and flexibility in their training of athletes, top Canadian swimming coach, author and publisher Nick Baker prefers the more cerebral approach.

Mental toughness is the name of his game and it is that which he has been preaching to local swimmers and other interested persons during a week-long coaching clinic currently taking place at the Saltus Grammar and BASA Pool facility.

Baker, who is director of the Jack Nelson Swim Camp which operates out of the International Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said that he was bringing fresh ideas to open the eyes of Bermudians to what is going on in the swimming world.

Like a pastor standing in the pulpit, Baker is here to spread the word.

"I believe that if you develop a strong enough belief in oneself anything is possible,'' said the 42-year-old Baker, who recently released a book titled "101 Winning Ways''.

"The norm in sports is to strictly or primarily stay with the physical. To work the physical to the point where, say, you get at a world level.

"I emphasise those things as well, but I spend a lot of my time on the mental side of it, building a belief system within athletes. For example, if you believe that you are the best, or can be the best, then you will be the best.

So one of the things I really preach is believing in yourself.'' It was this belief, Baker said, which allowed the Americans to perform consistently well in sports and conversely the lack of it, that hindered smaller countries with similar talent.

He noted that at any competition the athletes making the final normally possessed a similar talent, but what separated the winners from the also-rans was self belief.

"The Americans walk on the deck believing that they're the best and that's what made Muhammad Ali great,'' continued Baker. "Aside from the fact that he was fast and a great athlete, he believed that he was the best, even when he lost he still believed he was the best.

"I'm trying to go from a totally different end, to foster that same belief.

Sometimes you hear from coaches in small countries that their kids just don't believe they can compete against the Americans or Australians. Their training and technique may be just as good or better, but they just don't believe.'' Baker, who has coached professionally for 23 years, has impressive credentials. Aside from his current post, he was Canada's Olympic coach in 1992 and recently watched with joy as one of his students, Lisa Flood, won two gold medals at the Pan American Games in Argentina.

Yet, it is not all about winning or medals to Baker. It is about the person and their continued well being once all the cheering and accolades stop.

"...when you develop a swimmer you have to develop a person as well,'' added Baker. "Because one day swimming will end and what you have left is a person, and swimming or sport in general provides a unique opportunity to get children's attention.

"So coaches are in a unique position to influence and what I'm trying is to bring in a style of coaching that will stay with them long after they've finished swimming.

"That's sort of my passion in life, to go out and preach the gospel according to Nick Baker.'' Assisting Baker while in Bermuda is Lisa Daigneault, a former Canadian national team member, 13-time All American at the University of Miami and current Masters world record holder in the 100-metre backstroke.

Daigneault is a partner of Baker at their publishing company, is head coach at the Jack Nelson Swim Camp and has coached top Canadian sprinter Robert Brakniss.

In addition to helping Baker, Daigneault is seeking to organise a Masters programme for Bermuda in order that the older swimmers can remain active and take advantage of the growing opportunities in terms of competition abroad.

SPREADING THE `WORD' -- Swimming coaches Nick Baker and Lisa Daigneault encourage athletes to believe themselves in order to achieve success.