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.
I have had many coaches in my years of swimming. He threw chairs at us and he yelled when the "kiddies" were acting up, ah the good ole' days. A big strong man of a man who's idea of fun was giving us 100 x 100 after warm-up and before our warm-down. The team was pretty successful and the cream rose to the top. Back in the day, these coaches earned respect and got it the smart way! By working us HARD!!
There's nothing I would enjoy more than stating his name, but in his old(er) age, he might have learned about computers by now and is reading this. Scary thought, I'm not in shape enough to take his wrath.
I have had many coaches in my years of swimming. He threw chairs at us and he yelled when the "kiddies" were acting up, ah the good ole' days. A big strong man of a man who's idea of fun was giving us 100 x 100 after warm-up and before our warm-down. The team was pretty successful and the cream rose to the top. Back in the day, these coaches earned respect and got it the smart way! By working us HARD!!
There's nothing I would enjoy more than stating his name, but in his old(er) age, he might have learned about computers by now and is reading this. Scary thought, I'm not in shape enough to take his wrath.
