My Coaching Philosophy

Many have asked, so here it is.  This is what I am about.

Coaching Philosophy

Scott William Hunsinger - Swimming Coach

In best describing my coaching philosophy I feel that it can be  put into a very simple equation that I created back in 1991; “Swim Smart+Have Fun =Swim Fast”.  Everyone wants to swim fast, the commitment and dedication it takes makes it so important to focus on what it truly takes to getting us there.  I tell my student-athletes that they can never sacrifice a good stroke for speed.  Every stroke, every start, every turn has to be technically correct.  The time and effort that is put into “Swimming Smart” is crucial.  I feel that drilling and breaking down each swimmer’s strokes helps to achieve that.  The evaluation process I have developed brings it all together.  My back ground in Exercise Science and Stroke Mechanics allows me to break things down for each swimmer.  Knowing how to swim allows all the parts of a swimmers body to work with their mind to be efficient.  Knowing why your hand needs to travel along a certain path is a result of wanting to create the sufficient  amount to lift to generate force.  Everything that I can do to help a swimmer to bring this together is one part of the equation.  

When you are swimming back and forth in a pool the scenery never really changes, your mind can wonder.  As a coach you have to make practices challenging yet enjoyable.  Through designing different swimming sets and having a comprehensive seasonal plan it is possible to show each student athlete what the goal is and how we are going to get them there as individuals and as a team.  I feel that core and dry land training is another piece of the puzzle and again making things fun.  I have a very positive and enthusiastic attitude in all aspects of my life and in swimming it is crucial.  A simple smile, positive encouragement, and goal setting are all additional avenues that allow a swimmer to have fun.  Without fun swimmers lose interest, lose focus, and soon burnout or get stale.  Weekly team building activities also make the 1000’s of yards enjoyable and worthwhile.

When I bring those two elements together I put each student-athlete in a position to swim fast and in the end using this equation allows them to be the “best possible you that you can be”.  I do not encourage my swimmers to compare themselves to anyone other than themselves.  Through realistic goal setting it becomes about what they want to accomplish.  Not every swimmer is going to be a champion but I want their educational and swimming experiences to in the end make them an incredible young person ready to take on the real world.