Yannick Agnel and Why It's Hard to Keep the Same Coach

A couple of weeks ago, while I was on a delightful but rainy training trip to Spain, I woke up to the news that sent shockwaves through international swimming. Yannick Agnel was leaving France as well as not competing individually in this summer's world championship. Then, swiftly afterward came reasons why: tales of a frayed relationship with coach Fabrice Pellerin and a desire for some time to reflect after his Olympic triumph. The news is a bummer for swimming fans everywhere- after all they were anticipating a good Sun Yang/Agnel rematch in Barcelona this July. For swim coaches, the story has another angle. In many ways, the story of Agnel and Pellerin was what coaches dream about: taking a swimmer from age group to Olympic champion. The ultimate example for this was of course, Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps. So why did the dream come to an end for Pellerin? The following is complete speculation on why.

Guest Post: Could Michael Phelps Make It As A Pro Golfer?

Every once in a while we like to give new writers a shot to contribute to the Brief.  Please welcome this submission and let us know what you think. -SV!

The Swim Brief's newest Guest Blogger, Eddie .

Could Michael Phelps make it as a pro golfer?

Is anyone sensing a little déjà vu? We're used to seeing Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps together in the swimming pool. Now it looks like they have both started down the road to reality TV stardom. We already talked about Ryan Lochte's new show. Michael Phelps is gracing the airwaves as well, but his reality television debut couldn't be more different. That's a good thing. Phelps is teaming up with renowned golf coach Hank Haney to improve his golf game on The Hank Haney project, you can see it on The Golf Channel. Could Phelps have a future as an amateur or even professional golfer? Maybe, and after watching the show here's why:

This is Our Village

Last week, Rick Curl was sentenced to prison for raping a young girl, Kellie Currin, beginning in 1983. The sentence was a resolution of at least one part of the most high profile sexual abuser in swimming who had long escaped justice. The scales have begun to tip, ever so slightly, and coaches are being held accountable for their actions. The case also reveals, however, how far the swimming community has yet to go. When justice was finally served, it seemed that there were very few, if any, people willing to stand with a rape victim, while many were there to support the rapist. This is our village, and I'm embarrassed to be in it.

Thanks to the Viking, Reaching Your Athletes Just Got Easier

The kids are always on their phones nowadays right?  I mean, back in the day we used to stand up, stretch and at least shake our arms around ten minutes before the race.  Now kids are looking at little tiny screens before and after a swim.  I have one girl on my team who can do the entire Ab Ripper X video without ever looking up from her phone, texting the entire time. Some kids even have the fancy water-proof cases on their phones and set them at the end of the lane right next to their cappuccino during practice. I don't even stop them from texting through kick sets any more. How are we supposed to get through to them in this day and age?

By playing their game better than them... that's how.

I bestow upon you a great gift today.  One that will modernize your coaching arsenal and make you more powerful than a jedi who took time to meditate right before he got sliced in half in a kick-ass lightsaber duel.  Seriously, it is time to make a "text pics" folder on your iPhone right now.  I have been collecting funny gifs and pictures since spring sectionals and I occasionally send them to my athletes to get my message across.  It has brought much joy to my team communication.  Here is a small sample:

"Hey coach, what's practice like today?"

Dispatches from Denmark: Failure is Not an Option

As you may have noticed, it's been a very long time since my last report here in Denmark.  If I'm being completely honest about why, it's that the last few weeks has been a really big struggle. It turns out, moving to another country is a really big challenge, one that at times will feel almost completely overwhelming. The important word there is almost; because the greatest part of this journey has been one simple truth: failure is not an option.

How Did Ryan Lochte Do?: The Viking's Review

"Colonel Fury... tell the execs we can scratch Project Tool Academy.  We found our man."

Now that "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" has premiered, everyone in the world of swimming is feeling the need to declare whether they love it or hate it.  I struggled a bit with what side of the fence I sit on.  At the USA-Swimming website, Gus evidently felt the need to put a disclaimer out there: "The first thing to keep in mind when watching “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?,” is that it is a reality show, and like all reality shows, it has nothing to do with actual reality." 

Dispatches from Denmark Part One: Drums in My Ear

My wife will tell you that the title of this blog reveals my inner cranky old man. That despite only being 29 years old, I possess in many ways the psyche of a suburban grandfather, yelling at children to stay off his lawn. She told me this when I recounted my first Danish swim meet. Coming from the US, where a ban on artificial noisemakers at swim meets was fairly well enforced, the cascade of drums and horns was slightly overwhelming.