Coaches Corner: Developing Female Athletes, Dana Skelton

Coaches Corner welcomes the 2020 United States Olympic Committee Developmental Coach of the Year, Dana Skelton. Dana is the Age Group 1 and Head Developmental Coach for First Colony Swim Team in Sugarland, Texas. Among the many responsibilities Coach Skelton is involved in, she created the FCST Strong Girls program, intended to show girls ages nine and older that they can be strong and fearless leaders, centered around mental, physical and emotional health.

Topics Include:

1-Ways to positively engage your female athletes
2-Understanding aspects of female-teenage dynamics
3-Considerations for better communication between staff and female athletes.
4-Why authenticity is critical for young swimmers
5-Discussion of specific emotions during challenging moments is so important
6-Perfectionism and handling self-critical athletes

Coach Skelton has Bachelors and Masters degrees in Kinesiology from California State University and serves on a number of committees in USA Swimming, and her LSC.