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Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Release Date: 06/22/2025
AI Coaching Wizard: Grant Application for Transforming Youth Swimming into a Community‑Driven Learning Lab
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
See the proposal on the web at Reimagining Pool Coaching: AI Connects, Learns, and Empowers Young Athletes Welcome to episode 85 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, where we reveal a grant proposal to the to build an AI‑powered Coaching Wizard for youth swimming programs. We’ll explain the vision, the tech, the partnership model, the budget, and the roadmap to launch. The core concept: AI as a connector, not a director, to spark reflection and conversation. How the Coaching Wizard works: personalized prompts, voice/text reflections, and 3‑D avatar...
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College Football Is Broken — This Radical Fix Might Save It
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
With chaotic realignments, rigged outcomes, and rising costs — this proposal might present the best hope to save the sport we love. This episode breaks down a bold proposal to reset everything — from the playoff system to who even gets to compete. The NCAA system is broken — and Heavy Or Not, episode #83, lays out the urgent blueprint to fix it. From rigged playoff paths to disappearing rivalries, NCAA Division I football has become less about performance and more about power. In this summary of the reform proposal, we explore a bold new structure: 80 top teams, regional pods,...
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Relegation Revealed: How Promotion Can Revitalize American Sports and College Football
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Relegation & Promotion as part of Sports Reform, especially for NCAA Football D1 Pods In Episode 82 of Heavy or Not, Mark Rauterkus and Barry Healey break down how relegation and promotion work in European soccer and why these concepts could transform American sports. They dive into the mechanics, incentives, and how a U.S. version might look. How parachute payments soften the financial blow for relegated clubs The playoff system that lets teams 3‑6 fight for promotion Real‑world examples: Wolves beating Man U, Canadian owners climbing from the bottom Why a tiered...
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Steps for Fixing NCAA DI Football: Structure Changes Begin by Blowing Up the Conferences. Return to Regional Rivals
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
College football needs a structural reset, and Mark Rauterkus lays out a clear, geography‑first plan for a top‑flight “pod” system. In this episode we break down the proposed 80‑team tier, regional pods, and how promotion and relegation would work. The 80‑team “top tier” built on performance, not brand prestige. Eight regional pods (Gridiron, Trench, Tackle, Pressure, Block, Blitz, Huddle, Grandstand) and their member schools. Promotion/relegation: yearly movement of five teams between the top tier and sub‑tiers. Preserving traditional rivalries and reducing travel through...
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Cal Baptist Cuts Men’s Swim & Dive Team: A Costly Consequence of Division I Ambitions
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
From NAIA Champions to Elimination: The Rise and Fall of CBU Men’s Swimming Coach Steve Friederang Speaks Out on Lost Opportunities for Male Swimmers at CBU The Cal Baptist men’s swim team has been cut, sparking debate over Division I moves, Title IX, and the future of smaller collegiate sports. Hear coach Steve break down what went wrong and why it matters. In this episode you’ll learn: The history of Cal Baptist’s swim program from NAIA champs to Division I. How facility decisions and budgeting errors contributed to the cut. The impact of Title IX and NCAA...
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School Sports Saved -- past position paper turned the tide of massive cuts
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
In episode #79 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we break down a prior war with the Pittsburgh school‑district’s Superintendent of Schools. She had a proposal to slash $600 K in sports programs and the comprehensive counter‑proposal helped keep those programs alive. It wasn’t a victory, but it wasn’t a defeat. Coach Mark walks through the financial, strategic, and community arguments that turned a budget cut into a reform opportunity. The district’s cut list (high‑school swimming, tennis, golf; middle‑school volleyball, wrestling; all intramurals) and the $600 K savings...
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Level 1 Swim Secrets from Suriname and Coach Yash
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Coach Yash Daryanani shares his Goldwater Sports coaching system, from philosophy to day‑to‑day session management. Learn the core principles that helped him build national teams and clinics. What you’ll learn in this episode, #78 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide: Coaching philosophy: discipline, patience, and individual attention as the foundation for swimmer development. Essential safety & pool‑management practices (pre‑session checks, shadowing, emergency preparedness). Setting clear parent‑coach boundaries and communication rules. Teaching fundamentals for...
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Steps along the pathway for a coach's wellness journey
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Barry Healey cares about the coaching profession and aims to improve sports In this candid conversation, episode #77 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, coaches Barry Healey and Mark Rauterkus discuss the real‑world challenges of running a swim program. Wellness matters to those on the pool decks. Burnout to compliance…. They sharing practical tricks that actually work. Learn how small changes can protect coaches, calm parents, and boost program growth. What you’ll discover: The hidden costs of coach burnout and why many lack a support system. Proven strategies for managing young...
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Challenge Accepted: Filling the Big Data Void in Aquatics
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Nicole's heavy lift. A vision for data collection for swimming instruction. Nicole Fairfield explains why the aquatic education field lacks solid research data and how her Joyful Waters curriculum craved that data. She aims to fill the research gap and is planting seeds for scientific validation for all types of aquatic developmental benchmarks. She also outlines the vision for a secure, comprehensive database to track developmental and adaptive outcomes. In this episode, #76, of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, you’ll hear from the ambitious instructor in Georgia and learn: Why current...
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This Polo Coach Cracked the Code to Athlete Growth (No Pool Needed)
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
The 30-Day System That’s Transforming Young Athletes – Here’s How “Everyone says hard work is the key… but what if that’s not enough? In this episode, we unpack a 30-day system that’s turning water polo players into unstoppable athletes — and it might just change how you train forever.” In this episode of Heavy Or Not, we dive deep into Coach Ron Usher’s 30-day growth system built for young water polo players but powerful for any athlete striving to improve. From mindset to skill development to daily habits, this episode unpacks the core principles behind real...
info_outlineOpen water swimming insights from the International Swim Coaches Association's upcoming festivals.
Discover why these events are more than just races and how they can enhance your swimming skills.
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Overview of the East Coast Open Water Festival and the new Jamestown Open Water Festival.
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Detailed race formats, including The Great Knockout and family-friendly options.
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Comprehensive safety measures and protocols in place for participants.
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Benefits of open water swimming, from endurance to mental resilience.
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Practical tips for transitioning from pool swimming to open water challenges.
Join us as we explore the opportunities these festivals offer to swimmers of all ages and abilities.
Plus, Andrew Sheaff, coach, author, consultant, shares some insights on a great tip that can be applied to everyone’s swimming.