Sunday, April 29, 2018

More of This and That


If you didn't get the email:

Hey Coach,

 I am reaching out to all high school swim coaches in Texas to let you know that Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, AR still has roster spots open on our swim team for next year.  I would love to fill them with swimmers of ANY level that would like to compete at the NAIA collegiate level and are looking for a partial-tuition scholarship to help with the cost of a private Christian university.  I would so appreciate you letting me know if you have any seniors for this fall or juniors for 2019 that might be looking for just this type of opportunity.  Feel free to give my contact information to any of your swimmers.  I look forward to hearing back from you.  Thanks so much!

Lee Moore
Head Volleyball and Swimming Coach
Williams Baptist University
Office (870) 759-4214 ext. 4214
Cell (706) 975-6354
http://www.wbceagles.com

I've sent a few coaches a draft of the Clark Wilson Invite (2018 Mythical 4A State).  Once we've corrected errors/omissions, I'll get that out to anyone who'd like to see it.

USA Swimming now requires certification for both front & backstroke starts.  Backstroke start cert mandatory starting May 1.  More here

Okay, now for the jobs:

Team Yes! assistant coach

Lehman HS head coach Bruce Salmon 512.268.8454

City of Cedar Park aquatics specialist

Killeen HS assistant coach Valerie Nogle

Northbrook HS & Spring Woods HS head coaches Michael Stokebrand

Las Colinas Country Club pool supervisor

Craig Ranch Fitness & Spa masters coach

Stonebriar Country Club swim coach

St. Anthony Catholic HS head coach

The Christian School at Castle Hill head coach

Oakmont Country Club pool manager

Bent Tree West Swim & Tennis Club swim coach

MARS (click for embigificationing)








Weakly Demotivator



Quote of the Day


Discipline is not a light switch.
Discipline is a way of life.

via YouTube

John W. Harbaugh

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Weakly Demotivator



Quote of the Day


Consider the postage stamp, son.
It secures success through its ability
to stick to one thing till it gets there.

via Aphorisms 4 All

Henry Wheeler Shaw, a.k.a. Josh Billings

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Quote of the Day


I hate to hear "Less is more."  It's a crock of crap.

via Wikipedia

Ronald Lee Ermey

Monday, April 16, 2018

This Post Has No Title


Results from last weekend's Mesa TYR Pro are here

Stratford HS needs a head coach.  Contact Chad Crowson

First time I met Clark Wilson was at a long course meet in 2010.  Guy walked up to me during warm-up and just started talking away.

Going through my mind was stuff like "Do I know this guy?  Where is Champion Aquatics?  How does he know me?"

From that point on, I looked forward to seeing Clark on deck, or in the stands.  He'd put his arm around you and say something like "Bobby, let me ask you something..." or "Here's what I think about..."  My favorite was "I'd like to get ___ in a room and just kick his ass..." 

Never a dull moment or conversation with that guy!

You'll find very few coaches as loyal to his swimmers as Clark was.  He celebrated when they celebrated.  He hurt when they hurt.  He was absolutely All In.  That's what's so difficult about losing him.  He was larger than life and we'll all remember him as such.

From Saturday's service:


Clear Brook HS and Clear Springs HS need assistant coaches.  Contact Debbie Fuchs

via Austin Fit Magazine


The 15th Annual Cap2K will be on Sunday, April 29.  Get info and register here

Eastern Michigan's dumping men's swimming...but keeping the women's program.  Yes, we've seen/heard this story before.  The university claims it's a cost-cutting move.  We all know that's bullcorn.  It's a Title IX quota issue.  Want proof it's not a money issue?

Bunsis claims when all the revenue losses and mistakes are accounted for, EMU will actually lose $61,000  a year by cutting the sports.

He says the only way for EMU to save money on sports is to switch the expensive football program from Division 1 to Division 2.

He says EMU spends millions more on the football program than it gets in revenue, and it simply can't afford to compete on coaching salaries with more successful Division 1 programs like the University of Michigan.  Bunsis says he plans to release an analysis of how much EMU could save by switching football to Division 2 within a few weeks. 

Entire article is here

via MPR News

Hope y'all don't think all my stuff on Title IX is negative.  Three years after posting on the Minnesota-Duluth women's hockey coach non-renewal (read original post here), there's been a positive outcome for Coach Shannon Miller.  From Business Management:

A federal jury hearing a discrimination lawsuit filed against the University of Minnesota Duluth has awarded $3.7 million to Shannon Miller, the university’s former women’s hockey coach.

In December 2014, UMD Chancellor Lendley Black and Athletic Director Josh Berlo called Miller into a meeting and delivered an ultimatum: either retire or resign. When Miller refused to do either, they elected not to renew her contract.

Miller is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA women’s hockey history. She won five national championships during her tenure at the University of Minnesota Duluth and had taken her team to the “Frozen Four” NCAA tournament quarter finals 11 times.

