Interview with Coach Raphael Lima – Age Group Coach of Team Weston Aquatics

Coach Raphael Lima was born in São Paulo-Brazil. He    started his swimmer’s life on the one of the best swim teams in Brazil- Esporte Clube Pinheiros- where he competed for more than 10 years.
Coach Lima is a former world class swimmer and member of the Brazilian National Team. He participated in numerous Brazilian, South American National and FINA World Championship meets.
As a student, he attended UNIFMU Metropolitan University of São Paulo – Brazil where graduated with honors in Physical Education.  He completed Post Graduation education in Sports Training and Personal Training at the University of Campinas in Campinas, Brazil. At present he holds a Master’s Degree. As a swim coach and Physical Education Teacher, he worked for UNIFMU Metropolitan University of São Paulo, Divino Salvador High School and Reebok Sports Club in Brazil. He and his wife Fabiana moved to the USA in 2006 and they are expecting their first baby (Raphaela) for March 2008.
Before Team Weston, Coach Raphael worked as a Head Dry= land Coach and Head Age Group Coach for the West Broward YMCA. To contact Coach Raphael e-mail: raphaelglima@hotmail.com

Q. What motivated you to become a swim coach?

A.     Swimming has been in my life for more than 15 years. I started to swim when I was 11 years old just to have fun. In less than 2 years I was swimming in one of the best swim teams in Brazil. I left my parent’s house when I was 14 years old to live, train and study close to the swim club. That was a very hard time, because I only saw my parents on the weekends. So, I grew up in this environment, achieving a lot of titles as a professional swimmer traveling around the world.

      When it was time for me to choose what career to follow besides being a swimmer, I had my parents and my coach helping me. It was easy to choose: I graduated in Physical Education at the same University in which my coach was a teacher. Then, I got my Post Graduation and Masters Degree in Sports Training.

That’s how I became a swim coach. My environment showed me the way.

 Q. What has been your most rewarding coaching experience?

A.     It was when I received an offer to start working with my ex coach from the Brazilian Team. This was a very grateful experience.

Q.What was the highest level of swimmer you have coached?

A.     I coached a lot of swimmers in a specific group that was called National Sprinters Group Level.

Q. After being a world class swimmer, how difficult has it been motivating young swimmers?

A. Sincerely I don’t find it hard to motivate the young swimmers. When I talk to my swimmers I try to show them the passion I had and that I still have for Swimming. Since I have both experiences, as an athlete and as I coach, I know how the athletes feel and think and I also know what is best for them.

Q. What difficulty do you have dealing with parents?

A. I’ve had a few tough times with parents. When I face a difficult situation with a parent I try to show him that inside of the pool I know what is the best for his/her son or daughter. I also try to show the parent that outside of the pool I really need his/her cooperation to encourage the swimmer to improve everyday.

Q. What was your most memorable moment in coaching?

A.  It was when I moved here to the USA and in less than a year I was able to work again as a swim coach even though I had certain difficulties with the English language. But the best of the best is seeing those young swimmers getting better in every meet they go to …

Q. What are your goals for the future of swimming?

A. My main goal is to be able to be recognized as one of the best coaches in the world. I also would like to have the chance in the future to coach World Class swimmers just like I was before.

Q. What was your most humorist moment in coaching?

A. I had many humorist moments as a Coach but the most recent one was in one of the swim meets here in Florida, one of my swimmers was supposed to swim 50 Freestyle. Right after he dived he did two Breaststroke pulls and then he realized that he was doing something totally different. At that moment he started swimming Freestyle. For my surprise he improved 3 seconds… It was very funny!

 Q. What do you love most about coaching?

A. The thing I love the most is to see the smile on the swimmer’s face when they reach their goals … I feel like I am the one that is swimming out there breaking my own records.

