Michael Lotief, affectionately known as “Coach Mike” has literally been coaching his entire life. After being told he was too small to be an offensive lineman at Teurlings High School, he immediately volunteered to coach youth football in Lafayette, LA winning multiple Turkey Bowl Championships. The only time he took time away from coaching was to earn his Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University Law School in 1988. Not even “cancer” (malignant tumor of the nasopharyngeal) in 1983 sidelined him from his passion for coaching; in fact, coaching football expanded to coaching baseball and basketball. Lotief is the C.E.O. and President of Swing Attractors. Swing Attractors are those movements that when applied to a hitter correctly link superior motor synergies. Swing Attractors has created a biomechanics software that helps analyze a hitter’s movement pattern. During the 2022-2023 M.L.B. Season, Lotief consulted with Tim Hyers, Hitting Coach for the 2023 World Series Champions, Texas Rangers. Mike & Tim discussed hitting ideas and looked at hitting data during the 2022 off-season and throughout the 2023 M.L.B. season. According to Lotief, “I interpreted the data from the in-game swings and he turned it into actionable interventions”. During the 2023 season, besides winning the World Series, the Rangers were the #1 offense in the M.L.B. with a league high six (6) All Stars. “We identify the hitter’s movement profile and determine which parts of the body are most activated and in what planes of motion and what sequence to formulate conclusions and give answers to the coach and/or player”.
Lotief practiced law in Louisiana beginning in the 1990s and had his own firm; he still holds his law license. He coached recreational football, baseball, basketball in Lafayette, La. for over 25 years. Coach Mike coached 17 successful years in college softball with an overall record of 731-176 for an 80.6 winning percentage; 10 times named Coach of the Year; developed 25 All Americans; inducted into La. A.S.A. Hall of Fame. Lotief holds multiple patents for hitting devices. The coach is a 40 year cancer survivor (twice), endured massive radiation treatment in the 80s to his throat & neck, and was the first person in the U.S. to receive the Pro Trach breathing/speaking device in 2016; awarded the Perseverance Award by his peers in 2016 after despite undergoing a tracheotomy still coached his team to a conference championship and the finals of the NCAA Super Regionals. Lotief personally met & had a private audience with Mother Teresa where she blessed his throat & prayed together.
Mike is married to Stefni Whitton Lotief, who is the first All American in U.L.L.’s history; the couple proudly started and ran multiple successful travel ball organizations giving countless young women the chance to chase their dreams. They are the proud parents of Chelsea (commercial insurance) and Andrew (mechanical engineer).
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
Having a “trach” and voice and swallowing limitations, it is imperative that I spend time doing my strengthening exercises and allowing time for my hydration and diet. I spend a lot of my day managing Swing Attractors, where strategic decision-making and innovation are key – lots of time pouring over the hitting data and making sure our motion analysis remains state of the art. Productivity comes from prioritizing tasks that align with our long-term goals and maintaining strong communication with my team.
How do you bring ideas to life?
My legal background helps me critically analyze everything we do and come up with a well-structured, comprehensive strategy. In hitting, there is a DEGREES OF FREEDOM challenge – basically, the body has so many combinations of movement that in fact no same hitter ever executes the same exact movement pattern ever during his lifetime. So every swing is a puzzle – and I love solving puzzles. Every hitter is so unique. How to really help each individual master the degrees of freedom challenge by giving him an “attractor” to create motor synergies that helps with consistency is an art as much as it is science.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Using the data to formulate real conclusions and help hitting coaches and players make the best interventions to enhance game performance. The integration of analytics and biometric data in sports can radically improve how athletes train and perform, which is directly applicable to my work with hitters.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Pursue EXCELLENCE. Growth Mindset. Embracing difficulties. Trusting the process. Setting clear, achievable goals for each moment. This habit keeps me focused and ensures I’m always working towards meaningful progress in all areas of my life.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stay focused. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to convince people in power that “status quo” is mediocrity. Keep pursuing excellence even if you have to go it alone. Find people who are experts in technology and software engineering and merge your passion with theirs and build something extraordinary.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I still have my vocal chords; I can still swallow and eat a full meal today because I did not believe the traditional doctors that said I needed a total laryngectomy or else I would die from aspiration into my lungs. There is lots of value and wisdom in the traditional, “status quo” way that has helped many, but there can be other ways to solve complex challenges with innovative, out of the box thinking.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
As a lawyer, we love to poke holes in somebody else’s case through cross-examination. With Swing Attractors, the roles are reversed. I love “taking the stand” and let others cross-exam me to see and hear where the holes are. I love the critical, constructive dialogue. It makes me better.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I spend time outdoors at my camp – 3 acre pond, wild mallards, beautiful wildlife in the Atchafalaya Basin. Being at peace with nature gives me a fresh perspective and renewed energy.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
COMPETENCE. Figuring out the best solutions. COMPETITIVENESS. Figuring out how to win. NO EXCUSES. Being accountable for my performance.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
The greatest struggles for me have been health related. Massive radiation treatments to my throat and neck have created long term challenges for me – especially the changes in my voice tone; no more singing my favorite songs at karaoke anymore.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
After spending my life in coaching and player development of really successful hitters, I can shorten the learning curve for any coach or any young hitter via SWING ATTRACTORS – using data to come up with the most simple intervention to create the most powerful movement pattern. #2, I have patented a couple of really good hitting/training devices. I spent many of my coaching days at the local hardware store coming up with devices to help my hitters feel the movement. I’ve learned from my voice limitations that there are better ways to communicate. Training devices are way better instructors than telling a hitter to “do this”.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I’m not a software guru; but there are so many smart web developers out there. Building our Dashboard and watching them use algorithms and templates to automate the hitting analysis process is so cool to be a part of.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Every Sunday after Mass we get together for a family, home cooked meal and I buy the groceries. All are invited.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
“David & Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell. Desirable difficulties, facing your fears and overcoming struggles and adversity are the keys to growth and perseverance.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
MIRACLE – tonight you are the best hockey team in the world because team chemistry, preparation and mindset will always beat pure talent. HARD BALL – teaching life lessons to inner city kids through baseball not only changes the players but also the coach. What’s not to love about ROCKY!