Georgia Swim Coach Making Waves at Life Time Fitness Alpharetta
Life Time Swim - January 03, 2012
Meet Jim Smith, a recent addition to the staff at Life Time Fitness Alpharetta and head coach for the Life Time Fitness Swimming swim team based in Atlanta, Georgia.
A competitive swimmer since age 11, Jim began his career assisting his younger brother’s 5 a.m. swim practices at the age of 18. Now with more than 30 years in the industry and nearly 25 years of coaching experience, Jim is excited to build a premier swim club at Life Time Fitness Alpharetta.
“What I hope to do in Georgia is not just for our swim team, but hopefully will become the template for new Life Time Swimming swim teams at all Life Time Fitness locations,” said Jim.
Part of that template is based on the fact that Life Time Fitness offers more for its members than most other swim club teams. “Swim parents are always looking for convenience. So at Life Time we give them a place to work out, relax or work while their child swims without having to leave the building,” said Jim.
What makes Jim a unique and successful swim coach? Is it the fact that he’s helped several swimmers qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials? Or that he has coached numerous swimmers who have competed at the collegiate level?
No. It’s his coaching philosophy. Not only is he a coach, Jim is also a mentor and support system for his athletes.
“My coaching philosophy is developed around three principles: education, participation and graduation,” Jim said. “It is my goal to educate swimmers and parents in all aspects of the sport and its benefits; provide participatory opportunities for training, competition and education for members; and to have swimmers graduate to the next level in training, competition or from club to collegiate swimming.”
This philosophy allowed three of his former swimmers to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming. Kristine Polley, now a junior at Florida State University, qualified in the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes in 2004 and 2008. Christine Hughes, a junior at Harvard University, also qualified in the 100-meter breaststroke in 2008. And Megan Kingsley, a high school sophomore, earned her qualifying time in the 200-meter butterfly this summer and will compete in the 2012 meet.
In addition to helping qualify athletes for world-class competition, including Justin Schreer for the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Division II National Championships in 2006, several swimmers earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team honors. This special distinction is awarded to student athletes who maintain a 3.5 grade point average or higher and achieve Junior National Championship qualifying times.
Jim offers advice for parents and children who are considering participation in a swim team at Life Time Fitness. “Swimming is a marathon, not a sprint. Today’s technology has made things seem ‘easy to do,’ but swimming is nothing like that. Success at a young age doesn't guarantee success at an older age, and vice versa. Children will succeed at their own rate. Let the coaches coach, swimmers swim and parents parent.
“As a coach, I’m excited about ‘who’ former swimmers become. The success athletes have in swimming — best times, championship standard times, awards, successes at practice — all contribute to their success in life. The skills they learn, particularly time management, are skills they can use every day.”