New Head Coach For Swim Team

 Shirley Swimming Pool has announced the appointment of a new Head Coach to lead their successful competitive team, Southampton Dolphins. Coach Rebecca Richards has a wealth of experience coaching top swimmers in American Universities, Singapore and the UK. A Millfield School scholarship swimmer and active triathlete, the ambitious coach is excited about the move to Southampton

” The club have been producing great swimmers for years and it looks like there is huge potential for the youngsters at the pool. To have your own pool space and a huge swim school feeding swimmers through is every coaches dream.”

The Shirley Club recently had their most successful County Championships on record and have produced two National Age group Champions in recent years. Pool boss Luke Perry was delighted by the appointment,

” It was always going to be hard to replace the old coach after 20 years, but I think we have fallen on our feet with Rebecca. She has met the parents and kids and is a bundle of energy. Her experience coaching in the States gives her a really fresh approach to age group swimming”

Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Coaching and a Masters in Childhood Education.

Assisting her will be  coaches will be Clodagh Dear, Paul Dollery, Rob Young, and AJ Harnett. GB Coach Matt Heathcock will continue to work with the coaches, preparing training cycles for the interim and delivering skill sessions.

Rebecca Richards will take up her role on Monday March 6th 2018 and begin full time “on deck” from March 19th.

You can read the coaching philosophies of Coach Richards here