S3 E5 - CREATING A SUCCESSFUL CLUB

S3 E5 - CREATING A SUCCESSFUL CLUB

Author: Glenn Mills & Wayne Goldsmith September 20, 2026 Duration: 57:13

Season 3, Episode 5: Creating a Successful Club (Part 1)

Wayne Goldsmith and Glenn Mills lay out what actually goes into building a swim program that lasts — not the technique, the decisions underneath it.

In this episode:

  • Identity first — why "who are you, and what do you stand for" has to come before drills, technology, or dryland
  • The warm-up as an X-ray — how Wayne reads a club's culture in five minutes on deck
  • Building a staff that completes you, not one that just agrees with you
  • Facilities and equipment — why a better pool doesn't make a better coach (and a bucket of concrete can be a kettlebell)
  • Money, committees, and the three people every coach needs on speed dial
  • The "crow's nest" approach to long-term planning, and the one thing every 8-year-old actually needs
  • Building a local network — physical therapists, nutritionists, and sport psychologists who'll work for exposure to your team

Glenn Mills and Wayne Goldsmith have spent their lives in and around the pool, and in their The Third 50 podcast, they dive into the conversations that happen after the stopwatch is put away. Named for the most grueling leg of a 200-meter race, this series explores what it truly takes to push through when everything hurts and the finish line still feels far away. Each episode feels like a candid chat between two seasoned experts, moving fluidly between the granular details of stroke technique and the broader, essential themes of athlete wellness and mental resilience. You’ll hear them unpack coaching philosophies, analyze the psychological demands of competition, and share stories that reveal the human side of high-performance swimming. It’s more than just tips for faster times; it’s about building the toughness required for that critical third fifty in a race and, by extension, in sport and life. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded perspective that only decades of direct experience can provide, making this podcast a unique resource for swimmers, coaches, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of physical mastery and mental fortitude.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 24

The Third 50
Podcast Episodes
S3 E6 - SOCIAL MEDIA & SPORTS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:06
Season 3, Episode 6: Social Media & Sports — with Dr. Valerie GruestOne spelling note first: the transcript reads "Valerie Gruest" consistently throughout, except one self-introduction moment where it's transcribed "Gruo…
S3-E4 - COACH - CHANGE THE SPORT - LEAD THE WAY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:00
Coaches can help reverse competitive swimming participation declines by making the sport more flexible, engaging, and sustainable for athletes, families, and coaches. Participation Trends•Glenn and Wayne discussed declin…
S3E3 - NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:19
OverviewThe meeting established a stage-based framework for measuring swimmers, emphasizing technique before maturation and integrated performance testing after maturation.Glenn and Wayne endorsed measuring the athlete’s…
S3E2 - So You've Got Some Data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:40
Glenn Mills and Wayne Goldsmith discuss the importance of testing and data in swimming. They emphasize the acronym T.E.S.T.: Test, Evaluate, Swimmer, and Re-evaluate. Wayne shares his experience from running national tes…
S3E1 - State of Play [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:54
Glenn Mills and Wayne Goldsmith discuss the integration of AI in coaching, emphasizing its role in enhancing efficiency rather than replacing human coaches. They introduce the "ATTAC" method: Ask, Think, Tool, Apply, Che…
The Third 50 - E18 - The Talent Myth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:57
Visit Wayne's Substack: https://swimminggold.substack.comVisit Glenn's Website: https://www.goswim.tvBUY & Review Wayne's book, The Talent Myth:AMAZON EBOOK AMAZON PAPERBACK Glenn Mills and Wayne Goldsmith discuss Wayne'…
The Third 50 - E17 - When to Start Teaching Data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:22
Glenn Mills and Wayne Goldsmith discuss the importance of starting to teach data and swimming fundamentals early, emphasizing that teaching kids concepts like length and tempo at a young age makes their learning easier a…
FIFTIES at NCAAs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:34
Glenn Mills and Wayne discuss the potential inclusion of the 50-meter event in NCAA swimming, proposed by the College Swimming Coaches Association (CSCA). They highlight concerns about the event's underwater nature, whic…
FIFTIES!!! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:33
Glenn Mills and Wayne discuss the impact of the new 50-meter sprint events on swimming, particularly at the Olympics. Wayne shares insights from a meeting with Bill Sweetenham, emphasizing the positive opportunities for…
The Third Fifty Rides Again! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:44
Glenn Mills and Wayne discuss their recent life changes: Wayne moved from the Gold Coast to Bagotville, NSW, and Glenn from Arizona to near Chicago. They address the impact of Olympic rule changes, such as rugby's shift…