In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges, Garrett McCaffrey, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
Those who stay… will probably transfer
I hate to say it, but I gave up on the interview. Coach Bottom didn’t seem to have much of substance to say. A lot of “we’re free here to express ourselves”, and “experience all the emotions” or some such. I am certain that there is more to coaching a top ten program than that.
He did discuss the three freestyles, some of which I have heard before, but did not understand any better this time. I mean, even 50 freestylers need hip rotation right?
To Coleman’s credit, it seemed he was trying to draw Coach Bottom out, but Bottom only seemed to want to talk about soft skills. Please note that I do not deny that these skills… Read more »
Anyone else think Mike looks like Elton John? Just saying it’s pretty uncanny.
Snake oil salesman…
The discussion on rotation was interesting. Russell Mark provides evidence for his ideas by showing you what the best athletes are doing technique wise. Mike Bottom using a straw man tactic to dismiss Russell’s ideas by saying “you can’t just tell an athlete they are rotating 5 degrees too much” (not exact quote, but I feel accurate of what Bottom says”. Russell provides the data and it’s up to a coach to decide how to get them to the proper rotation amount, at no point does Russell advocate for simply telling them to rotate 5 degrees less.
Bottom also claims that Russell information is too much for athletes to think about while swimming. Has Mike heard himself talk about… Read more »
Philosophy?….Really?
he should have been fired after the 2020 season for what happened. The overall mental health of all his athletes were in question and have been for years.
Total joke that you would consider him an expert.
I mean, isn’t it an undeniable part of his “philosophy” that he openly doesn’t care about the women’s team? Seems like we shouldn’t be celebrating that.
Firmly disagree that Mike has this attitude. It may have been the case when he was transitioning from Men’s-team only coach to the combined group, but my experience is that Mike shows a good level of support and passion for both teams.
I’m sorry, but this doesn’t line up with anything I’ve heard from women who actually swam for him, nor does it jive with the fact that this has been almost universally acknowledged amongst club coaches in Michigan for years. In my seven years of coaching in Michigan, I witnessed club coaches who are themselves die-hard Michigan fans practically beg their top high school girls not to swim there. The ones who go there anyway tend to transfer (there were at least two after last season, the first without Bishop at the helm), quit, or spend their college careers swimming far off their personal bests. So if this is somehow a giant fabrication, then let me be the one to tell… Read more »
I’m a woman who swam under him at Michigan so feel like I have a fairly good idea.
See my second paragraph.
Dr. Joshua White = The GOAT
As a former swimmer under Mike bottom, I can firmly agree that Mike bottom completely neglects the feelings of both men’s and women’s team. Why do you think that some of the female swimmers stepped out of the team right before conference? Why do you think the women perform so underwhelming every conference meet? Why do you think so many men and women are leaving for their 5th years or even before they can finish their undergrad? I don’t really know when you swam for Mike but I can definitely say i swam with him during the darkest times for Michigan and he couldn’t have handled it any worse. He’s not an expert if any philosophy and should let Josh… Read more »
Mike Bottom, keeping it real. This was some good stuff. Love it when a coach encourages a little free thinking.