 Q. What would you have been if you were not a swim coach?

A. I am not sure about that … but there is one thing I know: if I was not a Swim Coach I would never have moved to the USA at all … Not because I was not a coach, but because I would never had met my wife (we first met at the swimming pool) and I wouldn’t be here with her today… nor I would be expecting Raphaela – my little princess – within the next couple weeks.

Ryan McLean….Who is she?

Last night on the evening news there was a story about a young lady who was a high school swimmer and had been in a terrible auto accident that left  her in a wheelchair. Her spinal cord had been severally damaged and is paralyzed from the waist down. Swimming has been her salvation and she is now a swim coach for her high school team she once swam on. I thought that she would be a great inspiration for you guys   out there, who sometimes take things for granted and moan and grown when things get a little tough! here is her story. I know that after reading it you will be as generous as you can be, every little bit   will help….I would love to see the swimming community get behind this young CHAMPION !

Thanks, Coach Pete….to find out more about Ryan go to my blogroll and click on Ryan McLean

My name is Ryan McLean. I was born on August 18th, 1980. I was raised in Denver, Colorado where I attended Cherry Creek High School. In 1997, I was a junior on the varsity swim team. After leaving a school-sanctioned dance, I piled into a car with my friends and headed off to the bowling ally. We never made it there.

The driver of the car lost control on the highway. The car flipped through the air across the median and collided with oncoming traffic and I was projected out of the car through the side window. I landed an estimated 150 feet from the car. As if someone picked up the snow globe of my life and violently shook it up, everything changed in a matter of seconds. I broke my spinal cord, collapsed my lungs, endured massive road-rash on my back, and broke nearly every bone in my legs.

After arriving at the hospital I endured over 20 hours of surgery before being placed in the Intensive Care Unit. That is where I stayed for the next month. After I was strong enough to breathe on my own, I was placed in another unit in the hospital for three weeks. From there, I moved to a spinal cord and brain trauma hospital for three months of additional recovery.

At Craig Rehabilitation hospital I learned how to live my life from a wheelchair, paralyzed from the bottom of my ribcage down. By the time school started up again in August I was as ready as I would have ever been to encounter a world I no longer knew. Going back to a senior year of high school, once my whole life had been turned around, was no small challenge. Quickly I learned that maintaining normalcy was going to be the only way to progress from what had happened some months before. So, the day that I left the rehab hospital I began coaching at a private swim club. That winter I joined the swim team as I had every year prior, only this time swimming with the slower, junior varsity team. I have always been quite competitive both in and out of the water, which made the swim season in my senior year frustrating. I was too weak to last more than twenty minutes in the water and could only manage to swim very short events in meets. I swam almost four times as slowly as I had before and had to get used to coming in last place every time. Then, I was embarrassed, but now I am proud.

I finished my high school career and moved on to college. I began my studies as a liberal arts major and quickly realized that was not where my passions lay. My extended stay in the hospital spurred my interest in Biology and I chose this as my new major. I struggled with my studies because science had never been something that came easily to me, but I enjoyed every second of it thoroughly.

After finishing my undergraduate degree, I relocated back to my hometown and began coaching swimming for the very high school from which I graduated. I felt elated about being able to lend my talents to the very community that supported me when I needed them most. After watching me interact with my swimmers, Kathy Smith, the school principal encouraged me to think about teaching. I truly believe that moment changed my life.

I had never considered teaching as a career before. I immediately applied for a secretarial position within the science department while I pursued my teaching license and my master’s degree.

I never would have believed how much I enjoy tutoring and mentoring children. I feel a huge sense of pride being a part of such a prestigious department at one of the top high schools in the country. It has been the greatest experience of my life and I know now that this was the job I was born to do. I love spending time with my students every day trying to inspire them to learn, not only biology, but tolerance as well. Each day I try to lead by example. I challenge them to believe in themselves the way that I believe in myself. I show them that the world is not about what happens to you, but rather how you perceive and react to those events. I take extra time with students who are struggling academically or personally and make sure that they know they have a place to study, get help or just talk. As a result, I often find my office full of students during my planning periods or after school but I believe it is really important to give kids a safe place to be when they need it. I also feel that I have made a significant contribution to the biology program here and enjoy planning and interacting with my fellow teachers. . All in all, I have a beautiful life.

