Coach’s Survey
August 13th, 2019
Austin and Elvis have an excellent demeanor with the swimmers. They were personable with the staff at HBC and with all involved in the clinic. I greatly enjoyed watching them work and jumping in to assist when needed. They are star quality both in and out of the pool! I only attended day 2 where Elvis and Austin covered back and free. I use all of the drills presented during the clinic with my swimmers (it was wonderful confirmation that my coaching techniques are aligned with Olympians!). I liked the phrasing “library quiet” for kicking and focusing on the armpit for rotation. I emphasize technique and fine tuning of the stroke mechanics over speed. The progress of drills flowed nicely to emphasize certain and build on certain aspects.
- Kate Baker
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Haven Beach Club Coach
- Haven Beach, NJ
First clinic and would attend another!
August 13th, 2019
My son picked up so many great backstroke tips from Nick Thoman! Nick taught the kids various techniques to help improve all aspects of their backstroke and made it very easy for them to understand and implement.
Make sure people realize it truly is hands on with the clinicians. It’s not just a lecture but lots of in water demos and attention.
- Arlington, VA
- Backstroke (July 23-25)
- Eliza Jacobs
I loved the positive reinforcement!
August 13th, 2019
My children were inspired by your stories. They learned so much from the drills and was able to practice the new skills with the clinicians individual attention. They took the time to talk to each child and to help drive home the point of all the drills. Several times a student or 2 would be pulled away to practice something a little deeper and was always given credit for a job well done. I loved the positive reinforcement and I loved how well my daughter was taken care of. She was the slowest swimmer but still walked away feeling like a winner due to the positive words and high fives the clinicians gave to her. She came home each night singing their praises, reading swimming magazines and practicing her new skills in our backyard pool. It is awesome to see!! Many thanks for the time you took with my children. I can’t express how positive this clinic was to help motivate my children to learn more, to try harder and to be the best they can be. Thanks for taking such great care of my kids and we will be back next time!
My older son benefited most from the butterfly day. He said the drill of butterfly arms and flutter kick helped him to position his body in the water better.
My youngest benefited from the backstroke day the most. She was able to improve her body position and her flip turns greatly!
- Cara Smith
- Long Island, NY
Very memorable!
August 13th, 2019
There were many tips and specific drills that were very memorable. I’d say that the instruction to stand up tall on the starting block and get some deep breaths before getting into the starting position was one that was so basic yet often forgotten skill for a young swimmer. Kudos for the great attention to little details that can mean a lot in performance! Nick and Austin did a terrific job showing great enthusiasm and teaching to the group. The drills progression was very well done and great use of clearly explaining along with demonstrating before then having the kids do the drill(s). Nick showed such passion and exuberance that my daughter was truly inspired and paying close attention.
- San Bruno, CA
- Kevin Swanson
All 3 clinicians were great!
August 13th, 2019
All 3 clinicians were great – and complimented each other nicely. Nick was very enthusiastic, loud (my daughter commented it was a lot EASIER to hear these clinicians than the ones at her last clinic), and positive. Austin was a great teacher – and complimented Nick nicely because he brought a lot of long-term coaching aspects to the clinic, which are really useful to hear as a parent. Michael was great as well. Would definitely recommend the Nick and Austin pair again!
A lot of skills were taught over 5 days – she learned a lot about how to pull more efficiently and WHY moving her head makes a big difference in her swimming!
- San Bruno, CA
Coaches Survey – Park Rapids, MN
August 13th, 2019
Chloe, Tyler and Marina were obviously very knowledgable. I appreciate how they worked with all age levels equally and rotated who they worked with. They were also not afraid to get into the water with the kids to demonstrate or correct techniques. I hope the camp comes back next year so I can get more of my athletes to attend!
- Randy Hansen
- Fergus Falls HS Swim Team
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Park Rapids, MN
First Clinic!
August 13th, 2019
Christopher Reid and Samantha Yeo did an amazing job with the kids. Their hands on approach and ability to connect with the kids set this clinic apart from other clinics our children have attended. Looking forwarded to the next Fitter and Faster clinic in our area!
- Michael Lee
- O’Fallon, IL
The clinicians still provide one on one with each individual!
August 13th, 2019
Fitter and Faster Swim Tour provides a very welcoming, personable environment. Even though the swimmers are learning in a group, the clinicians still provide one on one with each individual to help the swimmers improve in their needed area. We really appreciated how personable they were. Both Clark Smith and Joey Reilman maintained a very humbling attitude that made the swimmers feel at ease in their environment. They were both extremely knowledgeable in the area of swimming, and were more than happy to share their knowledge with the parents and swimmers. Both my 10 year old and 17 year old daughters attended this clinic, and they enjoyed every second.
The advice for the stance on the block for starts was extremely helpful. Also, the advice of using underwaters on sprinting can really make or break your races. Both Joey Reilman and Clark Smith helped me improve my walls during my swims. Finally, the piece of advice that they gave my 17 year old daughter that really stuck with her was, “The best time to make small changes in your technique and races is when you are tired because it gives you something to focus on instead of dwelling on how tired you are.”
A very special “Thank You!” to Clark Smith and Joey Reilman. Your help and advice really encouraged my children to pursue their goals in the world of swimming. Good luck with time trials for the 2020 Olympics!
- Elizabeth
- O’Fallon, IL
Thank you Austin!
June 30th, 2019
My grandson attended all 5 days. Every day he told us he learned techniques that made him a better swimmer, and learned them in a way he could remember them. I watched the clinics, and Austin kept the kids interested, organized, and paying attention. Austin was able to give constructive feedback to each swimmer, and the drills were taught in a way the children were anxious to learn. We will definitely be attending another one. Garrett’s private coach recommended the clinic because having your swimmer exposed to other qualified coaches, is beneficial to their development. Thank you Austin! Garrett said he feels more confident after the clinic, and having someone at your level compliment him, and encourage him was really cool. As I told you he’s legally blind so he has to work a little harder to swim. You did awesome! Our family will never forget you.
- Kingsport, TN
- First Clinic
Coach Jimmy Parmenter of Brownell Talbot Reviews FFT
June 30th, 2019
We asked Jimmy Parmenter to record a quick video providing his thoughts on Fitter and Faster… he came back with this terrific production. JIMMY, thanks so much for putting this together for us. It is very thoughtful and we love working with you and your swimmers!
