Quotes by Eddie Reese

“This is the type of meet that demands people to work at different events and show they can succeed. We did some good things today the right way. So of our younger swimmers performed well. This is a meet that will help develop mental toughness and an awareness of their abilities.”

“It wasnt our best season. We especially didnt perform our best at the NCAA Championships.”

“Last year it was on me. With the excitement from the Olympics, I had them burned out by November. This season, theyve all been trying very hard and listening very well. Our only mistake this season would be for me to work them too hard.”

“Even though I didnt know I was going to be a swim coach, I always acted like it. I was always coaching other swimmers and telling them what to do.”

“I dont believe in the philosophy that if you knock a champion down, then they get back up. You have to build them up gradually. You have to develop their self image. Its just how you treat people everyday that makes them better.”

“When I came here, Texas had the greatest facility in the world at the time. What also attracted me to UT was the fact that I wouldnt lose as many good swimmers to the academically prestigious schools, because swimmers could also get a great education here.”

“All coaches have theories on where their teams are supposed to be, and we were as good as I could have hoped against Auburn. I want them to stay aggressive and keep competing.”

“Swimming and track are similar because you dont have to win along the way to win it all. I use meets like this one to know how much rest to give the guys, and hopefully we will wait until the end of the year to peak.”

“The hardest skill to acquire in this sport is the one where you compete all out, give it all you have, and you are still getting beat no matter what you do. When you have the killer instinct to fight through that, it is very special. All great swimmers have that skill.”

“It was a great effort in his first Big 12 Championships. We did some things well but this is another step toward the NCAA Championships. Tomorrow is big day with more time in the pool, we need to stay focused and continue to improve every day of the meet.”