Since my accident I have pushed the limits of my abilities in other areas of my life as well, ranging from sports to travel. Through motivational speaking engagements, I have shared my story with thousands. I hope that I have inspired people, if nothing else, to wear their seatbelts! I have kept up with my swimming and have been exploring other sports such as cycling, racing, and ice hockey. 2007 was a year of firsts for me. Last summer I entered my first marathon and triathlon. This fall I became a member of the first paraplegic basketball team in Denver. I also bought and decorated my first home in the foothills outside of Denver. I am proud of my accomplishments, but I want even more.

Just recently, I was approved to travel to India to undergo stem cell treatment in hopes of regenerating some of my spinal nerves. After extensive research, I believe this treatment to be ground breaking, giving me the potential to increase my longevity and possibly regain some movement or function. I have taken this opportunity to teach my students about stem cell research, which has resulted in many stimulating discussions in my classes. At the very least, this experience will affect me in mind, body, and spirit. I realize how few people have had this opportunity and I am anxious to see if this technology will make a difference for me. My mentor while I was at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital recently underwent this same treatment and she has seen miraculous results. Although the treatments are relatively new, I am excited to be at the forefront of a technology that offers so much hope to people with disabilities. I have started a blog on line so that I can keep a diary of my experiences in India and beyond that. I plan to share it with my students, friends and anyone else who may want to learn about this procedure. I’m also excited to see India and will hopefully be able to travel around a bit during my two month stay. After that, who knows?

The Water Cube…Beijing National Aquatic Center…I thought this might interest you guys

The National Aquatics Centre, known as ‘The Water Cube’, will be one of the most dramatic and exciting venues to feature sporting events for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The interior of the Centre also makes a strong impression

In July 2003, the consortium of Arup, architecture firm PTW, the CSCEC (China State Construction and Engineering Corporation) and the CSCEC Shenzhen Design Institute (CSCEC+DESIGN) won the international design competition for the National Aquatics Centre for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The competition, which was judged by a panel of international architects, engineers and pre-eminent Chinese academics, commenced with submissions from ten international consortia and also involved a public exhibition and vote.

The Water Cube looks set to be ready in October 2007. Both the concrete and the steel structure have been completed, and 500 m² of prototype cladding was installed in April, 2006. The next phase is to install all of the cladding and then follow on with de-propping the internal structure and completing the interior.

The building’s structural design is based on the natural formation of soap bubbles

To arrive at the building’s structural design, which is based on the natural formation of soap bubbles to give a random, organic appearance, we used research undertaken by Weaire and Phelan (professors of physics) into how soap bubbles might be arranged in an infinite array.

To bring the design to life, the individual bubbles are incorporated into a plastic film and tailored like a sewing pattern. An entire section is pieced together and then put into place within the structure. There are interior and exterior films, and the film is then inflated once it is in-situ. It will be continuously pumped thereafter.

The actual pumping has been sub-contracted, and once the installation is complete the operator will be responsible for both the operation and maintenance of the facade for ten years. This was a key component of the brief and in the choice of contractor.

The project is an opportunity for us to offer our expertise in sustainable services. The building will use solar energy to heat the pools and the interior area, and all backwash water is to be filtered and returned to the swimming pools.

