Looking back at the fruitful week, Schmitz can't see but the bright side: "I saw three young athletes from Ecuador, Guatemala and Honduras the other day. They were all three together in different jackets, giggling and laughing the entire time. To see the change from the first day and now is so much important and that is what this programme is all about."
"Swimming is a life-long sport and programmes like this just continue to fill that passion and excitement and it makes these kids wanting to be in the building next to us [talking of the Hamad Aquatics Centre] and compete at World Championships," Schmitz continued.
On why the programme targets the 14-16 age group, the U.S. head coach said: "Because this is the best age; you start to mature and this is really where we either keep swimmers in the sport or lose them."
"This programme really needs to continue because this is the future of the sport of swimming," Schmitz added.
The 380 participants in the Doha 2014/FINA Youth programme and the U.S. coaching staff
Without a doubt, such undertaking will help develop swimming around the world: "The facility that I have is a six-lane 25-yard pool and some of the coaches came in thinking that I had a facility like the Aspire Zone's 50-metre swimming pool, but I don't. It was an eye-opener. To train in the ocean or in a hotel pool doesn't matter because the most important part is that as swim coach we need to be able to adapt."
"Almost 90pc of Missy's [Franklin] training is done in a 25-yard pool and I don't think any of them realised that before this week. She holds the World record in the 200m back long-course and she doesn't train all long-course and that's a very important message for every single coach and athlete to hear," Schmitz added.
On the last day of the programme, the U.S. coaching staff set up a 'mini meet'. "The excitement was just awesome," Schmitz said.
Feeling "at home" among swimmers
Georgia-Leigh Vele came all the way from Papua New Guinea to attend the programme: "This week has been really fun; to get to train with swimmers from all around the world and meeting them has been a good experience."
"All the coaches from different countries have different styles, so it gives you new ways to improve on our stroke technique. We can practice different things and see what works for us."
What had quite an impact on Vele was meeting South African swimming icon Penny Heyns: "I'm a breaststroker and so was Heyns. Her speech made me want to be like her when I grow up. She really motivated me in how she was focused on everything in her life as well as swimming, not just pushing everything aside."
Like Vele, 14-year-old Cresus Ganira of Burundi leaves Doha with a lot more in his luggage: "In my country, we focus mainly on speed so to see training techniques used by other countries is something new."
The young athletes at the Aspire's Zone swimming pool in Doha
Ganira trains three times a week in the 50m freestyle and butterfly. "You need to have good grades to get to practice your sport. But even if sometimes I don't do well at school, I go to the pool because swimming is everything to me," he confessed.
The young African started swimming two years ago in a club. He set a new national record in the 50m fly this year and is training hard to hopefully get a scholarship to go to South Africa.
Asked who's his swimming inspiration, Ganira replied without a mark of hesitation: "Michael Phelps! At 15, he set the WR [in the 200m fly] and that was legendary."
British coach Kimberley Hill said: "We've seen all kinds of athletes with different abilities, stroke and backgrounds. The U.S. is the best nation in swimming by far so I think some of the countries can really benefit from their approach to it."
On mornings, athletes and coaches had technical-type of work, going through all the different strokes and basic fundamental skills while in the afternoon, training sessions were held.
15-year-old Lebanese swimmer Gabriella Douerhy said of the programme: "The training was really good because they focused on the technique." She paused to find her words and genuinely added: "We just feel at home among swimmers. We know we're made for swimming, it gives me even more hope to reach for my goals."