Vlastimil Cerny believes it is important for a coach to maintain a calm, composed demeanor when dealing with athletes.
Cerny applied the same philosophy during his years as a member of the Canadian Swimming Coaches Association board of directors where one of his roles was to be a liaison between the CSCA and Swimming Canada.
“I think I had an impact, where I could bring things to Swimming Canada that they considered,” said Cerny, 62, who has spent over 30 years as head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons swim program.
“I’ve always been direct about what I thought the concerns were, but I wasn’t like ‘you must.’ I just brought the issues up and was able to discuss them.”
As a second vice president Cerny holds the position of Ingenuity, Development, Technology & Project. He is stepping down from the board after joining in the 2017-2018 year.
Developing a respectful working relationship with John Atkinson, Swimming Canada’s director, high performance and national coach, was essential in Cerny’s role as a liaison.
“There was a mutual respect that I built with John, and I thought that was very helpful,” said Cerny, who was a member of Swimming Canada’s coaching staff at three Olympic Games.
“Even inside the national team, when we had to deal with difficult situations, I was able to manage it in more of a calm way. “I think there was respect. I think that’s why even the board members felt I was a good person to be in that position. Just being able to contribute to the organization and help in any way I could.”
Born in the former Czechoslovakia, Cerny spent three years with the Czech national team and swam at the 1981 European championships before deciding to defect as a 19-year-old.
He spent a year in West Germany before coming to Canada in 1983 when a family offered to sponsor him.
Cerny swam for Canada from 1983 to 1989, specializing in butterfly and freestyle. He won silver medals at the Commonwealth and Pan Pacific Games and represented Canada at the Seoul 1988 Olympics. He held national records in both Canada and the Czech Republic.
Cerny swam competitively until he was 30. He started coaching full-time as an assistant with Calgary’s Cascade Swim Club then joined the University of Manitoba in 1993.
He joined the CSCA board as a way to advocate for swim coaches in the country.
“That was really my main drive,” he said. “Just to be a voice for the coaches. Particularly around any sort of competitions that needed to be adjusted.
“Just to provide a voice for the coaches and take any concerns directly to Swimming Canada.”
Over the years Cerny has been pleased with the progress the CSCA has made in education and development.
“It’s been challenging but I think what we’ve been able to accomplish is a lot more educational components that get coordinated through the association,” he said. “Whether it’s the streaming presentations, the coaching clinics and just sharing of information.
“The (CSCA) played a really great role in women in coaching, in organizing mentorships and providing some funding for young coaches travelling with different teams. There’s a lot of positives the association was part of.”
Cerny plans to continue coaching the Bisons. He is also helping to develop a high-performance program in Manitoba to assist the top local swimmers compete at high-level competitions.
“In Manitoba the population is pretty small but there’s always talent coming through,” he said. “There’s an opportunity in Manitoba to do things among the clubs. If we can make some changes for the betterment of swimming in Manitoba, I’d like to do that. I think that’s how we also help Canada.
“I am big on technical development, which I think is an Achilles heel in traditional Canadian swimming and racing skills. I think there’s so much training done and not enough racing taught in training.”
Cerny is happy to move on from the board to make room for new people with different ideas. That doesn’t mean he’s ready for retirement.
“I’m kind of ready to move on to something else, but that something else is not sitting on the beach,” he said. “I still think they’re going to have to carry me off the pool deck.