The scheme and design for the project was developed in Australia. The project has now been handed over to a team in Beijing who are taking care of the construction

Interview with Tomas Victoria Head Coach of Team Weston Aquatics, Florida

                                                   Coach Tomas is a graduate student from the University of Florida in Physical Education. He coached the Venezuelan National Team for 10 years for both the World Championships and Pan Am Games. Coach Tomas moved to USA in 1995. His swimmers have established 5 FGC records, two Southern Zone records and have qualified for All Stars, Zone Championships, Sectionals Junior Nationals,Senior Nationals and US Open. He has been the Head Coach of Team Weston Aquatics since 1998. Coach Tomas is a  level 4 ASCA certified Coach and is the current Venezuelan National Team advisor for swimmers training in USA. His main goal as the swim coach is to bring Team Weston to a national level competition swim team, able to qualify swimmers in the national squad. Contact Coach Tomas at coachtomas@aol.com

Q. What Motivated you to become a swim coach?

A. The love for the sport,the experience and relationship that gave me as a swimmer and the challenge for the ultimate goal..

Q. What has been your most rewarding coaching experience?

A. I  had a few and I know I will have many more to come, but witnessing my swimmer Nelson Mora win the gold medal beating the #1 swimmer in the world in the Pan American Games in Argentina in 1995 in the 200 fly. Also the two back to back HS State Championships of my daughter Daniela and her winning the Southern Zone Championships setting  a new meet record.

Q. What was the highest level of swimmer you have coached?

A. I have coached a few but, some of the better ones are Ricardo Monasterio, World Short Course Champion medalist and Nelson Mora, Pan Am Games Gold Medalist.

Q. How much influence did your father have on your coaching? ( Coach Tomas’s Dad was the Olympic Coach for Venezuela )

A. A lot, he has been my coach and teacher during my career. His expertise has taught me so much not only how to coach, but how to motivate and make swimming fun for my swimmers.

Q. How much difficulty have you had separating coaching your daughters and still being just dad?

A. From day one, since they decided to become competitive swimmers I kept the swimming in the pool, while at home we have always been a normal family not involving swimming in our relationship and it has worked out for both of them to the point that both have been offered athletic scholarships to Colorado State University and The University of Florida.

Q. What was your most memorable moment in coaching?

A. It is hard to point out a specific moment, but lately when we came in 6th place in last years Short Course Junior Olympic Championships. Winning against teams a lot bigger and more experienced than ours and you had a lot to do with it.

Q. What are your goals for the future of swimming?

A. I know I won’t be coaching forever. My plans are to establish a solid competitive swim team with a larger aquatic facility and become the technical director and assemble a staff of great coaches to be able to develop world champions and a winning team. 

Q.What was your most humorist in coaching?

A.It happened just recently at the Gary Hall Swim-a-Thon for Diabetes.We assembled a relay team of older swimmers to swim against a team of much faster swimmers. We beat them thanks to my cheating- jumping early off the start, turning before reaching the wall and swimming a little bit of fly during the breaststroke leg. I was such fun and our parents enjoyed it a great deal.

Q. What do you love most about coaching?

A. The relationship with my swimmers. It is fun to come to practice every day and spend some time listening to their comments and jokes, but most important being a mentor to them, they see you not only as their coach but also as a friend or big brother

Q. What would you have been if you were not a swim coach?

A. Sometimes I ask myself what can I possibly do if not coaching? I don’t see any career that can give me the satis-factions and happiness that swimming gives me every day

Doping is for Dopes Part ll

If you think our sport is clean…Take a look at this report from FINA.

16^th FINA World Sports Medicine Congress
“Optimising Performance & Promoting Health”
7th and 8th April 2008   –   Manchester, UK

Provisional Suspension
Marko Strahija (CRO)

2007-12-13
Following a positive doping control result (out-of competition test) on November 8, 2007 for the substance hCG (Class S.2 Hormones), the FINA Executive decided to provisionally suspend the Croatian swimmer Mr. Marko Strahija until a hearing before the FINA Doping Panel can be made (FINA Rule DC 7.1.12).
The suspension enters in force from December 12, 2007.
According to FINA Rules, a provisional suspension means that the athlete “is barred temporarily from participating in any Competition”.

