“Turn Me Into Fred and Yell at Me”- Michael Phelps’ Coach Had to Face His Anger in Real Father’s Absence

Athletes go through a lot of hardships while training. For one, they need to follow a strict training regimen. It can be taxing both on a physical and mental level. However, the dexterity level expected from Olympians increases manifold. And Michael Phelps did not always handle the pressure well.

Olympians require top-level training that puts their regimen on a different level than other athletes. It can be arduous for the athlete, but the coaches bear the brunt of this too.

The bittersweet moments of Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman

Confrontations and disputes were common during the time Phelps was training under Bowman. However, Bowman could make quick amends for their quarrels. It was because of something that Michigan’s director of athletic counseling, Greg Harden, told the coach after joining the University of Michigan as the swim team’s coach.

Even then, the frequent quarrels between the duo were apparent. Seeing this, Harden suggested that Phelps might be trying to pick fights with Bowman because he saw his father in him.

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When Bob Bowman appeared for an interview less than two months before the Rio Olympics, his disposition towards his best pupil had changed. The coach was clearer regarding the cause of their frequent quarrels.

It was a case of transference that the duo was experiencing. In psychology, the term refers to people redirecting their emotions to a substitute, Bowman in this case, whom they often associate with another significant person in their life.

Addressing the issue, Bowman said, “So whenever he felt threatened or frustrated or whatever, he’d turn me into Fred and yell at me,”

“It took me awhile to realize that,” the coach added. After coming to terms with it, Bowman found it a little easier to cope with it. Although Phelps’ periodic bouts continued, the coach could handle the matter better now.

Rising tensions between the duo

Phelps trained with Bob Bowman since the swimmer was 11 years old. The duo has achieved some of the greatest feats in sports history together. However, it did not come without its fair share of challenges and struggles.

Both of them had their rough days. And neither of them hesitated to hold back on their exasperation during those times. Although their family and a close-knit circle of friends were well aware of the tensions, they managed to keep it from the public eyes.

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But the coach himself has expressed his discontentment with Phelps during previous interviews. The duo shared a complicated relationship partly due to the 28-time Olympic medalist considering Bowman a “father figure.”