Swim Talk A2Bwith Dana Abbott and Bob Button
by Dana Abbott
Contemporary topics and issues on competitive swimming are discussed by two experienced USA swim coaches and authors, with special guests most episodes, ranging from high school and college/club coaches to world-record holders and Olympians from various countries. Email us at: [email protected]
Episodes
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 67: Author/Coach Chuck Warner
Former Rutgers Head Coach and acclaimed swimming writer Chuck Warner (a frequent guest to Swim Talk A2B) has done it AGAIN. His latest book release, "How To Be A Great Swim Parent" is a compilation and distillation of topics and issues related to the parent-child-coach relationships the ASCA Hall...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 66: George Block
We begin this episode with a lengthy recitation of achievements by this noted coach and educator, but here are some highlights, courtesy of ASCA: Coaching Since: 1977 Northside Aquatics Developed 52 Texas high school State (UIL) gold medalists. Coached over 285 high school All-Americans. USA...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 65: Ira Klein, Sarasota Tsunami and USA Swimming
SARASOTA SWIM ACADEMY Head Coach Ira Klein, has coached 6 OLYMPIANS and over 40 USA, YMCA and COLLEGIATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. He is an ASCA-certified Level 5 Coach, the highest level attainable with the American Swim Coaches Association. He was the first coach in the country to attain that level…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 64: Jon Cleveland, Canadian Olympic Medalist and Myrtha Pools
Three- time Canadian Olympian Jon Cleveland has been a swimmer, a coach, and overseer for the installation of Myrtha pools for the USA Olympic Swimming Trials. First representing Canada at the Olympics in 1988 (Seoul), he medaled in the 400 medley relay (Bronze) in 1992 (Barcelona), and returned...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 63: Our FIRST JuCo Team and Coach, Dale Pearce of MCC
Yes, we've finally turned our attention to the unheralded realm of amazing junior colleges, those necessary and beneficial 2-year options for kids wanting to extend their HS careers, hopefully parlaying that experience into a 4-year option. Dale Pearce is not only a great JuCo mentor at a rising...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 62: Best Small Club Team in America - Orinda Aquatics, Coaches Don and Ron Heidary
Don and Ron Heidary have been in this particular business for over 30 years, and after listening to them explain their strategy and philosophy of CHARACTER FIRST (team culture), you will understand why. Dana is personally enthused from this conversation with a couple of this country's absolute…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 61: UVA's Todd DeSorbo, USA Olympic Head Women's Coach
One of the most successful collegiate careers in the business! Listen in as we have an engaging conversation with University of Virginia Head Women's and Men's coach Todd DeSorbo. Besides all of the NCAA and Olympic success, did he really say, " if there was one time-frame I would go back to in…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 60: Jeff Raker, Level Up Leadership
From listennotes.com: Jeff is a swim official, former FINA starter and pastor. He has worked with big business brands including Toyota, TBS Brands and Mohawk Industries. He’s also worked with University sports from Auburn, NC State, Denison and Queens, as well as club programs like the Mason…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 59: John Leonard, "Mr. ASCA", Part 2
In this second part of two content-rich episodes with former Executive Director of the American Swimming Coaches Association, John Leonard, we dive DEEPLY into the problems and history associated with the PED doping scandal in our sport. We hear John's opinion of age-group and high school coaches...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 58: John Leonard, "Mr. ASCA", Part 1
From 1985 to 2020, "ASCA" and "John Leonard" were unmistakably linked. As Executive Director of the American Swimming Coaches Association for 35 years, Coach Leonard has been inextricably involved with American swimming at almost every level from LTS (Learn-to-Swim) to the US National Team, from...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 57: NISCA President-Elect Kyle Bedalov
Longtime president of the Wisconsin Swimming Coaches Association and the next president of NISCA, Kyle Bedalov wandered into the Swim Talk Zoom Room recently and led us through a vast wonderland of thoughts and ideas. See the timeline below for your own personal roadmap through this audio…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 56: Olympic Medalist Natalie Hinds
In 2015, the University of Florida’s Natalie Hinds was voted Freshman of the Year at the SEC Championships. That same year, she was part of the trio of Black women that swept the 100 free at the NCAA Div 1 Championships, a first-ever achievement. Five years after retiring and letting go of her...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 55: SwimNerd's Nate Tschohl
What started as a Kickstarter campaign more than 10 years ago has grown into an incredible business with pace clocks, scoreboards, touchpads, starting devices, timing equipment, and even COWBELLS. Join Bob and Dana as they have one of the most wide-ranging and fun interviews ever with SwimNerd's...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 53: Hall of Fame Swim Coach Roy Snyder, Wilson HS, Reading PA
Coach Roy Snyder has been at the helm of the Wilson HS swim teams in Reading PA for over 60 years! Our visit with him is like strolling through a most impressive library. Join Bob and me as we are entertained and educated during this fascinating visit. We mentioned two external items in the…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 54: ASCA Board President Mike Murray Returns!