FINA Doping Panel Decision
Asmma Kataria (EGY)

2007-11-07
The FINA Doping Panel has decided that Ms. Asmaa Kataria (EGY) shall be ineligible for two (2) years after a positive doping control result for the substance Ephedrine (Class S.6 Stimulants). The doping control test was conducted with the occasion of the 9th All African Games held in Algiers (ALG) on 18th July 2007.

Provisional Suspension
Rebecca Gusmao (BRA)

2007-11-05
Following a positive doping control result (out-of competition test) on July 13, 2007 for the substance Testosterone (Class S.1.1.b Anabolic Androgenic Steroids), the FINA Executive decided to provisionally suspend the Brazilian swimmer Ms Rebecca Gusmao until a hearing before the FINA Doping Panel can be made (FINA Rule DC 7.1.12).
The suspension enters in force from November 2, 2007.
According to FINA Rules, a provisional suspension means that the athlete “is barred temporarily from participating in any Competition”.

Provisional Suspension
Laura La Piana (ITA)

2007-09-19
The Disciplinary Commission of the Italian Swimming Federation has provisionally suspended Ms. Laura La Pania following a positive result to the substance Octopamine (Class S.6 Stimulants) with the occasion of a doping control test conducted on 28 July 2007 at the 25 Km Italian Championships in Anguillara (ITA).

FINA Doping Panel Decision
Mehdi Sebou (MAR)

2007-07-27
The FINA Doping Panel has decided that Mr. Mehdi Sebou (MAR) shall be ineligible for two (2) years after a positive doping control result for the substance nandrolone (Class S.1.1 Anabolic Agents). The doping control test was conducted with the occasion of the 1st FINA Men Water Polo Development Trophy held in Kuwait City (KUW).

Doping Offence
Nuno Miguel Cardoso Rola (ANG)

2007-07-16
On 16 July 2007, the swimmer Nuno Miguel Cardoso Rola (Angola) was tested positive to the substance 19-Norandrosterone – Metabolite of Nandrolone- (Class S.1.a.) following a doping control test conducted with the occasion the 9th All-African Games in Algiers.
The Angolan Swimming Federation imposed a sanction of two (2) years’ suspension on the competitor.

FINA Doping Panel decision
Anatoliy Poliakov (RUS)

2007-06-25
The FINA Doping Panel has decided that Mr. Anatoliy Poliakov (RUS) shall be ineligible for two (2) years after a positive doping control result for the substance Boldenone (Class S.1.1 Anabolic Agents). The doping control test was conducted as part of the FINA unannounced out-of-competition testing programme on 23 January 2007.

Doping Offence
Youri Mikulchin (RUS)

2007-06-02
On 2 June 2007, the swimmer Youri Mikulchin (Russia) was tested positive to the substance Carphedon (Class s.6 Stimulants) following a doping control test conducted with the occasion the All-Russian Junior championships in Volgograd, Russia.
The All-Russian Swimming Federation imposed a sanction of two (2) years’ suspension on the competitor.

FINA Doping Panel Decision
Anastasia Ivanenko (RUS)

2007-05-10
The FINA Doping Panel has decided that Ms. Anastasiya Ivanenko (RUS) shall be ineligible for two (2) years after a positive doping control result for the substance Furosemide (Class S.5 Diuretic and Other Masking Agents). The doping control test was conducted as part of the FINA unannounced out-of-competition testing programme on 23 January 2007.
> Full Wording

Doping Offence
Sabri Jari (TUN)

2007-05-10
During the Tunisian Swimming Championships (25m), the swimmer Sabri Jari (TUN) refused to submit to sample collection on 11 February 2007. The Federal Commission of the Fédération Tunisienne de Natation imposed a sanction of two (2) years’suspension on the swimmer.

Doping is for Dopes

      

Who is the real Sports hero?

