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In the realm of aquatic prowess, Yurvesh Dubey emerges as a formidable force, gracing the waters of Dolphin Aquatics as an Assistant Coach. With each stroke, Yurvesh redefines the limits of dedication, discipline, and determination, carving a path towards excellence that inspires both teammates and spectators alike. Yurvesh’s journey as an Assistant Coach at Dolphin Aquatics is a testament to his passion for the art of swimming. With a background steeped in the nuances of technique and an unwavering commitment to constant improvement, he brings a dynamic edge to our aquatic community. His ability to seamlessly blend grace and power in the water reflects not only his skill but also his dedication to perfecting his craft.
Let’s know more about him through this exclusive piece
Can you tell us about your experience as a swimming coach and your specific expertise in coaching assistant roles? What made you choose it as a career?
Hailing from Indore, I commenced my journey as a MBA graduate initially and was working in the corporate world. I realized that though I was good at my work, my forte and interest lies elsewhere. I knew I needed to drift into a field that not only extravagant my knowledge, but also provides me with an opportunity to notably pertain to a noble cause. So, I started exploring my options and instinctively joined Dolphin Aquatics in 2017. I believe my parents played a very essential role here who served as a pillar of strength and motivated me to go towards my dreams and achieve them and do something that made me content. As I progressed in my journey I realized my deep-seated passion for swimming and assisting the upcoming generation achieve their dreams and maintain their fitness goals. During this stretch, I indulged in acclimating myself to the intricacies of the field. The more I worked, I got an immense satisfaction which made me aware of the fact that this was my true calling.
Have you undergone any specific training or certifications related to coaching swimming? If so, which ones have you completed? Do you believe it is essential for one to keep upskilling themself with the latest trends?
I believe one needs to keep upskilling themself in order to excel at their job. Besides, swimming is a monotonous job and we need to make it more interesting, develop our skills and add new insights to the sphere. I believe updating oneself is essential. It also allows in bringing positive and inclusive environment at the pool. In this regard, I did a Diploma in Sports Coaching program from Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala. I am also an American Swimming Coaches Association Level 5 Certified Coach, and took training from AUSTSWIM TSW Coach. Besides I have also done a Masters in Physical Education program. I am further keen on mastering all the relevant programs related to my profession in order to stay abreast with the latest developments and trends in the field. I intend to make a difference in the sports industry of my country and bring it at par as compared to other countries, while also making a difference in the lives of swimming aficionados for their overall growth.
Can you provide us your insight on the present scenario of Swimming as a sport?
Swimming has now become one of the most prominent sports that is getting the recognition it deserves. Earlier there were only a few clubs when I used to swim and now more associations have started coming up. Kids are quite motivated and even the parents understand the imperativeness of indulging their kids into sports, which has played a key role in the growth of the industry. The social media and government has also played a major part in this development. Policies like Khelo India encourage the kids and provide them with recognitions, medals and scholarships. These small initiatives make a huge difference.
Even in terms of facilities I believe India has progressed a lot. There must be around 100 professional swim pools in Bangalore itself. We are not very far from good facilities. I work within a 50m range where there are three Gyms, three Physiocenters, Nutrition centers 20m away, and even recovery centers as well. So, in comparison to other countries I feel we are doing quite well. For instance, Maldives has just one 25m pool in the whole country and other pools are in the open sea which are very small to train. We need to stop criticizing the negative aspects and embrace the facilities we have and turn them into opportunities, and fuel it towards our bigger aims in life.
As an experienced swimming coach, what certifications do you consider essential for individuals aspiring to become a successful coach in this field?
According to me, anyone looking to pursue a career in this sphere should be clear with their basics first in order to coach. AUSTSWIM from Australia is an excellent starter program which people can follow to begin their course. First is the TSW course in AUSTSWIM which deals with teaching and water safety skills and then there will be Level 1, level 2 and so on and then there is TCS Course (Teacher Of Towards Competitive Stroke) which was also quite instrumental in shaping my journey. There is also an ASCA American Swimming Coaches Association course, they have five different levels which is another excellent start to this sphere and upgrade themself level by level. Moreover, the Sports Authority of India program is also there, which is a 6 weeks certification helping in providing insights on the basics of swimming with a 2 weeks of practical training.
I feel it is essential to practice one’s skills and then get into the coaching. To indulge in coaching, SAI’s Diploma in Sports Coaching, Bangalore for one year is a great option where the criteria is to participate in any two Nationals, Senior Nationals or University. For the first 6 months they go through a beginners program, and subsequently is all about equipping them with the coaching aspect of the sport. Besides this there are also science courses on Physiology, Anatomy, and so on; if the basics are clear then it is easier to understand the problems and get the solutions. American Swimming Association courses of Level 1- 5 are available online. Once a year in February, Karnataka Swimming Association also arranges that offline, which are also quite adept.
These courses are quite comprehensive and helpful. I believe that as a trainer we need to be well equipped on the different strokes and how to enhance it. We need to stay updated and keep reading books to further equip ourselves. Science of Swimming, Bible of Swimming are some good books to start, which provides detailed insights on the sports biomechanics, practical workouts, different cycles for different time periods, nutrition and diet, and so on. I believe the key is to keep reading and staying abreast about the sphere.
Can you walk us through your daily routine? What does a typical day in your life as an assistant swimming coach look like?
