Monday, October 3, 2022
Texas Coach Spreads Knowledge to Uganda Swimming Community
Photos courtesy of Esther Kizito
Esther Kizito, assistant coach at Pearland Aquatics just south of Houston, Texas, wasn’t the fastest swimmer growing up. She often compared herself to others because she wasn’t swimming at a higher level.
Turns out, that was for the best.
“I’ve learned that I really like coaching better than I like swimming. And being an underdog growing up gave me more compassion. I see the swimmer as a person, not just a competitor. I know how to make it fun so they’re not dreading it,” says Kizito.
She has been coaching since she turned 16 and has learned how to split her time between coaching, studying for a degree in biblical studies and psychology form Houston Baptist University, and traveling back to her homeland, Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda, in east-central Africa.
At only 21, Kizito has already hosted a clinic for young swimmers at the Elite Swim Team in Ntinda, Kampala, and hopes to go back soon in efforts to thwart the high rate of dropout, especially among female swimmers.
“Since I’m very young, I can relate to them on another level. They respect me. I have that language that they understand. I tell jokes and bring in that fun aspect,” says Kizito. “I ask them how swimming is helping their lives, or how life is n school. Swimmers enjoy the engagement.”
Kizito recently applied for American Swim Coaches’ Association (ASCA) slot in the “ASCA 30 Under 30” and was ecstatic to find out she had been awarded the opportunity. Each year, ASCA offers 30 grants—based on available funding—to coaches from around the world who have never been to an ASCA World Clinic.
“I learned there are so many different ways to teach different drills. We analyzed the stroke and physics of Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus, and others, and learned how the fastest swimmers in the world are doing what they do, and how they do it.”
“It was an amazing experience, with super elite coaches from all over. It was a lot of leadership, technique and team building. It was very mind-opening and inspirational,” says Kizito.
Currently back coaching kids 8-14 at Pearland, under the tutelage of head coaches John and Ann Burke, Kizito’s goals for her swimmers start out with establishing basic drills, such as butterfly timing and breaststroke kick. From there, she focuses on more yardage for the older swimmers. Finally, her last group is all technique-driven.
She says she can’t wait to get back to Uganda and share more skills she picked up on the way. “They’re more than just swimmers,” says Kizito. “I see them as a whole.”
Esther Kizito, assistant coach at Pearland Aquatics just south of Houston, Texas, wasn’t the fastest swimmer growing up. She often compared herself to others because she wasn’t swimming at a higher level.
Turns out, that was for the best.
“I’ve learned that I really like coaching better than I like swimming. And being an underdog growing up gave me more compassion. I see the swimmer as a person, not just a competitor. I know how to make it fun so they’re not dreading it,” says Kizito.
She has been coaching since she turned 16 and has learned how to split her time between coaching, studying for a degree in biblical studies and psychology form Houston Baptist University, and traveling back to her homeland, Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda, in east-central Africa.At only 21, Kizito has already hosted a clinic for young swimmers at the Elite Swim Team in Ntinda, Kampala, and hopes to go back soon in efforts to thwart the high rate of dropout, especially among female swimmers.
“Since I’m very young, I can relate to them on another level. They respect me. I have that language that they understand. I tell jokes and bring in that fun aspect,” says Kizito. “I ask them how swimming is helping their lives, or how life is n school. Swimmers enjoy the engagement.”
Kizito recently applied for American Swim Coaches’ Association (ASCA) slot in the “ASCA 30 Under 30” and was ecstatic to find out she had been awarded the opportunity. Each year, ASCA offers 30 grants—based on available funding—to coaches from around the world who have never been to an ASCA World Clinic.
“I learned there are so many different ways to teach different drills. We analyzed the stroke and physics of Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus, and others, and learned how the fastest swimmers in the world are doing what they do, and how they do it.”
“It was an amazing experience, with super elite coaches from all over. It was a lot of leadership, technique and team building. It was very mind-opening and inspirational,” says Kizito.
Currently back coaching kids 8-14 at Pearland, under the tutelage of head coaches John and Ann Burke, Kizito’s goals for her swimmers start out with establishing basic drills, such as butterfly timing and breaststroke kick. From there, she focuses on more yardage for the older swimmers. Finally, her last group is all technique-driven.
She says she can’t wait to get back to Uganda and share more skills she picked up on the way. “They’re more than just swimmers,” says Kizito. “I see them as a whole.”