Nerd Alert: Deep Breathing and Ethics in Coaching

Yet another new concept this week on the Swim Brief. This week, we're doing something called "NERD ALERT":

On nerd alert, I'll be talking with the kind of nerdy people I talk to every week, only this time we'll be recording it. These are people that are doing the work to test out what might actually help you coach better, and what might not. I bring them on, we have a nice discussion about a topic that brings some of these ideas to the fore.

This week, I'm talking to Charles Bachand and Trever Gray. Charles you may remember from my podcast where we talked about Stockholm Syndrome in sports. This week, he shared with me some of the data he is seeing in regards to ethics and coaching.

Trever Gray is somebody I'm really excited to share with everybody. He is a coach's coach and somebody that, as you'll see, is doing the hard work to get an understanding of how to coach better. He makes me better every week with the stuff he sends me and I am going to start sharing some of that with you. Enjoy

Solocast: Learned Optimism

The topic of this week's Swim Brief is one that I have spent a good deal of time talking to coaches, swimmers and parents about around the country. 

Optimism: what is it? What is it not? How can you use that definition to enhance what you do as a coach, based on what i've learned from studying Positive Psychology and coaching. Enjoy:

Stockholm Syndrome in Sports

This week on the Swim Brief I talk to Charles Bachand, a doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida. His research topic involves a domain expansion of Stockholm Syndrome into athletics

We talk about what exactly Stockholm Syndrome is and what Bachand sees as the ways it manifests itself in sports. We also discuss the congressional hearings and his thoughts on what we need in terms of governmental structure in sport. Enjoy.

Gary Taylor

Gary Taylor has made it to the big time. After spending the past six years as part of a dramatic revival of the North Carolina State Swimming and Diving program, he has been named the head coach of Auburn.

Gary and I go back to the decision to coach at NC State in the first place, as well as what motivated him to make the big move to a head coaching position in the SEC. Gary also talks about changes to the recruiting landscape, responding to interest in coaching at Auburn, and more. Enjoy:

What A National Board of Review Is Like

The National Board of Review. This is the process that USA Swimming has used to adjudicate complaints of sexual abuse that they receive. It's a process that most USA Swimming members know next to nothing about.

In this podcast, Sarah Ehekircher and I discuss her NBOR in 2010, what motivated her to start the process, and the nasty surprises she found when the kangaroo court was actually convened:

Sarah Ehekircher Part Two

In the second of three parts with Sarah Ehekircher, we go a lot of directions. Be sure to check back with Part 1 so you can hear the beginning of her story. Sarah talks about her years living with (and periodically away from Scott MacFarland)

The story is sad, for sure, but there are a lot of things here that resonate for people regardless of their experience. Sarah how her perception of her body got distorted, something all too common among athletes. She also has some interesting things to say about people that were in the position to help her and what they did and didn't do. Enjoy:

Sarah Ehekircher Part One

Today the first of three parts with Sarah Ehekircher. Sarah is a swim coach who I've been writing about, alongside Irvin Muchnick with whom she first shared her story. On May 1st she has a private meeting with Tim Hinchey, the CEO and President of USA Swimming.

Over these podcasts I want to give listeners a chance to hear from Sarah herself and get a deeper look at her story. In this first part, we talk about her early childhood, when she started swimming, and then the sequence of events that led to her moving in with her swim coach, Scott MacFarland, towards the end of her junior year of high school. A warning for listeners, Sarah does mention MacFarland's first sexual advance on her towards the end of the podcast. 

Stand Up For What's Right

Today I talk to Dirk Marshal. Dirk was an accomplished swimmer in his day who has taken a different route to starting a unique kind of team. We talk about his club, the Bridge Bats and how he came to form it the way he did.

Later we discuss Sarah Ehekircher and how we've both come to know her and join Sarah's posse. Dirk shares a really good argument on how we can stand up for what's right in swimming. Enjoy.

Hiring Season With Nico Messer

This week a special hiring season podcast with friend of the brief Nico Messer. Nico has been on a lot of the episodes since the pod started back up again, and it's great to have him back once more.

We talk about the season from both the perspective of someone doing the hiring and someone looking for a job. We tell you everything we've learned from getting jobs, and not getting them. Enjoy. 

Chuck Batchelor

Today I snuck in a conversation with Chuck Batchelor, while he was at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Chuck is currently the head coach and owner of Bluefish Swim Club in the New England LSC.

I ask Chuck about how he got started, and how he went from a swim coaching plying his trade to owner of the most successful team in New England.

Finally, we get into a very polite discussion about training methods and reputations for training methods. Enjoy: