Stewart reminisces moments with SSC

Former Saipan Swim Club coach Michael Stewart is now in Taos, New Mexico, coaching a new team and probably sharing stories about his old ones.

Stewart left Saipan and SSC last month after four years of coaching the club, leaving memories which will always be a part of his coaching career.

The former SSC mentor arrived on Saipan in May 2004, finding the new challenge he was looking for as a coach.

“I was looking for a new challenge in my life through coaching. Saipan seemed at the time to be a great challenge. But to be honest, I did not like Saipan much in the beginning. I arrived on a Tuesday, then flew to a meet in Fiji on Thursday, returned on the following Tuesday. It took awhile for me to get my feet on the ground. And it took about six months for me to really begin to enjoy living here,” Stewart said in an email to Saipan Tribune.

The rest is history, as Stewart helped CNMI swimmers win in various off-island tournaments and break over 30 national records.
Stewart had other moments with SSC and these he will share with his new team to relive the good times he had here.

“Watching Saipan kids’ improvements will live with me forever. These kids listen to me tell stories of some of my past swimmers. Now, my new swimmers will have to sit and listen to some amazing stories about my Saipan Swimmers,” Stewart said.

Among them was the team’s performance in the South Pacific Mini Games in Palau with the NMI swimmers getting 22 medals and holding their ground against New Caledonia bets.

Stewart also mentioned last month’s tournament, on which Grace Kimball set a new national age-group record in the girls’ 11-12 100m freestyle event.

“Seeing Grace came out from our first season of lessons less than four years ago to become a national record holder is the kind of memory that will live with me forever,” said Stewart, who admits he will miss his Saipan kids.

“When you go to a new program, you never miss swimmers, you always replace swimmers, but I can never replace the individuals themselves. They have been a part of my life. Their nicknames will stay with me forever. Gretchen, MP2, The Pinoy Boys, The Gentle Giant Blair, Sabrina, M&M, Torii with 2 eyes, Ahbara khadabra, Coach Emma to name a few,” he said.

Michael Blasberg, a masters swimmer under Stewart’s program, is now taking over SSC’s coaching post.

Stewart wishes his namesake well and hopes SSC swimmers will continue to break records and make impressive marks in off-island tournaments.

“I wish for them to have 24-hour power, fresh food in stores, and clean water to train in. And to remember one lesson I have tried to instill. It’s not up to your coach how fast you swim, it’s all up to you. You need to make the commitment to swim fast, without it you lose,” Stewart said.

“They all have potential, but the degree is different for everyone. It’s what they do to maximize their potential that will allow them to go on and medal at meets,” he added. [B][I](Roselyn B. Monroyo)
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