First Posted: 2/15/2015
LIMA — It was a golden moment for area competitive swimmers Sunday at the Lima Family YMCA as Steve Lochte, father and former coach of 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, held a swim clinic designed to help young swimmers hone their skills in the water.
Lochte has been a swim coach for almost 40 years and brought a great deal of experience to swimmers from throughout the area, working with 9- to 12-year-olds in the morning and with teenage swimmers in the afternoon.
“We concentrated in the morning on stroke technique,” Lochte said. “There are terminologies, drills and components of each stroke that we really concentrated on. This afternoon with the older swimmers, I talked a little bit more about enhancing their starts and turns, things that made Ryan a world-class underwater swimmer, along with how you go from being a high school swimmer and taking it to the next level to become a champion.”
While teaching proper stroke and turn techniques, Lochte also hoped to build character in students under his tutelage.
“It’s not about winning medals,” he said. “It’s about building characteristics, including vision, perseverance, dedication and commitment. If you apply these characteristics, you will be successful.”
Lochte also had nothing but good things to say about the swimmers at Sunday’s clinic.
“They were respectful, they were polite, when I talked, they were quiet and they were studious,” he said. “These kids have a lot of potential. I really enjoyed the swimmers that came.”
Lima YMCA aquatic director Blake Zickafoose had rave reviews for Lochte and his work with local swimmers.
Bringing Steve in was great because he was able to touch upon things they already know, but teach them how to do better,” she said. “All coaches know the basic techniques, but it’s always nice to bring in someone from outside, and the kids loved having Ryan Lochte’s dad here.”
Lochte also had some words of advice for parents of children in competitive sport.
“The No. 1 thing about amateur athletics and children is that it has to come from the children themselves, from the heart,” he said. “The parents’ main role is to love the child, protect the child, support the child and that’s about it.”
