The Oakville Aquatic Club and Coaches Sean Baker, Cathy Pardy and Laura Nichols are not only good friends of mine but are also good mentors for all coaches. They have been very helpful and selfless when it comes to supporting teams that they think could be great. Oakville has helped HHBF in terms of travel with Eastern Canadian Championships, Olympic Trials and Canadian Age Group Championships this season and helped us with some pool time problems that, otherwise, would have kept our athletes dry for key periods of time... all of which helped our athletes in a number of ways:
1.) Kept the cost down on travel meets.
2.) Helped socialize the HHBF athletes to things outside of their club.
3.) Helped our athletes be a part of a larger team travel experience.
4.) Gave our athletes a variety of coaching experiences.
5.) Helped our coaches in an unlimited capacity both away and at home.
The other team that has been unbelievably helpful has been the Newmarket Stingrays and Head Coach, Alan Swanston and assistant coach Ulf Ornhjelm (who I consider 2 of the best coaches in Canada). I used to swim for Newmarket and Alan back in the 90's so we know each other quite well. Alan has helped me out, personally, and is a wonderful mentor. They have allowed HHBF to travel with the them a few times now (most recently to Edmonton for Senior Nats). Again, this type of help assisted in the above ways, and HHBF is miles better as a result.
I do not think that anyone can do anything alone and I thank both the Newmarket Stingrays and The Oakville Aquatic Club for all of their help. I also commend them for taking an interest in helping a smaller club and seeing the benefit of helping smaller teams get better; they both clearly see the value in that. Thank you, guys!
While we're at it: the name of this post is also the name of my favourite Oasis album, so please enjoy the best song from it:
Update: I have gotten a few Twitter & Facebook messages and emails that there is a type-o in the title of this post... It is an Oasis reference.
From Wikidpedia - The album's title was taken from the words made famous by Sir Isaac Newton: "If I can see further than anyone else, it is only because I am standing on the shoulders of giants". Noel Gallagher saw the quote on the side of a £2 coin while in a pub and liked it so much he thought it would be a suitable name for Oasis' new album. He then wrote the name on the side of a cigarette packet while drunk. When he awoke in the morning, he realised he had written "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants".[5]
