Coach Profile: Omar Mohamed

Introduce yourself! :
Omar Mohamed, Head Coach of Calac-Natation Lasalle

When did you start your coaching career? :
In 2016

What led you to get started in this field? :
I was a national-level swimmer in my home country (Egypt). I swam for the junior national team, and I continued my athletic career until 2016. Then I came to Quebec City. It was a bit difficult to continue swimming at a high level, but I still had a passion for staying in swimming, and I was really interested in starting a career in coaching. The goal was to help athletes develop their skills so they could improve both athletically and personally.

What inspires you most about your role as a coach? :
Every day brings a new challenge; there’s always a new goal to strive for with my athletes, to keep helping them grow. Every practice and every competition is a new challenge for us.

How would you describe your coaching style?
I’m still a young coach, in the process of developing my own style.
But it’s essential to have a clear framework and be well-organized in order to implement an effective development plan for my swimmers

What would you like to improve or develop in your coaching practice? :
First, I want to grow as a coach; there’s always room for improvement, whether it’s in my relationships and communication with athletes or in better planning my training programs.

What are your hopes for your profession? What are your hopes for the future of the coaching profession?
To become a top-level swimming coach (national level and beyond)

Why did you choose the Montreal Sports Council’s Montreal Coaches Lab program?
I was really interested in exchanging ideas and sharing my knowledge with other coaches, not just within my own sport.  The one-year duration seems ideal to me because all the coaches are available to share their experiences and exchange ideas with one another, not just during LAB meetings. We stay connected online to share readings, discuss challenges, or ask questions.
I also already knew Marc-André Duchesneau; I’ve taken a few courses with him through Swimming Canada.

What lessons from the Lab entraîneurs Montréal have you been able to apply in your practice?
A lot of things, actually.
It really helps me see things differently, ask questions, define my goals and my athletes’ goals, think more critically or analyze the situations I encounter in my daily work, and come up with much simpler solutions. Exchanging experiences with other coaches and learning from their experiences also helps me a lot.