I was privileged to present on Dryland Training Saturday to the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association. What made it a privilege was to have Jim Richardson, the women’s swim coach at Michigan and Jim Steen, the swim coach at Kenyon in the audience. I realized during the talk how fortunate I have been to work with two great coaches like them. After my talk Jim Steen and I were talking over some ideas we had about next year’s program and also looked back over things that we had done over the years. What things had worked and what had not, why we had gotten away from certain things and why we had held onto certain things. We both had a good laugh about the time when we thought we knew everything. On my flight home that evening I reflected a little more on this. I guess the stage of knowing everything is a stage we all have to go through in life both professionally and personally. As I look back on that stage I realize how uncomfortable it was to think I knew everything. Not only did I know everything but I would tell anyone who would listen. How obnoxious is that? For me it was not long before I was knocked off my pedestal. Certainly at this stage in my life and my career I realize what I don’t know. I do know that what I do not know is much more than I do know. I also realize that every day presents the opportunity to learn new things and experience new challenges. For me now it is the joy of learning new things and meeting that challenge every day that keeps me motivated and focused. I guess that why I sit in the back of the room during some of the presentations I have heard over the past six weeks and smile. I have heard a succession of young coaches who certainly know everything and let us know it. I hope their fall is not as hard as mine was.
