|
Bio
Coach Mike Morrison is proud to contribute 15 years of extensive
coaching/teaching experience to Lakeside Aquatic Club. He believes that
it's individuals that score points at meets, but only teams win championships.
It's not how many times you touched the wall first or last, but who
was next to you during both times. Coach Mike started his swimming career
as an age group swimmer for the North East Texas Swimmers (NETS) at
the Greenville, Texas site. He started coaching at the young age of
13 for the Greenville YMCA Swim Team (GYST). While coaching with GYST
the swim team won numerous BB/B/C Championships. Upon nearing the end
of his high school career, he became a founding member of the Academy
of Texas Aquatic Champions (ATAC), as an age group coach. ATAC, although
just in its first year, went on to score 4th at the Texas Age Group
Swimming (TAGS) Championship. Upon his high school graduation Coach
Mike made the decision it was time for a change of scenery. After graduating
Friday, he packed his bags on Saturday, and flew out to Phoenix, Arizona
on Sunday, for his coaching adventure.
For one year, Coach Mike, could part in the coaching internship at
the Arizona Sports Ranch (ASR) and was an age group coach for the club
program, Arizona Desert Fox (AFOX). While coaching at ASR he got the
opportunity to observe the development of many national elite athletes,
especially in butterfly and breaststroke. In fact, one of the AFOX swimmers,
Misty Hyman, went on, just two years later, to win the Olympic Gold
for the U.S.A. in the 200 meter Butterfly. After completeing his internship
with ASR/AFOX, he returned to ATAC. While at ATAC he helped coached
Top 16 Finalists, Texas State Record Holders, Texas State Champions,
TAGS finalists, Texas YMCA State Champions, Noth Texas Record Holders,
National Age Group Champions (100 meter Butterfly), and Junior National
qualifiers. While coaching for ATAC, he also helped coached the Signature
Athletic Club to its first DASA Championship.
Coach Mike went on for the next four years to be the head coach of
his own programs. From 2001-2002, he was the head coach for the Longview
Swim Club (LSC). As the head coach for LSC, he rebuilt and redirected
the program to once again be successful not only at their local USA
Swimming meets, but locally as well, as LSC went on to return to be
reigning championships in the East Texas Summer Swim League. Coach Mike
also had the opportunity to have one of his LSC master swimmers, Jimmy
McGrede, to compete at the Senior Olympics in the 200 freestyle. After
LSC, Coach Mike went on to be the head coach of the Heart of Texas Aquatic
Team (HEAT), formerly known as the Waco Family YMCA Tidalwaves, from
2002-2004. Starting with only four swimmers, he helped lead the program
to grow to 60 swimmers, in two years. He was also the Midway Middle
School Swim Team Head Coach, which in 2004, placed fourth in the Texas
Middle School State Swimming Championship. While coaching with HEAT,
Coach Mike developed YMCA National qualifiers, TAGS finalists, and help
lay the foundation for future fast swimming in the Waco area.
After coaching for two years in Waco, Coach Mike returned to school
to complete his degree in Kinesiology at the University of North Texas.
While working towards his degree, he joined Lakeside Aquatic Club in
the Spring of 2006. He also became the head coach of the Greater Lewisville
YMCA-Greater Gators (2005, 2006). Coach Mike took the Greater Gators
from 6th to 2nd in his first summer with the team, and in the following
summer coached the Greater Gators to their first Texas YMCA State Team
Championship.
When Coach Mike is not on the pool deck in the afternoons, he's working
on completing his observation requirements for his doctorate of physical
therapy application requirements. He is currently volunteering at both
the Mayhill Hospital in Denton and with the Texas Back Institute (Denton).
He is looking forward to earning his doctorate in physical therapy and
is leaning towards specializing in pediatric physical therapy.
|