My Philosophy: I believe in "Developing Excellence” as a swimmer, as an athlete, as a student, and as a person. While there are common themes to any great program, our swimmers need to understand that there are no shortcuts. Proper training takes planning, time, and commitment. The average age of Olympians swimmers winning medals is now in the mid to late twenties. We have time to properly develop our champions.
I believe in the teaching of fundamental in all four strokes. With this focus on developing a skill diverse swimmer, it will help the swimmers continue to succeed as they mature and grow within our sport. Longevity and the process of learning the sport is my key focus. Developing swimmers who are students of our sport.
Specializing and training at an early age will lead to early success. I’ve learned that there is a cost for this early focus on success. It will lead to an increase in training injuries and also to early retirement from our sport. The Alberta records are littered with provincial record holders that never made it past the age of 14-16 in our sport. We have time. I want kids moving through our program that are ready to handle the demands of each level. Not ones that have been pounded into the ground and have very little left in their career.
I try to teach, train, and motivate the swimmers to achieve their full potential and to have them understand how this path will help them in all aspects of their lives.
I want to swimmers to dream the big dream, but I also want them to understand the that process of chasing the dream is as beneficial, if not more then achieving the dream itself.
Am I a sprint coach? Am I a distance coach? I have had success in coaching all strokes and distances. I think my job is a talent developer. I love teaching swimmers in year one how to start their love with our sport and I love teaching swimmers striving to represent Canada on the international scene.
My hopes are that our program develops athletes who are their own champions of their beliefs.
Dream It! Train It! Live it!
Away from the pool, I spend as much time as I can with my family. I have a 11 year old son and a 7 year old daughter, with my wife we like to go camping in our little Boler. This year I have a personal goal to enter the Canadian Masters, in badminton. This is a sport I played all my life, I started a few years after I started swimming but kept with it well after I stopped swimming. I think my main focus will be to train smart so I don't injure myself.
As a coach, I realize I am becoming one of the "old guys" for being in the business for more than 20 years. I am a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC), this designation holds me to the highest standards of professionalism in coaching. My coaching values are integrity, respect, honesty, open mindness, and empathy. I fall on those values to guide me towards good decision-making, one that is inclusive of the person in front of me with all their differences and challenges.
My training includes an undergrad degree in kinesiology, the Advanced Coaching Diploma, and the NCCP Senior Coach certification. Recently, my mentorship with the coaches expanded to training to become a lead facilitator for the NCCP Swimming 101 course - I really enjoy mentoring up-and-coming coaches!
To me, there are three main focuses in coaching: the physics (technique), the physiology (training) and the holistic (psychology). Science occupies a big space in my head and you see that in my coaching approach with everything! And sometimes, it is important to remember I work with human beings, with real emotions, so science will take the back seat to favor the holistic approach in dealing with my athletes.
"ON THE TOP!"
This will be my 18th season with NCSA and I am really looking forward to coaching the T2T5 squad.
As a coach, my goal for each and every athlete is to teach them the skills they need to be successful both in and out of the water. In workouts, up and above the fundamentals, we teach our athletes to support each other, respect each other, and hold each other accountable. I believe healthy competition teaches athletes life skills that will carry them through life and builds confidence. NCSA prepares your swimmer for the path, not the path for your swimmer.
I am NCCP 201 Certified, Community Coach Learning Facilitator Certified, and Swimming 101 Learning Facilitator in Training.
Swimming has been a part of my life for almost 50 years. I swam as a youngster in Dartouth, NS which was where I developed a love for Breastroke.
My swimming genes were passed to my youngest son who swam for NCSA as a backstroker until he graduated. During this time with NCSA, I served as President of the club and was priviledged to have closely work with a dedicated group of swim parents.
I continued to swim throughout the years for fun and fitness but came back to competitive swimming in 2014 with NCSA Masters. I heard the siren song and found myself drawn back to competition at Masters' Provincials (reigning champ in 50, 100 and 200 breastroke) and Nationals in 2018 (3rd in 50 and 100 breast, 2nd in 200 Br, and 4th in 100 IM). I have also dabbled in open water swimming over the past decade and have participated most years in the Across the Lake Swim in Kelowna. This past summer, I won my age group at the Sylvan Lake Open Water Swim.
Being back in the pool peaked my interest in coaching and in 2018, I joined the NCSA coaching staff. With tremendous support from NCSA and my fellow coaches, I have been invited to participate as a coach at Swim Alberta's Discover Camp and the Future Coaches Program.
Adam Sparkes
Calgary - Development & L2T4
Email: [email protected]
After a fun and rewarding career in oil and gas, I recently retired. In discussing options for retirement with my family, it was apparent swimming would play a prominent role.
I am NCCP level 1 trained, and a certified Swim and Life Saving Instructor, and National Lifeguard. While I am new to coaching, swimming has always been a big part of my life. I grew up in the pool as a competitive swimmer in Labrador and my eldest daughter swam with NCSA.
I really don't know if I have a coaching philosophy; it's a bit early for that. But I do know that I want your swimmer to have as positive an experience with the club as my daughter enjoyed, and that will shape my approach to coaching.
Chad Thompson
Airdrie - Development
Email: [email protected]
I've been involved with swimming since the age of 4 and have been fortunate enough to swim competitively at some of the highest levels in the sport. As a swimmer, I realized very quickly that fun and technique were critical to success in the pool, and as a coach, my goal is to impart that same excitement, energy and detail to my swimmers.
I am passionate about everything swimming, and being able to share that passion through coaching is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. Being able to use my experience as a swimmer, my education as a teacher and coach, and my passion for the sport, to excite, encourage and empower swimmers to love the water, is an incredible privilege.
I love quotes and one of my favorites is from 1984 USA Olympic and University of Tennessee head swim coach, Ray Bussard: “Practice makes permanent; only perfect practice makes perfect.”
Cecilia Wessels
Airdrie - Development
Zac McLeod
Calgary - L2T4 & Development
