Minnesota Swim and Vibecast

Parents get handed exactly one tool: the scoreboard. So of course they fixate on it — it's the only window they've got. In episode seven of The Long Course, Mark opens the third and final room: the family's. It's built on a counterintuitive bet — that giving parents a genuinely good window into their kid's swimming actually lowers the urge to pry, because most prying is just a parent grabbing for any signal when they feel out of the loop. So the Fan Zone gives families a real way to follow the team — the schedule, the results, the recaps, the season's story — without the firehose of data that only feeds the fixation. And following your own kid? That's gated on purpose: they get the code, they approve it. Even a parent comes in by invitation. Three rooms, one idea: you at the center, the world on your terms, your space protected. Keep your heads up.

Coaches got into this to develop people — then drowned in paperwork. In episode six of The Long Course, Mark opens the coach's room: built to take the admin grind off your plate AND make it easy to recognize the stuff that never shows up on a results sheet. It's also the pipe that finally lets a coach's best work escape their own pool and count. Not more work — less of what you hate, plus a way to be a steward of the sport, not just a coach of your team. Keep your heads up.

The always-on scoreboard doesn't just hurt the slow kids — the ones at the top are often the most anxious of all. In episode five of The Long Course, Mark opens the first of MSV's three “rooms,” the athlete's Locker: a private, personal space where a kid gets to be more than a time. The results aren't information — they're a verdict. This is about giving kids the other side of the sport, on equal footing. Keep your heads up.

For three episodes we built the problem and found who could fix it. Now the real question: how does “everyone does a little” actually work? In episode four of The Long Course, Mark gets concrete — and a little fired up. The wisdom that could fix this sport already exists, scattered in every pool in the state: the right thing to say after a bad swim, the idea that made a meet fun, the recognition that landed. The catch is it’s trapped, because we’ve never asked anyone to look up from their own team and share it. This is the case for taking one small step — changing the routine by a hair — and a look at the home being built for the other side of the sport, so the little bit you do finally adds up with everyone else’s. Give a little, take a little. Keep your heads up.

If swimming has drifted, who's supposed to fix it? Not the governing bodies — they make rules, not culture. Not the families — their focus is their own kid, rightly so. In episode three of The Long Course, Mark lands on the group that's actually left: the people whose stake is the long-term health of the sport. The milers, not the sprinters. Then the hard part — why they haven't, and the one path that might actually work. Keep your heads up.

If you only saw the promo for episode one, you probably think this series is about parents ruining swimming. It isn't. In episode two of The Long Course, Mark goes looking for who's to blame for the sport's drift — and finds there's no villain at all. Parents still love their kids. Coaches still care. Programs still want to thrive. What changed is the technology we use to share the sport: it made results instant, constant, and easy, while the deeper stuff — growth, belonging, the daily experience — got left behind. The result is an always-on leaderboard that quietly became the only measure of success. Nobody chose it. And that's exactly what makes it so hard to fix. Keep your heads up.

The Long Course - Episode 1 : Heads UpNo coach will ever tell a swimmer to lift their head up — head down is how you go fast. In the first episode of The Long Course, Mark does the opposite: he asks you to look up at the sport and tell him if it's the best we can do. After a full swimming career and a twenty-year break, he came back as a parent and a coach — and barely recognized what he found on the pool deck. This is what he saw, and why he thinks the sport has quietly drifted. Keep your heads up.

It's always refreshing to hear about a school or a community adding a pool, but it's not easy and it's not a short term investment of time. Wayzata Boys Head Coach David Plummer shares the work that went into getting it from an idea and hope to an approved facility

MSV continues to grow and evolve to best support the athletes in the state. Former Gopher Josh Johnston is jumping on board to help build out a set of tools and resources to help our athletes along the that journey. Josh gives us a look at what we can expect.