Our day starts early in the morning where our first batch starts at 5am-7am and thereafter the second batch is for elite swimmers – National and International swimmers from 7am-9am. After 9am, we take a break and again regroup from 4pm-6pm for the elite batch and then 6pm-8pm for the second batch. Mostly, we train two times a day which involves 10 sessions in a week. We have different schedules where some are recovery sessions, race speed training, and others; so we train in all zones in 10 sections.
How many students are there in the academy? What is the training schedule followed at Dolphin Aquatics, do you have a specific batch?
So, Dolphin Aquatics have learn-to-swim to Olympic level and all kinds of swimming programs available. There are more than 150 students, with around 50 students being girls. All the coaches take all batches where we work as a team instead of coaches being provided specific batches. This provides a diversity and exposure to students to learn from different coaches, with different expertise and allows us as well to learn from them. We are a program-oriented organization, where if Junior Nationals are coming up we move our focus there. We prioritize our coaching as per the needs and the events coming up. My swimmers are in the age-group of 13 to 17 years mostly, and some seniors as well. All programs are curated by Nihar Sir (our Program Director) and we follow it accordingly. There are many swimmers who came as a beginner and have become International medalist like Sanjay CJ, Suvana C, Nina Venkatesh, and more. Besides, I feel nowadays, children are quite chill and also very serious about the sport so they know how to balance their life with the sport and embrace it which is the best thing. This also keeps us motivated to perform better and help them.
Is there any minimum criteria to be followed for one to get admissions at Dolphin Aquatics?
So we don’t have any specific criteria, we just provide them a form to fill that requires them to provide us details on their height, weight, DOB, location, plan and so on. As per their details and skill level we assist them and put them in a relevant batch. We have all kinds of swimmers and are open to helping everyone keen on pursuing swimming as a sport. As a hobby as well, people above 25 yrs, who come to continue swimming are also welcome here. It’s all about the passion I believe.
Besides swimming do you also assist them in their Diet and Nutrition or do you have a specific Nutritionist for it? Also for dryland workout do you guide them or do you have someone specific for workouts?
We have our own S&C coach, Mr. Swachand who is with the Dolphins for 9 to 10 years now. We have complete faith in him. He knows how to guide juniors/seniors, boys/girls, and all types of swimmers as per his skills and knowledge. As for the nutritionist, if someone needs general suggestions, we provide help, otherwise for expert level we recommend them to consult a professional. Besides this I share the event programs of my students with a few nutritionists and physiologists to get their opinion. We have a whatsapp group with these nutritionists and physiologists where we collectively engage with them. Nihar Sir and S&C coach also collaborate to understand our kids’ issues and potential, and provide them guidance as per the discussion.
So recently I saw a 9 year old girl complete 50m freestyle in 29 seconds, whereas a 13 year old girl did the same in 34 seconds, so the 9 year old is quite different in age, body language as well as their level of performance. While every person is different, from the technicalities of the sport what makes their performance vary?
I believe it can be their environment or training level. While some people mature faster and start to sustain it more quicker, whereas some hit maturity later and then reach their peak level and start performing. Or, it can also be a program as well. So I believe there are a lot of reasons for such differentiation. Age is not a reason but I feel it’s all about the mindset, skillset and zeal of a person. If one improves in performance they can do much better I feel overall. Consistency and Discipline is the key to achieving success in any sport.
You teach all the strokes I believe. So do you also look at long distances of 400m, 800m and 1500m? Have there been any achievements of the academy in long distance formats?
We have all the strokes and I train distance swimmers also. All the swimmers are in the same pool, but in different programs, following different pace as per their endurance. We recommend students their formats according to their skills. We suggest they select any three major events for themselves and the rest two we like experimenting to judge their expertise and their potential for the event. This allows them to explore and indulge in passion for performing better. In our recent performance at Nationals, last year in Goa, we received one Gold and two silvers and this year for the 5K open swim we got two Bronze. And fourth and fifth place for World Championship trials held at Karnataka last month. Two of our swimmer’s participated in 10th Asian Open Water Swimming Championship 2022, and one swimmer participated in the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championship.
What is your opinion on recommendations to someone who is keen on learning swimming on their own?
I believe that it is imperative for one to hire a trainer and get their expertise, as swimming is about technique. It is a challenging sport. Therefore, I believe swimming is not something one can try, either you know swimming or you don’t. So learning to swim on your own is not a good idea.
Every small issue needs to be addressed for you, to master the sport which only a skilled individual can help. If your technique is faulty and you are constantly following wrong strokes and then you will develop incorrect muscle memory. So, first we need to help you unlearn that technique and teach you how to rectify it. This can also help in your overall body structure as well so help of a coach is highly recommended.
What are the upcoming tournaments the academy is looking forward to and which swimmers are participating?
We are looking forward to the Fukuoka World Championship in Japan where Srihari Natraj from Dolphin is participating. From India – Kushagra Rawat, Aryan Nehra and Sajan Prakash are also there. So a total of four swimmers were selected, out of which one was from our academy. A big milestone for us. Then we are looking at the Junior and Sub-junior Nationals in Bhubaneswar from 16th to 20th of August 23. We are extremely proud that we have six swimmers selected for the Asian Games in China from Dolphin.
Cynergysports wishes Yurvesh Dubey, a safe health & a great 2023. We thank him for his time & the support to the community.
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