How a Simple Conversation Began a New Wave of Training
Back in 2007, Philip Scholz, a high school senior at the time, walked into Loyola University of Maryland’s head coach Brian Loeffler’s office. Scholz was desperate for an opportunity to swim. As a blind athlete he was searching for a coach to give him a chance in the pool and on Loyola’s team. Loeffler, not knowing where this one conversation would lead him, took a chance. One could say that the rest is history.
Scholz had a goal of competing in the Paralympic Games. Loeffler, a novice at the time in the adaptive sport community, only had a year to train before the 2008 Paralympic Games. Both Loeffler and Scholz had to work together to find success in the pool.
Loeffler said: “Philip opened a door to a new world for me. With Philip on the team in fall of 2007, I quickly learned what the Paralympics were and wanted to help him achieve his goals.”
Scholz ultimately made the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team and competed in Beijing, China. He qualified to compete in five events at the Games and placed fifth overall in the 400-meter freestyle and 8th overall in the 100-meter butterfly.
After coaching Scholz and seeing his success, Loeffler’s eyes were opened to the opportunities that a Para-athlete could achieve in the swimming world. Since 2007, Loeffler has coached 11 Para-athletes. This includes seeing seven of his swimmers compete at the Paralympic Games and win numerous medals while also setting American and world records. Loeffler’s Para-swimmers have also competed at several World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, Pan American Games, and National Championships putting more medals and records under his coaching.
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His accolades include coaching para-athletes such as: Philip Scholz (2008), Joe Wise (2012), Brad Snyder (2012, 2016), Lizzi Smith (2016), Cortney Jordan (2016), Alyssa Gialamas (2016), and McKenzie Coan (2016) to their respective Paralympic Games and winning a combined total of 18 Paralympic medals.
Even though Loeffler’s athletes achieved major success in and out of the pool, Loeffler says that the accomplishments the swimmers he coached in Rio at the 2016 Paralympic Games were definitely some of his greatest accomplishments as a coach.
“I would say the success the swimmers I coached in Rio ranks high on that list,” he said. “They won six gold, seven silver and two bronze medals. The gold medal count would have ranked our team of swimmers if they were a country seventh among swimming, and 23rd across all sports.”
Brad Snyder
One of the most unique experiences that Loeffler has had while coaching para-swimmers was while coaching on the 2012 Paralympic Team. His athlete, Brad Snyder, won gold in the 400-meter freestyle. Loeffler explains that watching the American flag rise and hearing the national anthem play for Snyder was one of the proudest moments in his career.
“I remember standing next to Brad Snyder watching the USA flag being lifted during the medal ceremony on the one-year anniversary of the day he lost his sight in Afghanistan,” Loeffler said.
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Snyder lost his sight in Afghanistan in September of 2011. After losing his sight, the former captain of the Naval Academy swim team found himself back in the pool training for the Paralympic Games. Loeffler reached out to Snyder in February of 2012, offering advice on how to train as a blind swimmer, and as Snyder explains, it was a perfect match.
“It was absolute serendipity,” Snyder said. “I moved up to Baltimore that April and began training with Brian just about every day. Brian pushed me to become a great blind athlete.”
Loeffler and Snyder trained hard for the 2012 Paralympic Games. With only six months together, they knew it would be a challenge, but both were willing to put in the work. Snyder said that under Loeffler’s coaching: “As my coach and tapper in the 2012 Games, I competed in seven events, winning two gold and a silver medal.”
Snyder stuck with Loeffler and his coaching after their success at the 2012 Games and decided to go for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
“I stuck with Brian through the Rio games, and with his help I won three golds, a silver and set a world record that had been on the books for 30 years,” he said. “I can say with 100% confidence that none of that would have been possible had anyone other than Brian as my coach.”
According to Snyder, his success in the pool would have not been possible without the coaching and support of Loeffler.
“Brian is an outstanding coach,” Snyder said. “He’s a model for what other coaches should aspire to be. When I walked on to the deck in Rio, I knew that I was going to win, and break records in the process because of the confidence Brian instilled in me through his training and his mentorship.”
McKenzie Coan
Another athlete that Loeffler has helped to achieve gold-medal status is McKenzie Coan. At seven years old, Coan got involved in Paralympic Swimming. At 16, Coan competed at the 2012 Paralympic Games where she finished sixth in the 400-meter freestyle. She had dreams of winning a gold medal and knew that Loeffler was who she needed to train under to win gold in Rio.
Coan began swimming with Loeffler in 2014 as her collegiate swimming career began at Loyola.
”I knew that Brian could get me where I wanted to go, especially with it just being two years out from the Rio Games at the time,” she said. “I was shocked that I was getting the opportunity to be trained by him – arguably the best para-swimming coach on earth, who had coached and was coaching so many incredible National Team members.”
Coan did not just win one gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games, but three gold and a silver medal. But Coan says that even though all the medals and accolades that she has accomplished while swimming with Loeffler are great, the person that Loeffler helps his athletes develop is of even greater importance.
“I think all the medals and records I’ve been able to reach and achieve under Brian are great, and it’s been such an incredible journey with a lot of hard work to get there,” Coan said. “Though, most importantly, he instilled in me a confidence that I’ve never known before, and when I’m behind the blocks thinking back on all the work we’ve put in, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that I’m ready to step up and get the job done.”
Loeffler does not separate the Para-swimmers on his team from the able-bodied Loyola swimmers. The swimmers are one team, no matter their physical differences and Coan said that this was an important piece in developing her confidence in the pool.
“One of the greatest things about Brian’s coaching style is that he doesn’t treat Para-swimmers any differently from the able-bodied swimmers he coaches,” she said. “I never once felt any different from my collegiate teammates and that was a great feeling. I immediately felt accepted and welcomed into Loyola Swimming just like any other athlete on the team.”
Loeffler is not just a coach interested in the success of his athletes in the pool, but he is concerned with the person and athlete that they are outside of the pool. Loeffler treats each athlete as an individual and works with each athlete to find the best coaching style for them. Loeffler has seen great success in his coaching style and is arguably one of the best coaches in the world for not just Para-swimmers but anyone looking for a coach who cares for their all around well -being. It is not coincidence that the athletes that Loeffler has coached can go from winning three gold medals at the Paralympic Games to earning a 4.0 GPA the same semester.
Loeffler hopes to continue the Para-swimming program at Loyola but hopes to see growth in the whole swimming community of the inclusion of adaptive athletes.
“I would hope to see more inclusion in teams across the country,” he said. “In the time that I have been involved I have seen rapid growth to where there are several teams that have had Para-swimmers.”