Profile: Pete Manley
Masters Coach
How long have you been coaching with the club?
At the Club for 14 years with my son Alex, started coaching around 12 years ago.
What’s your favourite thing about coaching?
The best thing is watching the kids, adults win a race, they did it, not me but feel happy that I could help them.
Why did you start coaching?
Was living in Germany on the RAF housing estate. The pool was closed, so me and five others qualified as coaches, 6 others qualified as life guards, some mums helped with the monies and canteen. Then the RAF got engineers to service the pool. Then it was open, an outside pool similar to Woodhall Spa, in the winter we used the local German pool. Kids trained from 5 years old up to 12. The club always had a list for others to join, a great time.
What’s your sporting background?
My sporting background was, Birmingham Athletic Trampolining, Volleyball player overseas and East Midland league, Football player, coach, Swimming coach 2 years in Oxford RAF camp, 5 years at Pentaqua, 12 years at Vulcans.
What’s your favourite stroke?
Favourite is breaststroke.
What’s your favourite Drill?
Like to improve turns and streamline, 2 pull 1 kick.
Have you got any top tips for swimmers in your squad?
Want them to focus to achieve the whole session, if they are not out of breath after the session, want to educate them to realise if they had any more strength to see if they could have done better.