Coaching Staff
Michael Collins
Michael Collins offers Personal Coaching
Mike is a USAT Certified Triathlon Coach and the 2002 ITU Aquathlon World Champion. Mike has been racing triathlons since 1984, and has competed at distances from sprint to Ironman (9:48 in Hawaii '91). He raced professionally from 1987-1991, specializing in Olympic distance.
He continues to perform well as a top age group athlete in Sprint and Olympic Distance races and his list of wins and top 5 finishes in Southern California is impressive including: Wildflower Sprint, Malibu Nautica, Catalina, Hermosa Beach, Newport Beach, Solano Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, and several others. In addition to racing and coaching, Mike is a well renowned writer and guest speaker on the subject of swimming. His articles have appeared in TRIATHLETE magazine, SWIM magazine, American Swimming, and many other national publications.
He is the Chairman of the United States Masters Swimming Coaches Committee and travels around the country giving instructional and motivational talks and clinics. He has bee coaching swimming since 1983 and triathletes since 1997. He has coached numerous Masters and Collegiate National Champions and was recognized at the USMS Coach of the Year in 1990, Pacific Masters Coach of the Year in 1991, and Southern Pacific Masters Coach of the Year in 2001.
His strengths and specialties include:
- Teaching efficiency and speed in all three sports.
- Teaching race strategy and pacing.
- Motivating athletes of all abilities to perform to their potential.
- Teaching stroke technique through the use of underwater video equipment.
- Communication with athletes through the use of the internet.
- Designing programs compact programs that work for busy people still trying to perform well.
COACHING HISTORY
- Novaquatics in Orange County (NOVA) - Current Head Masters & Triathlon Coach with over 200 members. Also assists with the age group team which is the #1 USA Swimming team in the country.
- Bruin Masters Swimming (UCLA) - Co-coach with Gerry Rodrigues 1997-2000 at one of the top masters programs in the nation. Bruin Masters are 250 strong and run approximately 5 workouts per day.
- Total Immersion Swim Camps (TI) - Collins also serves as a Senior Clinic Instructor for Total Immersion. Has worked closely with Total Immersion founder Terry Laughlin, and other TI Instructors to develop the best school for learning to swim efficiently.
- Davis Aquatic Masters (DAM) - Collins was the DAM Head Coach, the largest single Masters program in the country, from 1989-1997. He was selected as the youngest United States Masters Swimming Coach of the Year in 1990 at the age of 22.
- UC Davis (UCD) - Collins was an assistant coach at the University of California Davis Men's Team from 1990-94. In his first year UC Davis placed 5th at the Division II NCAA's. In 1992 the team to move up to 4th place. In 1993 Davis qualified a record 18 swimmers for nationals, and moved up to third.