John Moffet and Sam McAdams

(this story was told at a coach’s clinic by Skip Kenny, head coach at Stanford University and the men’s Olympic coach several times)

We had a young man on our team named Sam McAdams who came from Decatur, Illinois. Sam came on his recruiting trip, and I offered him a scholarship because of his personality. I said here’s a guy who is going to make other people around him better. Now Sam didn’t score a point in four years at Stanford, but he was awesome. He was unbelievable. He worked so hard every day. Everyday he would have less rest than everybody else on the team, but every time he touched the wall he would say, "C’mon, let’s go guys."

Then one day he buddied up with Moffet after practice for team teaching. They were working on breaststroke turns. He said, "John, you’re right handed."

"Yeah."

"Well, you’re turning to the right. If you’re right handed, you should be turning to the left."

John tried it and then said, "Wow, hey coach, come here. Sam’s helping me with my turns. What do you think? This feels great."

"Wow, that looks great," I said.

Now John Moffet could have said, "Hey Sam, wait a minute. I’ve been on the Olympic Team, I’ve been a national champion, I’ve been an American record holder. How is it that you’re telling me what to do? You’ve never even scored a point here."

John didn’t say that though. In fact, I guarantee you he didn’t even think that. That was the year that John went on to break the world record.

Now, in Sam’s senior year he finally makes NCAA’s. We go off as a team. Sam swims, Sam doesn’t score. But he makes everyone else better. And he’s so excited because we win the title. Sam is part of history. He has a national championship ring and no one can ever take that away from him.

It’s now June and his parents are coming to graduation and he wants me to meet them. "Okay, Sam, come here for a minute first. Talk to me about the highlight of your Stanford swimming career." Well, I already know what the answer is. He worked for four years to make NCAA’s. He finally made it and we won. A national champion, Sam McAdams.

But that is not what he said at all. He said, "Coach, you remember that day that I helped John Moffet with his turn? That’s the day that was the highlight in my life with Stanford Swimming. That’s the day that we went into the locker room afterwards and everybody said, ‘Sam, way to contribute. Way to contribute to the team. Way to make this team special.’ That was the highlight."

As coaches and athletes and parents, we should ask ourselves every day, "How can I contribute. How can I contribute to this team?" Parents can get their swimmers to practice on time, be sure they have the proper equipment, allow their swimmers to own their sport. Swimmers can be the first at getting in the pool, carry spare goggles, always bring a water bottle, encourage all their teammates. Coaches can write recruiting letters at the end of a long day, correct that bad turn for the 27th time in one practice, help each other on the pool deck. The important thing is that you’re contributing.

(this article was excerpted from a story by John Morse which appeared in the Nashville Aquatic Club newsletter)