Hasty Awards Workforce of the Month: Cincinnati Marlins

The Cincinnati Marlins have a storied historical past that includes 18 Olympians, 23 Olympic medals, 60 nationwide champions, and 15 world data. However new head coach Brandon Voorhies desires the membership to be recognized for greater than its previous.

“I need to pilot this system again to success on the state and nationwide ranges,” stated Voorhies, who took over this system as interim coach final September earlier than being promoted to a full-time function final month. “I would like the Marlins identify to be acknowledged for our continued success, not our previous accomplishments.”

Since becoming a member of the membership as senior program director in the summertime of 2021, Voorhies has coached 44 high 10 all-time Marlin performances. In October, one in every of his swimmers, Thackston McMullan, was chosen to attend the USA Swimming Choose Camp on the U.S. Olympic Coaching Heart in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

McMullan, an honorable point out on the way-too-early checklist of high recruits from the highschool class of 2024, dedicated to Cal within the fall. Final yr as a sophomore, he led his St. Xavier Excessive College boys squad to a runner-up end on the state championships as he gained a person title within the 500 free by greater than 4 and a half seconds.

Try the complete Q&A with Voorhies under, the place he lays out his imaginative and prescient for the way forward for the Marlins program along with neat tidbits comparable to his favourite coaching set.

SwimSwam (SS) – Congratulations on incomes the job as head coach and CEO of the Cincinnati Marlins. What was your response while you first discovered you’d get the function?

Brandon Voorhies (BV) – I’m humbled by the chance to step into this function and lead such a historic program. The board has been so supportive of me in the course of the interim interval and I’m so grateful for his or her backing.

SS – What are your priorities as the brand new head coach and CEO of the Cincinnati Marlins?

BV – My primary precedence is program growth and implementation. I’m trying to elevate our membership the place we’re constantly producing Olympic Trials qualifiers, Junior Nationwide qualifiers, excessive caliber state and highschool swimmers, a program that produces a workforce that may peak to win their championship meet. My second precedence is neighborhood engagement. The Marlins are launching a learn-to-swim program and will likely be partnering with native summer time golf equipment to interact town as a complete and never simply the pockets of the neighborhood that we already serve. Lastly, I’m dedicated to having a workforce tradition that develops and shapes the character of our athletes. We’ve already taken steps this quick course season to create alternatives for our athletes to develop their management abilities locally and amongst their teammates.

SS – How do you arrange your coaching program on your athletes to search out success at completely different ranges of competitors?

BV – Earlier than the start of the season, weeks of planning goes into every group’s season plan. We constantly replace that plan all through the season because the group progresses. Having a plan is vital however that plan adjustments relying on what I’m seeing within the group. Morale is every little thing on this sport. Glad swimmers are quick swimmers, so I work onerous to keep up the main focus and pleasure of the group on our finish of season targets. With so many meets to arrange for, we specialize our coaching for every athlete to ensure that they’re making ready bodily and mentally for every meet.

SS – A profitable age group program is the life blood of a membership workforce. How do you develop profitable age group swimmers?

BV – Age group swimming is about creating an surroundings for swimming to be enjoyable and thrilling. Youngsters, particularly younger youngsters, come to swim apply to see their mates and work collectively in the direction of a typical aim. Constructing the workers to assist the swimmers as they develop and develop is so vital. Our workers right here on the Marlins does excellent work creating our age group swimmers.

SS – 5 years from now, how would you like SwimSwam and the swimming neighborhood to explain the Cincinnati Marlins?

BV – The historical past that surrounds Cincinnati swimming and the Marlins is astounding. For the reason that Marlins have been based, the workforce produced 18 Olympians, 23 Olympic medals, 60 nationwide champions and 15 world data. I need to pilot this system again to success on the state and nationwide ranges. I would like the Marlins identify to be acknowledged for our continued success, not our previous accomplishments. I feel it’s vital to honor the historical past of this membership however to not permit the place we have been to distract us from the place we’re headed.

SS – Why ought to a swimmer, at any age, need to swim for the Cincinnati Marlins?

BV – The Marlins program is designed to achieve swimmers of all skills, from their first flip flip to their first state title, we’re continually striving to be one of the best at what we do.

SS – Are there any coaches that you just admire and why?

BV – Jason Roberts on the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon, Ohio, was my mentor in my first membership teaching job. He taught me a lot about construct profitable applications. I nonetheless lean on him at this time when I’ve questions. Somebody that I’ve regarded as much as since I began teaching is Eddie Reese on the College of Texas for the way in which he talks to his athletes and has nurtured the workforce tradition by means of a long time of labor.

SS – What’s your favourite set to place up on the board on your workforce?

BV – My favourite set is 20×25’s streamline flutter kick in your again, on :20/:25 seconds. The kicker is, the primary 12.5 yards should be underwater dolphin kick. When you miss a cycle, you sit out for 2 and get again on when your cycle comes round. It’s a badge of honor to have the ability to full all 20. I really like watching the arrogance in underwater kicking develop in every athlete as we try this set a number of instances every quick course season.

About Hasty Awards

Hasty Awards is proud to be a nationwide provider of youth awards with a long-standing status for offering enjoyable, but economical, awards for all sports activities and age teams.

Our aim is to offer our clients with: