A great coach inspires, advises, challenges and helps each swimmer achieve their personal goals. Masters Swimming clubs across the country depend on the hundreds of dedicated coaches who invest significant time, energy and enthusiasm to do just that. The Excellence in Coaching award recognizes the coach who stands out in this exceptional crowd. The recipient of this prestigious award:

• Has significant Club and individual accomplishments
• Is a long term contributor to Masters Swimming
• Presents a positive image of coaching and the role of a coach
• Demonstrates concern for the all-round development of the athlete
• Demonstrates integrity and responsibility while coaching

Nominations for the Excellence in Coaching Award

If you know someone who deserves the Excellence in Coaching Award, please download a nomination form and return it to us by April 1st.

Nominations are accepted from MSC Registered Clubs, Coaches, Athletes and PMOs. We'll notify the recipients and their clubs by April 15th. Award recipients are honoured each year at Nationals.

Past Recipients

Duane Jones, 2011 Recipient, Head Coach, Technosport Swim & Tri Club

Duane Jones has been coaching for 45 years. He founded the age-group club, the Ottawa Y Olympians, in 1965 and he continued to coach age-group swimming at Nepean (Tsunami Swim Club) from 1980 to 1987. During this period, two of his swimmers competed in the Olympics. During a brief retirement he established the Carleton University Varsity Team where the men's relay teams finished with a first, second and third. In 1995, he started the Technosport Swim and Triathlon Club. TECH won the Canadian Masters Swimming Championship for the first time in 1999 and has won Nationals again these past three years. His swimmers at TECH have gone on to set four relay world records and one individual world record. The team holds many Canadian and Provincial records, both as individuals and relays.

Duane has also hosted two major clinics for Masters Swimming Ontario. One of these was in Ottawa and the other in Toronto with Cliff Barry. These clinics were open to all registered swimmers and consisted of pool clinics for stroke improvement and classroom lectures on nutrition, life style changes and goals. Duane has a Masters in Biology and Anthropology as well as a PhD in Exercise, Wellness and Nutrition.

Duane is a very personable individual and provides a great deal of support to his swimmers. He meets regularly with his swimmers to discuss schedules and techniques but is also very interested in helping with life style changes. He is always there if his swimmers have medical issues; ready to go that extra mile to support his athletes. Duane has the uncanny ability to make people believe in themselves. The reason is simple; he believes in them and genuinely cares about each one of his swimmers. He understands every one of his athletes along with their hectic lifestyles, medical problems and emotional issues. He is still able to help them map out strategies to fit swimming, running, cycling and strength training throughout the week.

His philosophy is that the athlete should be a complete individual. Also, everyone who comes out for practice regularly and swims the practices is a winning athlete. He teaches not only swimming but lifestyle and nutrition as well. He promotes work ethic, dedication and the helping of fellow athletes. He instills these values in all of the people he coaches.

Nancy Black, 2010 Recipient, Head Coach, Aurora Master Ducks

The Aurora Master Ducks Swim Club had its humble beginnings in 1999. Obtaining local pool time whenever and whereever she could, Nancy was the driving force behind starting a program to ensure an opportunity for adults to have access to a formalized swimming program for both fitness and competitive purposes. The club began with 18 members and Nancy as the head coach. Today, the Aurora Masters Ducks program boasts one of the largest masters clubs in Canada with over 200 swimmers, including 16 of the original 18 members.

While Nancy has led the Ducks to many successes in the pool, her accomplishements out of the pool may speak even more prominently to her abilities to demonstrate excellence in a leadership role. In 2006 Aurora opened its new recreational facility including a beautiful 25 metre, 8 lane pool. Nancy played an extremely vital role in securing local support and funds for this new facility, lobbying and petitioning loudly and tirelessly for many years at the munipal and regional levels.

In addition to her community involvement, Nancy is currently a member of the board of Masters Swimming Canada. Both Nancy and two of her assistant coaches have also sat on past boards of Masters Swimming Ontario. Nancy is a certified level 2 coach and is an enthusiastic proponent of the benefits of the sport of swimming at all levels within the Aurora community.

Daniel Brault, 2010 Recipient, Head Coach, Victoria Masters Swim Club

The Victoria Masters Swim Club is incredibly fortunate to have the expertise of a wonderfully talented coach. Danielle first started coaching in 1973 with a youth club and added masters coaching to her repertoire in 1979. Danielle has been with VMSC as head coach since 1994 and this is her 15th year. VMSC has 130 members who range in ability from beginner to world record holder. The popularity of the club is due to many factors but one of the main reasons is Danielle's constant encouragement, effort and organizational skills.

One of Danielle's greatest talents is the ability to get the best effort out of all her swimmers whether they are pursuing fitness goals, personal best times or records. Danielle has an amazing ability to know when it is the right time to push a swimmer to the next level, and when the swimmer needs a bit of space. She creates workouts (sometimes with 'surprises') that cater to all levels and remembers that even 'big kids' still like treats, fun relays and being recognized for their accomplishments.

Doug Vanderby, 2009 Recipient, Head Coach, North Toronto Masters

Doug founded the North Toronto Masters in 1993 and has been Head Coach ever since. Swimming out of two locations in winter and at an outdoor pool in summer, Doug has been instrumental in expanding the club's numbers from 80 to 120 in the last two years. To accommodate the extra swimmers, Doug has made room in his schedule for five practices a week, up from three.

Doug's philosophy is to work swimmers hard - technique and conditioning is the mantra - regardless of age and ability. His workouts are always 1.5 hours long and usually cover 3-6 km. Doug believes that competition develops swimmers, both physically and socially, so he encourages every member to compete in at least one Masters meet per year.

After coaching Triathletes last year, Doug decided to open up a program within the club to encourage more Triathletes into the pool. They are now learning the delights of the flip turn and, while they still focus on distance swimming, may soon see the joy in a 200IM thanks to Doug.

Doug has attracted a number of excellent coaches to the club, all of whom offer unique perspective and talent to round out workouts. He stays current on swimming trends by being part of the UofT Swim Team Coaching Staff where he is strength and conditioning coach.

North Toronto Masters holds numerous Ontario and Canadian record relay swims - Doug feels this demonstrates the depth of swimmers at the club. He himself holds Canadian records in all breast strokes from age 35 and up. He has won Worlds - 95, Canadians and US Nationals and currently holds World Police Fire Games Records, the second largest sporting event after the Olympics (Doug is a firefighter when he's not on deck or in the pool).

Congratulations Doug, and a very sincere thank you for your truly amazing contribution to the North Toronto club and to Masters Swimming as a whole.