Culture, Character, and Coverage: A Coach’s Guide to Building Safer, Stronger Teams
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Release Date: 05/05/2025
Swimming's Local Initiatives Must Drive Downing Prevention and Water Safety Awareness
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
#38 Navigating the Complexities of Drowning Prevention in a Changing Political Climate - part 2 with Sue and Mick Nelson The critical issues surrounding swimming, coaching and community recreation is water safety, and less so the making of gold-medal champions. The challenges faced by aquatic facilities today are on the rise. Closing pools. Indifferent politicians. Tighter budgets. Busy families. Covid too. Discover the trends, obstacles, and solutions in the world of swimming and drowning prevention. The impact of COVID-19 on drowning statistics and swimming lessons. Challenges...
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Career pivots and expansion of services. Sue Nelson's journey to diversify leads to satisfaction and stability.
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
An introducation to Sue Nelson, part 1. Explore the inspiring career-journey of Sue Nelson and her husband, Mick, who transformed their coaching careers by thinking beyond traditional competitive swimming. Discover how they built a thriving aquatics business by embracing innovation and community needs. Learn about the pivotal moment that led Sue to shift from competitive swimming to aquatic fitness and therapy. Explore how they launched Waterway Therapy, a Medicare-certified outpatient agency, and expanded their services. Understand the strategic partnerships they formed with hospitals...
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Meta Review: Exploring Themes in Heavy Or Not's first 35 podcast episodes. The OG Swim Guide's Rewind!
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
#36 A Tour of Insights and Coaching Wisdom Episode 36 of "Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide," presents comprehensive tour of the podcast archives from Coach Mark Rauterkus. Whether you're a new listener or a long-time fan, this episode is your chance to catch up on all the valuable insights shared so far. Explore the importance of mindset in sports and how mental reps can enhance athletic performance. Dive into the mechanics of swimming, focusing on kicking, body position, and stroke efficiency. Discover the role of artificial intelligence in sports and how it can revolutionize...
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Understanding the Mind-Body Connection in Sport Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
35, The Importance of Social Support in Overcoming Sport Injuries Recap of the ebook, Psychology of Sport Injury, edited by Dr. John Heil, that explores the multifaceted impact of injury on athletes. The book emphasizes the critical role of psychological care alongside physical treatment for successful recovery and performance. It covers various aspects of sport injury, including the athlete's perspective, psychological risk factors, assessment and intervention strategies, and biomedical issues like pain management and medication. The ebook and this podcast highlights the importance of a...
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At the Table - or Not - Power and Purpose within Swimming and Sports with Barry Healey
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Saving Swimming Pools: The Battle for Community Resources and Health Benefits The Role of Sports in Social Services and Community Development The pressing issues facing the world of sports and swimming today needs YOU at the TABLE. From the closure of swimming pools to the role of sports in education, we must lead and seek power for more those beyond the championship meets. The potential closure of over 30 swimming pools in Toronto and its implications. The launch of enhanced games and the controversy surrounding supplement use. The importance of sports being included in discussions on health...
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CDC's Drowning Prevention Team Layoffs: Implications for Communities, New AI tricks and a Grad Speech
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
In #33 of the Heavy Or Not podcast get a, peek into critical issues surrounding recent CDC cuts and explore the intriguing insights from a comedian's graduation speech. Hear about essential topics on public health with swimming and life lessons with a touch of humor. CDC's Drowning Prevention Team Cuts Article from Politico discussing the cuts. Layoffs at the CDC affecting the drowning prevention team. Loss of dedicated expertise and focus within the agency. Timing of cuts during increased drowning deaths. Impact on children ages one to four. Possible reasons: fewer lifeguards, canceled...
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From Loyalty to Leadership: Essential Elements for Sports Programing Success & Culture
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Jim Lutz's Guide to Building a Strong Coaching and Team Foundation Our Heavy Or Not insightful discussion, #32, cultivates the culture, strategies and principles for building a successful program, as outlined within an ebook by author and coach, Jim Lutz. Discover how loyalty, recruitment, and development play crucial roles in creating a thriving team environment. Explore the foundational role of loyalty and its five key aspects, including honesty and consistency. Learn about the importance of recruiting the right fit, focusing on character and passion. Understand the ongoing effort required...
