By Lindsay Hock<\/p>\n
KANSAS CITY, Missouri. October 23. THERE have been many great moments for American swimmers in recent Olympic competition. We all remember Misty Hyman's victory in the 200 butterfly over the seemingly unbeatable Australian Susie O'Neill at the 2000 Sydney Games. The world watched in awe as Michael Phelps swam his way to becoming, arguably, the best swimmer of all-time while winning six gold medals in Athens in 2004. <\/p>\n
Pete Malone, veteran Head Coach of the Kansas City Blazers in Kansas City, Missouri, has built his team on these types of Olympic dreams.<\/p>\n
"Our club is operated with the Olympic dream as its center-point," said Malone, who started the club in 1975. "We see making the Olympics as the goal for every swimmer, and we work backwards from there."<\/p>\n
Malone's plan seems to be working. The Blazers have had at least one swimmer compete at every Olympic Trials since 1976. Blazers who have made the U.S. Olympic Team include Catherine Fox, Scott Goldblatt and Janie Wagstaff. The team currently has six swimmers training for the 2008 Trials. <\/p>\n
While Malone and the Blazers have worked toward the same goal since 1975, they also have made adjustments to keep up with the rapidly changing sport.<\/p>\n
"The world is changing and so is the sport, but we are sure not to lose our principal ideas," said Malone. <\/p>\n
The biggest change has come with what Malone calls "significantly different means of communication." <\/p>\n
The Blazers have an electronic system with e-mail being the primary means of dispensing information to parents. With the use of e-mail comes less one-on-one contact, but Malone said he and his assistant coaches "make personal communication with parents and their children a main priority."<\/p>\n
Malone and his coaches also are faced with making sure the team stays cohesive while operating out of five different training sites. <\/p>\n
"When you get above 200 swimmers, the different sites become a problem, no matter what," said Malone, who has established more frequent site meetings with all staff present. <\/p>\n
Each Blazer coach also is responsible for one aspect of coaching that impacts the entire team. One site coach is in charge of technology, while another heads up the administrative side of the team.<\/p>\n
"This system lets each coach feel they have a hand in the entire team, and if the coaches feel that way, so will their swimmers," Malone said.<\/p>\n
A program seeded in making dreams come true, the Kansas City Blazers look to continue that tradition for years to come. <\/p>\n
Blazers Quick Facts:<\/b>
\nHead Coach:<\/b> Pete Malone
\nAssistant Coaches:<\/b> Lindsay Barton, Mike Lewellyn, Grant Messick, Henry Morrow, Derek Shipp
\nNumber of Members:<\/b> 600
\nNumber of Practice Groups:<\/b> 5 groups at 7 sites
\nMain Training Facility:<\/b> Roeland Park Aquatic Center
\nTeam Web site:<\/b> www.kcblazers.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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