Grace Benin, the coach of Hopkins girls and Maple Grove boys join the Vibecast to share some insights on her first couple of seasons coaching. what she's learned along the way, how she leverages her swimming experience to be a more effective coach, and what advice she has for those youngsters considering making the jump into coaching

Another up and coming coach in the high school ranks. Mitchell Reynold of CDH join to talk about the program building he's been investing in and all the things he's learned along the way....not to mention the nod to the fact the good coaches never stop learning

I love nothing more than talking coaching. It's a skill, it's an art, and there are so many different hats you wear. Eden Prairie head coach Eva Potvin join us to talk just that and let me tell ya, this coach has a bright future in the sport!

Anna joins the Vibe to chat about her first year of college swimming at St. Ben's. She ran the full spectrum of dealing with injury and hitting milestone swims. Anna also chats about the DIII swimming life and of course Coach Mandy!

Legends of the sport! Everyone thinks of the western burbs as the swimming hot spot, but the city was where it was at back in the day and these two have stories to tell!

Swimmers tend to be resilient people. It's part of the sport, but Graycin Andreen had to go through something I didn't even think was possible. What would you do if someone anonymously sent over one hundred letters to colleges saying that you're a horrible person? It happened. Hear the impact it had on Graycin and what she did with it.

We sit down with the captains of the newly minted St. Cloud Crush (St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Cathedral, St. Cloud tech and Rocori) to talk about the co-op, season goals, and the work they've been putting in to have a successful season

In this conversation, coaches Todd Walsh and Charley Nelson share their insights on competitive swimming, focusing on strategies for meet lineups, the importance of mentorship, and building a supportive team culture. They discuss the nuances of dual meets, relay strategies, and the significance of every swimmer's contribution to the team's success. The dialogue emphasizes the need for effective communication, trust, and advocacy within the swimming community, particularly for new coaches navigating their roles.

Representing the Cougars of Lakeville South and South Metro Storm, Ana Clemon joins the Vibecast! Great to check in on her current season, her learnings from the past, and what swimming has in store for her in the future!

Minnesota Swim and Vibe gets a chance to chat with St. Cloud Apollo/St. Johns Prep's Izzy Westling! Hear about her swim life journey, what' next and as always, her advice for those younger swimmers out there

Amazing accomplishments in the pool, absolutely dwarfed by what she's done since then. Founding one of the best organizations that elevates and empowers female athletes . Great conversation around what they do and the LEAD Summit coming to Minneapolis this summer!!!

A new concept we are rolling out in June that allows athletes, coaches, swim fans, partner groups and more to contribute their thoughts, vibe, fun and experiences to the Minnesota Swimming Community. If everyone does just a little, we end up with a lot we can all benefit from.

Let's start off by taking a look at the health of the sport locally and nationally across levels and understand a little bit on how Minnesota Swim and Vibe is trying have a positive impact on it

The Vbiecast gets a late season visit from the Leadership Team of the Anoka Tornadoes! Hear what's it like when you have to share a pool with another team, how building culture is the foundation to building a team, and some of their traditions, rivalries and favorites of the season.

One of the few Class AA programs outside of the metro area. New coach, newish pool, same big goals for the Qarriors. Learn about what makes them unique as a squad and what their plans are for the rest of the season.

The program is just four years old and they are already making waves. Two years in class A and then the jump to AA and it's not phasing them a bit. Hear what makes their squad unique and what some of their team goals are for the 2025 season.

Ben and Drew Loy join us to talk about the Swim Academy, a new approach to online learning programming for swimming. In collaboration with Caleb Dressel, they've launched and it sounds like this is only the beginning!

Taking some time in between NFL games to chat with the captains of the Minneapolis Boys Swim and Dive captains. Hear what makes their squad so special, what their rival meet is, and how coach Chris Aarseth helps them keep loving the sport.

Smaller in numbers, might in work ethic and goals. MSV checks in with the captains of the St. cloud Apollo boys to see how their season is starting off, what their goals are and what meets they are really looking forward to!

MSV catches up with Monticello/Edina Swim Club's Adalynn Biegler. Fresh off a couple freshly minted state records, hear on what she focused on to find that success, advice for younger swimmers and what she has coming up this winter.

