Coach Spotlight Series

You may have heard about the book by American author John Gray, published in the 1990’s, and called “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus”.

It’s a book about understanding the opposite sex.

The publication also sits on a shelf in the shared office of two of the most gifted, respected, and knowledgeable swim coaches in Canada. Byron MacDonald and Linda Kiefer may have glanced through it, but most likely only for some humour.

Their philosophy and coaching styles may, at times, appear to be at odds. Yet, their intelligence and expertise, at what they do so effectively, always results in a compromise. Two proficient educators in the world of swimming, their never-ending grasp for knowledge and the ability to bring out the best in student athletes, time after time, exceeds expectations.

The professional bond that exists between MacDonald and Kiefer is something that should be replicated. MacDonald, with brilliance in the sport, is heard on Olympic television coverage, and Kiefer, one of the top female coaches in Canada, is known, by her swimmers, for “Linda’s Life Lessons” – the sound advice that goes beyond the pool.

MacDonald and Kiefer are truly a remarkable story in coaching. So much so, that their teamwork, mutual trust, and friendship is quite unique and un-matched.

They have been together a long time. Since 1978, MacDonald has been coaching at the University of Toronto - a school considered to be the mecca for university swimming in the country. Kiefer became the other half of this special coaching tandem in 1990.

Recognized for their success with high performance athletes, and vital to the full delivery and success of swimming in Canada, MacDonald and Kiefer are also valued for the manner, in which they have dealt with challenges, and sometimes not ideal circumstances, involving club and university coaches.

“Things work out really well with Linda and me,” said MacDonald, who was born in Chicago to Canadian parents. “It’s very rare that we’re not on the same page, and it’s something that stems from respect. She’s earned mine and is very good at what she does.”

Kiefer, from Newmarket, worked as a junior lifeguard at age 13, taught swimming, and went on to graduate from U of T with a degree in Physical and Health Education, then a degree in Education. It also wasn’t just high school and university swimmers that bode well from her instruction. Many adults received their initiation to recreational swimming from her.

“I didn’t want a 9-to-5 teaching job and I heard that (Byron) needed a swim coach,” recalled Kiefer. “I knew I was good at what I did and, apparently, he knew that as well. He offered me the job. I became an assistant men’s and women’s coach (at U of T) and we’ve been a team ever since – that’s more than 30 years.”

Kiefer first met MacDonald when she was a student at U of T and was on the swim team.

“He was a bit of a swimming celebrity back then,” she recalled, and he still is with his extensive global knowledge of the sport. “He’s always had some neat ideas and is very knowledgeable. Where we’re different is that I was raised with rules and am a discipline person. He’s more generous, never loses his cool and always seems to do what’s best for everyone.”

While Kiefer was a club swimmer, her high school did not have a team. She made the U of T squad, but never went on to major international competition.

As a toddler, MacDonald had a bone tissue problem. Medical specialists recommended to his family that he try swimming. Though he was interested in gymnastics, MacDonald listened and chose the water. It wasn’t long before he went on to become an All-American at one of the top high schools in the United States. MacDonald would later accept a sports scholarship to the University of Michigan.

For Kiefer and MacDonald, both swimmers who had benefitted from experience, the eagerness to be a coach, and a good one, would soon become contagious.

“When we do things as coaches, one person doesn’t coach these kids, we both do,” said Kiefer. “At times, we’re like parents, caring and always looking for them to do their best.”

Putting together a list of swimmers who have benefitted from Kiefer and MacDonald would take some time. For example, MacDonald has coached more than 400 university athletes – and many have piled up Olympic, World, Pan Am and National awards, records, and medals. Sharing coaching responsibility is what has made the two work so effectively.

Both point to Kylie Masse, a four-time Olympic medallist as an example of a supreme athlete.

Masse is a U of T graduate and a great example of an athlete that grew to prominence under MacDonald and Kiefer.

A star in the making, Gabe Mastromatteo, is a confident 19-year-old who competed in several events at his first-ever Olympic Games recently in Tokyo.

“(Gabe) was in a small town and yet lots of schools knew about his success,” said MacDonald. “He’s a brilliant young man and wanted both a good academic school and swim program. I’ve known his mom as a great (swim) coach, and she thought U of T would be the right fit.”

Mastromatteo’s mother is Janet Hyslop, a former swimmer, one of the first female swim coaches in Northwestern Ontario and now head coach of the Kenora Sharks Swim Club.

Kiefer and MacDonald have impressed upon their athletes that what is vital to improve, is the need to have coaches who can guide them in the right direction.

“I’m sure there are situations when as coaches, we spend more time with athletes than their parents,” said MacDonald. “For us, the joy just doesn’t come from winning Olympic medals, and it’s also not just about the winners, it’s doing what we can as a committed coach, to help young people on the road to success. For some, that could amount to a personable best time in a race.”

In addition to coaching, MacDonald also handles the team recruitment and fund raising. Kiefer has used her superb teaching skills in the importance of drug education, eligibility, as well as a vast amount of administrative work.

“We know what we have as coaches,” said Kiefer, who likes to be in the background and away from the limelight. “I’ve had offers to be a head coach elsewhere and declined. I love (U of T), my job, working with Byron and I’m a good listener. I just hope people remember me for more than swimming, but the life lessons that go with it and beyond.”

With 44 years of coaching experience for MacDonald and some 40 years for Kiefer, there’s no telling how much longer this tandem will continue their dominance in the sport as speculation brews about retirement in 2028.

What is for certain, is that their performance in the pool has also shone brightly beyond it.

“We let our athletes grow, learn and don’t pick on them,” said MacDonald, summing up a blueprint of prosperity. “Linda and I have created an atmosphere where it’s fun to be here. You don’t need hard discipline when you have happy people.’

Kiefer has an add-on.

“What is also remarkable is watching these athletes after they move on to an amazing job, careers, have families and become solid members of society,” said Kiefer. “That means the world to us as coaches.”

David Grossman is a multi, award-winning communicator and storyteller with a distinguished career in Broadcasting, Journalism and Public Relations in Sport and Government Relations.