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.
Parents
Former Member
E. Kane Waggoner....my High School coach in Southern California. He was one of those coaches that just about everybody liked, firm yet fair, always made you feel like you really mattered to the team!!
E. Kane Waggoner was one of the formative figures in my life. He was tough, yes, but fair, and encouraged those who were willing to listen. He created a very good team out of some very average swimmers, and taught us to expect to win. When I graduated from high school, with two All American badges, he wrote in my annual, "life is about dealing with dissapointments. . . ." I asked him what he meant and he told me, "You could have been better." I took that as a compliment.
As I approach 60 years of age I know so many people who look back at Kane Waggoner as a teacher and a mentor, and none of us call him "Kane." He is Coach.
God Bless you, Coach.
Mike
E. Kane Waggoner....my High School coach in Southern California. He was one of those coaches that just about everybody liked, firm yet fair, always made you feel like you really mattered to the team!!
E. Kane Waggoner was one of the formative figures in my life. He was tough, yes, but fair, and encouraged those who were willing to listen. He created a very good team out of some very average swimmers, and taught us to expect to win. When I graduated from high school, with two All American badges, he wrote in my annual, "life is about dealing with dissapointments. . . ." I asked him what he meant and he told me, "You could have been better." I took that as a compliment.
As I approach 60 years of age I know so many people who look back at Kane Waggoner as a teacher and a mentor, and none of us call him "Kane." He is Coach.
God Bless you, Coach.
Mike
