A swimming coach, whose 20-plus years of experience includes being an assistant coach at Indiana University and the University of Texas, came to International Falls this week to teach techniques on how to swim faster to 18 high school-level swimmers participating at a camp at Falls High School.
“The most important thing is the kids have fun and that they can learn something they can take home to their club teams,” said Donald J. Brush, who now is on the coaching staff of the Fishers Area Swimming Tigers, a club team in suburban Indianapolis. “What I told the kids at the beginning of the camp is attitude is everything. If they can learn to have a positive attitude with everything they do in life, they’re just going to have a very successful, happy life.”
Brush, who ran the camp attendees through various drills, said the most important thing about swimming is being comfortable in the water.
“We’re very comfortable on land, but when we move to the water we become a little bit uncomfortable,” he said. “They just need to learn how to manipulate their body through the water pretty effortlessly, which will allow them to have better balance in the water and also allow them to go faster and more efficient.”
Brush has been running the camp this week with Falls head boys swimming coach Dawnn Taylor, whose son, Donovan, had been coached by Brush while a swimmer at Indiana University.
“Don and Dawnn Taylor are ambassadors to this sport in this community, and we decided it would be great to offer a world-class camp to this community,” Brush said. “I worked with Eddie Reese at the University of Texas in 2004, so I spoke to Eddie, and he decided he that he would come and we would just offer a unique opportunity for student athletes in this community.”
In addition to being the head coach of the men’s swimming and diving team at Texas since 1978, Reese has also served as the men’s head coach of the United States Olympic team, as well as being an assistant coach at the Olympics. Reese was scheduled to be on hand for this morning’s session as the swimming camp wrapped up.
Though some of the girls and boys at the camp swam for the Broncos this past season, Dawnn Taylor noted others came from Grand Rapids, Fort Frances and Thunder Bay.
Brush said he wants to continue to hold the swimming camp on an annual basis in the Falls during a week in the summer.
“Around this time of year, I have a time where I can get away from my club team in Indiana, and Eddie has an opportunity to get away from his camp...,” Brush said. “He and I are going to start this, and hopefully we can get other world-class coaches in as guest coaches as well throughout the next several years.”
