"Before joining the club I was only able to swim about 800metres max at maybe 50metres at a time then resting. I used to train twice a week for an 50mins each time. Since joining Atlantis, in just 10weeks I can swim almost 4 times that, 3200metes in a 2 hour session. I can now also swim 400metres at a time. At the beginning my stoke count per 25metres was 34...now its 24. This has improved greatly since being coached my Nicky. Nicky's ability to manage 3-4 sets of swimmers (kids,triathletes, junior swimmers etc) on a given session shows his talent as a coach. He is always prepared for his swim sessions and caters for every swimmer in the pool. He will always try and get that extra 10% out of you, which is why I will come back every session as I know I can swim better with his coaching." | "When I first contacted Coach Nickey in October, I didn't know what
to expect. I had been looking for a serious swim club in Dublin, and
someone had given me Nickey's information. Through my interactions with
him before and after I joined the team, I have come to learn that Nickey
is nothing short of remarkable.
First of all, he is easily as experienced and knowledgeable as any
coach I have ever encountered. He never fails to answer any of the
myriad questions that I have. He's probably improved my understanding as
swimming just as much as he has improved my ability. What seriously
impresses me is that every single meter of his practices has a purpose.
As a swim coach myself, I understand how difficult it can be to design
an effective practice. When each swimmer has individual needs, it can be
tough to provide a beneficial practice for everyone. Yet Nickey does
this day in and day out.
The attention that he gives to every one of his swimmers is
incredible as well. I've had phenomenal, US-National level coaches in
the past. They sent large groups of swimmers to USA Swimming Nationals
every year, but they only really paid attention to the best swimmers.
Nickey, however, finds the time to simultaneously treat his National
level and recreational level swimmers. This type of coaching not only
helps elevate lower-level and younger swimmers, but it does wonders for
their confidence.
But for me, the thing that truly sets Nickey apart from other
coaches is the understanding he has of his swimmers. He knows exactly
when to push us and when to ease up. He takes the time to get to know us
and understand our goals and expectations, so that he knows exactly
what he needs to do as a coach to get us there. Nickey really goes above
and beyond to make sure that his swimmers are getting everything they
want out of the sport.
When I first came to Dublin from the US, I missed my old swim coach
and my old club terribly. While they still mean the world to me, Nickey
has done an incredible job of making me feel at home when I'm swimming
with Atlantis, and I was unbelievably lucky to find him." |
Testimonials |