Max Hubbard brings a wealth of personal competitive experience and a deep technical understanding of the sport to his role as the Head Coach of the Farmington Boys Swim & Dive team. For Coach Hubbard, swimming isn't just a series of laps; it’s a high-stakes balance of precision, power, and discipline.
While many coaches find the Butterfly to be the most daunting stroke to teach, it is where Coach Hubbard feels most at home. As his highest-placing event during his collegiate career, the "Fly" remains his favorite to coach—a passion that dates back to his earliest days teaching swim lessons.
Interestingly, he views Freestyle as the greatest coaching challenge. Because it is the foundational stroke of the sport, Hubbard notes that bad habits can become deeply ingrained. At the competitive level, the "nitpicking" required for precise hand positioning and stroke rates makes it a demanding discipline to master.
Coach Hubbard’s competitive nature is often fueled by high-energy music. During his college conference meets, he utilized a specific soundtrack to get into the zone:
- 50 Free: Bangarang by Skrillex
- 100 Fly: Alive by Krewella (Stephen Swartz Remix)
- 100 Free: Til I Collapse by Eminem
If given the chance to race any legend, he would choose a head-to-head 200 IM against Janet Evans. Evans serves as a major inspiration for the team; in fact, one of the boys' favorite practice sets is named in her honor.
One of Coach Hubbard's primary focuses is the often-overlooked area of recovery and nutrition. He emphasizes that swimmers must fuel their bodies aggressively to keep up with the demands of the pool.
"The boys should be eating a ton of healthy food. I did 8,000 to 9,000 calories most days in college."
His nutritional philosophy is straightforward:
- Complex Carbs: The staple for daily energy.
- Simple Carbs: Essential for quick energy before races (he’s even been known to approve of Sour Patch Kids on meet days).
- The Post-Practice Protocol: A combination of protein and carbs. To Coach Hubbard, chocolate milk remains the "gold standard" for recovery.
When he isn't on the pool deck, Coach Hubbard stays active through various interests. During his college years, he took up boxing as a form of cross-training. When he isn't training or coaching, you might find him refining his skills in Super Smash Bros. or reflecting on his love-hate relationship with the Butterfly, his favorite stroke to swim for 50 meters, and his absolute least favorite for anything longer.
