An Interview with UAE Coach Sherif Habib

Feature by Steven V. Selthoffer, Chief European Columnist

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, January 20. SHERIF Habib is one of the main driving forces in aquatics in the Arab world. As a two-time Olympic head coach ?”- for Egypt in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games and the UAE in the Sydney 2000 Olympics — Sherif Habib has been developing world-class programs and raising the standard of the sport across the Arab world- from the sand up.

Habib has no ties to any royal family and no special political connections. He rose to the top through two things: hard work and determination. As Murray Stevens, founder of NBAC (home to Michael Phelps) once said, “Nothing difficult was ever easy.” Habib has become one a handful of ASCA Level-5 accredited coaches in the Middle East. He has been implementing best-in-class standards while promoting ASCA accreditation (et al) and continuing education as the standard for coaches and programs in the Middle East and Africa.

Uniquely, he was awarded the First Class Egyptian Sports Order of Merit as a swimming coach and was also the youngest ever men's All-African Champion in any event (the 100 fly).

Habib is also credited for developing swimming programs, competitions and events for the physically disabled and Paralympic sports in Egypt, and from 1996 to 1999 he was the head coach for the Egyptian national swim team for the physically disabled.

Habib's home base is the Al Wasl Swim Club, Dubai's top sports club, with five coaches comprising the aquatics staff and where top Romanian coach and sport manager, Raluca Steblea, ROU, was recently added as Program Director and Masters Coach. Steblea is a welcomed addition, and a popular choice among the athletes, coaches and parents in Dubai. Sharing the same vision as Habib, she will give the club the needed management expertise in the coming years.

Habib has just finished walking the deck, concluding the morning workout, and has taken a small break for a telephone conversation with Swimming World.

SW: What are you doing now to improve swimming in the UAE and the Middle East?

Habib: “You must take a long term strategic viewpoint to sports, to swimming and aquatics in the UAE and the Middle East in order to succeed. It's important to have an overall view, a strategic view for the future. There are certain targets that I have set. And you cannot get to these targets, these goals, all at once. You have to take a number of coordinated, well planned, steps to get there. It takes a lot of planning.

First and foremost is to improve the quality of the coaching staffs. Many coaching staffs in the Middle East need to raise their standards. I believe in hiring the best people with superior inter-personal, educational and teaching skills who are qualified to coach the younger swimmers coupled with a demonstrated proven track record. It's important to have at least ASCA level 2 or 3 or an equivalent.

Improving the education of the coaches is one of my main priorities, then, the swim programs will have a better knowledge base to operate from. I am constantly working to develop a sport environment where the coaches are continually improving their education. You cannot remain static. We are learning new things all the time, new techniques, new ways to train, you must be open to learn new things and then integrate them into your programs.”

Chad Le Clos, with a home base in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, is the 2010 FINA World Champion 200m Fly, and double 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, 200m Fly, 400m IM, is expected to medal in London 2012. Le Clos competed recently at the FINA World Cup meet in Dubai, October, 2011, winning six gold medals, and spoke from Johannesburg about his friend Habib, “Yes, I know him well. He has some great stories, most I can't share with you! (laughs)…But, I've learned a lot from him as he has been through quite a bit over the past couple of years and has a lot of experience(s), not just in swimming but, also outside the swimming arena.”

The UAE's own Mohamed Al Ghafry, won a bronze in the 50m Back at the same FINA World Cup meet as Le Clos in Dubai, verifying Habib's estimates and planning.

Habib continued, “Swimming is a constant cycle of education, science, and improvement. It's about planning and taking many steps daily in the pursuit of excellence.

“A second priority is dealing with the parents. This is a major issue here. Wow!… (a smile and some laughter…) Parents are the main thing to success with individual swimmers and with any swimming program. There is no successful swimming program and no individual success without the parents. We need their help in transportation, managing the personal lives of the young swimmers, organizing their timetables with school, studies, food, all of it. Coaches and parents must work together. It's a team effort. Most of the time, the burden of the work is on the coaches. This is not a sustainable model. Parents must play a greater role.”

Le Clos added, “We need support for swimming as a lot of people don't understand how hard it is, not just for us swimmers, but also for our coaches who sacrifice a lot also.”

Habib continued to state, “We have to promote the benefit of sports and swimming in the lives of young people across the whole UAE. Media should play a greater role in that here instead of just promoting football.

“Third is facilities. If you would have asked me this question ten years ago, facilities would have been a problem. Now they are not. We have excellent facilities. Now we are concentrating on building swimmers, building athletes, building and educating young people with the highest quality coaching and sport education we can find. It's where our focus should be.”

SW: What about the age group development and learn-to-swim programs?

Habib: “In the Middle East, especially in my country Egypt, 99% of all parents wanted their children to become doctors or engineers. A career in sports was not encouraged. Then also, we used to have a great problem with young swimmers burning out, because their parents, or clubs only wanted to focus on their children becoming Olympic or World champions. They couldn't see the value of swimming as a lifestyle.

(Raising his voice and emphasizing) “In many swimming federations, over 90% of the swimmers were quitting before they were 17 years old! Seventeen! It was too much, too soon.

“I am now focusing on enhancing and developing the quality of all the age group programs to reduce the burn out rate in young swimmers. To me, this is very important. There will be no Olympians without good 10 and Under and 12 and Under programs. National age group development programs are another one of my priorities. The welfare of young athletes is my top priority. They are our future.

I want to improve all the school programs here in the UAE and Egypt for boys and girls. There is a lot of talent here in the UAE. I am always planning and building for the long term. That is in the best strategic interests of the Middle East.

After many years as a swimming coach, I can say that it is so easy to win many local championships, but, it's more important to focus on the long term, on building up the age group programs with quality coaches, lots of kids and increasing the quality and quantity of the relationship between the parents, the coaches and the swimmers, so the parents can see and understand the lifetime of benefits the sport of swimming brings. The UAE has a bright future in sports. I am glad to play a small role in making that happen.”

SW: And what are your plans for London 2012?

Habib: “We have a good American head coach for the UAE swimming team and have one or two swimmers there. He and the two swimmers will promote UAE swimming, seek out opportunities for our athletes and for hosting competitions in our country. It will be good for the UAE, but, we're only just beginning.”

Le Clos finished, “I wish him all the best in the future, and I'm sure we will bump into each other somewhere…”

SW: Thank you for your time Mr. Habib. We look forward to seeing you in London and all the best to you and with your team at Al Wasl.

Habib: “Thank you Steve for your efforts. I really enjoyed our conversation this morning. There is an open invitation for everyone to come to Dubai. I am looking forward to seeing you here.”

Note: Mr. Sherif Habib's first language is Arabic. His second is English. We apologize in advance for any misquotes or misunderstanding.

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