Mike Murray has coached an array of talented swimmers. Today he shares why club coaching presents an ideal opportunity for developing exceptional swimmers.
Over his career as a coach, Mike Murray has gone through a series of evolutions— each leaving him better off than the last. Today, as he talks with Brett about his journey to club coaching in Victory, NY, he dives into his growth and experience. Find out what he’s been doing to develop his athletes, assistant coaches and himself. He shares his philosophy on training and the reason why “wait, what?” is possibly the most deflating phrase in the English language.
“If you're lucky enough to have kids buy into what you're doing and they get to a certain level, this whole new world opens up for you.” -Mike Murray [35:38]
Key Takeaways:
- What full-time club coaching is like.
- Mike Murray’s advice for getting the most out of athletes of all ages and abilities.
- Insights into Mike’s writing, recording and delivery process for workouts.
Episode Timeline:
- [00:02] Intro
- [00:31] Where coach Mike Murray is at in the current season
- [01:38] How he plans for the season as a club coach
- [04:55] How he ended up coaching in Victor, New York
- [06:25] Coach to swimmer ratio for 150 athletes
- [07:11] What drew him into coaching & experiences coaching at College
- [10:44] The challenge of controlling the variables in college coaching
- [17:39] Mike's definition of success and club values
- [20:41] How he keeps his athletes engaged and in the sport
- [26:54] Shifting the view of coaching
- [31:00] Health and setting an example
- [34:20] How his philosophy towards club training has evolved
- [37:24] Helping athletes own their success
- [40:56] Writing, recording and delivering workouts
- [45:32] Developing as a coach and aiding other coaches in their development
- [51:32] Mike Murray's epiphany
- [54:31] Outro
Key Quotes:
- “The biggest factor for me, in terms of success, is whether or not you've inspired somebody to reach their potential. And at the same time, teach them to be dedicated to a goal that they have. No matter what that goal is.”-Mike Murray [18:37]
- “I think we focus too much on worrying about, 'am I doing enough, am I training hard enough, am I committing enough. What am I doing every single day instead, to make my teammates better?... If I focus that way and I have a group of kids who are focused that way then, we get two really important main components and that's attitude and effort.” -Mike Murray [19:33]
- “One of the best things about this sport, as you know, is if you're lucky enough to have kids buy into what you're doing and they get to a certain level, this whole new world opens up for you.” -Mike Murray [35:38]
- “The phrase that I hate more than any other phrase in the American Lexicon is 'wait, what?'” -Mike Murray [44:01]
Connect:
Find | Brett Hawke
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Find | Mike Murray
On Twitter: @coachmurray3m
On Facebook: @coachmmm81
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Special Thanks:
Inside with Brett Hawke is presented by Fitter & Faster. Host a swim camp. More than 1,000 swim clinic sessions in 46 States plus Canada & the Bahamas in 2019.
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