Lessons with the Legends: Ray Daughters
By Michael J. Stott
In a 48-year career as a swimming coach (1916-64), Colorado-born and then lifelong Washington state resident Ray Daughters taught nearly 50,000 people how to swim. A swimmer himself, he earned the undying admiration of the aquatic world in the Pacific Northwest as well as the national stage.
Daughters mentored five Olympic swimmers, who trained out of his home base, the Washington Athletic Club (WAC) in Seattle. Four were freestylers who competed during the 1930s:
• Helene Madison (1932, three gold, 17 world records)
• Jack Medica (1936, one gold and two silver, 11 world records)
• Olive McKean (1936, one bronze and a sixth-place finish)
• Mary Lou Petty (1936, one fourth-place finish)
His fifth Olympian, Nancy Ramey, also was a world record holder (butterfly) and won a silver medal in 1956, bringing his swimmers’ Olympic medal total to eight.
Once described by Seattle Times sports editor Georg N. Myers as “a Svengali in a bow tie,” Daughters was a “big man who was brusque and burdened by an unceremonious and indestructible sense of humor.” He also had an eye for talent, preferring it over just native speed. Before he retired to become WAC athletic director exclusively, Daughters worked closely with each swimmer, setting their practice hours and competitions. He emphasized conditioning, timing and rhythm, working meticulously during long practices to refine swimmers’ strokes. He also advised on dietary habits and insisted on 10 hours sleep a night, knowing his athletes were going to bed exhausted.
His methods produced results, earning swimmers at least 30 world and 301 American records as well as 74 national championships. Daughters liked to win, and he was not above scheduling swim meets to have his swimmers break national records. For instance, on Nov. 7, 1931, he conducted a meet specifically so that Madison could go for American records at 600, 700, 800 and 880 yards, while Medica aimed at the Northwest 220-yard standard.
To hear more about Ray Daughters’ coaching style from the likes of Bob Miller, Bob Regan, and Nancy Ramey,
Check out the January issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!
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FEATURES
016 THE TOP 5 STORIES OF 2019
by Dan D’Addona
From the debut of the International Swimming League to a worldwide youth movement, 2019 marked the start of a new era in swimming.
018 2019 ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
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Diving: Shi Tingmao & Xie Siyi
Artistic: Svetlana Romashina & Svetlana Kolesnichenko
Water Polo: Ashleigh Johnson & Francesco Di Fulvio
Disabled: Sophie Pascoe & Reece Dunn
020 EVENT SPECIALIZATION…WHEN?
by Michael J. Stott
Many coaches are postponing specialization in favor of creating well-rounded swimmers for what lies ahead, leaving preordination behind so that other coaches, human nature and physical development can take its course.
022 READY AND REFOCUSED
by David Rieder
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026 TAKEOFF TO TOKYO: THE BOYCOTT
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030 2019 WORLD & AMERICAN RECORD PROGRESSION
by Taylor Brien
032 ISHOF: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
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Dr. Kevin Dawson, who recently received the Harriet Tubman Prize for his book, Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora, corrects and revises the history of swimming to include and recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Africans to aquatics.
036 MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH RYAN MURPHY
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COACHING
010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: RAY DAUGHTERS
by Michael J. Stott
014 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE SKILL LEARNING
by Rod Havriluk
There are many different skill-learning approaches that can help a competitive swimmer improve his/her technique. For example, competitive swimming strokes “can be taught in their entirety or broken down into parts.” While both the “whole” and “part” approaches can help swimmers progress in all four strokes, selecting the most appropriate method can accelerate skill learning.
042 SPECIAL SETS: GETTING READY TO RACE
by Michael J. Stott
As college swimming rolls into its championship season in February and March, meet warm-ups take on even greater importance.
044 Q&A WITH COACH WENBO CHEN
by Michael J. Stott
045 HOW THEY TRAIN SARAH BACON
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: TIME TO RESET—READY, SET GO!
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
047 UP & COMERS: RYAN HOGAN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 BEYOND THE YARDS
025 THE OFFICIAL WORD
035 GUTTERTALK
048 PARTING SHOT