Kirner creates a new swim legacy
Finishing his second season as head coach, Kurt Kirner and the swim team see improvement at all levels
Casey Cheney
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Sports
He said most swim programs lay everything out for the swimmers. However, he prefers to give his girls some input in the structure of their plan for the semester.
"I kind of help them develop the plan to get to where they want to be at the end of a given season," he said.
He implements into their plan which he calls a "growth mindset," what he describes as helping them to know what they need to do as athletes.
"One of the first things I told them was to ignore their times completely," he said.
Instead, he tells his swimmers to imagine they are always in a meet situation, developing their path towards the championship.
"They were so caught up in their times, that it got in the way of their ability to see where they would be at the end of the season," Kirner said. "It doesn't intrinsically motivate them."
When the swimmers develop their own plan, they take ownership, and it's not just about the athletics, Kirner said. He said he wants this attitude to spill over into every area of the girls' lives.
"It's really about the idea that nothing is impossible."
For Kirner, this idea is a must for success.
"I try to empower my students," he said. "When we get to the end of the season when times matter, we measure our success."
A pause.
"Or failure. I don't like saying 'failure.'"
"Success" can be an understatement when describing this year's GLIAC meet in Allendale Mich. Kirner's coaching style paid off three weeks ago where 15 school records were broken, and the 400 yard medley relay team composed of a swimmer from each class -freshman, sophomore, junior and senior - qualified for Division II nationals in Houston, Texas, March 12.
"I kind of help them develop the plan to get to where they want to be at the end of a given season," he said.
He implements into their plan which he calls a "growth mindset," what he describes as helping them to know what they need to do as athletes.
"One of the first things I told them was to ignore their times completely," he said.
Instead, he tells his swimmers to imagine they are always in a meet situation, developing their path towards the championship.
"They were so caught up in their times, that it got in the way of their ability to see where they would be at the end of the season," Kirner said. "It doesn't intrinsically motivate them."
When the swimmers develop their own plan, they take ownership, and it's not just about the athletics, Kirner said. He said he wants this attitude to spill over into every area of the girls' lives.
"It's really about the idea that nothing is impossible."
For Kirner, this idea is a must for success.
"I try to empower my students," he said. "When we get to the end of the season when times matter, we measure our success."
A pause.
"Or failure. I don't like saying 'failure.'"
"Success" can be an understatement when describing this year's GLIAC meet in Allendale Mich. Kirner's coaching style paid off three weeks ago where 15 school records were broken, and the 400 yard medley relay team composed of a swimmer from each class -freshman, sophomore, junior and senior - qualified for Division II nationals in Houston, Texas, March 12.
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