3 February 2010
by Bruce Campbell - Sports Editor - www.westernwheel.com

Todd Melton, coach of the Foothills Stingrays Swim Club, was filming a small documentary about himself on Jan. 27 at the pool in Okotoks. He has to submit the film after being named one of the six finalists in the Campbell’s Chunky Soup Most Valuable Coach Contest.

Foothills Stingray swim coach Todd Melton is one of six finalists for the Campbell's Chunky Soup Most Valuable Coach Award.

“Basically, I have to make this three-minute commercial,” a sopping wet, smiling Melton said on Jan. 27 during a Stingray practice. “They give you with a camera and then they say ‘Good luck.’

“There is basically no structure, so you can do whatever you want.”

Melton was dripping wet because part of his commercial had him diving into the pool with the Stingrays with his clothes on as part of his commercial. Sure it’s more Three Stooges than Martin Scorsese, but hey, if directing a film was what it took to help swimmers, James Cameron would be coaching the Canadian Olympic team.

Melton was initially nominated in the fall by a parent of one of the Stingrays, then swimmer Keely Greenfield grabbed the bulls by the horn.

The 16-year-old Greenfield plastered posters around Okotoks in support of Melton. She also put flyers on door handles in town urging residents to vote for Melton on line and she even had her dear sweet grandmother recruiting her friends to vote for the Okotoks coach.

She wanted to do her best for Melton, which was nothing new.

“He gets the best out of his swimmers because the swimmers want to do their best for him,” Greenfield said.

Greenfield swam in the Age Group Nationals in Montreal for the Stingrays last summer.  Greenfield, a home-schooled student, is scheduled to graduate from high school in June and then attend the University of Calgary in the fall.

Melton has helped her earn some interest from the University of Calgary Dinosaurs swimming team.

When he was nominated, Melton was pleased with the gesture, but he’s flabbergasted to be in the final six.

“This is really nice — I obviously never thought that I would get this far,” Melton said. “I didn’t do any of this. It was my swimmers and parents. It’s very flattering.”

He became a finalist based on the number of votes and testimonials from swimmers, their parents and members of the community.

If he should win, it would be a financial windfall for the Stingrays.  First prize is $25,000 for the club. The club is already going to receive $4,000 for Melton finishing in the top six.

Melton had to coach at a swim meet in Medicine Hat last weekend, but first he had a deadline to meet that would have frustrated the likes of Steven Spielberg.

“I have only one day to finish this (commercial) because I have a four-day meet in Medicine Hat,” Melton said with laugh. “Yeah, I am cramming, but it’s not their (Campbells) fault that I have a swim meet.”

Melton’s video will be on display starting Feb. 8 at the Campbell’s Chunky Soup web site at www.chunkymvc.ca. Snippets of the video will also be shown on TSN Sportscentre.

The public will once again be allowed to cast their votes on the Chunky MVC web site on Feb. 8 after the six finalists have been officially announced.

Black-and-Blue tournament

More than 250 swimmers will compete in the Stingray Black and Blue Meet this weekend at the Okotoks Recreation Centre.

“This is a great opportunity for some of our younger swimmers,” said Stingrays spokesperson Iris Jackson. “They are swimming in a pool they are familiar with and their friends and family can come out and watch them swim.”

Stingray Robert Knox, 11, will spend so much time in the pool this weekend he should pay for a pool pass. Knox will swim in seven events.

“It’s not a meet with a lot of pressure, so it’s one that I can concentrate on improving my time,” Knox said. Although all pools may look a like, Knox did add being familiar with the pool will help him.

“I won’t hit the lane rope like I did one time,” Knox said. “It makes it more fun to swim in your own pool.”

The Stingrays’ nationally ranked swimmers will also compete in their home pool. Christyna Dashko, Kalyna Dashko, Ryan Jackson and Keely Greenfield will swim at the Black and Blue Meet. All four swimmers have qualified for the Western Nationals in February in Saskatoon.

Iris Jackson said teams from across southern Alberta, Edmonton and Fernie, B.C. will compete in Okotoks.