With the latest news about one of my  favorite sports heroes taking performance enhancing drugs started me thinking about my little age groupers. These little guys work hard every day trying to achieve their goals, now we have another athlete accused of cheating. I wonder what impression does this have on them? I wonder do they think in order to succeed in athletics should they also cheat? Should they find ways to beat the system of hard work? Do they feel that drugs are the substitute for hard work. There are honest athletes who work hard every day and refuse to cheat to achieve fame and glory and we have to put these athletes on the pedestal of success.More has to be said about them and not the cheaters. The most common goal for our young swimmers is to reach the Olympics. This goal is now tarnished with the stigma of performance enhancing drugs, when records are broken we wonder, “were drugs involved”? It seems to me that the Olympics are supposed to be an event that matches the best athletes in the world against each other. It gives them an opportunity to represent their country with pride. It is not supposed to be a doping forum!

The Dallas Morning News reported that athletes on another high school football team told their coach that an athlete on the USA Today’s No. 1 ranked football team, Carroll High School, in Southlake, Texas, allegedly used anabolic steroids. Two other Texas high schools are also accused of steroid usage in the report released by the local school district.
What’s next? Will there be steroids or other methods used on the high school level? Or could it possibly be that this type of behavior could move even further down to little league, Biddy Basketball and Pop Warner or into US Age Group Swimming ?
It’s a scary thought but not impossible. I just hope the “evils” plaguing the sports world can be eradicated, returning athletics to the once proud state where achieving feats weren’t questioned.

I recently asked John Leonard the Executive Director of The American Swim Coaches Association, how do we as coaches explain to our little ones in simple terms that Doping is not the way to go and here is John’s answer

Coach Pete – I believe it is a simple and direct message. “Doping is cheating. Don’t Cheat. You don’t want others to cheat when you race them, don’t you cheat when you  race others.” Taking hits on an asthma medication when you don’t need to, is part of doping Don’t do it. Cheating is false winning. Don’t do it. When you cheat, you live with the shame for the rest of your life.

Don’t do it. Swim Hard, Swim Clean, Performance Enhancing Drugs are indeed for dopes.

Interview with Coach Bill Spahn Head Coach of the Fort Collins Area Swim Team (FAST)

Bill Spahn, former Head Coach at the University of New Mexico, joined FAST as the Head Coach in April of 2005. Bill coached both the men’s and women’s teams at UNM for 23 years with a great deal of success, including several All-Americans. He also had the pleasure of coaching Tom Jager, who at the time was the world champion in the 50 free and 400 free relay, the world-record holder in the 50 free, and a gold and bronze medalist at the 1992 Olympics. Bill coaches the Senior and Pre-Senior groups (email: spahnb@unm.edu).

1. What motivated you to become a swim coach? I started
out as a school teacher after graduating from college and
after one month I found out that I needed to find another
job to implement my teaching salary. I thought if I
needed to work another job it might as well be doing
something that I might like. As a former swimmer, I
thought that maybe I could coach (I had experience
coaching a summer country club team). I was able to start
a team at a YMCA along with teaching lessons, etc. That
was the beginning of a 44 yr. and still going career.
2. What has been your most rewarding coaching experience?
No one experience. Many, many things but all involve
working with and being around kids of all ages. I began
my career as a club coach and 13 years later became a
college coach and then 28 years after that a club coach
again. So I have worked with boys, girls, and young
adults of all ages.
3. What was the highest level of swimmer you have coached?
I coached Tom Jager for almost 6 years and was his coach
when he set the American Record in 50 yd. free that lasted
from 1990 to 2005 and also the World Record in 50 mtr.
free that lasted from 1991- 2000. Tom also made
1992 Olympic team and was 3rd in 50 and 1st in 400 free
relay that set world record. Tom had other significant
achievements while I was his coach. Also coached Ron Neugent
who made honorary 1980 Olympic team in the 1500.
4. What is your greatest asset in conveying your message
to your swimmers? I think that I have been a pretty good
role model and I think that in itself helps in conveying
messages to swimmers.
5. What do you feel was your worst experience in
coaching? Having had a successful men’s program dropped
(University of New Mexico 1999).
6. What was your most memorable moment in coaching? Had a swimmer swim under bulkhead into empty lane on the last 25 of a race at 1972 sc national championships in Dallas,
Texas. He was entered in the race but didn’t swim it as we
didn’t think he would meet qual. time (back then you had
to prove qual. time after race if time wasn’t met). This
could never be done now but the story of the “phantom
breaststroker” lasted years and years and is still talked
about on occasion. The swimmer involved remains today as
one of my closest friends.
7. What are your goals for the future of swimming? Don’t
really know as I am on the short end of my career and
really have a small impact on swimming right now. I just
want to improve the program that I am in charge of right
now and hope that when I finally retire I might have made
a difference to this club.
8. What was your most humorist moment in coaching? See
question 6
9. What do you love most about coaching? Working with
kids and watching them reach goals no matter how small.
10. What would you have been if you were not a swim
coach? Probably would have continued teaching and been
retired for good by now!!!

