TEAM PHOTO
FACTS ABOUT SOLO
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SOLO is a 501(c)3 non-profit aquatics organization serving Menlo
Park and its surrounding communities for over 30 Years.
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SOLO is a member of USA Swimming and has been since its
founding.
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SOLO is proud to have swimmers competing at the local, regional and
national level.
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SOLO has over 100 year round swimmers, ages 3-18. Our
swimmers have all levels of skill: from just begining to swim to
those competing in the Junior Olympics.
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SOLO’s goal is to meet the needs of all levels of competitive
swimming. Our goal is to promote personal excellence through
the healthy and positive experience of swimming.
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SOLO's goal is to provide a safe and healthy environment in
which swimmers learn not only outstanding technique, but also life
skills, including self-discipline, dedication, loyalty, respect,
goal setting, time management, personal success, and overcoming
setbacks effectively. Moreover, SOLO teaches swimmers to
truly love the sport. To SOLO, every individual who
works and strives for personal excellence is a champion.
TEAM
RECORDS: Top
Athlete Times
MEMBER
PROFILES: Reflections From A Few SOLO Alum
Sarah Winters
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach
Email
Coach Tom graduated
from Ohio State University with a Physical Education degree
specializing in developmental motor patterns in children. He was
Assistant Coach for the Ohio State Women’s Swim Team in
1988-90, and Assistant Coach for the Stanford Women’s Swim
Team in 1990-91. Coach Tom has worked with several 1992 & 1996
Olympic medalists from Stanford, and coached swimmers from the
Mexican National Team for the 2000 Olympic Games. He is a Certified
Level 4 member of American Swimming Coaches
Association.
In 1990 he
started as an Age Group Coach for SOLO, and became the Head Coach
in 1992. Unlike many other Head Coaches, Coach Tom works with all
levels of swimmers. His daily activities included being in the
water teaching the youngest swimmers, helping Age Group swimmers
with their strokes, and running practices for National level
swimmers.
Coach Tom
was also the Head Coach for Menlo-Atherton High School’s
swim team from 2000-11. While at the high school the student
athlete numbers grew in size to over 125 and amazing
improvements were enjoyed by all who participated. All students
were welcomed into the program and many individuals shared in PAL
League Championships and over 75 team records. Including swimmers
capturing CCS Titles achieving All-American
status.
Following his older
brothers to the pool put Tom on his first swim team at the age of
four. As a high school swimmer things really took off as a member
of the Greater Columbus Swim Team. He was a walk-on swimmer at Ohio
State as a freshman, which led to coaching the sport. As a masters
swimmer Coach Tom broke the World Record in the February Fitness
competition in 1995 and again in 1996 swimming over 725,000 yards
in a month. The purpose of this exercise was to show the swimmers
that if they wanted to achieve success, they needed to work toward
a goal. For Tom that turned out to be 25,000 yards per day, which
took seven hours. He now enjoys a daily mile or two before
practice leading by example!
Coach
Email
Coach Sean started as
the SOLO Aquatics Age Group Coach in 2009, immediately falling in
love with the positive environment and coaching philosophy. His
goal is to encourage swimmers to learn swimming technique for a
lifetime of healthy living. He empowers his swimmers with peer
leadership at every level in order to develop physical, mental, and
social skills that will apply to all aspects of their
lives.
Coach Sean grew up in the East Bay, and began swimming for
Woodlands Swim Team at age five. He reached Junior Olympic
qualifying time by age twelve in 50 Back, then later achieved Far
Western Qualifying Times in 100 Back, and the 50, 100, and 200
Free. Coach Sean had the honor of being part of very talented
relays in high school, winning the 200 Free, 200 Medley, and 400
Free Relays at the North Coast High School Championship Meet, and
setting records at the Contra Costa County Championships.
Sean began coaching in 2001 at the Woodlands Swim Team in Walnut
Creek, leading cheers and developing a passion for swimming spirit.
After following an offer to coach the fledgling Chicago Wolfpack
Aquatics Club in 2005, he returned home. Sean coached Water
Polo and Swimming at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, helping
to coach two National Qualifying Rec Swimmers and the Championship
Finalist Girls Water Polo Team. Coach Sean moved to the Peninsula
to complete his Broadcasting degree at San Francisco State
University. Since 2008, Coach Sean has integrated new hierarchical
teaching methods as Head Coach of the Eichler Gators in Palo Alto.
Sean prides himself on creating a cooperative learning environment,
which is necessary to develop interpersonal, intrapersonal, and
kinesthetic awareness for athletes.
Coach
Email
Coach Bobby joined
SOLO Aquatics in early 2010, and absolutely loves it. His goal is
to teach swimming technique to swimmers of all ages, and to ensure
they have fun along the way. Enjoying swimming at an early age is
the best way to create a lifelong love for the water.
Coach Bobby grew up in
Palo Alto, and started swimming before he could walk. He joined the
Eichler Gators summer league team at age 4, and enjoyed it so much
that he spent the next 15 years there, even coming back from
college to swim and help out the team. He was on the GUNN High
School water polo and swim teams, competing in every event,
especially the 50 and 100 Butterfly, and the 100 and 200
IM.
Coach Bobby started
teaching swim lessons in high school, working for the City of Palo
Alto as a lifeguard, and again in 2009 for Menlo Swim and Sport. He
met Coach Sean while working at the Palo Alto JCC, and Sean brought
him to SOLO. He graduated from UC Davis in 2008 with a B.S. in
Medical Microbiology, but discovered upon graduation that he had a
stronger passion for connecting with children than exploring the
physical sciences. He loves passing on his swimming knowledge to
children, and making the learning process a fun and exciting
experience.
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