Later this year they will all be cheering their various charges on, exhorting their teenagers and pre-teens to give the very best possible performance after hundreds of hours of training. But the swimming fraternity in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is tight knit, and it came as no surprise to see that camaraderie grow during a recent FINA Level 1 coaching course, hosted by Bay Gardens Inn in Rodney Bay, St Lucia.
37 St Lucian coaches completed the course, alongside seven participants from the wider OECS - Grenada, St. Vincent, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. And from all reports, instructor John Leonard, an American coaching legend, a pioneer of his generation and a member of every US Olympic Swim Team Staff for the last 30 years, may have helped set the stage for the 2012 OECS Championships to be the best ever.
A 40-year coaching veteran, Coach Leonard's coaching philosophy is to "learn to live a balanced life and apply life lessons to the foundation of coaching." His thorough, witty and honest approach gave all participants a glimpse into his experience in coaching swimmers and coaches to become champions on the pool deck, and most important champions in life. Of the 44 participants, 43 got a passing grade upon completion of the course.
Dr. Marcus Day, president of the St Lucia Amateur Swimming Association, came away most impressed with what he deemed to be the most successful course in his six-year tenure at the helm of the local federation. Many of the young coaches, swimmers and parents from all the island’s swim clubs turned out for what several are already hoping will have been the prelude to a Level 2 course in St Lucia in 2013.
Following on from the Level 1 course, the immediate outcome was to take initial steps towards the formation of an OECS Coaches Association. Aside from his duties as a coach, John Leonard has also served as Executive Director of the American Coaches Swimming Association, which the sub-regional swimming fraternity hopes to model itself after as it seeks to elevate and improve the sport at all levels.
No comments:
Post a Comment