Mike Murray returns for another visit on Swim Talk as he also returns to his HS alma mater, Albany (NY) Academies as head swim coach for boys and girls. Join him as he takes Bob and Dana through a wide range of topics, see the timeline below and jump on for another entertaining and informational...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 52: Trey Hayes Leaping From Lubbock to Arlington
Longtime Lubbock swim guru Trey Hayes, also a past-president of TISCA, makes a leap east to take over aquatics in the Arlington ISD. How he got started, how he became a program builder, and his goals and aspirations for his new post smack-dab between Fort Worth and Dallas. Email us at...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 51: Bob and Dana Take A Look in the Rearview Mirror
After getting 50 episodes "in the can" (and a few in the garbage can), we wanted to take a retrospective look at our coaching beginnings and the steps we've taken along the way, as well as looking at our coaching organizations. It's slightly less yawn-inducing than one might think. Slightly. Our...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode FIFTY: Kevin Cargill, Meet Announcer for USOT24
There are two types of announcers at major televised swim meets like NCAA Championships and US Olympic Trials: the big-time network pros in the nice upstairs booth who sit before the cameras with their play-by-play and color commentary, whose words get no immediate feedback or reaction, and then...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 49: Mark Onstott (New Trier HS), Part 2
Mark Onstott has been extremely successful at every stop along his coaching career, but maybe none so successful as his two decades at one of the most storied public high school swimming legacies in the nation at Winnetka's (IL) New Trier High School. In Part 1 of our visit with Mark, we heard of...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 48: Mark Onstott (New Trier HS)
Mark Onstott has been extremely successful at every stop along his coaching career, but maybe none so successful as his two decades at one of the most storied public high school swimming legacies in the nation at Winnetka's (IL) New Trier High School. In Part 1 of our visit with Mark, we hear of...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 47: Camp Longhorn's Bill Robertson
Former UT swimmer and now GM of famed Camp Longhorn in Burnet, Texas, Bill Robertson shares stories about his swimming career, his mom and dad, and the creation of legendary CAMP LONGHORN, one of the many creations of his father, "Tex" Robertson, the first swim coach at The University of Texas,...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 46: TCU's Richard Sybesma
Behind the scenes at TCU with the highly entertaining and successful coach of Texas Christian University for 38 years, Richard Sybesma. More discussion topics than you could shake a Navy SEAL telephone pole at! See Bob's timeline below (and the links that follow the timeline, mentioned in this...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 45: Indiana State's Josh Christensen
Continuing to rebuild and improve the women-only team for the Indiana State Sycamores (the "Fighting Trees"), Josh shares his story and the current state of affairs at the mighty state school in Terre Haute. Mentions and links: Indiana State Swimming...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 44: Longhorn Legend Darrell Fick, Texas One Fund
We visited with former UT All American and team captain Darrell Fick (UT Class of 1978) on his background, UT experience, and his coaching path from Alief ISD to First Colony, to women's coach at USC working alongside Peter Daland. Much information about the NIL and the Texas One Fund, and how…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 43: Jennifer LaMont, ASCA CEO
Jennifer LaMont became ASCA CEO in 2021, swam her HS years in Ohio for Walnut Hills HS, and club at the Cincinnati Marlins under Denny Pursley (a former guest on SwimTalk) and Frank Busch before heading west to become a USC Trojan. She was a HS state champion at WHHS, and a collegiate All…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 42: Scott Hammond
Former head coach at Tulane, Ohio, and NC State, as well as assistant to Bob Boettner at Clemson and the legendary Eddie Reese at Texas, veteran NCAA coach Scott Hammond covers a wide-ranging cornucopia of topics with our stalwart hosts, from his beginning days as a young multi-sport athlete to…
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 41: Chuck Warner and Dana Abbott
Bob engages the authors of the internationally acclaimed five-star book, EDDIE REESE: COACHING SWIMMING, TEACHING LIFE in a wide-ranging discussion of inside stories on the creation and production of the January 2024 release of the audiobook version, as well as hearing Chuck's views and...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 40: Jason Devine
An outstanding high school swimmer, Jason Devine did not start coaching until almost 15 years after graduating from Katy (TX) High School. Despite that late start, he progressed in his career on a meteoric rise, earning Gulf Swimming LSC's Age Group Coach of the Year not just once, not twice, but...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 39: Avery Adams
This episode of Swim Talk A2B features Avery Adams. [content timeline follows] Avery hails from Kentucky where he got his first head swim coach job at the Palomar Hills Piranhas summer swim team. Since that first dip in the coaching pool, his coaching credentials have carried him to multiple...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 38: Madison Yelle-SFTL
Bob coached Madison in club swimming and has followed her from her high school and collegiate swimming career to her current position as an influential developmental coach for intermediate to advanced age-groupers in the 9-12 year age groups at Swim Fort Lauderdale (SFTL). A collegiate NCAA All...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 37: Bonnie Adams of Swim OZ
Bonnie returns for her THIRD interrogation and grilling by our intrepid podcast heroes to give a review of the 2023 Walmart OZ Mile Swim. The Walmart OZ Mile Swim is an open water race that offers participants and spectators a full weekend of fun in beautiful Northwest Arkansas with festivities...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 36: Waterloo's Andy Korda (Austin, TX)
Andy Korda has done almost all of it, from coaching learn-to-swim and summer team all the way up to Jr/Sr Nationals, Olympic Trials, and was hugely responsible for guiding the development of Midland's Natalie Hinds into a 20x NCAA All American and 2020 Olympic medalist for Team USA. Andy was...
