Meet new swim coach Mike Stewart

Sometimes, just when you think something can’t get any better, it does. This is exactly what is happening with the Saipan Swim Club.

The Sakoviches—Bill and Jean—started the swim team over 30 years ago. After years of building a community-based swimming club and continuing dominance in Micronesia the Sakoviches retired in May 2004. To fill the void left by their departure the parents of SSC have hired a full-time professional coach.

Coach Mike Stewart came to Saipan in May 2004 and is making his mark with the SSC team members and in the local community.

Coach Mike, as he prefers to be called, was selected from a field of 50 applicants. He comes from Florida, where he was the head coach for the Sarasota YMCA Sharks Swim Team. He left a coaching staff of nine assistants and over 300 swimmers to explore new goals on Saipan.

The SSC has always been small, with no more than 40 swimmers, but has dominated the swimming competition in the region for years. Stewart accepted the SSC coaching position to build on the Sakoviches’ legacy and build a Micronesian swimming powerhouse capable of competing well in meets throughout Asia, and the Pacific region. He has high standards that will surely enhance the sport of swimming in the Commonwealth.

Stewart is well qualified to meet the challenges of his new job. He is an ACSA Level 4 Coach, has coached swim teams to U.S. National Finals, and coached Olympic swimmer Scott Tucker to Olympic Gold in 1996. Tucker continues to swim in California, where he is still ranked second in the country, trying for his third Olympics. Two of Mike’s former swimmers will be competing in this weeks U.S. Swimming’s 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California.

SSC members have responded well to Stewart. He has a different coaching style compared to the Sakoviches, but a style well suited for the veteran swimmers. His workouts are hard, but fun. He watches every swimmer, changes the workout to match the swimmer’s abilities and has an excellent rapport with all the kids.

Stewart has been welcomed by the swim club parents. He is personable and professional. The SSC is definitely headed down a new path with an exciting future.

The greatest challenge facing the SSC is keeping a full-time coach. Swimming is the first organized sport in the CNMI that has hired a professional coach paid for by the money raised by SSC from the swimmers and the community. The SSC receives no government funding and relies heavily on fund raising from the club members and contributions from the community.

It is the goal of the SSC that the community takes advantage of Stewart’s skills. This summer he started a Developmental Swim program with 18 local youths participating. These are kids who have gone through the Red Cross swim program and are receiving additional training beyond basic lessons. It is hoped that most will join the SSC after their advanced lessons.

Stewart has extended the swim lessons for beginners and is willing to expand the learn-to-swim programs further.

SSC and Stewart believe that swimming accidents can be prevented if more of the local youth learn to swim and learn the basics of water safety. Saipan is a small island with lots of water related sports activities. Learning to swim early will allow more opportunity to safety enjoy water sports.

The SSC is pursuing many fundraising options to help the community keep Stewart on Saipan and continue the swimming programs. If you have ideas or would like to contribute to the SSC, approach any SSC member, call Stewart at 322-9474, or contact Tony Mosley, president of the SSC, at his Verizon office, 682-2881. (PR)