I remember the first time a promising 12-year-old from our junior squad returned after a broken wrist: nervous eyes, a taped splint under a sleeve, and a clear fear of trusting that arm in the water. Getting a young swimmer back safely isn't just about healing bones — it’s about rebuilding...
When I coach relay changeovers, I want two things above all: fast takes and calm swimmers. Using...
I started using the FINIS Tempo Trainer with my masters groups after noticing a recurring pattern:...
Recovering from shoulder pain can feel like being benched from the thing you love most. I’ve...
When I’m planning a season budget for Bishopsworth Swimming Club, one of the most practical —...
Balancing a full-time job, family life, and evening swim training is a reality for so many of us at...
I’m often asked how to taper for a local meet without arriving rusty or flat. Two weeks is a...
Recovering from shoulder pain can feel like being benched from the thing you love most. I’ve coached swimmers through tendonitis, impingement, and post-surgical rehab, and one lesson keeps coming back: you don’t have to stop training — you just need to be smarter about how you train. This article shares practical cross‑training sessions and progressions that protect the shoulder while...
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When I’m planning a season budget for Bishopsworth Swimming Club, one of the most practical — and surprisingly emotional — tasks is the equipment audit. Kickboards get chewed, pull buoys disappear into changing rooms, and Tempo Trainers seem to stop beeping on the morning of a gala. Over the years I’ve learned which models survive club life and which are false economies. In this piece I...
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Balancing a full-time job, family life, and evening swim training is a reality for so many of us at Bishopsworth Swimming Club. I’ve been there: squeezing laps into the gaps between work emails and bedtime stories, trying to get enough sleep while logging yards and family time. Over the years I’ve learned that recovery isn’t a luxury reserved for elite athletes — it’s the foundation...
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I’m often asked how to taper for a local meet without arriving rusty or flat. Two weeks is a common length for club swimmers and masters who can’t afford long tapers — and when done right, it’s perfectly possible to be both rested and sharp. Below I share my practical, experience-based two-week taper plan, variations for sprinters and distance swimmers, and the non-pool details that make...
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Setting measurable goals for a novice swimmer is one of my favourite parts of coaching — it’s where hope meets structure, and small changes turn into real progress. Over the years at Bishopsworth Swimming Club I’ve seen how a clear, measurable plan transforms nervous beginners into confident swimmers who turn up to their first race ready to perform. Below I share the approach I use with new...
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I want to share a recent case study from our Masters squad that taught me a lot about patience, structure, and the power of small, consistent habits. Last season we had a swimmer—I'll call him Mark—who took nearly a year away from structured training. Between work pressures, a minor surgery, and the temptation to "rest," he disappeared from the pool. When he returned, he wanted to get his...
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Giving feedback is part of coaching — and yet it’s one of the trickiest skills to get right. I’ve been a swimmer, coach, and club editor long enough to know that the same words can lift one athlete and deflate another. Over the years I’ve developed a toolbox of conversation starters that help me give precise, actionable feedback without denting confidence. Below I share those phrases, the...
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Exam season is one of the trickiest periods in a youth programme — and if you coach or run a club like I do at Bishopsworth, you know how easily attendance, motivation, and even retention can dip. Over the years I’ve helped dozens of teen swimmers balance school pressures with training, and I’ve learned that the clubs that survive — and even grow — during exam time are the ones that...
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I love watching a swimmer’s whole race back on a tablet at poolside — the little details you miss in real time suddenly leap out. Over the years I’ve learned that short, specific cues derived from video feedback are the fastest way to improve turns. Below I share simple, repeatable poolside video cues you can use immediately to tighten flip turns and open turns. These are the ones I hand to...
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One of the most enjoyable headaches of coaching club swimming is setting a relay order. Get it right and the team looks like a well-oiled machine; get it wrong and you can lose more than a few tenths — sometimes the race. Over the years with Bishopsworth squads, I’ve tested plenty of orders, argued with parents and swimmers, and learned a few reliable rules that I now use every time I pick a...
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