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Riding the Waves of Mentorship: Coaching, Culture & Weathering the Storm
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Heavy Or Not – The O.G. Swim Guide, Episode #31 “You can prepare for the work, but you can’t always predict the weather.” In this episode of Heavy Or Not, we explore the real-world parallels between weathering literal storms and facing the emotional and professional trials coaches endure over time. Coaches Jim Lutz and Barry Healy share hard-won lessons from the deck and beyond. Featured Voices: Jim Lutz: Coach, author, and Arizona sunshine philosopher Barry Healy: Veteran Canadian coach and lifelong mentor Special reference: Dr. John Hogg, sport psychologist and...
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Myth of Young Champions and College Sports Cuts: Heartbreaking Impact on Athletes
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
In this episode of the podcast, Heavy Or Not, we kick off with friend and O.G., Wayne Goldsmith. His rant delves into the unsettling mark of young champions at the age of 8 and 9. His podcast is called, Sports Thoughts. Then we pivot to talk about two successful college sports programs that have been abruptly cut. Oh no! Cal Polly Swimming, Men & Women's Teams, plus Grand Canyon University Men's Volleyball suffered unexpected and unexplainable cuts. Heavy topics. Abrupt losses. Heartbreaks. Links: Notes: The opening segment supplied by Wayne is a fine...
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Mental Skills Make the Difference: Training the Mind Like a Muscle by ACTING with Script ebook
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Full team and coaches role play activities in 10 scenes that progress in a full-blown story. Heavy Or Not – The O.G. Swim Guide | Episode 29 A peek inside Dr. John Hogg’s Mental Skills for Young Athletes - course and ebooks Take the time and boost performance, focus, and confidence in your athletes. This episode of Heavy Or Not dives into the often overlooked but game-changing world of mental skills training. We explore the groundbreaking work of Dr. John M. Hogg and the “Script and Screenplay” eBook, where athletes develop self-awareness, goal-setting, and emotional control...
info_outlineWhy proactive insurance planning and team culture matter more than ever
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Announcing Monthly CYA Calls to stay protected and informed – sign up at LAP.red and subscribe to the Substack.com/@rauterkus.
In Episode 28 of Heavy or Not: The OG Swim Guide, we tackle two core issues shaping the future of coaching:
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Where to find a great resource on how to build a winning swim team culture rooted in character and shared responsibility.
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Where to jump start conversations that at every coach and organization should know about insurance, liability, and proactive planning.
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This episode features practical takeaways drawn from the book The Coach’s Starter Guide by Swim Smart, now available:
The Swim Coach's Starter Guide – Swim Smart
Whether you're a head coach, assistant, administrator, or parent volunteer, this conversation gives you a framework for strengthening your team—both in spirit and in structure.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
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How team culture impacts performance – and why character development often outperforms just chasing results
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The role of clear expectations and communication between coaches, swimmers, and parents
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Why monthly insurance conversations matter, especially in today’s shifting legal and volunteer landscape
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Tips for preventing the “satisfaction of search” so your team doesn’t stagnate after early wins
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A compelling look at genetics, coaching, and what really drives long-term success
“One person’s success is everyone’s joy. One person’s failure is everyone’s fault.”
This mantra shifts teams away from blame and toward shared accountability.
Stay Connected – Join the Monthly CYA Conference Calls
If you're a coach or volunteer, protecting yourself and your team starts with staying informed. Join our free monthly CYA (Cover Your Assets) calls to talk insurance, risk, and strategy with peers and experts.
📍 Sign up now at LAP.red
Listen or Watch the Full Episode:
Catch the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video version on YouTube.
Whether you're in the office, on deck, or in the car—this one’s worth a listen.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a colleague who needs to hear this.
