“I used to tell myself that the other guys were racing me; I wasn’t racing them.”

Tyler Messerschmidt made winning five NCAA championships look easy. Standing at 6’7” (complete with a Cal Bears cap), no one could appear more destined for speed. A quick scan of his highlights would undoubtedly confirm this supposition: Tyler was made for the sport. To the onlooker, it may seem like a seamless progression: natural talent to endless accolades. It was certainly not so simple.

There was a time in my life growing up when one of my coaches really made me hate swimming. Looking back at it, I realize that the people around you can really alter how you view sports altogether. I never pictured myself back on deck, but I never want an athlete to feel that way. I want to give back to the sport that gave me so many opportunities, and help other kids fall in love with it.

Tyler hopes to ignite this passion in at least one swimmer at every clinic, adopting a holistic approach to teaching. Having competed for one of the most storied programs in swim history, Tyler comes well-equipped with the sport’s most tried-and-true methods. In addition, Tyler hopes to “flip the switch” on the way swimmers approach practice each day.

When I went to Cal, I learned how to be mindful every day about my swimming. It was this mindfulness that transformed the way I practiced and competed. If you’re going to do something, do it correctly. It’s better to execute something perfectly one time than to be mediocre fifty times.

While he’s certainly concerned with the small details, Tyler doesn’t underestimate the importance of training both the athlete and the person. Instilling a sense of confidence and competency in each of his participants, Tyler is truly an inspiration to all who come across him.

I remember going to Cal and being star-struck. I was swimming just a couple lanes over from people like Nathan Adrian and Natalie Coughlin, and I remember thinking, ‘Do I belong here?’ It was sort of an ‘aha’ moment when I realized that I did belong, and I held onto that confidence to help push me.

Becoming mindful and self-aware in all aspects of life is something Tyler holds close to heart. While identifying the similarities between sports and daily life, Tyler hopes to foster a curious spirit in participants, helping them become more comfortable with experimenting and taking risks.

The best athletes in the world, the best professionals in the world, the best people in the world are mindful and detail-oriented. We can start in the pool. I tell swimmers to treat the pool like a laboratory. Let’s try some things out; let’s fail, and eventually succeed. That’s how you pave your own way.

Tyler, the head of the laboratory, will help participants diagnose their own unique errors in stroke execution, while formulating customized critiques and race strategies. Packaging this in such a way as to instill that “quiet confidence” in each of his students, no swimmer will leave the clinic without feeling like the next Tyler! Sign up for a clinic today!