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The Morning Swim Show, May 18, 2011

Outstanding Inteview

After 22 Years at SMU, Steve Collins Still Feels Work Left to Be Done -- May 18, 2011

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 18. TODAY'S edition of The Morning Swim Show features an interview with Southern Methodist University women's swimming coach Steve Collins, who is being honored this weekend for 30 years in coaching.

Collins talks about his 30 years in coaching, how he recruited Martina Moravcova and why he's stayed at SMU despite getting offers to coach elsewhere. Watch the full show in the video player below and visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/la ... /27153.asp

Thanks for that link, Water Pony (direct link to interview: http://swimmingworldftp.swimmingworld.c ... ollins.mp4 )

Coach Collins has had an extraordinary career at SMU ... SO FAR ... and the fact that he sounds so confident about our future and appears to remain so hungry is very encouraging.

RAISE THE MONEY FOR A NEW NATATORIUM, STEVE-O. Coach Collins, Coach Sinnott and Coach Stillson have put together top teams for years in a prehistoric facility that badly handcuffs their recruiting efforts. Get it done.

WildHorse wrote:Thanks for that link, Water Pony (direct link to interview: http://swimmingworldftp.swimmingworld.c ... ollins.mp4 )

Coach Collins has had an extraordinary career at SMU ... SO FAR ... and the fact that he sounds so confident about our future and appears to remain so hungry is very encouraging.

RAISE THE MONEY FOR A NEW NATATORIUM, STEVE-O. Coach Collins, Coach Sinnott and Coach Stillson have put together top teams for years in a prehistoric facility that badly handcuffs their recruiting efforts. Get it done.

Thanks, WildHorse. Couldn't have said it better. Our Men's and women's swimming & diving teams do more with less than 90% of the NCAA Div. 1 programs. Our history is worthy of support with a competitive facility for training, racing and recruiting. I love Perkins Natatorium, but it was antiquated in the sixties.

No one at the 11 tables help raise the cash?

10 people at at table...8-10k a pop and boom...new facility

OK, let's say there were 10 people at each of 11 tables = 110 people. Let's say each kicks in $10K, as you suggest.

Even that's nowhere near enough to build a competitive facility, is it Water Pony? What does a good natatorium cost these days?

Of course, that's not considering the fact that many — maybe all — of those at the banquet might find it a little harder to cough up $10,000 than the $200 it cost to go to dinner that night. $10,000 is a big chunk of change to a lot of folks.

Ex-swimmiers and Friends of SMU Swimming & Diving have committed millions of dollars and we felt we were close about 4 years ago until the economic hit.

But to your question, a first rate facility (25 yard x 50 meters long course pool with diving towers) will exceed $16-18m, if not $20m. The school will expect quality with traditional architecture at the Bishop Blvd. location. Administration expects 90% of funds to be committed and a lead donor ($$$) will be key. Unfortunaely, swimming and diving are expensive capital projects, but serve both men's and women's teams, which we did not have to worry about originally.