including Residential Trips)
At Tanglin, we offer a wide range of competitions that allow students to compete at a level that is correct and most appropriate to them. We place huge emphasis on team events such as ACSIS, SEASAC and the Invitational Sprint League. These meets cater for students across the age range and across all squads down to the Junior Merlions. From the entry level of home time trials, there are more than 20 open meets throughout the year, all varying in size and level. Coaches use internal time trials to educate students about the processes of swim meets and to track progression. Personal development is hugely important to the motivation of young people. Some of the competitions we participate in are overseas. Along with our annual training camp, these overseas competitions offer fun and exciting trips across South East Asia. These trips also offer great opportunities for students to socialise and enjoy time with their teammates.
Communication We operate an open-door policy; however, we do ask parents not to approach our coaches poolside. We are always more than willing to find time to meet and support parents. SOCs is our scheduling platform for parents and students and the Portal is where our latest announcements and information can be found. For general inquiries, please email merlions@tts.edu.sg For the Aquatics Director, please email andrew.hailey@tts.edu.sg For School Admissions, please email admissions@tts.edu.sg ,
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 CPR Registration NO: 196100114C CPE Registration Period: 7 June 2017 to 6 June 2023
