Understanding Swim Parent Ontario

Mike Finch is a Canadian swim coach, mentor, and long-time advocate for athlete-centered development with more than six decades of experience in the sport of swimming.

His coaching career spans competitive age-group programs, high-performance environments, military and university settings, and private athlete development. Over the years, he has worked with swimmers of all ages and abilities—from beginners learning their first strokes to national-level competitors—giving him a rare, long-term perspective on what truly helps young athletes succeed and stay healthy in the sport.

Mike is widely known for his early adoption and practical use of technology in coaching, including delayed video feedback and race-pace training systems (pace lights), to accelerate skill development and protect technique during growth and maturation. Long before these tools became common, he was using video analysis daily in regular practices to help swimmers understand what they were doing in the water and how to improve.

SwimParentOntario.com was created to share what Mike has learned with families—not to promote a single club or training model, but to help parents better understand how competitive swimming really works, how young athletes develop over time, and how to provide the kind of support that leads to confidence, resilience, and long-term enjoyment of the sport.

His goal is simple: to help more swimmers reach their potential while having a positive, healthy experience—and to give parents the knowledge they need to be true partners in that process.

Our ultimate goal is for you to feel relieved that the sport finally makes sense, and confident that you have a trustworthy place to turn for clear, practical answers. We want you to feel calmer, better informed, and reassured that you can support your swimmer effectively without needing to be an expert or second-guess yourself. Swim Parent Ontario is here to empower you with knowledge, creating a more supportive swim environment for your athlete.