Coach! My Shoulder Hurts!
This statement is the bane of every swim coach’s existence. Yet, few swim coaches know how to ACTUALLY address this situation. Often, the overwhelmed swim coach’s response is something along the lines of “slide into lane 8 and just kick the rest of the practice”, “try changing this, that, and the other thing about your stroke (with minimal video or verbal feedback)”, or “switch to a stroke that doesn’t hurt your shoulder”, or even “well, keep going and ice it after practice”.
These responses are hardly a reflection of how much the coach cares about their swimmer. Rather, it’s a reflection of not having options. Because, let’s be honest, the coaches who do the most for the sport, are the ones who are scraping by with minimal (if any) support staff (athletic trainers/physical therapists/massage therapists, team doctors, strength and conditioning coaches, etc.). In reality, the typical youth club coach, (and even coaches all the way up to the collegiate and elite levels) has limited training/education in human movement, and are likely serving their teams for the love of the sport/competition/community.
I have been both the coach not knowing how to resolve the issue of a swimmer complaining of pain in their shoulder(s), and I have been the swimmer complaining of shoulder pain. And let me tell you, it does not feel good from either perspective. I have been the coach to relegate a swimmer to the slow lane for a mind-numbing kick set. I have been the swimmer kicking with arms by my side with a snorkel and fins on, moving through the water like an icebreaker barge. I have been the coach scrambling for any sort of reasonable compromise to reduce provocation of pain. I have been the swimmer willing to adhere to any half-assed improvised plan. I have even been the coach to encourage swimmers to “push through it”. And I have definitely been the swimmer to “push through” shoulder pain.
In these situations, the options provided to the swimmer are to either accept being “outcasted” from practice that day (week, month, or season), or endure shoulder pain, with neither option likely resulting in positive performance outcomes. Yet, these options are widely accepted amongst swimmers, coaches, and yes, even parents.
But what if coaches had more options? What if YOU as a coach had more options? The dreaded “Coach, my shoulder hurts” could now be an opportunity to not only show that you care about the health and well-being of your swimmers, but an opportunity to improve performance in the pool while also reducing the swimmer’s shoulder pain. You don’t need to be a physician, physical therapist, or athletic trainer. All you need is to understand the probable suspects of swim-related shoulder pain and the strategies that address them. (And this can be done by ANYONE).
