coachmikepodcast episode 2 is up!! Download, please!

Happy to announce that episode 2 is up for download and can be streamed from the player below.... but come on, download it... be a pal! Available Free on iTunes; just search coachmikepodcast or visit coachmikepodcast.podbean.com ... and you can always link to it from the left hand side of this page.

Incidentally, I was approached by a few coaches and club presidents at the Swim Ontario AGM and Conference this past weekend to tell me how much my interviews with Sean Baker and Randy Bennett helped their executive committees understand how to be more supportive. One president said that he had played it for his executive. If you haven't heard those, click on their names above to listen. I hope that my work can be helpful to many of you: thats what I'm after.

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Announcing the Launch of coachmikepodcast on iTunes

I am pleased to announce the launch of my new podcast named (rather uncreatively) coachmikepodcast which is now available free for download on iTunes**. Check it out; it will be your source for news in the Swimming world and interviews with sports personalities alike, all from a coach's perspective. Episode 1 is up and episode 2 is in the works, hopefully posted before the weekend. If you do not have iTunes, it can also be downloaded from www.coachmikepodcast.podbean.com, or you can download it from the left side of this page. For those of you who liked streaming it from my blog, I will also embed a player to allow you to continue to listen that way. Please support this endevour as I am doing it to help promote HHBF and continue to supply our swimmers and parents (amongst others in the Swimming community) with valuable information.

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** search "coachmikepodcast" in your iTunes search bar. You should be able to find it under podcasts. Also, please take the time to review it after.

Exclusive Interview with Garrett Weber-Gale

Garrett Weber-Gale is arguably the biggest name that I have interviewed for my audience. Pictured above (left side, Michael Phelps is on the right), Garrett is a perennial member of the USA 4x100FR relay and is a double gold medalist in the 2008 Olympics, helping the USA to wins in the 4x100FR and 4x100MR. He was the first ever American under 48 seconds in the 100FR and is still relevant on the world stage, helping the USA to a bronze medal in the 4x100FR at FINA World Championships in China this summer.

It is not often that Canadians get to hear advice from an Olympic gold medalist (its been a while since Canada has had one) and Garrett has a lot of refreshing, truthful things about sport, nutrition, ups and downs as well as keeping it fun. CLICK HERE to listen to (and hopefully enjoy) my interview with Garrett Weber-Gale. Check out his links below.

Garrett's Website: http://gwgswims.com/
Athletic Foodie: http://www.athleticfoodie.com/

HHBF Team Building Day @ UCC (Norval)

This morning, members of the Regional Development, Platinum and Elite groups drove out to Norval to do a little team building. The day began like any other - we let swimmers lay on a blanket, then tossed them several feet into the air (no joke). Some parents even took part. It was a lot of fun.

After that, we did a series of warm-up games (see video below) and then all participated in games which involved communication, strategizing and team work. The games were a lot of fun and everyone seemed to get into it, which was rewarding.

The day wrapped up with a game of "Stones" which is like "Capture the Flag" (for those of you familiar) but involved much more team involvement. The day was about having fun, breaking down barriers and getting to know your team mates above everything else and I think that we acheievd that with flying colors; it was a roaring success!

Special thanks to Bill Elgie who made this day possible and who was spectacular with our team, both in leading and organizing. Bill, on behalf of HHBF, I say "Waahhhhh"!!

Welcome Back!

Be sure to check out my Welcome Back message to all Blue Fins.

Who Am I..?

Great viral video below. Just watch it!

Lets Start It Off Right!

For those of you searching for inspiration for this coming season, check out the video below. Video is of Matt Fox's first National Championship win in 100BK and Kyle Haas's bronze medal performance can be found at the 4:20 mark of the video. Its exciting that all this happened but also very exciting that we can all watch it again and again. Check it out!

Just a Few Minutes with an Olympic Hopeful

I was joined via Skype (still trying to work out my audio on Skype and phone calls, btw) by Matthew Swanston of the Newmarket Stingrays and Stanford Swimming this evening. I had a limited amount of time with him before he had to get back to the pool to resume his training, but I was able to get some pretty important information from him regarding World University Games, the Olympics in 2012 and his swimming career path. Have a listen to a star in the making. This is a short one and wont take up much time, but is still a compelling listen.

Season Wrap Up With Brittany Maclean (ESWIM)

Brittany Maclean had quite a summer while travelling to Singapore, China and Peru. She made the World Championship team in the 4x200FR relay and swam many different events at World Junior Championships (where she won 2 gold medals for Canada in 200 and 400FR). Have a listen to what she has to say about her summer travels, her successes and stuggels on the road.

Brittany is a super talent that is home grown here in Ontario. The Swim Ontario community should be proud of what she accoimplished and excited about what is to come. She has a very bright future ahead of her!

Interview with Brittany Maclean (ESWIM).

**UPDATE: Brittany has since been awarded Swim Ontario's Athlete Of The Month. Congratulations to her and her Coach, Kevin Thorburn.