Breakthrough

You train a swimmer, you watch him get faster and you watch his skills get sharper, you watch his stroke technique improve and you watch his work ethic produce faster times for his particular events. Then you watch him hit a plateau it goes on for some time, you wonder why? His stroke is efficient, his workouts have not changed, his attitude is strong and yet his times remain stagnant. What’s the answer? Do we let up on workouts? Do we give him a day off? Coaches wish they know. What works for one swimmer, does not work for another. Then out of the blue at a meet or during a workout he has this phenomena that we call a BREAKTHROUGH.He breaks his time by a huge amount of time. What caused it? Why did it happen? I wish I had the answer, I wish there was some rational explanation.

I have talked to many swimmers and coaches and no one seems to have a definitive answer. The only advice we have for swimmers is to be extremely patient during these trying times.

If any coach or swimmer out there can come up with a reasonable explanation of this phenomena….please comment on my BLOG I would love to hear from you  

RESPONSIBILITY……

It is my opinion that the word responsibility in swimming terms is defined as the ability of how you respond to different situations. For instance: Coach does not put you on the “A – Relay”. Are you responsible enough to respond to his decision in an appropriate manner? If you swim hard and don’t make your JO cut, or your sectional cut. Do you have the ability to respond in an appropriate manner? Or if you make your cut and set a team record, do you have the ability to respond in an appropriate manner?….to be a CHAMPION you must be RESPONSIBLE  

In my opinion accountability and responsibility go hand in hand no where in this post do we find the word “entitlement”. Last year I watched a TV segment on Dateline called the “Eco-Generation”. It was about children of baby boomers that were born in the 1980’S and beyond. This group of people have a sense of entitlement; they have high self esteem for no real reason, mostly because all their life they have been told that they have done a good job…therefor they are entitled to all the rewards. All you have to do is to participate, and you get a reward. All you have to do is to show up …and we give you a trophy! This is the way our society is going today. In Canada’s school system, schools are not giving failing marks any more they simple call it delayed success.

Swimming makes an attempt to give your children high levels of self esteem through hard work and strong effort. Coaches try to have them think and believe in themselves as winners. Coaches want them to think that they are not entitled to anything unless it’s earned! Coaches want them to learn how to handle situations that effect themselves as well as other people

Coaches want to teach them how to get up after being knocked down. Coaches teach them how to know when something good happens to them, we want them to not only see the flowers; we want them to smell them too!

In closing I want to share this short story with you. Someone asked, “why do you spend all day with your son fixing his bike when the bike shop down the street could fix it in an hour” and the father replied, “because I am building a son-not fixing a bike”

Swimming is all about building character, building people,building tradition,giving a sense of self and skills…this is what we teach in US Swimming, I hope you agree I would appreciate your comments

Coach Pete