YMCA Swim Clinic “Gold School”

If you asked Josh Davis and Kate Ziegler, the biggest story Sunday at the Talbot County YMCA wasn’t them, but the 58 young swimmers attending the Mutual of Omaha Breakout Swim Clinic.

It’s not every day, however, that area youths get to share the pool with a five-time Olympic medal winner and a 2008 Olympic hopeful.

The clinic offered local swimmers ages 8-18 the opportunity to meet and learn from two of the sport’s biggest stars.

Davis was the only male athlete to win three individual gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and won two silver medals while serving as the U.S. team captain in the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.

Ziegler holds American records in the 500-, 800- and 1,000-yard freestyle, and recently shattered swimming’s oldest world record by 9.5 seconds in the 1,500-meter freestyle. She will compete in the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. next year for a spot on the 2008 Olympic team. She will be one of the favorites to bring home gold from Beijing.

“If you can’t be inspired by a 19-year-old who’s just set a world record and a gentleman who’s got these big old golds and silvers …”

said Talbot YMCA head swim coach George Higley, “that’s the whole deal right here.”

This is the first year for the clinic, but Davis has been involved in other clinics in addition to working as a motivational speaker over the past decade.

“I’ve kind of fine-tuned this particular format for about 10 years now after the ‘96 Olympics and Mutual of Omaha has kind of helped us take the event nationwide,”

Davis said.

“We’re going to hit 80 cities this year. This is our first year, we’re on our 70th city out of 80.”

Davis travels to virtually every clinic on the tour schedule and is joined by one of 10 other athletes at each stop.

“I think what’s neat about it, I’ve been able to visit all 50 states and Maryland is one of the top ones. This is a great city, great people,”

Davis said.

“Every kid deserves a chance to be their best with a great facility, great coach, great sport and that’s happening here in Easton.”

For Higley, the clinic was a chance for his swimmers to have coaching reinforced by athletes at the pinnacle of the sport.

“You’ve got kids of all ages, and they hear us coaching all the time, but to hear it from people who have been to the Olympics and Kate Ziegler who’s going to the Olympics,”

Higley said.

“It’s just about creating opportunities for the kids. That’s what it’s about.”

Before taking to the pool for drills and instruction, Davis spoke about his career, from his beginnings in San Antonio to his accomplishments on the Olympic stage.

The instructional portion of the clinic was split into two sessions. In the first half, Davis and Ziegler stressed the importance of streamlining as well as teaching drills for freestyle and backstroke. Campers then got the opportunity to race against Davis and Ziegler.

Ziegler addressed the campers during the break, then it was back into the pool for breaststroke and butterfly drills. For Ziegler, the clinic was a chance to inspire young swimmers in a way that wasn’t available to her when she was younger.

“I think it’s super important,”

she said.

“This is the future of United States swimming, and if I had an opportunity like this when I was younger, I would have loved it. To have people who have gone to the Olympics and hopeful future Olympians, to have heroes like that come and talk to them and show them that we care about them, I hope to inspire them and I think that will go a long way in helping them achieve their goals in the pool and out of the pool.”

Ziegler, who took time out from her full-time Olympic training regimen, said coaching helps her stay focused on the little things during practices.

“It’s always nice to come here and show the kids the drills I do, because it’s a constant reminder that these are things that I need to work on that maybe in everyday practice I don’t remember,”

Ziegler said.

“When I have to teach them and tell them specifically, it’s a reminder for me.”

Higley, who also coaches swimming for Saints Peter and Paul High, hopes the clinic brings out the best in his swimmers.

“For our kids, we’ve got a lot of kids that they’ve got that talent and just need to be inspired, continue to be inspired,”

he said.

“Besides the folks that are coaching here, it’s about bringing people and putting them in situations where they can be inspired by somebody else.”