The university offered various reasons why Miller’s contract wasn’t renewed, including the team’s relatively poor performance in recent years. But university officials also said it was purely a monetary decision. (Miller countered that the coach of the men’s team was paid $93,241 more than she earned.)

Miller alleged a more nefarious motive: Bias against women in general and her in particular, as an openly gay woman. The jury agreed.

Glad she dug in her heels and fought back.  The truth was on her side, she was tough, and she didn't give up.

Friendswood HS needs an assistant coach.  Contact Robert Koopmann at 281-996-6554

The Ranch at Stonebridge needs a swim coach

In case you're desperate, the City of Stephenville is paying $7.50-$8.50 per hour for a swim coach

Cross Timbers YMCA needs a swim coach




Quote of the Day


Well, a lot of people would say it's ridiculous
to imagine the United States would either
start something or stage something but,
gee whiz, remember the Gulf of Tonkin?

via Simon & Schuster

Arthur William "Art" Bell III

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Clark's Service



Well done, but still very sad.

Spoke briefly with Grant Koudelka afterward.  He didn't know what the coaching situation is going forward.

Saw an excellent suggestion on Facebook that we coaches make ourselves available to help Clark's kids out.

Hoping they can find someone soon, but:

If your USA Swimming credentials are current, why not volunteer some time this summer?  The kids will need someone for practices and meets.

Weakly Demotivator



Quote of the Day


To achieve great things we must live as
though we were never going to die.

via Wikipedia

Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Clark Wilson


via Facebook

The Texas swimming community will miss CAT coach Clark Wilson.  He was a very, very committed swim coach who poured everything into his program and athletes.  Huge loss!

Read George Whitley's article on Clark here

“Clark was a special human being with a great heart. He was someone that if you’d ever met him it was like you knew him all your life,” reflected legendary University of Texas swim coach Eddie Reese. “To be a good swim coach, I think first you’ve got to be a good person. And Clark had that all the way. We lost him way too soon.”

“I didn’t really know a whole lot about swimming when I came to Clark. He helped me exponentially. I was a kid that just swam for fun and here was a guy that made swimming his life’s work,” Koudelka recalled. “I couldn’t have asked for a better coach. He was a coach and a father figure to a lot of the kids on the team. He didn’t just coach swimming, he coached life.”

From Kristen Litwak via Facebook:

The Celebration of Life for Coach Clark will be on Saturday, April the 14th at 11am at the 1st Methodist Church in Longview. If you have pictures that you would like to share for our slideshow, please email me at whatever2653@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Immediately following the Church service, we would like to invite everyone to share memories, stories and laughs we had with Coach Clark. We will be gathering in the youth room upstairs at the First Methodist Church in Longview. There will be food, refreshments and hopefully many laughs. If you would like to bring a dish or desert to share, please let me know so we can plan accordingly. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Celebration of Life for a man we will all genuinely miss and whose shoes can never be filled.

I was very lucky to spend time with Clark at this year's 5A state meet.  Still can't believe he's gone.  I will miss him.

I'm working on a 4A & Under Mythical State Meet - going to call it the Clark Wilson Invitational.  Please keep sending me 5A district results files.  I'll sort out all the kids/relays from 4A and smaller schools.





Quote of the Day


Do coaches play favorites?  Yes!  They favor
players who are accountable, good teammates,
work hard, accept roles, and are coach-able.

via ksn

 Troy Morrell

Sunday, April 08, 2018

Wednesday, April 04, 2018

Quote of the Day


Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to
maximize their own performance. It is helping
them to learn rather than teaching them.

via nicaskew

W. Timothy Gallwey

Sunday, April 01, 2018

Snorkel Suit


via YourSwimBook

When Poirier-Leroy wrote about the 8 Benefits of Training with a Swim Snorkel, he failed to mention one of the hazards.

Numerous swimmers are complaining of eye issues resulting from the use of center-mount snorkels.

Problems ranging from blurred vision to Strabismus have been reported.  Athletes from several collegiate programs are considering joining a class action lawsuit targeting the makers of snorkels.

Lawyers preparing the case say they've been contacted by college swimmers, mostly men, seeking compensation for their injuries.  Dewey, Cheatham, & Howe attorney Anita C. Doe said the group numbers in the hundreds, representing dozens of college swim teams.

Doe claimed "Most of our swimmers are men from programs all over the country.  The guys are from Illinois, Miami, Rice, Nebraska...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Women collegiate swimmers from Syracuse, Clemson, and North Dakota, just to name a few, are also having vision issues due to center mount snorkel use."

Read more here and here

NISCA HOF


Big congratulations to Katy's Dana Abbott!  He was recognized with the 2018 NISCA Hall of Fame award at the annual convention in Minneapolis.

Here's DJA with another coaching legend, Chuck Warner:


Hard to imagine how many swim practices, dry-land workouts, meetings, etc. it took to get to that level!



Weakly Demotivator



Quote of the Day


People always overdo the matter
when they attempt deception.

via Prabook

Charles Dudley Warner