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SwimTalk A2B - Episode 35: "Swimming Saved Me" - Former Age Grouper Lawrence Romine, now an IRONMAN
In the mid-1980s we coached an age group team in west Houston, Western Horizon Aquatic Team ("WHAT"), in a then-small town called Katy. One of our "tweens" was a skinny little towhead named Lawrence "L.D." Romine. He was talented and worked hard and then, like the Clampetts, packed up and moved…
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SwimTalk A2B - Episode 34: Bonnie Adams Returns, OZ Mile Swim 2023 [Open Water Swimming]
[Description from Bonnie's first visit to SwimTalk in Episode 30] An in-depth look at conceptualizing and developing an open water swimming event in the beautiful Ozark vacation area of Beaver Lake, Arkansas. Bonnie Adams has a 3 decade career in teaching swimming to all ages and abilities. A...
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Swim Talk A2B - Episode 33 - Mike Waldmann, Andrews (TX) HS, first-ever 4A-under Boys State Champions!
Mike Waldmann was Swim Talk's VERY FIRST podcast guest in the summer of 2020, and returns for a second visit to share the events and circumstances surrounding his boys team capturing the VERY FIRST Texas UIL 4A-under STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! We also reminisce and reflect on the recent passing of yet...
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SwimTalk A2B - Episode 32: Kutztown (PA) D2 Men's Swimming REINSTATED-A Conversation with Golden Bears Head Coach Tim Flannery
In 2009, after almost 40 years of being a sport at Kutztown University, the AD met with head coach Tim Flannery to bluntly tell him the men's program was being cut, effective immediately. The "reason" was based on "[the] current economic situation" and as the result of an outside "funding study"…
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SwimTalk A2B - Episode XXX - Open Water Swimming with Bonnie Adams of SWIM OZ
An in-depth look at conceptualizing and developing an open water swimming event in the beautiful Ozark vacation area of Beaver Lake, Arkansas. Bonnie Adams has a 3 decade career in teaching swimming to all ages and abilities. A former HS and collegiate swimmer at the University of Arkansas…
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SwimTalk A2B - Episode XXV - Writer and Coach Michael J. Stott
Join Bob and Dana as they give the third-degree to famed writer for Swimming World Magazine and former state championship coach at The Collegiate School in Richmond, VA, Mike Stott. A dynamic background in media relations allows Mike to share insights and suggestions on getting more media…
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode XXIV - Greg Earhart, CSCAA Exec. Director
Join Bob and Dana as they chat with Greg Earhart, Executive Director of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches of America, the CSCAA (www.cscaa.org), as they discuss: The 2021 CSCAA Annual Convention, held online in virtual format this year; College swim finances; Recruiting in the Pandemic Era;...
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 013 - Victor Swim Club Head Coach and ASCA Board Member Mike Murray
Email us at: [email protected] In this episode: Performance surprises from the reduced training in the pandemic - Is there a silver lining? Have we learned to train "smarter"? Distance events: Have Ledecky's and others influence transformed the 500/1000yds and 400/800m and shifted them to a…
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 008 - Northwestern University's Katie Robinson
Email us at: [email protected] In this episode: Early years as an age grouper The colleges come pounding on the door Transition from swimming to coaching Differences in coaching men and women Differences in asst vs head coaching duties Bob Groseth - important support and resource Coach-athlete...
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 004 - Mike Waldmann, Andrews (TX) HS
Email us at: [email protected] Andrews (TX) High School, coached since 1989 by Mike Waldmann, VP of TISCA (Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) 2018-2020, incoming TISCA president 2020-2022. Development and growth of the swimming program at Andrews (TX) High School How to...
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 003 - The Woodlands' John Vogel
Email us at: [email protected] The career of former Woodlands head coach John Vogel, the secrets behind TWST's incredible success during his stewardship, some behind-the-scenes talk about his upcoming book, "TEAM". * * * * * * * * * * Disclaimer: The comments and views expressed by the hosts…
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 010 - 1980 Olympian and GoSwim CEO Glenn Mills
Email us at: [email protected] We chat with Glenn about: The 1980 US Olympic boycott Cancelled Seasons and NCAA Championships in 2020 Arizona State Plan to Redshirt Swimming Absolutes: Core Stability and Balance A Respectful Look at Outside Private Instruction Everyone's Different, Be Flexible...
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Swim Talk A2B, Episode 011 - Notre Dame's Mike Litzinger
Email us at: [email protected] Coach Litzinger relates student/athlete return to the Notre Dame campus, conference protocols and meet schedules, dealing with Covid spikes on campus and a lot more: "Kids will be kids" - the lure and consequences of socializing; Mike's swimming and coaching...
About this show
Contemporary topics and issues on competitive swimming are discussed by two experienced USA swim coaches and authors, with special guests most episodes, ranging from high school and college/club coaches to world-record holders and Olympians from various countries. Email us at: [email protected]
Hosted by
Dana Abbott
Categories