Let's catch up with one of the members of the Orono Girls Swim and Dive program, coming off their program's first state championship. We get some insight on what makes that program go, Graycin's future plans, and advice for those younger swimmers out there. We may touch on her hidden diving talents as well :)

Joining us today is some of the awesome ladies from the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks! Hear about life at the DII college program, what transitioning from high school is like, and a halloween costume check in :)

MSCV takes a little time on a Sunday afternoon to catch up some of the members of the Concordia St. Paul Swim and Dive team. The newest program in the state is growing every year and becoming a player in NCAA Division II.

Can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning than chatting college swimming with some of the ladies of St. Kate's. They talk about a familiar face being the new head coach, what makes their culture amazing, and share a bit of managing both the student and athlete sides of student-athlete as a Wildcat

Swimming official extraordinaire Jack Swanson joins the Vibecast to unveil the newest initiative hitting USA swimming. Learn all about the Junior Officiating program...it's benefits, how easy it is and how it helps the sport and the swimming community

All the way from Austin, MN, sophomore Gracie Greenman joins the Vibecast to share a little about her current season, her swimming career, and some of her team's goals

Continuing digging into the high school season with athletes from around the state. Ava Allingham of Breck and Aquajets sits down for a chat with MSV. Learn about her swimming history, what motivates her, and what advice she has for younger swimmers.

Isabelle Ploof of Brainerd High School and Central Minnesota Aquatics takes time out of her early season training to sit down and talk some swimmin' with MSV! Isabelle talks about some of her team's goals, what makes Dan Anderson such a great coach, and the one set that makes her want to switch to diving. What a fun chat!!!

12 time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte takes some time out of his busy clinic schedule to chat with Minnesota Swim and Vibe about staying connected to the sport, his time in Paris, family, and about what he continues to teach kids in the sport

Another fabulous Team Talk! This time MSV sits down with the captains of the Chanhassen Girls Swim and Dive squad to chat about their team traditions and what they have planned this season

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Katie McCarthy, Maddy Olson and Kelly Kremer join us to talk about social media and the role it plays in the recruiting process, program promotion and how it can work for you if you manage it right or against you if you make poor decisions

MSV catches up with the captains of the St. Cloud Apollo Girls Swim and Dive squad to get some insight on what makes some unique, goals for the upcoming season and how they build fun into everything

There are many ways to rate yourself as a coach, but I prefer not to do it by championships, state swimmers, or best times. At the end of each season, I try to objectively rate myself in these categories

Having great leaders on your squad makes everything easier. It takes time and effort to develop leadership skills, but here on some tips for younger leaders to think about to expedite the process and understand what it means to be a leader

The ladies from OGSD join the Vibecast to chat about the upcoming season. Secret plans for team gear, goal rocks, some chat about a few of the meets they really look forward too every year.

Olympic qualifier, word record holder, and Lakeville native Regan Smith takes a few minutes out of her crazy schedule to chat with Minnesota Swim and Vibe about Trials, Olympics and everything in between.

Always fun to hear what makes a squad unique. Whether it is traditions, culture, or rival meets. The Tornadoes sounds like a fun squad and have some good tips on how to build a culture of inclusiveness. Bonus points for getting their team gear taken care of early through Elsmore!

Sophie Blixt of Rochester Century and Rochester Swim Club joins the Vibecast to chat about the joys of being around driven people, 2024 goals, and about how trusting yourself is great quality to have.

Since we all could make it to Olympic Trials, we thought we would do the next best thing and catch up with someone who was competing there! Hear all about Charlie's experience at his first, but certainly not last Olympic Trials

The Vibecast gets rolling again post Olympic Trials with Evan Witte of Minnetonka High School and Minnetonka Swim Club. Listen to Evan's journey in swimming, how he thinks about nutrition and what's on his goal sheer for next year.

2023 Class A state diving champ Alayna Kennedy takes some time out of her busy summer schedule to sit down with the Vibe and we are so glad she did! Some amazing takes on her diving career, successes and obstacles as well as what she has on her goal list for the upcoming year and beyond!