Greg McLain, swim coach and teacher

As exhausted as swimming makes me, the coaches always make it worthwhile – especially coach Greg McLain. 

Of course getting up at 5:30 a.m. to swim everyday takes its toll on my body. I love seeing how both coach John Dissinger and coach McLain interact with each other. It’s just like watching an old married couple. Every time I look up at them from the pool, they are always talking about a new topic in the swim world or the most recent Iron Man or open water meet they have participated in.

Every time I go to interview coach McLain for a new story, I always get a glimpse into his office. It’s filled to the brim with pictures of his family or pictures of the previous year of swim boys. And every time without fail he always has to mention how great Coach Dissinger is. I have at least seven minutes worth of audio about how much he enjoys coaching with Dissinger. It never fails to make me laugh. You can obviously tell how much the boys swim team means to him and how proud he is of all of their progress. 

This year, Coach McLain really stepped up after Dissinger had a family emergency in the middle of the swim season. The girls team was worried because Region and State were just around the corner and we didn’t have a coach for a few days. But all worries were put to rest after McLain took over. He worked us hard and made sure we were well prepared for the biggest meets of the season. Sure his practices run a little long but that’s all part of his sets’ charm. 

I can’t imagine what the Kingwood Park swim team would be like without McLain. He is a huge support to both the girls and boys team.