If you have followed me for a while you will remember the situation that I got myself into with the blog, another swimmer and the coach. Well since that time Coach, or Bossman as I tend to call him have come a long way and I am happy to say we get along well. He has a very strong personality, very strong. His one and only rule is: Coach is always right, it irks me a
little lot but we all have our quirks.
He is an AMAZING coach, no 2 ways about it. Cannot deny facts. It takes more than being accomplished at that sport to be a Coach or at least a good one you have to know kids, really know kids. You have to be able to handle all ages of children and well. You have to be a mentor, father, friend and teacher and never cross the line. Did you know that swimming is one of just a handful of sports where the coaches have to have background checks and take god awful sexual abuse courses? Well they do, I just did both. the latter is horrendous. Kids are in swimsuits and in vulnerable positions all the time. I'm going somewhere here so just hang on.
When this trip was first being arranged he said he wanted whomever wanted to go, to go. He would chapereone or if some parents wanted to go that would be wonderful. My girls wanted in, they had the qualifying times and that was that. I was not about to let them go alone. One of us would be going. Some of the older kids signed up sans chaperone. Bossman didn't flinch. I don't think he would have cared if no one went with him. He has a sister down there and she is a coach so she would help if needed with the older girls.
The kids ranged from 7 to 17. He had them all. He treated the 11-17 as one group. Once at the pool he he gave warm up instructions to the group and said, not Rosie. Rosie wait for me. Every single time this man who had just barked orders, like a drill Sergeant at 8 kids would then turn to Rosie and guide her with his hand on her, to the pool. Never for one second letting go, just his palm touching her, never his fingers, that's the swim coach way. No one was about to bump her or flatten her. He was so protective.
Every time we got on and off the bus he called for the hands of 9 swimmers and all the parents. In restaurants the same thing. He doesn't think, it is second nature, he is better than any teacher I know. He was amazing.
I took some photos of him, a kazillion billion actually cos after each swim the kids debrief with him before swimming a cool down and he makes eye contact with every single one every single time. It became my mission to see if I could catch him only giving 99% of his attention, I couldn't.
On Sunday we left straight from the pool to the airport so I took shower gel and shampoo into the meet so the kids could shower off before their flight. I took Rosie myself but due to the armed security guard and 2 female locker room attendants I let Lily go alone. She was showering in her bathing suit. After a couple of minutes one of the mums came running up to me and said, they have just locked the changing room and Lily is inside. WTF? I turned and saw Coach. I told him and he moved with the speed of a Cheetah. He told the person at the locker room that she
was opening up the door but just as he said it the door opened and out walked a man with tools, big metal wrenches in his hands. For a quick flash of a nano second my mind went to a very ugly place. I ran in and saw loads of girls in suits and another Coach and Coach Belinda. We still have no idea why they locked the door while the superintendent was working but it was nothing sinister but had it been I was glad Coach was there cos he was not going to let anything happen to one of HIS swimmers. Seriously weird.
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| Walking her into the pool, hand on her head open palm |
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waiting for a lane for her, not letting go. The rest of the team are in the next lane
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| different time, still in contact |
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| damn you are short, I will have to bend down. LOL |
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| Ok your stroke needs some work lets try this |
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| debriefing Lily and Sidney after a race, talking to Lily |
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| talking to Sid. It's never a group...blah blah blah, it's always directed at you. |
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| Saturday afternoon warm up. All teams are in the pool. Don't see any other coaches |
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| this was funny. Rosies backstroke start. Bossman said, don't hold the pegs, these are too high for you you won't start well. Hold the side of the pool. |
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| Race officials told her she had to hold the peggy things. She was so far out of the water and is looking for her coach cos he said no and Coach is ALWAYS right. |
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| Coach yelled to the official and explained her size, Coach was right she is back on the edge of the pool |
As much as the swimmers worked hard this weekend Bossman worked 10 times harder. He is so dedicated. At dinner one night the kids were doing impressions of him and telling stories about him and passing time waiting for the food. They were starving, really starving. Coach left the table to take a phone call and a bread basket arrived. The kids grabbed all the bread and suddenly someone said, leave some for coach, that one bread roll sat in the basket all alone. Every now and again someone would go to grab it and the words, that's for Coach would be uttered and the hand withdrew. The kids love this man but more than that they respect him.
If my girls were older I would allow them to go without me except for the fact that I wouldn't, if you get what I mean. I trust him that much but they are not going with out me!
