To Kevin, et al.

Subject: Our earliest teachers

I enjoy checking my inbox some days. I like seeing how Baltimore experiences different events, whether people see something I don't, say things that I won't or what they decide is deserving of praise and criticism. Some of my favorite letters are from teachers. You know how I know they're from teachers? They conclude their e-mails with a line like this one, from an e-mail today: "... you should appreciate all the teachers over the years that helped."

So let's do that. Not my teachers, but Michael Phelps'.

Before there was Bob Bowman, there was Tom Himes, Phelps' first teacher around the pool deck. Himes coached Phelps -- and both Phelps sisters -- until the swimmer was almost 12 years old. Himes was with North Baltimore Aquatic Club from 1985-2002 and currently coaches at Loyola Blakefield and assists at Towson.

On the Phelps' family's drive:

"Obviously there has to be some natural ability there. Having witnessed it and seen it, that’s obviously a part of everything. I mean, Michael’s flexibility is unbelievable. But they work their butts off. They just really work hard. You can be the most talented person in the world, but you’re not going to be that good without working hard."

On what life was like for Phelps during that period: 

"They had to work with what they got. I had him when they all had a lot going on. He was 9, his sisters were in their teens. There was the divorce and with Debbie and her job, the girls took on a lot of the responsibility for Michael. The girls in some degree had to sacrifice a bit of their lives to help bring him up."

On what he's seen this week:

"It’s unbelievable. I guess you never say never, but I just can't see how we’re ever going to see anything like this again. Might as well soak it all up as best you can. Swimming is getting so much faster – look at all of the people blowing records away; it’s not like you’re swimming against slower people. And he’s just incredible. All the swimming is great, but he's clearly the best. You sort of feel bad for everybody else."

On Phelps' direction since leaving Himes: 

"They have done – Bob, his agents, family, everybody – they’ve done just an unbelievable job with that young man. Twenty-three years old and he’s amazing, such a good kid. And he’s still very level-headed. He has no right to be level-headed – he could do whatever he wants – but he is. Still such a nice, level kid. If you didn’t know who he was, you wouldn’t know what he is. He doesn’t talk about himself like that. You can see, he’s almost uncomfortable at times talking about how great he is."