So, coaches are getting some bad press in a couple of other threads, so I thought it might be interesting to talk about who has really impressed us as a coach (masters or open) and what it was about that coach that was so good. Ok, I'll go first.
A fellow named Archie Mckinnon was my first coach in age group, when I was 7-9yrs old & was flat out the best communicator I have ever seen. He let us know why we were doing what we were doing, what we were going to do & consulted us frequently as to what we wanted to get from our swimming (us individually, not the parents). Sounds out of a modern textbook, right? This was 1959-62 I've never had a coach since who came close to him, which had a great deal to do with me leaving swimming when I was fourteen.
John DeBarbadillo and Bill Schmidt - York PA YMCA
They made a great team. John was a great teaching innovator and was involved in national YMCA aquatics for decades; was even coaching a YWCA team into his 90's. Most of the team members taught beginning swimming; we had an extensive summer program where we went to the far reaches of the county and taught swimming at the public outdoor pools. Some of his teaching philosophy has helped shape my own teaching style, both in the early days as a swimming instructor and now as a community college computer instructor
Bill was a great flyer and competitor of Councilman. Our program was tuned into Doc's research, etc. from the beginning, which allowed us to dominate the state for a number of years until everyone else figured out what we were doing. He worked us hard and smart without hardly raising his voice.
Both were soft-spoken gentlemen who insisted that we act the same at all times.
John DeBarbadillo and Bill Schmidt - York PA YMCA
They made a great team. John was a great teaching innovator and was involved in national YMCA aquatics for decades; was even coaching a YWCA team into his 90's. Most of the team members taught beginning swimming; we had an extensive summer program where we went to the far reaches of the county and taught swimming at the public outdoor pools. Some of his teaching philosophy has helped shape my own teaching style, both in the early days as a swimming instructor and now as a community college computer instructor
Bill was a great flyer and competitor of Councilman. Our program was tuned into Doc's research, etc. from the beginning, which allowed us to dominate the state for a number of years until everyone else figured out what we were doing. He worked us hard and smart without hardly raising his voice.
Both were soft-spoken gentlemen who insisted that we act the same at all times.
