Ken McKinnon appointed Head Coach for Canada’s Junior Swimming Team
Canada’s Swimming Association has appointed Ken McKinnon as the junior swimming coach and junior swimming development manager. The news comes after Pierre Lafontaine personally welcomed him to the organization who has expressed that he has high expectations
from Ken. The Junior Swimming Federation presented Mr. McKinnon with a warm welcome.
The whole idea behind the man’s appointment is to condition the junior swimming team and assist the existing swimming coaches and members of the federation. In a recent interview, Ken opined that he was honoured in taking this position as he believed that
it was a great time for him to indulge himself in junior swimming and their development with the London Olympic Games just two years away in 2012.
Experts suggest that Ken will prove himself as an asset for Canada as he has worked with various sporting organizations and has massive coaching experience. Most swimmers have opined that the junior team can most certainly learn a lot from him.
He will play a crucial role in the development of a formal junior team specifically designed to be ready for the Olympics. He will be closely in touch and working with different coaches and swimmers to make sure their transition into the senior team is as
efficient as possible.
For a better performance at the London Olympics in 2012, an intense training regime has to start. It is a given that great performers in Olympic swimming events are the ones that practice all year round.
McKinnon has been coaching since the 1970’s and is very eager to become part of Canada’s swimming foundation. Ken has been involved in sports like rugby and tennis as well. His contribution to different sports is commendable. On previous occasions, Ken was
usually appointed as a member of their development team and also at the coaching level by rugby and tennis playing nations.
He has particularly spent a lot of time being the head coach for swimming clubs in Australia where Ian Thorpe had trained for a brief period. The tips and lessons will greatly benefit the junior swimmers in Canada. With over 30 years of experience, there
is no doubt about that as Ken has prepared affective plans for improving swimming in Canada.
Soon enough, Ken will begin showcasing his plans once he has judged just exactly what state the current clubs and teams are in. This will give him an idea as to how to start and where to start. McKinnon is the kind of person who will go to the root of the
problems and try and solve any issues from there.
His old fashioned styles may well be the ideal ingredient that the Canadian swimmers need in order to learn something they don’t know. He has spent a considerable amount of time in the Bahamas along with serving as the head coach for open waters. His experience
lies in all types of water conditions.
Be it synchronized swimming or any other, Ken has done pretty much all. He had returned to Canada a few years ago at the Richmond Swimming Club as head coach until Ken had to go and help out the British Columbia swimming team.
The timing could not have been better. The country required someone of his calibre to be available for a considerable time before the Olympics. This gives him ample time to mend and work with whatever he needs so he may come up with a modern approach.
Even if it is a plan that is time consuming, Ken will have the liberty to play around with ideas and different suggestions that he may receive from existing coaches and swimmers.
It will be important for the swimming teams to be given a briefing about his personality and way of teaching so that the youth can be prepared to be open to any tips or ideas that Ken comes up with. It seems like it will be a good combination between youth
and experience.
Canada has a very good youth swimming team and has some spectacular senior swimmers as well. He will not be alone in his efforts to build up the junior swimming team. Plenty of experience will surround him.
Ken has been like an icon and teacher to many young Canadian coaches in the past. His primary job will be to create a pool of junior swimmers, identify those kids with special talents and groom them so there are a considerable number of athletes that represent
Canada in the future. With Ken’s extensive experience, he will be able to improve the sport of swimming to a great deal.
8 swimmers have been part of an Olympic team after his coaching while four swimmers have gone on to the world championships. Out of those, three went to the Commonwealth Games and four to the Pan-American games.
To have a man like Ken on the sidelines, the future looks bright for swimmers in Canada.
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